Chapter 371: The Risen Sun
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 371: The Risen Sun
Lancelot’s strike left the banquet hall half-destroyed.
The walls and ceiling, once protected by a barrier, had vanished without a trace, and a thick cloud of dust blanketed the hall.
Several nobles caught in the aftermath were killed instantly.
Of course, some survived the pandemonium, but they still showed no signs of waking. It was the effect of the authority Crow Mask had used.
“Cough, cough...!”
Gawain, who had been lying on the floor, was sent flying into a wall and only then managed to regain his senses.
Having drunk the holy water beforehand, he had avoided serious injury, but the scene before him left him speechless.
As the man called the strongest knight of the Round Table, he instantly recognized how alien and dangerous the mark of Lancelot’s sword was.
‘This is the power of a demon...’
Gawain swallowed dryly.
If he had taken such an attack head-on, he never would have emerged unscathed.
As if to prove his point, Kang Hyun-woo was nowhere to be seen.
Only a thick cloud of dust filled the hall.
‘Dammit...!!’
Thump!
Overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness he had never felt before, Gawain bit his lip.
Because he had been lacking, a budding sprout had been mercilessly crushed. Because he had been lacking, he couldn't stop a dear friend who had gone astray.
Gawain blamed his own inadequacy for this entire catastrophe.
An endless self-loathing tightened its grip on his heart.
Meanwhile, Lancelot caught his breath.
Though he didn't show it, his arm was trembling faintly.
The name of the demon Lancelot had contracted with was Forneus, a great marquis of Gehenna who commanded legions of water demons.
As an apostle of Forneus, Lancelot had been granted a single authority: Hydrification.
However, it was fundamentally different from the Dragon Transformation of typical dragonfolk.
While both granted physical abilities beyond human limits, the key difference was that Hydrification allowed him to wield the power of water—Forneus’s authority—and immense demonic energy.
‘...Tsk, I'll have to ask that crow bastard to heal me.’
It was undoubtedly a powerful authority, but the strain it placed on his body was immense.
The toll was even more severe when he pushed his magic and demonic energy to their limits while deploying the power of water, as he had just done.
Lancelot forced down the blood rising in his throat and stared past the swirling dust.
He couldn't sense any presence due to the residual demonic and magic power scattered everywhere, but he had no doubt that Kang Hyun-woo was dead.
It was a blow that not even Gawain, with the Blessing of the Sun, or Bedivere, who boasted some of the best defenses at the Round Table, could have blocked.
It was even more certain for someone who had thrown himself into the fray without proper preparation to save another.
‘...How bitter.’
A mix of emotions flickered in Lancelot’s eyes as he surveyed the chaotic scene.
It wasn't guilt for betraying his old friend, for cutting down innocent knights, or for pointing his sword at a young lady.
It was simply the regret and a trace of anger that he couldn't face Kang Hyun-woo in a fair fight.
If he had been given more time, he would have seized victory without resorting to such cowardly tactics.
With that thought, Lancelot sheathed his sword.
“You should have refused the Duke’s invitation in the first place. No, if you had hidden somewhere in the mansion and looked for a chance to escape, you might have saved your life.”
Lancelot had seen many exceptionally talented individuals meet empty ends.
While Belmoras or dukes from other nations were sometimes behind it, most grew drunk on their own talent and died after doing something reckless.
Just like Kang Hyun-woo, who had returned to the banquet hall without knowing what was happening.
“Lancelot...!!”
At the sound of a familiar voice calling his name, Lancelot turned his head.
There stood Gawain, gripping his sword with difficulty and glaring at him.
Lancelot was inwardly surprised by the sight.
The authority of a demon and the divine power of holy water were fundamentally incompatible.
Even if what he had just drunk was the highest-grade holy water, the authority unleashed by Crow Mask was inherently superior.
His recovery should have been slow.
In fact, it wouldn't have been strange at all if his wounds had worsened, leaving him sprawled on the floor, unable to lift a finger.
‘To be this strong in the middle of the night, without the sun...’
Resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, Lancelot approached Gawain.
“Even if you don't rush, I'll make it quick for you soon enough. You’re as impatient as ever, David.”
Shing—
The chillingly sharp blade glinted.
A faint killing intent washed over Gawain.
But Gawain paid it no mind and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Why did you betray the Round Table and our homeland?!”
Gawain was enraged.
The Lancelot he knew was no filthy Corrupted One.
He was the head of the historic House of Greymont and a proud member of the Round Table.
Where had he gone so wrong?
He wanted to know.
But Lancelot slowly shook his head, as if he had no intention of talking.
“Sorry, but I’m afraid I’m a bit short on time to explain.”
“Tell me!!”
Vwooom—
At that moment, the sword in Gawain’s hand began to glow, and a wave of intense heat washed over Lancelot.
A heat haze shimmered above the golden blade.
“...The Holy Sword Galatine.”
Just as the successor to Lancelot was given the legendary, unbreakable sword Arondight, the successor to Gawain was granted the Holy Sword Galatine, also known as the Sword of the Sun.
Galatine, which absorbed the sun’s energy to emit scorching heat and a brilliant radiance, was considered a holy sword with power rivaling Excalibur.
But now, with the sun gone from the sky, Galatine’s power was inevitably weakened.
Even so, Gawain didn't back down an inch.
Seeing this, Lancelot’s brow furrowed.
Fwoosh—
In the next instant, Lancelot vanished.
Gawain swung his sword on instinct.
Clang!!
“Kugh...!”
An eardrum-numbing metallic clang rang out as sparks flew.
Blood dripped from Gawain’s neck where Lancelot’s sword had grazed him.
He hadn't even fully blocked the attack, yet his hand was trembling like a leaf.
Lancelot’s slitted pupils fixed on Gawain.
“How long do you think you can last in that state?”
“Shut up...!!”
Krrrrk!!!
Gawain squeezed out his magic power with his battered body.
In response, Galatine emanated a golden aura, but it was nothing compared to the aura shimmering on Lancelot’s sword.
If Lancelot were to use his Aura Blade, it wouldn't take long for Gawain’s head to fall.
Gawain knew this better than anyone, but he had not the slightest intention of giving up.
Instead, a bottomless fighting spirit blazed fiercely in his golden eyes.
At the sight of Gawain, Lancelot’s face twisted further.
Kiiiiiiing!!!!
In that moment, an Aura Blade flared to life on Lancelot’s sword.
“Guuugh...!!!!”
Crack—
Galatine didn't break, but Gawain’s wrist, which held the sword, and the ankle supporting him, both fractured.
Still, Gawain held on stubbornly, using his magic to support his muscles.
“How pathetic.”
Clang!!
“?!!”
As if to say the game was over, Lancelot put force into his sword and sent Gawain’s flying. Galatine lost its brilliant light and fell, embedding itself in the banquet hall floor.
And Lancelot was not one to miss such an opening.
His sword shot toward Gawain’s heart.
Crack!!!
But the tip of the blade never reached his heart.
“Keoheok?!!!”
A knee, belonging to Kang Hyun-woo who had appeared through the thick dust, slammed squarely into Lancelot’s face.
Broken teeth and drops of blood scattered in the air.
Craaaash!!!!
Lancelot was sent flying at an incredible speed, crashing into the half-demolished wall of the banquet hall.
Dust rose once more.
“Hoo...”
Watching the scene, Kang Hyun-woo raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction.
But Gawain stared at him as if he were seeing a ghost.
“H-How are you...?”
His eyes were shaking more violently than ever.
The attack Lancelot had just shown was on a level that he wasn't sure he could have completely blocked, even if he had been fully prepared.
And yet, Hyun-woo had taken such an attack defenselessly and was perfectly fine?
Crash!!
“Aaargh!!”
At that moment, Lancelot, who had been buried in the rubble, let out a roar and pushed himself up.
He was in a sorry state, to say the least.
His nose was broken, and his front teeth were gone.
“How dare you, a mere commoner!!”
Rumble—
Lancelot’s killing intent, now consumed by demonic energy, began to press down on the banquet hall like a storm.
But Kang Hyun-woo didn't even blink.
He simply tossed aside his tattered coat and silently took a stance.
Thud!!
Without hesitation, Lancelot charged toward Kang Hyun-woo.
On his greatsword, an Aura Blade that seemed to have condensed the pressure of the deep sea pulsed with a murky blue light.
Kang Hyun-woo calmly observed the sight.
‘...It’s definitely a few steps above Ma Paeseon’s Aura in terms of quality.’
From what I’ve confirmed, demonic martial arts don't exist on Earth.
Of course, I haven't scoured the entire world, so they might exist somewhere.
But the more I looked into Earth’s martial arts, the more the very existence of demonic arts felt utterly alien.
How could a human wield demonic energy without a contract with a demon?
It was all so hard to understand.
But the moment I crossed swords with Lancelot, I realized.
Though its roots may have faded over long years, all demonic martial arts were derived from those created by demons.
Craaaash!!!
Kang Hyun-woo lightly twisted his body to evade the greatsword Lancelot swung.
The impact left a small crater on the floor.
Lancelot’s assault didn't stop there.
Bang, crash, craaash!!
He pressed Kang Hyun-woo with a monstrous swordsmanship, wielding the heavy greatsword with a speed reminiscent of a swift sword style.
While its path wasn't as unpredictable as the Changing Sword, the wind pressure and intimidation generated by the blade were enough to trap his opponent’s movements within his desired frame.
Indeed, Kang Hyun-woo’s evasion radius was gradually shrinking.
At this rate, he would soon have to block the greatsword with his bare hands.
‘...Was Lancelot always this skilled?’
Gawain held his breath.
He wanted to lend his Galatine to Kang Hyun-woo, but without the Blessing of the Sun, the holy sword couldn't be wielded.
While Gawain watched anxiously, Kang Hyun-woo’s expression remained relaxed.
He had already seen that Lancelot’s state wouldn't last long.
‘He's on the verge of being consumed by his demonic energy.’
The line between the pupil and the sclera in Lancelot’s blackened eyes had long since blurred.
It was proof that he was being consumed by the demonic energy of the demon he had contracted with.
At most, he would self-destruct in twenty or thirty minutes.
But I didn't have the luxury of dragging this out.
I’d had an uneasy feeling for a while now.
Craaaash!!!
“You little rat!!”
Kicking off the ground to dodge Lancelot’s downward slash, Kang Hyun-woo reached out his hand in mid-air.
In that instant, the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword, which had been stuck in a corner of the hall, flew into his hand.
Of course, he hadn't reached the realm of the Sword Control Art.
It was a mere parlor trick permitted to those who had achieved the state of Unity of Body and Sword.
“...You've crossed the line.”
Developing his skills as a mage was certainly important.
But he had no intention of sticking to that stubbornness in a situation like this.
Kiiiiiiing!!!!!
The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword, having absorbed his Adamantine Aura, let out a sharp roar and created an Aura.
In that moment, a sun rose inside the banquet hall.
A quiet fury settled in Kang Hyun-woo’s eyes as he looked at Lancelot.
It was the fury directed at a piece of trash who had taken an innocent girl’s life hostage.
Ting—
[Devil Slayer has detected demonic energy.]
[The Blessing of the Demon Hunter descends.]
Why was Kang Hyun-woo able to block Lancelot’s attack without difficulty?
It was the effect of the title he had obtained after unintentionally killing Gremory.
[Blessing of the Demon Hunter]
Grade: Unique
- Physical abilities are greatly increased.
- Resistance to demonic energy is greatly increased.
- You can now strike the true body of a demon.
- You have a certain chance to resist a demon's authority.
- Inflicts the ‘Mark of the Demon Hunt’ on the target.
[Designate ‘Richard Thorne Greymont’ as the target of the mark?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
“?!!”
The moment the mark was placed, Lancelot, who was about to swing his sword at Kang Hyun-woo, felt an irresistible fear.
It was the primal instinct that all living beings are born with.
Fwoosh—
The fear of death.
The radiance that filled the banquet hall converged into a single point, emitting a blinding white light.
Emptiness.
Before the overwhelming gravitational pull that seemed to suck in everything, Lancelot’s Aura scattered in vain.
And Kang Hyun-woo swung his sword.
With the force to cleave through All Creation.
Formless Sword Art: Genesis.
*
“...Where am I?”
Lancelot quietly opened his eyes in an unfamiliar place.
As he slowly sat up, familiar scenes passed before his eyes like a film in a movie theater.
They were his own memories, long forgotten.
He reached out to the tedious past, covered in dust, but it simply slipped through his fingers like sand.
As if warning him that he could never return to those days.
And the moment the last memory left him behind—
A breathtakingly beautiful night sky unfolded before Lancelot’s eyes.
Only then did he realize.
This was his life flashing before his eyes, and he had been defeated.
It was the moment a seat at the thirteen-chaired Round Table became vacant.