My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 281

281. The Unforgiven, The Unforgivable

Durak’s thoughts belatedly surfaced.

Swish! The Sword of Annihilation, embedded in his abdomen, was yanked out.

Red blood splattered, and Durak’s body staggered.

The energy of Durak, which had been exploding, was sucked into the world of nothingness and vanished.

Durak’s eyes, looking at Cyan, were soaked with bright red blood.

Durak opened his mouth towards Cyan.

But what was spat out was not words, but a lump of blood.

Durak vomited blood for a long time.

Finally, with trembling eyes, he looked at Cyan.

“You…”

And once again, Durak’s words could not be uttered to the end.

Cough, Durak’s body bent sharply again with another burst of blood.

With his vision skewed, Durak was finally able to recognize the surrounding situation.

The war between Ruben and Elanur.

Because the distance was far, the aspect of the war was not visible.

His vision was blurred, so he couldn’t know how the situation was unfolding.

But Durak could intuitively know.

Originally, Ruben should have been burning by now.

Constant screams should have been heard, and Ruben’s people should have been brutally violated.

But Ruben was intact and steadfast.

The sound of war was heard, but no screams were heard.

Only the screams of howling wolves were heard.

Everything was over.

“Cough…!”

Durak vomited blood again. Red blood dripped down, squeezing through his tightly closed mouth.

Durak picked up the sword lying on the floor.

Gritting his teeth, he swung the sword at Cyan.

But the sword, without any momentum, only flailed.

It couldn’t reach Cyan and only cut through the air.

“How… How could you…”

Durak uttered intermittent words.

The pierced wound in his abdomen continued to pour out blood.

“How could you… How could you…”

Durak kept swinging his sword.

And of course, he couldn’t reach Cyan.

No matter how much he reached out, he couldn’t touch him.

Rather, he was only moving further and further away.

From the power Cyan possessed. From that strength. From that realm. From that level.

Durak was getting further and further away.

It was impossible… It was absurd.

I am… I am the absolute powerhouse of the continent. So it’s strange. It doesn’t make sense.

No one can be stronger than me.

I am… I am….

“I can’t… accept it…”

He couldn’t accept it.

The fact that Cyan had surpassed him.

The fact that Cyan was far beyond him.

And so.

“I… I cannot… accept you…”

The existence of Cyan itself.

Durak kept swinging his sword.

Nevertheless, the sword strikes that did not reach stirred something greatly within Durak’s heart.

The heart of wrath (Ira), saying, ‘How dare you.’

The heart of envy (Envy), saying, ‘How could you.’

And so, there were two humans here.

“I… I cannot…”

One who was once human, but ultimately lost his mind.

【Kee. Heehee.】

【Heeheehee.】

And the other, born from a human, but a hideous and distorted terrible sin (罪惡) [evil deed].

Right here, right now.

“I do not… acknowledge you…!”

【Heeheehee!】

【Hehehe!】

There were two beings who were once human.

Wham, wham, wham, wham!!

Sticky, blood-like magic erupted from Durak’s entire body.

The power of evil (惡) inherent within Durak.

The demon of envy, Enviria.

The demon of wrath, Iraria.

The two black overlords revealed their eyes.

The power moved maliciously with a clear intent to kill.

And the appearance of Durak that was seen was…

【”I cannot… Heehee! Acknow…! Hehe! Ledge… Heehee! You!”】

He could not be defined as human.

Nor could he be defined as a demon.

A being who inherited the power of two overlords.

The appearance of the two overlords intertwined.

It was not a being that could be shaped in this world.

A grotesqueness that could not exist even by the laws of causality.

Something that was neither human nor demon.

【”Kuaaaaahick!”】

Only the expression ‘that thing’ could describe it.

Kwaaaaaang!!

The erupting malice (惡意) [ill will] distorted space.

The combined power of the two overlords was more terrible than any evil (惡) [wickedness].

The appearance was grotesque, and the power emitted was eerie.

No one could stand against that being.

No one could help but kneel before this power.

【”Worship…! Heehee! The birth of a new evil…!”】

The ancient evil (惡) [wickedness].

A repulsive monstrosity.

And then, a sound.

Swoosh—!

A single cutting sound.

The monstrosity’s steps faltered, stepping back.

Soon, the monstrosity’s body split and fell downwards.

【”… …!!”】

An attack that could not even be reacted to.

“In the end…”

Cyan’s voice was heard through the gap.

Cyan was facing the monstrosity head-on.

His instincts were constantly warning him of the indescribable power emanating from the monstrosity.

But Cyan did not back down.

He did not tremble, nor did he fear.

He simply walked.

Cyan’s steps were heavy as he stepped forward.

The eyes of Cyan, looking at it, were also lowered.

And so, the voice of Cyan that was heard was.

“Father…”

Filled with some kind of sorrow.

#

He knew.

That Durak was using the power of demons.

The situation Cyan had experienced so far was different.

Durak was not being controlled by the demon’s mind.

He was using the demon’s power while maintaining his reason.

He didn’t know how that was possible, but Cyan was clearly aware of that fact.

And he also knew that there was more than one.

At first, he thought it was a mistake. But it wasn’t a mistake.

And so, now.

【”How… Could… This… Be…?”】

Cyan was facing the hideous monstrosity.

Ker-huk, ker-huk.

The monstrosity’s body, slashed diagonally, began to congeal.

If it were a being made of flesh, it should have met its death, but this monstrosity was not.

The monstrosity pieced together grotesque masses of flesh and finally completed its existence.

The ancient evil (惡) [wickedness] that inspired fear just by its existence.

“I… I didn’t intend to kill you.”

But Cyan did not take his eyes off the ancient evil.

He simply looked at the monstrosity with sorrowful eyes.

The reason why he separated Durak from Ruben.

The reason why he created distance and continued the fight here.

It was both an intention to move away from Ruben and for Cyan to freely use his power.

The most powerful strike Cyan could currently perform.

The Truth (眞) – Asura (阿修羅) [a powerful demigod in Buddhist cosmology] that finished Durak.

The reason for that was also to liberate Durak.

Just like how he saved Helen and Karis in the Beastmen’s kingdom.

Just like how he severed the minds of the two that were being consumed by Nurbia and Gulneria.

This time, it was an intention to remove the existence of the overlord clinging to Durak.

Also, even at the very end, Cyan could have sufficiently cut off Durak’s breath.

But Cyan aimed for Durak’s abdomen, not his neck.

He stopped at suppressing him, not killing him.

From the beginning. From the moment this war started.

Cyan had no intention of killing Durak.

So he was deceived by the demon. He was manipulated by the demon.

Everything Durak did was the work of the demon.

He thought he could defend him like that and save Durak’s life.

The actions Elanur had taken so far were clearly sins.

Therefore, he had no intention of covering up the atrocities Durak had committed.

But.

“I thought I could forgive him.”

He thought he could at least forgive him.

No, to be honest, he wanted to forgive him.

That way, Elanur would collapse.

And so, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the same authority and power as before.

But he still wanted to let him live a normal old age.

He was planning to destroy Elanur, but he had no intention of killing Durak.

The reason was only one.

“I… I had no intention of killing my father.”

Because he was his father.

A father who wasn’t even like a father.

A father who had never done anything for him as a father.

Although he had never received paternal affection (父情) [fatherly love] even once.

Durak and Cyan. Cyan and Durak.

The blood flowing within them was clearly the same.

“I knew it was a stupid thought… A pushover. A frustrating bastard. A moron. I knew that everyone in the world would curse and point fingers.”

But Cyan was willing to endure everything.

He vowed to endure the curses of the people.

“Because that’s family.”

Because he was family, his father.

Because family is the existence that stands unchanged even when everyone in the world turns their backs.

Because family is about embracing and covering up mistakes.

That was the family affection Cyan felt in Ruben.

And the image of a father that Cyan wanted to become in the distant future.

“But why the hell!!”

Glug. Glug.

【”You… You… It doesn’t make sense… I can’t… I can’t acknowledge you…!”】

“Did you have to go this far…”

Father.

Cyan’s last words echoed emptily.

Durak. No, the hideous monstrosity.

The ancient evil. Was looking at Cyan with a look of astonishment.

The evil (惡) [wickedness] that was the combination of the two overlords.

But the monstrosity was trembling with fear.

The fear that he could not do anything to Cyan before his eyes.

That was the only emotion the monstrosity felt.

Cyan bit his teeth, suppressing something.

It felt like his emotions would surge if he didn’t do that.

But Cyan’s face, distorted like a fool, was filled with something.

Cyan spoke with a choked voice.

“Now… I can no longer forgive you.”

Cyan’s father, Durak, could have been forgiven.

That was only Cyan’s business.

But the demon could not be forgiven.

The demon must not be forgiven.

Because he had received so much, too much.

Cyan had so much on his shoulders.

The will of the Arnise who sacrificed their lives and continued for a thousand years.

Karze, who met a lowly death as a dragon and left his existence and will to Cyan.

The sacrifices of people who have fought against demons for countless years in the past.

The people of Ruben who are fighting for Cyan and Ruben over there right now.

“If I forgive my father now.”

From a thousand years ago until now.

Across generations.

The will, the belief, the effort, the faith, the trust, the righteousness, the morality, the benevolence of all people.

“I would be betraying them.”

It would be denying everything.

It would be betraying everyone who made Cyan who he is today.

That’s why Durak could no longer be forgiven.

That’s why Cyan could no longer forgive him.

The unforgiven.

The unforgivable.

【”I can’t… Acknowledge…!”】

That was no longer Durak.

It was a monstrosity that was neither human nor demon. And it was even less Cyan’s father.

【”I can’t… Acknowledge…!”】

The monstrosity was constantly repeating the words Durak had said.

I cannot acknowledge you.

Those were the words the monstrosity was uttering, and at the same time.

They were the last words Durak had uttered as a human.

Yes, Durak, until the very last moment.

“Couldn’t I have been a son to you until the end…”

Did not acknowledge Cyan as his son.

Cyan swallowed bitter sorrow.

Soon, as he gripped the Sword of Annihilation, he unleashed the transcendent magic dwelling in the Dragon Heart in all directions.

“If I had completed this sword… Maybe I could have saved my father.”

Cyan stood still in that spot.

With sorrowful eyes, he looked at the monstrosity, at what used to be Durak.

“This is the last courtesy I, as a son, can offer to my father.”

And then, a voice was heard.

And swoosh—! The sound of cutting was heard.

The monstrosity’s eyes widened in shock.

The clumped eyes did not look like eyes at all, but there was no mistaking the shock etched on its face.

He couldn’t see… He couldn’t even perceive it.

What was visible in the monstrosity’s eyes was clearly Cyan.

But Cyan did not move. He did not swing his sword.

He was just standing still.

But swish, the monstrosity’s body was cut and collapsed.

Not even leaving a trace.

Not even a trajectory visible.

The extreme speed, Quick Sword (快劍) [lightning-fast sword technique].

【”How… How…?”】

The pieced-together thoughts of the monstrosity returned only then.

And.

The sound of footsteps, sabak, was heard.

Cyan’s body began to move only then.

Also, by the time the monstrosity recognized that appearance.

Cyan already had a sword in his hand, and it had already been swung.

But this time, the trajectory of the sword was clearly recognized.

It was clear where it was aiming and where it was heading.

The monstrosity detonated all the evil (惡) [wicked] power it possessed.

But.

Thud, the sword that was being swung stopped.

The stopped sword bent in a strange direction, ravaging the monstrosity’s evil (惡) [wickedness].

As if defying the laws.

Cyan’s sword twisted and bent as if it were alive on its own.

That process was also clearly visible to the eye.

It was also felt vividly with the senses.

But… But….

Crackle.

It cannot be seen. It cannot be felt.

The trajectory of that sword, the flow. It could not be perceived at all.

Changeable and unpredictable, far beyond expectation and perception, Illusion Sword (幻劍) [ethereal sword technique].

With a whoosh—! The monstrosity’s thoughts are cut off once again.

And when his thoughts returned again.

Cyan’s sword, which had been flowing strangely, had suddenly stopped.

No, it hasn’t stopped. It’s just slow.

Cyan’s sword was being swung slowly, so much so that it seemed like it hadn’t stopped.

Therefore, the trajectory and path of this sword were also clearly visible.

If he could move, he could have avoided it.

【”… …!!!”】

But the monstrosity did not move.

No, he couldn’t move.

Because the space to avoid… was not recognized.

It was as if this entire space was dominated by Cyan’s sword.

The entire space became a great enemy (大敵) [formidable foe], oppressing the monstrosity.

The slowness of slowly walking and encroaching on the opponent’s territory, Dull Sword (鈍劍) [blunt sword technique].

And again.

With a thud, the air settles on the descending sword.

Wham, the air scatters on the swinging sword.

The unyielding rigidity to anything in the world, Strong Sword (强劍) [powerful sword technique].

Cyan took a step forward.

Cyan’s steps, as he stepped forward, heavily pressed down on the earth.

Cyan’s sword, adorning the sky, carries that weight.

Within that sword, the monstrosity could feel an indescribable heaviness.

The weight as if the entire sky was pressing down, Heavy Sword (重劍) [weighty sword technique].

And so, one step, two steps.

Cyan’s steps are connected as if they are cut off. They are connected as if they are cut off, and then connected again as they are cut off.

As a result, all the preceding mysteries flow naturally.

The extreme speed, Quick (快) [speed].

The ever-changing Illusion (幻) [illusion].

The aesthetics of slowness, Dull (鈍) [dullness].

The unyielding Strength (强) [power].

The weight of the sky, Heavy (重) [weight].

As the original self does, the mysteries flowed naturally like water.

And so, one flow is completed, Flowing Sword (流劍) [flowing sword technique].

And finally, when he reached the Supreme Sword (覇劍) [supreme sword technique].

Cyan could not use the Supreme Sword (覇劍) [supreme sword technique] in the end.

No more… No more….

Rustle.

Because there was no one to show the sword to.

Cyan lowered the Sword of Annihilation and swallowed his panting breath.

As he quietly closed his eyes, no existence could be felt with his senses.

As he gently opened his eyes, no existence could be seen with his sight.

The ancient evil that had finally disappeared.

Having finally left.

“… … Goodbye.”

Father.