Chapter 240
Chapter 240
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 240
Chapter Title: 92. Tyrant's Chronicle (8)
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Yuri drew up the mana of Heart-Soul Severing and overlaid it with the power of chaos. All sorts of randomly emanating possibilities swirled around him, sometimes becoming spears, sometimes shields.
Yuri took a step forward.
Then, the Black Knight stepped forward as well.
The two advanced continuously, but the distance between them didn't close easily.
Moving sideways and diagonally, like snakes eyeing their prey, they stretched their necks long, observing each other's entire bodies.
Yuri admired the Black Knight's defensive stance. There wasn't the slightest gap to exploit.
"Black Knight."
Yuri tried speaking again for no particular reason.
"You already know the Empire's in utter ruin, right? How does it feel?"
The Black Knight showed no reaction.
His defensive barrier was still solid, but Yuri didn't believe for a second that the Black Knight truly heard nothing.
He exaggerated his lip movements so that at least they could be lip-read.
"Why are you so bound to the Empire? The Lord in heaven will be disappointed. He's watching us even now..."
In that instant, the Black Knight leaped forward.
The distance closed in a flash. It felt as if space itself had been pierced, a blade thrusting out. The Black Knight's sword grazed Yuri's cheek by a hair's breadth.
Blood droplets splattered.
Yuri curled his lips upward.
"The Lord is watching, I said."
He wasn't just on the defensive. Dodging the attack, he swung Guilty upward, carving a long gash across the Black Knight's breastplate.
Sword aura at the pinnacle realm could transmit shockwaves straight into armor.
The Black Knight must have felt the impact of a solid blow right now.
Yuri held his sword straight.
"They say Black Knights follow only the Emperor's orders. Why is that? Ivarna isn't that great a ruler. And now he's completely lost his mind..."
Yuri kept needling, prodding at the opponent's nerves. The Black Knight showed no reaction, but Yuri didn't stop.
Invisible ripples were spreading beneath the surface, even if they weren't visible to the eye.
"You probably know Ivarna's become Cedric's puppet. Oh, did you not know?"
The sword aura emanating from the Black Knight grew subtly more ferocious.
Yuri burst into laughter.
"Did you know? Or did you not, but now you do? Doesn't matter either way. Is Ivarna still sane right now? Or has he become a monster pickled in black magic? Probably the latter."
As if trying to silence Yuri's mouth, the Black Knight brought his sword crashing down fiercely over Yuri's head.
Yuri deliberately didn't dodge, clashing blades instead and absorbing the Black Knight's intense emotions with his entire body.
With each exchange of blows, his joints rang out.
"You must know the rough picture, Black Knight. The king of Conzed, who died not long ago, was consumed by black magic and ended up in a horrific state. Ivarna's probably the same, right? What can you do? He brought it on himself."
Whether it was Yuri's imagination or not, mocking Ivarna caused the Black Knight to waver for a split second.
Yuri didn't miss the opening. He unleashed a blast of Heart-Soul Severing energy. As the Black Knight was pushed back, Yuri kicked his abdomen and swung his sword.
Already off-balance, the Black Knight couldn't block properly.
Yuri raised Guilty high over the kneeling Black Knight's head.
Then plunged it straight down.
An explosion rang out.
The Black Knight crossed his sword and erected a barrier of sword aura to block the attack.
But Heart-Soul Severing tenaciously gnawed at its foe. The aura cloaking Guilty eroded the Black Knight's mana as it burrowed into the barrier.
Guilty slowly pushed downward.
"Urgh..."
Behind the mask, the Black Knight's eyes burned like fire.
Yuri channeled the power of chaos to press even harder.
"How's Ivarna doing?"
"..."
"Probably not well. He brought it all on himself, after all. Can't be helped."
As Yuri continued his habitual barbs, the Black Knight suddenly dropped his barrier.
Yuri's sword clashed directly against the Black Knight's.
In that instant, the Black Knight twisted sideways, discarding his sword. He then hammered a fist into Yuri's exposed side.
Yuri's body floated into the air before flying off.
"Argh..."
He felt a momentary shock like his abdomen had been shattered.
As Yuri rolled across the ground, clutching Guilty and struggling to rise, the Black Knight's head suddenly loomed before his eyes.
Next came the blade.
Chilling sword aura plunged down as if to cleave Yuri in two.
"Urk!"
As Yuri blocked, the Black Knight hacked away like chopping firewood and bellowed.
"Don't spout whatever nonsense comes to mind if you know nothing!"
Feral energy tore even the surrounding air as it bore down on Yuri.
At some point, the Black Knight raised his sword high. Mana shimmered like haze above the blade.
The Black Knight declared.
"It's over."
Unlike the previous strikes, the mana flowing along the blade was immense. Yuri had no confidence he could block it.
This was dangerous.
Then reason numbed, and instinct seized control of his body. Mana surged from his core, spinning the mana dwelling in Guilty.
The connected energies meshed like gears and began to turn.
The fractal vortex structure activated all at once with explosive acceleration.
In this moment of mortal peril, the Rotating Tempest Sword evolved into an instant technique.
The vortex formed so quickly that it caused an expansion of energy close to an explosion.
A massive shockwave engulfed both Yuri and the Black Knight.
The Black Knight tumbled backward, while Yuri, who had been kneeling, rolled several times.
Both writhed on the ground before rising to their feet.
"Huff... huff..."
Yuri caught his breath.
A chilling sensation swept through his heart belatedly.
He'd truly nearly died just now.
Unleashing the Rotating Tempest Sword had been an unconscious reaction. Without that miraculous evolution of the technique, he would have failed even that and taken the hit.
"Nearly died there."
Yuri steadied his breathing and raised Guilty.
If he had stood, then the Black Knight would do the same.
The fight wasn't over yet.
The Black Knight approached with heavy steps. Scratches marred his mask.
Yuri forced a smile.
"Got mad when I insulted Ivarna, huh."
"Your mouth runs too loose. I get that you're provoking me, but know your limits."
"That's rich coming from you. You invoke your faith like that, but in the end, His Majesty matters more? Is a black-magic addict really that worthy of respect?"
"Don't speak recklessly."
"Which part is reckless?"
After a brief silence, the Black Knight raised his sword and said curtly.
"His Majesty never wanted black magic. He was merely victimized by them."
"Oh? Is that so? Then..."
"Shut your mouth!"
Before Yuri could continue, the Black Knight charged again.
His strikes hadn't weakened in the slightest. If anything, they grew fiercer. So sharp and precise that whenever the tiniest gap appeared, he pierced through defenses and sliced into Yuri's flesh.
Bleeding from wounds all over, Yuri laughed.
"Victimized, huh..."
He could easily imagine what had become of Ivarna.
"So he really did become a monster? The king of Conzed had his head and body swollen up like balloons. Is Ivarna the same? Can't even open his eyes properly, right?"
"Quiet!"
Reigniting the Black Knight's once-flaring emotions wasn't hard.
"What do you even know?!"
Watching the fury boiling in the Black Knight, Yuri burst into laughter.
"What do I know?"
Mana exploded in a whirlwind within his core. Heart-Soul Severing absorbed Yuri's emotions and momentum, swelling in power.
Yuri arched his back dramatically. The moment the Black Knight entered his range, he swung with his entire body.
Their swords collided. A rupture echoed as the ground trembled violently.
Volcanic mana erupted from Yuri's body.
"Black Knight, you're a complete idiot!"
Yuri's attacks pressed on. Simple wide swings, but the power infused within was so overwhelming that the Black Knight staggered with every one. He had no spare energy to exploit openings.
Yuri swung his sword while shouting continuously.
"If you're that pissed, why are you standing here?"
"Kh!"
"If it's for Ivarna, point your sword at Cedric, not me!"
He hooked the Black Knight's leg to trip him, then struck down.
The Black Knight rolled across the ground to evade.
Yuri pursued, sneering.
"Mad that I said he brought it on himself? Yeah, truth is, no one chooses their fate. The world's fall isn't anyone's fault. Bullshit—that bastard did it!"
As the Black Knight blocked with his sword, Yuri kicked his abdomen.
The Black Knight's body lifted into the air before slamming into the ground.
"Black Knight. Is this what you call fighting for Ivarna—getting duped into playing puppet? They promised to save Ivarna if you do? You actually believe that crap?"
"Kh..."
"And now you take it out on me. You stupid fuck..."
Yuri staggered toward the Black Knight, gripping Guilty. The brutal fight had left him far from unscathed.
"The one who should really be pissed is me."
"Shut up!"
The Black Knight sprang to his feet and lunged at Yuri.
Mana thoroughly depleted from the clashes, the two swung at each other with feeble motions like logs reduced to embers.
The clash of weapons continued.
Facing Yuri sword-to-sword, the Black Knight mumbled.
"I have no choice. I could never betray His Majesty..."
"You stupid fuck!"
Yuri roared and shoved his sword forward. He then rammed the Black Knight with his body, pinning him down completely.
Their swords tangled in midair before both tumbled to the ground.
Yuri smashed his fist into the Black Knight's mask.
"Guh!"
"You idiot!"
Yuri kept hammering fists into the mask.
The Black Knight wasn't someone to crumble so easily.
But as Yuri relentlessly pressed, he lost the will to fight mentally.
After taking several hits, the Black Knight grabbed Yuri's wrists with both hands. As they struggled in a contest of strength, Yuri spat.
"Ivarna's gone. Just breathing doesn't mean he's alive. Ivarna's already dead. All that's left is a pitiful monster sacrificed to black magic."
"I... I..."
"For Ivarna!"
Yuri seized the Black Knight by the hair and swung another fist.
The mask bent.
"Doesn't it occur to you to fight the Empire Cedric devoured and grant Ivarna peace? You, who claim it's for Ivarna, blocking me now?"
Yuri tore the Black Knight's mask off.
The Black Knight resisted, but Yuri showed no mercy.
"Black Knight. Everyone's been dying to know your true identity."
"Stop..."
"Let's find out."
Yuri clamped down hard on the Black Knight's throat. Seizing the moment resistance slackened, he peeled off the mask.
The Black Knight seemed to have given up resisting, going limp and just heaving breaths.
Only his eyes glared sharply at Yuri.
"..."
From behind the mask, emerald-like green eyes emerged. Moist with moisture, the irises gleamed in vivid color.
At last, the Black Knight spoke.
"Heavy. Get off."
But Yuri remained in place and asked directly.
"What's your relation to Ivarna?"
"You'll see."
"I want to hear it straight from you."
"My father."
"Sorry about earlier."
"Now you say that..."
Seeing the face behind the mask wasn't all that shocking.
The Black Knight's features subtly resembled Ekaterina's. An emperor of the Empire's caliber was bound to have illegitimate children.
"Illegitimate daughter, huh. Dyed your hair?"
"Yeah."
"Voice?"
"Trained it."
Yuri rose and extended a hand. The Black Knight brushed back her hair, grasped Yuri's hand, and stood.
Facing each other upright made it even clearer.
The Black Knight was Ivarna's daughter.