Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 514

Formal Contract.

Any contract that uses immense power or tricks to force compliance carries enormous risks, including…

‘Loss of reason.’

Due to the forced fusion of minds, they gradually experienced a loss of reason. That was the case with the Dragon Knights he had seen so far. Forcibly fused with the power of chaos, they all lost their words and emotions. All that remained in their minds was the command and the victory of battle. Beyond that, they lost their humanity, and eventually…

—Demon Dragon.

Just as the guardian dragons within them were born as demon dragons, they would have become monsters that only desired battle. Moreover, the side effects would not be limited to that.

‘Instability.’

The forcibly bound power has a tendency to return to its original place. It was in the realm of instinct, so even if the loss of reason occurred, it would constantly happen and continue to attack the host and parasite. It sometimes became a trigger for great power, but at other times, it was a force that would collapse them, and above all, it inflicted constant pain on the host and parasite, accelerating the loss of reason.

In contrast, the contract that Forzia had made with Partisan was different.

‘Formal Contract.’

A contract where the wills of both parties were united, and mutual respect and consideration were present. Therefore…

—Perfect.

The effectiveness of the contract was perfect, and it did not bring about a loss of reason or instability. Of course, there were disadvantages to it, but the advantages were more pronounced than the disadvantages. And most importantly…

“Phile.”

The minds of the host and parasite were intact. That meant that Phile was not standing here by force of some power. She stood here willingly, and she was blocking him willingly.

“Is there something I didn’t do for you?”

Rowoon said jokingly.

“Or….”

Rowoon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Do you have another purpose?”

He asked. Phile, who was once his comrade. The time he had spent with her, the way she had shown herself to him. He couldn’t say that all of that was a lie. Also, even if he couldn’t ignore the time she was imprisoned in the Empire, he didn’t think she would break down to that extent.

“Why?”

He asked. The answer to that was…

*Swoosh.*

Phile gripped her sword again and took a battle stance.

“You won’t answer?”

A will not to answer.

*Shimmer.*

No. What he felt from the shining cross sword was…

*Clang-!*

It meant she would answer with her sword.

The swords of Phile and Rowoon clashed.

“Okay. I’ll play along.”

Rowoon’s eyes also slowly changed.

* * *

Even five years ago, Phile was already an outstanding knight and swordsman. In Einheart, there were only a handful of people who could withstand her sword, and her genius was so brilliant that it was visible to Rowoon’s eyes. Also, her greatest strength…

‘Holy Power Optimization.’

The ability to amplify the special power called holy power and the talent to fully control that power. That was why Phile was able to become the commander of the Holy Knights at such a young age and had such powerful holy power that she was once called a saint candidate.

*Hwaaah-!*

Such a woman had taken the power of her god, Seran, into her body. Just by taking in the power that could be said to be the source of her holy power…

*Kwaaa-!*

She was able to use an almost infinite amount of holy power and exert its effectiveness at 100 percent, or even more. A wave of holy power came crashing down.

*Kwaang!*

Everything behind Rowoon exploded with the blast. However, Rowoon, who was standing, was perfectly fine. Phile did not give up. Changing her stance, she shot out like a bullet.

*Clang! Clang clang clang!*

She constantly swung her sword, pressuring Rowoon. The Emperor’s Sword had seven forms. The sun and the moon. Metal and fire… Even the power of water and earth, it was a great sword that could newly create and shape the power that exists in nature by linking it with swordsmanship. However, Phile’s sword was not flashy, even though she had learned the Emperor’s Sword. The power that had already been united with and amplified by holy power.

*Crackle!*

It was compressed inside Phile’s sword and was having an effect on Rowoon’s body that it touched.

“You’ve learned well.”

Rowoon could sense it.

“You were outside the axis of time.”

He realized that the five years she had spent were not just five years. Rowoon realized that she had spent more than that time in those five years, just like him.

*Clang!*

Every time they clashed.

*Clang!*

He could gauge the time she had spent. Decades. Perhaps even more time than that. She must have grown her vessel and endured the pain while training the Emperor’s Sword to contain Seran’s power in her body. It was not an easy task. It was not something that could be done just by wanting to do it.

“I expected it, but.”

Rowoon said, dodging Phile’s sword that brushed past his face.

“It seems the master helped you.”

The method of shaking the axis of time to spend decades more was extremely rare. Even transcendents had a limited amount of time they could distort, but…

—Seran.

With the god of the world.

—Sword King.

If the king of the world met and added their power…

*Kwaang!*

They would have delayed even decades for Phile.

“Is Bonedeno the same?”

They would have given that time to Bonedeno as well.

“Haa… haa….”

He could hear heavy breathing. Thanks to Seran, Phile should not have felt any injuries or loss of stamina with her infinite holy power, but her opponent was Rowoon. All of her authority and transcendent power were becoming useless in front of Rowoon.

“I’ll ask again.”

A voice came from behind Phile.

“What did you want that made you endure such pain?”

The time of hardship they had spent was something they had spent willingly. It was something that could not be done without a noble purpose.

*Clang!*

Phile answered again with her sword.

“…….”

Rowoon stepped back. They had already exchanged dozens, hundreds, thousands of blows. The two of them standing there were in stark contrast. Rowoon was standing perfectly fine, while Phile was exhausted and trembling on one knee. The outcome of the fight was already as good as decided. At that moment…

*Hwaaaah-!*

As if a dying ember was creating a flame, a huge amount of holy power began to erupt from Phile’s entire body. This was…

“That’s the answer.”

Rowoon could realize that it was the answer she was trying to say.

*Creak.*

Pushing everything away, Phile took a step forward and took a stance. One sword. An absolute will to put everything into that sword. She gathered all the power, the power of the moon, the power of the sun, and confined it within her holy power. That was the power of the king who ruled the world.

—Emperor.

Rowoon was feeling the power of the Emperor. Also, one more will was being added there.

“Phile.”

Phile, what she truly wanted to say. She had put everything she had thought about through her training into one sword.

*Thud!*

Phile shot out like a bullet. And…

*Kwaang!*

An explosion occurred. Rowoon’s hand, which had stretched out at some point, and the blood barrier that had been created from it, had blocked Phile’s attack. However…

*Crack-!*

The blood barrier was quickly shattered.

*Kwaaang!*

Phile had no choice but to collide with the second wall. And it was then that Rowoon could hear Phile’s voice.

—It is the power of Seran, the god of the world.

It was as if she was talking about what she possessed.

*Kwaaang!*

—It is the power of the Emperor who rules the world!

*Kwaaaaang-!*

Another wall was broken, and the distance between Phile and Rowoon was narrowing.

—It is the power created by decades, hundreds of years of effort!

And…

*Swoosh.*

The holy power began to lose its light. After breaking through several walls that had collided, Phile’s holy power faded in front of Rowoon, the final destination. The tip of her sword was now trembling uncontrollably, like that of a beginner who had just picked up a sword.

“Haa… haa… haa….”

Her breathing was ragged, as if she were about to die. Everything she had, everything she had built up…

“All of this does not reach you….”

Phile said to Rowoon that it was useless.

“I can say with certainty that I am the strongest among humans….”

Phile said, gritting her teeth. It was an arrogant statement. Because she was saying that she was the most powerful, representing all of humankind. However…

“Can I, such as I, inflict even a single wound on you?”

In the end, Phile’s sword could not reach Rowoon. That was what she wanted to say.

“What are you?”

Who Rowoon was, and what kind of being he was. Also…

“The power you possess….”

The power Rowoon possessed.

“It is too destructive.”

It was a destructive power that no one could control. Phile had stood in this place, sacrificing her decades and her mind, to convey that one word.

“…….”

Rowoon looked into her eyes. The ember that had not yet gone out. However, it was burning precariously.

“I understand what you want to say.”

“……!”

Phile’s eyes widened at Rowoon’s words.

“It was a question I had been asking myself recently. I have decided on my own answer. Would that be enough?”

A former comrade. No.

“You are still my comrade.”

Now that he realized that all of Phile’s efforts were for his sake, she was still his comrade. Rowoon acknowledged and accepted her.

*Swoosh.*

Phile stood up straight. Her breath was still ragged, but her eyes no longer wavered.

“Go.”

Phile stepped aside.

“Find what you desire…, what you want to know….”

With those words, her eyes lost their light. She collapsed. Rowoon reached out and caught her.

*Wheeze… wheeze….*

She had not died, but had lost consciousness. She was taking a short rest, accepting everything she had endured.

“Okay.”

Rowoon carefully laid her down and turned his back. The scene in front of him was the Imperial Palace.

*Hwarrrr-!*

And a battlefield engulfed in flames.