Chapter 241: Chapter 147 Making the World Feel Pain (Three in One)_2
"And now, out of all the Legends of the Round Table, only the three of you have come...
"So, it means... Gawain and the others are truly no more.
"And you are the traitors of the Round Table.
"You betrayed the oath you took when you first became knights, and you also betrayed your own creeds.
"You chose to embrace the arms of the Crimson Moon
"and personally slaughtered your own comrades."
The voice was very calm, but when it reached the ears of the three Knights of the Round Table in the distant sky, it struck them like a clap of thunder on a clear day.
Tristan’s tightly closed eyes snapped open, and he looked toward Shiayar in horror. The rebellion at the Round Table had only just occurred; Merlin’s and Gawain’s bodies hadn’t even been buried yet. Yet, this person had accurately deduced everything from mere details.
After a long silence, Tristan spoke with some uncertainty, "Cain?"
Unlike commoners, who had never seen Cain and could only imagine his appearance through statues, paintings, and stories told by wandering poets, Tristan and the others were knights who had truly followed the Knight King’s rise from obscurity and had once worked alongside Cain. For this reason, their familiarity with Cain far surpassed that of any commoner. Whether it was subtle physical details or that unique aura, everything about this person sparked particular associations for these Knights of the Round Table. And now, his words only deepened their suspicions.
"You didn’t die in that battle back then? Then why haven’t you shown yourself for all these years?
"Do you know what the King has done for you during that time?" Tristan’s voice was agitated. "If you really are Cain, then prove it to us!"
However, faced with Tristan’s impatient urging, the man suspected to be Cain simply shook his head slightly.
"Cain is but a name. Why should I need to prove it?
"What difference does it make if I am or not?"
"Stop speaking in riddles!" Tristan burst out angrily. "Since you act so indifferent, why return now, during the founding ceremony? Why appear here? What for?"
"Naturally, it is to correct the mistake I made back then."
Cain’s voice began to resonate slowly. It sounded plain, yet it seemed to possess tremendous penetrative force, echoing not only in the distant sky but throughout the entire Inner City District, the whole of Sacred City Camelot.
"I once thought that by sacrificing myself alone, I could bring dawn to this world plagued by calamity.
"But now, it seems I was wrong."
Cain spread his arms wide, his large sleeves billowing in the wind. Though the figure in the distant sky was small and frail, to all who saw him, he appeared majestic, as if possessing the strength to contend with the entire world single-handedly.
"This is not the country I hoped for, the ideal realm I aspired to.
"It is but a cycle of old illusions, stripped of its future, having lost all potential for development.
"So—"
His gaze swept over the land below, upon the grand Sacred City.
"Lord Tristan, you asked me earlier who I am?
"The me at this moment is neither Cain nor the undefeated Black Knight—
"I am a Deity come to rectify the order.
"A kingdom immersed in such false peace, such a deceitful illusion, is meaningless.
"Since you have strayed onto the wrong path through violence, then only an even stronger, overwhelming force can correct it.
"So..."
Behind the whirlpool mask, Shiayar gently closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all trace of self in those pitch-black eyes had vanished with the light and shadow.
"There is only one thing I must do:
"To personally lay to rest this White Chalk City, this ideal realm that she and I created, one filled with countless hopes... yet one that has taken the wrong path."
His voice resounded mightily across the entire expanse, like an army of the heavens sounding its march.
"Endure the pain.
"Understand the pain.
"Contemplate suffering.
"Comprehend agony.
"And then—
"From this moment onward, let this mistaken, illusory world
"feel pain."
...
"Cain! Do you intend to betray the King?" Tristan, mounted on a flying dragon far above, shouted explosively.
In that instant, a strange panic surged within his heart. At first, it was just a weak, unbudded seed, but within a few breaths, this seed of fear grew rapidly, consuming his entire being. He had never experienced such panic, not even when he, as a non-Legendary 6-Ring knight, had faced the Despicable King Vortigern on the battlefield.
Although he didn’t know Cain’s purpose, nor where this immense fear originated, as a Legendary, Tristan deeply trusted the premonitions born from his Spirituality—the intersection of his spiritual power with the Spirit Realm and Astral Realm. Moreover, the intentions of this mysterious person, this supposed Cain, were already terrifyingly clear. He intended to destroy Camelot! To demolish the realm His Majesty had painstakingly built throughout his life!
"No, you are not Cain!"
"The Cain I know would always place the King first in his heart.
"He was unwaveringly loyal, a Black Knight who would never commit an act of betrayal, even in the face of death—not you!"