Chapter 546: Omen (15)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 546: Omen (15)
The Overlord Sword—the secret technique of the Hairan Imperial Sword.
Though it was a swordsmanship style devised approximately five hundred years ago and refined by successive Hairan Patriarchs and Sword Saints, the existence of the Overlord Sword had never once been revealed to the world.
As Ron uttered its name, the Sword Saints’ eyes changed. Suddenly, the aura pouring from their bodies etched strange, rune-like patterns across their skin.
A murky vortex swirled in their pupils, and their pure white coats—the symbol of a Sword Saint—were stained a dreary, ashen gray.
It did not look like aura; it appeared more like a transformation caused by ancient dark magic or some other forbidden sorcery.
‘The Overlord Sword…? This is a sword of Hairan?’ Jin thought.
The Imperial Sword was the blade of the "Righteous Path." The swordsmanship displayed by its successors usually carried a uniquely pure and powerful energy. However, the transformation the Sword Saints were now undergoing possessed attributes that were the complete opposite.
It was turbid, dark, and ominous.
It looked less like a martial art and more like a curse.
Anyone who witnessed the energy of the Overlord Sword would instinctively realize that those who wielded this sword could never return to who they were before.
Furthermore, the energy of the Overlord Sword strangely felt remarkably similar to a swordsmanship Jin knew well. It felt like the Path of the Overlord—the sword of Runcandel.
"The 24th Patriarch didn't create this sword to fight Zipple," Ron said. "He created it to prepare for a decisive confrontation with Runcandel, should that day ever come."
This was why the Overlord Sword had remained unknown to the world despite being created five hundred years ago. It was a secret technique crafted by mimicking Runcandel’s swordsmanship, solely to prepare for an invasion from them.
The Overlord Sword had nothing to do with Hairan's "Righteous Path."
It was an extreme sword, designed to allow its wielder to face ultimate power, even at the cost of destroying their own body in a single moment.
In some ways, the Overlord Sword felt even more savage and ferocious than the swordsmanship of Runcandel, which had the safety net of a "Blessed Body."
He could almost hear the eerie breathing of wild beasts that had sacrificed their futures just to win the fight.
"To think I would end up drawing such a sword alongside Runcandel to fight Zipple… how strange."
Clack!
The Sword Saints drew their blades and lowered their stances. The stones of the fortress wall beneath their feet shattered, leaving deep footprints.
"Sword Saint Leader Luyan. Overlord Sword released. Awaiting the Patriarch's command."
"Sword Saint Aquita Hairan. Overlord Sword released. Awaiting the Patriarch's command."
"Sword Saint Erol Lyman. Overlord Sword released. Awaiting the Patriarch's command."
"Sword Saint Bel Altemiro. Overlord Sword released. Awaiting the Patriarch's command."
"Sword Saint Franz. Overlord Sword released. Awaiting the Patriarch's command."
The Sword Saints drew their swords in unison.
Simultaneously, sword energy erupted from their blades toward the fleet. The energy, glowing with a somber, ashen color, instantly pierced through Kelliark’s fire curtain and surged toward the inner fleet.
Hideous trajectories scarred the air, as if some gargantuan entity had clawed through it. Ron’s invisible sword energy assisted the Sword Saints' attacks, tearing the fire curtain to shreds in an instant.
The scent of ash wafted from the clumps of fire that scattered and fell. The thick smoke, spread by the sword energy swallowing the flames, completely obscured their vision.
The five swords, glowing darkly, continued their assault without hesitation.
No matter where they swung toward the sky ahead, it was filled with enemies. Any stray sword energy was guided by Ron's invisible blade to find its mark, so the pitch-black visibility was no obstacle.
The two types of sword energy—invisible and ashen—struck the fleet relentlessly. Occasionally, the screams of humans and dragons, indistinguishable from one another, drifted through the air.
Ron's newfound strength was already beyond his expectations, but now Kelliark had to contend with the Sword Saints' transformation as well.
‘Such a violent struggle,’ Kelliark thought.
However, he was no longer flustered.
When he had first witnessed Ron's martial prowess and gritted his teeth, it wasn't out of anxiety that he might lose this war.
He didn't feel a single speck of such anxiety.
The sense of defeat that had momentarily swept over Kelliark was purely because Ron had surpassed him in the realm of what it meant to be "human."
For a moment, he had felt that deep sense of inferiority he had always felt toward Cyron since their youth.
‘I admit it, my friends. As a human, I could not defeat you.’
But the Demon God Stone was an object that could lead him to an existence beyond human. A god, or something even more transcendent…
A red light spread from Hrotti.
Destruction Flame Orb of the Dark Heaven, Demon Emperor Form 2.
A sphere of fire rotated into view, swallowing the smoke.
The sphere was even larger than the one Jin had formed during their first battle by borrowing the wills of Solderet and Klam. It exuded a majesty befitting a spell cast by the pinnacle of magic himself.
Jin had seen the Demon Emperor Form 2 of the Destruction Flame Orb of the Dark Heaven exactly once in his previous life, performed by Valeria.
"This is the Lord’s…" Rata said, looking up at the sphere of fire.
Most of the Barmul Alliance and the Sword Emperor Castle mistakenly believed that Kelliark was using the exact same magic as Jin. They thought the power had simply increased because a stronger mage was using the same spell.
And since everyone had witnessed the power of Riol's legacy when Jin unleashed it, they couldn't help but grow incredibly tense.
"Kelliark Zipple, you haven't been idle either. Luyan!"
"Yes, Patriarch."
"I will block that. Octavia will surely try to infiltrate in the meantime, so—"
While Ron spoke, Jin was recalling a conversation he had with Valeria in his previous life.
—According to the records, the Destruction Flame Orb of the Dark Heaven, Demon Emperor Form 2, has raw firepower superior even to the final form.
—Then the final form must be superior in other aspects. Stability?
—Yes, stability. The final form is a refined version of Form 2, engineered for stability. But that’s not all.
—What other differences are there?
—Weaknesses. While Form 2 is the strongest, its weaknesses are too glaring. It has a flaw that doesn't even exist in Form 1. Most people don't survive to see this magic, and there are almost no mages great enough to dare analyze Riol's perfect spellcraft, so it remains an unknown territory… but look here.
Back then, Valeria had explained it while personally manifesting Form 2 near the Hister heritage site. A monstrous flame orb had been floating behind her, just like the one now.
—It’s just like paper where writing appears when it gets wet. When Form 2 begins, if you release mana and scatter it around the orb like this… You try it yourself. I can't maintain this and perform simultaneous casting.
Back then, as soon as Jin scattered his mana as she'd instructed, he had immediately understood Form 2's weakness.
He began to see the flow of mana that composed the Destruction Flame Orb of the Dark Heaven, Form 2.
Rune characters that had been invisible began to sparkle and glow, and numerous lines appeared between them.
—Severing those lines is the cancellation formula for Form 2. And you know well the backlash when magic is severed by someone other than the caster, right?
—Mana Backflow…
—Exactly. If you sever those lines right now, there’s a high probability I’ll die. Even I wouldn't be able to handle this much mana flowing back.
Therefore, the natural enemy of Form 2 was a magic swordsman, or a combination of a mage and a knight who knew its weakness.
The mage would use magic to reveal the runes and lines, and the knight would take on the role of severing them.
The final form was the ultimate version of the Destruction Flame Orb because, unlike Form 2, the revealed runes did not become a weakness.
"Lord Ron. I will block that together with the Barmul Alliance and the Sword Saints."
Ron’s eyes widened. Jin was stepping forward to block a spell that even he would have to commit to using True Energy beyond his aura to stop.
However, Ron didn't demand an explanation. He didn't ask how Jin intended to accomplish something even he found difficult, nor did he warn him against reckless bravery.
He simply trusted Jin. To Ron, Jin was no longer a child or a lesser martial artist, but a warrior who always accomplished what he set out to do.
"What do you need me to do?"
"If possible, please use your sword wind to lift the knights into the sky."
10-star martial artists often used their sword energy as a means of flight when engaging in aerial combat.
Ron had reached a realm beyond that, where he could lift others besides himself.
"For how long?"
"Five minutes—no, three minutes is enough. As long as you can perfectly protect our allies in the air."
Ron broke into a grin.
If it was only for that long, he wouldn't even need to consume his True Energy.
"An easy task. Shall we begin?"
"Yes."
Whooooosh!
Suddenly, an intense, invisible wind enveloped the bodies of the Barmul Alliance and the Sword Saints. The knights, caught in the wind, began to rise into the dawn sky.
"Until Kelliark’s magic is finished, all Sword Saints are to follow the command of Jin Runcandel."
Jin began releasing his mana. His profound mana intertwined with the mana of nature, giving rise to a thick, white haze.
And into that haze, the flames of the Destruction Flame Orb of the Dark Heaven, Demon Emperor Form 2, began to fall. Swirling bands of fire descended fiercely upon the knights who had risen into the sky.
Ron let out a shout and unleashed his invisible sword energy. A furious roar erupted as the sword energy and flames collided. The knights heightened their senses, watching the explosions detonate right before their eyes.
A precarious confrontation between sword and fire was taking place.
Jin didn't scatter his released mana all at once. He did this to ensure Kelliark wouldn't realize he knew about Form 2's weakness.
A minute passed.
‘Now,’ he thought. ‘I can scatter it all at once.’
"Barmul Alliance, Sword Saints! Destroy the rune characters and sever the mana lines connected between them!"
The moment Jin shouted, the one most shocked was undoubtedly Kelliark Zipple.
‘He has grasped… the cancellation formula for Form 2!’
No, that was impossible.
This was an action one could only take if they already knew the secret. And as far as Kelliark knew, only one other person in the world could know the weakness of Form 2.
Valeria Hister, the last survivor of the Hister family.
Kelliark finally had confirmation that she was involved with Jin. But it was too late.
Even if it were Riol Zipple himself, one could not instantly retract Form 2 once it had been unleashed.
The Barmul Alliance and the Sword Saints were already thrusting their swords toward the runes and lines of Form 2. Jin, identifying the runes and lines too distant for their swords to reach, prepared a Runcandel secret technique.
Runcandel 5th Secret Technique:
Light Speed Thrust – Pluto
Far beyond the flames, sword energy like deep blue lightning stretched toward the glowing rune characters.