Chapter 331
Chapter 331
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: A Single Sword (2)
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"Wh-what!? My body—it's still here!? I'm still alive!? Why—"
The holy swords, each facing their end in their own way.
They had clearly felt their existences crumbling away in the process of losing consciousness.
And becoming part of a greater whole was the same—
"Ugh... This is weird... This sensation... Clearly, I was merging with the others— Urk...!"
Just a little more, and their existences would have fused into one at the end of their consciousness.
However, right before that moment.
Their existences were forcibly repelled back to their original states, as if struck by something.
It was chaotic.
The bodily sensations slowly returning were one thing—
And the scene unfolding before their eyes was even more so.
"...The ritual—did the ritual fail, by any chance?"
The Holy Sword of Indomitability, Dorban, barely steadied his staggering body as he spoke.
That was why the expressions of the holy swords, returned from oblivion, were so complicated.
At this very moment.
What dominated their emotions was not the joy of having returned, but the fear that the ritual might have failed.
"Pozena... No... How can you relax like that..."
On top of that, confusion toward themselves for inwardly feeling relief.
Just as the holy swords were about to sink into inescapable deep anguish—
"...No—the ritual didn't fail."
The Holy Sword of Transcendence, Elysia, rubbed her brow as she spoke.
"Elysia!? What do you mean!? The ritual didn't fail—then why are we still here!? Where did the single holy sword go—"
The Holy Sword of Valor, Brin, trailed off mid-sentence.
Elysia had irritably pointed somewhere with a sudden gesture.
A dashing young man with a bold presence stood there.
The Holy Sword of Slight Advance—
No, now it was unclear what kind of holy sword Zallak even was.
"It's right there? The single holy sword."
Elysia pointed at Zallak and spat it out indifferently.
"What do you— What are you suddenly saying, Elysia!? That Zallak guy is the single holy sword!?"
"..."
Elysia's characteristic irritable aura thickened even more.
She looked like she had a lot she wanted to say.
But what could be done?
"The single holy sword!? You mean me!? Ah, ah! That's right! Me, Zallak! Indeed, I can be called the one and only holy sword wielded by Hero Rishir! Elysia, what's gotten into you!? For you to say such kind words!"
If not for that lucky bastard holy sword's smug attitude stirring up annoyance—
The current situation was one everyone knew and could share in joy.
"Ah, seriously—"
No matter how much she wanted to get annoyed, laughter came first.
Elysia began her explanation with such an expression.
Recounting the full story of what she had personally sensed and realized.
It was at the ritual's climax.
In the process of all holy swords' existences fusing, Elysia had unwittingly become their focal point.
Thanks to that, perhaps.
She could feel the entire progression of the ritual in detail.
Which holy sword's consciousness fused first.
What expressions and emotions the holy swords felt right before fusing.
And—
What lay at the destination the unified they sought to reach.
"It was Zallak."
"...What?"
"Zallak was already standing at the place we were trying to reach! In the ritual to summon the true holy sword, the single holy sword! That's why we were forcibly bounced back! And that guy was summoned in our place!"
"..."
Pardon?
The holy swords looked at Zallak with varied expressions.
They thought he had just popped out from hiding somewhere—
Who would have thought he responded to the ritual summoning the true holy sword?
"No, no, no! Elysia! What are you saying!? That doesn't make sense!? Zallak being the true holy sword!? How? Why? No, why!?"
Brin's mouth moved busily like legs in a frantic sprint of words.
Thanks to that, the other holy swords didn't need to voice their own thoughts laboriously.
How?
Why?
Why?
What other reaction could there be?
Zallak's sudden appearance, bearing the name of Slight Advance, brought nothing but pure bewilderment, pushing all else aside.
"Why are you asking me?"
The holy swords' gazes followed Elysia's.
There—
Stood a figure of light.
Lu-Rakh.
The being who knew everything about holy swords as their creator.
Only he could answer all their questions!
-...
Indeed, the holy sword's creator.
Without the slightest hesitation, he provided the correct answer.
-Hero Rishir.
Without any attempt to figure it out himself, he immediately passed the question to him.
-Can you explain what's going on here?
"..."
Rishir rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
-...
Lu-Rakh immediately realized his mistake.
Swept up in the moment, he had burdened him with too much responsibility.
No matter how extraordinary his abilities, he was ultimately just a mortal living a fleeting life.
And a very young one at that.
Of course he wouldn't have a clue why his holy sword had become the one true, complete holy sword.
Now was the time for him to guide Rishir.
-Hero Rishir. Calm down and hear my words. Tell me everything about what happened with Zallak so far, without omission.
"...Without omission?"
-Yes. Even if nothing specific comes to mind, it's fine. Even ordinary events are okay, so—
"Ah. In that case—"
Lu-Rakh realized too late.
"During the battle with the ancient being, the holy sword cracked, and light leaked from the fissures—suddenly it became like new. Should I start there? Or the time I tried purifying energies by wielding both holy and demon sword at once—oh, that too. Recently, I destroyed fragments of great demons with this holy sword, and it cracked again in the process? So I left it with the World Tree for a bit, and in the meantime, it turned like new again—"
-...
The hero wasn't pondering because he had no clues.
He was pondering because he had too many.
-A bit slower...
-I understand.
Lu-Rakh.
A being existing since ancient times, having lived through eons.
Having heard Rishir's story, Lu-Rakh immediately unraveled everything with his profound knowledge.
-This is beyond my understanding.
"No, is that what you meant by understanding?"
Rishir couldn't hide his bewilderment.
He had never seen such mystifying and brazen ignorance in his life.
Rishir wasn't the only one shocked by Lu-Rakh's reaction.
"Wa-wait a minute—you don't know either!?"
Elysia and the other holy swords widened their eyes.
They knew the depth of Lu-Rakh's knowledge well.
"Then who in the world could know!? Zallak's condition. This situation surrounding us now...!"
As the holy sword's creator, Lu-Rakh possessed unparalleled understanding of holy swords.
In other words.
If Lu-Rakh didn't know, no one in this world did.
And that wasn't all.
"More than that, Rishir's power. You have no knowledge of that power at all?"
Lu-Rakh.
Before being the holy sword's creator, he was a transcendent being who had existed through eons.
Known as the ancient spirit king.
His perception and thought encompassed the vast span from antiquity to the present.
And he said.
-Indeed. I cannot define his existence or explain it. I can declare that encountering such a being, such power—this is the first time.
Lu-Rakh's statement plunged everyone present into shock.
Rishir.
They already knew he was extraordinary to the point of boredom—
But having that fact affirmed by no one other than Lu-Rakh gave it a completely different weight.
All gazes naturally focused on Rishir.
They held pure concern.
What Lu-Rakh's words implied was clear.
Rishir.
He might not be human, but something else entirely.
Furthermore, something that couldn't be compared or defined by anything.
An identity too heavy for a mortal to bear. A weight of fate.
They worried about the mental shock Rishir must be feeling.
"Rishir, you... Are you okay...?"
Elysia asked cautiously.
"Okay? What do you mean?"
Contrary to everyone's concern, he appeared quite composed outwardly.
Of course.
That didn't mean they should drop their caution.
He might look calm on the outside but hiding inner turmoil.
Elysia broached the topic carefully, like approaching a frightened beast.
"Your identity—maybe not human..."
He was a man with human qualities unfit for his abilities.
They had assumed he must be greatly shocked by the current situation.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Rishir's response.
"..."
A moment later.
He scratched his chin indifferently and said.
"It's surprising, sure—but that's about it?"
"That's about it...?"
Such a bland response.
Just as it was about to raise everyone's doubts—
-You inanimate wench!!!
Whoosh!
Suddenly, grayish-white flames erupted in the air.
-How dare you spout such nonsense! As if the great Zuinni could be mere lowly human!!!
"Dangleon, lowly? What are you saying."
-Nooo!!! Of course, I didn't mean the great Zuinni is lowly!!! What I meant was humans are—
"I'm human too?"
-...Understood!!! If that's the great Zuinni's will, then so be it!
"No, what do you mean 'so be it'—"
Lu-Rakh, watching the scene in bewilderment, spoke.
-...Hero Rishir. Just to confirm—how did you summon a spirit here?
It wasn't a spirit.
It was a demon.
And not summoned.
Just a resident of the mental world stepping out briefly.
"Ah..."
A moment later.
They understood.
The reason Rishir could react so calmly upon realizing his unstable identity.
The succubus who became a saint.
The true ancestor who became a city council proxy.
The demon who became a spirit.
The demon sword who became a holy sword.
Rishir's surroundings were already filled with such existences.
And moreover, Rishir was the cause of all of them.
So, naturally, he had grown numb to it.
-...Then, great Zuinni! This fusing White Flame Dangleon shall also walk the human path following you!
"No, not you."
In the end.
They reached one conclusion.
'It doesn't really matter...?'
They were moved.
"By the way—"
With the commotion settled.
Rishir looked at the sword in his hand.
The Holy Sword of Slight Advance—
No, the true holy sword.
"When the seven rays of light are grasped in one hand, thereby a new path of light shall unfold."
It was an unconscious action.
Rishir closed his eyes and murmured the prophecy softly.
Then—
Woooooong—
The true holy sword resonated, emanating a sacred glow.
Rishir could clearly feel it.
His existence resonating with the true holy sword.
Something strongly pulling him.
A sensation as if surrendering his body would suck him away somewhere immediately.
-Hero Rishir.
The figure of light.
Excitement seemed to appear on its featureless face.
-Do you believe in the existence of the Godhead?
"..."
Rishir looked at him with a surprised face.
The suddenly mentioned topic felt profoundly meaningful.
"May I ask the intent of the question...?"
-In this world, since very long ago, a great will has existed. Vast enough for anyone to feel, yet faint enough for no one to sense—the holy sword was modeled after that great will. Precisely, it was an attempt to model it.
"...So that failed attempt—has now been realized with the birth of the true holy sword?"
-Yes. That is precisely what you now hold in your hand.
Hero Rishir.
Lu-Rakh's voice trembled with excitement.
-Right now, you stand at the very beginning of the path of light. What do you see? What do you feel?
"..."
Rishir closed his eyes and focused his mind.
And at the end, he opened them and said.
"Shall we go now?"
-Go? What do you—
Lu-Rakh's question couldn't continue.
The others were the same.
Sudden silence fell over the round table.
The hero and all others had vanished.
"..."
Rishir's party slowly opened their eyes, taking in the newly unfolded scenery.
Grasses swayed in the refreshing breeze.
They opened their eyes in the middle of an endless plain.
"Hello."
A voice from somewhere.
They turned toward the source.
-You are...!
Lu-Rakh's voice trembled with shock.
-Lindal...?
The first hero, Lindal.
No.
Something resembling him stood there, welcoming them all.
"I've been waiting."
Its gaze unwaveringly fixed on Rishir.