Sword Devouring Swordmaster

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 148 — Legend (5)

A beautiful land beneath Azure Heaven. A land of peace like an oasis in the desert was being soiled, buried in dirt and rock. An avalanche as if the sky itself were collapsing.

This merciless violence was not the will of the mountain but the will of the sky. The sky-imbued power resting in the mountains was rampaging in time with the gods’ singing anger.

The Nine Goddesses and Seven Lords did not want the last Karavan with steel blood’s lineage to come even slightly close to them. They truly did not welcome it.

“Hmm, that looks dangerous.”

A threatening avalanche.

Seeing the outpouring of nature’s violence, Sherizik slowly raised her glaive.

Arhan’s soul had become incomparably larger than before. Arhan before climbing the Sky Mountains and after climbing them were almost entirely different beings.

But if he were swept away there, no matter how much Arhan had grown, he could not have survived. It wasn’t a simple landslide; it was the gods’ wrath, steeped in the sky’s power. That was why Sherizik, who had been watching her friend from afar for more than two months, slowly rose from her seat.

“He’s a handful… not bad.”

She smiled with murderous intent.

***

The moment I used the power of 「Flight」 I was swept by an exhilaration like liberation. It felt as if everything that had bound me until now had vanished. As if I had spent my whole life swimming underwater and for the first time stepped ashore and ran free without resistance.

‘It’s insanely fast.’

It felt like a two-footed beast gaining wings and soaring into the sky. My movement had become a speed that could not be compared to before. It was different from the Wing acceleration I had as a Sword Runner. If Wings simply made me faster, this made me an entirely different creature.

Bang—!

With a brutal sound, a boulder fell where I had been standing moments ago. If I had been even a little slower, I would have been nothing but dried fish. But I was not afraid. In the blue world I saw, there were blue paths.

Paths I had not seen before. Because I myself had become faster, my eyes opened anew. As if I could clearly see a short stretch of the future, I cut across the slope like a beast in the field. The avalanche could never catch me. As I ran coolly against the wind, a voice rang inside my head.

【What, what have you done!】

A buzzing voice. My brat of a dragon. It was Aion’s voice.

【H-here it’s a complete mess. A human entered Azure Heaven. Everyone’s rampaging, saying a lowly species invaded our domain.】

Aion sounded anxious.

【Even the elders are interested in this incident. They’re babbling nonsense about steel returning to the era, about the Sword of Heaven breaking the oath… I’ve only just come back not long ago and this is putting me in a lot of trouble. I might even get interrogated.】

“…….”

【This is awful. If you’re going to do this, at least swear you won’t take me as a travel companion if you die! I’m so worried I can’t sleep — if I lose sleep at my age, my growth slows down……】

Apparently my actions had put Aion in quite a bind. Of course. In the memory inside 「Flight」, when a human approached the sky the dragons themselves had erupted in chaos. But this time a human had crawled all the way to their nest entrance, hadn’t he? Chaos was inevitable. But—

“…Sword of Heaven?”

One word lodged itself firmly in my ears.

“Did you just say Sword of Heaven?”

【Are you even listening? I said I’m in a terrible spot!】

Sword of Heaven. A familiar term. It was part of the forgotten history shown to me by my other ancestors in Cherville before I left the Iron Kingdom’s borders. It was a word I had heard within that forgotten history.

‘Do not stand against the Sword of Heaven. They were the natural enemies of Steel.’

I had not expected to hear that term here. While thinking that—

“Oof.”

With a thud, a huge tree crashed right in front of me. I almost ended my life then and there. Catching my breath, I pushed off the ground and leaped, vaulted the tree, and kept running. It was an important term, but now was not the time to dwell on it.

【W-what, you’re not dead, right? Eek, if you’re dead just go back to the spirit world. Don’t take me as a travel companion.】

“……I’m not dead yet. I know it’s troublesome, but handle it yourselves. I can’t just run over there and stab everyone to death. Solve your problems your way. That way, if I get in trouble later, the bright future dragon Aion will help me.”

【Huh? You mean you’ll solve yours and I’ll help you with mine…?】

“Ah, don’t split hairs. I’m a little busy right now. If I die here, I won’t go alone. I’ll ride on cute-dragon Aion’s back to the afterlife. So stop talking to me.”

【……Okay.】

Swish — a tree trunk flew like a cannon. It whizzed past behind my head, but my superhuman senses warned me in advance. Without even looking, I whirled my sword once and slashed. With a crack, the trunk split in two and fell to the ground. Escaping another crisis, I gave Aion one last instruction.

“And while you’re solving your problem, find out more about the Sword of Heaven in detail. It’s important.”

It was truly important. The Sword of Heaven had been an entirely unknown clue until now. That clue had come first from the dragons. Among the seven races, the dragons were the most closed-off; there was no way I could learn the information circulating among dragons. Dragons trusted only dragons.

Only the cute baby dragon Aion was the sole key who could pry out this vital information.

【But how could I possibly do that…】

“Thank you!”

After saying that I unilaterally cut the connection. It was easy to sever the link with Aion. In a contract secured by a Dragon Heart, I was the primary and the other party was the secondary.

When I did not want communication, Aion’s presence faded like smoke. Aion’s energy kept knocking at my soul like a door, but if I didn’t respond, it was his problem.

‘I’m too busy to really chat anyway.’

A roar echoed. The avalanche that pursued me did not stop; it kept gaining on me. It did not feel like a natural disaster but rather like something alive. I even sensed malice there — a will to kill me.

‘The Sword of Heaven clue is fascinating, but first I had to survive.’

I tightened my breathing. With my pounding heart, the world deepened into bluer hues.

My body moved even faster, and while dashing to avoid the avalanche a huge spirit beast lunged at me with a growl. Not only nature but the creatures of this place were bent on killing me.

‘If I stopped, the avalanche would catch me. If I were buried there, Steel Blood or whatever would be smashed. I couldn’t stop, but getting bitten by that thing was impossible. Then?’

There was only one way. Break through.

The moment I thought that, a blue path unfolded. The path thinned as soon as it appeared, narrowing into a line painted in blue. The thin line flashed and in the next instant my body shone with a flash.

Becoming a ray of light, a pointed blade cut through the spirit beast’s body entirely. Flesh, blood, and entrails spilled, and as one spirit beast met death, my speed did not diminish at all. And then—

“Stop.”

“Stop,” a voice boomed across the whole mountain, so thunderous it seemed ears might burst. The voice rang suddenly like thunder, echoing repeatedly. The moment the voice poured out, my body froze. I could not move as if my muscles and bones had broken. It felt as if control of my body had been taken by someone.

‘What is this?’

It felt alien. I frowned for a moment and my master’s words came to mind.

「It is Dragon Tongue.」

“…….”

「One of the dragons’ countless powers. The original magic, a mystery that no race other than dragons could realize. By putting will into spoken words alone, it bent reality — a spoken rune.」

Dragon Tongue. I had experienced it before. The chilling sensation I had felt the moment Aion muttered something on the Cloud Bridge — the feeling that pressed down on the soul and skimmed the skin, the rising fear. The power that once overwhelmed our party for an instant. But the Dragon Tongue I now faced was completely different from that time. If Aion’s had been simple intimidation, this was close to an incomprehensible catastrophe.

「This is the true Dragon Tongue, young descendant. What you experienced then was closer to a child’s swagger. The true Dragon Tongue, by being spoken, crushes other souls and strips away their will. It makes them kneel before their greatness.」

“…….”

「It seems the lizards are very angry at the uninvited guest who came to their home. They are not like that young dragon from before. True dragons are pursuing you.」

It was on another level. I felt like an ant before a giant. But—‘Nothing could bind the boy any longer.’

I had newly obtained power. Whether it was the true dragons’ spoken runes or the terrible avalanche, as long as I had this power nothing could bind me. Never.

‘That was our legend.’

An old adventurer who had wanted to fly until the last moment. The will of an elder who inherited the dreams of his bloodline. He wanted to ascend, wanted to resist, and thus struggled and eventually flew up, making a legend out of the sword.

If I were to name it—

『Let us fly one more time.』

The power of ‘Liberation.’

“Hah—!”

Blue light gushed from my body. In the next instant the light exploded and everything that had held me vanished like smoke. A sense of release washed over me, and soon all the obstacles before my eyes began to blur transparently. The moment everything in sight disappeared, a long path unfolded. A free path that no one could obstruct.

『Let us try flying one more time.』

With that I gained a speed unlike before. As a single ray of light, neither the avalanche nor the true dragons could chase me. They could not even see me, let alone pursue. That was the legend I had newly embraced.

***

“They missed him.”

“……I’m sorry.”

Beyond Azure Heaven. Kaluah, the sentinel who had guarded the dragons’ land spread across the Sky Mountains’ summit for centuries, bowed his head. He had failed in a sentinel’s duty to allow no intruder. The human had set foot right in front of the dragons’ nest, and as a sentinel Kaluah had to cut the human’s breath who had invaded dragon territory. That task should have succeeded at all costs.

The human who trespassed into sacred land was that loathsome Karavan with steel blood.

“No, it’s fine.”

While Kaluah could not lift his head with guilt, the old dragons — the great ancient dragons — did not place any blame on the sentinel who had failed in his duty. They did not scold him nor hand down light punishment.

“It is not because of your lack. We cannot go outside our nests. No matter who you are, in this stifling nest it would have been difficult to restrain that human. Forget it. What can be done? He has already gone….”

The ancient dragons spoke indulgently.

At first glance it sounded merciful, but Kaluah knew these old dragons were neither merciful nor indulgent. They were incarnations of violence who wanted to destroy anything that displeased them and could not endure anything existing above their heads.

There was one true reason they showed such an attitude.

“No, it is not fine. If you allow me, I will fly up at once, shred that insolent human’s flesh, trample his soul, and return.”

“That is unnecessary. What has left should be left to flow away like water—”

“Are you afraid?”

Fear.

“Are you trembling because of the remnants of a forgotten family no one remembers now? Are you so shackled by the past that you are afraid to act even when their pitiful descendants insult us? All because of a past that is gone—!”

Kaluah shouted with rage. The clear sky and the earth began to tremble in response to the great dragons’ singing wrath. Nature raged alongside, and the old dragons simply watched their sentinel.

“What on earth, what are you so afraid of?”

Kaluah could not fathom it. Dragons did not age. Time was on the dragons’ side.

The old dragons had become beings close to gods after nearly eternal years. If they wished, a single gesture could shake continents, they could reproduce the past where they ruled atop the seven races and held all underfoot.

They could restore the ancient Age of Dragons. Kaluah felt their greatness acutely merely standing before them. The ancient dragons had long since become absolute beings. But—

“Yes, we are afraid. Terribly afraid.”

Kaluah saw it.

“A long time has passed. Yet none of us could forget that day. Perhaps we never will. Young sentinel, we cannot go outside. Dragons who have endured steel will not dare leave; they will not step into the world….”

Absolute beings touched by the divine trembled like newborns.

“What are you so afraid of?”

Kaluah, who could have obliterated them with a breath, saw in their eyes an indelible fear. An indescribable primal terror surged.

“You would not understand.”

Kaluah could not grasp it. Why should dragons, who should be above all things, live trapped and bound by a distant past? Why should the freest race be unable to spread their wings and instead curl up like insects through endless ages….?

“Do not break the covenant. Dragons must stay here. If we left, Liam would come. Liam Karavan, an irresistible death and the world’s destroyer… he will return. That must never be.”

As Kaluah listened to the trembling voices of the ancient dragons, his eyes blurred. When Kaluah had been a young dragon, those who had lived since the age of myth were objects of reverence. They were above all, powerful, great, and wise rulers of the sky.

“…I cannot understand it.”

But as he watched the ancient dragons trembling in fear, his reverence vanished. Their conduct was very un-dragonlike. A race that should always reign supreme above all else. Born conquerors, natural rulers. That was dragons. A dragon trembling in fear could not exist. Impossible.

“It’s ugly, pitiful, and disgusting.”

Kaluah no longer cared for courtesy. Even as he insulted them, the ancient dragons simply remained silent. Seeing them, Kaluah flung away the proud mark on his horn — the glory only sentinels bore. When he had that mark he had been the happiest dragon in the world. But at that moment the mark meant nothing to him.

“I now understand why the brave sentinel Charlotte abandoned her duty and left for the Iron Kingdom to be with that lowly Ian Cherville. I understand now why so many young dragons followed her out into the world. You could not bear being trapped in the past. You could not endure the nausea and rage rising from your souls.”

Not long ago, the bravest sentinel of the dragon land, the dragon Charlotte, had led several young dragons and left this place — an act against duty. At the time Kaluah could not understand her behavior.

He had even thought she had gone mad to cozy up to a petty human lord of a small kingdom.

But now Kaluah understood. Seeing the old ones’ terrible faces, life beside humans looked far preferable. Far, far better.

“I will leave as well, old dragons. And I will take all the young and strong dragons with me. There is no hope here. Dragons must fly. If we remain curled up, we will forget how to fly. You are ruining dragons.”

Saying that, Kaluah turned and left. The old dragons left behind whispered quietly.

“…We only protect the dragons.”

“You do not know, you know nothing.”

“What the Karavan can do….”

Words bloodied youths would never hearken.

***

I barely managed to escape.

The liberation power contained in 「Flight」 — that thing was something else. Enticing enough to want to boast. It was an outrageous power. But—

【Descendant of Steel—!】

There was no time to gloat.

【Help, I need your help!】

The moment I had wriggled free, Audrey contacted me. Mages’ means of communication — using the spirit world to talk to those at great distances.

“What’s wrong?”

【What’s wrong? Are you kidding? How long have you been gone! Without a single message! How long were you absent!? Everything’s turned to crap! What were you doing—!】

“…….”

【Anyway, come here right now. Go to the Sky Empire; beg my sisters. Ask them to send you to the Karavan territory. Teleport you there.】

“Is it that urgent?”

An answer came immediately.

【This place might vanish off the map soon.】

It seemed many terrible things had happened while I had been buried in the mountain.

【So hurry—!】

***

「Name: 「Flight」」

「A sword steeped in the legend of an old adventurer.」

「The mystery of Flight is imbued.」

「- It unfolds the world of Azure Heaven and grants extremely swift movement.」

.

.

.

「The legend of Liberation is imbued.」

「- Frees the wielder from all elements that impede movement. Immediately after liberation, for a short time the wielder can move at a speed that surpasses limits.」

.

.

.

「Consumption completed.」

「The Steel Blood hungers.」

「Consume a new sword.」