Chapter 87
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Fireworks (3)
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5.
Mana surged from the ground, beginning to dominate the battlefield.
Torrent.
The immense mana erupting from the ground began to paralyze the knights' senses.
The sixth form of the Sea Wolf Sword Style, Torrent, was completely different from the sixth form of the Imperial Sword Style, Moonlight.
While Moonlight stole the enemy's senses with brilliant moonlight, Torrent controlled them with a brutally powerful surge of mana.
A literally brutish power, born from an endlessly vast pool of mana.
The Torrent Karron wielded was already closer to the realm of magic than swordsmanship.
CRUNCH-!
Gaaaaaah!
A knight caught in the vortex was crushed, armor and all, and charged at Karron with a scream.
Swish.
Karron effortlessly sliced off the neck of the knight who had lost his senses and charged.
Guillotine began to greedily devour the mana flowing from the knights' bodies.
And the mana Guillotine absorbed
Wooooong-!
was converted entirely into Karron's own mana.
You really are a demonic sword.
Torrent consumed an enormous amount of mana, especially when creating multiple vortexes like this.
But the mana he spent was instantly replenished in his body.
The mana the knights drew out, even by overloading their cores, was converted into an excellent source of power for Karron.
Kwaaaaaang-!
Innate talent.
Acquired effort.
And on top of that, Karron's core, endlessly expanded by the blessed elixir known as the Dew of the World Tree, was easily digesting all the mana Guillotine provided.
The Sea Wolf Sword Style was a swordsmanship of power, built upon a foundation of formidable mana.
As the Sea Wolf Sword Style was unleashed upon the mana that surged in with every enemy he cut down, a desperate situation began to unfold for his foes.
Karron's mana, which had flowed out due to the fifth form, High Tide, turned this place into a vast sea.
That sea was lethally rough.
Kwaaaaaaaaaang-!
Waves that tore flesh from bone crashed down.
Kwaaaaaa-.
And vortexes that pulverized everything swirled in every direction.
The master of the sea strode unhesitatingly through his domain, cutting down his enemies.
The dark blue sea was stained with blood, and with every eerie flash of light, another head fell to the ground.
Even the elite soldiers watching the carnage recoiled in horror.
No one present could even think of resisting such a thing.
There were no soldiers here willing to lay down their lives for Leandro, who had already become a traitor.
...How can that be a 6-Star Knight?
Leandro muttered to himself as he watched Karron approach.
Not one of his vaunted soldiers dared to think of stopping that man.
But strangely, he no longer felt wronged.
Anyone would feel the same when faced with 'that'.
How did it come to this?
Leandro thought as he raised his sword.
He couldn't figure out where it had all gone wrong.
But he knew one thing for certain.
That Karron would eventually cut off his head, too.
The absurd charge of treason was likely just a pretext to take his head.
That was why he felt wronged.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand why that young man wanted to kill him.
Because he belonged to Duke Salmon's faction?
Such a trivial reason wasn't enough to take a margrave's head. The Leston Ducal Family wasn't that reckless.
Just why!
He spat out the same words one of his subordinates had uttered while being killed by Karron.
Karron had cut down all the knights protecting him and had finally reached his side.
Kwaaaaaaa-!
The vortexes converged, completely blocking his path of retreat.
He thought it looked just like a slaughterhouse.
Margrave Leandro.
The monster who had prepared a slaughterhouse upon the sea approached with a smile.
Leandro glared at Karron, tightly gripping his sword.
For the crime of treason in attacking Prince Rebellio, I will execute you here. If you have any complaints, take them up in hell.
Not a shred of seriousness could be found in his demeanor.
Despite plunging alone into an army of two thousand, he showed no signs of tension.
Seeing that, all he could do was let out a hollow laugh.
Hahaha.
He would die here.
He had finally accepted that fact.
There was no escape. Begging for his life from someone with eyes like that would be useless.
In this moment, as everything was about to fall apart.
One thing kept nagging at him. So, Leandro asked Karron.
Let me ask one last thing.
Karron nodded leisurely in response.
I can grant the wish of a dying man. Speak.
Tell me why I have to die so miserably here. It's fine even if it's a reason I can't accept. I just want you to answer honestly.
Was he trying to justify his own end somehow?
Karron smirked at the question and replied.
Having died once myself, I know it's best not to leave any lingering regrets.
...Joking until the very end.
Still, since you want to know the reason, I'll tell you.
Karron slowly approached Leandro. Then, he spoke in a soft voice.
I didn't like your city. Seeing slaves being openly traded pissed me off.
...You're going to kill me over some worthless vermin?
At those words, Karron looked at Leandro and nodded.
Just as you see them as vermin, I see you as vermin. By your logic... it doesn't matter what happens to vermin, does it?
Karron's steps came to a halt.
And at that moment, a great roar began to sound from the distance.
A great battle! Utulla will win this battle with his friend!
Along with Utulla, who had suddenly swelled in size.
Save Sir Karron Leston!
Fight back!
Troops pouring out from the city were charging at full speed.
Karron glanced back at the sight, smiled faintly, and said.
Those who charge in knowing they will die, and the one who tries to glorify his own death even at the very end... Which of the two is truly closer to being vermin?
Karron raised his sword high.
Seeing this, Leandro overloaded his core and shouted.
I won't die without a figh
It was truly an instant.
Leandro realized that something had flashed before his eyes.
Ah.
The figure of Karron, who had been standing in front of him just a moment ago, was no longer visible.
Instead, Karron's voice came from behind him.
You can just die as vermin.
Leandro's thoughts were cut off there.
Darkness, a deep, deep darkness, swallowed his consciousness.
Thud.
Karron looked down at Leandro's headless corpse and let out a light breath.
Serves you right.
It was a miserable end, fitting for one who had filled his belly with the misfortune of others.
Clank.
Clank.
The soldiers, who had witnessed the entire scene with their own eyes, began to throw down their weapons one by one.
The short battle ended just like that.
Along with the miserable death of a traitor.
6.
On the walls of Leven.
Rebellio, who had watched Karron's battle to the end through enhancement magic, asked Mason.
Sir Mason, you said Karron was a 6-Star Knight.
Yes. That is what I told you.
...But does it make sense for a 6-Star Knight to display that kind of combat power? He's so different from the 6-Star Knights I know.
A one-sided battle.
Even while surrounded by two thousand elite soldiers, Karron had ultimately achieved his goal.
He could somewhat understand why the elite soldiers didn't move.
They were, after all, soldiers of the Empire.
They must have known that getting involved in treason would bring ruin to their families as well.
But even so, charging into such overwhelming numbers was not a sane decision to begin with.
Moreover, Karron had cut down even the knights who were clearly charging with the resolve to die as if they were scarecrows.
Tremendous guts and overwhelming skill.
Karron had already proven with his entire being that he had surpassed the 6-Star level.
Who in their right mind would see Karron as a mere 6-Star Knight?
Mason shook his head firmly at Rebellio's question.
It is true that young Karron is a 6-Star Knight.
...That? That display?
However, it's just that young Karron is a being who transcends the standards of a 6-Star.
Karron displayed combat power comparable to a 7-Star Knight.
Enough mana to change the terrain of a battlefield, and the ability to use that mana organically.
It was palpable even from a distance.
There was nothing superfluous in Karron's combinations.
He naturally linked every process, and through that, he effortlessly took the enemy's heads.
It seemed as if various variables were at play, but in the end, Karron had created all of them.
The amount of mana is absurd for a 6-Star. No matter how much he's mastered the Leston Ducal Family's Sea-Conquering Art, it was far beyond common sense.
Even from afar, one could feel a level of mana approaching that of a 7-Star.
Mason stroked his chin and continued.
All knights are blocked by the wall of the 6-Star level. This is because from 7-Star onward, it is a realm that requires one to transcend human limits. But from what I can sense... it seems young Karron has intentionally postponed reaching the 7-Star level.
Those who have trained for a long time require time to adapt to real combat.
This is because countless experiences are needed to actually apply the enlightenment and achievements gained during training.
But Karron showed no signs of this at all.
As if he had already accumulated a great deal of experience, he unleashed his power naturally.
In his eyes, Karron was already prepared to ascend to the 7-Star level.
A talent incomprehensible within the scope of humanity.
That is a monster, plain and simple. A monster with talent so great that his very existence deceives others.
Rebellio frowned slightly at Mason's words.
He can reach 7-Star but is deliberately holding back? Does that make sense? 7-Star is a level all knights would kill for. It's impossible to understand from a common sense standp
The martial arts are like a tower. Not only must the foundation be solid, but to build the next floor, the current floor must be perfectly completed.
Normally, one would spend a long time at the 6-Star level, naturally perfecting it, and then forge a new realm above it through enlightenment.
It's a very natural process.
However, Mason judged that Karron had already gained the enlightenment necessary to reach 7-Star.
Because there was no hesitation at the tip of Karron's sword.
That was a state only possible with strong self-confidence.
Young Karron knows it himself. That only by perfectly completing the 6-Star level can he reach an even higher realm.
Mason could easily surmise the reason.
He is looking at a place far, far higher. Because he must go higher, he is waiting for his power to fully ripen.
Mason recalled the sea of Karron he had just witnessed.
A savage and fearsome sea, completely different from Grand Duke Halo's tranquil sea.
A relentless storm was raging in Karron's sea.
Therefore, Mason advised Rebellio with sincerity.
Do not get too close to young Karron.
Why?
A sea like that will swallow everything around it. Just... like now.
At Mason's words, Rebellio simply looked silently at where Karron was standing.
After watching for a long while, Rebellio spoke in a low voice.
He'll be better off than me.
What do you mean, Your Highness?
Everyone around me ends up unhappy. But from what I can see... that guy doesn't seem like he'll become unhappy because of me.
Rebellio slowly rose from his spot. He lightly dusted off his hands and spoke.
Let's go, Sir Mason. Now that we've taken care of the margrave, I'll have a lot to deal with. We're accomplices in this, after all, aren't we? We'll have to work hard to make sure no problems arise.
Speaking in a low voice, Rebellio slowly walked forward.
Margrave Leandro has been executed!
Hooray!
Hell yeah, good riddance, you son of a bitch! Now, finally, I can sleep soundly!
Make Leven an honorable city again!
Long live the Prince!
Long live the Prince!
Amidst the cheers of the slaves and citizens, Rebellio smiled faintly.
Thinking that a man who deserved to die had died.
Karron, that guy will definitely dump the cleanup on me.
Because he's a damn younger brother who hates troublesome things.
It would mean more work, but he didn't feel entirely bad about it.
In the end, wouldn't all of this become his achievement?
...Nice.
And so, the curtain fell on the grand fraud.