Kays Translations

Chapter 66: The Empire’s Strongest Knight

Day Three of the Inquisition – Four Days Remaining

“Huff… huff… I’ve already told you… so many times… huff… huff…”

Kenya was struggling to catch his breath.

He hadn’t done any intense exercise, yet he couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen into his lungs.

Catherine had laced his meals with poison, weakening his immune system and worsening his condition.

His thoughts were muddled.

“What’s with that attitude?! Stand up properly!”

“S-Sorry… I just… don’t feel well…”

“Hah! You’re just faking it because you want a break, you filthy-blooded wretch! We’re continuing the questioning!”

(What is this…? A cold? My head… it hurts…)

Kenya’s body was beginning to fail him.

It was, of course, due to Catherine’s poison and the horrid conditions of his prison cell.

The poison, combined with his meager, nutrient-deprived meals, had weakened his immune system.

The stress from the daily inquisition only made things worse.

And on top of that, his cell had no blankets, and the open window exposed him to the harsh outside air.

Given those conditions, it was inevitable that Kenya—a former shut-in with no special training—would fall ill.

But the inquisition showed no signs of stopping.

They kept asking him the same questions over and over.

They were determined to break him before the promised day arrived.

—

“Why won’t you allow me to see him?!”

At the military facility where the inquisition was being held, Reina had arrived.

But her request for a meeting was immediately denied.

“As we’ve already stated, he cannot meet anyone until his innocence is proven. If you insist, then you must obtain permission from Lord Odin himself.”

“Tch…!”

No matter how much she pleaded, the response never changed.

She couldn’t see Kenya.

She had thought he would return quickly, but as the days passed, her anxiety grew unbearable.

That was why she had come all the way here.

“I understand…”

But there was nothing Reina could do.

Lord had been sent to the battlefield under Odin’s orders.

Her father had also made some moves, but he couldn’t do anything beyond that.

For now, all she could do was…

(Kenya… Please, be safe…)

Pray for his safety.

—

“Osiris-sama… as expected of you.”

At the KOG training grounds in the Imperial Capital—

Odin’s knight, Osiris Halberd, was sharpening his fangs.

He was training using a simulator against the Holy Knights and their commander.

Even though many of them were young, they were among the Empire’s finest warriors.

Osiris repeatedly engaged in mock battles against them, regaining the combat instincts he had almost forgotten—all for the sake of defeating Kensei.

“Huff… huff… Not yet. I can go even deeper. I can still push further.”

After days of continuous training, Osiris had defeated every Holy Knight Commander.

His title as “Sword Saint” was not for show.

Even after being away from real combat for so long, his strength remained unparalleled.

“Next. Three against one is fine. Come at me.”

“T-That would be an insult to our pride as Holy Knight Commanders! Osiris, this time, we’ll win!”

“I look forward to it.”

The Sword Saint honed his blade.

To uphold his beliefs.

To stay true to the oath he swore as Odin’s knight.

His sword existed solely for Odin.

There was no hesitation in his heart.

If Odin sought to rule the world, he would follow.

That was his code as a knight—his strength, forged through loyalty.

“This is insane… Is this how powerful the Three Great Heroes are?”
“We can’t even scratch him… He’s a warrior who has survived real battlefields…”
“But we’re Holy Knight Commanders too…!”

Yet even against three at once, Osiris emerged victorious.

“Yes… this is it.”

He had devoted his life to the sword, to KOG, and even his very existence.

He had reached the pinnacle—

A stage only granted to those born with talent, who continued to push themselves, who had even overcome the brink of death.

He was awakening that long-forgotten feeling.

He was reaching the same peak that another knight from another world had once reached.

“This feeling… Yes, I had almost forgotten… This sense of omnipotence.”

With overwhelming force, Osiris pushed open the heavy training room doors.

It was as if sheer strength alone was bending the world to his will.

The ultimate state of focus—

A place only the most disciplined geniuses could reach.

It was the very state of mind Kenya had awakened after surviving that life-or-death battle.

The Holy Knights rubbed their eyes.

The space around Osiris seemed to warp.

Anyone who stepped into that domain would be instantly cut down—

They could see it happening in their minds.

“What are you standing around for? All of you—come at me!”

With a ferocious grin, Osiris declared—

“I am the strongest knight in the Empire.”

And he was right.

—

“Tanaka, I will take Takemikazuchi to the Imperial Capital. You’re coming too, right?”

“Of course. This is Kenya’s grand stage, the moment history changes. It’ll be the official unveiling of this child.”

Tanaka gazed at the transformed Takemikazuchi.

Its performance had been improved, its specs upgraded—

But its controls remained exactly the same.

The biggest change was the resolution of its energy problem.

Now, it could operate for much longer periods.

All for Kenya’s sake.

To ensure that the boy who could turn the tide of battle on his own wouldn’t lose due to something as trivial as running out of energy.

“With this, it can fight at full power for an entire day. It could even fly straight to Japan if needed.”

“Ah, Mitsurugi will have no trouble piloting it.”

With that, Tanaka and Sieg set out for the Imperial Capital.

The fateful day was drawing near.

—

Day Five of the Inquisition – Two Days Remaining

“Huff… huff… My head… hurts. This is definitely a fever. This is bad…”

That night, Kenya developed a high fever.

“U-uh, excuse me… do you have any fever medicine? I’m not feeling well…”

From inside the prison cell, Kenya called out loudly to the soldiers.
One of them left the room.

(Huh? Are they actually going to give it to me?)

Kenya waited with faint hope.

Click… click… click…

The sound of high heels echoed through the quiet stone hallway.

“Hello, Sword-kun.”

“…Who are you?”

The woman who appeared before Kenya wore a tight, bright red outfit that seemed out of place in a prison. She was tall and beautiful, yet Kenya felt no attraction to her.

She looked mean—she reminded him of someone.

“I’m Catherine, Lord Odin’s secretary. Nice to meet you.”

(That’s it… She looks like Ymir. That same nasty look…)

“What do you want?”

“I came to check on you, our little overambitious rebel. Hmm, I was hoping you’d be a bit weaker by now.”

“!? …What do you mean by that?”

“Heh, you’ve figured it out by now, haven’t you? This whole inquisition is just to break you down.”

“…Why are you doing this? Why not fight me fair and square—”

“Fair and square!? Hahaha! What are you even talking about? That’s hilarious. Are you stupid?”

Before Kenya could finish speaking, Catherine let out a mocking laugh.
Her shrill voice rang in his head, fueling his irritation.

“Ugh, idiots everywhere. That filthy-blooded prince, Lord, is an idiot too.”

“I might be an idiot, but he’s not!”

“Oh, please. He’s got half inferior blood in him, of course he’s stupid. And then he had the nerve to defy Lord Odin? They call him the ‘Unbeaten Commander,’ but honestly, with Asgard Empire’s military power, anyone could do his job. I could do it better myself.”

“He’s… amazing.”

For the past six months, Kenya had watched Lord up close.
His intelligence, his kindness, his character.
He could be annoying at times, but even so, Kenya had grown to truly consider him a friend.

Lord was Kenya’s first real friend.

And now, that friend was being mocked.

That pissed him off.

Hearing this woman talk like she knew Lord—like she had the right to insult him—infuriated him.
Kenya knew better than anyone how incredible Lord was.

“Hmm, if you beg for mercy, I might call off your torture. Otherwise, I’ll have to come up with an extra gruesome way for Odin-sama to kill Lord. That’d be fun.”

“What!?”

“Should we tear off his limbs? Burn him alive? Hmm~”

“I won’t lose.”

“Oh really? Well, do your best. You don’t stand a chance against Osiris anyway. But don’t worry, I’ll be kind enough to bury your head next to Lord’s. Aren’t I just the most merciful?”

With that, Catherine turned on her heel and walked away.

“See you later~ Make sure you put on a good show, like the clown you are.”

Kenya was seething with anger, his body trembling with frustration.

But once the moment passed, reality set in again.

(Damn it… My head hurts. And my breathing… Why is it getting worse?)

The next day, the inquisition continued.

Eventually, Kenya collapsed onto the floor.

“Why are you sitting!? Hey, get him up!”

Forcibly dragged to his feet, Kenya’s feverish body burned with heat.
Despite this, the interrogation continued, and his condition only worsened.

That night, Kenya lay awake with a dangerously high fever.
His body had nearly reached its limit.

(Hah… hah… My throat hurts. My lungs hurt. Is that… blood? Is my stomach bleeding? I need water…)

Just two days remained until the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament.

(I just have to hold on… two more days…)

But that naive hope was met with cruel laughter.

“Hehe, today’s a special blend. I put in twice the usual amount.”

The witch smiled.

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