Chapter 199: Ruin (2)
Chapter 199: Ruin (2)
“Bullshit.”
A murderous voice leaked out.
It was a complete departure from the tone he had used with me just moments ago. The emotion the Descendant of Khan displayed the instant Hugo Rhapsody appeared was unmistakable, raw rage. For a Swordmaster, the mere expression of anger was a form of violence. The moment the Descendant of Khan unleashed his fury, Hugo Rhapsody spoke.
“Run, Caravan.”
“...What do you mean?”
“Toma wants to be your friend. Therefore, you must survive.”
Hugo Rhapsody flicked his gaze to the side.
“Take that pathetic fool sprawled over there—the one with the blood of Gold in his veins—and get out of here. If you don't run now, you won't survive, Caravan.”
“Run... run where?”
“Back. Get as far away from here as possible.”
Pffft.
The pitch-black horse snorted.
Hugo Rhapsody muttered under his breath, “If you run without looking back, your friend will help you.”
I still didn't understand what he meant. The Descendant of Khan wasn't the only one attacking Vicente. The Conquest Army he led was currently sweeping through the city; there was no way a friend of mine could be in the middle of this carnage. But there was no time for more questions. The Descendant of Khan unhinged his jaw and roared.
“──!”
With that roar, the pitch-black horse carrying the Descendant of Khan charged. The battle began the instant the beast lunged forward. The figures of the Descendant of Khan and Hugo Rhapsody vanished for a split second, only to reappear high in the air. Sword clashed against sword, and the resulting shockwave swept across the district. Amidst the world-shaking impact, Hugo Rhapsody shouted.
“Go, now—!”
The moment the shout fell, I hoisted Zeppelin Gold onto my back and began to run. Amidst the chaos, I saw people dying. Those collapsing in pools of blood screamed piteously, but I had no strength to save them. I simply ran. Just as Hugo Rhapsody had said, I didn't look back. I ran forward, further and further into the smoke.
* * *
“Hugo Rhapsody, Master of Waves.”
After confirming that Arhan was escaping, Hugo Rhapsody turned his head to look forward. Before him stood the Descendant of Khan atop his pitch-black steed.
“The moron who lost the Free City. Why does a coward who abandoned his duty and fled from the eyes of the gods dare to appear before me?”
“Am I not allowed to appear before your eyes?”
“Have you forgotten? I am a Swordmaster and, at the same time, the Proxy Warrior who acts on behalf of the will of the Father Who Never Sleeps. You are a profane Swordmaster who betrayed the will of the heavens—!”
His thunderous voice echoed through the air.
Taking the brunt of the aura pouring from the Descendant of Khan, Hugo Rhapsody carefully raised his sword. He knew the truth. The Descendant of Khan possessed unbelievable specs: he was a Swordmaster and the Proxy Warrior of one of the Seven Chief Gods. Because of that, until Carlos appeared, the title of ‘Foremost Sword of the Continent’ was practically synonymous with the Descendant of Khan.
Hugo Rhapsody remembered the way the Descendant of Khan used to tear through battlefields. He remembered vividly just how terrifying a Swordmaster wielding divine authority and miracles could be. He knew that even though they were both Swordmasters, there was a gap between himself and the ‘Descendant of Khan’ that was difficult to bridge. Furthermore, Hugo Rhapsody had lost an arm in the duel to protect his son. An enemy he couldn't defeat even at his peak—that was the man he had to face while one-armed.
“I heard you lost your arm to Russell White, that emasculated man who lives under his wife's thumb. You cowardly fugitive. Do you really think a blade that couldn't even defeat a Watcher who does nothing but butcher monsters can stop me?”
“I know I can't stop you.”
“Then! Do you think I will show you even a shred of mercy?”
Hugo Rhapsody knew what kind of breed the Descendant of Khan was. A being who ignored all laws and rules, crying out only for slaughter and war. A man who called himself 'War' and killed everything he faced. He slaughtered children and women without hesitation. The mercy Russell White had shown him could not be expected from this madman.
However.
“Can't you show it just once?”
“Don't talk nonse—”
“Like that time you clung to Swordmaster Carlos’s pant leg, pissing and shitting yourself while begging for your life, and he spared you only because you were too filthy to kill.”
He didn't need mercy.
“...I will give you one chance to take that back.”
“Why should I take it back? It actually happened.”
Stalling for time and getting out alive—that wasn't a difficult task for Hugo Rhapsody.
“Or did the shock make you forget?”
Hugo Rhapsody’s goal was to ensure Arhan Caravan’s safe escape. There was absolutely no reason for him to engage in a life-or-death duel with the Swordmaster before him—a living disaster and the War God descended to earth.
“──!”
Hugo Rhapsody heard the roar let out by the Descendant of Khan. Making no effort to hide his rage, the Descendant of Khan charged straight at him. The pitch-black horse became a streak of dark light, and the sword thrust from atop the mount was like a hurricane. But no matter how powerful an attack was, it was meaningless if it didn't land.
“Hu—go!”
Of all swords, his was the ‘Fastest Sword.’ No blade could ever catch up to the sword of a Rhapsody.
“Don't call my name.”
With the sound of crashing waves, Hugo Rhapsody soared high into the air. The sword thrust by the Descendant of Khan pierced empty space, and Hugo Rhapsody, having become a free wave, watched the retreating back of the successfully escaping Arhan.
Yes, keep running.
Hugo Rhapsody, who had survived thanks to the mercy shown by Russell White and vanished after saving his precious son, had returned to the world for only one reason.
Faster.
Because Caravan must not die here. Because the bloodline of Steel must not vanish now.
Hurry.
For the sake of this world. For the sake of the world his son would live in.
* * *
Zeppelin Gold still hadn't regained consciousness. I thought it was actually a relief that he remained drunkenly asleep. If Zeppelin Gold had seen this scene, he might have lost his mind. His cherished secretary, Baltimore, had met a pathetic end; the mercenary group that followed him was dying like moths jumping into a flame; and the residents who had gathered for the festival he so proudly hosted... were dead, every single one of them.
‘I’ve grown quite fond of this place too!’
‘Zeppelin! Zeppelin!’
‘Keep calling my name! Hahaha!’
The buildings that bore Zeppelin Gold’s face, the ones rebuilt with money from the Black Archipelago, were either collapsed or entirely engulfed in flames. The boy who had laughed while high-fiving Zeppelin lay dead under the rubble of a building, his tongue lolling out. The head of the girl who loved flowers had been crushed like a walnut—hit by a brick engraved with Zeppelin Gold’s face.
‘This dark beer tastes great.’
‘It’s all thanks to Lord Zeppelin!’
‘Lord Zeppelin is a hero to us, a hero.’
Zeppelin Gold really loved the word 'hero.' He remembered even the names of the street urchins and never failed to recall their small stories. Zeppelin Gold was a man who usually wore a mask while conducting business, but having spent some time with him, I knew now. Zeppelin Gold was a man of deep affection. He was someone who couldn't help but love those who gave him love. So, if Zeppelin Gold were to wake up, he wouldn't be able to handle this sight.
War, death, sorrow, loss. Helplessness, rage.
All of it was far too much for Zeppelin Gold to bear. As I ran and ran, I heard the thunderous roars exploding behind me. It was the sound of two Swordmasters, absolute beings, clashing their blades. I had to get away as quickly as possible. I didn't know why Hugo Rhapsody was helping me, but if I missed this chance, I wouldn't survive.
I couldn't die here. Until I achieved my goal, I couldn't die no matter what. Never. So, I ran with everything I had. I leaped over the ruins of collapsed buildings and circled through the alleys.
And then...
“Rat.”
With a clang, my body was sent flying.
I almost fell, but I managed to perform an ukemi while holding tightly onto Zeppelin Gold. After landing, I looked up to see a man with braided hair standing before me. He had eyes like an eagle, and he was staring at me while holding a long, curved sword.
“Where do you think you’re running?”
“...”
“No one leaves this place alive today. Where the Sun That Never Sets has passed, only death must remain. A rest without exception.”
Dammit.
I bit my lip and drew my sword. I opened my eyes and unfurled 「The Path」, but strangely, not a single path extending from me could reach the man. Why?
His realm is far higher than mine...
The path was blocked by something. By an invisible wall. No, ‘wall’ wasn't the right word for it.
It was... Armor.
Yes, it was armor.
He’s a Sword Expert.
The situation was enough to make me lose my mind. First a Swordmaster, and now a Sword Expert. This was a level of military power that absolutely did not belong in the Southern Continent, the so-called land of peace. Facing the man’s overwhelming presence, I struggled to draw my sword.
Can I... handle him as I am now?
I had eight pairs of wings. I was at the point where I had almost reached the final threshold of a 「Sword Runner」. But I knew it myself. The wall of a Sword Expert was high. The ‘armor’ they wore made them nearly invincible. Among the techniques I possessed, only one could pierce a Sword Expert’s armor. Demon Ore.
If it was that sword, which could even wound a Proxy Warrior who had brought a god to descend, it could surely carve through a Sword Expert’s armor. But would it work? Being a Sword Expert meant reaching the limit of a Sword Runner. Would Demon Ore—full of openings and taking forever to prepare—even reach that guy?
“Lord... Arhan...”
Just then, Zeppelin Gold stirred and muttered. It seemed he was waking up from the noise around us. Only then did I realize. It wasn't a matter of if it would reach. I had to make it reach. In order to survive.
“Whew—”
I took a deep breath to prepare for battle.
But there was no need for that.
“Young Master!”
A sound like a crack of thunder echoed. In the next instant, a trajectory like a lightning bolt was drawn through the air, and a familiar, welcome face appeared from within the flash.
“Young Master Arhan, I will help you from here on!”
The identity of the ‘friend’ Hugo Rhapsody had mentioned was Tom. The caretaker of the Hall of Fame. The kind, talkative old man.
And a 「Sword Expert」.