Episode 323: Grandmaster (1)
After Damian Haxen left, the Empire’s greatest swordsman focused on eradicating the remnants of Pandemonium.
It wasn’t a particularly challenging task. With its core forces decimated, Pandemonium was no match for the Empire’s finest, let alone the elves.
Just as everything seemed to be going smoothly, the swordsman sensed an ominous shift in the air.
The flow of fate whispered to him that a great upheaval was soon to befall the Empire.
With Pandemonium’s power significantly diminished, the only beings capable of causing such chaos were the demons.
The swordsman immediately used a magical device to alert the Empire, warning them to summon the knights in case the demon legion attacked.
He, too, borrowed the power of the World Tree to hastily return to the Empire.
And now, here he stood, facing off against the demons.
Their numbers were far fewer than what he had seen in Elfheim, but he couldn’t afford to be complacent. The aura emanating from the remaining demons was anything but ordinary.
“Oh? Isn’t that the human I saw on the island last time?”
A figure at the center of the demons spoke. He appeared to be an ordinary human male, but the swordsman felt a chill run down his spine.
His name was Vahel, a duke-level demon.
“We didn’t get to chat last time, which was a shame. I’m glad we meet again,” Vahel said with a grin.
The swordsman offered no reply, prompting Vahel to raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
“Hey, you do remember me, right?”
“I remember.”
“Then why aren’t you responding?”
“I’m not one for idle chatter with an enemy in front of me.”
Vahel’s eyes widened before he burst into laughter, clutching his belly.
“True enough. An enemy is an enemy, not a friend.”
Vahel flicked his fingers, and a demon with a mosquito-like snout stepped forward.
“Laria, don’t hold back. We need to find Dolgo quickly.”
-Understood.
Before the words even finished, Laria vanished, reappearing behind the swordsman.
Her speed was impressive, but what was truly astonishing was her stealth. Not a sound was heard as she moved.
Laria swung her fists, aiming to crush the swordsman’s head.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The hands that were about to strike the swordsman’s head suddenly veered off course and slammed into Laria’s own chest.
With a sound like air bursting, Laria was sent flying backward, bewilderment etched on her face as she glared at the swordsman.
“Huh, are demons always this fast?”
The voice came not from the swordsman, but from the swordmaster standing beside him.
“I almost had to watch my friend die right in front of me.”
-Did you do that?
Laria asked the swordmaster, who responded with a crooked smile.
“What if I did?”
Laria’s eyes narrowed as she focused on the swordmaster.
In the next instant, Laria vanished again, appearing right in front of the swordmaster and swinging her hand like a blade.
But once more, her attack missed its mark, striking the ground instead.
The swordmaster’s sword lashed out at Laria’s head, the blade connecting with her forehead and sending her reeling backward.
“Looks like a mosquito, but tough as nails,” the swordmaster remarked with a grimace. As he said, Laria’s forehead was only slightly bleeding, otherwise unharmed.
-…How did you alter the angle of my attack?
Laria was just as shocked. She had put all her strength into her strike, yet it was as if her hand had been swept away by a powerful current, missing its target entirely.
“That’s the level I’ve reached,” the swordmaster said nonchalantly.
He had achieved the realm of Omniscient Insight as a master.
Omniscient Insight allowed him to read and alter the flow of the world.
Normally, using Omniscient Insight required direct contact with a sword, but reaching the level of Grandmaster had removed such limitations.
-…Now I understand why my seniors warned me to be wary of a Grandmaster.
Laria’s entire body twitched.
Her muscular limbs shrank rapidly, and wings sprouted from her back.
“So you weren’t just mosquito-like, but an actual mosquito,” the swordmaster commented.
Laria flapped her wings, releasing a pink powder into the air.
Seeing this, the swordmaster instinctively backed away, but as soon as his feet touched the ground, he was hit with intense dizziness and a splitting headache.
-Did you think mere distance would save you? Foolish.
Laria spoke from above.
-My power is ‘Corruption.’ Any living thing near me becomes tainted and rots away.
The swordmaster glanced at the ground.
The weeds that had been growing sporadically turned yellow and melted into a liquid.
-Even if physical attacks don’t work, it doesn’t matter. I’ll kill you like this.
Laria flapped her wings again, sending a gust of corrupted wind toward the swordmaster.
“Looks like they’re already at each other’s throats over there,” Vahel remarked, glancing at the swordmaster and Laria.
“Guess it’s time for us to start, too?”
At Vahel’s words, the Empire’s greatest swordsman raised his sword. Migmag, standing behind Vahel, spoke up.
-Your Grace, allow me to handle this.
“You’re not cut out for fighting. Just watch from the back.”
-But…
“And besides, I’d get bored just standing around.”
Vahel stretched his arms and approached the swordsman.
“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got…”
Before he could finish, an invisible slash aimed for Vahel’s neck.
The swordsman had used his ‘Heart Sword’ to manifest the attack.
But the slash didn’t even scratch Vahel’s skin, stopped by a translucent barrier covering him.
“Oh, that was close.”
The swordsman wasn’t disappointed. Considering Vahel was a duke-level demon, even a successful strike wouldn’t have killed him.
The swordsman launched himself forward, using his Heart Sword as he charged at Vahel.
The manifested slashes cut at Vahel from all angles, but Vahel immediately used his power of Isolation to shield himself.
“Such light attacks won’t work.”
As the distance closed, the swordsman swung his sword, but once again, it bounced off Vahel’s power.
“I told you, it won’t work.”
Despite Vahel’s taunts, the swordsman continued his relentless assault.
He slashed with his Heart Sword and struck with his blade, attacking Vahel from every angle.
“You’re more stubborn than I thought.”
Vahel stood his ground, effortlessly absorbing the swordsman’s attacks without lifting a finger.
No matter how many times the swordsman struck, Vahel remained unscathed, a testament to the vast gap in their power.
Yet the swordsman didn’t stop.
He wasn’t attacking out of foolishness. He was testing the strength of Vahel’s power.
‘There’s no variation in strength. Every part has the same level of defense.’
The plan to exploit a weak spot had failed.
Now, the only option left was to overwhelm with sheer force.
The swordsman envisioned a new scenario. He imagined countless blades raining down on Vahel.
”…Huh?”
Vahel’s expression changed as he sensed something amiss.
“What are you trying to do now…?”
The swordsman manifested his vision. An endless barrage of slashes poured down on Vahel.
The number was infinite.
So many that they couldn’t be counted or even comprehended, the slashes came like a tidal wave.
“Ugh?”
Even Vahel couldn’t hide his surprise. The relentless assault scraped against his entire body.
“Enough already!”
Vahel shouted, summoning crystals of isolation around him.
The crystals expanded, their spikes extending in all directions, shattering buildings and tearing up the ground.
“Argh!”
Yet the slashes didn’t stop. As long as the swordsman maintained his vision, the Heart Sword continued its onslaught.
Then, suddenly, the slashes ceased. Vahel looked around in confusion.
“What? Why did it stop all of a sudden…?”
At that moment, he saw the swordsman directly in front of him, gathering magical energy.
The sword in his hand was absorbing a massive amount of power, forming an aura blade as it condensed.
The swordsman envisioned a new scenario.
He imagined delivering the most powerful strike he could muster, slicing Vahel in half.
As the vision solidified, the swordsman swung his sword.
The entire capital shook in the aftermath.
“Damn it.”
Damian cursed under his breath as he sprinted, his face uncharacteristically tense.
Just then, an aura blade came flying from afar. Damian dove to the ground, rolling to avoid it.
The slash carved through the spot where Damian had been running, leaving a smooth, polished surface in the earth.
“Huff, huff.”
Damian paused to catch his breath. From experience, he knew Ruin would remain still for a moment after swinging his sword. He needed to recover his strength in that brief window.
“Why is an old relic like him still so strong?”
Here, Demian faced his thirtieth death.
Fortunately, this was a mental realm, so not much real time had passed.
“Damn it.”
Ruine raised his sword again. Demian stopped resting and moved once more.
“How on earth did you combine all those energies?”
Magic, dark magic, even divine power.
Ruine effortlessly merged these energies, known to be incompatible, and wove them into one.
The resulting aura blade was unimaginably powerful, slicing through Demian’s aura blade like water.
“Ugh.”
Another slash came flying. Demian ducked low, the crescent-shaped aura blade grazing his hair.
Of course, Demian wasn’t just running away.
His eyes never left Ruine, analyzing the aura blades Ruine conjured.
“I’m starting to get the hang of it.”
Demian summoned dark magic and magic.
Blue and black energies clashed, and Demian forcibly suppressed their repulsion.
Gray smoke coiled around his blade. Unlike Ruine’s, it wasn’t colorless.
It was only natural. Unlike Ruine, who combined divine power, Demian had only managed to merge magic and dark magic.
“Still, this should be enough!”
With the aura blade in hand, Demian charged at Ruine.
Ruine immediately launched a slash. Despite his vacant expression, his movements were razor-sharp.
Demian swung his sword to meet the attack. The two aura blades collided.
But Demian’s creation held for only a moment.
Ruine’s aura blade pierced through, slicing Demian’s apart.
“Ha!”
At that moment, Demian twisted his longsword with a grin. The mastery of swordsmanship, known as Omniscient Insight, redirected Ruine’s aura blade.
“It’s over!”
Demian’s longsword cleaved through Ruine’s neck. Ruine’s head and body fell separately to the ground.
“Whew, I thought I was going to die from exhaustion.”
Demian wiped the sweat from his brow. This battle was tougher than the one with Vahel.
Then, Ruine’s corpse vanished.
Soon, a new Ruine appeared in the distance. Demian turned to him and said,
“What are you planning to show me this time…?”
“Wow, you’re really something. You managed to kill me twice.”
Ruine’s voice emerged.
Demian was too stunned to react.
“Haha, you seem pretty amazed by what I said.”
Ruine laughed heartily.
“By the way, my name’s Ruine. Since we’re connected by fate, how about I teach you some swordsmanship?”