The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 391

239. Demon Realm (2)

“Kaie Essira…”

Kharil quietly murmured the name of the magician from 250 years ago as he gazed at the Demon King.

“It’s honestly surprising that he came here, but for you, who claims to be a race that worships power, to have made a contract with him… am I to understand that you’ve succumbed to him?”

The Demon King chuckled at his words.

“As you wish.”

“Then the Demon Realm is nothing special after all. In the end, you lost to a single human.”

He spoke confidently, but he had already experienced the strength of the demons in his past life.

Although he now possessed power surpassing them by having two dragon hearts, the others were different.

No matter how outstanding Kaie Essira was, he wouldn’t have had the same good fortune as himself.

‘He reached the pinnacle of magic 250 years ago, but I also know the Archmage of the Magic Era. The Magic Era was a time when magic was much more prosperous than 250 years ago. No matter how I think about it, it’s hard to see Kaie Essira as being particularly superior to Aln.’

That’s why Kharil couldn’t help but be even more curious.

A magician who reached the 8th class [a very high level of magical ability].

Certainly impressive. But even if his skills were highly regarded and on par with Aln Javius in his prime, could he alone face the demon knights and the Demon King?

Nevertheless, he made a contract with the Demon King.

‘I don’t know the details yet, though.’

Kharil carefully watched him as he leisurely prepared for the duel, despite his provocation.

Sitting in his seat, Hagane gestured, and Agares, one of the Four Knights, presented the massive single-edged sword that had been placed to one side with both hands.

Agares, who handed over the greatsword, stared at Kharil with cold eyes.

“……?”

The two men’s gazes met.

Agares was puzzled by the fiery gaze directed at him, but he couldn’t find an answer.

That was because the anger towards him existed only in Kharil’s mind.

The oracle was given, and the demon forces poured out through the Blood Cave during the war with the Fallen.

Humans suffered immense damage as a result. The vanguard of that demon army was led by Agares, the First Knight, so Kharil couldn’t help but be filled with the desire to cut him down right away.

“Well, you’ll be after that guy, for now.”

Agares, not knowing what Kharil’s words meant, simply tilted his head slightly and looked at him.

“Come.”

Hagane said, planting the single-edged sword into the ground.

Then, the beetles around him simultaneously covered Hagane’s entire body as if trying to tear him apart.

Crack…!!

Then, sharp protrusions began to sprout on the cheeks of his face, which had been pale but handsome until just a moment ago.

The beetles’ shells wrapped around his body and hardened like armor.

Red light flickered between the gaps in the helmet.

“The introduction is too long.”

Kharil yawned, covering his mouth lightly with his hand as if he was bored of waiting.

Clatter…! Clash!!!

But that was only for a moment. Before anyone knew it, the sound of metal grinding against each other could be heard as the two men’s swords clashed.

“……!!”

“……!!”

Neither the demon knights nor Kharil’s party realized when the two had clashed.

A speed beyond the extreme.

Boom…!!

Bang!! Bang!!!

Only the smoke billowing from the sky left traces of their movements.

Swish…!!

Kharil twisted his body in the air and unfolded Folsettia with his opposite hand. Just as he was about to reach inside, Hagane grabbed his single-edged sword with both hands and slashed from top to bottom.

“It’s too early to take that out.”

To avoid the sword aimed at his wrist, Kharil retreated and dropped Folsettia. The sword that had been swung down vertically bent at a right angle and aimed for Kharil’s neck without a moment’s pause.

In a hurry, Kharil grabbed Lakna and took a stance.

The 1st Crown Posture.

Deflecting the single-edged sword, Kharil leaned forward half a step and aimed for Hagane’s waist. Although he couldn’t unleash Folsettia’s sword, the magic power of the Platinum Dragon flowing from the ancient book was transferred to Lakna as it was, and the silver-gray blade now shone so cleanly that it was almost transparent.

Slicing-!!

With a sharp sound, the sword cut through his waist. The tightly wrapped armor shattered in an instant.

Boom…!! Bang! Bang! Bang!!!

Kharil threw Folsettia into the air and gripped Lakna with both hands. Then, wings emitting flashes of light appeared and disappeared behind his back in an instant, permeating the sword, and the transparent blade once again turned pure white.

“…….”

Hagane, having summoned the aura of Larciss of Light, one of the two great wildernesses [powerful elemental forces], stared at Kharil with a slightly hardened face, as if he didn’t care about the wound on his waist.

Clap! Tap…!

As Kharil stepped in the air, the sound of air bursting rang out, and he zigzagged towards Hagane, swinging his sword.

Snap-

Kharil bent his back with all his might.

As the sword curved and rushed towards Hagane’s neck, at that moment,

“Stop!!!”

Agares thrust a sharp sword between the two, blocking Kharil. As if waiting for it, Prokel’s spear aimed for Kharil’s back, floating in the air.

Hongak, whose leg had been cut off, threw a punch, and Gorgon, the last of the Four Demon Knights, tried to cleave Kharil’s body with a greatsword larger than himself.

A sudden, coordinated attack.

The dense web of sword strikes, designed to prevent any escape, demonstrated the demon knights’ commitment. They had abandoned their pride, focusing solely on stopping Kharil.

“Dangerous!”

Millyana, witnessing the scene, hastily gathered her magical power. Scales emerged on her arms and legs, and Hwaryun retrieved the Will of Lycanthrope [an artifact or power source related to werewolves] from around her neck.

“……!!!”

However, before they could move, both of them looked up at the sky in surprise.

Thud-

Kharil, stepping on the face of Agares, who had tried to stop him first, turned Larciss downward and thrust the sword into his collarbone.

Crack, crack, crack……!!

As his sword emitted light, Agares’ body disintegrated as if turning to ash in the sunlight.

After destroying Agares’ body, he swung the sword upwards diagonally, severing Prokel’s spear at the blade of Larciss. Catching the broken spear blade spinning in the air, Kharil plunged it straight into Gorgon’s thigh.

Thwack-!!

Simultaneously, he thrust Agares’ sword, which remained in the air, into Prokel’s chest. Unable to withstand the power imbued with magic, Prokel was impaled on the sword and flung away like a skewered kebab.

“Cough……!!”

A final scream erupted.

Without stopping, Kharil dodged Hongak’s punch, grabbed the back of his neck, and slammed it straight into Gorgon’s forehead.

Crack-!!

With the sound of a skull breaking, a deafening boom echoed as the two of them crashed to the ground.

Thud-!!

Kharil stepped on the two fallen figures as he landed, reaching his hand forward. Then, the ice claw embedded in the pillar flew through the air and landed perfectly in his hand.

Whoosh……!

As if to ensure their demise, he stabbed the ice claw into the backs of the fallen demon knights one by one.

“Impressive.”

“Only those innocent ones died because of your weakness.”

Kharil wiped Gorgon’s blood from the blade by slashing the sword through the air and spoke.

“They are loyal subjects, after all.”

Hagane slowly landed, saying,

“It only proves that I am an incompetent king. Since they are being defeated by a mere human magician, it can’t be helped that they are insignificant.”

“Magician, you say…….”

It was then.

Hagane smiled strangely at Kharil’s words. As he reached out his hand, the bodies of the fallen demon knights began to glow one by one.

Swish……!!

Like soul jewels, the corpses disappeared, and the spheres created within them were absorbed into Hagane’s body.

[It seems he shared his power.]

Aln warned Kharil at the sight.

“Apparently, unlike the Flame Dragon’s heart, you couldn’t share his memories while storing the Platinum Dragon’s heart in Polsetia [likely a magical artifact or location].”

“The Platinum Dragon’s memories? What do you mean?”

“You, who ate the Flame Dragon’s heart, probably saw his memories, even if only fragmentarily. If… If you could also see the Platinum Dragon’s memories, some of the questions you have might have been resolved.”

Hagane shrugged lightly.

“That too must be fate. You can’t get the answer to everything for free. However, you may be able to find out what humans left behind here through the clues you have been given.”

Given clues.

After all, all he knew about Kaie Essir was what he had seen in Riceria’s memories.

‘Was there something I missed……?’

At Hagane’s words, Kharil recalled his memories once again.

The hand chanting magic.

Kaie Essir’s hand turned red as if it had been heated in a fire. Riceria stared at him silently.

Woo-woo-woo-woong……!!

A sharp sword was held in his reddened hand.

Unusually, he was holding a sword, not a staff used by wizards, and the green gemstone embedded in the center of the sword’s inner handle began to emit light as if absorbing his red energy.

“……!!!”

Kharil recalled that moment and looked at the Demon King. Hagane gestured lightly as if expecting it, indicating him to continue.

Among wizards, there were occasionally those who used swords. However, the reason was merely for self-defense to protect themselves because the level of magic they could use was low.

But Kaie Essir was different.

He was fascinated by the overlapping magic he used and missed it, but he clearly split Riceria’s breath with a sword.

“Could it be…….”

“I made a contract with him and left three artifacts I created in the human realm. A deal is always an equal exchange. Then there must be something he left behind here as well.”

The Demon King said, looking at him.

“The essence of Kaie Essir…….”

In fact, he didn’t think too deeply about it. Since Kharil had artifacts from the Mythical Era, the essence left by a human magician wasn’t particularly attractive.

Because Kharil already had the Great Magic Tome Polsetia [a powerful magical book], which could be said to be the pinnacle of magic.

But if the essence he left behind had enough value for the Demon King to allow a contract with the Demon World…….

That would change things.

“Let me ask you one thing. Why do you guys think of him as a magician? Who called him a magician? Was it you? Or you?”

“……What?”

At that moment, Kharil looked at Hagane with a hardened face as if he had been hit in the head with a hammer.

“Kaie Essir never once called himself a magician. He was just called that by those around him.”

The Demon King raised the corners of his mouth and said.