The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 205

160. The Two Arts of Darkness (1)

“Humans participated in the Spirit War? Laminu, you didn’t mention that.”

[You wouldn’t even know that gods and spirits fought a war in the first place.]

Carryl shrugged slightly at Laminu’s words.

“Well, there aren’t many records of spirits in human history. But considering that the Five Great Spirit Kings, including the Second Wilderness, were sealed by gods, I didn’t think you’d be easily defeated.”

[It’s all in the past anyway.]

“But I didn’t know humans were involved in that defeat. It seems there’s a lot I don’t know…”

Crack-

Carryl twisted his neck from side to side.

Red blood was still pooling on his collarbone, which had been broken by Duart a moment ago.

“Ptooey!”

He spat out a clot of blood and wiped his lips as he spoke.

“It’s not just the past. Even if it was humans from the past, it was still something humans did. Is that defeat the reason the Spirit Realm was lost?”

[I can’t deny it.]

“Why didn’t you tell me such an important thing?”

[What would change by telling you?]

Laminu’s flames flickered.

The wavering flames seemed to reflect his heart.

“There is.”

Carryl tried to heal the wound inflicted by Duart with recovery magic.

However, the light of recovery flowing from his hand was obscured by the darkness hanging in the air, unable to exert its power.

“I don’t know why humans were the reason for the defeat, but I’m different from those humans.”

It seemed that Duart’s dark power was suppressing Carryl’s ability to emit magic.

“Tch.”

After trying a few more times, Carryl eventually gave up and waved his hand.

“If you’re under me, you’ll succeed this time.”

[I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting. A Spirit King under a human? Unbelievable. Laminu, were you ultimately fooled by a human’s silver tongue?]

Duart glared at Carryl.

Thanks to the bandage covering his face being cut off by the ice claws a moment ago, his expression was clearer than before.

[Me? No way.]

Laminu shrugged at his words.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but the form of the fire giant seemed more distinct than before.

[After seeing me for thousands of years, do you think I’d be swayed by human words?]

[…….]

[I didn’t succumb to the babbling of humans, but to that guy’s power.]

KWA-AAAANG—!!

KWAGANG–!!

It was then.

Duart’s body was pushed back much further than Carryl had been a moment ago.

An attack barely blocked by raising both hands in an eleven shape.

Jamadar, who barely blocked the ice claws, trembled. But even so, Carryl’s attack was not over yet.

[This is…….]

The energy flowing from Carryl’s entire body, as if tearing through the darkness-filled space, gradually began to strip away Duart’s dark power.

The black flames of the spirit body that had risen were swallowed by the flames of Laminu created by Carryl.

[Dragon Magic……?!]

Laminu felt the hot magic flowing from Carryl’s heart and said, as if pleased.

[Do you remember now? That’s the magic of the Flame Dragon that blocked you.]

Hwaruru……!!!

Carryl put strength into Agniel, which he was holding.

Then, as he concentrated Laminu’s flames into it, the flame blade created around the dagger became as long as the ice claws.

The blade made of magic gradually hardened, making it look as if Agniel was a long sword made from the beginning with a red blade.

Pakang-!!!

A sharp sound rang out as the two blades crossed and slashed at each other.

[…….]

But even while watching Carryl’s appearance, Duart turned Jamadar’s blade with the back of his hand facing up.

Clatter-!!

As he reached out, Jamadar, which had been stuck in the ground, flew back and was reattached to his empty hand.

Swae-aek……!

Black energy spewed out from the blades attached to both arms, and sharp thorns like spikes sprouted on both sides of his lengthened blade.

[Be careful. Wounds touched by his sword will not heal with recovery magic.]

“……You’re telling me that now.”

Carryl frowned at Laminu, touching his throbbing collarbone.

KWA-AAAAANG—!!!

Duart and Carryl, without either giving way, were thrown towards each other with all their might.

The immense pressure between the two felt like it was breaking into glass shards with the collision.

“……!!”

It was just a sound, but Aslak covered his ears with both hands and crouched down as if he had been hit by a bomb.

One strike, two strikes, three strikes…….

Carryl did not stop attacking, kicking off the ground and leaping up, circling behind Duart and lunging his sword.

With his breath held, Carryl’s sword danced and cut through the wind with each strike.

[Keuk……!!]

Duart could not deny that he was being pushed back by a human.

Each time he collided with Carryl’s sword, his arm was weakly deflected.

The Flame Dragon’s magic was immense, but he didn’t think that just that alone could drive him this far.

[That sword…….]

Duart glared at Agniel and gritted his teeth. His lips were not visible under the bandages, but the sound of his teeth grinding was clear.

Boo-woong……!!

Carryl’s sword cut through the air.

The air itself that touched the blade was annihilated as if fireworks were exploding, and each time the sword moved, black smoke burst with a loud bang-! bang-! sound.

Fourth Riffle Posture.

The fourth of the five sword stances created with painstaking effort over countless eons.

As Carryl’s body became more complete, his swordsmanship was also gradually reaching its peak.

The water flowing in the riffle meanders and flows quickly.

Like that current, Carryl’s sword strikes relentlessly targeted Duart.

[Give up. You should remember too. Liselria, who uniquely devoured your dark power during the Spirit War. Even if you are a human, you have the will of the Flame Dragon. Your compatibility is not good.]

[That’s only possible because of the Flame Dragon. Flames emitted by a human? That’s nothing to me!]

Duart shouted and swung his sword.

‘Not enough.’

Surprisingly, even in this tremendous exchange, Carryl realized that his sword was not properly piercing Duart.

Clearly, he was pushing him back, but by a hair’s breadth, Duart was narrowly evading Carryl’s attacks.

[You’re stubborn.]

[You……! You cling to a dragon who sided with the gods and hide……. Your mouth is still alive! Laminu!!]

Duart roared at his words.

Bang! Bang! Kwa-aang-!! Kwagang—!!!

Dozens of black spheres popped out from above his shoulders and exploded all at once.

As a result, the surrounding air disappeared in an instant, pulling Carryl as if to suck him in.

[Gods and humans……!! I will not forget!!]

His rough voice, like scraping metal, was heard as if tearing the ears.

From within the pitch-black smoke, purple-red beams poured towards Carryl in a forked pattern.

Thud……!!

Koo-woong……!!

Carryl, dodging the beams in the air and bending his body, fell to the ground as if sliding.

“Haa, haa…….”

As if trying to absorb the impact, he plunged two swords into the ground, and Duart’s dark power spread in all directions along the sword blades.

[Kyak……!!]

It was then.

Duart, who had leaped into the air, spread his arms with all his might, and huge pairs of black wings popped out from behind his back.

“……Wow, it’s getting worse and worse? Laminu, it’s different from your time.”

Red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Carryl wiped it with the back of his hand and chuckled at Duart.

[I was sealed in Liselria’s lair. Due to the price of the seal, at that moment, the Flame Dragon’s power you possessed was superior to mine.]

Laminu said grumbling.

[If your spirit power was strong enough, I could do that much too.]

“Is the only reason I lost to you because of the Flame Dragon’s magic?”

Carryl asked, resting the ice claws on his shoulder.

[……Never mind.]

He chuckled at Laminu’s answer.

[Don’t forget. There’s no time. Using Dragon Magic and my power at the same time will be a burden even for you.]

Suaaaaaak—!!!

Jamadar flashed in a streamlined trajectory in the darkness like a crescent moon.

Duart, who had been floating in the air, appeared in front of Carryl in the blink of an eye and drew his sword towards his neck.

“……!!”

A cold aura of death swept over him.

If he were an ordinary person, he would have pulled his body back at that moment. But while hunting countless monsters and climbing Parell over countless eons, he focused more on how to win than how to survive.

And the conclusion he came to was this.

Carryl instead stepped faster into Jamadar’s sword strike that was aiming for his neck.

Thwack-

Agniel was embedded in Duart’s side.

Hwaruru……!!

At the same time, the flames spewing from the blade covered him.

“Damn it……!!”

As Carryl concentrated his magic with all his might, his heart throbbed madly.

The magic in his magic blood vessels was heated up, but as he forcibly drew up Dragon Magic through blood vessels that were not yet completely open, his body could not withstand the power.

[Monster? Just a weak and ugly human.]

Duart said in an infinitely cold voice, looking at Carryl’s sword embedded in his body.

“Why do you hate humans so much? You also opposed the gods. Let’s hear what humans did wrong to you.”

Carryl gave him a bitter smile.

[It’s always like this. You are reckless, have no order, and only demand what you want.]

Duart slowly raised his sword.

Crack-!!

As he pressed down on his wrist with his elbow with all his might, a dull sound of bones breaking was heard.

“Keuk?!

Carryl grimaced in pain.

Not missing the opportunity, Duart’s Jamadar aimed for his vitals.

[Be careful!!]

Laminu’s cry was heard, but it was too late for Carryl to avoid the attack.

Bang!! Pow!! Bang! Bang!!

It was then.

Jamadar, which had been aiming for Carryl, was deflected, and Duart’s body staggered.

As lightning poured from Nine Darhon, he hurriedly dodged, unlike before.

“Light……?”

Carryl muttered quietly in his vision, which had turned white for a moment.

[Hey kid, are you getting rusty because you only hold a sword? Why don’t you use arcane power?]

“……!!!”

Was it an illusion?

[The power of the Flame Tyrant is your strongest power, but sometimes the strongest power is not the only answer.]

Carryl doubted his ears.

He hurriedly looked around, but there was nothing.

[There’s not much time left. Remember. What is the nature of the arcane power I taught you?]

It was unbelievable.

The voice heard in the darkness was none other than Aln Zaberius.

[The power of dragons and the power of spirits are great, but sometimes the power created by humans can overturn everything.]

“Light and darkness…….”

Carryl unconsciously muttered as if answering.

The lightning that Nine Darhon poured out was the answer.

Why did he use Laminu’s flames to create light to overcome darkness?

When he himself had the power of pure light.

Because there was not only darkness in arcane power.

Pajuk…… Pajujeuk……!

At that moment, the flames that had been covering Agniel disappeared, and a milky white aura blade was created.

Chijijik……!

At that moment,

Above Duart’s darkness, which had been swallowing the flames, a black smoke began to rise as if burning.

[Kuaaaaaaaa……!!!]

Duart’s scream echoed in Antihum.

Carryl put more strength into his sword and plunged the blade into his side.

“I admit that humans are reckless. So I’m telling you to trust me one more time recklessly. How about it?”

[You……!! Not only Dragon Magic, but how can you have this power……?!]

Carryl smiled wearily at Duart’s astonished cry.

“I told you. I’m different from those in the past.”

Carryl wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

Twisting the hand holding Agniel, he stirred the embedded sword.

“I’m rather glad. Honestly, shouldn’t we be happy about our meeting?”

It wasn’t something to say while stabbing someone with a sword, but it seemed like he couldn’t have a conversation with him unless it was this extreme.

“Yula.”

Carryl pushed the sword in further and said to him.

“In the end, you and I both think of the gods as shit, right?”

At that moment, Duart looked at Carryl as if he had forgotten the pain.