The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 416

254. Declaration

“……The Tower?”

Miliana looked at Carryl, questioning his words.

“To hunt the Corrupted, we must ultimately destroy their hearts. But to capture them more efficiently, it’s best to attack from multiple angles.”

*Swish!*

Carryl severed the Bloodfiend’s arms.

*[Karak!! Kararararak!!!]*

The Bloodfiend struggled, unable to escape Carryl’s crushing foot.

Each time blood dripped from the severed arms, a black smoke rose from the ground. But as if he were butchering meat, he nonchalantly dismantled the creature, piling the pieces in front of Alrune.

“And what’s needed for that is experience. The best way to learn is to kill and capture a lot, learning the hunting method by heart. Aidan, remember when you went to the Forbidden Zone?”

As Carryl spoke, Aidan recalled his initial struggles to catch even a single drake, and how he gradually learned to target the creatures within.

Carryl reached into the Bloodfiend’s ribcage and extracted the last remaining heart, clutching it.

“Is that even possible……?”

“He’s toying with a monster that the Empress and the Knights had to team up to push back.”

Gordon Fabian and Kwell McGovern already knew Carryl’s strength, but they felt an inexplicable sense of alienation watching his actions. It was as if he was operating on a different level.

*Whoosh!*

At that moment, a large eye appeared on the heart, and four long, scythe-like limbs shot out like tentacles, attacking Carryl.

*Clang!! Kagagagagang!!!*

Carryl crossed his palms.

The space in front of him rippled, and a thick shield formed, blocking the heart’s attack.

“And this is the real body.”

As he finished speaking, the heart leaped out of the Bloodfiend’s shell like a living creature trying to escape.

“W-where did it go?!”

Aidan hurriedly turned his head, scanning the surroundings. The Bloodfiend’s heart began to dart around at a speed that even Sword Masters couldn’t follow with their eyes.

“The number of people who can cut the Bloodfiend’s heart in this state can probably be counted on one hand, even among the Five Great Sword Masters.”

*Whooooong……!!*

*Sizzle!*

As Carryl raised his hand, a small sphere appeared above his palm. The sphere spread out like a large net, rushing to envelop the Corrupted heart.

“But surprisingly, the heart’s trajectory is simple. Don’t try to follow it with your eyes; capture it with your hearing and predict the airflow. Its scythe-like limbs make subtle sounds each time they move.”

*Gurgle……! Gurgle……!!!*

Each time the Bloodfiend moved as if it were trapped in a pocket, the magical binding twitched and heaved.

“Ooh…….”

The people realized that Carryl’s magic, which had imprisoned the Bloodfiend’s heart, was not simply a systematized spell but was created by transforming magic power itself. It was raw, untamed power.

Creating magic is difficult, but transforming its very origin without a formula is an even higher skill.

“There are many types of Corruption, and sometimes there are those that cannot be killed with a sword.”

*Fshhh—!! Fshhh—!!*

*[Kaaak! Kaaaak!!]*

As the magic covering the heart emitted light, the Bloodfiend’s screams were heard along with the sound of burning.

“So sometimes magic can be the answer. But before that, physical attacks must precede to strip away the Corrupted’s shell.”

Carryl slowly placed the captured Bloodfiend’s heart on his palm and spoke.

At that moment,

Gordon Fabian and Kwell McGovern understood the reason for the sense of alienation they had felt earlier.

It was too perfect.

From the Bloodfiend’s trap to its movements and counterattacks, the response was flawlessly perfect. Even without precognitive abilities, Carryl seemed to predict the Bloodfiend’s movements one step ahead. It wasn’t just that Carryl was strong; it seemed like he knew in advance how the Bloodfiend would react and respond. He was a master strategist, anticipating every move.

“To catch the Corrupted, both sword and magic are ultimately needed. But those who can wield both incompatible powers are extremely rare.”

“Except for our lord.”

Carryl gave a faint smile at Aidan’s words.

“But ironically, that’s why humans can be strong. Because we are not alone. We have been structured as a military force for a long time, so we know how to fuse the knight’s sword and the mage’s magic together. In the end, the method you proposed is truly the way to deal with Corruption.”

*Squish!*

The Bloodfiend’s heart was crushed as if compressed by Carryl’s magic. The creature’s body trembled, then stopped, and it slumped.

*Srrrrrr……!!*

The Bloodfiend’s heart looked like a deflated balloon.

[It ended surprisingly easily.]

“Because it was already damaged. In fact, what it was aiming for was to explode with us. When that failed, it made a last-ditch effort.”

[Hmm, but weren’t we supposed to dissect it? It seems like only the shell is left; I wonder if there’s anything useful.]

Alrune looked at the remains of the vanished Bloodfiend and said regretfully.

“Don’t worry. There’s quite a bit of information contained within the heart. It’s a valuable asset for creating countermeasures, starting with their weaknesses. I wish I could destroy the remaining flesh over there, but I have to send it to Yula.”

[Indeed.]

Alrune nodded in satisfaction at Carryl’s answer.

“Don’t get carried away by this one victory. These kinds of monsters will continue to appear. That giant tower you see in the distance, Pharel, will continuously spew them out.”

“We must return and quickly organize the army. Unlike now, when it’s only composed of knights, we will create a new magic cavalry. The battle will be unceasing.”

Viola seemed to have made a quick decision.

“That’s a good idea.”

[Lord, if you collect the heart, we will analyze it on our end.]

Israfil’s voice was heard. At his words, Carryl slowly nodded.

Despite the appearance of an overwhelming monster, the people here were not losing their will to fight but were instead striving to find new ways to counter it. This was quite encouraging for Carryl. Their resilience was a beacon of hope.

“The answer our lord has given is ultimately the union of sword and magic, not fighting alone. That means the joint attack of knights and mages.”

Viola’s words had a greater meaning than expected.

Until now, the Knights and the Magic Corps were mutually exclusive forces. They operated independently, with little cooperation.

“That sounds like a fun plan. We will fight in the ways we can.”

At Carryl’s response, Viola glanced at the knights and said,

“Oh dear…….”

“We’ll have to become friends with the Magic Corps from now on.”

The knights laughed awkwardly at her words. The prospect of working with mages was both exciting and daunting.

“But is that all?”

“……?”

Miliana, who had been quietly listening to Carryl, scanned them and said to Carryl,

“Viola, you’re not wrong. You’ve certainly shown the potential for battle. Moreover, a legion-level battle will soon unfold against the Corruption spreading throughout the continent.”

At her words, Viola looked at him with a tense expression.

“But I think differently. What we should aim for is not simply a victory that annihilates the enemies who have invaded our land. Shouldn’t the goal be to ensure that as many people as possible see the rising sun the next day? Because this place is not an enemy territory but the land we live in.”

Carryl gave her a faint smile. Her compassion and concern for the people were admirable.

[Using Miliana as an example in the battle against the Bloodfiend was a pretty good answer.]

Alrune silently praised her in Carryl’s mind, saying, “As expected.”

“Then……. how?”

“In the end, you must become stronger. A small number of strong individuals cannot end the war, but the stronger you become, the less damage will occur.”

Carryl turned his head and looked at Miliana.

“The answer is the Tower.”

“Yes.”

“But……. that tower, which has just appeared, only spews out Corruption. We’re barely able to stop them, so when?”

At her question, Carryl looked at the two of them.

“Gordon Fabian, Kwell McGovern. You must know, of course, that this is not the first time you’ve seen Pharel, which appeared after the oracle [a divine revelation or prophecy]. And you’ve already noticed the intention of the plan I’m about to make.”

“Could it be…….”

At his words, Kwell McGovern’s expression hardened.

“I told you that hiding ‘it’ would not solve anything. Because we will use ‘it’.”

“Hah……. Haha.”

Gordon Fabian burst into laughter at Carryl’s words, with an expression that said, “As expected.”

“We will use anything if it can make us stronger. Surviving is the most important thing in war. In that sense, the other-dimensional Pharel in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave will be an excellent training ground for us.”

Carryl finally revealed his hidden plan. The Pharel in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave was a separate, contained instance of the tower.

Everyone couldn’t help but be shocked at his words. When he first mentioned the Tower, everyone naturally thought of the Pharel that had appeared on the continent.

“From now on, I will not regard Pharel as just a tower. Pharel must be destroyed, but before that, it will be a lighthouse that shows us a new path.”

“A lighthouse…….”

Aidan repeated the last words he had said.

“It’s not about gaining strong power or wishing for eternal life. It’s not about dreaming of killing gods for human desires, but about wanting the freedom to live in this land where I was born and raised, so we must do it.”

Carryl grabbed the Bloodfiend’s heart and raised it above his head.

“From the other-dimensional Pharel to the Pharel in this world. We will sweep away that cursed thing without leaving a trace. We will not tolerate even a speck of Corruption on this continent we stand on.”

His voice echoed in the silence of the battlefield.

“So, let’s fight together.”

Unlike in his previous life, when he failed to conquer even one tower, he now declared on this spot that he would annihilate two towers, as if making a vow.

“Conquer the towers. You are now not the Ten of the Oracle but the Ten of Godslayers, and you will ascend with me.”

The work he had been doing for countless years.

Carryl was about to start that journey once again, which he knew and could do better than anyone else. And just like when he went back in time after reaching the end,

“There will be life at the end.”

In this life, Carryl spoke to change not only his own future but everyone’s.