The cross-guard that protected the wearerâs hand, at the joining of the blade and the hilt.
As the axe slid against my sword, it destroyed the cross-guard and swooped in.
Had I been just a little late to react, my wrist wouldâve been severed.
âHeâs not an opponent I can beat right now.â
I was breathing heavily, sweat dripping off my chin, but he wasnât.
He looked no different than he did before the fight.
That majestic figure, that unchanging expression, and that red hair of his. All were the same.
Even the aura he emanated pricked the skin like needles.
âHeâs big.â
Not just his size.
Even his axes were extraordinarily large.
There was a clear gap between our skills.
Predator Sword â Loas screamed as cracks spread on its blade.
Drip, drip.
Blood seeped through Dexterâs glove.
The more I blocked my opponentâs axes, the more my hands trembled.
I was teetering on the verge of losing hold of my sword.
Jjiiig!
I tore off some cloth near the forearm, and wound it around my hand gripping Loas.
âHuu ââ
I raised my physical abilities to their limit by circulating more energy, sharpening my nerves to a well-honed edge.
Chaeeng â! Huuuung!
Every time an axe of his collided with my sword, red dust rose off the blood-drenched earth, and shockwaves rippled through the air, making the skin tingle.
Kwang! Kwaaang â!
My bones throbbed.
Less than half of the divine power accumulated in the bracelet was left.
That divine power, purified over a long period, has narrowed the gap between us a little, but that was all. There was a great moat between Callius the scapegrace and the Great Warrior Kelâtuk, that could not be filled with just that.
A great moat of experience, and talent.
A gap that could not be bridged so simply, between the axe and the sword.
At first glance, the contest looked even.
The reality, however, was completely different.
The dual axes had plenty of room to move.
The Great Warrior could go a little faster, add a little more power. He could pierce or deflect Calliusâ sword at his leisure.
However, he didnât do that, and just accepted his opponentâs attacks, as if he was having fun.
Jiik â Biting his lower lip, Callius changed his sword art.
A subtle change that could not be felt unless one observed closely.
The Silver Flower Wave Sword art was no longer the same as before.
The sharp and smoothly travelling sword began to change as if numerous flower petals were blooming on it.
Creating an illusion as if the sword had multiplied into dozens at once.
âThe mystery of the Silver Flower Wave Sword art lies in mutability.â
Change is the essence of its existence.
An art to dazzle and confuse opponents with its ever-changing sword.
A sword for the weak against the strong.
The first sword deceives, and the second also.
Deceive and deceive until you deceive even yourself â that is the art called the Silver Flower Wave Sword.
Chaang!
Petals fluttered in the air.
The divine power contained in the weapon had scattered, and were fluttering all around like flower petals.
The petals hovering in the air attached themselves again to Calliusâ sword. The sword, that had been deflected, suddenly circled around and savagely struck again at the enemyâs neck.
Sssk. Seeing the bloody sword tip piercing the air, the Great Warrior curved his lips.
Swaeaeaeek â!
Taeaeeng â!
A violent shock erupted in his arms and then spread throughout his body.
As he staggered at the shock, Calliusâ body flew through the air at another sudden impact.
âKahk!â
Blood splattered through the air.
He had obviously been aiming for the neck.
But suddenly, another axe had blocked his way, and Callius couldnât break through its strong defense.
An obvious mistake.
And that mistake in his sword would now demand death as its price.
Kelâtukâs axe flew sharply towards Callius whoâd been flung into the air at his kick.
Kwaaang â!!
Loas, which had barely regenerated, broke again and flew into the sky.
Chwaaaak â!!
A red line of blood appeared from Calliusâ right shoulder to his side.
Kung.
âKuhk!â
Red blood soaked the ground.
Calliusâ lifeblood was unceasingly pouring down.
âI lost.â
The sky looked red.
It brought a woman to mind.
Red as the twilight.
âHaâŠ.â
He fell down, exhaling a hot breath.
The air he breathed in, however, was infinitely cold.
The process was very simple.
As you exhale the heat and inhale the cold, your body becomes colder and colder.
The hot blood running through his body cooled down, calming his ambitions and aspirations.
Teoss.
Callius, fallen on the ground, looked at Great Warrior staring down at him, standing tall with the red sky at his back.
His gray pupils ran red with blood, and the fleeting moment seemed like an eternity.
With each exhalation, hundreds of memories and regrets floated to the surface of his mind.
But even so, time gradually passed, and it all sublimated to one single truth.
âAh⊠Aaaaaah!!â
His ears were almost deaf.
The eardrums creaked as if theyâd been filled with water.
Nevertheless, one of his talents, [Bardâs Blessing], ironically transmitted the sounds of despair to his eardrums.
âWeâre all going to die! I donât want to die!!â
âAhhhhhhh!â
When Callius fell, the Knights panicked.
Those who had even the slightest wisdom realized that there was no point in running away and felt devastated, while those engulfed in fear ran and screamed foolishly.
The Great Warrior Kelâtuk, who had never been marred by shame, threw his axes and killed those who tried to run away.
He killed only those who had tried to disgracefully escape.
Kelâtuk snorted, then looked at Callius with satisfied eyes.
An example of a rare Warrior.
Even though he knew he was going to die, he showed the best sword he could show.
It wasnât something just anyone could do. To show the highest sword you can achieve despite knowing how high a wall you face. Even for animals, it was logical and instinctive to run away with the tail between their legs facing those stronger than themselves.
Those who can rebel against that instinct are called Warriors, and are to be revered.
So the man deserved it.
The same fate as an Orc Warrior.
Kelâtuk thought so.
So the Great Warrior Kelâtuk took up his axe. To show his final respect.
The enemyâs life must be cut off by his own hands. It was his last courtesy to the Warrior who shall soon return to the embrace of the Gods.
Hwiiiing â
That was then.
Suddenly, Calliusâ aura changed.
The light on his pupils disappeared, and a strange air began to linger around him.
His breath, which had seemed like it would cease any moment, now came long and steady.
ââŠ.â
Kelâtuk narrowed his eyes.
Somehow, Callius suddenly had a box in his hand.
It was unknown where he got it from, but the box was filled with divine energy.
As soon as it opened, Kelâtuk took an involuntary step backwards.
The pure power began to dominate the space all around.
Inside the box was a sacred stone.
A remnant of a Saint.
The reason he brought it out all of a sudden⊠was it a gift to Kelâtuk? He was bewildered for a moment.
Giving a reward to the enemy who killed you?
He was an enemy, but he was a man who could respect and acknowledge his opponent. However, that illusion did not last long.
Gulp.
Suddenly, Callius ate the sacred stone.
â!?â
A creepy sensation.
An unfamiliar feeling of uneasiness swept through Kelâtukâs whole being.
He immediately raised his axe.
Dangerous. Eating the sacred stone shouldnât have changed anything. However, unlike his reason, his instinct was shouting that he should not leave it be.
Kung. Kung. Kung!
Kelâtuk quickly approached Callius.
And when the axe was about to strike â
Kwaaang â!!
Kelâtukâs eyes lit up and dimmed down.
The flowing north wind cooled the heat from the air.
A thunderbolt carried by the north wind was blocking his axe.
Kwaaang â!!
âThisâŠâ
He was one step late.
Bernard had flown to here from Jevarsch on the northern winds, using the Thunderbolt Sword â Rakan.
He didnât even have the time to worry about landing. And as it turned out, there really was no time.
âCallius, this idiot bastardâŠâ
He couldnât stand to look at the sight.
Bernardâs anger erupted from the tip of his sword.
Kwajijijik!!
Kwakwang â!!
Rakan, the Blue Thunderbolt engulfed the surroundings.
A huge explosion resounded.
Kahk! Kelâtuk gave an echoing groan as he was struck by the bolt of thunder.
The Orc immediately lifted his axe high into the sky and struck the ground.
Kwaaang â!!
Jijijijijik!!
The ground cracked and broke, chunks of rock jumping into the air.
Whirlik! Bernard, who had turned sideways to avoid the flying debris, slashed them all down with his sword, and picked up Callius before throwing him away.
âEmily! Take him and run away!â
âGrandpa!â
âDonât worry about me! We must save him! You must save him!!â
âAh, okay! Bruns!â
âLeave it to me⊠Huh?â
That was then.
Callius stood right back up.
Blood still poured out from his wounds.
His face was bloodless and his lips blue, as if he could die any moment.
But for some reason, his eyes were clear.
âMaster! No!â
Callius pushed Bruns away and staggered forward. His destination was the Life Sword â Lucen, which he had stabbed into the ground before the fight started.
Loas was broken, but he still had one more sword to try.
That didnât mean Lucen.
âCrazy⊠Why are you doing that! Donât you even care about your own life, you idiot!â
Callius looked into the air.
[The Gluttony characteristic is digesting the sacred stone⊠]
[Absorbing the sacred stoneâŠ]
[Unable to fully absorbâŠ]
[AbsorbingâŠ]
Messages scrolled down one after another, and his body was pounding.
âI feel hazy⊠But my senses are clear.â
It was a strange state of being.
The mind is hazy, but the senses are clear.
Although I have no strength in my body, everything around me seems strangely clear, as if I am seeing it all with my own eyes and hearing it all with my own ears. As if every single point in space is so near and intimate that I could touch them if I just reached out with my hands.
âIs it the characteristic of Death Verse Composition?â
The characteristic that brings enlightenment at the doorstep of death?
I swallowed the sacred stone.
It wasnât something Iâd planned beforehand.
It was something instinctive.
But thatâs why I am able to move like this right now.
âThe Gluttony characteristic⊠That is digesting the sacred stone that you couldnât normally.â
And absorb its power.
It was an unexpected idea from his original perspective.
A reckless and opportunistic trick.
However, that kept him alive.
[The sacred stone has been incompletely absorbed.]
[Six Peak Flowers Bloom in Late Season has risen to the second star.]
âHaâŠâ
Callius, who had absorbed the divine power of a Saint, felt as if all the energy flowing around him could now be caught in his eyes.
Whether this was temporary or permanent, he knew one thing.
âSix Peak Flowers Bloom in Late Season rose to the second star.â
The quality of divine power increased.
So, what did 2 stars mean?
Callius didnât know, exactly.
His head was dizzy, and strange lights kept flashing in front of his eyes.
However, the new bud in his Elixir Field calmed his heart.
Chwaaak.
The blooming second peak exuded a divine power that was quite different from the first.
And it kept absorbing power at the same time.
The divine power of the sacred stone Callius had devoured.
And by absorbing all that external divine power, it built and refined itself.
âIs itâŠâ
His wounds were bleeding so much it wouldnât be strange if he keeled over and died any moment. Even so, Callius thought while holding Lucen.
âNow I know.â
How to put the divine power into the sword.
Kiiiing â
Lucenâs keening resonance echoed through the earth.
Dust spread around Callius, and pure divine power enveloped him in silver light. His eyes saw Lucen turn red, then gradually gray, then blue.
Tricolour Eye.
Correct the mistakes in the trajectory of the sword due to your lack of talent, using the Tricolour Eye.
In this way, it is possible to implement the techniques of the Silver Flower Wave Sword art that could not be used before.
âSilver Flower Wave Sword â White Haze[1].â
The name was given because of how the strange sword technique resembled a vague white expanse in othersâ eyes.
White Haze.
It bloomed on Calliusâ blade.
Strange sword strikes that seemed to be dancing through smoke.
And soon.
Kung.
He stepped forward with his left foot.
Dust spread out in a circle, and a strange energy began to dominate the area.
âThe White Haze blooms on the earth.â
The resplendent yet mysterious sword skill deceived the opponentâs eyes and pierced through the ground.
Kwajijijik!
The White Haze spread out like ice crystals in all directions, and soon the silver mists turned into sword energy and burst out from beneath the ground.
Kwaaang â!!
As a circle of ten paces centered on Callius exploded with the power of the Silver Flower Wave Sword, Bernard and Kelâtuk were busy retreating.
However, their complexions were distinctly different.
âWhere did you learn this! And where are you going?!â
As if he had recognized the power of the sword skill at a glance, Bernard tied Kelâtuk down as the latter tried to run away. If his disciple was unleashing such an ultimate skill with all his might, Bernard couldnât let that be all in vain.
His Thunderbolt Sword struck.
Pajijijik! Kuuuung â!
Crack! Kelâtukâs axe, which had been trying to block the Thunderbolt Sword, flew away.
Calliusâ Silver Flower Wave Sword burst out from the ground, and this time Kelâtuk could not evade.
Sasasasak!
He slashed at all the sword petals with his remaining axe, but his skin still gradually cracked, and blood began to pour out of his body.
Chwaaaak! Tudududuk!
He had no way to block all the Silver Flower Wave Sword petals indiscriminately rushing at him.
Kaaaah!
Seeing Kelâtuk screaming in pain, Callius stepped forward once more.
âI can do it now.â
Just like when I fought Esther.
The Silver Flower Wave Sword petals collect into a single point, scrape and crush the opponentâs sword, and make it their own.
Not just breaking it, even reversing its power and turning it into an attack.
The petals fluttered like furious waves.
As if each petal in the shape of a sword had its own will.