The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 471

279. The Great War (3)

“We will join you.”

The old man floated up, cane in hand, and stood beside Karil. Two other gods landed nearby, following him.

“You’re late.”

Karil didn’t dwell on their tardiness beyond that single comment. Yula, standing before him, was far more important, so he kept his eyes fixed on her.

“Bless him.”

The old man instructed one of the four gods behind him. The designated god nodded and began to chant.

It wasn’t Runian, nor any human language. It sounded like humming an ancient melody, and as the tune faded, a soft pink aura enveloped Karil before dissipating.

“If you had something like this, you should have used it sooner.”

The wounds remained visible, but Karil felt his magical power recovering rapidly.

His mind cleared, and a surge of exhilarating energy coursed through his body.

“We would have if it were easy to use. Divine power is different from magic. It’s fundamentally different from a priest’s blessing. Simply healing wounds is a one-dimensional power manifested through magic or priests, but a god’s true blessing is not like that.”

As the old man spoke, Karil nodded, wiping his dirtied face with the back of his hand.

“It doesn’t have a direct effect. Recovery is just a side effect. It’s only possible because you have an abnormally resilient body. Besides, your luck has run out, so don’t expect any more blessings.”

“Once is enough.”

Karil gripped his sword and turned his gaze to Yula.

“I never thought I would lose in the first place.”

“Really… You’re betraying me and siding with him.”

“Betrayal? Yula, you misunderstand. Gods who oversee dimensions only manage their own worlds; none of them form alliances and live together.”

“You made a soul contract to live amongst yourselves, and yet you dare to speak so brazenly?”

Yula glared at the old man as if she wanted to tear him apart. But despite her fury, the old man merely shrugged.

“Now, shall we end this?”

He spoke emotionlessly, as if victory was already in hand.

Clang—!!!!

Yula drew the red sword from her armor.

The moment she unsheathed the sword she had not used until now, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere filled the area.

* * *

“How long do we have to keep watching?”

Miliana, who had climbed down from Toska’s head and returned to the rear of the front lines, asked irritably.

[I understand your desire to fight, but we cannot move yet. Their battle is in the realm of the gods. You are strong, but if you interfere in that gap, you will die before you can even draw your sword.]

“Then? Do we have to leave everything to him again?”

Miliana bit her lower lip and clenched her fist, dissatisfied with her own helplessness.

“I swore I wouldn’t be a burden anymore…”

As with previous battles, Karil had always shouldered the most difficult tasks, and she couldn’t bear to stand by and watch the final battle for humanity’s future, waiting for Karil to save them.

“What is this power I’ve cultivated for? It’s useless. All I can do is watch?”

[There is one way you can help him.]

It was then.

Toska spoke cautiously to Miliana, who was simmering with frustration.

“…What?”

[I told you before, you can become stronger.]

“Are you saying that the strength you mentioned is enough to rival a god?”

[It’s the same as risking your life. But at least you’ll be able to enter that realm.]

“How can I do it?”

[But there’s a condition.]

“Condition?”

Miliana tilted her head, questioning.

[I will relay Karil’s message to you. Summon all ten of the Godslayers to this place right now.]

He said in a low, urgent voice.

[He’s not trying to bear it alone. He trusts you more than anyone. You are the final sword he has prepared.]

Then, as if preparing for the end, he looked towards Parel.

[This path is for the living.]

* * *

“End it? Who decides that? You know what the end means to us, born from the rift, right? You are the ones who will end in the world I created.”

Yula shouted, her face flushed with rage.

[She reminds me of that bratty girl.]

“Viola?”

[Yes. The one who was arrogant and didn’t understand the world. Well… she’s quite different now.]

Karil smiled wryly as he looked at Yula.

“Yula, you are not a god of battle.”

Yula’s face hardened at his words.

“What meaning could a sword possibly have for a god? But ironically, all the gods here have their own weapons.”

Just like humans.

“But unlike the other gods, you look awkward holding a sword. I understand why you were anxious. You must have been most worried about the gods turning away.”

However, Yula scoffed at him with a cold expression.

“As you said, I am not a god of battle. So what? I don’t cling to humans because I’m afraid of death, like some others.”

“I like that.”

Karil nodded, as if in agreement.

“I can kill you with all my strength without hesitation.”

“Aaaaaaaah!!!!”

A burst of unrestrained shouting erupted from Yula’s mouth. Sparks flew from her red sword, and sharp rays of light poured down from the wings of light spread behind her.

“Yula can use the power of light. But light is also darkness, so you should be careful. Hiding in the light and stabbing with darkness is her real trick.”

The old man spoke as if he had fought her in the past.

“Well, you must have competed for the divine seat in the past. But everyone is just a loser defeated by the Lord [referring to a higher-ranking deity].”

The old man’s face hardened at Karil’s cold words, but he soon began to chant, holding his staff.

“Where do you think you’re going…!!”

Yula’s rays of light rushed towards the old man. Karil instinctively stretched out his sword and blocked the light. A fierce impact and a tingling sensation, like being electrocuted, traveled up his wrist.

Tsueueueueuk…!!

Yula’s magic, erupting from the ground like an earthquake, constricted Karil. But thanks to him holding Yula in check, the other three gods were free to move.

Hwareureuk…!!

Flames, lightning, fire, ice, and wind blades spewed madly from the old man’s staff towards Yula.

Magic of all attributes except the two great wildernesses [likely referring to specific elemental domains] poured from his staff.

[Hmm, that one uses elemental magic.]

It would be a sight that would make any magician’s jaw drop, but Allen Zaberus instead examined the old man as if investigating him.

[Is he not using the magic of the two great wildernesses because Yula has that power? Hmm…]

“Yula!!!”

A man shot out like an arrow and struck the gauntlets wrapped around his arms against each other.

Kwang-!!

Then, a flashing light appeared, and his gauntlets turned as black as pitch.

Boo Woong……! Kwang!!

As he jumped up and punched Yula, black fragments scattered like shards of glass, and the powder turned into smoke, covering Yula.

Spang……!! Kagagagagak—!!

Hidden within the man’s relentless barrage of punches, a woman’s whip coiled around Yula’s legs like a snake.

“Futile.”

But Yula didn’t panic and first cut off the whip that had bound her.

“……?!”

However, the moment she cut the whip, it didn’t sever cleanly like rubber but instead stretched out, wrapping around Yula’s arms.

“You seem to have forgotten what kind of god I am, Yula.”

“…….”

The snake-lipped woman smiled with satisfaction and pulled her whip with all her might. Then, white smoke rose and sizzled where the whip touched, as if Yula’s armor was corroding.

“I know. The fact that you gained the favor of the Lord with your meager abilities and ascended to the divine seat is known to all the gods.”

Kwaaaang—!!!

As Yula exerted her strength, the snake woman’s whip heated up and melted.

[Karil. Did you see that? Certainly, they each have different abilities. That means they have restrictions that prevent them from having the abilities of other gods. They decorated it with the fancy word ‘rules,’ but in the end, it’s to eliminate all elements that could threaten them.]

He said to Karil.

[This confirms our plan.]

Even in the midst of fierce battle, the two planned the next stage.

Godslaying.

It is a fight for the future that should not be neglected for even a moment, but that does not mean that you should not think ahead while being caught up in the current battle.

“Heup!!”

The man who is throwing a punch now,

“Hwup……!!”

The woman wielding the whip must eventually be killed.

With enemies on all sides, no one should be trusted, and traps must be laid without anyone knowing.

“…….”

[They are great, but they have built walls to prevent each other from encroaching on each other’s territory. That means there may be compatibility. But what about you?]

Colorless.

For him, who does not belong anywhere and can belong anywhere, colorless does not simply mean attributes.

The realm of sword and magic.

In his previous life, Karil was a man who only walked the path of the sword.

Thanks to that, he was able to reach the highest level of the sword with the title of Sword Saint, despite not having magic.

But that was not enough.

That’s why in this life, he obtained the Dragon’s Heart, gained magic, and built a new path of the sword as a Sword Master.

Kaaang—!!!

Karil’s blade, which had penetrated the gap created by the three gods, met Yula’s red sword.

“Honestly, I was a little surprised that you use a sword.”

“Yes, you said that the sword is what you do best, right? I will crush the path of the sword that you dedicated your life to with my sword.”

“Hmm.”

It was then.

Karil abandoned the hilt of Polsettia’s sword and instantly closed the distance, plunging into Yula’s arms.

“……!!!”

He grabbed her shoulder.

Uuuuuwoong……!!

At that moment, light poured out from under his palm.

“Who said I only have a sword?”

Yula’s words were not wrong.

Although he had obtained great magic power, he, who had never used magic in his life, was ignorant of methods other than using magic through the sword.

Allen, the Archmage, also knew about his previous life, so he was the first to teach him how to perform magic through the sword.

However, if the sword is simply the main focus and magic becomes a tool to support it, it cannot be said that he has reached the realm of the Archmage simply because he has a lot of magic.

Only those who have the title of Archmage must have a newly constructed magic system.

The realm of the 9th class.

When Oliven released the seal on his heart after obtaining the White Gold Dragon’s heart, Karil confidently stepped into that realm.

The last magic left by the White Gold Dragon, who wanted to become a god, was contained in his magic circuit.

“Su, surely……?!”

Yula blinked in confusion, seemingly flustered by the magic she felt from Karil.

The White Gold Dragon’s Creation Magic.

At that moment,

A small cluster of light passed through Yula from under Karil’s palm, which gripped her shoulder.