Chapter 81: Saeorin (1)
After the absolutes who dominated the space vanished, it wasn’t long before the remaining members of Azure Wings arrived. I could tell they had run without rest, as their breaths were ragged and uneven.
Only one person seemed unscathed. Kanok, who had descended gently from the sky, naturally approached me, Fell Flora, and Theo.
“Everyone, it’s been a while… or perhaps it’s too soon to say that?”
My gaze scanned the faces of the members who had arrived late. As if they had been operating under various disguises, their attire was strikingly diverse.
“Were you all working together?”
At my question, the members exchanged glances. The way they shook their heads, exchanging looks, suggested they had no idea where each other had been.
“No, I don’t think so. I only met them while rushing here.”
“Same here.”
My eyes landed on Raynard. He no longer appeared as a one-armed man. I hadn’t noticed it when we first met, but now I could tell.
A prosthetic arm filled the empty space where his arm had been. It was so finely crafted that unless one looked closely, it was impossible to tell he was missing a limb.
“Here. This is where the Sword Sovereign was, right?”
It was Kanok’s question. His gaze, sweeping the surroundings, took in the desolate landscape of the wasteland.
The earth overturned by immense power and jagged rock formations jutting up irregularly.
These were traces that spoke of a fierce battle, one violent enough to reshape the terrain. I nodded.
“Can you tell us what happened?”
They had gathered here after sensing the clash of immense power. Scattered across the wasteland, they all needed an explanation of the situation.
Fell Flora, Theo, and I took turns explaining. From the story of the first campsite to how we ended up joining the Sword Sovereign’s faction, and finally the confrontation between Hayato and the Sword Sovereign that took place here.
“Hayato, huh… I was tracking the Sword Sovereign, but some unexpected guy showed up…”
Suddenly, I looked up at the sky. The pitch-black heavens began to brighten. Sunlight, emerging from the horizon, swept away the darkness as it raced across the wasteland.
Morning had arrived.
“For now, since the Commander is pursuing the Sword Sovereign, we’d better not concern ourselves with it. We don’t even know where he disappeared to, anyway.”
“Yes…”
“The mission is on hold. Leave the wasteland immediately and request reinforcements. Join them to wipe out the remnants of the Sword Sovereign’s faction.”
The mission had changed. Fell Flora, Theo, and I could only nod. After experiencing the overwhelming helplessness in the face of the absolutes’ battle, we realized we couldn’t be of much help. There was no room for stubbornness.
The rising sun cast long shadows of the members. As we turned to walk away, Kanok spoke to me.
“That thing. Aren’t you going to take it?”
“Oh…”
My gaze fell on a sword embedded diagonally in the ground. Its overall shape was an exact replica of the White Dragon Sword. No, it wasn’t just similar. Its appearance was identical in every way—except for one thing: the color.
A black sword.
It was something the Sword Sovereign had left behind. Curious, I pulled the sword from the ground. I felt nothing from it. It was as if it were brand new.
The way it fit perfectly in my hand was strange. It felt as though it had been made just for me.
Even compared to the White Dragon Sword I usually wielded, it felt more familiar. The balance of its weight was the same.
When I swung it lightly, the blade moved as if it were an extension of my body. I made an odd expression.
The Sword Sovereign.
I softly murmured his name to myself.
***
The empire’s reinforcements arrived at an astonishing speed and advanced toward the wasteland.
The collapse of the Sword Sovereign’s faction happened in an instant. With the Sword Sovereign—their central figure—gone, and the balance they had maintained lost, the reincarnators began to abandon their posts one by one.
Those who held their ground to the end lost their lives to the imperial forces and Azure Wings.
The Sword Sovereign’s whereabouts remained a mystery to the end. Even the Knight Commander who had set out to pursue him lost contact, leaving the situation unclear.
However, the mission itself could be considered a success.
All members returned without casualties, and a group of reincarnators that could have threatened the empire in the future was dismantled.
The long mission was over. The party joined the return procession.
***
I sat alone in an empty room, placing a sword on my lap. It wasn’t the one I usually used—it was the sword the Sword Sovereign had left behind.
Due to its color contrasting with the White Dragon Sword, Theo had named it the Black Dragon Sword.
I naturally began calling it that too. This mission had given me much to think about. The Sword Sovereign’s attitude—sparing me despite seemingly noticing my true identity—left me bewildered.
Moreover, the scene I had witnessed that day lingered in my mind. I had glimpsed a realm built through eons of time and relentless effort.
The martial arts contained within it were so profound that I couldn’t comprehend even a fragment of it. Yet, it gave me a sense of direction for where I needed to go.
Wooong—
As the White Dragon Heart Technique stirred mana deep within me, the Black Dragon Sword responded.
This wasn’t a sword forged from ordinary steel. It was made from a material highly sensitive to mana.
It was clear this sword had been meticulously crafted for me.
‘In such a short time.’
The Black Dragon Sword rose on its own and hovered around me. The White Dragon Sword, which I had placed on the floor, also floated up, forming a pair.
The incantation of the Formless Sword Technique I had acquired consisted of only four lines.
It wasn’t a martial art I had formally learned. It was a skill stolen through someone else’s memories. I had stayed there to complete this unfinished technique, but the opportunity never came.
I couldn’t replicate the complex movements the Sword Sovereign had displayed. My version was linear and simplistic.
It might be effective against weaker opponents, but it was worse than useless against someone of equal skill.
‘I’ll have to create it myself…’
If I needed it, I’d make it. The materials were already prepared, weren’t they? The divine prowess the Sword Sovereign had shown that day wouldn’t leave my mind. Everything about it was inspiration.
But it wouldn’t be easy. I’d have to weave the new incantation into the existing one. It had to flow naturally, without conflict.
Wooong—
As the White Dragon Sword and Black Dragon Sword resonated, I sensed a presence approaching the door. An unfamiliar, foreign energy. I recalled the twin dragon swords and stood up.
At that moment, a knock sounded.
[Uh… Senior Saeorin? Are you in there?]
The voice was thick with tension. It reminded me of a friend from the past. After joining the group, Fell Flora used to speak like that when addressing seniors.
Unlike me.
A considerable amount of time had already passed. Feeling the weight of those years, I opened the closed door. Beyond it stood a tall woman.
Her large chest obscured her face due to the angle I had to look up from. Only after stepping back two paces could I make out my junior’s face.
Parna.
A recent junior member who had been promoted to the lower ranks. We’d only crossed paths a few times in the hallways.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ah… It’s a mission!”
I frowned at Parna’s words. How long had it been since I returned from a long-term mission, and they were already assigning me another? I didn’t mind, but I couldn’t help wishing they’d let me rest a little.
Still, it was understandable. Azure Wings was always short on personnel. They couldn’t afford to let someone of my caliber sit idle.
‘I was planning to visit some antique shops.’
Taking the documents from Parna, I sat on the bed and reviewed them.
The mission itself wasn’t anything special. It was an order to track and eliminate a reincarnator who had recently surfaced.
Azure Wings Headquarters had confirmed this individual as a reincarnator. No further investigation was needed.
“Hmm…”
As I examined the target’s details in the documents, I let out a small groan. Estimated age: mid-20s.
Snow-white hair and the characteristic of being an Astinian tugged at something in my mind for some reason.
Then I turned to the next page. My breath stopped. The target’s sketch appeared in the girl’s retinas. Looking at the face of a man drawn by a highly skilled artist, it felt like staring into a mirror.
Unconsciously, I reached out and brushed my hand over the man’s face in the sketch. The face in the drawing resembled me—my past body—almost too perfectly.
Could he be a sibling I’d parted with in childhood? Or just someone who happened to look like me?
I couldn’t be certain without seeing him with my own eyes. I stood up. My wildly surging emotions unleashed the White Dragon Heart Technique’s incantation with ferocity.
“Sh-should we depart right now?”
My junior’s question pulled me from my thoughts. Regaining my composure, I checked the personnel assigned to this mission.
There were three people in total. Two were lower-rank members, and only one was mid-rank.
In other words, I had to take on the role of the senior.
My gaze turned to Parna. She exhaled nervously, standing at attention.