novelraw Chapter 212
Chapter 212
Chapter 212. Teacher and Student (2)
Sword Saint Hayden Reich.
I stood before the protagonist of 〈Kill the Demon King〉, sword drawn, and I felt as though my breath might be choked out of me.
Even more so than when I crossed swords with him in the Holy Kingdom, the instincts tied to swordsmanship surged within me.
Was it because of the heightened emotions triggered by the 'Open Eyes' Trait?
No.
"One of us will surely die."
I was certain that either I or the Sword Saint would die in this battle.
Hayden and Yulian.
Teacher and Student.
Light and darkness.
Though the relationship I once knew had dramatically altered, a mutual understanding lingered between us.
The problem was, our "understanding" of each other was utterly absurd from a conventional perspective.
Hayden closed the distance in an instant. Lost in thought for a brief moment, I noticed his sword already at my neck.
"Khh..."
CLANG──!
I twisted my body, deflecting the blow, yet Hayden began pursuing me as if he had predicted my move.
I planned to block and counterattack, stepping forward with my right foot.
Hayden, seemingly aware of this as well, pivoted his opposite foot backward.
"Of course."
A strong resolve not to yield a dangerous position to me. It was palpable in Hayden's actions.
"To effectively wield my power and use my strengths, I must draw the enemy within at least four steps."
"It's impossible to close within four steps."
But the Sword Saint, aware of this, relentlessly maintained five steps and pressed his attack without ceasing.
Whenever I tried to close the gap, he seemed to vanish, almost like magic.
When I retreated to draw him in, he trailed close, maintaining an optimal range.
"It's tough."
Unlike the encounter in the Holy Kingdom, Hayden engaged me in earnest, and even my current body felt overwhelmed.
This was my teacher.
This was the Sword Saint.
This was the protagonist.
A whirlwind of thoughts stormed through my mind, and amid them, I gleaned an insight from his actions.
"Lengthen your stride to close the gap."
That was precisely what the opponent wanted.
An extended stride meant the balance of power tipped forward, creating a situation where retreat was impossible.
"If you shorten your stride, you can never close the distance or draw the opponent into your area of strength."
As if reading my thoughts, Hayden's voice reached me.
I felt a sudden defiance and wanted to act contrary to reason.
Bending my knees, I propelled myself forward, closing the distance in an instant.
It was a method I had confidence in, almost always bringing me victory.
"A bad habit."
Into my bent knees, Hayden's sword blade swung.
As the sword flew toward my knee, which was slightly tilted forward due to my posture, I instinctively withdrew.
THUD──!
And something struck my face.
"Khh...!"
What was it? What hit me?
I was sure I was tracking Hayden's sword with my eyes.
What struck my face was none other than the scabbard.
Even though the 'Open Eyes' Trait alleviated the pain, my mouth tingled. Judging by the faint taste of iron, I might have started bleeding.
"The hasty act of trying to close the distance recklessly. If anyone knows you well, they'll target this from the start."
The stern rebuke from my teacher hit home.
Though not wrong, something inside me began to simmer and boil.
Ignoring the persistent tingling in my mouth, I pushed myself to advance, despite allowing several attacks.
"A second bad habit."
Yet, the distance between Hayden and me was not easily bridged.
Hayden's relentless sword denied my approach, and I could only move further back.
"When your temper flares, you become impulsive."
With Hayden's relaxed voice, his sharp blade swiftly targeted me.
"Damn it!"
Desperate to avoid it, I ducked, only for his scabbard to ascend from below, striking my abdomen.
"Argh!"
The pain!
This time, not even my heightened emotions through the "Open Eyes" could help; the pain was overwhelming!
"Ugh...!"
Nevertheless, I gritted my teeth and began closing the distance to Hayden.
The gap, only five steps.
My most confident range—three steps.
As I shortened the distance by one step, a smirk crept onto his lips.
Even this, he seemed to anticipate, as Hayden slowly moved his sword-wielding hand.
"You expected this."
Though it felt like a checkmate, Hayden's sword did not reach me.
CLANG──!
Though his sword touched my side, instead of the sound of flesh being sliced, a metallic clash resonated.
"Hmm!?"
Hayden was taken aback.
Naturally.
He must have thought he could cut me. The expectation was that nothing should be beneath the coat.
But I had 'Angelica', a trusty demon. Hardened, it deflected the attack.
Three steps.
Finally, I had closed the gap to my strength's range, with a bluish aura flowing from Hayden's body.
His unique aura, the "Sword-Body Unity."
"Shouldn't we stop the tricks?"
"Haha, could you call it the fruits of labor?"
I, too, refined my sword with moonlight through the 'Moonstone Sword'.
Afterward, as the swords clashed, sparks scattered through the air.
"Khh...!"
Yet still, Hayden's sword gradually wore down.
It was inevitable.
Though the Moonstone Sword was made of gem and lacked durability, the "Moonlit Sword" hardened it beyond steel.
Moreover, the distance with Hayden, where I felt most assured, was three steps.
Within this, I had the confidence to best anyone.
Even my teacher.
"You're strong! So strong, I can hardly tell who is the disciple!"
In an uncharacteristically cheerful tone, Hayden, who now openly seemed a challenger, smirked.
Eager to break through the area where I was most confident, he made all sorts of attempts, akin to a challenger seeking growth.
True to a swordsman pursuing the martial way, Hayden was ever in search of inspiration.
CLANG──!
Yet, the challenger's spirit faltered.
After exchanging dozens of blows, almost nearing a hundred, Hayden's sword broke, and his body was covered in wounds from the continuous clash.
"Miraculous."
While wrapped in 'demonic energy', Hayden moved with remarkable agility despite lacking a proper 'Vessel'.
"Do you feel relieved?"
One last time.
Though I could have ended it all with a single swing to his neck, the primal instincts of "Yulian" were at peace.
"Hoo..."
Hayden let out a short sigh.
"Growing old is truly a nuisance. It's a pity to leave behind such joy."
His eyes glimmered with a fighting spirit.
"Even though I sought refuge in the Holy Kingdom and implanted a demon in my body for youth, it's still impossible to recapture my prime."
And I knew that his fighting spirit was hiding something.
"The Demon God's Chalice, even implanting this holy relic doesn't bring back former glories."
Like a villain, Hayden flashed a wry smile.
"Even so, you succeeded in removing the Demon God's Chalice from the world, didn't you?"
Hmm.
Briefly, Hayden groaned.
"You noticed?"
I couldn't have been oblivious.
Having experienced his nobility firsthand, I knew well enough.
Hayden had sought refuge in the Holy Kingdom to transform his body into a 'Vessel'.
In the storyline, there were two methods to erase the influence of the holy relic, 'Demon God's Chalice'.
One was to embed a relic like the 'Bell of the Silent Night', which pacified 'demonic energy', and hide it somewhere in the world.
The other was for a "Vessel" to embrace the Demon God's Chalice with their will and perish.
"This was why he orchestrated the lonely battle in the Holy Kingdom."
To turn himself into a Vessel, to embrace the Demon God's Chalice. And to depart this world carrying the Demon God's Chalice, which posed a threat to the empire.
"As long as the Demon God's Chalice exists, this continent, no, the empire, will always be at risk from demons."
An unfathomable affinity for the empire. The protagonist's motivation was consistently tied to this.
"The imperial family has betrayed your expectations. Even the Emperor is not the one you once knew."
Yet why continue to work for the empire?
"Is not being understood a reason to no longer love?"
The headache that flared at that moment was real.
The statement was just so quintessentially 'Hayden Reich'.
"This is a message I also wish to impart to you, Yulian."
"What, exactly?"
Keheuk.
Hayden coughed up a clot of blood.
Dark purple, tinged with the malaise and residual thoughts of the Demon God.
"Didn't you once say you couldn't understand me?"
Love for the empire. Yulian, misunderstanding it as misguided loyalty, couldn't comprehend Hayden's consistently moderate demeanor.
It was the reason for the rift between Yulian and Hayden.
"You are the same."
Bubble bubble.
Something began to churn within Hayden's body.
The residual thoughts and malignance nested within the Demon God's Chalice.
Entwined together, they consumed Hayden's body.
"A bittersweet final severance, only now must this long, tenuous bond be cut."
Even faced with such a situation, Hayden spoke with tranquility.
"Do what must be done, Yulian."
I knew what had to be done now.
To destroy the Demon God's Chalice, I had to sever the Vessel's neck and bring peace to the world.
Completing this task would also serve to bring me the "comfort"
I had so fervently sought.
"But."
Beheading the Sword Saint meant.
Drawing closer to the story of 'Yulian', which I had so despised.
― Would you really...
"Don't leave me behind as a teacher. Let me go as a fellow imperial swordsman."
That scene from the trailer replayed in my mind. I would be reenacting it heedlessly.
― Sever so ruthlessly?
"Do it now, more ruthlessly than anyone."
Hesitation was inevitable.
Even with such wavering resolve, my hand grasped the Moonstone Sword with intent.
Upon embracing the Demon God's Chalice, there was no saving Hayden.
"I act not out of ruthlessness."
Saying so, I swung my sword.
"How fortunate."
With that, Hayden became still.
The demonic energy, which had been restless due to the Demon God's Chalice, began to calm down around us.
My gaze fell upon the scabbard Hayden had been carrying.
"A strong body houses a strong spirit."
Reading the inscription, a droplet fell through a gap in the engraving.
"Haha."
A laugh escaped me.
"Do you still harbor such traits?"
Even within the ruthless visage, the executioner allowed the merest fragment of emotion to tumble forth here.