Chapter 329
Chapter 329
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Seven Swords (4)
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"What the hell, Jallak! You look like a completely different person since I last saw you! With that long hair and your frail body— you've turned into a full-on girl!"
"Brin! Get a grip! How is that Jallak? That's just some other being!"
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Elisicia! Jallak's turned into a completely different being! If she hadn't come out of that hallway, I wouldn't have recognized her at all!"
"Agh...!!!"
It was a conversation between the Holy Sword Elisicia of Righteousness and the Holy Sword Brin of Valor.
Elisicia ruffled her abundant red hair in frustration.
Yet she couldn't bring herself to blame Valor outright, and that was entirely due to the unique nature of the situation.
The Round Table of the Seven Swords.
This was a place permitted only to holy swords and their wielders.
For a newcomer she'd never seen before to plop down in the seat allotted to Yakjin?
In that case, it was natural for Valor to think, Oh! Yakjin's changed a lot!
For Elisicia to leap to the possibility of Yakjin's seat being taken by someone else! was the abnormal reaction.
Elisicia knew this herself.
And yet, the reason she was so convinced of her judgment—
It was nothing other than—
"Rishir!"
Elisicia called out the name.
"This has something to do with you— doesn't it!?"
Having known Yakjin for no short time—
The Holy Sword Elisicia of Righteousness knew for certain.
In situations like this!
Situations where reason and common sense didn't apply!
When nothing made any damn sense!
Linking it to Yakjin hit the mark nine times out of ten!
"..."
The truth was,
Rishir was just as confused.
Where the hell was Jallak, and why was a beast sitting there instead?
And yet—
Rishir knew it too.
In situations where everything was a total mess and nothing made sense!
Pointing to himself as the cause hit the mark nine times out of ten!
"Yes. I don't know what it is exactly, but it seems to be my fault for now."
"What? What the hell does that mean?"
"..."
The Holy Sword Brin of Valor scrunched up his face.
The Holy Sword Dorban of Indomitability furrowed his brow as well.
From their perspective, Rishir's words sounded endlessly profound.
For a brief moment, they even wondered if he was mocking Elisicia.
As the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly chaotic—
"...You don't mean...?"
A trembling voice drew everyone's attention to one spot.
A woman with long bangs—
The Holy Sword Rohra of Seals was staring intently at "Yakjin's holy sword."
"A demon sword...?"
During the emergence of the demon sword Ilraddain.
Rohra, who had helped Rishir with the aftermath of suppressing that demon sword on-site,
Could tell the moment she laid eyes on the black-haired woman.
That she was the "Demon Sword: Beast" whose power she had temporarily sealed with her holy sword's might.
"What!? What did you just say, Rohra—"
"A demon sword!?"
Elisicia and Pochena.
Even they, who had maintained relative calm as Rishir veterans(?), showed their shock.
What about the other two holy swords, then?
"Demon sword? What demon sword? You mean that demon sword? Are you all serious?"
"Everyone, calm down. Remember what this place is."
It was that bad.
Valor and Indomitability looked at the other holy swords with the caution one might reserve for patients.
The blessing of ignorance, perhaps.
To these Rishir non-veterans(?), the others' talk sounded utterly absurd.
How could a demon sword possibly be here?
"Agh!"
"Ugh...!"
Elisicia's reaction spread to the other two holy swords.
Rohra and Pochena groaned in frustration.
They were just stating plain facts, yet being treated like patients!
And that treatment was perfectly reasonable, no less!
They judged.
To resolve the situation, they first needed to bridge the gap in perception.
"You two! I'll explain it briefly, so listen up!"
Professor Elisicia, with the most experience in the room, launched into her condensed crash course.
"..."
"..."
They looked like they had a ton to say.
But their mouths were completely shut; not a word escaped.
It was the reaction of the two holy swords after Elisicia relayed the tales of the "Hero."
"What's with those faces? Dorban. What, you think I'm making shit up?"
"...No. Elisicia. I trust your discernment. You wouldn't joke about something like this in a situation like now."
"Hey, Elisicia. If that's true—"
The Holy Sword Brin of Valor.
With his characteristic casual gesture, he flicked his gaze like tossing a coin.
"Then what the hell is she?"
There stood a black-haired woman behind the Hero, hands demurely clasped in front.
"Rohra just said it. Demon sword— ...Rishir! What the hell is that woman!?"
Elisicia had tried her best—but it wasn't enough.
Having tried to accept everything with the three letters "Rishir," Elisicia finally couldn't hold back her doubts about the Beast's presence.
"Where's your holy sword Jallak, and why's a demon sword here instead!?"
Flinch!
The Beast's body shrank back.
"My lord... Am I causing you trouble with my presence...?"
She fidgeted with her clasped hands, glancing at Rishir.
Even amid this, the holy swords' gazes toward her weren't kind.
And understandably so—
As a demon sword, she was a thorough interloper here.
"Hm..."
Rishir's head throbbed.
How was he supposed to sort out this mess?
"Everyone, just a moment—"
On a whim, Rishir tried summoning Jallak.
He gripped the empty air and pulled.
"As expected, no dice—"
The empty sensation in his hand.
Rishir's hope of at least grabbing Jallak by the hair and yanking her out went unfulfilled.
'Since this is where holy sword spirits gather, summoning the holy sword's main body doesn't work—'
No helping it, then.
Full frontal assault.
The phrase that popped into Rishir's mind.
Conveniently,
A way to neatly resolve all this had occurred to him.
Rishir executed it immediately.
"Everyone, welcome her. The new holy sword of Yakjin."
Rishir's ears suddenly itched.
-Kraaaah! Rishir! Please don't abandon me!
He felt like he heard a desperate voice from somewhere.
It hurt his heart too—
But what could he do?
Chosen once by the holy sword forger.
Chosen again by the Round Table of Holy Swords.
Twice in total.
The Beast had been selected for the most important seat: Yakjin's place.
At this point, denying it would be the real stretch, wouldn't it?
'Of course, that's just my opinion—'
Rishir anxiously gauged the holy swords' reactions.
For Yakjin's seat to be replaced by someone else in a place this crucial.
There was no way his comrades, the holy swords, would accept it meekly—
"Well, no helping it. Let's go with that."
"What!?"
Rishir, who had been racking his brain for persuasion tactics, widened his eyes.
"Go with that? Elisicia, you're really okay with this!?"
"Why, what's wrong? It was your suggestion—"
"I mean, yeah, but...! I never imagined you'd accept it this easily— Are you all really fine with this!?"
The holy swords exchanged glances, then shrugged.
"Well, it's Jallak. She'll handle it fine."
"What!?"
Rishir was at a loss for how to react to words laden with so much meaning.
If this was another form of utter trust in a comrade, then sure.
"Besides, if that guy were here, he'd say the same thing, right? 'Don't worry about me and do your thing, Rishir!'"
Not just to defuse the situation—
Elisicia's Jallak impression was vividly drawn from countless experiences.
"More than that—"
Hoo.
Elisicia shook off her playfulness with a deep breath.
"None of this happened for no reason."
Pochena nodded solemnly as well.
"The true Hero being decided in Jallak's absence... And her being called here in Jallak's place as the Hero's beloved sword..."
"B-Beloved sword...? Don't say such things!"
The demon sword cried out in horror.
Was her fundamental nature truly unchanged?
Reacting so violently to being called the Hero's beloved sword.
The holy swords eyed the demon sword suspiciously.
And then her next action,
"For an impure thing like me to be his beloved sword... Won't it displease him—"
She fidgeted anxiously, peeking at Rishir.
Genuinely terrified.
Yet one corner of her mouth twitched upward with joy she couldn't fully hide.
"...Ah."
The holy swords finally understood for sure.
How she had been able to take Yakjin's seat.
"So, we're all in agreement then?"
Elisicia polled each holy sword one by one.
Pochena and Rohra nodded without hesitation.
And Indomitability and Valor—
"...Tch, fine. Got it!"
"An unavoidable situation."
Reluctantly, they nodded as well.
"Great! Unanimous decision, then!"
Elisicia let out a relieved sigh like she'd just finished a deep clean.
"Yeah. That's how it should be. The holy swords' will has decided it; we can't nitpick every detail, right?"
"Uh, Elisicia?"
"Yeah? What, Rishir?"
"You said unanimous just now—"
Rishir pointed to the still-empty seat.
The seat of Blessing.
"Oh, if you're talking about Floren— speak of the devil, here he comes."
Clunk, clunk.
A disheveled-looking boy shuffled out from the hallway beyond.
"You done talking?"
"Just need your approval now, Floren."
"Yeah. Approved."
The boy sat in his seat without pause, then promptly flopped onto the round table to sleep.
Pushing aside his bewilderment, Rishir spoke.
"So, Elisicia. What happens now?"
"...Pochena? Mind explaining it to Rishir?"
"Ah...! Sure!"
Clenched fists.
Pochena scanned the room tensely.
"I-If you don't mind, could you sit there?"
She cautiously gestured toward the demon sword, still standing.
Yakjin's empty seat.
"..."
The Beast, peering with upturned eyes, finally moved to her seat once Rishir nodded.
"Phew."
And then,
Pochena filled the last remaining seat at the round table.
In that instant.
Light bloomed from the empty space at the table's center. And a voice.
The light and voice mingled, filling the room.
Moments later, the light faded—
And atop the round table lay the seven holy swords.
"..."
Rishir alternated between the holy swords and their corporeal forms, recalling the prophecy that had come with the light and voice.
-The moment seven rays of light are grasped in one hand. Thereby shall a new path of light unfold.
"..."
Silence fell over the room.
Rishir mulled over the prophecy's words—
While the holy swords awaited his response.
And finally.
Rishir spoke.
"Did the inaugural Hero— Lord Lindal— know the contents of this prophecy as well?"
"Actually—"
Elisicia opened cautiously.
"Our memories follow our wielders. When the wielder changes, past memories fade. So— our memories of previous wielders are hazy. The inaugural Hero is the same. But—"
Elisicia placed a hand on her chest and said,
"Something else within us— not memory, but another presence— cries out. That even the greatest hero in history failed to reach the answer to that prophecy—"
"But Lord Inaugural Hero was clearly the master of all seven holy swords, wasn't he?"
"Right. He was the master of the seven holy swords. But— the prophecy says this. The moment seven rays of light are grasped in one hand, thereby a new path shall unfold. Perhaps— even the inaugural Hero failed to draw forth the full power of all holy swords at once?"
The expressions of Elisicia and the other holy swords had darkened with heavy shadows.
Traces of the past embedded within them were crying out.
That sense of powerlessness.
That despair.
Their instincts distrusted Rishir.
No matter who, reaching the prophecy's answer was impossible.
"Above all, wielding all seven swords at once is practically impossible for a human body, right? So— we've been thinking there might be another way. Like merging us into one—"
"Another way..."
At that moment.
A glint entered Rishir's eyes.
"Actually. I prepared for a case like this. Something I obtained while handling holy and demon swords simultaneously. The culmination of those efforts, you could say."
"A case like this?"
"Yes. The fruit of integrating those gains."
"...!"
The gleam in the Hero's eyes spread to the holy swords.
Before long, the holy swords silently watched the Hero's actions.
With infinite trust and anticipation directed at him.
The Hero responded in kind—
By acting without words.
He first picked up one holy sword.
Yakjin's holy sword(?).
The Hero's body became enveloped in inky armor, forming the demon swordsman's shape.
And it didn't end there.
-Uwaaaaaah!!!
The howling demon swordsman.
Crack!
Crack!
Amid sounds of breaking bones and twisting flesh and muscle—
Arms began sprouting from his back.
The ultimate form(?) reached by the wielder of many swords to fully draw forth all their power.
And so—
Crack!
Crack!
Wings formed on the demon swordsman's back.
Crack!
Crack!
Wings made of three pairs of arms.
-Kraaaah!!!
The demon swordsman unfurled the wings with a ferocious roar.
Riiip!
The wings tore through the thin membrane clinging to his body, revealing their form.
Trembling like a newborn beast cub standing on its own legs for the first time.
The demon swordsman spread his two arms wide, then crouched with all his might.
Strength entered the quivering wings.
Clack.
Clack.
The fingers at the wingtips twitched, craving something.
Rmmmble—
In response, the holy swords atop the quaking round table.
One by one, they were drawn into the wings and gripped in those hands.
The moment seven rays of light were grasped in one hand(?), part of the prophecy was fulfilled.
"W-Wait— hold on...!!!"
Even so, the holy swords instinctively tried to stop the Hero.
-Gagragragrak!!!
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
The screaming demon swordsman.
The arm-wings thrashed with his ragged breaths.
The Hero's method of enacting the prophecy was just too grotesque.
How was that the appearance of a Hero fulfilling a sacred prophecy!?
"Rishir, calm down first—"
In that instant.
The holy swords began resonating with each other, emitting light.
Seven rays converged in one place—
And the prophesied moment drew near before their eyes.
"N-No...!"
The holy swords despaired.