The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 297

200. Simon Coden

Thwack—!!

In one swift motion, Karil leaped onto the Basilisk’s head, turning his ice claw downward to strike Simon Coden’s jaw with the end of the hilt.

With a dull thud, Coden’s head snapped back.

“Kugh?!

His body staggered from the blow.

A trickle of red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and Karil, with a blank expression, remarked,

“If the master of the Eastern Kingdom bleeds so easily, what use are you?”

“…You bastard!”

Karil clenched and unclenched his fist a few times, then extended his palm towards Coden’s face.

Whoosh…!!

But at that moment, his outstretched arm swiped through empty air, scattering only a wisp of smoke with the wind pressure.

Swish—!!!

The spot where Coden had been sitting was now empty, and he suddenly appeared behind Karil, thrusting sharp, needle-like scales towards his nape.

Bang! Bang!! Boom—!!

As Karil turned and slashed with his sword, smoke billowed once more, and Coden’s presence vanished like a ghost along the path of his blade.

First Stage Awakening of the Elementary Art of Concealment, Cloud Spirit.

It allowed the user to disperse their body like smoke, completely concealing their presence, and its speed surpassed the limits of human capability, ensuring the target was killed without even realizing they were dead.

Indeed, reaching this level alone was enough to attain the highest echelon of assassination.

“…….”

As Coden’s form, which had vanished like a ghost, reappeared, he stared at Karil with a hardened expression.

“Ptooey.”

Karil spat out the needles he had caught in his mouth, a smirk playing on his lips.

[Krrr…]

The Basilisk growled lowly, seemingly displeased by the needles that had fallen onto its head.

“Cough!!”

Coden’s groan erupted before the sound of the impact—Crack!!

As if unable to regain his senses, he frantically shook his head and looked forward.

“Kugh!!”

Then, he hastily waved his fan.

As the fan opened, the seemingly thin ribs unfolded with a metallic sound, revealing it to be an iron fan [a fan made of metal, used as a weapon].

Coden’s iron fan shielded his face to block the next attack, but Karil was even faster, kicking his face with all his might.

Thud!! Bang!!

There was no impact of falling to the ground.

In the last moment, Simon Coden vanished like smoke, reappearing on the Basilisk’s back once more.

He wiped away the blood flowing from his mouth due to the earlier impact.

“…….”

He looked incredulous.

Despite being in the Cloud Spirit state, he seemed shocked by the fact that he couldn’t evade Karil’s attack.

“Hmm.”

Boom—!!

Bang—!!

At that moment, Karil inhaled sharply.

[Crack…!!]

As he leaped with all his might, stomping on the ground with both feet, the Basilisk’s legs couldn’t withstand Karil’s force and snapped, the thick bones, as large as logs, piercing through the skin.

But even more astonishing was that Karil’s figure vanished like smoke, just as Coden had done moments before.

A speed that couldn’t be followed by the naked eye.

‘Could it be…?! No, it’s different.’

Coden frantically looked around with a bewildered expression, then shook his head.

There was no way he could know the Eastern Kingdom’s secret arts.

Coden realized that Karil was achieving the same effect using only movement magic and his physical abilities.

But the problem was….

“Hoo.”

With a breath, Karil appeared right in front of his face and swung his fist.

“Cough!!”

His speed was faster than his awakened state.

Thwack…!!

Karil put even more force into his fist. The fist, which landed squarely on his face, continued to push forward without stopping. Coden was pushed all the way to the Basilisk’s tail without even having a chance to turn into smoke.

“Kugh….”

“Coden. How much are you getting from the Empire?”

Karil extended two fingers towards the staggering Simon Coden.

“Double what the Empire offered.”

“Kuh… Kukuku.”

Coden laughed at Karil’s words before the dizzying impact could even subside.

“So, in the end, you also need the power of the Eastern Kingdom.”

“No, it’s the opposite, isn’t it?”

“…What?”

“Pay me double the amount the Empire offered, and I’ll spare your life.”

Simon Coden’s face twisted, then brightened once more.

“Kuh… Hahahahaha!!”

He burst into laughter, clutching his stomach on the Basilisk’s head.

“Very well. Perhaps our contract can still be made.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

Karil nodded, watching Coden slowly walk towards him. He extended his hand and smirked at Karil.

“The Empire will pay that price. With your funeral expenses!!!”

Simon Coden’s face turned black.

His skin hardened like armor, and his eyes turned green.

His nails grew long, resembling sharp claws.

“…….”

An incredible speed that couldn’t be considered human.

Both were fast, but it was completely different from the smoke-like form he had taken earlier.

Second Stage Awakening of the Elementary Art of Concealment, Demon Form.

Tap—!! Taptap—!

Flash—!!

Even as he watched the monstrous figure charging towards him, Karil remained indifferent for some reason.

“Kuaaaaa!!!!”

The force emanating from Simon Coden was comparable to that of a Sword Master.

No, even more so.

Assuming he still had the third stage of the Elementary Art of Concealment, his skill certainly qualified him to be called one of the top ten on the continent.

‘I can feel the difference in level.’

But it was strange.

Was it because of the battle with Kwell that he couldn’t have in his past life?

Simon Coden, who could undoubtedly be called one of the continent’s strongest, somehow looked infinitely insignificant in Karil’s eyes.

Clang—

Karil raised his sword above his head and slowly brought it down.

Colorless Sword Energy Style Transformation, Third Form, Crown Posture.

Karil stepped forward towards the enemy charging towards him.

Even though it was only a difference of one step, Coden, who was charging, staggered as if he had momentarily lost his sense of distance.

“Let me ask again.”

Crack… Crackcrackcrack….

At that moment,

The massive Basilisk’s head, which was beneath the two, split in half from the crown of its head.

Swish—

Simon Coden felt a faint breeze ruffling his hair.

Crack—!!

Kwagagagagag—!!

As that breeze disappeared, the monster’s body, from the Basilisk’s head to its torso and tail, was instantly cleaved in two, like a watermelon being split open.

Thud—!!

Simon Coden, who had been sitting on the Basilisk, fell to the ground.

Without moving, he simply raised his head and looked at Karil.

Gulp—

He swallowed hard without realizing it.

Despite his monstrous form, his shoulders trembled.

‘Did he evade it? No way. He deliberately missed….’

He looked down at his feet.

The Basilisk’s blood flowed down, soaking the ground. If that strike had been aimed at him….

What would have been bisected wouldn’t have been the Basilisk, but his own limbs.

“…….”

He didn’t know.

That the opponent before him was the one who had suppressed his Elementary Art of Concealment with swordsmanship alone in his past life.

There was no way the current him could be a threat to such a Karil.

“Will you make a deal with me?”

Clench—

Simon Coden clenched his trembling fist.

“A d-deal….”

Kagagagagang…!!

It was then.

Simon hastily turned around and unfolded his fan.

Clashing swords sent sparks flying in all directions.

“Whoa!! Almost too late.”

A light voice, as light as the nimble swordsmanship, echoed across the battlefield. Karil smirked as he heard the voice.

“You’re late.”

“But he’s not dead, is he? That alone is fortunate. If my lord had been serious, that man’s head would be rolling on the ground right now.”

“…….”

Simon Coden frowned as he looked at the one who had suddenly intervened.

“You have better judgment than he does.”

“That’s because I’ve seen too many monsters around you, my lord.”

Aidan threw away the broken dagger and pulled one from his chest.

“Aidan Hamill…!!”

He was filled with resentment, but he couldn’t deny it.

Just now, he had certainly been about to admit defeat to the fear of death.

“There won’t be any more opportunities for daggers to remain.”

“Indeed.”

“Once this is over, I’ll have to ask them to make me a sword when I go to the North. The barbarians are crude, but their skill in handling blades is unmatched.”

“Like Agnel?”

Aidan pointed towards Karil’s chest.

Although it lacked any ornate decorations, Aidan, who used daggers, had paid close attention to the sharpness of Agnel’s blade more than anyone else.

“No way. I can’t give this away.”

Aidan shrugged at his answer.

“Coden, let’s make a deal.”

Karil looked at the two of them with a smirk, as if he had come up with something interesting.

“If you defeat Aidan, I’ll spare your life. Isn’t that cheaper than paying money? You can even use all the assassins of the Dark Shadow.”

“Huh?”

Karil turned away from him, who looked dumbfounded, and asked Aidan.

“What do you think?”

Aidan looked ahead.

Although their faces were covered with masks, there were familiar faces among the assassins’ eyes.

All of them were elites.

As expected, since the master of the Eastern Kingdom had personally stepped in, it was also a matter for the entire Eastern Kingdom.

“Mikhail will be envious.”

Aidan chuckled.

He didn’t think there could be a more perfect stage than this.

It wasn’t because thousands of enemies were watching him.

Karil McGovern.

The fact that he was here.

Was there anything he had wanted more than to be able to prove himself in front of him?

“Elementary Art of Concealment.”

He gripped his dagger and looked at Simon, speaking in a low voice.

“I will bring it.”

Thud— Thud— Thud—

As soon as Karil heard Aidan’s words, he passed by him as if he no longer had any interest in Simon Coden.

“W-wait a moment…!!”

Coden shouted at Karil, turning his head in confusion. But only for a moment, he was speechless at the sight unfolding before his eyes.

Whoosh…!!

Whoosh…!!

“Alrn.”

Karil called his name softly.

Then, a black spirit appeared as purple flames, like hellfire, flickered around him.

“You once told me that I lacked the skill to temper magic into my sword compared to Kwell, didn’t you?”

[Does the brat still remember those words?]

Alrn chuckled.

The flames of Lamine were in one hand, and the power of Etheral’s ice began to gather slowly in the other.

Despite the fact that the two forces of extreme opposition could never be merged, they were accurately condensed in his arms.

[Kyak…!!]

As Mael, who wrapped around his arms, bared his sharp teeth and disappeared, the power of the two Spirit Kings seeped into the form of a snake and began to melt back into Karil’s latent power once more.

Simon Coden watched the scene and was convinced.

The reason he had faced him was simply to buy time while waiting for Aidan.

As Aidan had said, he felt that it was by no means a joke or a bluff that his life would have ended in a single strike if he had been serious.

“I’ll show you if that’s true.”

Karil slowly began to walk towards the Istan Kingdom’s border fortress.