The Greatest Sword of the Dong Empire and His Last Disciple (1)

The battle at the imperial capital was, much like my own fight, one grueling ordeal after another.

Rare handed one district each to Shichurin and Seul, then shuttled between the two remaining zones herself, putting the power of the Vermilion Bird on full display.

By all accounts, nothing stronger than a High-tier Demon had emerged from within the gate. The real problem was the sheer, overwhelming numbers.

An enemy force that looked to be twice the size of our own troops came pouring out in an instant — and it was the soldiers who had to bear that burden in full. Having watched it unfold, Rare spent every last drop of the mana she had been hoarding until the very end. The result: in both of her zones, pillars of fire rose without pause.

Of course, the woman who made those pillars of fire a reality was...

...sitting slumped against the wall like this, unconscious.

I lifted her onto the wind wolf's back and quickened my pace. Next stop — the west.

The temperature here was noticeably lower than where I'd just come from, which told me Shichurin had been locked in a bloody struggle with the demons. There were no demon corpses in sight, but the walls of the imperial capital were drenched in blood — it looked as though she had cut them down the way one hunts prey.

Walking a little further, I found a white-haired girl clutching a white dagger in one hand and a sky-blue one in the other, staring straight at me.

"Haah... haah...!"

The look in her eyes was so feral, so utterly uncontained, that I could hardly believe this was the same girl I'd met recently — she was like a tiger seething with barely leashed fury.

And it wasn't just her energy that was uncontained. She was being devoured by her authority, glaring at me without cease.

If I gave her so much as an opening — if I so much as turned my back here — Shichurin would attack me with near-certainty.

Authority is not something to be taken lightly.

As Successors, we are the proxies of gods, beings more than qualified to become gods ourselves — but authority is, unmistakably, a power permitted to gods alone. Even when a god grants us leave to use it, any side effects that follow must be borne by us and us alone.

Just as my own muscles ruptured under the backlash when I invoked my authority.

"Grrrr..."

"Snap out of it. Her Highness the Princess is standing right in front of you, Shichurin."

"......."

Her eyes were already scanning for weaker prey — and what they landed on, unsurprisingly, was the First Princess, who looked the frailest of any of us.

But this was a girl who hadn't so much as flinched at an invoked authority even before entering the Divine Beast Incarnation. And right now, she was in that very state.

So, naturally — I grabbed the back of her clothes and hurled her into the wall.

For a moment, I wondered if I was being too harsh on one girl. But there was no other way.

Handle her gently, and all I'd do is humiliate her — and before long, word would spread that she was a Successor who couldn't even control a single authority. That would only make her life harder.

At last, Shichurin — embedded halfway into the wall — spoke up.

"Haah... Master... I know, but still... where do you get off throwing me that hard..."

Even with my appearance completely changed, she'd apparently recognized me by my distinctive aura. Beasts, after all, react keenly to each individual's energy.

"If I hadn't, you'd have caused a real disaster just now."

At my words, Shichurin replied,

"That's... hard to argue with... Thank you, Master."

She offered me her thanks — and then, with her exhaustion, the side effects of her authority, and the impact of being thrown all stacking up, she ended up in exactly the same state as Rare.

At this rate, passing out was starting to look like the standard procedure.

I summoned a wind spirit, set Shichurin on my back alongside the other girl, and moved on. The final destination was the south.

Rare had covered the east and north, Shichurin the west — which left the south, and my little sister.

Judging by the circumstances, Seul had most likely fought her first real battle in the south.

What greeted me when I arrived was an astronomical number of arrows embedded in the ground — and, among them, white arrows that could only have come from Seul's bow.

On the high ground, several hundred soldiers were already slumped over, panting heavily as they looked down at us.

I climbed up quickly to check on her.

"Oh... Oppa... you're... here...?"

My sister was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gasping for breath, chest heaving. Nothing about her looked outwardly injured, though...

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Just as I moved to ask her symptoms, just in case —

"No... it's more like something drained right out of me, and now there's no strength in my arms or legs. It'll get better with time, probably."

Pre-onset mana depletion symptoms. In other words, she had fired off her arrows of light without pause until her mana ran dry, leaving her helpless like this.

Hearing that, Ellie and Yeon both let out sighs of relief.

I relaxed as well, and used the authority of Purification along with the authority of Life, breathing vitality into her so her body could rest a little more comfortably.

"Oppa... so what's with that look, anyway? Something's... off about it... It feels like mine, somehow... and it's making me uncomfortable..."

This brat...

Here I went to the trouble of using my authority for her, and this is what I get...

Well, it was only natural. She was a Successor granted the same Azure Dragon's power.

The difference was that I had currently awakened a sliver of the Azure Dragon's blood and merged with lightning, so the Azure Dragon's aura would register far more distinctly on her. Without that, my sister — one of precious few Azure Dragon Successors — would have had as much trouble picking it out as Shichurin had.

"Stop talking nonsense and sleep."

At my words, she finally seemed to relax, giggling a soft hihi before curling up and drifting off on the spot.

And so, the assault of Jealousy, Successor of Taotie, came to a close.

But the one who had orchestrated the attack was still at large, and the cleanup, as always, fell to us.

Worse, four of our five Successors had taken damage — from fatigue, or from serious injury.

Khan, who had stood against the Successor of Taotie, hadn't even received emergency treatment, and a broken rib had pierced his lung, leaving him in a genuinely precarious state.

Had he not borne the power of the Black Tortoise — strength in defense, an iron tolerance for pain, and a stubbornly tenacious life force — he would truly have died. As it was, he now lay asleep under an imperial surgeon's operation and healing magic.

And of course, Fairy was at his side, nursing him and standing guard. When they told her he'd been seriously wounded, the expression on her face was beyond description.

Even setting him aside, our situation was dire. Rare and Shichurin had both suffered heavy minor wounds, and each had drawn on so much mana that their circuits were on the verge of damage — absolute rest was the only option left to them.

Which left only me and my sister Seul.

Seul was in somewhat better shape than the others, but even she was wracked with fatigue, and the overuse of her signature skill, Dragon Eye, meant her vision would be impaired for some time to come.

In practical terms, then, I was the only being in the Holy Empire capable of moving against the demons.

The Empire would have to hold out on its own until the Successors recovered — and if a Ranked Demon appeared during that window, an entire territory would be reduced to ash the very same day.

For that reason, the Emperor sank deep into thought.

Three days passed after the battle's end.

I was now in conversation with Ellie, Yeon — and Her Highness the First Princess.

The news she brought us was astonishing.

She had requested military cooperation from the neighboring Dong Empire.

Naturally, when Yeon heard this —

"Kuhk! Koff! Koff...!"

Unable to bring herself to spray her tea across the table, she twisted her head away and started coughing where I couldn't see her face.

But... wouldn't they want to make a good impression on Her Highness over there? So it's fine if Her Highness sees you like this, is that it? Yeon?

Yeon, voice hoarse, composed herself as if nothing had happened and settled primly back into her seat. Some days, I genuinely envied that thick skin of hers.

In any case, the First Princess had requested cooperation from the Dong Empire, and since its current Emperor had maintained close, friendly ties through trade with other nations, she assured us a favorable answer could be expected from the Eastern continent as well.

What we needed most was the strength to strike down demons.

But bringing down a Ranked Demon would be a tall order even for a Sword Master — so my guess was that they would send Ryu Shin, the Sword Master of the East, along with the disciples under his command. His disciples, after all, were formidable masters of the blade in their own right, carrying on their teacher's legacy.

Meanwhile, Yeon trembled in dread at the thought of seeing her master again after so long.

"Yeon. Scared?"

"....Don't tease me...! Even you...!"

Ever since ascending to Sword Master, Yeon had been able to use telepathy, and we used it now and then when we wanted to talk privately. Not that it mattered much — these days, over ninety percent of our telepathic exchanges were idle chitchat.

One week later.

An opulent, Eastern-style carriage — a sight one almost never saw in the Western lands — arrived at the Holy Empire. And from that carriage, a figure who looked advanced in years yet radiated an overwhelming, crushing aura stepped lightly onto the soil of the Holy Empire.

The man called the final line of defense of the Dong Empire. The man called the pinnacle of the sword. A man whom every epithet in existence would still fail to capture — the Greatest Sword of the East, Ryu Shin.

The Emperor, the First Prince, and the First Princess extended their hands to welcome the man who had, rightly, set out to defend the Holy Empire alongside their Emperor.

Behind the Emperor stood myself, Ellie — and Yeon.

Our justification was airtight. Sword Masters were hailed as a nation's most precious strategic assets, and who could say a word against us accompanying the Emperor as his guards?

The problem was that it wasn't the truth.

Yeon, genuinely worried that her master had actually come, had followed me out to greet Ryu Shin. And sure enough, when the carriage doors opened, there sat Ryu Shin himself.

"Our Holy Empire faced grave danger, and you have honored us with your presence. I am Solaris Leonard Leoric, seventeenth Emperor of the Holy Empire."

"The honor is mine. I am Ryu Shin, Sword Master of the Dong Empire."

Ryu Shin swept his gaze across the palace before speaking.

"...So the demon filth ran rampant through here, did they."

The Emperor exhaled a long sigh and answered him.

"They did. Ran rampant is putting it gently — they threw a full rampage. It is only thanks to the Successors of the Holy Empire that we managed to weather the crisis at all."

"Successors. Of course. Is that person standing behind Your Majesty a Successor?"

He extended his hand to me first, and I was about to take it — but his telepathy was not something I could afford to ignore.

"Might I ask why my last child is hiding behind you, Successor?"

.....Shouldn't you be worrying about me before Yeon?...

I clasped his outstretched hand and answered through telepathy first.

"Greeting His Majesty took precedence, so I could not make proper introductions. I will explain everything in due course — I ask only that you temper your displeasure."

Perhaps my courteous answer pleased him. Ryu Shin responded,

"Understood. Still — a woman standing behind a man. If your senior disciples were to see it, it would be a convenient instrument for dismissing her and pressing her down. See that this is remedied."

I was about to reply when the one who answered his words through telepathy was none other than Yeon.

"Master... I understand...! I'll explain everything later... so right now, please...!"

When I turned my head, I could see the Emperor beginning to wonder, with mounting suspicion, what exactly we were doing holding hands for so long. Ryu Shin, too, gave a small nod of concession.

"Very well. I hear you. But you will introduce yourself alongside your senior disciples. Surely you can manage that much."

And so, my first meeting with Ryu Shin was, somehow, strange from the very start.

Descending from the carriage after him came a woman with raven-black hair, and then a man with bleached hair the color of glaring yellow. Ryu Shin gestured toward them and continued.

"These are my disciples. Their skill leaves much to be desired, but I brought them in the hope they might be of use. Put them to hard service."

They were Ryu Shin's disciples — Yeon's senior disciples.

"I am Jin In, fourth disciple of the Greatest Sword, Ryu Shin."

"I am Shin Narae, fifth disciple of the Greatest Sword, Ryu Shin."

As the senior disciples paid their formal respects before the Emperor, Yeon stepped up beside them, just as Ryu Shin had asked, and bowed as well.

"I am Hwa Yeon... seventh disciple of the Greatest Sword, Ryu Shin."

The Emperor's eyes went wide as he looked at me — apparently quite stunned to learn that the one who had stood behind me was the youngest disciple of Ryu Shin himself. The First Princess was no different.

It must have been hard to grasp, that the one who had guarded her side to the very end was the youngest disciple of a Sword Master.

The Emperor cleared his throat once, then said with unconcealed surprise,

"So a disciple of the Greatest Sword was already watching over my daughter."

"Not at all. Any disciple of mine would have done the same."

But while the master's gaze was warm, the expressions of the fourth and fifth disciples, fixed on Yeon, were anything but bright. Yeon felt their cold stares, flinched, and turned her head to look at me.

"Come here."

At my words, she zipped over and latched onto my side.

After all, I was a being who stood shoulder to shoulder with this Empire's own Greatest Sword. They were no Ryu Shin — what could those two possibly do to me?

They knew it too, and the sour looks on their faces said as much before they turned their heads to glance at their master.

"You must be weary from so long a journey. Rest today and recover your strength."

"To be received with such kindness, we are deeply honored, Your Majesty."

The Emperor and the First Princess looked as though they had a great deal to say to me, but with Ryu Shin closing in on me first, they could only turn and walk off to attend to other matters of state.

Ryu Shin approached me and spoke slowly.

"Might I trouble you for a moment of your time?"

With his words came an aura that seemed to bind me in place — an aura that felt like a test. I tied it off with ease and answered.

"Certainly. Would the training grounds suffice?"

Ryu Shin smiled a wry smile at my attitude.

"Heh heh... Very well."

And so, the five of us made for one place together — the enormous First Training Hall of the imperial palace. Ellie had excused herself, saying the heads of the noble houses had matters to discuss among themselves, which left Ryu Shin and me, along with Yeon and the two disciples.

The First Training Hall was three times the size of an ordinary one and usually thronged with people — but a mere week after a battle, not a single soldier or knight remained to train.

In other words, we who occupied it now had, for all intents and purposes, reserved the entire grounds.

Yeon, apparently still frightened by the seniors glaring at her, held firmly to my hand. Watching our joined hands, Ryu Shin spoke.

"What is your relationship with Yeon?"

"...We are lovers."

"Lovers...?"

"Has that girl lost her mind?"

The two chimed in from behind Ryu Shin as though the very notion were absurd. You two got flattened the last time you sparred with me.

Ryu Shin said, in a low voice,

"Quiet."

At that single word, both disciples shut their mouths at once. And in that heavy silence, what Ryu Shin brought out was nothing short of astonishing.

"A child under my instruction is permitted interest in nothing — romance least of all. The same holds true for Yeon."

"Then get to the point."

"Break with her. She is a child who has not yet reached her peak. A martial artist walking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the path of the sword must never let his gaze stray. For that reason, romance is forbidden to my disciples."

Just as I opened my mouth to refuse his demand, Yeon stepped in front of me and spoke.

"Master. I refuse."

"I am not speaking with you. Where do you think you're intruding, seventh disciple Hwa Yeon!"

"He is the person I searched for with all my heart! He is the first feeling I ever knew, and the one I love, who accepted it! How can you command me to cast such a person away!"

"You... are you defying me to my face?"

With those words, Ryu Shin flared his aura, releasing sword flame the color of blue silk.

But Yeon's response was the astonishing thing. Refusing to yield an inch to her master, she blazed forth with her own crimson-orange sword flame and resisted him head-on.

".....Sword flame?"

Of course, the most stunned of all was Ryu Shin himself. And rightly so — among his own disciples, only a handful had ever attained Sword Master, and it was neither the first nor the second disciple who stood there wreathed in sword flame, but his last, the seventh.

He must have felt absurdity piled atop disbelief. True, Yeon's sword flame, unlike Ryu Shin's, was smothered beneath his aura and could not disperse properly — but the fact remained unchanged: she had reached the realm of Sword Master.

Even in the face of that, Ryu Shin pressed on.

"I told you plainly, did I not? Do not give your heart so easily to another. You carry wounds from your past — and your weak side will be pierced through, the moment someone finds it!"

"....."

"Was your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠master's word so amusing to you?"

"No, Master! I...!"

"'No'? From where I stand, it looks amusing."

"....N-no, I...!"

The overwhelming aura bore down on Yeon. Perhaps because she had concentrated her own energy to endure it, she wavered, struggling to hold her ground — and the one who casually unraveled that crushing pressure was me.

"That's enough."

Ryu Shin shifted his gaze to me and opened his mouth.

"This is a conversation between master and disciple. I hardly think it concerns you."

As if returning what he had lent out, I spread the Azure Dragon's aura forward. Using a god's power in a squabble like this felt like cheating, but...

"Doesn't concern me? You hurl abuse at your own disciple and still insist it doesn't concern me? You hand down insult after insult right in front of her lover?"

".....As I said before, the path of the sword must be walked as a single road, to the very end...!"

"Then why is it that Yeon reached the realm of Sword Master? Even after forming a bond with me, she never once neglected her training — she climbed, by her own strength, to the very height she had always yearned for."

"....."

I released the aura that had been bearing down on them, letting the air ease.

"Yeon is your precious disciple — and, I would have thought, her seniors' precious martial sister. And she is my precious lover as well. ...Learning that Yeon received her teaching in an environment like this... it makes me angry, quite frankly."

"....."

"If you truly cannot stomach me, then face me with your sword. I will meet you blade for blade — though I can't speak for the Greatest Sword of the Dong Empire himself..."

"...I am, however, quite confident I can fell those disciples of yours in a single strike."

At my words, the two fools bristled, letting their emotions run hot.

"....Why, you—!"

"You dare look down on us!"

But the one who silenced them was Ryu Shin.

"Very well. But let the hour of that duel be set for night. And besides — there is still an unfinished matter between us."

Just as I turned to leave with Yeon, Ryu Shin spoke to me through telepathy.

"There is something I must discuss with you closely tonight. It is no declaration of war, nor anything of that sort — it is a matter concerning Yeon herself. If you would come alone... I would be grateful."

His telepathy carried a note of genuine, almost desperate earnestness... and sensing that something lay between Yeon and her senior disciples that I did not yet understand, I accepted his proposal.

"Hic... hic! Master... why...!"

Only now did I truly understand why Yeon trembled so, reacted so fearfully to the thought of facing him.

In the Dong Empire, his word was law — she must have believed, down to her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bones, that it had to be obeyed.

But this was the Holy Empire, and I stood behind her — so she had gathered what courage she could and pushed back against her master, only to fail spectacularly. How utterly her heart must be torn.

And on top of it all, her master had told her to break with me.

Of course she wanted to cry.

First, I would console this woman weeping in small sobs beside me, scolded to the bone by her own master. And then — then I would think about why the man called the Greatest Sword of the Dong Empire had demanded a private meeting with me.