“Sir Odin, I apologize… It was only because of my weakness.”

Osiris raised his sword.

As if to block the Earthguard forces entirely.

“Hah… hah… 9,997! 9,998! 9,999!”

“You’re always swinging that sword. Don’t you ever get bored?”

“10,000…? Who… S-Sir Odin!?”

The young Odin and Osiris.

Osiris was not yet a Holy Knight—just an ordinary foot soldier.

Odin was still a child who hadn’t even met Road yet.

This was their first encounter.

As always, Osiris was the lone figure in the training grounds, swinging his sword mindlessly.

He arrived earlier than anyone and stayed later than anyone else, practicing alone.

Having lost his beloved wife on the battlefield, Osiris swung his sword again and again.

As if to atone to the wife he couldn’t protect due to his own weakness.

Only while swinging his sword could he keep his heart from tearing itself apart.

“Wh-Why is Sir Odin here!?”

“Oh, nothing. I heard there was this idiot always swinging his sword like a maniac. I’d watched from afar sometimes, and I thought, ‘He really never gets bored,’ so I got a little curious.”

“M-Me, of all people? I am not worthy.”

“Why do you swing the sword?”

“It’s all I have. Someday, I want to change the world with this sword. I couldn’t protect her, but I want a world where everyone can live happily with their loved ones. It’s an unworthy dream… but I want to change the world.”

“…Hmph. Good luck.”

And Odin left.

Osiris stared at the sword in his hand, repeating the words spoken to him.

Words from royalty, beings on a cloud above the masses.

“Good luck…”

After that, Odin began showing up occasionally at the end of Osiris’s training sessions.

“You’ve come again today.”

“Nah, I just wonder how long you’ll keep this up. Aren’t you bored yet?”

“Th-That’s some pressure. But I’ll be switching to different training soon. I’ve finally been certified as a Holy Knight! Next, I’ll get my own personal KOG and swing my sword with that.”

“Oh, so all those years swinging here weren’t wasted! And I thought you were an idiot in the age of KOGs.”

“An… idiot…”

“Well, good luck.”

As usual, Odin left after just those words.

“9,999! 10,000!”

“Even in a KOG, you’re doing the same thing, huh.”

Even riding a KOG, Osiris swung his sword the same way.

Ten thousand times a day—rain or snow or storm—as long as there was training, he never skipped that routine.

“Yes. This is the one thing I never skip. It’s my origin, I suppose.”

“Hmph. Weird.”

“Weird?”

“It makes no sense at all. There are more efficient ways to train, but you’ve become a Holy Knight candidate—nearing even the Military God. It’s weird.”

“Haha, yes. Call it stubbornness. But if I keep moving forward one step at a time, no matter how slow, I believe I’ll reach the summit no one has touched. That’s why I swing my sword. It’s all I can do…”

“You’re no genius.”

“Guh. I know. The star instructor told me the same…”

“Same as me.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. But you might be a genius at effort. Good luck, Osiris! I know how hard you work.”

And Odin left.

Day after day—even after war broke out—whenever Osiris was in the imperial capital, he swung his sword every day.

Years passed, tens of thousands of swings.

One such day.

As Odin watched Osiris’s unchanging training, he spoke up.

As casually as small talk.

“Hey, Osiris.”

“9,997! What is it, Sir Odin! 9,998!”

“Won’t you become my knight?”

“9,999! Knight…? …Knight!? M-Me!? Did I hear that wrong!?”

“I’ll say it again. Won’t you become my knight? I want you as my knight.”

“But there are stronger people—like Zeke!”

“Yeah, after watching you for years, I thought: You’ll keep advancing without stopping until you reach the top of the world. So become my knight. Let’s change the world together—the one you dream of! Osiris! I want you as my knight!”

“Is it really okay? With someone like me?”

“I’m saying it’s you I want! Osiris!”

Odin gazed at Osiris through their KOGs, practically pleading.

For years, Odin had watched Osiris’s efforts here.

Odin had decided: If he chose a knight, it had to be Osiris—no one else.

And Osiris had decided in his heart.

This person who, from his young days, had offered simple encouragement without any ulterior motive.

When he felt like giving up, he remembered those words.

“Good luck.”

Osiris dismounted his KOG and knelt before Odin.

“Sir Odin, I am honored. Osiris Halberd—unworthy as I am—offers this life, this loyalty. No matter what happens, for all eternity…”

He looked straight at Odin and declared:

“I pledge it all to you, Sir Odin.”

…

“Sir Odin, I apologize… It was only because of my weakness.”

And now, Osiris raised his sword and stared them down.

The Earthguard army led by Road.

Their numbers exceeded ten thousand. Even for Osiris, there was no way he could win alone.

Yet Reina understood, seeing his unflinching back.

“Osiris…”

“Thank you, Reina. You’ve given me a place to die. Now I can perish on the battlefield and apologize to my lord.”

“…Good luck! Kaguya, let’s go!”

Osiris was probably not an ally, but not an enemy either.

He intended to live by loyalty and die by it.

The lone knight who had lost his lord had come here seeking a place to die.

“Got it…”

Kaguya and Reina left Osiris behind and headed for the isolation tower.

Thanks to Osiris taking on the bulk, only a few KOGs remained guarding the tower.

That number was no match for Kaguya and Reina.

They scattered them in an instant and smashed open the isolation tower’s doors with their KOGs.

“Father! You there?”

“Well done, Kaguya, Reina!”

Isshin Kurokami, who had been hiding, came running at that perfect moment.

“I’ll go save Kenya! Reina, Kaguya—destroy the enemy KOGs here!”

“Got it!”

“Understood!”

Reina and Kaguya defended the isolation tower from the enemy KOGs.

Isshin alone ascended the tower to rescue Kenya.

“Wh-What the—!?”

Isshin slew the guards inside one by one, in seconds.

There were only a few, and they were no match for the supreme close-quarters combat expert.

In overwhelming fashion, Isshin reached the top floor.

“This is it… Kenya! You there?”

Isshin called through the door.

“? …That voice. Isshin!?”

“Long time no see. But no time to talk—I’m forcing it open. Get away from the door.”

“Eh, wait— Whoa!?”

The door exploded suddenly.

Isshin had blown open the sturdy-sealed door with a grenade.

“You don’t mess around… Isshin.”

And emerging from the smoke was:

“Long time no see, Kenya. I’ve missed you. But no time for nostalgia. Let’s go! I’ll explain while we run.”

“Roger!”

Kenya and Isshin dashed down the isolation tower.

Kenya frowned at the Earthguard soldiers Isshin had likely killed.

Seeing the corpses up close—bodies he’d only viewed through KOG sensors—made it real.

“I see… Road started a world war.”

“Yeah, he’s the enemy of the world now. And Reina and Kaguya are fighting to save you. There’s one more I don’t know—red and black KOG.”

“…Osiris? What the hell is going on…”

Though confused, Kenya and Isshin raced straight down the tower.

But suddenly, Isshin kicked Kenya—who was running beside him—sending him crashing into the wall.

“Guah!! Isshin!? What?”

Battered and in pain, Kenya noticed his knee had been lightly slashed.

A bit of blood. A cut from something sharp.

“I’ll stop that… What a pain.”

“That was close. Thought I’d lose your leg right after rescuing you.”

A girl hiding in the shadows had aimed a slash at Kenya’s leg.

Kenya had been saved at the last second by Isshin.

He looked at the girl holding the knife.

“Sophie…”

The beautiful blonde maid.

The girl who had taken care of him every day, but now…

“Sword-sama, please return. You are not permitted to leave the isolation tower.”

An assassin blocking Kenya’s path.