Chapter 233
Crack, crack.
Aquinas’ joints twisted and turned as he rose from his seat. First his neck, then his shoulders and arms, and finally his hips and knees. The eerie resurrection made Yan’s eyes narrow. His gaze was fixed on the White Flame Jade embedded in Aquinas’ chest, which was now spewing black flames, making the term “White Flame Jade” seem ironic. The sight alone was ominous.
At that moment, the Pirate Empress waved her hand.
Whoosh!
Simultaneously, a stream of water appeared from nowhere, pushing Yan and his companions back.
Boom!
Black flames erupted where they had just been standing. The ground and buildings touched by the black flames began to corrode slowly. It was not the usual reaction to fire.
“This is insane,” muttered the Pirate Empress, staring at the black flames. The energy emanating from the resurrected Aquinas was far stronger than before. In contrast, she couldn’t draw upon her full power due to the aftermath of her Sea King’s Descent. She glanced at her companions, but they were all too exhausted to fight properly.
Just then,
Whoosh!
A pale, round object flew rapidly from afar. Yan shouted as he saw it.
“Momon!”
The flying object was none other than Momon. As Yan caught Momon, who had turned into a skeleton, he urgently spoke.
[What in the world is happening? How can such a massive amount of demonic energy exist?]
Yan pointed ahead with his finger. Momon followed his gaze. Aquinas was slowly walking towards them. His condition was strange. His skin was pale like a corpse, with black veins protruding. His pupils were pitch black, and his once bright auburn hair had turned dark red. Seeing Aquinas, Momon shouted.
[…That!]
“Do you know what it is?”
The companions perked up, sensing that Momon knew something.
[That bastard Bahamut, did he abandon the Sky Castle for this?]
Momon’s cryptic words made Yan frown.
“Explain what that thing is first. We might not have time to listen later.”
Momon nodded.
[That’s a corpse. To be precise, it’s a puppet moved by grudges and malice.]
“A puppet? What do you mean?”
Momon pointed to the black flame orb.
[That orb is controlling the corpse. It uses the movements and skills stored in the corpse’s brain.]
Momon gritted his teeth and continued.
[Bahamut must have given this orb to him with this in mind from the start. It was destined for destruction!]
“Destined?”
[Yes, the orb was already filled with demonic energy. If the situation became unfavorable, the gathered souls could go berserk at any time.]
Yan sneered.
The Founding Festival.
Indeed, it was thorough and merciless. Not even granting a peaceful death to his pawn.
‘Not only was he experimented on for a long time, but even his death was desecrated.’
Yan bit his lip as he looked at Aquinas. His aura was similar to when the Pirate Empress used the Sea King’s Descent. And now, there was no one in their camp who could stop him. Aquinas seemed to know this as he approached with a twisted smile.
“Hehehe, I’ll kill you all. I’ll kill everyone and bring about destruction!!”
Aquinas, who had been laughing foolishly, suddenly became enraged and swung his hand violently. His fingertips burst, and black flames shot out, tracing a path.
Yan’s eyes widened. At the end of the path was the Pirate Empress, who hadn’t yet dodged.
“Pirate Empress!”
“Haaap!”
The Pirate Empress, instead of dodging, drew upon her mana and swung her curved sword at the incoming black flames.
Slash!
A stream of water surged from the ground, wrapping around the curved sword. The black flames and the Pirate Empress’ sword collided.
Smirk.
Yan felt a sense of unease as he saw Aquinas’ smile stretching to his ears. It didn’t take long for him to realize why.
“This, this is!”
The black flames spread to the curved sword as if infecting it.
Fwoosh!
The flames spread so quickly that they reached the Pirate Empress’ wrist in the blink of an eye. As she hurriedly tried to extinguish the flames by rubbing her wrist on the ground,
[Raise your arm!]
Momon shouted. The Pirate Empress instinctively raised her arm. Momon extended his hand and chanted a spell.
[Wind of Regeneration!]
A magic circle appeared above the Pirate Empress’ wrist, and green wind burst forth, covering the black flames. However, the black flames showed no sign of extinguishing easily. The Wind of Regeneration healed the melting skin, while the black flames continued to burn and decay it. The Pirate Empress, experiencing this horror, finally screamed.
“Aaaah!”
Her sharp scream sent chills down Yan and his companions’ spines. The Pirate Empress, who had always handled any injury with composure, was now screaming in agony. The pain from the black flames was beyond imagination.
Meanwhile, Aquinas continued to close the distance between them. Merriott stepped forward.
“If it’s fire, I can handle it. What should I do?”
But Momon shook his head at Merriott.
[Don’t be foolish. Step back.]
“…So you’re telling us to run away?”
[No, I’m telling you to step up when it’s your turn. Only that guy can solve this.]
Momon pointed at Yan. Yan frowned, not understanding.
“Only I can solve it?”
[Yes, you passed the trial, right?]
Yan nodded.
[Then you can use the Founding Festival’s final sword technique.]
Yan’s face twisted. He couldn’t follow what Momon was saying. He didn’t even know the name of the final sword technique. He had only seen up to the Suppression technique in the Imperial Palace, and the final technique was never revealed.
[The final technique is called ‘Sole Dominance.’ He created it right after emerging from the trial. So you should be able to grasp it too.]
“What nonsense! I don’t know it!”
[You must grasp it. If you don’t…]
Momon looked at Aquinas. The distance between Yan’s camp and Aquinas was now less than fifty steps.
[We’ll all die to that guy.]
Momon entered Yan’s chest pocket and shouted to the others.
[Move quickly! Are you just going to stand there and die?!]
Theo frowned.
“What are we supposed to do?”
[You need to buy time until this guy gains enlightenment! Go out and risk your lives to buy time! The black flames are painful, but I can heal you!]
Merriott nodded.
“So, in short, we need to hold off that monster until Yan gains enlightenment.”
[Exactly! Now get out there!]
With that, the four superhumans, except Yan, charged forward.
Grin.
Aquinas grinned as he saw them approaching.
“Let’s play.”
* * *
Yan closed his eyes and contemplated within.
“The final sword technique of the Founding Festival is called ‘Sole Dominance’?”
Sole Dominance. It means to stand alone at the top. But just knowing the name wasn’t enough to grasp its essence. He didn’t know the details of the Founding Festival’s trials either. Despite racking his brain, no plausible hypothesis came to mind. Yet, Yan didn’t give up and kept thinking intensely until something clicked.
Pause!
He created the sword technique right after emerging from the trial.
That meant he must have realized something during the trial to create it. “What did I realize?” It was hard to put into words, but if he had to explain…
“Unity with all versions of myself.”
Whether they failed or succeeded, they worked together towards the same goal. In other words, “One Lotus, Shared Fate.” This wasn’t just about the versions of himself he saw in the trial. It applied to everyone here with him now: his father, the Pirate Empress, Theo, Merriott, and Momon. And not just them. Lorena, Cruel, Kasa, Roman, Charles… “I am different from the Founding Festival.” He didn’t stand alone at the top; he moved forward together with others. So he acknowledged it. Even if he had learned the Sole Dominance technique, he wouldn’t have truly understood it from the heart.
Therefore,
Flash!
“I will create my own sword technique.”
At that moment, Yan’s mind began to review the history he had written so far. Memories of working together with others, being their hands and feet, and them being his.
Crack!
With the sound of something breaking, Yan’s eyes began to open. He saw the four superhumans desperately holding off Aquinas, who was spewing black flames. Theo was sent flying with a single gesture, and Argon caught him. Merriott swung his fiery sword, severing Aquinas’ wrist. And at the forefront, the Pirate Empress was enduring the most attacks.
Swish!
Yan drew Ascalon from his waist and, recalling his realization, began to visualize it.
Whoosh!
A vivid aura formed a circle around Yan, growing larger until it enveloped the surroundings. The energies, skills, and strengths of others transformed into information and flooded Yan’s mind.
“Inhale.”
Yan took a deep breath and instinctively began to move. It wasn’t the practical swordsmanship he had shown before but movements reminiscent of a dance. Yet, the Pirate Empress widened her eyes at the sight of Yan’s dance.
“That is…!”
The essence of the Sea King’s Twelve Techniques, which she had never taught anyone, was evident in Yan’s dance. And that wasn’t all.
“Using the Blazing Sword without learning it!”
Merriott was astonished as white flames blossomed on Yan’s sword. Behind him, the ground froze.
“…Frost Soul.”
In the end, all these techniques merged into one. Yet, the skills unfolding from Yan’s hands and feet didn’t clash but gradually blended together. Yan and Aquinas locked eyes. Yan’s eyes were calm, while Aquinas’ eyes were filled with all sorts of emotions, standing in stark contrast.
“Kiieeeek!”
Aquinas, who had been restrained by the four superhumans, suddenly let out a bizarre scream and lunged at Yan. The Pirate Empress and Merriott’s sword strikes flew towards his back, but he seemed intent on taking them head-on without blocking. Seeing Aquinas charging recklessly at Yan, Argon shouted.
“Yan!”
At that moment, Yan extended his front foot and thrust Ascalon forward.
Tap.
One point. A single point touched Aquinas’ body.
Boom!
Fwoosh!
Crack!
All the techniques contained in Yan’s sword shattered Aquinas’ body completely. The Sea King’s Twelve Techniques exploded Aquinas’ body. The Blazing Sword caused an explosion centered on Aquinas. Frost Soul froze Aquinas’ body, soul, and the White Flame Jade entirely. Yan swung his sword again.
Slash!
Crack.
The blackened White Flame Jade began to crack as soon as it collided with Ascalon. And then,
Shatter!
It shattered into several pieces. Yan quietly watched Aquinas turn to dust and disappear.
“I’m exhausted.”
Thud!
He lost consciousness and collapsed.