The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 212

The audience chamber was saturated with mana.

Ra-El cautiously stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the motionless demon seated on the throne.

“The hero of the Gaia Order. The champion of the human race. You’ve finally arrived.”

*Whoosh*

The mana in the audience chamber vibrated intensely.

The demon on the throne straightened, revealing a pair of massive wings that stretched out behind him.

The demon’s gaze pierced through the darkness, locking onto Ra-El.

Despite his imposing size, even larger than Ghent, Ra-El sensed no immediate hostility from the demon.

“…Maledrakh.”

The Demon King, Maledrakh.

There was no need for confirmation. The sheer density and quality of the mana emanating from him dwarfed that of any other demon Ra-El had encountered.

The true monster of Alheim stood before him.

Ra-El’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, drawing upon his reserves of mana and divine power.

Maledrakh’s eyes followed the movement, a flicker of interest in their depths.

He spoke, his voice resonating through the chamber as if the entire situation was of little consequence. “Hero, you must be aware. The power you wield is… foreign. It’s a power that shouldn’t exist on this continent.”

“I don’t believe we’ve met before, so don’t presume to act so familiar,” Ra-El retorted, his eyes narrowed as he glared at Maledrakh.

He was taken aback that even a demon would attempt to feign friendliness.

“Regardless of what you say, the truth remains unchanged. But I hope you don’t surrender until the very end. Continue to struggle,” Maledrakh said, settling back into the throne with an air of nonchalance.

Outside the Demon King’s castle, the sounds of the ongoing battle between the demons and the allied forces echoed faintly, a stark reminder of the chaos raging beyond this isolated space.

“…”

Ra-El’s eyes narrowed further, focusing on the swirling mana at the heart of the Demon King’s castle.

Even now, he could feel the oppressive weight of mana, far denser than even that of the Oni King, pressing down on him.

As Ra-El absorbed the mana, utilizing his mastery of Rotation [a technique to manipulate and control mana], he detected something peculiar. There was a familiar energy interwoven within it.

“…Divine power? How is it possible for you to wield divine power?”

Ra-El could distinctly sense the presence of divine power within the mana.

“Humans refer to this power as divine power? This is the divine authority I have attained,” Maledrakh declared, unleashing a surge of his mana and divine authority.

It was mana so concentrated that even a seasoned warrior would risk losing their sanity upon direct exposure.

“Divine authority or whatever you call it. How much longer are you going to spout nonsense?” Ra-El said, drawing the Flash [Ra-El’s sword].

The blade, shimmering with a faint, moonlit glow, sliced through the surrounding mana, revealing its sharp edge.

*Doo-geun, doo-geun-* [Heartbeat sounds]

His heart pounded in his chest, sending a surge of adrenaline through his body, heightening his senses.

Though Maledrakh displayed no overt aggression, the sheer power emanating from him caused Ra-El’s body to tremble.

“Hero, do you truly believe you can defeat me?”

*Kwaaaang-!* [Sound of explosion]

Simultaneously with Maledrakh’s words, an overwhelming torrent of mana surged towards Ra-El.

Staggered by the immense pressure, Ra-El took a step back, channeling divine power and mana into the Flash.

Instantly, a Heavenly Sword aura materialized around the blade, and the surrounding mana was subdued by the force of Rotation.

Ra-El gritted his teeth, fighting to suppress the rising tide of fear within him.

*Woodudeuk-* [Sound of something cracking]

The mana enveloping Alheim began to converge towards the center of the Demon King’s castle, drawn to its master.

The mana, now reunited with its source, radiated a ferocious energy, causing the very fabric of space to ripple and distort.

Maledrakh rose from the throne.

His massive wings unfurled, revealing countless eyes that scanned the surroundings with unnerving intensity.

An overwhelming presence pressed down on Ra-El’s shoulders, threatening to crush him.

Maledrakh felt a surge of omnipotence as the power coalesced within him.

With the divine authority he had painstakingly accumulated, he felt invincible.

“You remind me of that human from long ago,” Maledrakh mused, his gaze fixed on Ra-El.

Humans were unique beings, he thought.

They possessed a stubborn refusal to surrender, even when faced with insurmountable odds.

Their high intelligence wasn’t the reason for their tenacity, nor were they simply fearless like mindless beasts.

Some humans would draw their swords even when they knew defeat was inevitable.

Humans called that conviction.

“Conviction alone is not enough to change fate. The human race has already made a grave error.”

“…”

“The Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord. That human was exceptional. He was the first to instill fear in me, before I had even attained divine authority. If that fool had abandoned the other humans and focused on killing the Demon King… this continent would have been under the rule of the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord.”

If Maledrakh had been in the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord’s position, he would never have made such a foolish choice.

The reason Maledrakh, now wielding divine authority, was so obsessed with achieving godhood stemmed from that very moment.

He had been forced to beg for his life from a mere insect.

He would transcend his current existence and become an untouchable being.

“…Bullshit,” Ra-El spat out, his grip tightening on his trembling arm as he bit down on his lip.

The sharp pain helped to clear his head.

“Do you have a complaint?” Maledrakh asked.

“Of course, I do. What’s the point of ruling the continent if all the humans are dead, you bastard?” Ra-El retorted.

He had no intention of explaining his motivations, his sense of family, or his duty to protect his home to Maledrakh.

It would be a waste of breath, and he had no desire to engage in such a conversation.

‘I can’t stand this guy, no matter how I look at him,’ Ra-El thought.

He had felt it from the moment he first laid eyes on Maledrakh.

Every action, every word, grated on Ra-El’s nerves.

That demon bastard had no manners.

Ra-El channeled more power into the Flash and continued, “You know what? I specialize in turning beasts into people.”

“Hmm?”

*Sreung-* [Sound of sword vibrating]

A blinding light erupted from the Flash, swirling around the blade.

It was a ferocious, incandescent power capable of obliterating anything in its path.

“Let’s see if that talent works on the Demon King, too,” Ra-El said.

“An arrogant human,” Maledrakh scoffed.

Ra-El simply smiled in response, unleashing his mana and divine power.

Rotation.

Ra-El’s domain expanded, enveloping and analyzing Maledrakh’s mana.

‘Mana combined with divine power is fundamentally different from anything else,’ he realized.

There was no time to strategize or formulate a plan.

He would have to learn through direct confrontation.

Thousand Slaughter Sword Third Form, Answer to Heaven.

Without hesitation, Ra-El swung his sword at Maledrakh.

*Paah-!* [Sound of sword slashing]

A sword aura, infused with divine power and mana, tore through space, hurtling towards Maledrakh.

Ra-El’s senses, honed to a razor’s edge in extreme situations, pinpointed Maledrakh’s weakness.

He had calculated the trajectory of the blade with unwavering precision, aiming for the eyes embedded within Maledrakh’s body.

‘First, I need to gauge his fighting style,’ Ra-El thought.

In the original story, Maledrakh wielded swords and manipulated mana to create powerful spells.

But this world had been irrevocably altered by Ra-El’s presence.

It was the butterfly effect in action.

In the original timeline, Alheim had never ascended into the sky, and the thousands of demons who had received mana had never been resurrected.

He also couldn’t understand why Maledrakh was so much stronger now.

He was an opponent who had fought against Lucas in the original story and had been defeated.

But no matter how he analyzed the situation, the current Ra-El was undoubtedly stronger than the original Lucas.

*Chwaaa-* [Sound of something dispersing]

In the blink of an eye, the Answer to Heaven’s sword aura reached Maledrakh.

The sword aura, brimming with destructive divine power, was potent enough to obliterate even high-ranking demons into dust.

However, upon colliding with Maledrakh’s mana, the Answer to Heaven’s sword aura simply dissipated like smoke.

Witnessing the annihilation of his attack, which contained such immense power, Ra-El took another step back, his eyes wide with disbelief.

‘What the hell?’

At first glance, it appeared as though the sword aura had merely vanished, but Ra-El’s keen senses detected the subtle movement of Maledrakh’s arm.

Maledrakh had erased the Answer to Heaven’s sword aura with a single punch.

“Demons are a chosen race. Hero, I will make you pay the price for your arrogance,” Maledrakh declared.

*Woodudeuk-* [Sound of something cracking]

The floor of the Demon King’s castle buckled and cracked under the force of Maledrakh merely bending his knees.

In that instant, Ra-El’s senses screamed danger.

He trusted his instincts and threw himself to the side.

*Kwaaaang-!* [Sound of explosion]

At that precise moment, Maledrakh’s fist, moving with impossible speed, slammed into Ra-El’s abdomen.

Despite his desperate attempt to twist his body, he had been unable to evade Maledrakh’s attack completely.

Ra-El’s body was sent hurtling through the air, crashing into the wall of the Demon King’s castle with a deafening roar.

“Keuheup…” [Sound of coughing up blood]

His vision blurred from the force of the impact, and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.

It wasn’t just his internal organs that had sustained damage.

His chest felt as though it had been pierced, suggesting that his ribs might have been fractured.

This was the consequence of allowing even a single blow to land.

“Damn it. He’s not just a monster…” Ra-El muttered, his gaze fixed on Maledrakh, who towered over him like a giant.

Wasn’t it unfair for someone with that kind of size to also possess such incredible speed?

Ra-El frowned and pushed himself to his feet.

Fortunately, his body was resilient enough to withstand even this level of punishment.

“Interesting. You humans are truly fascinating. Even among insects, gems like you occasionally emerge,” Maledrakh said.

Moreover, this hero possessed conviction.

He was a human who would never surrender until his dying breath, pushing himself to ever greater heights.

*Ttaak-* [Sound of finger snapping]

Maledrakh snapped his fingers, as if Tia [a mage] was casting a spell.

The immense mana that enveloped the Demon King’s castle surged outwards, heading towards the plains below.

“…What is that?” Ra-El asked, his eyes drawn to the massive screen that had materialized in the plains outside the Demon King’s castle.

It was the continental relay magic [a magical communication system] that had been installed to gather divine power.

It was magic that showed the 모습 [appearance] of the war throughout the continent.

But the image displayed on the screen was now different.

The magic, which had previously been broadcasting the war in the plains, was now focused on the interior of the Demon King’s castle, showing Ra-El and Maledrakh.

The allied forces below were also staring at the screen in stunned silence.

“The hero, the last hope of the human race, dying a miserable death will be a good spectacle. Their fear will become my strength,” Maledrakh said.

“…Bullshit,” Ra-El spat out.

Maledrakh, the leader of the demons, and Ra-El, the hope of humanity.

At the very moment when everyone on the continent was placing their hopes on the hero, he would crush him completely.

He would instill fear of Maledrakh in the hearts of everyone on the continent.

Fear.

That would become the source of the Demon King’s power.

To become a god, Maledrakh needed to absorb the fear of the entire continent.

“You are undoubtedly strong. But you cannot stand against the Demon King. I will demonstrate that fact to the entire continent,” Maledrakh said.

“…Ha, you bastard. That’s a death flag,” Ra-El said.

“What does that mean?” Maledrakh asked.

“It means that all the bastards who said that ended up with their heads smashed in by my sword,” Ra-El retorted.

From his days as Gaksital [a masked vigilante] in District 4 to his current role as the hero of the Gaia Order, all those who had underestimated Ra-El had paid the ultimate price.

A powerful enemy who forced him to risk his life? Sorry, but it wasn’t the first time.

This was the final battle, and he refused to die here like a fool.

“Thousand Slaughter Divine Sword (天殺神劍),” Ra-El declared.

A brilliant light erupted from Ra-El’s Flash.

White-hot flames danced along the blade, incinerating the surrounding mana.

It was Ra-El’s ultimate technique, the Thousand Slaughter Sword Fifth Form, designed to kill the Demon King.

Ra-El pushed back against the oppressive mana, unleashing his divine power.

The power of Rotation slowly absorbed the surrounding mana, leaving behind a potent residue of divine power.

The fight had barely begun.

*

Thud. Thud.

In the midst of the chaotic plains, a man slowly made his way forward.

The throbbing pain in his chest had become almost unbearable.

He was neither a member of a different race nor did he possess a unique constitution like the hero.

He was simply a human who had honed his swordsmanship to the point where he could even slay demons.

A true gem born within the human race.

“…”

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord frowned.

Piles of demon corpses lay scattered around him.

The mana of the battlefield was like poison to him.

The demon mark etched onto his chest reacted violently to the mana, gradually consuming the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord’s body from the inside out.

The backlash from wielding his sword to stem the tide of demons, ignoring the restrictions even after the Great War had ended, was finally catching up to him.

The aging Sword Master’s body could no longer withstand the strain.

“Finally, the time has come…” he muttered.

However, the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord stubbornly forced his weary body onward.

He still had a task to complete.

From the moment he had created the Thousand Slaughter Sword, he had been driven by a single, unwavering goal.

To kill the Demon King.

회광반조(回光返照) [hoegwangbanjo] – fleeting brilliance of the setting sun; a final burst of energy before death.

The flame of defiance against the heavens had not yet been extinguished.