Chapter 229
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: Swing the Sword
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Rikedaimon barely deflected the Soul Ghost's claw.
But he couldn't fully evade it—a fragment of the claw grazed his cheek.
"Urgh!"
Even that mere scratch drew a red line across his cheek, which soon split open with a crack, exposing raw flesh beneath.
And it wasn't just his face.
His entire body was already covered in tears and gashes from here and there.
That was the price of briefly tangling with that mass of soul ghosts.
"I could have ended it with that last attack..."
Through countless battlefields, Rikedaimon instinctively realized it.
The only reason he'd survived that strike was because his foe had held back.
He glared at the pristine white mass of soul ghosts.
At some point, features had begun forming on what had only shown a mouth like a carved egg—eyes, nose, and all.
The spiraling hole in its chest was slowly closing too, and a voice emanated from within.
"I have decided that I shall kill you."
"Haha... hahaha!!"
Chunks of the pure white soul ghosts shed away like molting skin.
And from within emerged that same woman from before.
"Splendid! A true warrior must master complete control over their blade!"
Rikedaimon's sunken voice rose in bold declaration.
"You've come to wield the souls just like your father—no, even better!"
He regretted his battered state. He yearned to clash properly with the woman before him.
But war was like that.
The odds of facing an enemy at full strength were never high.
This time was no different.
He offered silent thanks to his emperor.
"My heart races! Come at me, young lioness!"
"Hmph."
Once more, the two warriors charged.
Rikedaimon, gripping two greatswords forged from coalesced aura, clashed with Maya—dual-wielding Acander's Fangs—in the heart of the ravine.
"By the gods..."
But unlike before, Maya wasn't being pushed back.
She matched Rikedaimon's surging battle spirit without yielding an inch.
Aiden's eyes widened at the sight.
What on earth had happened to Maya in that brief moment?
"She's properly drawing out the power of her ancestors' souls."
"Drawing it out... you mean?"
"The terrifying thing about the Jokyung tribe is that their techniques are passed down in their purest form."
Jun recalled Maya's growth arc from the game as he explained.
"They pull on their ancestors' souls' combat experience and wield it. That's the Jokyung tribe's strength."
But it wasn't without drawbacks.
Others' memories were far from convenient.
Jun knew that better than anyone.
"She has to face the deaths her ancestors endured. It's no easy feat. The rage, hatred, and fear bottled up inside can drive a person mad."
"Experiencing others' deaths firsthand...? That's too... cruel."
"Exactly. It's incredibly dangerous."
Yet Maya had overcome it head-on.
The World Tree's essence had steadied her mind against the souls' deaths, and her accumulated mana made it possible.
"That hulking monster's battle spirit stems from his resilient soul—honed through dozens, hundreds of wars as a veteran fighter. But can it truly compare to the power amassed by souls over centuries?"
The sheer span of time was different.
That was why Rikedaimon had been helplessly overpowered when Maya was engulfed by [Blood Ghost Night Journey] earlier.
His signature battle spirit aura had no effect, and since the ancestors' souls specialized in crushing spirits, Rikedaimon's body—made of the dead's essence—was a terrible matchup for Maya.
"That said, mastering the technical aspects won't be easy right away."
In truth, though Maya dominated with overwhelming compatibility, she hadn't seized full control.
Rikedaimon was steering the flow with veteran cunning.
However...
"Gah?!"
In an instant, Acander's Fang grazed Rikedaimon's throat.
"Maya's got talent that doesn't yield to anyone in that regard."
It wasn't for nothing that she rivaled the protagonist Aiden even in the game.
Right now, Maya was actively assimilating the ancestors' combat experience into her own.
[Blood Ghost Night Journey].
The ability to manifest ancestors' memories into reality and boost combat prowess—it turned unwinnable fights into victories.
"Though it guzzles mental energy..."
That's what training was for, wasn't it?
Meanwhile, Aiden was dissecting Maya's movements one by one.
It was astonishing.
Each step ghosted like a specter, her presence fading, blending into her surroundings far better than before.
Every time, Rikedaimon lost track of her, and Maya exploited the openings to strike from blind spots.
Compatibility advantage.
And split-second ingenuity.
Together, they yielded irreversible results.
Slash—!
Maya's blade silently severed Rikedaimon's arm.
A fleeting gap, and the momentum shifted fully to her.
"Magnificent!"
Undaunted even with one arm gone, Rikedaimon swung his greatsword at Maya without hesitation.
A flawless strike, utterly unshaken.
Did he sense this was the end?
Unlike before, his battle spirit now bound even his own soul, shackling Maya's body.
Booom—!!
Dirt and dust billowed everywhere.
Where Rikedaimon's greatsword had buried into the earth, nothing remained visible.
[Shadow Step]
Maya's form vanished without a trace, only to erupt suddenly behind Rikedaimon.
Slash—!
Another silent graze, and Rikedaimon spoke, rigid as stone.
"The moment our king unified the realm, we beheld the world's end. And we realized—our world was no longer alive."
"..."
"Girl. I know your blade is turned upon us. Surely, you were born to the fate of cutting us all down."
Rikedaimon spoke calmly.
"But what then, after you've felled us all?"
"...What do you mean?"
"Swing your sword, girl. Don't let it swing you."
His body dissolved like morning mist.
Rikedaimon's death.
Maya pondered his cryptic words, then turned to her comrades.
She knew it too.
A hated enemy watched them from beyond the ravine.
Her comrades were holding it at bay in her stead.
Even now, she could see it.
Immense mana surged toward the foe beyond the ravine.
That was why the battle had been possible.
Without them, she'd have been devoured by the soul ghosts, ending her life as a monster.
"Don't let the sword swing you."
She wouldn't.
Her blade no longer existed solely for revenge.
People like family—unfindable in her tribe save her father—stood there now.
As long as they did, she wouldn't be swayed by her sword.
* * *
Ten thousand refugees had arrived.
Though two thousand had been left behind in the brutal cold, they still received the city's warm welcome.
The refugees were all dumbfounded.
The survivors had come to Ron Territory on a wing and a prayer, never dreaming of such a reception.
But they soon learned why.
The magic scroll from the saint they'd met en route.
Unfurling it summoned a small sun high in the sky—a beacon of hope for the fortress's people.
"So many have made it already..."
"That red army's supposed to be terrifying, right?"
"Look at the other territories. No more signal fires rising."
"If not for Lord Ron..."
Despite the hunger and chill, they clung to hope.
While the White Whale Mercenary Corps was out, the castle buzzed with urgent activity.
Ron Kailler, who had led the refugee rescue like the White Whale Mercenary Corps, returned with forces from other territories in tow.
Lords untouched by the army's invasion had seen the signal fires blazing everywhere and hastily rallied troops toward Ron Territory.
Troops were replenished, supplies stocked.
Yet the leadership couldn't celebrate.
"The enemy's main host..."
"So they've finally mobilized."
Scouts from the ravine reported the enemy vanguard on the move since yesterday.
Fifty thousand strong.
Five times the forces inside the castle.
And now even their commanders were stirring.
"Two days until reinforcements from Ranes Mage Tower. But the enemy host arrives in less than a day."
Count Ron's voice echoed in the council chamber.
The six houses' retainers—including the newcomers—waited silently for his next words.
"Realistically, we can't handle their full might right now."
Had the houses united from the start, it might've been different.
But they'd prioritized self-interest, losing the future in the process.
"We'll have to hold out for now... but even that's no easy task."
Winter wars were always grueling.
Especially the north's infamous blizzards.
But the enemy—undead impervious to cold, needing no supplies—were pure monstrosities.
Unfair to the core.
Nothing favored their side.
"The rank-and-file aren't the issue. Tough as they are, they can't breach our walls. The problem is the giant monsters mixed among them."
Several retainers nodded pallidly.
These were the new lords who'd witnessed neighboring territories fall firsthand.
"A few punches crumble gates; they hurl boulders like catapults from afar. Tricky foes. Even barricaded, the gates won't hold long."
Then fight outside?
Suicide.
The numbers gap was over five-to-one.
"Our last resort: elite strike teams to behead the giant monsters."
"Even that's no simple matter."
Kailler spoke, his arm bandaged.
"Among them are 'Myriad Commanders'—peak 7th Circle prowess. We've confirmed five..."
"Fortunately, one fell."
Count Camille's gaze turned to Jun, occupying one end of the table.
His eyes burned.
He'd never dreamed they'd take down an enemy commander.
'I didn't do much.'
Just tried blocking the army.
Rikedaimon had appeared first; Maya had slain him, not Jun.
"This will be our final stand. One shot only. Could be a massive gamble—history might mock me as a fool."
"N-No, never!"
"Indeed! We've made it this far thanks to you, my lord!"
Retainers protested, but Count Camille shook his head.
"We all must steel ourselves. Heavy casualties await."
Not just sending elites.
The castle gates would open, drawing the enemy's gaze with the main force.
A battle that couldn't drag on.
The count's final directive—preserve troop morale—ended the meeting.
The retainers filed out; the count called Jun aside.
"You wanted a word alone?"
"If battle commences, I'd borrow Captain Kailler's strength briefly."
"Hm. Why?"
"For a preemptive strike and stable retreat."
"Preemptive strike... your magic?"
"Yes."
"But that's not all you need."
"Correct. I require the territory's mages too."
"A grand ritual, then."
6th Circle mages didn't cast alone.
They linked with juniors or peers in formations. The count grasped it instantly.
"Where's the site?"
"Ravine entrance."
"Understood. I'll arrange it."
"Thank you."
Easier approval than expected.
Built on trust earned thus far.
Jun sought Captain Kailler next, repaying it in kind.
The captain, who'd clashed with a Myriad Commander in the last op, bore serious wounds.
"Sigh. I have no face, Jun."
"You're alive—that's what matters."
"That Myriad Commander... formidable. I wounded it badly, but couldn't finish the job."
Kailler bit his lip, reliving it.
The fight amid refugee protection had cost many adventurers. Natural he'd seethe.
Jun offered brief condolences for their sacrifices and cut to the chase.