Chapter 190 : Sacrifice (6)
Sacrifice (6)
Roderun Empire, southeastern plains.
― Step! Step! Step! Step!
The army of Pride surged forward as if it would devour the land.
And blocking their path stood Ian and his companions at his side.
The battle had begun.
― Vroooooom!!
The first to open fire were the ancient golems of Luminari, colossal as mountain ranges.
"For the honored envoy! For The Moon of Silvani!"
At Nayuta's command, the golems simultaneously flung open the armor on their chests, unleashing merciless flashes towards the golden demonkin galloping at them.
― Beeeeeep!
― Kwaaaaaaaaaang!!
Dozens of cataclysmic destruction beams swept across the plains, vaporizing the golden giants like dust.
But the host of the Grand Duke of the demon realm didn't so much as falter at that.
If anything, it was like stirring up a hornet's nest.
― Kuaaaaaaaa!!!
Bursting through the dust clouds kicked up by the flashes, golden demonic beasts each as large as a fortress thundered forward, shaking the earth.
― Kwang! Kwaaaaang!!
The two titans collided head-on.
The magical weaponry of ancient Luminari clashed with the massive abominations of the demon realm.
― Kuwaaaaaaa!!
With an eardrum-shredding roar, the land rolled as if caught in a tidal wave.
The golems staggered heavily, shoved back by the brute-force charge of the demonic beasts.
"U-ugh! Hold on! Keep the frontline!"
Nayuta grit her teeth as she commanded, but the demonkin were relentless and merciless.
Taking advantage of the golems' loss of balance, the demonkin began to swarm up the golem's legs like an army of ants climbing a wall.
"High priestess! At this rate, they'll crawl up to the control room!"
"Ugh...! The lower mana circuit is cut off!"
"Aah! At this rate, the mana tank will...!"
Just then.
"I'll help."
― Flaaaash!!
An unnervingly cold yet beautiful silver trajectory split the battlefield air in a straight line.
― Spark!
― Slashhh!
― Kwajajajajak!
The eldest daughter of the Heavenly Sword Lord, Aris Hisperion.
Wielding her cherished sword, the Swordsmanship of the exalted Grandmaster swept her blade sideways; the biting enhanced energy of winter instantly sliced through the thick hides of the golden behemoths like cutting tofu.
"Heavenly Beast Knight Order! Follow the liege lord!"
Roxy, the direct subordinate and knight order commander of Aris, followed closely behind her with her troops in tow.
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
The knight order warriors began butchering demonkin at the feet of the golems.
"Kuahk!"
"Kyaaaark!"
The golden demonkin, scattered and confused at the golems' feet, were torn to pieces and sprayed across the earth under the relentless barrage of sword strikes.
Meanwhile, to the left of the battlefield.
"Make way! Morgan! Let's break through at once!"
"Kahahaha! Leave it to me!"
The Noxcar blood kin were rampaging through the enemy ranks, grinding them down like windmills as they unleashed their bloodlust.
And amid that blood-soaked storm, one shadow moved like a ghost, weaving back and forth.
― Slice! Slash!
― Thud! Thump!
Sword Fiend Silence Doomraven.
Wherever she passed, the heads of golden giants fell like rotten grapes, tumbling across the ground.
"Going smoothly. They're not such tough opponents."
Sword Fiend calmly flicked blood off her sword.
The overwhelming might of Ian's forces had seized complete command of the battlefield.
However.
"......"
Ian's expression as he looked down on the tumult of battle from the high ground was coldly set.
His gaze wasn't on the chaotic front, but fixed on the far end of the horizon.
Fixed on the radiant golden throne.
There, still not having moved, resting his chin boredly, sat the Grand Duke of Pride, Lucifer.
― Gulp.
Ian swallowed unconsciously.
'... It really is him.'
Just sitting on the throne, the overwhelming demonic energy his mere existence radiated set off alarms in every cell of Ian's body.
If he let down his guard for a moment, his skin might burst from the electrifying pressure.
The aura in his dantian trembled with tension and fear.
'But...'
Ian tightened his fist, steadying his breath.
'I can handle this.'
In his previous life, he wouldn't have even been able to stand before that throne.
But now, he could. He had grown at least ten times stronger than even his previous life's peak.
Though he had not yet reached the realm of a demigod, Ian possessed numerous transcendent authorities and divine relics.
In terms of sheer power, he had already surpassed the sphere of a demigod.
'If possible... I have to kill him here.'
He had requested aid from the Heavenly Sword Lord, but that was merely a precaution, insurance in case things went wrong.
He had no intention whatsoever of merely buying time by holding out until the Heavenly Sword Lord arrived.
'I'll take his head myself.'
The head of his loathsome nemesis from his previous life.
A deep murderous intent gleamed in Ian's eyes.
'I already know all of his abilities.'
In his former life, Ian lost countless comrades to the Grand Duke of Pride.
In that hellish despair, he learned the enemy's authorities while swallowing blood.
'The Authority of Pride.'
It was a cheat-like authority capable of forcing those of a lower rank to submit and harness their magic power as if it were his own.
But this mighty authority had a few weaknesses.
First, the moment the Grand Duke forcibly wielded another's magic power, he could not use his own at all.
In other words, the shroud of demonic energy and physical strength that protected him like an invincible wall temporarily vanished entirely.
And the second weakness was—
'The Authority has no effect on me, with my Demon-Infused Constitution.'
The Authority of Pride, which manipulates and subjugates others' magic power, was powerless against Ian's body, which had absolute immunity to demonic energy and curses.
Which meant—
This was doable.
'When the Grand Duke activates the Authority of Pride, a window of vulnerability appears for an instant. If I strike then, I can pierce his heart with ease.'
If he could drive Vladiark into the heart, he'd surely kill him.
This vicious greatsword, like the divine sword Genesis, was a divine weapon imbued with divinity.
It was a devouring weapon that could consume even the absolute might of the demon realm's demigod Grand Duke.
'There are plenty of strong demonkin around the throne.'
It didn't matter.
For the current Ian, he could break through such obstacles in an instant.
― Swaaaaaaash!
Ian reached out into the air.
― Vroooom!
Space warped, and Arkazenon shot forth.
After gripping Arkazenon, a massive portal of subspace began opening endlessly behind Ian's back.
― Shring! Clang! Shaaa! Chwaaaang!
Vladiark, Heliodin, atellas, Infernachs, Quiennio, Astrape, Flostilla....
The legendary swords he had amassed thus far all spilled out at once, arraying themselves in a fan behind him.
But it still wasn't enough.
'Dimensional shop.'
Ian unleashed the Authority he had stolen from the Sin of Greed Cult Leader without holding back.
He emptied the astronomical reserves of dimensional currency he'd been saving, spilling forth thousands of legendary swords from the myths and legends of other worlds in a deluge.
― Flash! Flash! Flash!
― Shhhhhhhhhh!
'And finally—'
Authority of Projection.
― FLAAAASH!!
The thousands of legendary swords blanketing the sky were mirrored and multiplied as if reflected in mirrors.
One became two, two became four, thousands became tens of thousands, forming a vast canopy darkening the sky as thick as clouds.
Tens of thousands of sword blades gleamed, all simultaneously reflecting the sunlight.
Each and every one a blade of legend or myth.
This overwhelming concentration of might leveled their points at the army of Pride.
"I'll unleash everything here."
Reaching the grand finale—there was no longer any reason to hold back.
― BOOOOOOM!!
The rock Ian stood on exploded.
With tens of thousands of swords in tow, Ian shot forth towards the army of Pride like a meteor.
* * *
― Shwiiiiiing!
Aris, slicing enemy throats amidst the sea of blood, suddenly heaved a deep sigh.
'I heard the young master needed help urgently, so I rushed here... but I never expected to be brought straight into a slaughter like this...'
She clicked her tongue.
'Aren't you working a girl a little too rough, Young Master Ian?'
Yet, despite her internal complaints, the corners of Aris's mouth curled upward, unable to contain the delight.
Of all people, Ian had called out to 'her' first for help.
The fact that he chose her in his moment of greatest need and danger satisfied her possessiveness beyond all limits.
'... Ah, Ian.'
Aris's gaze turned to the summit of the battlefield.
― Kwaaaaang!
― Slash! Slash!
There, against the army of Pride, Ian was scattering a rain of swordblades, radiating divine might so overwhelming, it was almost shocking.
A blissful breath escaped Aris, intoxicated.
'I always knew he was hiding his strength.'
But she never could have imagined to this extent.
'Not just the direct line of Hispherions, even all the old branch elders together wouldn't be a match for Young Master Ian.'
Perhaps even her revered father, the Heavenly Sword Lord Darkan, would find him a formidable opponent.
'Young master, you've always kept your strength so thoroughly hidden... but now you're truly showing it without restraint.'
Which could only mean this moment, this battlefield, was more important to Ian than anything else.
And that made Aris's goal just as clear.
'If I distinguish myself here... I can surely gain a great place in the young master's heart.'
Her crimson eyes blazed with determination.
She too was about to unleash her sword's chilling energy at full power, ready to sweep across the battlefield at Ian's side.
That was when—
― Vroooooom...!
An overwhelming presence, crushing enough to take her breath away, pressed down on Aris from all sides.
'...!?'
Reflexively, her gaze shifted.
Beyond the horizon, sitting on the golden throne, the Grand Duke of Pride, Lucifer, met her stare straight on.
In that moment—
"... Huh, gah!?"
The aura flowing through Aris's entire body began warping strangely.
― Thud!
"U-ugh!?"
With a pained groan, she dropped to her knees.
"W-what is this...! Kgh!"
She looked down at her trembling hand.
Her snow-white skin was bubbling and roiling as if boiled.
'My, my aura...!'
Her aura was rampaging out of her control, berserk.
The sharp enhanced energy she'd spent a lifetime cultivating was now savagely rampaging inside her, shredding her meridians and muscles from within.
'That bastard...! He's controlling my aura at will!'
It was clear that thing on the golden throne was doing something to her.
She was certain he intended to detonate her aura and tear her to shreds from the inside.
'N-no...! At this rate... I'll die! Y-young master Ian...!'
Forgetting even her pride as a Grandmaster, Aris's vision began flickering white with agony and terror.
At that instant—
― FLAAASH!!
A dazzling arc of light, blinding in its brilliance, sliced through the battlefield air.
The exact instant the Grand Duke dropped his defenses to rampage Aris's magic power.
Tens of thousands of legendary swords instantly tore through the Grand Duke's guards as they charged the throne; at the tip, Ian pierced the Grand Duke's heart with Vladiark in a single thrust.
― Kwaaaack!
"... Ah?"
In that moment, the excruciating agony tearing Aris apart vanished as if washed away.
The out-of-control aura settled quietly back into her dantian, and her roiling skin quickly regained its original color.
"Haah... haah..."
Collapsing to her knees, Aris stared blankly at Ian's back as he drove the sword into the Grand Duke's heart.
"... Honestly."
She muttered softly to herself.
"I'd planned to create a big debt this time, but ended up indebted instead."
She'd hoped to help Ian and win points—but had ended up with a debt of her own life.
"Even so, young master..."
The moment she was in danger, Ian had, without so much as a second's hesitation, hurled himself with all his might at the obvious boss monster.
To Aris, it seemed as though Ian was driven into a fury at her suffering and had thrown himself at the Grand Duke.
― Fwaaaaaaaah...
Slowly, as if blushing like a peach, Aris's cheeks flushed red.
"I didn't know I was so precious to you..."
A blissful smile spread at her lips, tinged pink with joy.