"I would like to invite you to a fair and just duel, right behind this open door, where the final hall is."
"Why?" Looking at the other party, Artolis felt puzzled: "Could it be that you, who promised to open this door for us, are still playing the role of gatekeeper?"
"No, it is not my duty to guard this door. It's just that after you left, I wanted to understand one thing. Maybe what future generations really want to see is the historical process of the rise and fall of a civilization, rather than my historical witness that spans time. So I leave you and leave the information I can provide. After fulfilling this long-cherished wish, I also hope to be able to pass away from this world calmly and without regrets like an ordinary person, without being bound by the curse." Trausk said, lifting the blade wrapped in black energy in his hand.
"However, the spirit of knighthood does not allow me to commit suicide. As a knight of the church, I can only die on the battlefield or in a fair duel."
"Does this mean you have no regrets?"
Facing Baron's straightforward gaze, Trausk nodded.
Seeing this, Barong sighed helplessly, raised his hand and took off the badge on his chest.
"Then I will accept your challenge. Out of respect for you, I will choose to go all out. Of course, as an opponent in the duel, I don't want you to be merciful."
"It's natural, then please come inside."
Without giving Atoris a chance to hesitate, Baron accepted the challenge invitation. From the weakness of the knight's state, it is not difficult to see that the moment his head and body are closely connected, the immortal curse has been broken, and his life will soon come to an end.
As the other party said, there is no need to break the curse to open this door. Trausk can open it as long as he wants. But he seemed to have accepted the fact that his country was destroyed and civilization was lost. Therefore, after receiving affirmative answers from Artoris and the other two, he believed that he had completed his mission, so he was relieved and expressed his "love for himself" at the same time. Eternal" boredom.
The broken soul has no reason to stay here. He just wants to get the relief that failed to come four hundred years ago, to follow the old friend who has left long ago, and to integrate his soul into this once glorious land.
There was a great disparity in strength in this battle. The knight was corrupt and weak, and could not withstand Baron's full attack. When Artolis stepped into what Trausk called the final hall a moment later, the duel had already decided the winner.
The cold and ethereal spear broke through the armor and penetrated the knight's chest. The face that was no longer human-shaped was the biggest symbol of Trausk's obsession, and it was also the remnant of his life that was about to dissipate.
Filled with grief, delusion, and resentment, the ghost claw that struck at Baron's head spoke of its former human form. Now, to Artoris, it was already a lost hand longing for redemption.
"I should have not let you down..." The open hand clasped the opponent's last support tightly. Before the opponent could deny the spirit of chivalry due to his instinctive desire to live, Barong issued a firm voice. His roar awakened the soul of the other party who was about to fall into deep sleep.
"——Obviously I don't need anything else at all."
Full of conflicting expectations.
Until the end, it was consistent with Trauske's will.
Falling into Baron's arms, the last glimmer of light flashed in Trausk's rotten eyes.
The throat that could barely maintain its human form made a broken sound like a broken machine. His thinking was riddled with holes, and he could barely understand the feeling of defeat.
"Well, you did a good job...this way...I can finally...rest..."
Watching from a distance, Artolis never chose to speak, and listened to Trausk's last sigh with a lump in her throat.
She knew that Barong understood that he did not have the courage to bury an innocent person, so he chose to take the challenge first and did not even let her watch the battle.
But Baron misjudged her. The real Artolis Grande Puko was not that cowardly.
"You guys are really..."
No matter how much time passes, he is still so arrogant and at the same time maintains that inviolable nobility.
That's why people are so enviable, that's why they are so determined.
With this thought in her mind, Artolis did not choose to speak out, but silently watched Baron holding Trausk's dead body and burying it in front of the palace door.
"All I did was give him a ride, and the outcome was already doomed. There is no fairness in this duel, so I don't think you, as a true knight, should be tainted with this crime."
"how about you?"
Listening to the girl behind him, Barong pursed his lips and smiled.
"It's just that I have no choice." Baron said and stood up, turned around and looked at the open door in front of him like Atoris, which was the palace of the end where the duel had just taken place.
"At least Trausk has no reason to deceive us on this point. As he said, behind this door is the final maze!"
In the center of the hall is the sacrificial platform, and the duel just now took place on this platform. The ceiling is supported by multiple giant red pillars, each of which is engraved with a swirling, lifelike stone dragon, which looks very spectacular.
But other than that, there isn’t much to note about it. After all, it is a relic of an ancient civilization. It has sunk into the abyss and seeped water for many years. Unless the building materials are unusual, it will be difficult to maintain it even after hundreds of years. The original form was quite durable without collapse.
What really deserves people's attention is that at the innermost part of the hall, there is a huge glazed door, which shines with blue light like a mirror, projecting the surrounding scene into it.
"There's something weird about that door!" Baron analyzed it after observing it for a moment without approaching rashly.
"I can tell without you having to tell me." Looking at Baron's serious look, Artolis felt ashamed.
Except for that door, there is nothing strange around. If the final space is also a maze, then it will most likely be behind this door.
Thinking of Artoris, he took a step forward and tried to approach the door first.
However, before she could touch the door, the scene around her changed, and a world full of water appeared before Artolis' eyes like an illusion.
"What's going on?" Artoris was slightly startled when she lowered her head and looked at herself reflected in the mirror-like surface of the water beneath her feet.
"Unlike the natural maze outside, there are obviously traces of man-made creation here." Baron, who appeared behind Atoris, looked at this scene and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
"Man-made? You said this is a man-made maze?" Looking upward, looking at the water wall that was nearly a thousand feet vertically upward, Artolis's eyes widened at that time.
"You're kidding!"
