The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 10

10. Only the Destitute Can Obtain

“Flame Finger.”

As he flicked his fingers, small flames ignited from each of his five fingertips.

“Ignition.”

The five flames grew explosively.

A fist-sized fireball began to spin around Kaie Esser’s arm.

“Heat.”

His incantation didn’t end there.

He raised his other palm and lightly chanted, turning it a fiery red as if it had been heated in a forge.

[Flame magic against a Red Dragon… Kaie, your arrogance knows no bounds.]

Riselia, resting her chin on her massive paw, stared intently at Kaie as he cast his spell.

Sensing her gaze, Kaie shrugged and said,

“What can I do? Fire is my attribute. Surely, you, a dragon, wouldn’t fear my flames and resort to using magic of a different affinity.”

[You contemptible wretch, to speak of attributes like that.]

“Well, it’s only natural. For a human like me.”

[You?]

They hardly seemed like people engaged in a life-or-death battle.

It was more like a conversation between old friends.

Woo woo woong…!!

He gripped a sharp sword with his reddened hand.

Unusually, he wielded a sword instead of the staff commonly used by mages.

Then, the green gemstone at the end began to emit light, as if absorbing his red energy.

“Ignite.”

Finally, the five fireballs that had been circling him were simultaneously launched towards Riselia.

Kwaaaang!!

At that moment, the Red Dragon, who had been watching him with gleaming eyes, raised her massive forepaw and stomped on the fireballs aimed at her.

With a roar, two of the fireballs exploded on the spot.

“Fire Arrow.”

Kaie continued his incantation without concern.

As he pulled his arm back, the remaining round fireballs elongated like arrows.

‘Such rapid incantation… How many mages can instantly cast spells with just the activation words, without a full incantation?’

Carryl couldn’t help but be amazed as he watched him.

Chwaaaak-!!!

His fire arrows pierced Riselia’s tough scales and exploded.

Surprisingly, the skin beneath the scales that had fallen off the Red Dragon looked charred, as if burned.

[Krrr…]

Perhaps she had underestimated the power of the magic.

Riselia bared her massive fangs and growled, glaring at Kaie as if in anguish.

‘That’s a 1st class spell? No way!’

Fireball and Fire Arrow, the most basic of fire magic.

Fireball, which focused on explosive power by condensing flames into a round sphere, and Fire Arrow, which aimed for a single point of explosion, had slight differences, but their power was only marginally greater than the fire arrows used by ordinary soldiers.

However, the mana consumption was high compared to their power, so they were rarely used.

Carryl, unable to use magic himself, had fought against magic users more than anyone else.

He had never seen any Fire Arrow exhibit such power in all his life.

Paah-!!!

But even before he could fully register his surprise, black smoke erupted from the dragon’s eyes.

[Kaaak!! Kaaaaak…!!]

Unlike before, Riselia rolled around in agony, emitting bizarre screams.

“Shall we increase the power a bit more?”

Once again, flames ignited from his fingertips.

His blood vessels swelled as if about to burst, and mana surged throughout his body.

Bang-!!

Bang…!! Bang…!!

Kwaga Gaga Gang—!!

Fire arrows rained down indiscriminately.

The Fire Arrows, initially red with flickering flames, gradually turned blue over time.

The magic, flying like flashes of light, accurately targeted Riselia’s vital points.

Surprisingly, the dragon staggered with each explosion, unable to maintain her balance.

‘What is this…? With mere magic.’

As if ignoring the dragon’s magic resistance, Kaie Esser’s magic pierced Riselia every time he cast it.

[Kuaaaaa…!!!]

Riselia’s breath poured out towards Kaie Esser. The intense heat, shaking the earth, scattered in all directions.

Kaie Esser didn’t even try to dodge it, taking it head-on.

No, he blocked it.

Chiiiiii….

No, it split.

A flash of light, and the Flame Dragon’s breath split to both sides and dissipated.

Removing his charred robe, he looked at Riselia as if nothing had happened.

‘Is that even possible….’

Carryl couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Dividing things into classes is foolish in itself. If you pour 5th class mana [magical energy] into a 1st class spell, can you still call it 1st class?”

No, that’s impossible.

The very act of classifying is due to the limit of mana that can be condensed into a spell.

The absolute amount of magic.

The higher the class, the greater the amount consumed.

But….

He had just witnessed it, hadn’t he?

If he hadn’t been synchronized with Riselia’s body, he wouldn’t have been able to properly grasp, let alone block, the magic Kaie was using.

Carryl had fought many mages in the wars of the Empire. But none of them were like this.

‘…….’

At that moment, he found himself involuntarily staring at Kaie Esser.

‘Are we wrong to think there are limits?’

That’s just what he had heard.

And that’s just what he believed.

If any mage were to hear this now, they would be furious.

But Carryl had never used magic himself.

That’s why he alone could have such a question.

If Kaie Esser’s words were true.

‘An event that overturns the entire magic system to date.’

Carryl swallowed hard without realizing it.

[Why are you hunting dragons? Weren’t you and I of the same kind?]

“Of the same kind? Surely… How could humans and dragons be the same?”

Kaie Esser chuckled at his words.

But Carryl felt that the answer was making Riselia’s heart pound.

[I only ask one thing. Does my death give you a new turning point?]

“Of course.”

He nodded.

“But my magic ends with my generation. My essence….”

Kwaaaang-!!

A massive flame erupted from Kaie Esser’s sword.

A meteorite falling from the sky began to burn.

“…will be there.”

Carryl couldn’t hear his last words because of the explosion. But he instinctively felt it.

That was the Flame Dragon’s last moment alive.

Paah-!!!

His vision turned black.

* * *

“Young Master, Young Master!!”

Ruben’s voice was heard.

He slowly opened his eyes.

“……”

It wasn’t the moldy Einherjar’s [warrior fallen in battle in Norse mythology] library.

Waking up in bed, Carryl felt strangely unfamiliar with his own body.

“Are you alright? Do you know who I am? No, I’ll inform the Madam right away!”

Was it because he had been synchronized with Riselia’s body?

No, it had changed.

The blood vessels visible on his outstretched palm held a faint light, as if alive.

“Wait.”

Ruben, who was about to open the door and run out, stopped at Carryl’s words.

He didn’t want to be disturbed.

He wanted to quietly focus on this moment.

The power felt within his body.

Carryl was experiencing this foreign energy for the first time, something he had never possessed in his life, but he instinctively knew what it was.

How long had he endured for this moment?

Squeeze-

Carryl’s hand tightened.

A faint smile spread across his lips.

Mana (魔力) [magical energy].

He had finally obtained that power.