Chapter 569: The Sword Emperor (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 569: The Sword Emperor (1)
The Black Sea, Land of the Five Kings.
For over twelve hours, Cyron’s expeditionary force and Kyal had been locked in a life-or-death struggle.
Ozdok had been blown far from the battlefield by the sheer aftershocks of the combat, knocked completely unconscious. Meanwhile, Kyal let out continuous, eerie shrieks, scattering waves of chaos energy.
The chaos Kyal unleashed was on a different level from Gliek’s. Unlike Gliek, this creature had fully awakened long ago and was capable of wielding its complete power.
"Haa, haaa...!"
Luna exhaled raggedly, glaring at Kyal. She was down on one knee, leaning on the axe-sword Krantel for support, while the former Black Knights provided cover.
"Just a little... please."
"Do not worry. Recover your strength, 1st Flagbearer, even if only for a moment," Vanessa Olson replied, though her own voice was thick with heavy breathing. Through the gaps in their shattered armor, the bodies of the former Black Knights were marred by the ink-like stains of chaos.
Had it not been for Cyron, they would have been annihilated by now—despite each of them being among the strongest knights on the planet.
Has Father been fighting things like this all alone?
Since the battle began, Luna had lost count of how many times she had been struck by pure awe. She had heard some details from Cyron beforehand, but once the actual combat started, the sheer scale of it overwhelmed her senses.
Furthermore, excluding Cyron, not a single attack from the rest of the expedition had managed to land a meaningful blow on Kyal. Luna and the former Black Knights’ sole role was to provide cover for Cyron.
Though at this point, it’s hard to tell if we’re protecting Father or if it’s the other way around.
From the back of her father as he faced Kyal, Luna felt a sense of urgency. It was a sensation she had never experienced from him before.
In truth, Cyron was indeed fighting to suppress his mounting anxiety, and for good reason.
Of all times, Gliek had awakened in the human world, not the Black Sea. Cyron judged that there was currently no force in the mortal realm capable of stopping it. Had he not been facing Kyal, Cyron would have turned back without a moment's hesitation.
If Gliek could not be stopped, the Runcandel clan would face extinction.
While Kinzelo remained a variable, the likelihood of them stepping up to stop a worldly disaster seemed low. Cyron believed that the burden of dealing with Gliek would ultimately fall upon Runcandel, Zipple, the Empire, the Secret Palace, and the other major powers.
It was the worst-case scenario. However, retreating while facing Kyal was impossible, and even if it were, the problems that would arise after his return were of a magnitude even he would find difficult to handle.
[You seem to be in a hurry... Cyron Runcandel.]
Kyal’s eyes narrowed into crescent slits. The creature saw right through Cyron’s state of mind.
"It seems you still have the leisure to worry about such things."
Whooooosh!
Like a gathering storm, the Aura of Creation began to coalesce around Cyron’s sword, Barisada.
Cyron wasn't the only one feeling pressured. Kyal was also feeling the strain, realizing that Cyron’s power had grown even greater than when they had last clashed.
A monster.
Every human who had encountered a King of the Black Sea perceived them as monsters, but Kyal was forced to view Cyron in the same light.
And just as the aura gathered in Barisada was about to explode—
Kyal felt something occur in the human world that forced the creature to drop its relaxed smile. At the same instant, Cyron froze, his eyes widening.
This is...!
Just as they had felt Gliek’s awakening at the start of their battle, both Cyron and Kyal sensed the emergence of a new Creation Knight in the human world.
Only the manifested light of Creation could transmit its presence to this distant subspace.
Luna and the former Black Knights could not feel that light.
Ron Hairan—it’s him!
It wasn't the energy of Talaris, Rosa, or any other superhuman he knew. It was a brilliant energy imbued with the unique Righteous Path of the Hairan family, felt as vividly as if it were right in front of him.
However, within that light of Creation, there was not only the energy of the Hairan's Righteous Path but also a faint trace of spirit energy.
Why is there spirit energy...? Could it be that the youngest helped him somehow? There should be no reason for Solderet’s power to be mixed with the Hairan's path.
He couldn't jump to conclusions, and it wasn't the most pressing matter right now. Regardless, Cyron could now guess the situation in the human world.
The King of the Black Sea awakened on Imperial soil, and Ron Hairan surpassed the wall while standing against it. There is no other explanation.
The Ron Hairan Cyron knew was a knight who could certainly reach the realm of Creation if given the right catalyst—though Cyron had considered it far more likely that Ron would fall into demonization like Smarion.
In any case, there was no longer any reason for Cyron to hesitate in his fight against Kyal.
Of course, Ron reaching the realm of Creation didn't guarantee the absolute subjugation of the fifth King of Chaos, nor did it mean the battle would end without catastrophic damage to the world.
But a clear hope had been born. Moreover, if Gliek were to be extinguished by Ron’s sword, it meant one of Cyron's own burdens would be lifted.
If he succeeds in stopping Gliek, I must be sure to convey my gratitude.
This time, a smirk played on Cyron’s lips.
"Shouldn't you keep smiling, Kyal? If you reveal your inner thoughts so easily, you hardly seem fit to be called a King of anything."
In that moment, Luna saw that her father’s sword had regained its composure, and she became certain.
This battle would end in the expedition's victory.
*
Had there ever been a time when he felt this calm while standing at the crossroads of life and death?
Even as his breath hitched and his consciousness flickered, Jin felt a strange sense of relief.
He didn't know why, but there was only one reason.
The very first thing the great man who had entered the realm of a demigod did was bestow his protection upon Jin.
The light of Creation floating in the air slowly approached Ron’s chest. It scattered a light only he could see, spoke in a language only he could hear, and revealed a meaning only he could understand.
At the moment he overcame death, Ron had defied fate once. He did so purely through his own will. The sheer magnitude of the power he possessed at that moment was already on par with Creation, which was why he had been able to fight for so long while wielding the Overlord Sword.
But after that, Ron’s mind had collapsed. Submerged in sorrow and chaos, he had become a slave to his inner demons. As a result, he was turning into a monster, just like the former Ghost Captain Smarion Prochi.
However, thanks to meeting Jin, he was able to escape the abyss.
All those who gain the power of Creation face the risk of becoming monsters, and that danger does not disappear even after becoming a demigod. It remains forever, like a dormant disease that could erupt at any time. This was because, as long as one was fundamentally human, even a demigod could not fully endure that power.
If the two had not met in this subspace, Ron would never have reached the realm of Creation. Since the war began, Ron’s demonization had been progressing with uncontrollable speed.
Thus, while Gliek provided the final push toward that demonization, it was Jin who had resisted until the very end to prevent Ron from crossing the line.
Ron slowly reached out toward the light of Creation that had stopped before his chest.
It was like a roaring fire. As he grasped it with both hands, the light flowed between his fingers and returned repeatedly, teaching Ron the final enlightenment.
Then, Ron gently scooped up a clump of that light and leaned down, letting it flow into the fallen Jin.
Like ripples on a calm water surface, the light of Creation scattered and permeated Jin’s body. However, that single clump of light could not be entirely absorbed by him. Less than ten percent of the power could be integrated. The rest of the energy scattered and vanished forever.
Ron did not regret this. Rather, he was simply grateful that he could heal Jin’s wounds at such a price.
The light of Creation remaining in Ron and the energy that flowed into Jin each became one with the two men. Ron’s blackened pupils regained their original color, and the blood pouring from Jin’s wounds turned a healthy red as the flow subsided.
The subspace began to vibrate.
Gliek was furious. It could not comprehend why a mere human was ruining everything, rather than the terrible shadow of Solderet it had been so wary of.
Above all, hadn't it refused to allow this human entry in the first place? Had Ron remained outside, he would have become an entity close to a King of Chaos. Gliek had been certain of it, judging that Ron had been perfectly consumed by his inner demons.
The light of Creation had fully merged with both men.
"Whew..."
A breath escaped Jin’s lips. It was not the dark, damp breath of death, but a breath so clear and pure it felt like the first gasp of a new life.
His wounds were completely healed. Since the light of Creation was fundamentally different from the legacy of Numerus, his internal injuries weren't fully mended, but Jin felt his body become incredibly light.
The chaos that had mixed with his spirit energy to artificially boost his power had also vanished. Consequently, his martial prowess had returned to its original state, but that didn't matter. That power had only been a desperate measure to face Ron. Though a few dark spots of chaos remained on his body like faint bruises, they weren't an immediate problem.
Jin hadn't personally witnessed the moment he was healed. Nevertheless, he felt he knew what had happened without needing Ron’s explanation.
"Jin."
Jin took Ron’s outstretched hand and stood up. The light of Creation, which Jin hadn't been able to see moments ago, was now casting a faint radiance around Ron’s body.
"Lord Ron."
The two locked eyes in silence for a long moment. Like comrades-in-arms who had fought back-to-back for years, they felt as if they could see clearly into each other’s hearts.
"If not for you, I would have eventually become a monster and killed Dante with my own hands. And I wouldn't have even been able to feel the sorrow or pain of it."
At those words, Jin’s pupils dilated.
Because Ron was speaking as if Dante were still alive.