Chapter 572: Sword Emperor (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 572: Sword Emperor (4)
The moment Jin and Ron vanished into the subspace, the tide of battle turned decisively toward defeat.
The creature had unleashed a power far greater than anything it had shown before being bound by the Secret Palace’s Demonic Sealing Device. In the monster’s eyes, every variable the humans could have hoped for had been neutralized.
For over a day, the battle had raged, yet the giants had failed to inflict any meaningful damage on Gliek. In fact, they could no longer even attempt the coordinated attacks they had mounted in the beginning. Not only were they unable to land a decisive blow, but the creature’s energy had grown so fierce that they were barely managing to protect their allies.
The monster was like the sea; no matter how many times it was cut, it always returned to its original form. It felt no exhaustion, and the Demonic Sealing Device could not be deployed a second time to bind it. The situation had grown increasingly bleak.
That was, until Ron, Jin, and Dante returned. The only time Gliek had paused its relentless assault was when Ron was in its abyss, cutting down the image of the white stone.
It had been a matter of time before the giants of Zipple, Runcandel, and the Secret Palace were slaughtered. Kelliark had already been considering a retreat, but with the Black Sea-ification that had progressed over the day, even that was a slim possibility.
Into this hopeless situation, Ron had returned, having attained the power of Creation. And he had brought Jin and Dante with him.
The giants couldn't fathom how Ron had stepped into the realm of Creation in such a short time, or what had transpired while he was gone with Jin.
However, one thing was certain.
The one-sided slaughter was over.
Gliek was being struck.
A brilliant sword energy, spreading like a whirlwind, protected Jin and Dante like a fortress wall. The energy of Chaos seemed unable to approach the barrier, recoiling like beasts from a fire.
[How… what have you done, Ron Hairan?]
Gliek’s gloomy voice still carried an aura that could plunge a human into terror just by hearing it.
But the giants—and even those on the battlefield who had yet to reach the realm of transcendence—could feel it. They could hear the distinct note of fear laced in the monster's voice. Every time Ron swung his sword, Gliek flinched.
Though Gliek’s massive body was comparable in scale to the Sword Emperor Castle before its destruction, to the people watching, Ron appeared far more gargantuan as he stood before it.
“That is a question I should be asking. What have you been doing to my Hairan until now?”
Wooooong—!
Rashid let out a powerful resonance.
The Invisible Sword—the enlightenment that symbolized the Sword Emperor, Ron Hairan.
That very sword had been losing its original, pure form ever since the Sword Emperor Holy War began. As the situation grew dire, it had lost its transparency and turned ashen. When Ron fell to his inner demons, it had been stained black by Chaos, even piercing his own kin.
Now, the sword energy pouring from Rashid was once again invisible.
However, his sword energy was not invisible simply due to his technical mastery, as it had been before. Just as those who have not reached Creation cannot perceive the light of Creation, the same now applied to Ron’s new Invisible Sword.
To the vast majority of humans, it was merely an unseen sword energy.
But to someone like Cyron Runcandel, it would appear as a sword shining with incomparable brilliance. And Gliek saw it that way as well.
Gliek recoiled from a flash so bright it threatened to blind it. Just facing the light made the creature feel as if its entire being would be torn apart and erased from existence.
“Answer me,” Ron said, meeting Gliek’s eyes.
Following his will, the sword energy of Creation surged toward the monster’s body.
[Kaaaaaaakh…!]
Gliek writhed, letting out a scream of pure agony. The invisible sword energy was decomposing the Chaos that formed its body into mere particles.
A silent storm.
Those familiar with Ron’s Invisible Sword couldn't help but think of such a strange expression. A power as vast as the ocean was tearing the monster apart, yet that power could not be seen. Even the giants could not accurately perceive how the invisible sword energy was flowing.
“It seems you have no intention of speaking,” Ron said. “Then I shall recite your crimes for you.”
Slice—!
With a single, direct swing of Ron’s sword, the five or six arms that Gliek had reflexively extended were severed.
“White Stone, Gliek. You have destroyed the territory of Hairan, rendered this land uninhabitable for humans, and attempted to murder the successor of Hairan. As the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle, I hold you accountable for these crimes and will now execute your sentence.”
Ron’s eyes glowed fiercely as he finished speaking. “The punishment is extinction.”
A laugh was mixed in with Gliek’s scream. A shriek that shook heaven and earth echoed simultaneously with a chilling, wind-like sneer.
[Heh… heh heh…! Impressive. You are certainly more special than any human I have ever met. I offer you my praise.]
As it began to speak, Gliek’s massive size rapidly shrank. Ron felt no particular emotion at the monster’s composed demeanor.
[However, just because you have gained the power to defy fate… does not mean you will be able to do so.]
Whirrr… Gliek’s body began to scatter.
As its unnecessarily large form vanished, the amount of Chaos being lost to the invisible sword energy decreased. It became a black wind, spreading across the battlefield.
The giants were still unable to break through the Chaos to reach Ron’s location. Even though Ron was inflicting fundamental damage on the creature, the area was still saturated with enough Chaos to overwhelm them.
Nevertheless, the giants were slowly regaining their composure.
In any case, it will be safer for Ron Hairan to protect Jin Runcandel than for me to do it myself… but the question is whether he will protect Jin until the end, Kelliark thought.
Trying to forcibly secure the youngest would only put him in more danger, Rosa mused. It seems the King of the Black Sea has some other means left, so I should prepare for that instead. Whether Ron Hairan abandons the youngest is a factor I cannot change, no matter how much I worry.
They were concerned about Gliek’s final struggle, but also the possibility of Ron ‘abandoning Jin.’
The latter seemed like a non-issue, but they had their reasons. Although they had not reached Creation themselves, they knew all too well how those who did often lost their humanity.
Those who reach Creation risk becoming monsters for the rest of their lives.
Rosa, in particular, had personally witnessed the state Cyron was in immediately after he reached Creation. At that time, Cyron had been no different from a bloodthirsty demon. It was only after a long time had passed that he became the stable, stoic figure he was now.
There was no guarantee that Ron would not end up the same way. In fact, as Rosa and Kelliark feared, Ron was still engaged in a fierce internal struggle against the inner demons trying to consume him.
[Especially in your current state, where mortal emotions still remain so strong….]
Gliek’s voice echoed from within the black wind of Chaos.
It was true that a miscalculation in its plans had allowed Ron Hairan to ascend to Creation. However, the monster still clung to the possibility that Ron could become one of its kind. It had a premonition that Ron’s ascension might even be a precursor to that very outcome.
Furthermore, Gliek was confident that even if Ron managed to maintain his human emotions, its own combat power was superior. It also recognized that the attribute of Creation Ron had achieved was specialized in ‘protection.’
Hwooooooo—!
The scattered Chaos began to form a vortex in the center of the battlefield. Simultaneously, the energies of Chaos staining the ground surged upward.
It looked as if black tsunamis were rising from all directions.
At the sight, every human on the battlefield except Ron was struck speechless.
The pressure had been overwhelming until now, but the energy Gliek was currently revealing far exceeded any power the humans had experienced.
Gliek’s Chaos was coming into full bloom.
This meant that the Black Sea-ification required for it to fight with its true power was now complete. Until now, it had been unable to use that power, as it was busy absorbing Jin and stopping those who entered its abyss.
The Origin Stone was an object created by combining the true energy of all the gods. Even the Pluto Tribe in their prime had met their end resisting its power. The Kings of the Black Sea were those who held that power, divided into five pieces.
There was no way what he had shown so far was everything.
Since the war began, time had never once been on the side of the humans. Not even now.
“Gasp…!”
The advancing giants stopped their charge, gasping for breath. The toxic miasma of Chaos rising from the ground was seizing their ankles.
Every other human could not even breathe properly. The Black Knights and the Wraith Squad coughed up blood as Chaos infiltrated their bodies, while the knights and mages below their level rapidly lost consciousness.
Talaris was not in good condition either. Since she hadn't released Elona’s seal, she lacked the power to protect herself. The only reason Talaris didn't collapse immediately was that Rosa had made a quick judgment and returned to her side.
“Palace Master, stay close to me.”
Rosa recalled how Talaris had tried to tell Kelliark that she had one last move left right before Jin disappeared.
As Rosa and Kelliark had surmised, Jin and Dante were unaffected by the toxic miasma of Chaos. Ron’s power was protecting them.
But this also meant that Ron had to continue protecting them while fighting Gliek.
And as soon as Gliek’s final struggle began, Jin realized something was wrong with Dante on his back.
Dante’s body… it’s being consumed by Chaos again…!
He could see Dante’s hands, wrapped around his neck, slowly turning black.
Ron was also aware of this. He was seething with rage, though he did not let it show enough for Jin to notice.
Gliek, however, saw it clearly. It saw Ron’s rage, and it knew that rage would soon curdle into hatred, tempting him once more.
[Ron Hairan, if you wish to defeat me, you must have nothing left to protect….]