âThis is the armor that is deeply in tune with the guardian deity of the holy sword, and is revealed by wearing its blessings!â
âHoly ArmourâŠâŠâ
Raidorl repeats the words in a daze.
The mere sight of Zacharias, transformed as he was, filled him with awe and fear.
All Raidorl could do is to keep his knees from collapsing in the presence of such a foe.
âYouâre able to activate it if you have mastered the holy sword. Now, do you realize how inexperienced you are?â
âThank you,âŠ..it seems that Iâm still naive to the full extent of my holy sword.â
When Raidorl sees Zacharias in front of him, he is forced to understand.
He thought he was stronger than anyone else with the Holy Sword in his hands, but the realm he had reached was only the entrance to the Holy Sword.
Zacharias clears his throat in amusement as Raidorl stumbles in the face of such overwhelming power.
âIâm glad you know the differenceâŠâŠDonât give up now, young man.â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
âWell,âŠâŠâŠâŠitâs time to take you down!â
ââŠâŠâŠ..!â
Raidorl jumped backwards as Durandal slammed into the ground where he was standing. With a roar, the ground where the holy sword had been struck exploded and caved in, creating a large crater.
âKh, Outrageous!!â
Zacharias swings his sword sideways. A slash of flame shoots out from the pale blade and slashes at Raidorl, who is keeping his distance.
ââŠâŠ <b>[Scorpius]</b> !â
Raidorl strikes the flame slash with the miasma blade. The two slashes collide, creating a huge explosion.
Raidorl swung his sword, holding back the shock of the explosion. Zacharius came out of the explosion and caught the blow. He pushed Raidorl with all his might.
ââŠâŠyou!â
Itâs impossible to win in a contest of strength. Raidorl pulled his body back to block the slash and kicked Zacharias in the head, taking advantage of the moment.
âOh, come on, donât kick the emperorâs head.â
âHot âŠâŠ!â
However, a protective wall of fire appeared to protect Zacharias. The pain of the fire searing his legs made Raidorl scream out.
âYou canât break the holy armor with a simple attack. If you want to crush it, it must be with a single blow, like thisâŠâŠâ
âGah!â
A slash with flames struck Raidorl.
He was blown backwards so far that his back was smashed hard against the wall of Blaineâs fortress. The impact on his back clogged his lungs and made it difficult for him to breathe.
âGghh âŠâŠ kahaha âŠâŠ ha, ha!â
As he fell against the wall, the black miasma clung to his body like armour. If he hadnât quickly used the miasma as a shield, his body would have been burned through and he would have been cut in two.
âThatâs not a bad reaction. I thought I was going to kill him.â
Zacharias stroked his chin in praise of Raidorl, who had withstood the attack with all his might.
However, the expression on his face was somewhat dissatisfied. He seemed to feel inadequate in a battle that had become one-sided since he had taken out his holy armour.
âButâŠâŠyou need to work a little harder. As it is, youâre no match for the Six Witches of Doom, or even their Apostles.â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
âI despise half-hearted people, all right? So, If you want to survive, show me more of your guts!â
As Zacharias raised Durandal to the sky, a pale blue ball of fire appeared above his head.
The ball of fire, about the size of a manâs head, gradually grew in volume until it was a huge ball of flame.
The size of the fireball, and the amount of heat it generated, was like a small sun appearing.
âWith this blow, I will measure if youâre fit as a hero!ăRaidorl Zain, are you the man who will be the saviour of the world? Or are you a nobody who will never gain anything?â
Zacharias swung his Durandal down.
With the movement of his sword, a flaming bullet moved and shot straight at Raidorl.
What Zacharias unleashed is a maximal flame that is so huge that it can swallow not only Raidorlâs body but also the walls of the fortress.
âKhhhâŠâŠ.JORMUNGANDR!â
Raidorl used all his strength to unleash a slashing serpent. A jet-black serpent shook the air as it flew out, biting into the flames with great force.
âGuawaaahhhh!!â
Raidorl continued to put his magic into the miasma and release it.
If he slows down for even a moment, he will be swallowed up by the flames like a comet.
Even if he threw everything away and ran away, he would not be able to avoid this huge mass of fire.
There is only one way to survive. He had no choice but to unleash the miasma serpent with all his magic power.
âOooooooooooooooo!â
However, despite Raidorlâs efforts, the flaming bullets were still coming, burning through the miasma.
âIâll stopppppp thhhhhhi-sssssssâ
âPut the magic in. MORE, MORE!! put it in, PUT IT INâ!â
But still the flames didnât stop.
âIs this it? I still have many things to do!!â
Sweat runs down Raidorlâs spine from the overwhelming heat and feelings of impatience.
He could feel the cold touch of the Reaperâs scythe on his neck, despite the flames looming in front him.
He was banished to the frontier because he was chosen for the holy sword, but he still fought hard against the demons and survived.
At last, he has a chance to turn the tables on those who betrayed him, but will he be defeated and disappear without achieving his ambition?
âWill I die defeated and robbed without recovering anything?â
What would Granardâs face be like if he were to die here?
Would he laugh at him as an enemy? Or would he weep as a brother?
Will they mourn him as a tragic hero or despise him as a foolish rebel?
Or will he be forgotten as a nameless man who vanished without ever achieving anything?
âScrew youâŠâŠâŠ!â
Raidorl gritted his teeth.
âI donât want to see my hated enemies, my closest friends, rejoice or cry over my death.â
âI donât care what the people of the future think of me. Call it what they like, a good name or a bad name.â
âBut I donât want to disappear without leaving a single mark on this world.â
âIf I am to make my mark on history, it must be by the way I live, not by the way I die.â
Raidorl poured his enormous, swollen magical power into the holy sword at once.
The miasma serpent regained its momentum as a large amount of magical energy was poured into it. The momentum of the flames diminished, but only slightly.
But still â it is not enough.
Itâs not enough power to extinguish the divine fire that burns everything.
âIs this still not enough?â
Itâs no use. A feeling of resignation crossed Raidorlâs mind.
At the same moment, a whispered voice shook Raidorlâs eardrums.
âAaah, how troublesome. Youâre a pain in the ass.â
It was a boyish, female-like high-pitched voice.
It was the first time Raidorl had heard it, but he felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
âI hate you too, but Iâll lend you a little help. You can thank me later.â
ââŠâŠ?â
Raidorlâs eyes went black.
The huge flames that loomed over him and the emperorâs figure disappeared into the depths of darkness.
In the midst of his lightless vision, the howling of a beast rang out.