Chapter 102
The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 102
Translation: godsn
Unlike the Holy Sword, Valdergiosa depended entirely on its wielder. Having anticipated this outcome, Yurien focused solely on parrying the blade without a word.
Several violent sword strikes were exchanged. The aftermath shattered tables and vanities, leaving cracks across walls and floors. Torn fabric scraps and feathers bursting from cushions fluttered through the air like snowflakes. Amidst the chaos, Yurien noticed her sword was far weaker than he'd prepared for. While still powerful enough to overwhelm most Masters, it fell short of Zenith's legendary prowess.
The reason became immediately apparent. The moment he blocked Valdergiosa's slash toward his shoulder, Echinacea's body jerked violently before she coughed up another mouthful of blood. Most of the crimson droplets streaming down were bright scarlet—the result of fighting relentlessly while ignoring poison and continuously draining her mana.
Keeping her isolated until she collapsed from exhaustion was one viable strategy. Since the Saintess couldn't handle someone corrupted by a Magic Sword, Echinacea couldn't receive treatment until regaining consciousness. Yurien had considered this as a last resort, but the sight of that fresh blood made him realize it was impossible.
'Last time her endurance held out, but leaving her like this now might break her body completely. Moreover, in this state... healing would be impossible.'
Perhaps sensing the host's critical condition, Echinacea momentarily froze. Yurien, who'd also stiffened upon seeing her blood, regained his composure slightly faster. He hooked his foot around her rigid leg, sweeping her off balance before pinning her down and pressing the Magic Sword beneath Elgiosa. Echinacea thrashed beneath him, then seized his throat with her free hand.
"Kkh...!"
A Master's grip strength could crush a human windpipe. Someone like Zenith could manifest Sword Energy barehanded to decapitate outright.
Rather than striking away the choking hand, Yurien reinforced his neck with mana and endured while slipping his free hand into his coat. He retrieved the Sealing Tool he'd stored earlier, pressing its gemstone component against Valdergiosa.
[Alright, let's reorganize your hypothesis. Valdergiosa's bloodlust converts into accumulated mana. The Magic Sword uses that mana to control its wielder.]
The Holy Sword muttered impatiently. The previously transparent gemstone rapidly darkened as it absorbed the Magic Sword's mana.
[Therefore, extracting that accumulated mana could theoretically mitigate the bloodlust's corrupting influence. Your reasoning has merit.]
The Sealing Tool's gemstones darkened at alarming speed. Within moments, over half the densely packed stones pulsed with ominous light.
[But there's no way a handful of Magic Stones could possibly absorb all the mana accumulated in a Magic Sword! Nor any guarantee the wielder would regain sanity! And what exactly do you plan to do with those mana stones saturated with bloodlust?!]
The choking pressure intensified. Rather than breaking her grip, Yurien held his breath and increased downward pressure on the Magic Sword.
[Any human absorbing that mana would drown in bloodlust! If controlling it were easy, Magic Sword wielders wouldn't struggle so desperately to reclaim their bodies! Mana stones containing a Magic Sword's energy—you might as well be handling cursed objects! What's your plan for these?!]
Echinacea convulsed violently, her nails raking bloody trails down Yurien's throat.
[If the wielder doesn't break free from the bloodlust, all you'll accomplish is creating murderous mana stones! Just attach the Sealing Tool—she might survive the poison! Are you listening? Damn it!]
Nearly all the gemstones had turned black. As the final stone filled, the inky darkness began receding from Echinacea's hair. Yurien stared intently—he saw possibility.
[Master, look at the stones!]
The nagging Holy Sword shouted urgently. Yurien, who'd been fixated on the pink gradually returning to her hair, shifted his gaze to the Sealing Tool. The pitch-black gemstones were shuddering violently. With their mana storage capacity maxed out, the absorption magic circle engraved on the tool kept relentlessly spinning.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out as one of the gems in the sealing tool split. Yurien, holding his breath, alternated his gaze between the cracked gem, the faint pink strands now visible in Echinacea's hair, the magic sword still oozing black mana, and the holy sword pressing down upon it.
His drifting blue eyes settled on Echinacea's face. The woman choking him wore no expression. Suddenly, he recalled the moment she had smiled.
[You—what the hell are you doing—?!]
Yurien's hand, still gripping the sealing tool, tore away from the magic sword and pressed against his solar plexus. Most humans formed their mana cores near that region.
"Rang. You are a sword of amplification and demon-purging."
[What?]
"If I channel mana into you, you amplify it, and that amplified mana takes on the nature of demon-purging—imbued with the righteousness to vanquish evil."
[What kind of nonsense are you spouting at a time like this?!]
"I'm trusting you."
A Master could absorb mana stored in magic stones—the reverse of charging a magic sword. Yurien began drawing in the pitch-black mana saturating the sealing tool.
[This—this insane master of mine—!]
He funneled the absorbed mana directly into his right hand. Black stains, like the marks of a plague, erupted along his temples, neck, shoulders, and fingers. A torrent of darkness spilled like ink over the holy sword. Langiosa's golden patterns blazed with blinding radiance.
This was a gamble.
Yurien's arm trembled violently. Veins bulged at his temples as he forcibly guided the holy sword's function. Langiosa clamped her mouth shut and, like a tidal wave, devoured the flood of black mana under his direction. The holy sword's power—its ability to imbue its wielder's mana with demon-purging properties—was pushed to its absolute limit. Golden light surged ferociously.
Minutes that felt like an eternity passed before the black miasma shrouding the holy sword gradually turned white. The dark stains on his body also began to fade.
[It's overflowing!]
Langiosa hurled a brief warning. But even before she spoke, Yurien's instincts had already assessed the situation. He shoved Echinacea away, rose to his feet, and unleashed the holy sword—now brimming with white mana—toward the wall.
The explosion tore through stone. A thick cloud of dust filled the chamber.
Echinacea, thrown back, coughed violently as she struggled to rise. Bright blood dripped from her lips in thick drops. From within the dust, an arm clad in a uniform sleeve shot out and seized her.
Yurien grabbed her right wrist and forced the sealing tool against the magic sword once more. The gems, now transparent again thanks to the mana he had absorbed, began filling anew as the black miasma rippling through her hair and eyes was forcibly expelled.
With her free hand and both legs, she thrashed wildly against his hold. Devoid of reason and nearly drained of mana, her resistance was nothing more than the desperate flailing of a beast. Yurien ignored the minor wounds and focused solely on siphoning the magic sword's mana through the sealing tool.
By the time all the transparent gems had darkened once more, Echinacea's movements ceased. The magic sword dispersed like mist, vanishing into her grasp. Her limp hair now held only a faint pink hue. He stuffed the sealing tool into his coat and turned her body upright. Her hazy violet eyes roamed the air before fluttering shut beneath pale eyelids.
She was back.
Yurien caught her collapsing form and sank to the ground with her in his arms. The holy sword melted away, its form seeping back into the emblem etched into his palm.
[I didn't even know something like this was possible... Ha. You really end up doing all sorts of absurd things in this life.]
"You worked hard, Rang. Thank you."
[Save the thanks. I need to rest.]
Langiosa grumbled before falling silent. Yurien wiped the blood from Echinacea's lips again with his hand—now marred with raw, stinging wounds. The crimson staining his fingers hurt more than the gashes on his neck and the scattered injuries across his body.
He stared blankly at it for a moment before letting out a long sigh. Then he pulled her trembling body closer, wishing he could swallow down her pained whimpers along with her suffering.
"Captain!"
"What's happening? Another explosion—?"
"May we enter?"
Commotion erupted outside. Yurien had to cough violently once before he could raise his voice.
"Has the Saintess arrived? What about the Vice-Captain?"
"Yes, both have just arrived!"
"Let only those two in for now."
As he rose while holding Echinacea, he caught sight of his own nape in the cracked mirror. The marks from being strangled were vivid. Yurien pulled up his collar to hide them and stepped out of the bedroom.
Echinacea Roaz regained consciousness after a full day and a half had passed.
When she opened her eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling greeted her. This wasn't her familiar dormitory room. Still dazed, she stared at the ceiling's pattern before slowly turning her gaze sideways. The slanting sunset light through the window painted a scarlet rectangle on the white sheets. And at the edge of that rectangle lay scattered strands of shimmering silver thread.
For a while, Eki didn't recognize what it was. Only after blinking several times did she realize in quick succession that it was someone's hair—and that the owner of that hair was someone she knew intimately.
"Yu—"
She reflexively swallowed the name that nearly leapt out. Eki pushed against the bed and slowly sat up. Though nothing hurt, her entire body felt drained as if she'd pushed herself to the limit. Leaning on one arm against the bed, she inclined her body toward him.
Yurien had fallen asleep sprawled across a low chair by the bed, his upper body slumped forward. Dressed in a thin shirt and trousers, he looked unfamiliar out of uniform. Still groggy, she stared blankly at him before reaching out. His face was obscured by disheveled strands of hair.
Just before her fingers could touch the silver threads, a large hand caught her wrist. Long lashes lifted as he opened his eyes. His sky-blue irises, tinged with scarlet from the sunset, mirrored the colors of the sky outside.
Yurien raised his upper body, alternately glancing between the slender wrist caught in his grasp and Echinacea's dazed expression. Then he startled, releasing her wrist to rub his own face.
"...Lord."
Having called out to him, Eki gave a dry cough. Her throat felt completely parched. Noticing this, Yurien grabbed the water glass from the bedside table and offered it. She accepted without hesitation. The sensation of lukewarm liquid flowing down her throat felt vividly real. Her dizzy head finally cleared slightly.
"Are you... unharmed?"
Yurien asked in a low voice. His question brought back memories of what had happened right before she lost consciousness. Eki's gaze unconsciously fell to her right hand. A pristine white silk glove covered it demurely. Her clothes had been changed into a light white dress.
Who changed me? Even the gloves were different. What about the mark on my palm? For a moment, her blood felt like it had frozen solid.
"Nicole Sizton changed your clothes. That mage is currently inspecting all of the Countess's belongings."
Yurien spoke quickly, following her line of sight as if knowing exactly what concerned her. Eki turned to him in flustered surprise.
"Nicole did?"
"She insisted on doing it herself, so I entrusted it to her."
If it was Nicole—who already knew about her possessing the Magic Sword—then she didn't need to worry about being discovered.