Chapter 239
Chapter: 239
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 239
>Chapter Title: Sword Master (3)
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>"...Looks like Logan's doing well."
Seongjin muttered softly.
The air on the battlefield had changed.
His eyes couldn't see, but Seongjin could feel it.
The morale that had plummeted to the ground was reviving, and the atmosphere had dramatically reversed.
"But that's still not enough. I need to clear a path for Logan..."
"Your Highness! Please, say no more!"
Bruno, the captain who had carried Seongjin down from the ramparts on his back, spoke urgently.
Strangely, the prince's condition was deteriorating by the second.
'Why in the world?'
All the prince had done was stand quietly on the ramparts. He had looked extremely tired just moments ago, but it wasn't all that different from his usual state.
So why was blood suddenly flowing from his eyes? And why was his aura state growing dimmer by the moment, like that of a dying man?
"Sir Saron..."
Bruno, the captain scanning the surroundings frantically for an exorcist, soon let out a wry smile.
Come to think of it, there had been times when that woman refused to even set foot near the monster extermination unit out of spite. Yet lately, they sought her out at the drop of a hat whenever something came up.
"I'll fetch a priest. Please stay here just a moment, Your Highness!"
After wrapping his own cold-weather gear around the prince, Bruno left with an anxious expression.
"I need to move the frost servants..."
[Didn't you hear the blockhead? Shut your mouth and stay quiet, you idiot!]
The Demon King whimpered in Seongjin's ear.
[Sniff! What the hell is going on? Fine with the eyes, but why is your condition suddenly this bad?]
'Yeah, tell me about it.'
Seongjin was just as puzzled.
He thought he'd managed his body pretty well that morning, so why had it suddenly plummeted like this?
Honestly, his current state was far worse than when he'd fought the Lycanslope Lord. His father had clearly healed him thoroughly once—why?
'...Just from overusing Spirit Eyes?'
The night before, he'd stayed up all night using them, but that morning, aside from some eye fatigue, there'd been nothing unusual.
Moreover, his body felt like it had been completely scrambled by aura, which made no sense.
Sure, he'd strained his aura all day riding and dashing around on frost servants, but that wasn't anything new.
That alone couldn't fully explain his current condition.
'Frost servants...'
Right. Frost servants.
Seongjin's hazy mind began to turn as his energy drained.
'I've felt this steep decline three times.'
Once at the canyon fortress, once at the ice wall base, and finally just now when he'd tried to chase the demon.
All three times right after controlling the frost servants.
'No way...'
Seongjin, who had unconsciously let aura flow into the hand gripping the ice heart out of habit, realized it.
Now it was starting to make sense.
'When I control the frost servants, I feel a perfect unity, like I'm moving my own body directly.'
While rampaging wildly through the frost servants' bodies like that, what if the aura in his own body had rampaged in sync?
His aura reflected his will so faithfully, even unconsciously—that's why Logan had warned him multiple times to be careful when handling it.
If he'd generated will strong enough to move the frost servants with thought alone, it wouldn't be strange if his body's aura had thrashed in resonance.
'Then it all fits.'
That's why his condition had tanked so sharply after that first fight at the canyon fortress. And after pushing the frost servants again here to catch the demon, now he could barely hold his body up.
'Trouble. I might need to move them one more time.'
At this rate, his body might not hold out.
Seongjin thought as he tried to force strength into the hand holding the ice heart.
'Maybe just for a moment? I need to clear a path so Logan can catch the demon. Right now, I'm the only one who can do it here...'
[...Huh?]
At that moment, the sniffling Demon King let out a sharp yelp.
[You, you're thinking something weird right now, aren't you? What are you scheming? Why are you thinking where I can't hear? What bad thing are you plotting this time?]
Hey, Demon King. Actually, I did some thinking.
The fact that I unconsciously moved my body's aura must mean my soul hasn't fully left my body, right?
[...What the hell are you thinking?]
But what if I could fully leave this body.
If I could control the frost servants like that.
[What are you trying to do right now?!]
If I could completely separate my soul far away so my body doesn't get pulled by the will.
Then eye injuries wouldn't be a problem anymore. I could see ahead with my own soul without borrowing your Spirit Eyes.
With his thoughts sorted, the rest was simple.
Recalling his previous experience flying to the dimensional boundary, Seongjin cautiously asked the Demon King.
To call his soul from far away. So he could leave his body as easily as before.
[Have you finally lost your mind?]
It was only natural for the Demon King to thrash around in his head like he was about to shatter the thought crystal.
[You idiot, enough already! Completely separating your soul from your body? You'll really die like this!]
That's because you don't get it, Demon King.
I'm doing this to avoid dying. If I let my aura rampage one more time, this body really will be done for this time.
[No! Absolutely not! You think I'd do that?]
Don't worry too much. I'll definitely return to this body.
There are still so many faces I need to see. You think I'd die easily before then?
[Hey, Yi Seongjin!]
Or would you rather see my aura rampage out of control again and truly tear this body to shreds?
Is that the outcome you want?
[You... you...!]
The trembling Demon King soon let out a wail like "Waaah!" and flew out of his body.
'But I can't think of any other way.'
Seongjin thought, deliberately closing his unseeing eyes to focus his mind as much as possible.
Blood welled up from his eyelids and slowly trickled down his cheeks like tears.
'Alright. I definitely have a thought crystal too. The fact that drugs can stimulate it means it has some autonomous function, right?'
I can hear.
I can hear the Demon King calling me.
I am the next-generation Oracle. There is nothing in this world my will cannot achieve!
How long did he repeat that to himself?
His efforts weren't in vain, as faint voices soon began to echo through his thought crystal.
[...Repent! Repent!]
[Where are you? If you can hear my voice, please respond...!]
These guys are still at it.
I want to ask them seriously: Isn't life too precious to waste?
[Sniff sniff! Yi Seongjin! Just you wait! I won't forget this! Waaah!]
Ah, found it.
Hm. Demon King, actually, I feel pretty sorry toward you.
As Seongjin focused all his nerves on the Demon King's call, suddenly some kids' voices noisily rang in his ears. Familiar voices, somehow.
[Holy Emperor Daddy! Holy Emperor Daddy! Look at Mores! Sir Sharon!]
[Daddy Your Majesty! Daddy Your Majesty! Mores is dying! Sir Sharon!]
What is this? Why does it feel so familiar?
Somehow, it feels like this has happened often before.
'Don't cry, you kids. It'll all be okay in the end.'
I definitely know that.
With that final thought, Seongjin's consciousness slipped free from his body.
* * *
Squeak! Squeak!
Brilliant silver-blue aura thrust forward in large concentric circles.
The beautiful sword energy flowing along the blade's path unfolded delicately in the air like petals embroidered one by one.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwak!
A swift sword stabbing repeatedly over it.
The overlapping lights scattered brilliantly, blooming everywhere like fluttering petals.
Rumble!
Another ice monster collapsed helplessly where the flowers had bloomed.
But this time, there was no massive impact sound like before.
Logan had already shredded all its limbs except the core with the heart, sparing the following knights any harm.
"......?"
As Logan sheathed Arjuna, he glanced up at the sky with puzzlement.
Of course, there was nothing there, but strangely, he felt a curious gaze lingering there for a moment before departing.
'What was that?'
But he had no time for prolonged thought.
Uwoooo—
The Glacier Trolls, finally locking onto Logan as their target, roared in unison and charged toward him.
Thud thud thud!
Several giants rushing at him simultaneously.
One at a time would be no problem, but if he dodged, the rest would surely barrel straight into the following troops.
In that case.
'I'll shatter them into pieces.'
Every direction they charged from, every angle of the ice pillars lunging in, every surface of them—without a single gap.
Whoosh—
Silver-blue aura burst from Arjuna like a fan unfurling wide.
It looked like a broad horizontal swing at first glance, but each was a lethal beam from rapid thrusts.
The nearest limbs of the Glacier Trolls were sealed in an instant.
'Shatter them again.'
All surfaces around the extreme points were sealed.
'Shatter.'
The axes of motion drawing out the extreme points were fundamentally sealed.
Shatter.
Fragments too numerous to perceive mentally, split in countless instants.
In the Sword Master's will, all those halted things aligned in sequence, continuity. They unfolded before his eyes in a rush, finally coming alive and moving in his will.
Arjuna's traces engraved on each fragment connected seamlessly, becoming one will piercing all.
Pop pop pop pop!
The legs of five Glacier Trolls charging side by side exploded simultaneously.
Shards of shattered ice flew thickly, and the shockwave shook the entire valley.
"Unbelievable...!"
Vincent the Elder, racing south with Sir Sebastian, clicked his tongue.
The Decaron Knight's eyes could scrutinize the prince's sword even from afar.
And the result was shocking.
'How can a mere boy prince's sword contain such profound will!'
Because he was a Decaron Knight who hadn't yet reached Sword Master, he could recognize Logan's sword better than anyone.
It held everything he lacked. A sword that touched the principles of the world.
"I thought only Baltazar."
The elder clenched his lips in frustration.
In this Delcross, aside from the Holy Emperor, he'd inwardly believed only Baltazar in the capital could match him.
That man's realm was nothing compared to this!
For the second time in his life, the elder felt the massive wall before him.
'It wasn't just the Holy Emperor!'
Years ago. The day the young Holy Emperor suddenly visited Sigismund territory and took Princess Amelia.
After tasting near-instant death terror before him, Vincent the Elder never set foot in the capital again.
Embarrassing as it was, facing the vastly younger Holy Emperor terrified him too much.
Why had he so rudely offended Prince Mores at their first meeting? Because he'd felt vague fear from the majestic aura no child that age could contain.
And now another one like that!
Truly maddening!
"Such monstrous people. Are all the Holy Imperial Family monsters like this...?"
Sir Sebastian glanced back at the elder's mutter and said flatly.
"His Highness is a Sword Master."
"Yes, so he is."
The elder nodded with a sullen face.
Sword Master.
This moment marked the official birth of the continent's youngest Sword Master in name and truth.
* * *
>After swiftly clearing the northern Glacier Trolls, Logan left one or two beasts for the knights and headed to the frontline center.
By then, faint demonic energy began registering in his senses.
A dense vortex of darkness, distinctly different from the beasts'.
'Yi Seongjin was right. There's definitely a demon beyond that mountainside!'
He'd said it.
Prioritize it above all, even at the cost of sacrifices.
Logan glanced at the struggling Masain and Wolf Knights on the frontline, then leaped into the enemy midst, planning to dash straight for the mountainside.
But the unfolding situation proved less than ideal.
Growl!
Woof woof!
As if under orders, Lycanthropes swarmed toward Logan en masse.
Not only that.
Glacier Trolls evenly spread across the frontline turned toward Logan in unison. It meant the enemies had marked him as the top elimination target.
'It'll take time to break through. I might miss the demon.'
In urgency, Logan swung Arjuna wide.
Squeeee!
All Lycanthropes in the Henesis greatsword's broad attack range were bisected and slain in an instant.
Then, seizing the gap, a Glacier Troll charged at Logan.
Thud thud!
As Logan reflexively aimed Arjuna at it.
Boom!
A Glacier Troll suddenly appeared from behind, blocking its path and swinging a fist.
Crack!
The charging Glacier Troll took a counter, its neck and head exploding in one go.
"......!"
Stunned by the scene, Logan blinked.
"...Seongjin?"
For some reason, Yi Seongjin's words came to mind.
-If things don't go well, I'll help.
No, even so. No way?
But the ice monster that strode past Logan then collided bodily with another charging Glacier Troll.
Kwaang!
Dozens of tons of ice monsters clashing with full force. A horrific noise and massive shockwave erupted.
"Is that really you, Seongjin? Is this the Vince you're controlling?"
No matter what anyone said, this Glacier Troll's intent was clear.
Before Logan became pinned as a single target, draw attention to itself first.
Then Logan's eyes caught the coat of arms of House Sigismund draped on the ice monster.
It covered the back awkwardly, looking comical, but somehow familiar to Logan.
An image flashed in his mind: Mores once clumsily tying a red cape around his neck while dashing through the Blue Rose Palace.
"Haha."
Strange.
He'd thought it occasionally, but why did Seongjin keep reminding him of young Mores?
Uwooo—
The Glacier Troll blocking the enemies turned to Logan.
Ice monsters lacked proper eyes beyond vague facial outlines, yet Logan felt it staring at him, urging him intently.
-Go! Hurry and chase the demonic energy!
Right, Seongjin. That's the plan.
Logan unwittingly smiled and lightly leaped up.
Using a kick to one Lycanthrope as propulsion, he shot forward vigorously.