Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Cardinal Coup (3)
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“Foolish bastards……!”
Gavrius ground his teeth as he drew his sword.
“I never imagined the Holy Knight Order would be such a bunch of blockheads!”
It wasn’t just our Holy Knights gathered around Cardinal Epitraus.
Guardsmen who had been searching for the cardinal were converging on us from all sides.
“There’s only about twenty of them! Annihilate the bastards!”
Gavrius barked orders at his men and charged.
A tremendous aura poured from Gavrius as he rushed in with sword drawn.
[That guy—we saw him before, but he’s the real deal.]
Igzard’s voice echoed inside me.
[I sense ferocious mana from nine circles. He’s not the least bit inferior to Kurt.]
Back at the restaurant, when the guardsmen badmouthed the Holy Knight Order, they’d boasted that their captain could take down someone like Kurt.
And it wasn’t empty talk.
[With mana levels this close, it’ll come down to skill and mental fortitude.]
Kurt moved as well.
Gavrius knew he had to be the one to face him.
“Kurt Aleyas! I’ve wanted to cross swords with you for ages!”
“The honor is mine……!”
Boom!
Sword auras clashed.
The two mighty swordsmen collided, shaking the surrounding buildings.
It had been a while since I’d seen a duel between two 9-star swordsmen.
“Sir Sion! What are our orders?”
“Leave Gavrius alone. Let’s clean up the small fry.”
Guardsmen who’d been scattered were approaching from multiple directions.
“They spread out looking for Cardinal Epitraus. They’re rushing over here in disarray, no formation.”
“Then……!”
“We take them out before they can regroup. Move!”
I leaped onto a rooftop while issuing orders to Edwin and the others.
‘Igzard, which group’s the biggest threat?’
[The ones coming from 7 o’clock—there’s a 6-star and three 5-stars. Wait, hold on.]
‘What is it?’
[An 8-star’s approaching from 9 o’clock. Stronger than the one we took down near the inn.]
‘Prioritize him.’
I launched myself toward 9 o’clock.
A massive brute appeared between the alleys, closing in.
[He’s gotta weigh twice as much as you, easy.]
Just as Igzard said—a hulking giant.
The greatsword in his hands was even larger than Bishop Pertus’s from our last fight.
‘Looks like he’s the guards’ number two.’
I tried to ambush him under cover of darkness.
But he sensed my approach and instantly assumed a defensive stance.
“Rat bastard!”
He blocked my strike perfectly.
That alone told me he wasn’t a pushover.
“Hah!”
The man swung his blade with speed belying his bulk.
I barely dodged, but the sword pressure was immense.
The shockwave shattered the outer walls of nearby buildings.
“You’re young, but you’ve got skills. And that pretty face…… You’re Sion Aleyas, aren’t you?”
“Glad you know the name.”
“Our captain warned us about you.”
The giant bared his killing intent.
“I’m Cesare, vice-captain of the Papal Guard. The man who’ll take your head—remember it even in hell.”
“Sorry, but you won’t stick in my memory.”
“Hmph, cocky little shit.”
Fierce mana surged from Cesare’s greatsword.
He was unleashing sword aura to fire sword shots.
“Hyaah!”
With a shout, Cesare swung, unleashing a barrage of scattered shots at me.
Powerful enough to pierce even my mana armor.
“I’ll protect you, my lord.”
A low voice spoke, and an invisible barrier formed before my eyes.
Dietrich, watching over me, had deployed a defensive spell.
“What?!”
Boom boom boom!
Cesare’s eyes widened as the shots exploded in midair.
“Don’t butt in recklessly. Kurt’s nearby.”
“Understood, my lord.”
I warned Dietrich and closed in on Cesare.
He looked rattled, but he didn’t show any easy openings.
‘Not a pushover, as expected.’
Boom! Crash!
He fired shots, leaving his sword aura momentarily weak. I aimed to exploit that, but it wasn’t simple.
“You……!”
Cesare was flustered too.
“You’re really only 6-star?! How are you standing up to my 8-star sword aura?!”
“Two circles for me.”
“Quit screwing around……!”
He took it as a joke and flew into a rage.
[Word hasn’t spread yet that you pack more mana per circle than most.]
‘Maybe he just thinks it’s bullshit.’
While bantering with Igzard, I maneuvered slyly.
Luring Cesare into a narrower alley.
“Hmph! Trying to drag me into a tight spot?”
Cesare snorted, seeing through my ploy.
“You think a cheap trick like that’ll work? I’m a guardsman! I know every alley in the Papal District!”
“You’re good at jumping to conclusions.”
“What?”
“Narrow alley or wide—it doesn’t matter.”
Sure, a narrow one would favor my smaller frame.
But that wasn’t why I was luring him.
“This spot should do.”
“What are you…….”
I shifted my stance.
Not the Holy Knight Order’s textbook style, but my true swordsmanship.
“My lord, Kurt’s too busy with Gavrius to notice us. No other enemies around.”
“Good. Got it.”
Replying softly to Dietrich, I channeled the demon sword’s power.
“Wh-what?”
Cesare flinched.
Startled by the crimson-black aura rising from my blade.
“How do you wield such evil sword energy…….”
“Sword energy? Wrong.”
The crimson-black aura condensed in an instant into a solid sword aura.
An 8-star like Cesare would know just how formidable it was.
“……!”
Tension crossed Cesare’s face.
Sensing danger, he braced for defense.
“What the hell are you……?”
“Dunno. What am I?”
“How can a Holy Knight use such profane power!”
His voice dripped with condemnation.
Cesare was genuinely furious with me.
[Yeah, that’s the normal reaction from a true Church believer.]
‘That’s why I don’t use your power in front of the Holy Knights.’
Replying to Igzard, I lunged forward.
A clean, sharp strike pierced Cesare’s guard.
“……!”
Boom!
Cesare tried to block with his aura-coated greatsword.
But the moment it met the edge of Demon Spirit Sword Ashurai empowered by Igzard, his sword aura shredded apart.
“No way!”
Cesare gaped in shock.
But I didn’t stop.
A flurry of strikes pressed him relentlessly.
“Ugh……!”
Boom! Crash!
His unprotected greatsword buckled.
The fortress-like stance of Cesare began to crumble.
“This isn’t the power of a 6-star knight!”
Cesare cried out desperately.
“You sold your soul to a demon, didn’t you? Is that how you got this insane strength?!”
A demon……
[I’m a demon sword, not a demon. Correct him.]
‘Same difference.’
[Look at this guy?]
Ignoring Igzard’s protest, I surged mana through my body.
Crimson-black mana erupted, unleashing the Dialogue Church’s secret art, Great Crimson Lotus.
“What’s that?!”
“You guys really are frogs in a well.”
An 8-star Holy Knight would’ve recognized it instantly as Dialogue Church technique.
“Papal Guard…… lower caliber than I thought.”
“……!”
Enraged, Cesare charged.
The berserk giant exposed countless openings.
[Finish him!]
I moved at Igzard’s urging.
My first strike, lightning-fast, pulverized Cesare’s greatsword. The second plunged into his unguarded solar plexus.
Cesare couldn’t react to my lotus-enhanced speed.
“Guh, agh……!”
The mortally wounded Cesare thrashed.
In a final spasm, he reached for me, but my third strike severed his wrist.
“So…… unjust…….”
Thud!
The blood-soaked giant collapsed, going still.
My complete victory.
‘Igzard, absorb his mana.’
[On it.]
Igzard drained mana from Cesare’s corpse, replenishing what I’d spent in my circles.
Meanwhile, I stayed vigilant.
“My lord.”
Dietrich’s voice came then.
“Kurt and Gavrius are locked in a fierce stalemate. It’ll take a while for a winner.”
“Yeah?”
I looked up.
Far off, flashes of massive clashes lit the sky.
* * *
‘He’s strong!’
Kurt gritted his teeth, swinging the holy sword Erdaise.
Gavrius before him was a monster of skill.
‘The Papal Guard captain isn’t just anyone!’
A 9-star swordsman matching Kurt.
Masterful control of sword aura—dialing output to strike with heavy or swift blows, relentlessly pressuring Kurt.
His weapon seemed a famed blade rivaling a holy sword. Fitting for the Papal District’s strongest.
‘He’s on par with our Holy Knight Order’s Sky Rank Knights!’
Boom boom boom!
As distance opened, sword shots rained down on Kurt.
He deflected them with Erdaise, but debris flew from shattered buildings.
Gavrius slipped through the gaps.
“Kurt Aleyas!”
Crash!
Sword auras collided, sending out shockwaves.
“Did you know? I used to admire you!”
“Oh?”
Gavrius pressed down with overwhelming force.
“The young vanguard leader of the Holy Knight Order! Guardian protecting the Holy Church from the Dialogue Church’s beasts! I admired the man everyone praised!”
“……!”
“But you fell short of expectations!”
Boom!
Explosive energy from the sword auras burst forth, shoving Kurt back.
“You couldn’t even beat Archbishop Hausel or Archbishop Sapphire! That’s all you amounted to!
“……!”
“So I’ll take your place…… as the Holy Church’s new guardian!”
Boom boom boom!
Kurt’s toes dug into the ground.
Right now, Kurt was losing momentum.
‘Am I…… being overwhelmed?’
In that moment, Kurt recalled twenty years ago.
He’d sensed defeat then too.
Against the greatest foe he’d ever faced—Archbishop Hausel.
But somehow, this felt different……
“Is it okay to lose to trash like this, Father?”
Crackle!
A sword flew from behind, grazing past Kurt’s face.
“……!”
Gavrius retreated in a panic.
He’d dodged by a hair, but that lightning bolt of a strike could’ve impaled him.
‘This is…… what Sion called the power of a lightning spirit?’
Stunned, Kurt turned to see Sion emerging from the alley.
“Compared to the formidable foes you’ve struggled against all these years, Father, isn’t this guy utterly pathetic?”
“……!”
Hearing that,
Kurt realized the unease he’d felt.
When facing Archbishop Hausel before, there’d been a burning desire to defeat that mighty enemy. Same with Archbishop Sapphire.
That’s why inferiority fueled rage—anger at himself for failing to overcome them.
But being pushed by this Papal Guard captain……
‘Ah, I see.’
Now he understood.
Gavrius before him was just a brute with raw power.
Not on a higher realm like Archbishop Hausel, nor a overwhelmingly evil presence like Archbishop Sapphire.
“Yeah, Sion.”
Kurt nodded slowly, surging his mana.
“This is an enemy I should crush effortlessly. No reason to struggle.”
“Wh-what?”
“Shut up, you small-time punk.”
With that, Kurt raised Erdaise.
A blue flash cleaved the pitch-black sky.
Kurt’s sword style, Azure Firmament Emperor Flow, unfolded.