The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 134

106. Minotaur’s Lair (5)

“Everyone, to your positions!”

Knight Grace instinctively sensed that Khalil’s provocation signaled the start of the battle and shouted.

However, Beykan and Kinu had long been ready for combat.

Grace unleashed her mana blade, standing in front of Viola.

“You must not leave my side under any circumstances, Princess.”

Viola nodded, looking visibly nervous.

‘Now… I can finally see it properly.’

Viola was afraid, but she tried her best not to miss Khalil’s fighting.

He had shown overwhelming power when killing the Minotaur and taming the monsters of the labyrinth, but the Khalil she expected was definitely not just that.

It was ridiculous, but that level was understandable within common sense.

Beyond the realm of common sense.

A power that transcends boundaries.

That was what she wanted to see.

It might seem strange, but she had a vague expectation that he would present her with an incredible sight that even the Sword Masters, of whom there were only five on the continent, could not show.

‘You have to show me, Khalil.’

Perhaps this was an imagination possible only because she was ignorant about swords.

Expecting a boy of only fourteen to surpass the realm of a Sword Master.

‘Because I want to bet the fate of the Fenria Kingdom on you.’

She was not even a queen.

Moreover, she was not the first in line to the throne.

Her thoughts might be considered arrogant.

Nevertheless, Viola was determined as she watched what Khalil had accomplished so far.

‘Maybe I can change it.’

The expectation that Khalil, as an individual, could be an opportunity to free Fenria from the disgrace of being a perpetually weak nation.

Gulp.

She looked at him with trembling eyes.

Kwaaaang……!!!

Khalil’s sword emitted a flash, splitting Minos’s throne. At the same time, Kinu Mukari’s arrow rushed towards the enemy’s heart.

[Shriek!!]

The giant snake wrapped around Minos’s waist opened its huge maw, blocking Kinu Mukari’s arrow just before it reached his chest.

Tssseuk……!!
Tssseujeuk……!!

The blue-green arrow tip touched the snake’s mouth, emitting smoke as if it were burning.

[Keeeek!! Keek!!]

The creature writhed and convulsed, its face contorted in pain.

“Just as the Master said.”

“Indeed.”

Kinu nodded at Beykan’s words.

The blue-green ore obtained from the Narak Rock was a rare metal in itself, being hard, sharp, and having excellent magical conductivity, but it also had another important ability.

That was.

It did not have much effect on ordinary monsters on the continent, but it had the power of poison to the monsters inside the lairs.

That was why the Free Army was able to subjugate many lairs in the south at an incredible speed.

“Kinu, Beykan. I’ll leave that snake to you.”

Khalil glanced at Minos’s snake, which was beginning to coil with an arrow piercing its left lip, and said.

“It is an honor.”

Kinu answered in the style of the Biung tribe [a nomadic people known for their archery], holding the bow in his hand in front of his chest.

Beykan pulled out his hand axe and ran.

Grace could not imagine how a barbarian without magic could stand against that monster, no matter how excellent his equipment was.

Her mana blade trembled as if expressing his emotions.

Shaaak―!!

Minos swung his huge hammer with all his might. A dark mana blade shot out from the head of the hammer, covering Khalil.

He stopped running and twisted his pivotal right foot to the side, changing direction.

Turning almost at a right angle and changing direction again in a zigzag pattern, Khalil sequentially evaded the monster’s attacks.

‘So far, it’s as expected. The pattern doesn’t change either.’

Khalil predicted the trajectory of the hammer that Minos was swinging faster than the monster himself and evaded it a beat earlier.

‘Looking at it like this, it’s just like Parell’s practice ground for dealing with monsters.’

To him, who had killed countless monsters and corruptions in Parell, the monsters in reality felt weak.

He didn’t know whether to cry or laugh at the fact that the terrible time he had been trapped for countless years was ironically helpful, but such things could wait until he had cut the monster’s neck in front of him.

[Kuek……!!]

Minos exclaimed with a mixture of embarrassment as he saw Khalil, who had narrowed the distance in an instant and popped up right in front of him.

Colorless Sword Art 4th Form.

Khalil, who jumped over Minos’s shoulder, crossed his arms, raised his sword, and rotated like a drill.

Chwaaaak……! Chajak!!

The two swords passed, cutting the king’s shoulder. Stepping on the severed flesh, Khalil jumped once more, aiming for Minos’s crown.

Five Sword Step.

Second Unicorn Posture.

Kaaaaang―――!!

Minos quickly raised his arm to protect his head. With a sharp sound of metal clashing, Khalil’s sword pierced the monster’s forearm.

At that moment.

A thick black smoke-like substance spewed out from the opened wound.

‘This is…….’

Khalil frowned slightly at the familiar sensation.

‘No matter how many times I experience it, it’s still awful.’

It was the unique smell of corruption.

It was the second time since Gray Archbishop after his regression.

Seeing the aura of corruption permeating Minos’s body, Khalil once again confirmed that the lair was related to Parell.

“Keuk……!!”

“Kuek?!

As an alien feeling, like a dark moss-like air pressing down on them, momentarily spread throughout the room, the others, who were already having difficulty breathing, staggered under the pressure that seemed to press down on them even more.

‘Doesn’t that guy fear death…….’

But Khalil alone thrust the sword he had stabbed into Minos’s arm even more, as if he had given up his life.

Watching his fierce battle, Viola unknowingly found herself cheering for Khalil, like a young lady who had been chosen by a newly appointed knight during the knighting ceremony.

[Die, all of you……!!]

Minos swung his arm violently.

As the embedded ice claw was pulled out, Khalil’s body floated up with a whoosh.

‘Now.’

But even the monster’s counterattack seemed to be within his expectations, as Khalil twisted his body in the air with a familiar motion.

Paang……!!

With the sound of air exploding beneath his feet, Khalil pulled the ice claw into his body.

Pajeuk……!! Pajjeujeuk……!!

Shooting out diagonally like a bullet, he aimed precisely at Minos’s neck.

Khalil put strength into the hand holding the ice claw.

Then, once again, red flames flickered on top of the Arcane Blade that had surged on the sword’s edge.

Kwadeuk―――!

It was then.

“?!”

The ice claw writhed, shaking as if it were bouncing out of Khalil’s grasp.

[Kuaaaaa―――!!]

Not missing Khalil, whose posture had collapsed, Minos swung his hammer with all his might.

“Keuk!!”

His body was slammed into the floor by the monster’s hammer.

“Khalil!!!”

Viola was startled by the sight and hurriedly shouted.

“Cough, cough…….”

[When I first met you, I told you not to use my power on that damn sword.]

A voice echoed in his head.

Khalil, ridiculously, let out a faint laugh at the voice, as if he was dumbfounded.

‘Crazy. Are you refusing to use magic in this situation?’

After Alun Zabis had fallen asleep, there were no more voices heard in his head, but he felt strange hearing the voice after a long time.

‘You. You could talk? I thought you were asleep, Lamine [the Spirit King of Fire].’

Whirrr―――!!

Then, a flame ignited from the Ein Trigger [a magical artifact] embedded in Khalil’s back of his hand, and a small flickering flame quickly rotated around him.

[To inject my power into that kind of sword. That’s the worst compatibility.]

‘I know that too. But there’s no other sword like this, so that’s why. Thanks to you, I almost died, you damn Spirit King.’

[Bi, damn? Do you know how unpleasant it is to go inside a sword with the power of Etheral? Her scent remains on that sword.]

‘Etheral……? Are you talking about the Water Spirit King?’

Khalil tilted his head slightly as Lamine mentioned Etheral, who was called the Queen of the Tides.

[You’ve been using it without even knowing that?]

‘Are you saying that the power of the Spirit King is contained in the Ice Claw?’

[Of course. Not only that sword, but also the artifacts made by the Blader contain our power.]

At that moment, Khalil remembered what Alun Zabis had said before.

‘The five great weapons made by the Blader.’

The five works created by the dwarves, elves, and the Council of Seven Elders were already famous without needing explanation.

Now he knew why only five of those weapons were made.

‘I thought it was simply because of the attributes, but it was more than that. The number five matches the number of Spirit Kings.’

The chakram [a bladed throwing weapon] with the power of fire sealed within, Flame Punish.

The staff with the power of wind, Infinite Breath.

The water magic sword, Freezing Talon.

He had seen these three weapons in his previous life.

The remaining two weapons were lost and could not be found, but there was a possibility as long as they existed on the continent.

‘Lamine, then the weapon with your power sealed within would be Flame Punish.’

[That’s right.]

‘I have to go get it.’

Khalil was relieved that Lamine’s attribute was a weapon he knew in his previous life, not a lost weapon.

He remembered where it was sealed and who had obtained it.

[No. There’s no need to find it.]

‘Why?’

The flame flickered as if scoffing at Khalil’s question.

[Because you already have a weapon.]

‘What?’

[The Ein Trigger, which can be said to be the essence of my power, is already embedded in your body. If you were someone who couldn’t handle it properly, I wouldn’t have let you absorb it.]

At the same time as Lamine’s words ended, the essence of the flame embedded in the back of his hand flashed.

[You can use my power sufficiently without the help of a weapon, so why would you inefficiently use a weapon that is inferior to you? Unless you have multiple arms like the Nagas [a mythical race with serpentine features] and have room to spare.]

Khalil nodded at Lamine’s words.

‘You’re right. It would be better to use a weapon that can use the power of other attributes. I’ll have to keep using the Ice Claw according to your words.’

[……Why is that the conclusion you’ve come to?]

No one in the world could make fun of the Flame Tyrant, but Khalil chuckled at his appearance, which sounded sulky.

‘How about mixing arcane power with the flame?’

[I don’t care. No, it’s rather excellent. After all, the magic power you have is based on dragon magic power. Moreover, the dragon’s heart you ate is that of the Flame Dragon Lyseria.]

Khalil nodded at his words.

[Rather, the compatibility is good. As long as you don’t use it on that damn sword…….]

Whirr……! Pajeuk……!

At that moment.

The blade of Agnel [Khalil’s dagger] was engulfed in lightning and flames, blazing fiercely.

The blade of the dagger lengthened like the Ice Claw, turning into a crimson blade as if it had been heated in a fire.

The blue-green ore itself was a mineral that easily accepted magic power, but the result of combining arcane power and Lamine’s flame was beyond Khalil’s expectations.

[This much is nothing.]

Lamine said to Khalil.

Chiiiik―――!!

Chijik――!!

Surprisingly, when the air touched Agnel’s blade, it began to burn away the aura of corruption flowing out of Minos’s body, along with a pungent smell.

[Krrr…….]

Seeing the sight, Minos, unlike before, growled lowly like a frightened beast for the first time.

‘Was that the power that caught the Gray Orc…….’

Grace’s eyes trembled as if she was fascinated by Khalil’s appearance, holding a red flame sword in one hand and a cold ice sword in the other.

Thump― Thump― Thump―

Khalil walked towards Minos.

Unlike before, the monster’s arm, which was clutching the hammer, seemed to be trembling slightly.

[And you have to say it right. You almost died because of me just now?]

As Lamine’s flame was absorbed into the back of Khalil’s hand, Agnel’s blade shone even brighter.

[You.]

The Flame Tyrant whispered.

[In the first place, you can just kill those small fries without even using magic.]