Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: The Shattered Holy Sword
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Just as mages of this world project the image and mechanism of a crossbow to use ‘Bolt Magic,’ Dale was no different.
“Bolt-action, 「7.62mm」.”
It was, without a doubt, a mage’s incantation. A ‘universal image’ clearly shared by people across all ages and cultures, and yet, at the same time, an otherworldly image that no one in this world could possibly conceive.
Lying prone atop the bell tower of the small city of Polvernum, Dale manipulated his Shadow Cloak to mimic the form of a gun. Four circles accelerated as the ‘otherworldly image’ in Dale’s mind was projected through his fingertips.
A sniper rifle.
*Crack!*
In a place where not even a breeze stirred, the ‘Shadow Cloak’ fluttered, taking the shape of a firearm according to Dale’s will.
《Shadow Rifle》.
An artifact of darkness that had already transcended the realm of a cherished possession to become a part of his very body. And the sight of Dale, freely manipulating this artifact to create what he needed, was the very picture of a high-ranking demon known as a ‘Shadow Sorcerer.’
The power of a high-ranking demon to grant substance to darkness. A state Dale had only reached after becoming one with the dark artifact through his ‘Shadow Prosthesis.’
“Reloading.”
The sniper on the bell tower pulled the trigger once more.
*Crack!*
A single ‘Shadow Bullet’ traveled down the dark barrel and plunged into the head of a Knight of Saint Magdalena far in the distance.
A helmet shattered, a skull fractured, and brain matter splattered.
Bolt-action, a manual reloading method where the bolt attached to the breechblock is lifted and pulled back. The advantage of rapid fire must be sacrificed due to the need for manual operation. However, in return, it offers exceptional durability, minimizing malfunctions in rough terrain or wetlands, along with the distinct advantage of reliable long-range sniping.
Unlike when casting Shadow Bullets on the fly, the destructive power, speed, and accuracy of each shot were incomparable. Even the Aura Knights were unable to predict the essence of this lethality, falling one by one.
The cavalry of Saint Magdalena tried to turn their horses, but the explosives that the Shadow Court assassins had planted throughout the city streets detonated.
*Crack!*
Amidst the chaos echoing through the city, Dale paid no mind and operated the bolt of the ‘Shadow Rifle.’ He silently reloaded and pulled the trigger again. With each mechanical repetition of Dale’s movements, the Knights of Saint Magdalena fell one after another.
In their bewilderment, the Aura Master knights, led by the ‘Holy Sword,’ began to unleash their full power.
Bodies of mithril that no longer looked human, the pure white knights and the 《King of Boars》 who led them were there.
The head of a boar with tusks rising like horns, unabashedly displaying the beastly fighting spirit of a male ready to give his all.
A God of Combat was there.
‘Three Aura Masters. The rest are Aura Knights or weaker.’
Dale operated the bolt of the Shadow Rifle again, and after reloading, fired another shot. For an ordinary person, it would have been an inescapable blow of death. It should have been.
*Clang!*
But Dale’s ‘Shadow Bullet,’ projected from the image of a sniper rifle, was deflected by something. The blade of the Holy Sword. Furthermore, the 《King of Boars》 turned his head, tracing the bullet's trajectory back to its origin.
For a fleeting moment, the sight of the ‘Black Prince,’ hidden and prone atop the bell tower, entered his vision.
“That little brat from Sachsen…”
A mobile force of just over three hundred, leveraging the advantage of mobility. At the same time, the Holy Sword, an ‘exceptional powerhouse,’ was protecting them.
*Crack!*
Another fatal blow descended. The Holy Sword Master tried to move to block Dale’s Shadow Bullet.
But from his high ground, Dale was systematically targeting the cavalry’s rear. Moreover, in the urban area packed with the city’s characteristic stone structures, even turning the company’s horses was no easy task.
A blow like this couldn't kill the Holy Sword Master. Nevertheless, it could steadily chip away at the enemy’s strength.
A baptism of death from an unknown direction.
The Knights of Saint Magdalena wavered and turned their horses, their formation beginning to fall into disarray. The city entrance and streets were already collapsing, the shattered stone structures forming a natural barricade. Even for the renowned Knights of Saint Magdalena, there was likely no easy solution.
Except for one man, the leader of the Knights of Saint Magdalena.
He had read the trajectory of the countless ‘Shadow Bullets’ and identified the ‘sniper’ lying prone on the bell tower. Therefore, to prevent any more of his subordinates from being sacrificed to the enemy's sniping, there was only one thing the Holy Sword Master had to do.
The boar began to charge.
*Thud, thud, thud!* As if a wild boar was rampaging, shattering everything in its path, he ran, exuding a male's fighting spirit. He smashed straight through the stone barricades blocking his way, closing in on Dale’s bell tower with terrifying speed.
A distance of over several hundred meters. And despite the stone barricades obstructing the area within the city, it made no difference.
*Crack!*
Therefore, after firing his final shot, Dale didn't linger either. Even the current Dale couldn't guarantee a fair victory against a powerhouse of the Seven Swords of the Continent, the Holy Sword Master.
But not all battles in this world are fought fairly. For instance, just as he had taken the lives of the Knights of Saint Magdalena with the ‘Shadow Rifle’ while concealed on the bell tower.
From a height that offered a view of the entire city, Dale leaped from the bell tower without hesitation.
As he jumped, the artifact ‘Shadow Cloak’ enveloped his body, and he transformed into a fluid shadow, streaking away beyond the city.
Wraith Form.
As if shaking off the boar’s pursuit, Dale began to race through the city like a specter, passing through the stone barricades in his path as if he were a ghost.
It was then.
*CRASH!*
“Did you think you could run from me, you Sachsen brat?”
Without a trace of his presence, the 《King of Boars》 had suddenly blocked Dale’s path.
In contrast to his grotesque, beastly appearance, the Holy Sword in his hand radiated a light more noble than anything else.
“Who said I was running?”
Seeing this, the ‘Black Prince’ calmly retorted.
“…Did you think you could lure me out alone and do something to me with those lackeys of yours in ambush?”
And as if he had seen through Dale’s scheme, the Holy Sword Master smirked coldly, as if he knew all about the high-ranking assassins of the ‘Shadow Court’ hiding in the area.
“Don’t get so full of yourself. It’s a grave miscalculation to think that this entire world will dance on the palm of your hand, from start to finish.”
“I’m well aware.”
Dale was already gripping the hilt of the jet-black demon sword ‘Hunger’ with his Shadow Prosthesis. The two dark artifacts synchronized, beginning to emit an endless malice.
The light of the Holy Sword, said to be the most noble in the world, swirled.
His four hearts were accelerating, beating as if they would burst.
His opponent was a powerhouse of a different caliber than anyone Dale had fought before. A moment's carelessness could lead directly to death. Yet, nothing changed.
“Do you remember the war on the Isle of Britannia?”
Dale spoke.
“We carved a Geas that you must absolutely obey my orders in all operations until the war’s end.”
“…”
At Dale’s words, the Holy Sword Master’s eyebrow finally twitched.
“It seems that war isn’t over yet.”
Before he could grasp the meaning of those words, Dale had already produced ‘two documents’ from his coat. A document bearing Dale’s signature as the supreme commander of the Imperial Army, and another bearing the royal seal of King Charles VII of the Kingdom of Britannia.
“You dare…!”
It was the ‘indefinite armistice agreement’ signed between the Empire and the Kingdom of Britannia.
Even though the new Kingdom of Britannia had fallen and vanished into history, and even though Charles VII was no longer of this world, the letter of the law is utterly inflexible. And the only thing that moves a Geas is legal validity.
“As the supreme commander of the Imperial Army, I ask you. Knowing your cavalry is isolated, do you have any follow-up forces that can provide aid?”
Thus, Dale asked. To the ‘subordinate’ who was bound to obey his command. The plea of the pact carved into his heart.
“De-de-de-demon Sword…!”
The 《King of Boars》 desperately worked his mouth, as if he couldn’t easily say the words. At the same time, unable to bear the pain of the Geas pressing on his heart, his voice finally escaped.
“We have… messengers who periodically communicate with the Iron Cross Cavalry of the De-Demon Sword, Lord Sephylia…!”
“Have they grasped the situation in this city?”
“Yes, the moment your lackeys set off the explosives in the city…! They would have immediately headed to Demon Sword Lord Sephylia’s cavalry to request help!”
“Then how much time do we have until they arrive?”
“Soon, very soon.”
“Is that so? Then I have no choice.”
At the Holy Sword Master’s answer, Dale shrugged as if it couldn’t be helped.
“As the supreme commander of the Imperial Army, I shall address the sacred vow you are bound to.”
Therefore, Dale had no reason to hesitate.
“Stab your heart with the Holy Sword, and commit suicide.”
“…!”
“With this, the Geas between us will be broken.”
With those words, Dale tore the two ‘armistice agreements’ in his hand. The blades of the Shadow Cloak swung like a shredder, tearing them into unrecognizable pieces. If it became evidence that he had threatened the Holy Sword Master using the armistice agreement with the Kingdom of Britannia, it would in turn tighten a noose around Dale’s own neck.
After tearing the agreements, Dale looked at the Holy Sword Master without a trace of emotion.
The man had already gripped the Holy Sword in his hand in a reverse hold… and his trembling hands began to move.
The hesitation was but for a moment.
The 《King of Boars》 plunged the blade of the Holy Sword into his own heart.
*Stab!*
The tip of the Holy Sword pierced through his chest and emerged from his back. At the same time, the blessing of the Holy Sword forged by the first Master of the White Magic Tower, the light of the goddess, enveloped his body.
The sacred sword, meant to bestow the goddess's blessing and the power of light upon its wielder, was instead piercing its owner's heart, taking his life.
And unable to withstand the contradiction, an unidentifiable light began to shimmer along the edge of the Holy Sword.
Flickering between pure white and ash gray, it illuminated the ‘Holy Sword Master’s heart’ that the blade was piercing.
*CRACK!*
Just then, the blade of the Holy Sword fractured like a turtle's shell. A sound like shattering glass echoed.
Like tempered glass breaking, each piece of the blade crumbled into fine, glass-like particles… and the particles of light began to overlay the Holy Sword Master’s body.
The power of absolute defense, trading the sword's life to block a fatal blow and protect its owner.
*KABOOM!*
“Ah, ahhh…”
With an explosion that engulfed the area, Count Brandenburg was there. Towards the man who could no longer even be called the ‘Holy Sword Master.’
“Ah, ahhh, my fiancée, my love…!”
He had survived, perfectly fine despite having a blade plunged into his heart. A miracle that could only be called ‘the goddess’s blessing.’
“You, you dare…”
The Geas was broken. But with the shattered Holy Sword behind him, the boar-headed man muttered weakly.
“Did you think I would just die meekly at your hands…! I will not forget. I will hate you in life, I will hate you in death, and I will curse you from hell…!”
The 《King of Boars》 burned with a final fighting spirit towards the ‘Black Prince.’
“Ah, I thought you’d say that.”
But even in the face of this extraordinary, swirling fighting spirit, Dale answered without a care.
He didn't fall easily, despite losing his Holy Sword and suffering a fatal wound. And in the first place, Dale had no intention of killing him. He had expected this outcome from the start.
Dying is not as great a suffering as one might think. Just as many choose death over life, the most terrible pain in the world can only be experienced while one is alive.
Dale readjusted his grip on the jet-black demon sword, ‘Hunger.’
“Now that you’ve said all that, I’m too scared to let you die so easily.”
Dale spoke, and gathering his last ounce of strength, the 《King of Boars》 kicked off the ground.