Chapter 90
The Sword of War crashed down again.
CRAAASH—
John blocked.
Stone exploded beneath his feet.
The Lord disappeared.
appeared behind John.
A horizontal slash.
CLANG—
John turned.
Blocked.
---
The shockwave ripped through a row of broken pillars.
The Lord vanished again.
Above.
---
The Sword of War descended.
The ground collapsed.
---
John stepped through the dust.
His black sword moving.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
---
The battlefield flashed with sparks.
Neither spoke.
Only steel.
Only destruction.
A ruined tower finally gave up.
RUMBLE
It crashed into the sanctuary floor.
Dust swallowed everything.
Then—
silence.
The Lord stood motionless.
His sword lowered.
Across from him—
John lowered his sword as well.
The dust slowly drifted between them.
Lord: "...Years."
Silence.
Lord: "Do you know how many years?"
The Lord looked around.
At the ruined sanctuary.
At the unconscious Princess.
Lord: "Years of preparation."
Lord: "Years of waiting."
Lord: "Years of sacrifice."
His gaze settled on John.
Lord: "Gone."
Lord: "Because of you."
John remained silent.
---
The Lord turned away.
---
TAP.
---
TAP.
---
His footsteps echoed through the sanctuary.
---
Eventually—
he stopped.
At the center.
At the place where Monesa's stone once stood
Now—
there was only rubble.
The Lord stared at it.
Lord: "That Justice worshipper destroyed it."
Silence.
Lord: "Now the ritual has to stop."
Lord: "Until we find Monesa again."
The wind passed through the broken sanctuary.
John said nothing.
Lord: "And because the ritual has stopped..."
Lord: "The chances of the prediction have increased."
A pause
Lord: "Everything is becoming uncertain again."
Silence.
Lord: "Until we find Monesa..."
His eyes shifted toward the unconscious Princess.
Lord: "I'll place her back in prison."
Lord: "Just like before."
The sanctuary became quiet.
Several seconds passed.
The Lord continued staring at the Princess.
Then—
Suddenly
John spoke.
John: "Let her go."
The words cut through the silence.
---
The Lords eyes froze.
---
A long pause.
---
Slowly—
he turned.
Lord: "...What?"
---
John's expression didn't change.
---
John: "Let the Princess go."
---
Silence.
---
The wind stopped.
For the first time—
the Lord looked genuinely surprised.
His eyes narrowed.
Not because of the request.
But because it came from John.
Lord: "...You?"
Another pause.
Lord: "You're asking for someone?"
John said nothing.
The Lord kept staring.
As if he was looking at a stranger.
...CHAPTER90ENDS...