Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Side Story, Apostate (6)
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The sun rises over the horizon.
Sunlight bathes the plain as the magic beasts advance, shrouded in mist like crashing waves. The knights gaze upon the beastly tide in terror.
Before calamity, humanity is powerless. The knights confront the truth they've desperately ignored. They realize it now.
The front lines had held not by their own efforts, but by the whims of those beasts. The moment the creatures flipped their stance like turning a hand, the lines crumbled.
The four calamities that once razed the old kingdom.
They had slain one: the black dragon.
They had repelled Skeval, the ancient lich.
Hope flickered to life. Maybe, just maybe, the knights dared to hope. But reality proved far harsher.
...What are we, then?
Just one person.
Does it even matter?
Their foe was a mere summoner, just one person.
Yet that single figure commanded this vast horde. The future unfolded clearly before them: everything swept away by the surging waves of beasts.
Terror sprouts in the knights' hearts.
The spears and swords they grip tremble in their hands.
But they do not retreat.
Humanity is trampled before calamity.
An unchanging truth. Yet humanity wields a sword to cleave calamity.
The Hero.
The Hero chosen by the stars stands with them.
That fact alone steels the knights' weapons. For humanity's sake, they steel themselves to cast aside their lives.
And at their vanguard.
"I am Kuntel, Sword Master."
Stands a superhuman of the blade.
The swordsman who reached superhuman realms in a mortal body speaks. His eyes sharper than ever.
"The plan is simple. The sage binds its feet, and the Hero slays the calamity."
Kuntel addresses the knights.
"To make that possible, we carve the path for the Hero to charge."
He thrusts out his sword hilt.
The blade's tip points to the armored dragon visible even from afar, clawing the earth as it approaches. Kuntel declares.
"Draw its gaze."
Bait it with their lives.
"Load the ballistae."
And he would be the first bait.
2.
Glaring at the beastly waves filling the horizon, Kyle readjusted his grip on the holy sword.
Heavy.
Today, the hilt felt unbearably heavy. His shoulders ached. His ankles throbbed. The fatigue from battle hadn't even faded, yet he had to grasp the sword again.
No time for complaints, though.
"Hoo..."
As Kyle steadied his breath and adjusted the hilt, someone approached and spoke.
"Ready?"
Raniel stood beside Kyle.
Kyle turned to look. Even in this hopeless situation, she remained unchanged.
"...More or less. What's up?"
"Figured I should explain the plan."
Raniel pointed to the knights arrayed on the flank.
They were loading harpoons into ballistae, circuits etched upon them like Raniel's own work.
"We're firing one harpoon. It's gorged on as much mana as I could cram in... One shot clears the path, the other three lure the armored dragon."
She indicated the knights again.
"Then Sara's blessed knights charge... while Remia provides covering fire with moonlight arrows."
"And you, Raniel? What will you do?"
"Head straight to the Balance for a trade. Not mana this time—offer my body instead."
She wiggled her hands demonstratively.
"Both hands, both arms. If I offer them all... calculations say I can bind it for about fifteen seconds."
"...I see."
"Kyle."
Raniel called his name.
Her voice was the same as always.
"The armored dragons and Kuntel and the knights will draw the beasts' attention."
Raniel extended her finger.
It pointed beyond the horde of beasts.
"You just charge straight ahead."
"......"
"We'll handle the rest."
Slowly, Kyle nodded.
"...Fifteen seconds, you said?"
"Yeah. Worst case, I'll offer my legs too. You need to survive more than me."
Raniel shrugged as she spoke.
"Still, I'd prefer to keep legs for running, if possible."
"...I'll do my best."
As they talked, the horde drew closer. The stench of beasts stung their noses. The ground quaked under their advance.
Bwooooo!
The horn blared.
Clank—the ballistae loaded with a clamor. Countless knights glared at the beasts.
"Fire."
And war began.
3.
The ballistae spew mana flares.
Piercing the crumbling mist, the harpoon embeds in the armored dragon's hide. It doesn't sink deep. But that's enough.
Stimulus.
The spell coating the harpoon ignites.
The armored dragons' vision narrows. They ignore their summoner's commands.
-Kieeeek!
The armored dragon thrashes, roaring.
Its narrowed vision fixes on the knights who fired. The knights scatter instantly.
"Hold formation!"
Commands ring out.
From the scattering knights, a superhuman charges. Sword Master Kuntel dashes low with blade drawn toward the armored dragon.
Sword Master Kuntel.
The Saintess-blessed knights.
The Remia-supported knights.
Each takes one armored dragon. Three scatter. Two remain.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Screams or battle cries echo across the field. The knights resolve to die. They steel themselves to sacrifice.
"Glory to the stars!"
For the Hero alone.
"......"
Kyle crouches.
His gaze pierces straight to Gletus, through mist and horde.
Starlight gathers in his pitch-black eyes, forming rings.
Platinum rings rise.
Kyle grips the holy sword like a spear.
Hands on hilt, he begins to run. The first step is light. Thump—Kyle kicks off the ground.
Whiiiish!
A massive harpoon flies toward his target. Infused with ashen mana, unlike those baiting the dragons.
Point-Breakthrough.
Mist parts briefly.
Beast flesh erupts. But only for a moment. Gletus gestures, mist fills the gap. Beasts pour forth again.
"I trade."
That instant.
"I offer my hands and arms."
⚙ BALANCE ACTIVATED ⚙ Trade executed: Both hands and arms offered. Target restrained for approximately 15 seconds. Clink—from behind Kyle, the snap of fingers rings clear even amid the din.
Clank!
Chains bind Gletus's body.
Her raised arm halts. The mists freeze.
For one moment, silence blankets the battlefield.
In that hush, the ashen mage speaks.
"Go, Kyle."
Kyle doesn't reply. He answers by kicking the ground. Adds weight to his light steps. Each stride cracks the earth.
He charges toward the gap pierced by the harpoon.
With every step, star clusters gather. The starlight draws a line. The Hero bears a body blessed by the stars.
The stars dispel the mist.
......On the battlefield, a true superhuman shines brightest. Knights charging armored dragons spot the light. The Sword Master sees it too.
The light joins them.
Terror fades from the knights' hearts. They roar and clash with the beasts.
Blood sprays.
Human and beast blood mingle.
-Kieeeek!
Before the light, the mist abandons convergence. Beasts pour from it. Dozens, hundreds block Kyle's path.
Slash.
They can't block him.
Kyle thrusts the spear-like blade then swings. One swing scatters dozens of beasts.
Thud thud thud.
Beast blood and guts scatter.
Kyle tramples the spilling entrails and runs. Splatter—blue and black blood erupts.
Three seconds to here.
Kyle gives his sword no rest.
He swings while running, swings while thrusting, swings as he carves through flesh and blood.
The ceaseless blade grinds approaching beasts.
As armored dragons grind knights, Kyle grinds beasts.
Four seconds.
The beasts abandon direct confrontation with Kyle.
They overwhelm with numbers. Dozens swarm him. The holy sword's glow is obscured.
But only briefly.
Beast flesh can't hide the light.
Five seconds.
Splaaash!
Kyle bursts through the beasts, drenched in their blood, still charging. Beast corpses pile up.
Kyle doesn't stop.
When beasts block the path, he cleaves. No hesitation between slash and stride. His speed doesn't wane—it accelerates.
Slowly, the mist parts.
A streak of light reaches the calamity.
Seven seconds.
Half the time gone.
He reaches Gletus at last. But one obstacle remains.
Armored dragons.
The two guarding Gletus charge in her stead, as she can't move.
Kyle thinks without slowing.
Different from Rodimel Fortress.
Weaker than the black dragon-based ones. But two of them.
Time left?
Just over seven seconds.
No time to stop and fight.
Kyle decides.
Cleave while charging.
Regripping the holy sword, he leaps at the dragons. Unlike the fortress, he's gathered power, accelerated fully.
Mid-leap, he slams the sword down like a hammer.
The light shatters the skull in explosion. The blast lifts Kyle. One dragon smashed into the dirt—but one remains.
Kieeeek!
It charges, maw agape at airborne Kyle. He sees it: the maw filling his vision.
Cleave.
The answer is always the same.
Kyle spins midair. Dragged by light, he plunges into the maw.
Fwoosh!
The quenched light leaks from the eye sockets. Platinum glow erupts with gore.
Craaaack!
The holy sword rends the maw. Slices hide, tears throat—Kyle bursts out.
Thud.
Splatter—Kyle leaps off the crumbling dragon amid blood.
Thirteen seconds.
Two seconds left.
And two seconds suffice.
Dropping toward Gletus, Kyle swings. Not at the neck first—clear the beasts now.
The light-wreathed holy sword targets her arm.
"...Huh?"
Gletus shows her first hint of panic. She can't move. Frozen mid-thrust into the air.
Kyle learned from the sword's superhuman.
A stationary arm falls easily.
Slash.
The holy sword severs Gletus's arm.
The blackened limb flies. Simultaneously, the beasts filling the plain collapse.
Familiar dissolve into the other realm.
Mist clears. No time to confirm. Kyle chains into the next move.
The downward sword slams into the ground.
Kyle's toes touch down.
He pivots on toes, raises arms. Sword arcs up anew. The tip aims for Gletus's heart.
Fifteen seconds.
Time's up.
Gletus moves. Too late. Kyle's blade is at her nose.
Kyle senses victory.
Chill.
That instant.
Kyle's instincts scream.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...Something's off."
"Huh? What?"
"Raniel, did you subjugate Gletus too? As I recall, you only took down... the black dragon."
"Yeah, that's right."
"But in this situation, I don't see how Gletus survives."
"I thought the same."
Raniel smiled.
"Movement stopped, arm severed, guardians gone... I really thought that was it."
Rubbing the finger she'd snapped then, she sighed.
"If not for that showing up right there, we could've subjugated Gletus."
"...What?"
"The Apostate, Gletus's subjugation battle. With victory in sight, we faced it."
What?
Raniel answered the unspoken question.
"Death's Blade, Ganikalt."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Offering."
In frozen time, Gletus's lips move. She intones.
"I open."
What?
Unknown.
"The path to ■■."
Something is uttered, and Gletus collapses unconscious.
Then, the anomaly strikes.
Snap.
Gletus's severed arm halts midair. Something erupts from the stopped limb. Black sludge.
The sludge first forms a blade.
A massive sword repels Kyle's holy sword.
Clang!
It bats away the holy sword.
So effortlessly.
Crunch.
Soon, an arm clutching a greatsword manifests.
The grotesque arm swings—the sword smashes Kyle wholesale.
Booom!
With thunderous roar, Kyle flies.
He rolls across the ground, slowly rising. The fingers gripping the hilt—all broken.
...What is that?
Unknown.
What the hell is it?
Kyle looks up.
The dripping sludge completes its form. A perfect body stands before the Apostate.
"Ah, ah, aaa..."
Facing it, his head throbs like shattering. Screams leak from parted lips. Bloodshot veins burst in Kyle's eyes.
Death.
Death stands before him.
His instincts toll alarm. Never seen before, yet Kyle knows what it is.
Death's Blade, Ganikalt.
The most terrifying calamity stood before him.
Author's Note
The side story finale is coming up soon...!