Chapter 297
“M-me?!”
“Reckless!!”
Like a fragile skiff tossed about by a violent storm, it seemed certain he would be utterly shattered.
But then, an unbelievable miracle happened.
Chris’s sword calmly sliced through the wave of sword energy.
It wasn’t brute force breaking through.
It was as if the Blue Wave Sword itself was being ignored, meeting no resistance as it advanced forward.
Willow Branch Technique.
A secret art of the famed swordsmanship family.
Using extreme parrying, it could deflect every attack from the opponent.
A perfect counter to the Blue Wave Sword.
Of course, only someone with the keen senses of Chris or Evan could flow through such a fierce wave of sword energy.
‘I am the master of the sword. The sword must obey my will completely.’
Chris’s blade moved forward, disregarding all sword energy, following his pure intent.
The Demon Sword King’s face turned pale.
He hastily tried to repel the Blue Wave Sword and strike Chris’s blade with the edge of his hand, but it was too late.
Flash!
Chris’s sword, flickering like a slender branch in the wind, suddenly changed its momentum and shot forward like a streak of light.
Then—
Thud.
A deathly silence fell over the arena.
Chris’s sword was pressed against the Demon Sword King’s throat.
Victory.
“N-no way.”
“The hero won?”
The Union’s spectators were stunned into silence, while Evan nodded as if he had expected this.
But the reaction from the Demon Sword Mage’s minions was strange.
Flash!
They suddenly scattered and began to surround the Union’s people.
“What’s this?”
“What are they trying to do?!”
The Union’s members stiffened, sensing the enemy’s intent.
The Demon Sword King, with the sword at his throat, let out a chuckle.
“Heh heh, impressive. That was quite entertaining. But the children’s game ends here.”
“Won’t you accept defeat?”
“Defeat?”
The Demon Sword King sneered.
“You fools will all die here anyway. What defeat are you talking about?”
Indeed.
From the start, the Demon Sword King had no intention of conceding defeat.
“No! We have to run!”
“Your Majesty! Please, get to safety!”
If the Demon Sword King unleashed his full power, there was no way to stop him.
The Union’s members drew their weapons, faces pale.
Chris smirked.
“Just as I thought, you’re playing dirty. Kneel.”
“…What?”
“Kneel right now.”
At that moment, something unbelievable happened.
The Demon Sword King staggered.
“What?”
He tried desperately to summon his magical energy, but it was useless.
It was as if his core had been sealed—he couldn’t move.
“Why?”
“Didn’t you swear before the duel? That if you lost, you’d obey the victor’s command?”
Chris’s lips curled into a smile.
“You already made a ‘vow.’ Now you’re bound to obey me absolutely.”
The Demon Sword King looked incredulous.
It was just a hollow, false oath.
There was no binding force.
“So if you’re going to open your mouth, at least know who you’re talking to. Don’t make false promises to devils or the celestial order, got it?”
“!!”
This happened because Chris’s soul had transcended to the level of a transcendent being.
Now, any ‘vow’ made to Chris carried the same unbreakable binding power as one made to a devil or the celestial order.
“W-who do you think you are?”
“Me? I’m the hero. But you’re really stubborn, huh? Kneel right now.”
The Ten Thousand Demon Armor unfolded.
Thud!
The Demon Sword King dropped to his knees.
A shocking sight.
“N-no way! Even for a hero—”
“What’s impossible about it? I can do anything. Now it’s time for you to pay for your crimes.”
Thud!!!
Chris kicked the Demon Sword King’s core.
“Gahk!!”
Caught defenseless, the Demon Sword King suffered a fatal internal injury, coughing up blood as he collapsed.
With the Demon Sword King subdued, Holy Emperor Istanya shouted,
“Drive out those demons!”
“Waaah!!”
The Holy Knights and Union forces charged at the Demon Sword Mage’s minions, who, distracted by their captured leader, were unable to mount a proper defense and soon retreated.
The chaos settled, and all eyes turned to one place.
Chris.
He stood over the fallen Demon Sword King, quietly lost in thought.
‘…Man, that was brutal. I want a beer to wash this down. Damn, why do I always have to go through this crap?’
That’s what he was thinking, but to everyone else, it looked like a scene from a legendary hero’s tale.
“…That’s the hero.”
A voice of awe drifted through the crowd, stirring everyone’s hearts.
The birth of a new hero was spreading across the continent.
The hero had defeated the Demon Sword King!
The news struck the continent like a thunderclap.
Union or demon alike, everyone was shocked.
“How could even a hero defeat the Demon Sword King?”
“And with pure swordsmanship, no less?”
“Impossible. Wasn’t the hero just a rookie? Yet the Demon Sword King was defeated?”
The entire Mage Empire was abuzz.
Especially the Triangular Union’s demon lords were deeply shaken.
The Triangular Union was led by three lords:
The Demon Sword King, the Beast King, and the Phantom Lord.
Among them, the Demon Sword King’s status was unmatched.
The sudden defeat of the Demon Sword King, the absolute ruler of the Triangular Union, left them all stunned.
Meanwhile, the Union’s people erupted in cheers.
“Waaah!! Long live the hero!!!”
“The hero will drive out the demons of the Mage Empire!”
Even a hero would have been admired, but to have subdued the Demon Sword King so quickly made Chris a symbol of hope and a hero to all.
Yet, some listened to the news with a peculiar expression.
Nordian and Count Kazar.
“…No way, it can’t be.”
“…It seems so.”
“…That madman?”
“…”
In truth, before this operation, Chris had revealed his secret to Count Kazar and Nordian.
He had shown them he could wield the power of the Holy Radiance.
“I’m such a genius that just mastering magic wasn’t enough, so I also learned the power of the Holy Radiance.”
He told them because he would soon play a major role in the Union.
They trusted him enough to share this.
Of course, both had been shocked.
“That crazy kid? What was he thinking?”
“…Yes, it was reckless. It doesn’t matter to us, but if this gets out, it could cause serious problems.”
Their concern wasn’t blame, but worry.
They feared it might give their enemies an excuse.
“You could have become the strongest Demon Lord with just dark magic alone. Why bother with this unnecessary nonsense?”
Unnecessary nonsense.
Nordian wasn’t wrong.
Dark magic was a power superior to any other force in the world.
Especially with Chris’s talent, he could have fully mastered the power of dark magic.
There was no need to seek the power of the Holy Radiance.
But—
“To surpass dark magic’s power.”
“…What?”
“I intend not only to dominate darkness but also to bring even light under my control.”
Nordian’s eyes flickered.
He understood what Chris meant.
“Dark magic is the power of domination, but it’s limited to darkness. It only rules half the world.”
“…”
“But I will subjugate the other half—the light. Then I will truly possess the greatest power.”
That was it.
Chris hadn’t learned the power of light just as a secret weapon.
This was why he trained in the Holy Radiance.
“Dark magic alone isn’t enough.”
If he continued to grow like this, he would become one of the greatest Demon Lords in history.
He might even surpass the Lord of Annihilation.
But that still wasn’t enough.
“If dark magic can rule over light as well, I will gain a power that truly surpasses all.”
So, Count Kazar and Nordian accepted that Chris wielded the power of the Holy Radiance.
Still—
“A hero? That crazy kid!”
Count Kazar swallowed his curse.
They were certain the hero who had suddenly appeared was Chris.
After all, Chris had said he would deal with the Demon Sword King.
Then Nordian suddenly laughed.
“Hahaha! That’s my grandson.”
“…Father?”
“If we’re going to make a mess in the Union, we might as well be a hero. Now, whether in the Mage Empire or the Union, our Christian will be the best. Just like my grandson.”
Typical doting grandfather.
Nordian seemed proud that Chris had become a hero.
“With my grandson doing this well, I can’t just stand by.”
Nordian climbed the fortress wall.
The Dark Union’s forces were, according to Chris’s plan, about to capture Basque Fortress and overlook the Death Corridor.
In the distance, the army of the Four Kings Castle was visible.
“It’s time to show the entire Mage Empire the greatness of our Dark Mage.”
A dark aura flared from Nordian’s body, and the war between the Dark Union and the Four Kings Castle began.
Meanwhile, at that moment, our great hero Chris was—
“Waaah!! Long live the hero!!”
“Hero, look over here!!”
“Handsome!!”
He was participating in all sorts of parades and celebrations marking the hero’s birth.
‘Damn it, why do I have to be part of this crap?’
He had no choice.
Holy Emperor Istanya needed to leverage the hero’s fame to seize power in the Holy Empire.
Though Chris had brought this on himself, every cheer sent shivers down his spine.
Chris frowned sharply, but no matter what he did, the crowd erupted in cheers.
“Look at that cool expression. So beautiful.”
“…He looks like he’s angry, though?”
“Oh, come on! How dare you doubt the hero? Can’t you see the torment of someone worried about the continent’s future?”
Evan, standing nearby, nodded as if to agree, only making Chris more irritated.
‘Damn it. If I’m going to attend a banquet, I should at least be able to enjoy myself. But since I can’t drink, there’s nothing to have fun with.’
The Holy Empire, known as the most culturally advanced nation in the alliance, boasted a wide variety of fine liquors.
Every time Chris attended a commemorative banquet, all kinds of exquisite drinks appeared in dazzling displays—but they were all just out of reach.
He could only lick his lips in frustration.
‘Damn it, cursed bloodline of the Dark Mage who can’t drink. I’m going to end up twisted because of this.’
There he was, sighing heavily in a corner of the banquet hall, clutching a glass of strawberry juice.
That’s when Estanya approached.
“Want a drink?”
“…Didn’t I say I can’t drink?”
With no one else around, Chris spoke casually.
“Oh, you said you’d pass out if you had even one drink? Ha. So you’re stuck with strawberry juice? Such a baby.”
“…I’m an adult. I just turned eighteen recently.”
“So what? You still can’t handle a single drink. Don’t you want some milk instead of strawberry juice?”
Estanya grinned mischievously.
‘This guy. I used to drink way better than you!’
For the record, they had been drinking buddies in their past lives, always grumbling but sharing drinks together.
“By the way, you’re leaving soon, right?”
“Yeah, I have to.”
‘I need to bring the Triangular Alliance to its knees.’
Since losing their leader, the Demon Sword King, all actions of the Triangular Alliance had come to a halt.
But Chris couldn’t relax.
‘Either the Beast King or the Phantom Duke will become the new leader.’
Whichever one took charge, there was a high chance they’d ally with the Four Kings and strike against the Dark Alliance.
‘After dealing with both of them, I have to force the Triangular Alliance to kneel beneath the Dark Alliance.’