'What should I do now?'

Our march thus far has been uneventful. There were no more projectiles fired at us, and while it's quickly descending into nighttime, the captain has told us we are near the border, so the situation seems under control.

But I can't help being uncomfortable.

Why did the projectiles stop? Why didn't our enemies fire more to whittle down our numbers even more?

Based on the distance covered by the arrows, we were within range for them to fire at least two more rounds.

It could be that they ran out of arrows or wanted to simply ward us off and ensure our continuous retreat. But that doesn't feel right to me.

Of course, I can't voice out my opinion.

The captain has already loudly concluded that the enemies cannot catch up to us due to our advancing speed and their wariness of his Armament, so they have decided to keep their distance.

That makes sense, but the logic has a few holes in it.

For one, they could simply keep firing arrows to reduce our numbers even further. They could also resort to smoking us out, since we are traveling on the plains and the grasses will surely catch fire very easily if they used fiery projectiles.

But no… they didn't do either of that.

'Could it be that our pursuers are after something in the carriage? Maybe they want the Emperor alive…'

Either way, it seems they won't be attacking again.

That's such a relief.

I'm already feeling very exhausted.

We've been traveling for hours since I entered this Trial Scenario, and judging by the distance of the burning city when I first arrived, it seems this group had already been retreating for hours already.

The exhaustion is bound to catch up to us eventually.

Many of the Imperial Knights, myself included, are already showing visible signs of exhaustion.

'This body in particular is rather unfit. I feel my chest burning constantly, and my eyes keep closing drowsily. Not to mention the incessant aches all over my body…'

So annoying!

But I have to persevere.

There's no room for complaints or regrets.

"We're almost there." The captain's voice echoes from the front, delight clinging to his tone.

I watch him from my position in the back, and then cast my gaze on a wall of trees that stands ahead of us.

So that is the border.

Once we make it past that place, we will enter No Man's Land, which our enemies won't bother pursuing us into.

Finally.

I'll be able to rest very soon.

"All of you, I'd like to say… well do—"

WHOOSH!

Before the captain can finish his words, a bright arrow—seemingly made of light—suddenly pierces through his head, the tip appearing on the other side.

"—ne?!"

The man's bloody eyes bulge, crimson blood descending from his temple as his body shudders.

He tries to reach for his sword, but before he can even do anything, several more arrows of light puncture him in quick succession, mutilating his body.

"Enemy… attack…" He barely lets out before collapsing on the ground and dying.

"IT'S AN AMBUSH!"

No one knows where the roar came from, but the Imperial Knights hurriedly respond to the commotion by tightening their already loose formation.

But it is already too late.

Several men suddenly appear from the wall, all dressed like barbarians of the mountains, or like bandits of marauder tribes.

"For Kalakuta!" They yell out with primal noises of war.

Our Imperial Knights are quickly overwhelmed, not just by the enemy's numbers, but also by their understanding of our formation and the unexpected nature of the situation.

Even when we try to turn the tides, arrows of light would shoot out from the wall of trees and bring us back into a disadvantage.

Although we try our best to survive, the situation only grows worse.

To preserve my life for as long as possible, I use Tracing to expertly weave attacks and counter the enemies.

Even when an arrow of light targets me, I am able to dodge with very little difficulty.

But the situation is only worsening.

Pressure keeps mounting.

Chances of victory grow slimmer by the minute, until it becomes practically impossible to turn the tides.

Then, the world around me begins to blur.

I feel a strange force pulling me back.

I am forced to close my eyes.

Before I black out, however, I see the tribal warriors rushing towards the carriages.

Their priority, however, isn't the middle one.

It's the one at the rear.

They drag two men out of the vehicle.

One is short and stout, resembling a dwarf. His head is disproportionally huge compared to the rest of his body, and he has terrible facial features that would make calling him ugly a compliment.

As for the second, although dressed modestly, he has a polished and pristine air around him.

A refined presence.

A dignified aura, one that shines even in the darkness. This is a man of great valor and honorable disposition.

Seeing these two stand next to each other feels like an oxymoron.

A paradox.

But… ahh… I can no longer consider that.

My consciousness is fading yet again.

And so, once more, I return to the moment it all began.

The first scene in my Trial Sequence.

********

"Run!"

My consciousness stirs once I hear the sound.

"They're heading in our direction!"

"Shit! How did they spot us, even when we're using the hidden route?"

"Does it matter? Hurry! Move quickly!"

Then, I hear the words that finally snap me awake.

"Protect the Emperor! We must continue to march on! Persevere! No matter what, you Imperial Knights must persevere!"

I open my eyes and find myself at the very beginning, a deep sigh leaving my lips.

To think I came all the way back here.

'I would have preferred it if I returned after this first hurdle was passed, but it seems like I have no choice in the matter. Oh well…'

I can't complain.

In fact, I should be grateful that I get a third chance at this venture.

The first one ended in failure after barely five minutes.

I lasted for a few hours in the second one before tragedy struck. It's important to note that I didn't die, but was still returned to the past.

Interesting…

'Since it only happened when it became impossible for us to turn the situation around, I'll assume that I get transported to the past once it is confirmed that I have failed the Trial Sequence.'

This way, I guess I'll know which choices to make better in my next round.

Next round, huh?

I can't be sure that there will be another chance after this one.

Even if there is, I have to make the best out of this one to fully comprehend the situation ahead of us.

That means—

'I'll have to hold on for as long as possible.'

We were ambushed in my previous round, likely by the same warriors who set the city behind us in flames.

It turns out they hadn't given up on us but had instead set up another trap right ahead.

I knew something was odd about their behavior, but now that I've confirmed it… the question remains:

'What should I do now?'

I can't tell everyone about the fates that we are about to experience.

They'll likely think I am a spy.

Speaking of—

'There is likely a spy among us. How else would they know our secret travel route, our formation, and the exact carriage to look for?'

Also, who were those two men from earlier?

None of them had an Emperor's disposition, but they were clearly important—important enough for the warriors to seek them out first.

Maybe they're princes?

Well, it is unthinkable that the deformed-looking one is a prince, but I can believe that the other man is one.

Although his dressing was simple, he had the demeanor of a noble.

'But so what if they are princes? Surely, they can't be as important as the Emperor? Or could it be that there is actually no Emperor?'

I crease my brow as I stare at the carriages.

Particularly the one at the rear.

If there is no Emperor, why would the captain pay so much mind to the central carriage and tell us to protect the Emperor with our lives?

Ah… I see.

'Fool your allies to fool the enemy. Maybe he intentionally led us to believe the Emperor is with us when he is, in fact, not in the carriages. Perhaps he is even aware of the spy's existence and is using this as a way to deceive them.'

No.

The first one is possible, but the last speculation is a little too optimistic.

If the captain knew, he wouldn't have been caught off guard by that ambush. He should have expected it, or at least remained on guard.

He was careless.

He actually thought we were safe so he lowered his guard, and that spelled his doom.

I have to ensure that doesn't happen this time.

No matter what—

'I must ensure the captain stays alive. With his Armament, I'm sure we can stand a better chance against the enemy.' Right as I think this, I hear the whistling sounds of arrows and watch as they ascend to the sky.

Repeating the same trick as last time, I use Tracing to ensure I survive the bombardment.

Many die, but we continue our march ahead.

Then, just like last time, we begin to approach the wall of trees.

"We're almost there." The captain's voice echoes from the front, delight clinging to his tone.

My expression turns grim, because I know what is about to happen.

I can't waste any time.

"Captain, I notice something in the trees!" I quickly point at the wall of trees, running towards him in a hurry.

My sudden movement alerts the rest of the Knights, and captain grows alert

That's when a flashing light appears among the trees and the arrow flies towards him. This time, he is prepared, and he draws his sword to deflect it.

However, even more arrows of light charge towards him, and although he defends against many of them, some manage to penetrate his sturdy defenses.

'He's more sluggish than before!' I frown deeply. ' I see. He exerted himself quite a lot during this trip. He must be the most exhausted out of all of us present.'

Thankfully, he still manages to survive the onslaught.

The enemy's plan did not prevail.

"Enemy attack!" The captain declares. "Get into formatiom… NOW!!!"

Everyone gets into position, myself included, as the tribal warriors appear from the trees once again.

They have shocked expressions on their faces, likely stunned by our knowledge of their perfectly planned ambush.

But murderous gleams remain in their eyes.

Without flinching, the barbaric warriors raise their blades and declare once again:

"For Kalakuta!"

They all charge forward, and the conflict ensues once more.

[A/N: What do you think of Apotheosis so far? How many loops do you think Javier will go through before he passes this hurdle?]

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