Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Sword Hero
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Hero.
Sword Hero.
The weight that title carried was never simple.
Especially among humans.
The First Hero.
The founding emperor who established the empire.
The Sword Hero had not appeared among the human race since that first one.
It wasn't for nothing that the empire had thrashed about trying to produce a Sword Hero somehow.
As time passed, most of them had given up by now.
Genius Slayer.
The moment a Sword Hero candidate who killed geniuses appeared, the empire itself mobilized.
"……."
Clara watched Han Yuseong calmly.
She still had some leeway. Unlike her sister, who was struggling fiercely to block most of the undead intruders.
Her abilities were specialized in support.
"Damn it, stop just watching and help out a bit!"
"……."
Veronica yelled sharply. Clara sighed inwardly and assumed a praying posture.
'I want to watch a little longer.'
It was starting to get dangerous.
Even with the knights helping.
Veronica was the one holding back hordes of undead numbering in the hundreds all by herself.
Once Clara began assisting her.
Veronica finally started to have a bit of breathing room.
'Tch, she wants to watch too?'
Honestly, she was curious.
What kind of display Han Yuseong would put on.
With the spare moment now that Clara was helping, Veronica glanced over to see what Han Yuseong was doing.
Han Yuseong was simply standing there, staring at the enemy.
The being who had introduced itself as Alber.
That creature was gazing at Han Yuseong with a hardened expression.
[So it was you. The Sword Hero.]
Han Yuseong did not answer the question.
Alber sensed something eerie about that.
But it was also a bit strange.
As if.
'In an instant, it changed into a completely different being.'
That's the feeling he got.
As if that could ever happen.
His mind couldn't comprehend it.
But one thing was certain.
The existence before him was their natural predator.
So.
[I'll kill you.]
Step.
Alber leaped forward in an instant. The beastman dual-wield swordsmanship he prided himself on.
'I'll put everything into this.'
He had to.
The enemy was that formidable.
Clang.
But his sword was blocked by a single hand.
"You bastards are still filthy as ever."
Han Yuseong spoke. There was no emotion on his face.
Like when one sees dust and thinks it needs cleaning.
Alber bit his lip hard at those words.
Humiliating words.
He wanted to punish him right then, tear him to shreds, defile his corpse.
However.
[Why... won't it move...?]
His sword felt stuck fast, as if glued in place. He couldn't move it.
"It's called [Adhere]. Pretty useful against dumbasses like you."
With that, Han Yuseong spun the sword around.
[Gah!]
And hurled Alber straight into the wall.
"Get up."
[You bastard...!]
Alber rose, glaring at Han Yuseong.
Step.
Han Yuseong took a step forward. Alber felt his body flinch.
'How.'
How could such overwhelming presence emanate from him?
Even if his true body came in full, he couldn't guarantee victory.
Such a monster stood before him.
"I'd like to teach you more, but... there are other bastards around now, and to be safe, maybe we end this here."
[Who decided that!]
"Didn't I tell you before?"
Looking at the thrashing Alber, Han Yuseong spoke in an unshakable voice.
"You downgraded your swordsmanship in whatever state it was in, and I adapted it to suit you."
Han Yuseong.
The holy sword had told him as much.
He raised his sword.
Not the usual plain one.
A sword radiating brilliant light.
A golden blade bathed in holy light, as if proclaiming itself the holy sword.
"I'll show you."
Heavenly Tyrant.
Rumble!
Red lightning.
And the black fighting energy coiled around it. Not a thin blade of energy.
Like starlight falling from the night sky.
The crimson-black power enveloping the holy sword.
Gang Qi.
"This is the human secret art you need to properly learn."
And then.
From above to below. He slashed downward.
Rooooar!!!
The sun revealed itself.
*
I stared blankly at the devastation wrought by the holy sword.
The swordsmanship the holy sword called Heavenly Tyrant.
Its power was absolute, beyond a doubt.
'What kind of barbaric...'
Alber was caught in it and didn't even salvage his soul.
The undead horde following him got swept up in the aftermath and perished.
'The problem is.'
The Saintess, Veronica, and Clara were unharmed.
But the other two knights were not.
They too were caught in the Heavenly Tyrant and died.
'No, maybe I should be grateful for that.'
I looked at the holy sword.
The brilliant light had long faded. It looked like an ordinary sword now.
-If you use this power, I won't be able to speak for a while.
The holy sword had said that to me before using it.
-So during that time, refine the swordsmanship I showed you.
Ridiculous words.
After experiencing Heavenly Tyrant once, I understood.
'This power feels a bit too much for me to handle.'
Gang Qi.
A higher stage beyond Sword Qi.
I still couldn't manifest it. And the swordsmanship called Heavenly Tyrant.
'Uses Gang Qi to form the blade.'
...How long does it plan to sleep after saying that?
A month or more, probably. Even that made some sense.
Thinking that far, I sighed deeply inwardly.
Getting through the crisis was good.
But problems remained.
"……."
Veronica, arms crossed, lips pressed tight.
And Clara, eyes sparkling as she looked at me, unlike her.
'...Veronica's reaction makes sense.'
She'd begged me multiple times to take down the Genius Slayer as the Sword Hero.
Whenever I refused, she always said that.
That I was the Thief Hero.
But what she saw today.
'Was the Sword Hero.'
It couldn't be helped, but I'd essentially lied to her.
However.
'If she grills me, I'll just play dumb.'
What can you do?
Thinking that, I looked at Veronica. She stared back with an expression of dissatisfaction.
And somehow satisfaction too.
Then, with a huff, she cast a healing light on me.
"……?"
"What are you doing? Hurry up and get out of here. I don't want to stay in this damn place a second longer."
"Thanks for taking care of the enemies."
"……."
"Hey!"
Veronica yelled sharply at Clara's words.
"W-When did I ever say that?"
"But just now... that was it, right?"
Ignoring Veronica, Clara looked at the holy sword, now an ordinary blade.
As if asking if this was the holy sword symbolizing the Sword Hero.
"Yeah. It is."
"Then why do you have it, Yuseong-ssi?"
"……They asked me to hold onto it for a bit."
"Ha? You just held onto the holy sword?"
Veronica gave me an incredulous look.
"Then what about the Genius Slayer? Didn't you take him down?"
"I don't even know what he looks like."
"No, argh... whatever. Let's just head up."
Veronica grabbed me and headed upward.
And.
"Good thing..."
A bit later, we reunited with the clan members. Ermé visibly relieved upon seeing me.
Glasses adjusting his lenses with a lax smile.
"Didn't I tell you? Yuseong would come back fine."
"Not something for the guy who was anxious all day, shaking his leg nonstop."
"Ahem. Anyway, good to see you."
Glasses said as he stood by my side.
Looking at the faces of the clans that joined us, no one seemed to have died.
...Though they all looked half-dead.
'They look exhausted.'
Of course. They'd been through hell mentally.
Being politically maneuvered into contributing to the Saintess's death would make surviving a place like this tough.
As I thought that.
"By the way, Yuseong, did you happen to see a guy wrapped head to toe in black bandages?"
"The one targeting Veronica?"
"Yeah."
"He's dead."
"As expected. But it's odd. The one we fought was in mage form, and we never encountered the one who tore the priest's limbs off."
"……."
Sure enough.
There was another one.
Those guys didn't seem ordinary at all.
Even if our side had especially strong ones gathered.
Excluding the blue one, the black-bandaged being looked no pushover.
If he hadn't suddenly team-killed on his own, we might have taken casualties.
"Are you okay, though? You all look really tired."
Clara said with a slight smile to the group.
"……More than that, I just want to get back to the clan building and rest."
"We've found everyone, so let's head back."
Ermé glanced downward regretfully for a moment.
But soon decided on retreat.
'Maybe she was looking for Alber.'
No, Ermé definitely would have gone hunting for him. Recalling what came from Alber's body, I showed it to her.
"What's that?"
"It came from one of the others."
"……You killed the black-bandaged one, and that guy too?"
Ermé's eyes widened as she spoke.
"No, that guy team-killed the black-bandaged one. Let me take him out thanks to that."
"……Must have been tough anyway."
I looked at Ermé.
Crimson eyes reminiscent of twilight.
Those eyes.
'How did you catch him?'
Gazed at me as if asking.
*
After exiting the Labyrinth.
I headed straight home.
Not for any other reason—just utter exhaustion.
Arriving home in a half-dazed state.
I sensed something odd.
"……."
Blonde hair tied back.
Red-glowing eyes. Dressed in black pants, black blouse, coat draped over shoulders.
'What, a demon sword?'
Holding a sword inscribed with glowing red letters on a black base.
The woman stared straight at me.
"So you're the—"
"……What, a burglar?"
"Sword Hero... what?"
She looked baffled at my words.
I immediately hit the security device.
Soon after, what seemed to be guards arrived.
"Strange person in the house...? We'll take her into custody right away."
"W-Wait! I have business with him...!"
"You punk! Do you know who this is?! Volkan-nim's direct disciple!"
"I'm not his disciple."
"Ah, sorry. We decided to go with that story for now..."
The guard rubbed his hands apologetically.
"No, I'm from the empire...!"
"You punk, do you know who she is?! You're going in solitary for a while!"
It was summer.