Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Hutvana
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The battle raged on, flesh and blood flying amid the fury, the earth shattering in rage, swords clashing, armor splintering-like the old song Bulki and Iven used to hum on the hillsides, now sweeping across the battlefield. That song was a true war hymn echoing over the highlands.
Two childhood friends from a tiny village in Brnaun, singing wordlessly to the tune. Here were its true lyrics.
T/N : This shit is a War Hymn, dont even try to understand it, its just waste of time, there are just prying for god to save their ass
"Elah Anath
God, answer us
Em
Mother
Miflas Malak
King of Harmony
Tragedia Zu Reshit Eifo Ketz Eifo
Where does this tragedy begin, where does it end?
Miflas Malak
King of Harmony
Miflas
O Miflas
Reshit
Primeval
Tamam Reshit
End and beginning
Nefesh Chayah Chayah Rega
Creatures live but a moment
Nefesh Afar Doman
Creatures become dung
Anachnu Tefillah Ma'aneh
Hear our prayer
Anachnu Epos Ma'aneh
Hear our song
Damam Doman Parach
Blood-dung blooms flowers
Hero
Erael
Hero
Erael, Na Chadal Ta'ah Azav
Hero, stray not from the path
Anachnu Yaval
Lead us
Ai Yeshu'ah
Who shall triumph?
Ai Mut
Who shall perish?
Rega
Moment
Paga Lahav
Clashing sword
Lahav
Flame
Anachnu Yaval
Lead us
Anachnu Netzach Epos
We are the song of the moment
Elyon Shaddai Mikdash El-Mul Anah
Echoing from the highest plateau
Kavutz Kochavim Kemo Miflas Malak
As the guiding stars, O King of Harmony
Aven Kavod
Battle and war
Parash, Mofet Pa'al
Parash, perish
Rekev, Mofet Pa'al
Knight, perish
Elah Chayah Savav
God like unto death
El Elyon
Abyss
Kavutz Kochavim
Guiding stars
Eloah, Anachnu Ruach Yaval
Lead our spirits
El, Ey'alut
Hero, Ey'alut
El Elyon Or Shelach Anachnu Yeshu'ah
Blood shall form the abyss, veiling the sun
El Elyon Anachnu Tefillah Shama
God, answer us
Netzach Kavod Chayah Savav Rega
Eternal war and momentary death
Avah Kavod Lakach
Take the glory
Matza Elah
Descend, O God
El Elyon Yera'eh
Gather pure souls
Avah Berakhah
Grant rest
Avah Kavod Berakhah
Rest unto this war
Chayah Savav Erael Berakhah
Rest unto this vain death"
Shivers and madness.
And once more, the song of blood and steel swelled higher across the highlands.
"[Sword Draw]."
"Thunderbolt!"
Riu couldn't easily overpower Eden Sonain.
Eden wielded his spear, the Holy Lance, with effortless grace-and as if he were a god of the battlefield, he unleashed lightning powerful enough to reshape the terrain.
"Ngh!"
"Riu, has your sword rusted? Or have you rusted, your convictions crumbled? A sword is but a bell. My blade, Barak, shining like thunder, has never once wavered or rusted!"
In an instant, Eden thrust his spear amid a burst of lightning, and Riu barely dodged-only for a bolt to graze her side, sending her sprawling with a thunderous crack.
"You don't even properly ask why I'm doing this? What a sentimental knight you are."
Eden, catching his breath wearily, leveled his spear at the fallen Riu and asked. She struggled to her feet, slashing upward to create distance, and roared back.
"The sword is me, my conviction! I am but a bell!"
Thus, the clash of blood and lightning resumed.
At that very moment, Hainelius overpowered his younger sister and raised his blades high.
The queen's twin swords, granted only to the captain of the forest guardians, dripped with the mangled flesh and blood of the corrupted.
"Even if all forests fall to corruption..."
"Danger!"
From his right, Rondnel-bracing his shield-sword with both hands to ride Gil and Saint's blaze like a cannonball-slammed into Hainelius without losing momentum.
Boom!
"G-Get out of the way... dwarf."
"I can't do that! I-urk!"
As Shainelius gripped her bow anew, Hainelius kicked Rondnel's shield upward and drove his twin blades into the gaps at both shoulders of his Magen armor.
"Grah!"
Thankfully, the unique interlocking joints of Magen armor prevented deep penetration, but it was enough to sever the tendons in both arms. Now, to finish by severing that thick neck, Hainelius pressed a dagger to Rondnel's throat.
"Insolent underground vermin..."
"Brother!"
But Shainelius hastily loosed an arrow to intervene.
"Raaagh!"
As Hainelius's stance faltered, Rondnel bit the handle of his dropped shield with his teeth and swung it upward.
Blocking bow and shield with his twin blades, the guardian elegantly leaped back to land-only for Gil and Saint, who had closed in swiftly, to charge. Hainelius's eyes blazed with black malice as he embraced deeper corruption.
"Empire spawn who defile the forest!"
Exploding with the same ferocity as Riu, the 1st Knight Order Captain who once felled a mountain giant single-handedly, Hainelius parried Gil's greatsword with his twins, sliding along the blade to slash his wrist and deflect it-then spun to roundhouse-kick Saint's head.
"Not so fast!"
Not stopping there, he flowed gracefully toward Rondnel, thrusting the sword in his right hand into his side. Undeterred, he left the collapsing Rondnel and deflected Shainelius's arrow with his left blade.
Shainelius squeezed her eyes shut, awaiting death-but it didn't come. Hainelius stood frozen, blades raised high, tears like beautiful dew streaming down his face as he spoke.
"Even if all forests fall to corruption, my will stands unshaken, blooming true. But... no matter how sturdy the branch, how could it break its most beautiful flower?"
Bulki seized the hesitation, thrusting his sword into the earth to shield Shainelius and evacuate her. Simultaneously, Gil cleaved Hainelius's torso-armor and all-with his massive flaming blade.
'[Justice Burning One]'.
"No!"
Shainelius screamed, and the Sun Forest guardian captain's body crumbled like petals in Gil's flames. Bulki secured Shainelius and bolted toward Eden Sonain.
"[Sword Draw]."
Brushing aside a massive explosion, Bulki struck from a blind angle-but Eden's fierce lightning blasted both him and Riu far away.
"Ho, so the Hero of this generation has finally arrived? Hainelius fell in the end, it seems."
"Now it's my turn to ask you something!"
Bulki rose, using his sword as a crutch, steadying his stance as he demanded.
"My sword is Hutvana, the blade that divides good from evil. Yet it senses no evil in you. Are you bewitched by the witch? Why do this? Why! You were a knight too! No-you were far more suited to be a Hero than someone like me!"
Eden glanced at Riu staggering to her feet, adjusted his own stance, and replied.
"I think I know what you're lacking, young Hero."
"Lacking? What's that? I don't want to hear it from you, the one who caused this carnage!"
"Old habits die hard. Listen well. You said your sword divides good from evil? Yet you seek only to save the good. So what evil will you vanquish?"
"[Sword Draw], [Triple Draw]."
Invisibly fast, Riu charged with a sonic boom-but lightning from the clouded sky struck Eden first.
It was swifter than her blade reaching his throat. Eden erupted in light amid tremendous wind pressure, repelling Riu's sword.
"Forgot I taught you that technique?"
Eden shone leisurely, his hair and eyes blazing white, his form evoking the true Hero of this land, Helred.
"Come, young Hero. Now I will slay that Riu. Nay, slay you all and forge the good! I stand before you as the adversary you must defeat! Answer fate. Strike the foe! Who are you to fell me?!"
How on earth could he win?
What could he do now?
Fear echoed in Bulki's heart. But in that single instant, he recalled Riu's words.
'Even if you perish, seize that one moment to strike the foe before you.'
"I am Bulki of the great Sonain Empire! Right now, I will defeat you utterly!"
In a flash, Bulki too radiated brilliant light, splitting his sword. He gripped the blunt side like a hammer, the bladed side reversed like a massive gem.
Bulki lunged like crackling lightning; Eden met him with his spear, true bolts arcing.
Each alternating strike of gem and hammer against the spear made the earth beneath his right foot bulge, his left sink.
"Hraaah!"
Boom!
Bulki crossed gem and hammer to uppercut the spear, shoving Eden back. Yet the white-blazing Hero's momentum never faltered.
"At last, a true Hero. The witch was right."
Eden charged with a serene smile-joy or sorrow, impossible to tell.
Tears streaming, Shainelius loosed a finishing arrow at Eden; it drew no blood, but his lightning's fury plummeted.
"Mir! Come!"
Yet at Eden's call, the nearby Mir took position behind Bulki.
"W-What?"
Victory turns in the blink of a thunderbolt.
Eden faltered in shock; Bulki struck. Hammer deflected the wavering spear, then gem plunged into his chest.
Light chained from the gem like shackles, forcing Eden to his knees, pinning him. Bulki smashed down like lightning upon the twisted, uplifted gem.
'[Judgment of Glory]'.
Boom!
A colossal explosion tore a gaping hole in Eden Sonain's torso. He slumped, uttering his final words. Light faded from his hollow eyes as rain fell.
All meaningless blood washed away.
"Even in death, my sword passes to you. The Hero guards the Holy Brazier. Transcend that fate, new Sonain..."
Eden fell, light extinguished.
"Haa..."
Thus, Hero Bulki raised his sword high amid the downpour, breathing raggedly.
"Yerutsa... Rahav!"
***
In the corpse pit at the northern walls of the great Sonain Empire.
Arms and legs severed, a sword impaled in his throat.
"Haa..."
Iven opened his eyes, drawing a faint breath in the rain.