The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 736- The Divine Oath, the Fall of a Hero and the Truth (8)

"It begins small, so small that neither body nor spirit notices its existence. But with every heartbeat, it grows stronger and bigger. And once it grows to a critical mass, it would start devouring the very essence that makes someone alive"...

"The victim would start becoming weaker and weaker with every passing moment until life slowly disappeared, as though some unseen monster had feasted on them from within."

Mammon pointed toward Aurelia.

"Eventually, the serpent becomes too large, too hungry, that it tears apart its host from the inside. The body collapses and the serpent... is finally born."

Mammon’s smile widened into something grotesque.

"There is no way to waste your power, Divine Paladin. Not even with your power can you remove the curse that was created by the Demon Lord himself. There is only one ending for those afflicted with Ophiuchus, and that is death."

Having explained all this, he looked directly into Reinhardt’s eyes.

"So tell me, Divine Paladin. Now that you know all this, what will you do?"

Hearing that question, Reinhardt stayed silent.

What will you do, you ask?

He glanced at Aurelia and smiled. It was not the smile of someone cornered, nor the smile of someone resigned. It was warm, gentle, almost peaceful.

He did not answer the question, because... there had never been another answer.

Aurelia continued rushing toward him. Those empty crimson eyes held no warmth or recognition. Only the curse moved her body like a puppet.

Once close, she raised her hand. The terrifying power of Ophiuchus’ curse appeared on her palm.

Yet, facing the attack, Reinhardt did not dodge and simply stayed put. What’s more, he opened his arms and, with a single step forward, embraced her.

"Aurelia."

He wrapped both arms around her trembling body, holding her as though she were the most precious treasure in the world.

At almost the same moment, her palm struck his chest.

BANG...

A muffled sound echoed, and the accumulated curse erupted. From the point where her palm touched him, a terrifying black serpent slowly emerged. Its body was covered in darkness, and its eyes glowed with endless hatred. Its mouth opened with a chilling hiss that seemed to echo directly inside one’s soul.

"Sssssss..."

The serpent stared at Reinhardt, then lunged.

Like molten lava, it drilled directly through his chest plate and straight into his heart.

"!!!"

Reinhardt’s body violently shook. The pain was so outlandish that every vein across his neck and arms bulged black. His skin visibly paled, and blood suddenly flowed from the corners of his eyes, nose, and all seven orifices.

The curse spread through him with horrifying speed. Although his heartbeat became chaotic and his vision blurred, his embrace never loosened.

He simply held Aurelia tighter, as though afraid she might disappear if he let go.

Having already tried to purify the curse, he knew that the Curse of Ophiuchus could not be undone at his current level of strength.

The only way was exactly this. To accept it himself and inherit Aurelia’s fate. To willingly transfer the serpent onto him.

The Curse of Ophiuchus that had consumed Aurelia was now his to bear.

Mammon watched everything with great relish.

Several moments later, the crimson glow inside Aurelia’s eyes slowly faded, and she slowly came to herself.

"..."

Her eyelashes trembled, and confusion filled her beautiful eyes.

"...Rein...hardt"

She looked around in a daze. As awareness slowly returned, she noticed the arms wrapped around her and the blood soaking the armor. Then, when she looked up, her breathing stopped.

Reinhardt was smiling at her. However, due to the blood flowing down from his mouth, nose, and eyes... the scene looked quite tragic.

Seeing this scene, Aurelia’s pupils violently contracted.

"N... no..."

Everything came rushing back. The horn, the skull, the curse that had been planted on her after she was captured. Although she had no memory while she was being controlled, seeing Reinhardt’s current appearance was enough for her to understand everything.

Tears instantly flooded her eyes.

"No... no..."

She desperately grabbed his armor.

"What... have you done...?"

Her voice had broken. Tears streaked down her cheeks. She balled her hands into fists and slammed them into his chest. Although his armor stopped it all, it showed the overwhelming emotional turbulence inside Aurelia’s heart.

Thump... Thump... Thump...

"You idiot! You should’ve left me! You should’ve run away!"

"Why...? Why would you do something this stupid?!"

Her tears poured endlessly.

"Why... why would you endanger yourself for me? There was no reason for you to plant the curse on yourself. You should have just let me..."

She buried her face against his bloodstained armor and cried heartbreakingly.

"I would’ve accepted it if it meant you could live. I would’ve accepted dying. So why... why couldn’t you just leave me behind?"

Every word tore at her own heart. Every sob made Reinhardt’s chest tighten.

Slowly... very slowly... he raised a trembling hand and, while enduring the unbearable pain spreading through every corner of his body, he gently brushed away the tears staining her cheeks. His smile remained exactly the same as before. Warm and filled with affection.

"Because... I made an oath."

He opened his mouth and spoke a few words into her ear.

Aurelia froze.

"Do you remember... the day you tore your dress and tied that piece of cloth around my arm? You made me promise... that I’d come back alive."

His fingers lightly touched her cheek.

"And... I made another promise."

Reinhardt’s golden eyes met hers. The same eyes that had looked at her countless times were at this moment filled with a sense of peace and relief.

"I told you... that no matter what happened, I would protect you. I would never let you cry again."

Although his voice was weak, every word was spoken with unwavering conviction.

"So as a man and a knight, how could I break my oath?"

Hearing those words, Aurelia’s heart hurt even more. She wanted to scold him. She wanted to call him reckless. To ask why he always insisted on carrying everything alone. Why he could smile at this perilous moment.

Yet when she looked into those gentle golden eyes, every complaint died before reaching her lips.

Only tears remained.

She buried her face against his chest once more and held him tightly, as though afraid that letting go would be the last time she ever touched him.

At that moment...

Clap... Clap... Clap...

A series of slow applause echoed throughout the ruined castle.

"Magnificent."

Mammon wiped away a nonexistent tear while wearing an exaggerated expression of admiration.

"What a heartbreaking reunion. I was truly moved. So touching. So romantic. I almost forgot that I was supposed to kill both of you."

He nodded repeatedly.

"The great Divine Paladin. The hero of humanity. Reduced to sacrificing himself for a single woman. What an idiot."

He started mocking them with a cruel grin.

"You directly walked into the trap I laid out for you. Hahaha... can anyone be more foolish than you? Tell me, Divine Paladin, was it worth it? Throwing away the future of humanity for one insignificant woman? Squeak... squeak... bla... bla..."

Reinhardt paid no attention to the rambling demon. His attention remained entirely on Aurelia.

Feeling the curse spreading and his breathing becoming noticeably heavier, he spoke.

"Aurelia, as soon as I open a path... run. I’ll carve a route leading toward the Northern Fortress. If you hurry... you should still be able to catch up with Drystan and the others before they’ve completely withdrawn from the fortress."

Hearing that, Aurelia’s eyes widened, and she immediately shook her head.

"No, I won’t. I’m not leaving you."

But Reinhardt was serious, even forceful this time.

"You have to. Aurelia, I’m begging you."

"No. I won’t leave you."

Not this time. Never again.

Seeing the stubbornness in her eyes, Reinhardt sighed helplessly. His smile carried both affection and resignation.

"I’m afraid... I’ll have to make you obey this one."

He gently held both of her shoulders and pushed her away. Then he smiled reassuringly.

"Don’t worry. Once I deal with the demon in front of us, I’ll catch up with all of you."

His tone sounded relaxed and far too calm, as if stating the obvious. As if the situation before them wasn’t life-threatening.

Aurelia quietly stared into his eyes but said nothing.

If it had been her from a few days ago, she might have believed his bluff. But the current her had already awakened the memories sleeping within her soul, and she knew who she truly was.

And more importantly, she understood the curse.

Ophiuchus... once it fully rooted itself within a soul, without power of a higher level, there was no solution.

The man before her was lying. His words were meant not to deceive, but to make her leave this place without carrying guilt.

The truth shattered her heart.

She also knew that even if she exposed the truth, he would still not back down and follow through on his words.

That was how he was.