novelraw Chapter 339 : The Prelude to War
Chapter 339 : The Prelude to War
As I was heading out to meet them, I saw a magical beast rushing towards me like a dog.
It seemed to be a creature very confident in its running ability.
"Nice to meet you, beast!"
I was about to pull my sword to greet it when...
Swish!
An arrow flew from behind me and pierced right through it.
The power contained in the arrow was greater than I thought; it didn't stop there and went on to pierce through the other magical beasts that were running behind it in a line.
When I looked back, I saw Viola giving a slight wave.
I smirked and continued running forward.
A fight is all about momentum.
Therefore, it's good in many ways to break their momentum with the first attack.
It's even better if you can boost the morale of your allies at the same time.
'The beginning must be overwhelming.'
I poured the moonlight of the full moon into the Ash Bud Sword.
Moonlight Sword First Form. Half Moon.
The first clash was silent.
Swaaak—
The sword energy that spread out in a circle sliced the magical beasts, which were rushing in like a pack of dogs, in half, top and bottom.
The only sound was the splattering of chunks of meat falling to the ground.
'Next, make it spectacular.'
I crammed the energy of moonlight and blue flames into the sword's blade to its limit.
Then, I scattered the sword energy into the sky above the enemy lines where the Dark Heaven Society bastards were gathered.
They were momentarily bewildered as to why I was attacking the innocent sky, but it didn't last long.
Because soon, petals of blue flame began to pour down like a blizzard.
Moonflower Sword Second Form. Moonflower Blizzard.
Soon after, blue flames engulfed them.
The blue flames spread through their ranks, burning fiercely, and various screams and cries mingled together.
A smile bloomed on my face out of satisfaction.
'Ah, what a pleasant sound.'
Even after unleashing several ultimate techniques in a row, there was no significant effect on the sea of internal energy spread out in my dantian.
I got excited and started cutting down the enemies indiscriminately, and soon the other Eight Sword Masters joined in and began to wipe out the enemies.
Myriad Heaven Black Rain.
I instantly created hundreds of Night Sky Spears and rained them down on the enemies.
I also fired several Half Moons mixed with cold energy to freeze them.
After sweeping through the enemy lines like that.
I used the Black Immortal Steps to run over their heads and into the sky, then simultaneously created frost and blue flames.
When I combined the two energies concentrated in both hands.
Chijijijik!
A tremendous repulsive force was generated, and the blue and white energies began to spin, chasing each other.
As I prepared the Heaven-Reversing Light, I intuitively realized.
It might work once, but it wouldn't work twice.
As it was a technique that required some preparation time, the enemies would not be so kind as to let me prepare next time.
Also, as time passed, the battle would descend into a chaotic melee.
At that point, allies and enemies would be mixed together, so I wouldn't be able to use it.
Because the Heaven-Reversing Light did not distinguish between friend and foe.
'In that case.'
I decided to make the first and last time a grand spectacle.
I injected more internal energy to further amplify the power.
Chijijijijijijik!!
I compressed the energy to its absolute limit, then threw it with all my might towards their formation, which was clustered together in a black mass.
Heaven-Reversing Light.
A light turned upside down.
It was a gift filled with my feelings.
"Accept my feelings!"
The blue and white sphere that fell into the enemy lines exploded with a tremendous light and a deafening roar.
KWAAAAAANG!!
A massive explosion occurred.
It was so huge that the ground shook and the sky rumbled.
I spotted a mushroom cloud rising from where the Heaven-Reversing Light had fallen.
Following that.
Pitter-patter.
It rained.
It was rain, but it was crimson rain.
The blood and flesh of the magical beasts poured down like rain.
"Hahahaha!"
I burst out laughing.
I couldn't help it.
***
A tremendous roar echoed across the battlefield.
An explosion as massive as the roar occurred, and the numerous magical beasts caught in it were literally vaporized.
"..."
Was the explosion that shocking?
For a moment, silence fell upon the battlefield.
The Eight Sword Masters, who had been cutting down their enemies in their own ways, looked at the man who was dancing and spinning while being drenched in the pouring blood of the magical beasts.
"Hahahaha!"
He looked like a blood-crazed demon.
Anyone could see he was not in his right mind.
Seeing this, Duke Elsbears shook his head.
"...Same as ever."
The Knight of Frost stared at him blankly with emotionless eyes.
"Crazy bastard."
At Guston's muttering, the Demon King Aktir approached, cutting down a magical beast that was blocking his path with a single strike.
The magical beast, slashed by his Vermilion Sword, Sunset, burst into flames and quickly turned to ash.
"That guy. Is he okay?"
Guston replied with a reluctant voice.
"He seems a little excited."
—Heeheeheehee!
Aktir looked at Ashuban, who was spinning around while being drenched in the rain of blood.
"...That?"
Guston kicked a magical beast in front of him and explained in a calm voice.
"He's always been like that. Is this the first time you've seen him fight?"
"It is."
"His temper wasn't much different before he fell off the cliff."
"Hmm."
Not far away, the master of the Purple Sword, Demon Prince Bjoern, looked back and forth between the enemy lines where the mushroom cloud was rising and Ashuban, his eyes sparkling.
"As expected of my big brother...!"
And, a little further away, the Hero of Light, Lasol, was muttering in a voice full of awe.
"Ah, so that is the 'drumbeat that shakes heaven and earth,' signaling the true start of the war...!"
Lasol looked at the enemy camp, which had fallen silent for a moment.
"The drumbeat has sounded, and now next is..."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Monsters with a clearly different level of momentum trampled over the other magical beasts and came forward.
A corner of Lasol's mouth lifted.
"It is time for the eight beasts of the fallen god to step forward."
The special-grade individuals beyond classification, the S-rank magical beasts that were only passed down in legends, revealed themselves.
Among them, a gigantic white tiger with a divine appearance roared towards the sky.
—KRWAAAAAR!!
It was a roar that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth.
At that, the nine-tailed fox stepped forward, swishing its nine tails.
"That one is mine."
The nine-tailed fox licked its lips with its tongue and smiled.
"I wonder what your liver tastes like. I am extremely curious."
"Take them."
Scarlet took out a total of eleven swords from her subspace and threw them to the nine-tailed fox who was moving ahead, and the nine-tailed fox grasped them with its nine tails and two hands.
The red witch, who had been puffing out cigarette smoke with a languid face, saw a magical beast in the form of a blue dragon among the eight beasts, and her eyes sparkled.
"Oho?"
With the clash between the Eight Sword Masters and the special-grade magical beasts.
The final war truly began.
***
"Hahahaha!"
I spun around, drenched in the streams of red blood.
To go on a rampage against the magical beasts that I would have struggled with just a short while ago.
The feeling was exhilarating beyond compare.
The reason I could become so strong so quickly was not some unbelievable miracle.
It was because I had taken a gamble every time.
I had put everything I had on the line, prepared to lose it all.
And I had seized victory.
This time is not much different.
It's just that what's on the line is the fate of this world.
After getting lost in thought for a moment while being drenched in the rain.
When I looked forward again, the S-rank magical beasts and the Eight Sword Masters were clashing.
And, the one I had called dibs on...
"There he is."
Through the pouring magical beasts, a knight whose entire body was covered in black armor that did not reflect light was walking out.
He was very tall.
At a glance, he was more than twice my height, and his face was covered by a helmet, so it was not visible.
Perhaps because of that, it felt like I was looking at a war machine finally completed after countless experiments.
The bastard walked for a while and then stopped in front of me.
A sword shining with a vivid yellow color was hanging at his waist.
He silently raised his hand and pointed behind me, and at that, other black knights who seemed to be his subordinates came out, passed him, and headed towards our allies in the rear.
I had no choice but to let them go.
Because if I tried to stop them, this guy would go.
I had to trust my allies behind me.
"..."
A sense of gravity flowed.
For a moment, our gazes met.
The bastard drew his sword.
It was a huge two-handed sword, but in his hands, it looked like an ordinary straight sword.
As the yellow sword left its scabbard, it crackled and sparked with lightning.
I immediately knew the attribute of the power he possessed.
[It's lightning.]
It was a sword engraved with the power of lightning, one of the forces of nature.
I sharpened all my senses to a fine point.
Then, I raised my sword diagonally and said to him.
"Do you have a name?"
"..."
Since there was no answer, I decided to call him whatever I wanted.
"From today, you are Black Rock."
Perhaps he didn't like the name, as Black Rock immediately kicked off the ground and rushed at me.
It was, an instant.
Just as he seemed to disappear like a phantom, a trail of lightning flew in in a flash.
Jjeoooong!
The moment I raised the Ash Bud Sword to block, a tingling shock ran through my hand, and my vision was completely covered in lightning energy.
It was as if lightning had flashed.
It was a good thing I had my senses on high alert; otherwise, I would have been cut in half in one go.
But, I blocked it, so it was fine.
I grinned and said.
"Now it's my turn, Black Rock."
I ignited the Frost-Flame on my sword and swung it.
Jjeong! Jjeong! Jjejeong!
Every time our swords clashed, a shower of lightning sparks flew, and Black Rock staggered back.
For a guy with such a sturdy frame, he felt surprisingly flimsy.
If you were to ask if he was weak, that was definitely not the case.
But for me, who had received the swords of the Hero of Light, the Knight of Frost, and Guston of the Greatsword, it was not a very impressive sword.
One's stance is the trajectory of one's life.
One's life is contained in one's sword.
"A life not worth seeing."
Jjeoong!!
Perhaps provoked by my words, Black Rock swung my sword away with a great blow and retreated.
Then, he raised his sword high into the sky.
Flash!
Lightning struck down.
Chijijijijik!!
Black Rock, who had summoned a thunderstorm, wrapped it not only around his sword but his entire body.
Chijik! Chijijik!
Sparks of lightning flew everywhere.
He looked as if the god of lightning had descended.
I couldn't hide my surprise at the sight of Black Rock, who had become lightning itself.
"My apologies. I misjudged you. You weren't Black Rock, you were Lightning Rock."
Kwa-rreung!
With the sound of thunder, the lightning rushed towards me.
Flash!
It was a speed that could not be compared to before.
In a fleeting moment, he passed me and swung the lightning.
Jjeong!
Black Rock, who had evolved into Lightning Rock, took advantage of lightning's superiority to attack me.
By rushing at me from a distance.
He unleashed dozens of flashes in a short moment, aiming for my blind spots from all directions.
Jjeong! Jjeong! Jjeong! Jjeong! Jjeong!
It was a familiar attack style to me.
Black Rock's attack was very similar to Sir Ashley's Golden Flash.
Of course, there was a big difference in destructive power and speed.
The solution was simple.
No matter how fast, if I knew where he was going to attack in advance, I could easily respond.
The answer could be easily found by looking at his posture just before he charged.
By looking at his gaze, the tip of his toes, his shoulders, his center of gravity, the angle of his elbow, and so on, it was all too easy to predict where he would attack.
As proof, the bastard had not once landed a valid hit on me.
His stunningly fast and powerful attacks, accompanied by thunder, were blocked by me every time.
A sigh escaped me.
He was strong, but he lacked the basics of a martial artist.
It was like watching a child who had only gotten stronger.
Kwa-rreureung!!
When his attacks didn't work, Black Rock became enraged and rushed at me with an even louder thunderclap.
This time, the tip of his sword was aimed at my neck.
Black Rock had a fatal weakness: once he started his charge, he couldn't change his attack trajectory.
And it's only natural to exploit a weakness.
I slightly lowered my posture to dodge his attack in advance, and at the same time, I gently placed my attack where Black Rock would pass.
The result was surprising.
Kwang!
Black Rock was hit hard in the side and sent flying.
His armor was hideously crumpled as he staggered to his feet.
There was no need to show this guy my ultimate technique.
"Is that all you've got?"
I provoked him by beckoning with my hand.
"Come on. The next one will be your last."
The enraged Black Rock summoned an even stronger lightning bolt.
Kwa-rreureung!!
He charged with a roar of thunder that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth.
But the result was obvious.
Black Rock crashed into the attack I had prepared with all his might, and my sword dug into his stomach all too easily.
Puk!
Black Rock hastily tried to retreat, but I stepped on his instep and didn't let him go.
As I twisted the sword embedded in his stomach, Black Rock raised his sword above his head as if to strike me down.
But, my attack was faster.
With one foot on Black Rock's instep, I swung my heel.
Crack!
My heel landed precisely on Black Rock's temple.
Black Rock's posture collapsed.
Black Rock, who had fallen to his knees, coughed and said.
His voice was as gloomy as his appearance.
"...Mercy."
"I don't know the meaning of mercy."
I gave him a bright smile and swung the sword embedded in his stomach upwards.
Chwaak!
Black Rock was split in half.
(End of Chapter)