Chapter 222 : Ribenia Anti-Demon War (3)
Chapter 222: Ribenia Anti-Demon War (3)
“There are still a few sword manuals left, but because neither its true principles nor a genuine successor has appeared in the past 140 years, the Brida Family's Phantom Swordsmanship is practically treated as a sword style that exists only in theory.”
“…Will I really be able to learn such a swordsmanship, Father?”
“I don't know.”
“……”
“Just as your grandfather did before me, I can only pass on everything I know. Whether you'll reach that realm or not… even I cannot say.”
“I… see.”
“Remember this, Francia. Techniques only need to be remembered by the body. What you must never forget is your heart.”
“…My heart.”
“It is said that without an overwhelming desire—one so strong that you'd risk your life to achieve your goal—you cannot awaken your aptitude.”
“Even if it means risking my life…”
“And if, after awakening Phantom Swordsmanship, you one day reach its full bloom while still carrying that same longing…”
“…Then you will surely become the strongest swordsman in the Empire.”
“Just as our ancient ancestor, Bash Brida, once did.”
Why had she remembered that old story now, of all times?
Francia slowly raised her lowered head.
Her doubts disappeared with the arrival of a single voice.
— So, you are my successor, young girl who resembles a flame.
“…What?”
It was the moment her true awakening began.
.
.
.
'What is this…?'
For an instant, time itself seemed to stop.
No…
It appeared that it actually had.
Hearing the sudden voice and witnessing the unbelievable sight before her, Francia simply stood there, unable to react.
Before her, scarlet mana gathered together, gradually taking the shape of a sword.
Recognizing the familiar form, Francia unconsciously muttered,
“An… Aura Blade?”
Then…
From the crimson sword—every part of it, from its hilt to its blade dyed a brilliant red—a voice suddenly emerged.
“To think the day would come when I'd share my power with someone else. What a strange experience.”
The fact that a sword was speaking was already beyond common sense.
But that wasn't what truly surprised Francia.
“…Am I dreaming right now? Or am I seeing an illusion? Otherwise…”
“I don't think this is the time to be worrying about that.”
“……”
“Aren't we still in the middle of a war? Think briefly. Decide quickly. That's the foundation of every swordsman.”
“No, but…”
“Well, if you don't want it, say so now. I don't like forcing people who aren't interested.”
At those words, Francia's expression quickly changed.
“The others all seem desperate to find successors, making grand speeches about saving humanity or preserving history…”
“But the Divine Sword Soldera can't exactly go around doing something that embarrassing, can he?”
“…You're the Divine Sword? The legendary one?!”
“What? You don't believe me?”
“No, that's not it…”
“You died three hundred years ago! So how are you…?”
“What are you talking about? It'd be a problem if you still haven't figured out the situation.”
Then, as though finally realizing something, the voice spoke again.
“Right. You're an Imperial citizen.”
“No wonder you weren't understanding anything I was saying.”
The crimson sword claiming to be the Divine Sword swung itself around before letting out a sigh.
“Good grief. Ever since the latter days of the Kingdom of Rubea, people have looked down on the Guardian Gods, and now things have finally come to this.”
The sword asked,
“Paladion, Guardian God, Divine Entity, Successor, Holy Descent, Guardian Descent, Divine Possession, Guardian Possession…”
“You don't know any of those, do you?”
“…No.”
It wasn't that she knew absolutely nothing.
She knew some of those terms.
But what was the point of trying to put on airs before a being claiming to be the Divine Sword?
So Francia answered honestly.
The sword spoke again.
“You don't seem particularly devout, so Holy Descent isn't your path.”
“Then it'll be Guardian Descent.”
“I prefer that one anyway.”
“Guardian Descent…”
“In any case, if you miss this opportunity, the Empire's chances of recovery will become zero.”
“Because it'll lose the chance for the birth of Ribenia's strongest swordsman.”
Overwhelmed by such excessive praise, Francia shook her head.
“The strongest swordsman…”
“I'm still nowhere near that level.”
“Well, Ribenia is admittedly lacking in talented swordsmen…”
“But your talent is real.”
“You'd stand out anywhere in the world.”
“You haven't even reached twenty yet, and you're already this good.”
“Honestly, it's astonishing.”
“You remind me exactly of myself when I was young.”
“……”
To be honest, she knew almost nothing about the faiths or legends that existed beyond the Empire.
Even so…
She clearly understood what Soldera meant.
She didn't know exactly what was happening.
But one thing was certain.
An opportunity had appeared before her.
Crisis.
Adversity.
Hardship.
Despair.
To those who weren't prepared, those words meant exactly what they implied.
But to those who were prepared…
Every one of them was an opportunity.
And Francia Brida had always turned crises into opportunities.
“…What do I need to do?”
She asked,
“What must I sacrifice to obtain your power?”
Then…
His answer came immediately.
“You need sacrifice nothing, young girl.”
“……”
“You have already paid more than enough.”
Francia understood those words better than anyone.
She swallowed back her tears.
She clenched her teeth.
Leaving the past behind, she smiled with renewed fighting spirit.
“Then… all right.”
“Please lend me your power, Lord Soldera.”
“That's more like it.”
The Sword God Soldera asked once more,
“Young girl.”
“What will you cut down?”
“All enemies who seek to harm those precious to me.”
“Good.”
“Then cut them down to protect.”
“Young girl who resembles a flame.”
She clearly watched the Divine Sword's emblem engraved upon the crimson blade transfer onto the sword she held.
“So long as you continue carrying on that will to protect…”
“The Divine Sword shall always remain with you.”
With those final words, both Soldera's voice and the crimson blade that symbolized him shattered into countless fragments before flowing into every part of the girl's body.
At the same time…
The frozen flow of time resumed.
It was time for the curtain to rise on the counterattack.
'...Would it be better to jump in now?'
Robert Bernhardt, who had unintentionally become nothing more than an observer of the battlefield, thought to himself while raining Magic Bullets upon the horde of Beasts attempting to charge through the Imperial Palace's western gate.
The rest of the mercenary corps had already joined the allied forces and continued fighting.
While he had been debating the timing, Charlotte had completely transformed into Mastema, and Gate Beasts had begun pouring out from every direction, turning the battlefield into complete chaos.
If he was going to join, that would have been the perfect moment.
He had instructed his subordinates to do so, while planning to observe the situation himself before requesting a full alliance with Michel Bernhardt or Princess Edel Ribenia in exchange for a pardon.
Every major combat force in the Empire, aside from the regular army, had gathered here.
His mercenary corps wasn't lacking in strength, but compared to the overwhelming military might assembled here, they inevitably looked somewhat insignificant.
Still, he had been about to argue that having them was better than not…
When Mastema's advance caused the situation to worsen by the second.
'At this rate… maybe it'd be smarter to cut and run like Father and Uncle while I still can?'
That thought lasted only a moment.
This time, Karen Rosefield's awakening became the center of a massive counteroffensive by the believers of Dellowell.
'Wait.'
'If I start talking about a pardon right away, my intentions will be far too obvious.'
'Wouldn't my chances of surviving actually be higher if I quietly focused on defending everyone instead?'
Still trapped in indecision, Robert continued doing nothing but hunting low-ranking Beasts.
Then suddenly—
Swoooooosh—!
Something tore violently through the air and the wind.
Even from his position more than five hundred meters away from the Front Line, the explosive sound was loud enough to be heard clearly.
His gaze naturally shifted toward it.
“……What… is that?”
An unbelievable scene unfolded before his eyes.
Kieeeeeek!
Even by the most conservative estimate…
The slash measured at least seventy meters across.
A single sword slash had reached a size comparable to the Archmages' ultimate spell—
Meteor Magic.
Kyaaaak?!
The Beasts caught in its path…
The instant their bodies touched the edge of the slash, they literally crumbled into dust.
At least eight hundred…
No.
Close to a thousand enemy Beasts…
Had been turned into dust by a single strike.
Robert had recognized the face of the one responsible long ago.
“H-Haha…”
At this point…
There wasn't even room left to suggest a deal.
Watching the black-haired, crimson-eyed girl who had instantly captured everyone's attention, he briefly addressed his subordinates.
“Negotiations are over.”
“All of you, continue carrying out your assigned duties until the very end.”
“I'll be joining the battle as well.”
“May fortune favor us all.”
Ignoring the bewildered voices asking what he meant and why negotiations had suddenly been canceled, Robert raised his voice toward the top of the tower.
“Robert Bernhardt, the Empire's strongest battle mage, is here!”
“If you've got the courage… come at me, Beasts!”
.
.
.
Overwhelming.
Revolutionary.
Astonishing.
Even those words failed to describe what had just happened.
But…
I alone wasn't surprised.
“Miss Francia…!”
“…I can't believe it.”
“…Sister Karen, even your awakening pales in comparison.”
“Well, as long as we win, that's all that matters…!”
While everyone voiced their amazement one after another, I walked over to Francia, who still looked slightly dazed.
“So…”
“It looks like you've finally found your true master.”
“…Instructor.”
Like Karen, her entire body was enveloped in crimson aura.
Among the changes, three stood out the most.
Her crimson eyes burned like flames.
Her black hair had begun turning ash gray.
And despite unleashing that massive slash…
Her brilliant crimson blade remained in the state of an Aura Blade.
“Permanent Crimson Blade.”
“One of the two powers obtained upon reaching the realm of a complete Sword Saint.”
A normal Aura Blade created a blade by condensing crimson mana.
Permanent Crimson Blade…
Was an ability that transformed the sword itself, allowing it to maintain an Aura Blade indefinitely without repeating that process.
“Once you reach that state…”
“You can even launch Aura Blades in the form of sword slashes.”
And this…
Was the result.
With a single strike, nearly a thousand Beasts that had been packed so tightly they looked ready to pounce at any moment were annihilated.
The entire Beast army across the battlefield flinched.
Holding her sword firmly, Francia spoke with unwavering resolve.
“…This isn't my power.”
“The Divine Sword merely lent it to me.”
“No one before you has ever inherited the Divine Sword's will to protect.”
“This is something you won for yourself.”
“Well…”
“Even if it isn't my own power…”
“I don't really care.”
“If this power lets me protect the people precious to me…”
“Then whether it comes from a god, a human, or a demon…”
“I'll accept it.”
Her blazing eyes resembled the ones she had when we first met…
Yet they were completely different.
Seeing that, I gave a small nod and drew my sword.
“Mastema is still standing.”
“Karen is holding him back, but we need to raise the strength of every other front.”
“Can you do it?”
“Instructor, you should worry about yourself falling behind.”
“The way I am now…”
“Even for you, catching up to me won't be easy.!”