Soren Arden POV
"Huff… This is stupid."
The words slipped out of Soren's mouth without much thought, carried on ragged breath and frustration rather than any real expectation of being heard.
He had known from the very beginning that this fight was unwinnable.
No, calling it a fight was generous.
It was more of a one-sided lesson, delivered through blunt force and absolute dominance.
The moment Amelia Einhardt had asked him to fight, he had understood that there was no scenario where he walked away victorious in a conventional sense.
But knowing something and feeling it were two very different things.
Seeing the gap laid bare, every movement, every reaction, every casual deflection, drove the point home far more brutally than any stat screen ever could.
Seeing the gap laid bare, every movement, every reaction, every casual deflection, drove the point home far more brutally than any stat screen ever could.
This was the distance between an extra and a main character.
Between someone meant to exist on the fringes of ❰The Knight of Stellaris❱ and someone who shaped its narrative simply by being present.
Between an extra and a main heroine.
Thud!
Pain exploded along his side as Amelia's strike landed cleanly against his ribs.
The impact knocked the air out of his lungs, his body lifting slightly off the ground before slamming back down in an ungraceful sprawl.
Before he could even register the full extent of the pain…
Warm light washed over him.
His wounds knit together, bruises fading as divine energy flowed through his body.
His breathing steadied, the pain dulled, and strength returned just enough for him to move again.
Yet again, she landed a blow.
Yet again, he got healed.
Yet again, he forced himself to stand.
That cycle had repeated more times than he cared to count.
It had become painfully clear that this was all he could do.
Attack, fail, get hit, get healed, repeat.
No clever trick, no hidden mechanic, no last-second reversal like in the game.
Until Amelia got bored of him, this was the only outcome available.
He staggered upright, planting his feet unsteadily against the scorched earth of the exam field.
Sweat clung to his skin, soaking through his clothes, while his arms screamed in protest every time he lifted his weapon.
He was exhausted.
Completely, utterly exhausted.
Not just physically, but also mentally.
Until two months ago, he had lived a completely ordinary life on Earth.
It wasn't the best life, but it was quiet.
The only "fights" he had ever been in were messy, desperate scuffles in high school hallways, clumsy things fueled by fear and adrenaline rather than any real skill.
Then he had been transmigrated.
And everything had gone to hell.
In the span of just two months, his entire existence had been flipped upside down.
He had nearly died in Rena Forest.
He had learned that the family whose name he carried had abandoned him without hesitation.
He had been forced to confront memories that weren't even his, Soren Arden's past bleeding into his own thoughts until the line between them blurred.
He had met Louise.
He had killed someone, truly killed them, with his own hands.
And finally stood face-to-face with a main character.
A real one.
Someone who wasn't an NPC, or an abstraction, or a line of dialogue.
Someone whose presence warped reality around her.
'The story hasn't even properly started yet…'
According to the game's progression, this was still the early portion of Act 1.
Barely past the introduction.
A point where the protagonist was supposed to be struggling, yes, but not like this.
Thinking about it almost made him laugh.
He had gone through more pain, more danger, and more emotional whiplash in two months than the game's main cast had in the entirety of the first act.
He let out a shaky breath.
'At least…'
The only thing he felt genuinely grateful for was the fact that he wasn't the protagonist.
That alone gave him a strange kind of freedom.
Being transmigrated as an extra meant he wasn't shackled to the rails of the main story.
He wasn't obligated to follow predetermined choices or walk toward scripted tragedies.
At least, in theory.
"…Done?"
Amelia's voice cut through his thoughts with ease, deep and calm despite how violently she had been tossing him around moments earlier.
Soren blinked, pulling himself back to the present.
'Was I done?'
His body screamed at him to stay down, to stop, to admit defeat and wait for this to end.
Instead, he pushed himself upright again and raised his handaxe.
The metal felt heavier than before, but his grip tightened regardless.
His answer was wordless.
"Good."
Amelia smiled at him, genuinely and brightly, as if she were watching something she truly enjoyed.
He took a breath and prepared to attack…
—FWAAAA!
A sudden silver light engulfed him, flooding his vision and washing over his body in a way that felt fundamentally different from the usual healing spells.
Soren froze mid-step.
Turning his head sharply, he saw Olivia standing behind him, hands clasped tightly together in prayer.
Her voice was quiet but resolute, trembling not with fear but effort.
[To the one that is watching over me, you have seen the path I have walked, thus you know the path I will walk—]
The moment recognition hit him, Soren's eyes widened.
"What? Already?!"
He couldn't hide the shock in his voice.
Those words…
That incantation…
It was her ultimate skill.
In ❰The Knight of Stellaris❱, characters only unlocked their ultimate abilities after undergoing an awakening.
They were milestones, dramatic turning points reserved for moments of crisis.
For Olivia, that awakening was supposed to happen during the final boss of Arc 1.
Not here.
Not now.
Not because of him.
And yet…
She was using it now.
[—To the one who is protecting me, your belief has been seen—]
A dumbfounded laugh slipped out of his throat as he watched the silver light intensify around him.
"Haha… of course."
'What did I expect from a main character?'
[—to the one protecting me I will ask you; please be 「My Light」.]
The world seemed to answer.
.
[My Light has been applied!]
.
[Blessing of Stamina has been applied!]
[Blessing of Strength has been applied!]
[Blessing of Agility has been applied!]
[Blessing of Mana has been applied!]
[Blessing of Divine Power has been applied!]
[Blessing of Charm has been applied!]
[Holy Infusion has been applied!]
[Heal has been applied!]
.
[Unique Skill [Blessing of Aryn] has increased [My Light]'s effectiveness!]
.
[Status Window]
Name: Soren Arden
◈ Stats
Stamina - 3.2 (0.9)
Strength - 3.0 (0.7)
Agility - 3.6 (1.3)
Mana - 3.6 (1.3)
Divine Power - 2.6 (0.3)
Charm - 10.0 (8.7)
.
"…Wow."
The word slipped out quietly.
His entire body felt different.
Lighter, stronger, sharper.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt something dangerously close to confidence.
[My Light] was the best support ultimate in TKS.
And right now, in the early game, it was nothing short of absurd.
A flat +2 to all stats, holy damage added to every attack, and a massive heal on top of it all.
It had been nerfed later, reduced effectiveness after stats reached an average of 5.0, but even then, it remained one of the most broken support abilities in the game.
And right now?
It was pushing him into the territory of a class C student.
As the light finally faded, Soren turned his head back toward Olivia and immediately noticed something was wrong.
Her legs trembled beneath her; her breathing was shallow and uneven, and the colour had drained from her face entirely.
'She burned through her divine power.'
He started toward her instinctively, panic flaring in his chest, but Olivia shook her head before he could take more than a step.
"Good… luck…"
She smiled weakly, forcing the words out.
Soren swallowed and nodded.
Turning back, he found Amelia staring at Olivia with unmistakable interest.
"Another interesting person…"
He couldn't argue with that assessment.
Thud.
He heard Olivia collapse behind him, but she had already told him not to worry.
Still, the thought echoed uncomfortably in his mind.
The main heroine had awakened two months earlier than she was supposed to.
And it was all because of a stupid, one-sided fight caused by an extra's mistake.
Amelia straightened, excitement returning to her eyes as she readied herself once more.
Clench.
Soren tightened his grip on the handaxe and charged forward.
The world felt different now.
Lighter.
Faster.
His legs propelled him forward at speeds that would have been impossible just moments ago.
"「Freeze」!"
Kwaajaak—!
Ice spread rapidly beneath their feet, the ground cracking as frost raced outward.
Shatter.
He tried to extend it further, to lock her legs in place, but the ice exploded apart instantly.
Using the brief distraction, he leapt backwards instead of pressing forward.
"「Breeze」!"
Wind burst from his palm, carrying his body further back as he clasped his hands together midair, muttering quietly under his breath.
"To the one that watches over me, see my strength and give your blessing for my victory. 「Blessing of Lightning」."
This time, the incantation responded.
Purple-silver light flared from his palms, crackling with contained power.
.
[Blessing of Lightning has been applied!]
.
[25% Increase to Lightning-Element damage!]
.
By the time the incantation ended, Amelia was already in front of him.
As expected.
But thanks to [Concentration], his spell was ready.
He raised his left hand just as her fist came toward his abdomen.
"「Shock」!"
Crackleee—!
Lightning surged forward as he swung his handaxe in a desperate follow-up.
"Ugh!"
Amelia withdrew at the last second, blocking with her gauntlet.
It was a mistake.
The metal amplified the lightning, electricity racing across her arm and briefly stunning her.
For the first time, she stopped moving.
Slash!
Soren didn't hesitate.
He swung the handaxe into her side…
Drip… drip…
Both of them froze.
"Huh?"
"What?"
They stared at each other, then down at Amelia's waist.
Blood.
Just a little.
Barely a scratch, but it was real.
'Did I… actually hit her?'
The realisation hit him harder than any punch.
For a moment, he worried she might retaliate violently and took a step back.
"Nice!"
Her voice stopped his thoughts cold.
"…Nice?"
"Yep!" She grinned widely.
'Oh, right. She's insane.'
"Well done."
"Uh… thanks?"
She stepped behind him and patted his back, laughing lightly.
And strangely… it felt good.
————「❤︎」————