Chapter 1110
Great Sin: Holy Sword Substitute
As the illusion shattered, Don Quixote, who was kneeling before Eivass, did not disintegrate with it.
In the pitch-black environment, transparent white ripples emanated from Don Quixote.
He looked up, gazing at Eivass.
His black hair was disheveled like seaweed, and his emerald-green eyes resembled those of a wolf.
He had become much thinner than the original “Knight of Barin.” His face, which bore a three to four-tenths resemblance to Yulia’s, did not appear particularly handsome due to his emaciation. Instead, it possessed a cold, sharp edge, reminiscent of a serial killer.
“My great Savior… Your loyal knight has finally awaited you.”
Don Quixote’s voice was fervent and mad, yet his eyes appeared rational and sorrowful.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell which was the true him… nor was it clear if this madness was feigned.
“…Don Quixote…”
Eivass softly recited his name, and then, as if compelled, added the suffix of the name Don Quixote had given himself, under his expectant gaze: “…de La Mancha.”
Don Quixote’s name could be interpreted as “Guardian of the ‘La Mancha’ region, the noble Lord Quixote,” meaning “Lord Quixote.” However, the fief of La Mancha, let alone during the War of Partition, had ceased to exist as early as the mid-Hrasal Empire.
This was the name of a fertile and peaceful rural area in the central region during the early days of the Hrasal Empire’s founding. It carried a meaning akin to “Taoyuan Village” or “Xinghua Village.”
The name “Quixote” itself referred to a thigh guard used by knights, below which were kneepads and greaves.
Armor in this position was extremely important for a knight on horseback—because for infantry, their thighs were not easily injured. However, a knight’s thighs were exposed, and considering the height of the horse, it was precisely the position most easily attacked directly by infantry. Therefore, it could also be considered a “knight’s necessity.”
This name was undoubtedly an alias. Its composition was too meaningful, as if a writer had named a character in a novel… always laden with various metaphors and allusions, making it not at all casual.
Seeing the light that bloomed in Don Quixote’s pupils for an instant, Eivass suddenly felt as though he understood this man.
He was not simply a mere spectral entity dreaming of becoming a knight. Nor was he entirely Hercules, who had lost his memory, or a Phantom Demon reconstructed with the soul of the Knight of Barin as raw material.
Within his heart lay unspeakable pain and fervent passion—judging by the way he addressed Eivass, he clearly possessed his own will and story. He was merely actively indulging in the brilliance of a knight, using this method to mask his emptiness.
Rather than a naive spectral entity studying and imitating the Knights of the Round Table, he was more like Eivass’s father-in-law—Prince Albert, who earnestly imitated the Bard Yunus, also as an act of escapism by immersing himself.
It was like a player who had been wounded by pain and wished to quietly escape into a game or personal pursuits, to forget everything by indulging in them.
Eivass had encountered a similar person. That was Laro, the Clown from Star Antinomy.
He was also a madman speaking and acting in such a bizarre manner… yet he loved Star Antinomy and was loyal to Valentine more than anyone. Those outwardly respectable, polite, and elegant nobles and scholars were merely wolves in sheep’s clothing. In contrast, that mad clown was the most sober and most heartbroken person.
For such a person, there was no need to pull them out of the dramatic play they were knowingly performing. That would be impolite—nor would it make one appear intelligent, as if a transcendent of the Path of Wisdom who had seen through all illusions.
Eivass lowered his gentle gaze, and his clear voice echoed in the void:
“In my name, Eivass Moriarty, I bestow upon you the title of ‘Guardian of the La Mancha Fief.’
“Although currently, neither Avalon nor the New Hrasal possesses this territory… I promise you, this territory will soon be established… or rather, rebuilt. It may not be very large, but it will be the place where my home resides.”
Eivass looked at Don Quixote and said word by word, “I will live in the La Mancha Fief that you guard, Don Quixote.”
Don Quixote gazed at Eivass, his rational yet sorrowful eyes visibly brightening and growing fervent.
“…I will fight for you, my lord.”
He said nothing more.
From being garrulous and excited moments before, he now became taciturn.
Eivass then extended his hand forward—
“Don Quixote de La Mancha!”
Eivass proclaimed loudly, reciting his name word by word, raising the two manifested cards in his hand, and declared, “I call your name at this moment, bestowing upon you the brand of Greed!
“My life is your life, my destiny is your destiny—
“—Obey me, Phantom Demon on the Path of Authority!!”
As Eivass’s declaration resounded, a dragon’s roar echoed from afar.
A blast of frost dragon breath descended, instantly freezing and solidifying both Eivass and the kneeling Don Quixote.
A pure white magic circle, rimmed with frost, gradually indented on the ice surface and began to radiate brilliance.
—It was like a lamp wrapped in thick paper, which, as an invisible carving tool gradually etched and hollowed it out, allowed faint beams of light to seep through.
An increasingly bright radiance hatched from the ice.
Like a life hatching from an egg—
After its completion, the pure light magic circle ascended into the air.
As it rose, it was like 3D printing, gradually defrosting the ice-encased Eivass and Don Quixote layer by layer. When it completely rose above Don Quixote’s head, the ice on both of them had completely dissipated.
At its highest point, the light magic circle revealed a majestic and fierce lion’s head emblem within its inner ring.
Then, the magic circle began to collapse and shatter from its outermost ring, turning into void and dissipating into nothingness. Finally, only the white lion’s head ring, like a badge, remained.
Two new, massive Tarot cards, one above and one below, were slowly imprinted from the void, facing each other, appearing on its upper and lower sides.
The one below symbolized Don Quixote himself.
—【Justice】.
A goddess wearing a crown and a red robe, holding scales and a sword, sat on a throne, with two pillars behind her.
The exalted goddess symbolized divine authority—the scales represented fairness and measurement, and the sword represented judgment and punishment. The two pillars represented tradition and law, the red robe symbolized religious authority, and the crown symbolized royal authority.
Clearly, the standard of “Justice” originated from the definition of authority.
Its card face gradually changed… the scorching red card face turned into a tranquil cyan-green. The goddess no longer sat on a throne but stood up, and her eyes were blindfolded. She held a double-edged sword and stood on a giant scale. The two ends of the scale were marked “Alpha” and “Omega,” symbolizing the beginning and the end… yet they were currently in a delicate balance.
The original two simple stone pillars had transformed into complex spires, one end light and the other dark. The two stone pillars became four spires. At the ends of the four spires were eight layers of light and dark. Only through extremely complex and perilous balancing was equilibrium achieved between light and dark.
When both the origin and the end were weighed on the scales, it was discovered that they were balanced. This process was like an acrobat standing on a ball, requiring constant focus and a peaceful mind.
Justice had become Adjustment.
Compared to the static, harsh “Justice,” “Adjustment,” which constantly leaned towards balance, was undoubtedly dynamic and calm; compared to external, material authority, it shifted towards internal, spiritual definition.
The card above represented the Silver Crown Dragon, which was used to seal Don Quixote.
—It was the “Chariot,” symbolizing victory and authority.
Originally, a warrior stood on the chariot, with a black and a white sphinx in front, corresponding exactly to the two pillars on the Justice card. Mountains, rivers, and cities were depicted around the chariot, symbolizing invincibility, conquest, and victory. It also symbolized the mastery of willpower over power—if the two differently colored sphinxes could not be made to move in the same direction, the chariot could not advance, and might even be damaged.
This command was called authority.
—Authority is the control of power!
However, at this moment, this card had also changed—the two sphinxes had transformed into four cherubim, also two black and two white. Their facing direction had changed from one to three… as light and dark became more complex, the situation also became more intricate, corresponding to the complication of the “pillars” when “Justice” transformed into “Adjustment.”
Tradition symbolized morality, and law symbolized authority. As society developed, neither morality nor authority could resolve all complex issues.
The warrior on the chariot originally held a spear, revealing a face that brought him glory, and wore a laurel wreath symbolizing triumph on his head.
But in the new card, the warrior was covered head to toe in sturdy, can-like armor. He no longer stood to welcome glory but sat comfortably in the chariot; he no longer held a spear but carried a shield that resembled a sacred grail—or a sacred grail that resembled a shield.
He no longer needed physical ropes and shackles; the four cherubim prostrated themselves before the chariot. Because the external victory obtained by imposing material restraints had transformed into “victory without fighting” achieved through spiritual elevation, internal integration, and the adjustment of light and dark.
This was akin to the current state of the Silver Crown Dragon.
He had once transformed into the human warrior Arthur, conquered the land of giants, and then defied Supreme Heaven, becoming the new Pillar God, the Silver Crown Dragon.
Now, the Silver Crown Dragon no longer needed to achieve material victory… What he needed now was spiritual unity and internal harmony.
Finally, as the two cards gradually formed and became clear, they slowly moved closer to each other.
The moment the two cards merged tightly, they suddenly erupted with a cold radiance.
As the illusion shattered, Eivass opened his eyes.
The Holy Sword Clarent beside him had disappeared.
Before him, a pure white, transparent card slowly rotated in the air. Outlined in metallic silver-grey was a lion’s head emblem.
Eivass extended his hand and smoothly wrote his name with his right index finger.
Its attributes, after intense vibration, were revealed:
【Great Sin: Holy Sword Substitute (Adjustment, Chariot)】
【Level: 50 (Suppressed)】
【Path of Authority, Attribute Light】
【Upright Summoning · Nothing Left】
【Required: Light 5】
【Immediate, Forward, Effect Now】
【Effect: Summons the spirit of Paladin Don Quixote, who self-sacrifices to become a massive light shield, resisting all incoming attacks from the front for all allies behind him】
【Reverse Summoning · Holy Sword Substitute】
【Required: Light 5】
【Sustain: Light 5*Daily】
【Action, Summon】
【Effect: Summons the Beast of Greed · Holy Sword Substitute to fight for you. The Holy Sword Substitute is considered a summoned creature; in non-combat state, the Beast of Greed · Holy Sword Substitute can transform into the Holy Sword Clarent and enter follow mode; only one Great Sin Beast can exist at a time】
“…Holy Sword Substitute, Nothing Left…”
Eivass’s index finger lightly caressed the cold card face, murmuring softly.
Among all his Great Sin Beasts… possibly among all his Phantom Card, this was the one with the simplest card description.
—Pure stats, no mechanics. Or rather, the mechanics were not written on the card… after all, Eivass had no idea how thick this light shield was or what additional attributes it possessed. Nothing was written here at all.
But even if it were just an exceptionally thick shield… as a group protection light shield that could be summoned instantly just by displaying the card, it was quite a practical ability for Eivass.
After all, Eivass was not lacking in attack power or healing ability. An instantly summonable shield was extremely practical for Eivass—if he had possessed it when confronting the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, he wouldn’t have had to nervously trade blows with them.
But why…
This skill, which could block damage for allies, was called “Nothing Left”?
And why was he called “Holy Sword Substitute”?
Eivass remembered that Bishop Mathers, who was originally possessed by the spirit within the Red-Hilted Sword, should have been called “Holy Sword Guardian.”
…Was it because Bishop Mathers was guarding the Red-Hilted Sword, while the current Don Quixote did not possess the Holy Sword Clarent?
His place of refuge was also at the mercy of others…
Don Quixote clearly distinguished between what belonged to others and what belonged to himself, which was why he only called himself “Holy Sword Substitute.” It meant that the sword was not his, and he himself was a “holder of Nothing Left.”
Even the last thing that belonged to him was lost.
Eivass was touched, his lips pressing together slightly.
“…Let me see you, Don Quixote.”
He murmured and displayed the card in his hand.
Under the gaze of Isabel and the others, a knight clad in silvery-white armor appeared before Eivass amidst a brilliant radiance.
He wore a majestic, handsome, full-coverage silver-white helmet, and his entire body was like that of the most radiant and sacred knight—his dragon scale armor was covered in golden runes, and every movement radiated a fervent brilliance. There was even a white halo behind his head, like thorns—it was a white ring with white spikes in eight directions.
To anyone who saw him, he was a noble and exalted Paladin.
The Holy Sword Clarent in his hand was also fully awakened. The massive sword, like a door, was usable by Don Quixote.
He appeared kneeling, his right hand on his chest, his head bowed.
“Your knight, Don Quixote de La Mancha, answers your call—
“—To fight for you!”
As the knight raised his head, a fervent and clear voice rang out simultaneously!
(End of Chapter)
