Chapter 327
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 327
Chapter Title: Sigrin's End (2)
"Curse Bearer!"
Does that guy only know how to call me that?
Seeing Sigrin scream, Krash's eyes turned ice-cold.
At the same time, he sensed the power emanating from her.
'She's drawn power from the future.'
Sigrin had been a clear powerhouse before her regression.
And someone like her would surely know how to become strong through extreme means.
It was probably a last resort meant only for crises.
But to Sigrin, whose mind had already shattered, every day was a crisis.
"How did you get past the barrier?"
Sigrin glared at Krash with blazing eyes as she asked.
The barrier surrounding the imperial palace.
It was structured so outsiders couldn't enter, and insiders couldn't leave.
When Sigrin asked how he'd pierced it, Krash let out a hollow chuckle.
His expression said she was asking the obvious.
"The barrier's foundation allows imperial blood to enter no matter what happens."
Now it had become a prison trapping even the imperial family inside.
But they couldn't completely overhaul the core foundation.
Thanks to that, imperial blood could at least come and go.
And what proved that imperial blood?
The answer was simple.
The power of the White Dragon.
That's why Krash, bearer of that power, had pierced the barrier and entered.
'The forbidden zone side should be handled by Lilish sis, the Guardian Sword, and the knights.'
They were experts on World Erosion.
So Krash left that to them and headed straight for the palace.
In front of the palace, various figures were desperately trying to breach the barrier.
"Amp up the mana output there!"
"Bring every magic tool that can pierce defensive spells!"
The mages, in particular, were in a frenzy.
The palace barrier had clearly been reinforced with magic.
Yet they, the palace mages, couldn't break it—it was maddening.
At the forefront, a man glared widest of all.
The Epania Palace's top mage.
One of the Ten Strongest Under Heaven.
Demon King.
Dykram Arius.
His eyes bloodshot, he stared at the barrier.
It went without saying.
Dykram had been the one maintaining and reinforcing it regularly.
For him to see his own barrier exploited by the enemy—and unbreakable by him now—naturally enraged him to the core.
"Coming through."
Krash passed right in front of him.
Dykram's eyes widened upon spotting him late.
"You."
With that, Krash crossed the barrier into the palace.
Chaos erupted outside as they saw him enter, but there was no time to explain.
Until the barrier lifted, only Krash with the White Dragon's power could support the palace right now.
The sight that greeted him upon entry was utterly gruesome.
The corridors were littered with the corpses of servants and knights.
And Krash knew exactly whose sword wounds those were.
Sigrin Epania.
Her blade, without a doubt.
Confirming that, he broke into a full sprint.
And sure enough, Sigrin was now trying to kill her own brother.
"Ha, so you're saying even a mere Curse Bearer like you is imperial blood?!"
Sigrin snarled, her face twisting as if telling him not to spout nonsense.
Her eyes had lost all sanity since early evening, utterly broken.
She spat deep hatred at the world.
As if the world had abandoned her.
"...You still think you're the tragic heroine of some story?"
Krash looked down at her with utter pity.
How could this woman be so stubbornly consistent?
She didn't even realize who had truly abandoned the world.
And even in this state, Sigrin believed she was right.
Arthur's words resurfaced.
The three who destroyed the world.
One of them was Sigrin.
Seeing her like this, Krash understood Arthur's feelings.
Sigrin was irredeemable.
Her high status made killing her risky due to backlash, so they couldn't just execute her.
But leaving her alive led to messes like this.
So they had no choice but to bind her with the chains of love.
"You lot are consistently infuriating."
White flames slowly rose from Krash's sword.
Seeing it, Sigrin ground her teeth.
"...Don't look down on me."
At the same time, pure white energy began swirling around her body.
"Don't you dare look down on me!"
Sigrin's form blurred.
The moment Krash swung his sword sideways, her blade met it.
Clang!
With the clash, Krash's form blurred too.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their swords rang out fiercely.
The Emperor's Shield, Terman Friedwen, watched wide-eyed.
A master himself.
Yet even he couldn't track their exchanges—they were insanely fast.
And each clash shattered parts of the palace.
The winds from their bout forced even the massive Terman back.
'What in the world.'
Witnessing combat far beyond human limits, Terman hurriedly shielded the First Prince.
"First Prince! We need to escape while we can."
First Prince Siran Epania silently watched the fight despite Terman's words.
Then, he finally turned away.
As Terman said, they had no place here.
"It makes me realize how insignificant my achievements are."
Siran realized anew.
He wasn't the best in might or intellect.
He was always middling among his siblings.
It seemed balanced.
But to some, it meant he excelled nowhere as a prince.
That's why he'd barely held the lead as First Prince.
He realized it seeing Sigrin's prowess.
Seeing Sizzly's intellect.
That if he became emperor, history would pass him over nameless to the next generation.
The Emperor withholding the throne despite his position was for that reason too.
'But it doesn't matter.'
Siran had no intention of giving up the throne.
He'd run for it to the end.
"Terman, guard His Majesty's chambers. I'll gather the remaining White Dragon Knights."
Saying so, Siran glanced at Krash.
Sword-blue hair, symbol of Valheim.
That was Krash Valheim, whom the Emperor himself called the palace's benefactor.
He hadn't expected to meet like this, but Siran felt it clearly.
This man would soon shake the world beyond Staron and the Empire.
'If he defeats Sigrin and protects the palace.'
The world would focus terrifyingly on him.
'The era has begun to flow.'
Whether one rode that flow or not would mean obsolescence or advancement.
Hoping he'd crush Sigrin,
Siran left.
Even after Siran and Terman left, Krash and Sigrin's clash continued.
Both cloaked in White Dragon aura.
The longer it dragged, the more the palace turned to ruins.
Before long, the palace front was unrecognizable.
Their swords crossed once more.
Clang!
Krash, striking down from above, saw the energy seeping into Sigrin's blade.
He knew what it was.
Sword Radiance
The secret technique of the Sword Emperor among the Ten Strongest Under Heaven, adding power to the user with each block of the foe's strength.
Sword Radiance was tricky.
Fights normally drain output and stamina over time.
But Sword Radiance grew fiercer the longer the battle.
Thus, dragging a fight against its user was to be avoided at all costs.
After clashing with Sigrin, Krash kicked out.
His foot swept her ankle.
Her body lurched forward from the pain.
Seizing the gap, Krash knocked her sword aside and punched at her face.
Crack!
A strike exploiting the opening.
But his fist was blocked by her forearm.
Thwack!
Yet Krash's assault didn't stop.
Inch Strength
The follow-up shock slammed her arm, flicking her wrist away.
As his sword arced toward her,
Her blade blocked again.
Clang!
This time, off-balance, she staggered back far.
Seeing it, Krash steadied his breath and clicked his tongue.
Sigrin was strong.
Long had it been true.
She was first-rate with the sword.
Especially her dynamic vision and instincts surpassed even Krash's Sixth Sense.
Pure talent alone let her block all his attacks.
Her eyes read his minor habits to his swordsmanship in moments.
Those who faced her with the blade often said,
They never wanted to fight her again—it was that horrific.
Sigrin dismantled all their techniques, becoming an insurmountable wall.
Though she could end fights quick, she dragged them out.
Partly her sadistic hobby of tormenting foes.
But it meant she was optimized for prolonged battles.
Indeed, only Charlotte had countered her style.
Even after Sigrin broke her forms, Charlotte adapted new ones on the fly.
Worst matchup for Sigrin.
Now,
Facing her, Krash understood.
Why everyone said that.
'Sword Radiance paired with her long-fight specialization is perfect.'
Krash realized why she'd skipped politics to master Sword Radiance first.
She knew how well it suited her.
Sword Radiance gleamed on her blade.
She grew terrifyingly stronger.
How many more clashes?
Even Krash couldn't guess—her power surged wildly.
'Then.'
Krash stopped clashing swords with her.
He'd realized breaching her long-fight specialty was impossible.
Acknowledge what was due.
In swordsmanship, her realm outstripped his.
So he'd do what he did best.
Krash slowly opened his closed eye.
His pupil burned crimson, Heavenly Slaughter Star energy swirling.
Lightning decision.
If long war was her forte,
'I'll end it in a blitz.'