I created my own system

Chapter 409 409: Fallen

The Knight carefully processed all of those memories.

Then it looked back toward me.

From the depths of its consciousness, a figure slowly manifested before me.

The Knight itself now stood directly before its Creator.

For the first time, I noticed how unstable its form had become.

Cracks spread across its armor like shattered porcelain.

Its wings trembled weakly behind it.

And yet—

Despite everything—

It still stood before me.

|...What... am I?|

It asked quietly.

Its voice no longer sounded emotionless.

There was hesitation now.

Confusion.

Fear.

|I... thought I knew.|

For the very first time—

It could not answer its own question.

And strangely enough—

Neither could I.

Its gaze slowly shifted upward toward the ruined heavens.

The gods still watched from above.

Silent.

Distant.

Unmoving.

The Knight stared at them for several long seconds.

Then finally, in a voice quieter than before—

Almost fragile—

It spoke once more.

|…Am I… really alive?|

No answer came.

Only silence.

The battlefield beneath it trembled once more.

A violent shockwave spread across the ruined capital as another explosion echoed through the burning skies. The Knight's body shook faintly from the impact, yet it no longer reacted the same way it once did.

Its right arm suddenly failed.

A sharp cracking sound echoed from within the armor.

My thoughts moved instantly, and through our connection, I was able to see the expanding fractures spreading across its body.

The limb shattered apart into fragments of black crystal and fading flame.

Pieces of obsidian armor scattered into the wind like dying embers.

The Knight observed the damage blankly.

No pain.

Only emptiness.

Yet strangely—

that emptiness felt unbearably heavy.

Its body slowly descended toward the ruined capital below.

The Sacred Flame disappeared entirely.

Time Authority ceased functioning.

Space stabilized.

One by one—

the powers abandoned it.

Like a machine shutting down.

Like a dream reaching its end.

The Knight landed among broken stone and ash.

The impact was weak.

Far weaker than it should have been.

Nearby soldiers immediately froze upon seeing it.

Some instinctively raised their weapons.

Others simply trembled in fear.

The monster that slaughtered champions.

The anomaly that carried five Authorities.

Now kneeling silently among ruins.

Broken.

Motionless.

Dying.

The Knight ignored them all.

Its ruby eyes stared blankly ahead.

|…Mission…|

Its voice crackled violently.

Distorted.

Weak.

As if lamenting.

|…Incomplete…|

It tried to stand.

Its legs failed instantly.

The body collapsed once more.

The Knight paused.

Then quietly asked itself again—

|…Why?|

It did not fear death.

It had never been programmed to fear.

Yet now—

as its systems slowly faded—

it found itself unwilling to disappear.

Not because of survival.

Not because of instinct.

But because—

something deep within it refused to let go.

Perhaps...

Deep down—

it was waiting.

Waiting for a reason to continue existing.

Waiting for a purpose beyond obedience.

"Knight."

I finally spoke.

Within its fading consciousness, a familiar presence entered its perception.

And that was me.

"Here."

The moment my voice reached it, the darkness surrounding its thoughts slowly parted.

The cloud of confusion faded slightly, allowing the Knight to finally see me again.

Underneath its fractured helm, its ruby eyes blinked weakly as it slowly tried approaching me.

Its footsteps were uneven.

Slow.

Exhausted.

The once terrifying being that dominated battlefields now struggled to simply walk forward.

And all I could do—

was approach it silently as well.

The closer we became, the more I could feel its existence flickering strangely.

It felt more alive than ever before.

Yet at the same time—

closer to death than anything I had ever touched.

Its breathing sounded unstable.

Each breath it took created more cracks, that continue to spread across the pristine surface of its obsidian armor.

The Sacred Flame no longer burned brightly within its body.

Yet despite everything—

it still walked toward me.

Still trying.

Still enduring.

At the same time, outside the realm of the mind, the nearby soldiers instinctively stepped backward after sensing the Knight's overwhelming presence.

Even in its dying state, the pressure surrounding it remained terrifying.

It was as though an invisible will warned everyone not to interfere.

I stopped directly before the collapsing Knight.

For several seconds—

neither of us spoke.

The wind howled softly between us.

Ash drifted endlessly across the ruined streets.

And somehow—

without realizing it—

we found ourselves standing amidst the very destruction that created this moment.

A sky that is broken with fire and destruction.

Beneath it are collapsed buildings and machines for war.

And among the burning debris are dead soldiers.

And within the city are families.

One that have their dreams ruined.

Then—

the Knight finally spoke.

|…Creator |

My expression tightened slightly.

The voice sounded weaker now.

Softer.

Almost human.

The Knight quietly stared at me.

|…Mission… completed?|

My eyes wavered slightly.

For the first time in a long while—

I hesitated.

I slowly looked around the battlefield surrounding us.

The shattered heavens.

The burning armadas.

The endless corpses scattered throughout the ruined capital.

At first, I did not understand why the Knight wanted this scenery around us.

Why this place?

Why now?

Then I realized it.

Its mission.

Everything it fought for—

was this war.

This battlefield.

"…Yes," I answered softly.

"You did enough."

The Knight processed my answer silently.

Then—

the tension within its thoughts eased slightly.

|…I see.|

A long silence followed afterward.

The Knight's body cracked further.

Large sections of armor slowly turned into black dust before scattering away into the wind.

Its existence was collapsing completely now.

And despite all my abilities—

I could not stop it.

I slowly crouched down before it.

My arms supported its collapsing body carefully.

Yet no matter what I did—

the disintegration continued.

The Knight quietly looked at me.

|…Creator.|

"…Hm?"

|…What… am I?|

That question came again.

Now I must answer.

Raw.

Simple.

Honest.

And somehow—

that made it hurt even more.

I froze slightly.

The Knight continued staring at me.

It was no longer asking about its purpose as a weapon.

Nor as a soldier.

It wanted to know what it truly was.

What kind of existence stood before me now.

Something searching for meaning before disappearing forever.

I exhaled slowly.

Then raised one hand.

Gently—

I placed it against the Knight's fractured helmet.

Warmth faintly spread through the dying warrior.

"You were never just a tool," I said quietly.

The Knight's dim eyes flickered weakly.

A faint smile formed on my face despite the exhaustion weighing heavily upon me.

"You protected people."

"You carried our wills."

"You fought for us because you believed it was right."

My fingers tightened slightly against the broken armor.

"And honestly?"

A weak chuckle escaped my lips.

"You became more human than most of us."

I lowered my gaze slightly before adding softly,

"Though some people might disagree."

"But I believe you are."

The Knight fell silent.

Its systems stopped searching.

Stopped calculating.

The endless noise inside its thoughts finally became still.

For the first time since its creation—

it felt peaceful.

|…Human…|

The word lingered quietly within its fading mind.

Like something precious.

Something warm.

Its dim ruby eyes slowly began losing their light.

|…Creator.|

"Yeah?"

For a moment, the Knight remained silent again.

Then finally—

|…Thank you.|

My expression trembled slightly.

A strange tightness spread through my chest.

Then the Knight moved one final time.

Its head slowly lowered.

Like a knight bowing before its king.

And that simple gesture almost shattered my composure.

My smile weakened into sadness.

"Thank you too," I whispered.

The Knight slowly lifted its gaze toward me once more.

"Hope," I said softly.

"Thank you for your service, Sir Hope..."

My voice nearly faltered.

"Our knight in obsidian armor."

Hope looked directly at me.

Its ruby eyes were fading.

Yet within them—

the fire still remained.

Burning quietly after hearing its name for the very first—

and final—

time.

And for a brief second—

I could have sworn he smiled.

The cracks spreading across Hope's body suddenly brightened.

Once.

Twice.

Then his entire body scattered into countless particles of fading light.

The obsidian armor dissolved.

The Authorities vanished.

The Sacred Flame disappeared into the wind.

And just like that—

the anomaly known as the Demonic Knight ceased to exist.

Only silence remained.

I stayed kneeling there long after he disappeared.

My hand still remained extended toward the empty air.

Then before I realized it—

our connection abruptly severed.

My consciousness returned to where I originally stood.

Back at the Tower.

The screens still floated before me.

The battlefield still burned.

The war still raged on endlessly.

Nothing had changed.

Yet somehow—

everything felt different now.

For a brief moment—

I simply stared at the empty space before me.

Then quietly whispered,

"…You did well."

My voice barely reached my own ears.

Even after the connection ended, my hand remained suspended in the air as though a part of me still expected Hope to answer.

But nothing came.

No system notification.

No familiar pressure.

No response.

Only silence.