Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Grand Clash (1)
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Just six people.
Yet the aura they exuded was like that of thousands of elite soldiers.
"How could so much power converge in such a short time?"
The Sword Sage wondered if this was all a trap meticulously set by Derek Minster.
But she quickly dismissed the thought.
This forest had been her carefully scouted and chosen battlefield from the start.
'At any rate, these are no ordinary foes.'
She had anticipated she might clash with the empire's top forces.
Her brow furrowed slightly as she steadied her breathing.
Even though she'd avoided vital spots, a dagger was still embedded in her side.
"Hup...!!"
She forcibly yanked out the sword and channeled her inner energy to staunch the bleeding.
But fighting like this could reopen the wound at any moment.
The Sword Sage clutched the warden tightly in her tense arms.
She was trying to gently lift him from the stream and lay him on the gravel bed.
But she couldn't even take a step before freezing in place.
Cold breath suddenly escaped her lips.
"...!!"
The cool-flowing stream froze solid in an instant.
The Berryhill Forest, in the height of early summer, was engulfed in chill as if atop an eternal glacier peak.
"Myoran, is it."
The Sword Sage instantly recognized the source of this insidious energy.
The enraged woman of the moon had arrived here...
She, a grandmaster equivalent in the Western terms, lifted her head toward the cold's origin.
Soon, she beheld a sensuous silhouette curving like an hourglass.
The transcendent being who had brought this bone-chilling blizzard.
"Derek...?"
The woman in the black cheongsam spotted the blood-soaked warden.
The man who had personally stepped forward to protect her, no matter the foe.
Now sprawled like a coldly cooled corpse.
The Sword Sage held him in her indifferent expression.
As if she were a grim reaper from another world come to steal the man she had chosen.
"Your doing?"
"......"
Her green eyes glared at the Sword Sage who had chased her from the East to this distant land.
Pupils fully dilated.
"So you're Myoran. You've controlled the Heavenly Jade remarkably wel—"
"I said, your doing?"
The 19-year-old girl cut her off, speaking only of the warden.
Sensing the ominous aura, the Sword Sage decided to respond calmly for now.
"If it's Warden Derek, then yes, my doing. But this is......"
――――――.
Before she could finish, Myoran drew the black sword from her waist.
No matter the reason, she had reduced the man she chose to that state.
That alone was reason enough to kill.
"We'll talk later. First, I'll sever the arms that hurt Derek."
"...As expected, words won't work."
The angrier she got, the worse the Heavenly Jade's rampage.
She'd have to suppress her by force, no matter what.
Reluctantly, the Sword Sage drew her sword again.
'Subdue Myoran here somehow and take her away.'
She glanced around for an escape route to break the tightening encirclement.
The forest was vast enough; she already knew all the paths.
She could go all out from the start, knock Myoran out, and flee together.
But.
There was one thing the Sword Sage, new to the West, didn't know.
In this harsh North...
Touch one 'man,' and no one escapes.
Whoooosh―――――.
A bizarre energy emanated from the most likely escape route.
Red eyes gleamed menacingly from the darkness.
The forest beasts she thought had fled in fear of her power.
Now blocking the path solidly.
'What? Why are the magic beasts back all of a sudden...?'
Why had these cowardly creatures returned to bar her way?
As if answering, red dress hems fluttered beautifully amid the beasts.
Then came the first calamity that toppled an empire.
The 'Red Saintess' who enslaved all.
"Time to dye that pristine white robe red too, Eastern vermin."
Anje Renault.
A woman neither Swordmaster nor Mage Tower Lord.
Yet a transcendent beyond the one who single-handedly ruined an empire.
"........."
Cold sweat beaded on the Sword Sage's forehead as she sensed the unnatural power.
She wiped it with the back of her hand and glanced at another escape route.
'If the deep forest is blocked, I'll have to break straight ahead.'
She figured she could handle up to two.
But as she planned a quick decisive battle to reach the main road, two shadows approached from that direction, furrowing her brow.
Clank―――, clank―――.
If Myoran and the saintess were variables galore...
These two walking the road.
The empire's greatest spearman and Northern Commander were purely overwhelming in sheer class.
'That one's the empire's Princess...? And her companion's no slouch either.'
Why were they in this remote forest?
Right after she'd neatly dealt with the border warden, no less.
'He really was a sly one. What 'ordinary warden'?'
The Sword Sage chuckled bitterly at being fooled again.
She quickly schooled her expression and assumed combat stance.
"Conan, today I won't accept you as an ally."
"Ally or not, you touched one of our empire's citizens. You must be punished."
Military boots clanking with each step, form-fitting combat suits tailored to perfection.
The latex-like outfits accentuated their stunning curves—worn only for total enemy annihilation.
"We'll remove that old monster from our continent."
"......"
The land escape was completely sealed.
Finally, the Sword Sage looked to the sky.
As expected, it had long been blocked.
Under the blue full moon, a girl stood atop a tree branch.
Flickering pink eyes and an inhuman, eerie aura.
Behind her, someone loaded magic-infused bullets into a Western-style gun.
'...Did all these people gather just to protect one man?'
Their power levels no longer mattered.
The Sword Sage pondered how to accept this situation.
'Why are so many risking their lives for him?'
She couldn't easily grasp this first-time experience.
And she envied it.
That she, once again, fought alone.
Even when ousted from the alliance's leadership in the past.
Her political clumsiness led to misunderstandings and exile.
She was far stronger than Derek Minster—why this different end?
'Could he have been right earlier?'
「If you don't show true sincerity, who will believe you?」
Had Derek Minster truly cared for these arriving women with all his heart?
Even at the cost of his body...?
"Enviable."
The Sword Sage raised her sword with pitying eyes.
Thinking this might be her grave.
――――――.
She delicately stroked the worn blade with her hand.
Purple inner energy condensed along it, forming a greatsword.
"How wonderful it would be if I had such followers."
The Sword Sage gripped the massive greatsword with both hands.
Her hollow eyes lifted as she spoke.
"I'm jealous."
The Sword Sage unleashed a strike at Myoran, the most emotionally enraged.
A massive crescent purple sword beam.
Screeech!!
The fierce blow surged toward the moon woman.
Even Myoran couldn't block it unscathed.
But at that moment.
Boom!!
The massive Landruin spear dropped squarely onto the oncoming beam.
Like a beast-tamer's spear quelling a rampaging animal.
The Princess landed lightly on the spear tip, arms crossed.
She glanced down at Myoran and said,
"Just this once, I'll accept you as an imperial, Myoran."
Myoran, overflowing with green yin energy, glanced up at Camillia.
Despite her intense state, she replied calmly.
"Fine. That bitch needs removing first anyway."
Camillia hopped lightly off the spear and drew her weapon.
Myoran gripped her black sword.
The two on the cusp of grandmaster charged simultaneously.
".........!!"
The Sword Sage held her greatsword vertically in defense.
The moment she blocked the falling black sword and spear.
"Urk...!!"
Blood foam surged from her mouth from the intense shock.
Rumble...
Her steadfast legs trembled violently; the ground began to sink.
As if the earth caved in.
The other women wouldn't miss her legs being tied down.
Bang―――!!
A sharp magic bullet grazed her cheek.
Followed by a massive claw strike aimed precisely at her back.
"Daring to attack my butler? I'll make you the same."
True Ancestor Franca closed in at overwhelming speed.
While the Sword Sage blocked the Princess and Myoran's weapons, she raked her back hard.
"Ah.........!!"
The Sword Sage recoiled with a shallow groan.
Suppressing the tearing pain, she swung the greatsword in a sudden counter.
Myoran raised her black sword to block, but the impact sent her flying.
Overwhelming wind pressure from the gale.
Trees struck directly sliced mercilessly.
A massive crack even split the cliff behind.
Boom―――.
With Myoran out, the Sword Sage faced the Princess's Landruin.
Clang!!
The thick spear shaft bent from the force.
The Sword Sage let out a hollow laugh at the Western heroine's raw strength, unprecedented for her.
"Think I'll be easy just because you pushed one away?"
Camillia's blue eyes glared murderously.
Her battle-honed senses were extraordinary.
Though the Sword Sage was a level above, her trained body and experience matched evenly.
'Need to create some distance first. Clashing weapons will reopen my side.'
The Sword Sage grimaced and retreated.
But Conan, who had roamed the battlefield with the Princess, awaited there.
She had precisely predicted the Sword Sage's evasion spot from the Princess's strike.
"Even a grandmaster is helpless against multiple stages below simultaneously."
The Northern Commander thrust her longsword with full force.
The Sword Sage barely dodged reflexively and detonated her flowing inner energy.
Boom―――!!
All trees and grass around her vanished.
Standing alone in a small wasteland, she exhaled raggedly.
"Haaah........."
A tougher situation than fighting all Eastern continent's experts in the past.
She lamented the women's unexpected strength.
'Is this the end...? Holding out alone again...'
The Sword Sage gripped her hilt tightly and sighed deeply.
'Yes, perhaps karma for never truly understanding others.'
Indeed, as Derek said, she hadn't been devoured by Myoran's Heavenly Jade at all.
Even in rage, she calmly targeted only her life.
Seeing that, the Sword Sage finally smiled in satisfaction.
Even if she died here, the world wouldn't end from the Heavenly Jade.
"Derek Minster, you might have been right."
The Sword Sage smiled wryly, accepting defeat.
Then, she began condensing all her power into the greatsword.
As if preparing her final strike as a grandmaster.
How many minutes passed since she blacked out from the Sword Sage's strike?
In that time, I dreamed a happy dream.
A soft flower field even barefoot.
Butterflies flitting about as I happily roamed.
"But why are there only purple butterflies here?"
A trivial doubt as I wandered the field.
Then I spotted a black cat batting cutely at butterflies with tiny paws.
Not just it—a large lion chased butterflies, bounding around.
"Like the African savanna...?"
Odd animals scratching my cheek in curiosity.
Suddenly, a small presence beside me.
Turning, a very sullen-faced fox sat there.
Exquisitely pretty, with strangely blue fur.
"Ah."
Reaching to pet, it smacked my arm with its paw.
Then plopped its muzzle on my thigh for a nap.
"Strange one."
I stroked the fluffy fox head, enjoying rare leisure.
But...
A large shadow loomed behind soon.
Looking up: a pony with elegant purple mane.
One with a bat on its back sat snug beside me too.
'First time seeing a horse sit.'
Thus resting amid countless animals.
The butterfly earlier chased by felines landed hurriedly on my shoulder.
The pursuing cat and lion eyed me steadily.
"You all wanna sit and rest too?"
I cautiously invited them.
They obediently circled and sat around me.
"Ahh--- so peaceful. Is this paradise?"
A dream in a flower field with rare cute, warm animals.
How long since such comfort?
I lay back on the grass with the world's happiest face.
Suddenly, smooth texture; I lifted my leg.
"A snake? Oh, python. Good thing."
Startled thinking venomous, but blunt-nosed python.
It playfully coiled around my leg.
"But I feel like I forgot something important."
Too long without peace?
Sudden unease surged.
"...!"
And that unease became reality with a purple butterfly on my nose.
Purple butterfly...
Sword Sage...
Sword Sage means...
'Ah, the Sword Sage was here?!'
Realizing what I was doing, I tried to rise hurriedly.
But then.
The animals around pressed closer.
As if to keep me from waking in this bliss.
"Guys, I gotta wake up now!!"
Overwhelmingly soft, warm sensations enveloped me.
But I had to shake them off somehow.
Or else...
This damn world would end again.
Finally wriggling my face from the fur.
The moment I awoke.
"What."
I could only stare at Berryhill Forest in bewilderment.
This place was a lush forest just moments ago...
"I clearly beat the Sword Sage in our bet, right?"
Now a cold ruin.
"What happened while I was out?!"