The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 338

220. Niel Blanc (3)

Before he knew it, soldiers had gathered around the Sun Hall, surrounding the entire hall in multiple layers.

“Magic corps to the rear! Cast shield magic on the shieldbearers in the front!”

“Rear guard, magic ready!!”

“Front line, defensive formation!!”

“We must prevent the enemy from escaping, even at the cost of our lives!! Second row, spearmen, prepare for battle!!”

“Ready!!”

A deafening roar.

The number of soldiers surrounding even the outer perimeter of the Imperial Palace reached tens of thousands.

“…….”

Cahill scanned his surroundings.

The sharp glares visible between the giant tower shields, enhanced with protective magic, were filled with murderous intent, as if they were looking at their mortal enemy.

“The Jade Knights!! Battle formation!!”

Clang―! Thud!!!

With the shout, massive, cone-shaped lances for mounted combat protruded from between the spears aimed by the spearmen.

Zzzzz……!!

The knights’ lances far exceeded the typical length. The tips of the lances had four hooks protruding like claws, and they began to rotate slowly.

The color of the lances was the same as the jade-colored armor they wore.

“A knight order I’ve never seen before… I understand why they’re glaring at me as if they want to kill me.”

Cahill smiled wryly as he looked at the face of the commander leading the army.

It was Cam Gray, the commander of the Lye Knights, whom he had annihilated at the Rock of Nadir.

“A knight commander who lost his knights, and knights who were lost by their commander…”

Moreover, although he didn’t remember all the knights’ faces, he seemed to know well enough why they were wearing jade-colored equipment.

It was none other than the Green Knights of Gahel, who had been killed by Cahill in the north.

Cam Gray, who had been appointed as the commander leading the main force following the vanguard of 300,000 troops led by Jarvant Redak of the Red Knights, was more hostile to Tatur than anyone else.

“Even if losers band together, they’re still just losers.”

However, Cahill simply murmured his thoughts on them, as if he had no feelings about it.

“To think that you’re the commander leading 500,000 troops. If it were Quell of the Azure Knights, maybe… but against me, just you? Ollivon must be extremely relaxed about this war. He must be willing to throw away the lives of 500,000 men.”

“How dare you!! How dare you utter His Majesty’s name with that filthy mouth! You filthy monster!!”

Cam Gray shouted, his face even paler than when he had seen him before.

His eyes were filled with venom, as if he had been sharpening the blade of revenge for years.

“Are you talking about what happened at the Rock of Nadir?”

“You… You…!!!”

“Your knights were just weak. If they were annihilated by me a few years ago, they wouldn’t have been able to survive this war anyway. You’re lucky. You’ve obtained knights from the Green Knights who are better than them.”

Cam Gray drew his unique, sharp rapier and thrust it at Cahill with all his might.

[An attack as weak as its appearance.]

Mael muttered with a low yawn, watching Cam Gray’s swordsmanship with boredom.

Cam Gray, who was once known as Swift, was now just slow swordsmanship to Cahill.

Swish……!!

Deflecting the rapier that passed by his side with the handle of Lakna, Cahill plunged Agnel into Cam Gray’s collarbone.

“Cough!!!”

With the sound of the collarbone being cut, blood began to gush from his neck like a fountain.

“Perhaps Vice-Captain Naril, who was called a berserker, would have been more suitable as the knight commander. Has the commander neglected his swordsmanship for too long? That’s why the knight order is in that state.”

“You… You…!!”

Cahill looked at Cam Gray, who was shouting with a pained expression. It was bitter, but that was it. Since the death of Naril, who was a comrade in his past life, had happened by his own hand, he had no regrets about his absence.

Clang―!!

When he stepped on Cam Gray’s rapier, which had been dropped on the floor, it broke weakly, almost pathetically.

“Stop!!!!”

It was then.

In a situation where the soldiers surrounding the Sun Hall were in shock at Cam Gray’s complete defeat, there was a young knight who uniquely drew his sword towards Cahill.

The First Crown Posture.

Clatter……!!

As Cahill twisted Lakna, deflecting the sharply charging greatsword, the knight’s shoulder was pierced by the sword.

Cahill’s swordsmanship, which poured out in a bizarre trajectory, was something he had never seen before.

That was because it was created by him, who had already earned the title of Sword Saint in his past life when he had no magic power, so there was no way an imperial knight could break through the five stances of the sword.

“Kugh!!”

The knight staggered as his purple shoulder armor shattered. But surprisingly, he pushed forward with the sword still embedded, as if he was willing to give up one arm, and swung his sword at Cahill.

Whoo-oong―!!

The thick greatsword drew an arc and fell towards Cahill.

But the sharpness of the charge from before was not visible in him, who was already injured.

Clang……!

As Cahill twisted Lakna, which was embedded in his shoulder, the knight finally dropped his greatsword and staggered.

“You are?”

“…Commander of the Wisteria Knights. Norsen.”

Even though the sword was embedded so deeply that his shoulder was completely shattered, the mana blade that remained on the greatsword surprisingly did not disappear.

‘His mental strength is considerable.’

Cahill felt the same purity of magic power from him as he did from Grace.

The qualities of someone who could become a Sword Master.

No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he had already reached it.

Most of the Wisteria Knights, who belonged to Marquis Vestal, had left the marquisate and ascended to the Imperial Capital at the same time as Ollivon’s enthronement.

After that, since the commander of the Wisteria Knights was absent, Norsen, who had supported Ollivon since his days as a prince, naturally rose to the position of commander. He was assigned to assist Cam Gray in this 500,000-strong expeditionary force, and he had been preparing the Wisteria Knights, who had been scattered until now, in the Imperial Capital.

‘But still, a person I don’t remember.’

However, despite the appearance of a new Sword Master, Cahill pulled out Lakna, which was embedded in his shoulder, as if he had no feelings about it.

“…Kugh!”

Then, deflecting the greatsword that was in Norsen’s hand, he kicked his abdomen with all his might.

Thwack―!!

The purple armor he was wearing shattered in one blow, and Norsen was sent flying dozens of meters as if he was sliding.

“Cough… Keugh…”

He barely managed to endure and tried to get up, but he staggered and eventually knelt on one knee, spitting out a handful of red blood.

But that was only for a moment. As Cahill reached out his hand towards him, who was collapsed far away, Norsen’s body floated up with a whoosh―!! as if sucking in the wind.

“Cough?!”

Then, his neck fit tightly into Cahill’s palm, which was rounded, as if a puzzle piece was being fitted.

Cahill gripped Norsen’s neck.

“Ugh…!! Ugh!!!”

As Cahill’s hard fingers dug into the flesh of his neck, blood flowed down his fingers.

Even the dozens, hundreds of knights and mages in the hall could not muster the courage to move at the sight of Norsen, whose face was red and struggling, unable to even let out a scream of pain.

“Kuh… Kuh-heuk!!!”

Cahill looked at Norsen, who was struggling to get his hand off him, and said coldly.

“Bellin Valentian, Cam Gray, and Norsen. If half of the six Imperial Knight Commanders die in this place, it wouldn’t be a bad harvest. And as a bonus, Kadin Luer, your head as well.”

“You crazy bastard… What are you all doing!! Strengthen the encirclement!!”

Bellin clicked his tongue as he looked at him. Conversely, Kadin, who had been quietly watching him, looked at the mages behind him.

“Begin.”

He confirmed his subordinates nodding and spoke quietly.

At the same time as the feather attached to the Breath of Infinity fluttered, sharp magic power began to surge from Kadin.

For dozens of minutes since the battle had begun.

It seemed that he had been focusing on condensing his magic power all along, and with explosive magic power, three circles appeared above his head.

The barrier formation of the Sun Hall, which had been broken a little while ago, faintly glowed and began to surge as if being absorbed into the magic circle floating in the air.

“νωϪοκ υφχϪφχωγ stφ.”

“Ϫοκφχφχ”

“stϪϪχκ.”

Unlike him, who cast magic without incantation, the mages standing behind him began to chant an unknown spell to compensate for the lack of magic power.

[……Rune?]

Aln said with a slightly excited voice, as if surprised by the sight.

Along with ancient magic, another high-level magic passed down from the Magic Era. It was one of the secret arts that was only kept in the Ivory Tower.

“…….”

Cahill narrowed his eyes as he watched eighty-nine small magic circles appear around the three large red magic circles above his head.

A faint curtain was cast around Cahill, like spreading a red curtain, and began to envelop the Sun Hall.

Large-scale magic barrier formation – Vermilion Majesty.

While the Immortal Society researched black magic and the Dawn Society researched elemental magic, Kadin Luer developed his own magic at the Imperial Academy.

As a court mage, he prioritized the development of wide-area magic for war, and one of them was barrier magic.

‘That old man is serious.’

Cahill smiled bitterly, as if he was feeling new emotions as he looked at Kadin Luer’s barrier magic, which he had seen countless times in his past life.

Because he knew very well what the power of this magic was now, as he had seen it many times.

The end of the red curtain was divided into hundreds of strands, like weaving a string, and became sharp, cone-shaped awls that began to pour towards Cahill.

Originally, it was a barrier that could bind one person per curtain, but Kadin concentrated the power to bind hundreds of people on only one person.

[Cahill.]

‘I know.’

At Aln’s words, Cahill put Agnel in his mouth and finally drew the Ice Claw that he was wearing on his waist.

Then he threw it into the air.

Whoosh……!!

A black figure appeared next to Cahill and grabbed the sword that was spinning in the air.

[It’s a pity it’s not a staff.]

“It can’t be helped. That sword, which is the closest to the aura of the dead and has the ice attribute, is the best for now than Agnel or Lakna. If you want a staff, it’s over there, so take it.”

[Kekeke…….]

When Cahill pointed at Kadin Luer, Aln laughed as he gripped the Ice Claw.

Charrrrrr―――!!

Crack――!!

Hundreds of red awls surrounded them, giving the feeling of looking at a blood-colored whirlpool.

The people of the Imperial Capital stared at the overwhelming scale of magic with blank faces.

“Be careful.”

[Are you talking to me? Kekeke…….]

As Aln put strength into the Ice Claw, the blue blade began to turn purple.

[Rune magic, which was not often used even in the Magic Era… He’s quite good for a mage of the present world. It seems he’s explored quite a few ruins. But when it comes to the knowledge of runes, you can’t discuss it without the Council of Seven Elders [a group of powerful mages].]

As he began to engrave letters on the blade as if he was writing with his finger, unknown ancient words shone and were written one by one on the blade.

[Because I was the one who created the runes.]

At that moment,

The runes written on the blade of the Ice Claw were listed in the air and began to be rearranged.

[Large-scale magic……?]

Clatter―――!!

Clatter―――!!

As the runes scattered from the sword and turned into powder, black lightning began to fall there as if each piece of the rune had become a lightning rod.

[That level was common in the Magic Era.]

As if pulling something out of the red curtain, hundreds of lines of sentences written in runes appeared in front of Aln.

An enormous number of formulas that were frustrating just to look at.

[Magic doesn’t become high-level just by throwing in magic power. It’s nothing to undo such a simple magic formula.]

But Aln rather scoffed and said.

Then, as he drew the Ice Claw, the formulas of the barrier formation were broken as if they were being cut off.

[In that sense, that guy Kaie Essir approached the essence of magic. Come to think of it, what is that idiot Mikhail doing now…… Tsk.]

As the magic formula floating in the sky shattered, black lightning began to bounce off the hundreds of red curtain strands that Kadin Luer had created.

At the same time, the red whirlpool that had blocked Cahill’s path split in half as if the sea was parting, and pushed out to both sides like a wall, creating a path.

Right,

A path connecting Cahill and Niel Blanc.

“……!!”

A sharp wind brushed past Niel Blanc’s cheek.

“I-Impossible…….”

Kadin Luer slumped down in disbelief as he watched the barrier magic he had painstakingly created shatter in an instant.

Cahill felt anew the greatness of the great mage Aln Zavius.

[There’s nothing to be surprised about. You can do it too now. You just didn’t have enough time. Now that you’ve reached the ranks of the 7th class, you’ll be able to fully open the repository of knowledge I’ve passed on to you.]

Aln said, planting the Ice Claw on the floor and looking at the barrier magic that had been weakly split in both directions.

“……But if it’s this level, couldn’t you have released Gorden’s automata [magical constructs] instead of sacrificing yourself when I fell from the airship?”

[Why help a guy who’s doing stupid things with unnecessary recognition? He needs to get hurt to come to his senses.]

“Recognition? I was just doing it to hear what he had to say. You felt it too. He deliberately fell to hide the fact that he was talking to me.”

[Tsk, whether it’s him or you, you’re both having secret talks that don’t match your size and skills…… What does it matter if God is watching you?]

“Thanks to that, I found out the secret.”

Cahill smiled bitterly.

[Don’t talk about secrets. A secret is revealed when you cut off the limbs of the guy who knows the secret one by one. You would have said it first. Facing the truth is not courage, but anger. Look closely.]

His gaze and Cahill’s gaze, who was standing at the end of the path created by Aln Zavius, crossed each other.

[The guy is at the end of there.]

Now, there was nothing blocking the gap between the two of them anymore.

[So this time, make him tell the truth. Whether that guy is a dragon or a human, cutting off his limbs will make him tell the truth.]

Flash―!!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Cahill grabbed his sword and jumped towards Niel Blanc.