Chapter 513
Let’s End This Here. (4)
The armies on both sides exuded fierce momentum.
The Delfine Forces, having marched without eating or resting, were considerably exhausted, yet their morale remained high.
This was because they were confident of victory with the Kingdom's strongest Swordsman by their side.
The Fenris Mobile Corps was no different. Though they were more fatigued due to the battles they had fought, they still burned with fighting spirit.
They believed that any battle could be won as long as they were with Ghislain.
“Hm.”
Just as Ghislain was about to issue the order to charge, he turned back briefly. Kaiyen did the same.
They could order their entire armies to charge at each other right now. However, everyone was too exhausted.
The Fenris side had better equipment, but the Delfine Forces had greater numbers. With both sides consisting of elite troops of the same unit types, neither could guarantee victory.
That was why neither Ghislain nor Kaiyen gave the order to charge. Both of them had the same thought.
“In the end, the ones who will decide the outcome are different.”
With a faint smile, Ghislain dismounted from the Black King and walked forward.
To everyone’s surprise, Kaiyen also dismounted and approached Ghislain.
The two men silently agreed. There was no need to throw their soldiers into battle and increase casualties.
If one of them died, it would be an easy task to annihilate the exhausted opposing army.
Facing Ghislain, Kaiyen unslung the two-handed greatsword from his back and spoke.
“This time, I’ll finally be able to kill you. You won’t be able to escape like last time.”
Ghislain also discarded his spear and drew the sword from his waist.
“I’ve wanted to fight you at least once. Looks like I finally got my chance.”
“Your arrogance ends today. After I kill you, I’ll slaughter the rest of them and head straight back to the Southern Front.”
For Kaiyen, this was an excellent opportunity. If he killed Ghislain, he could return while maintaining his full military strength.
Hearing this, Ghislain smirked.
“You seem quite confident. But… even if you win here, the Southern Front will already be in ruins.”
“What?”
As Kaiyen looked at him incredulously, Ghislain took his stance and continued.
“Do you really think the army you left behind can handle the Northern Army? Do you even know who’s leading them right now?”
“Who?”
“Amelia.”
At that name, Kaiyen’s face twisted even more hideously.
Because of Amelia, the duchy had suffered enormous losses.
After Desmond fell, she took all the support she could but never moved against Fenris. Later, she thwarted their plan to use the Savages to attack Ferdium.
That wasn’t all. At the start of the civil war, she cut off their supply lines, delaying the 5th Legion’s advance.
Though the duchy had always disregarded her, they were eventually forced to acknowledge her capabilities.
And now, she was once again interfering with their plans?
Hearing the name of someone he absolutely had to kill, Kaiyen’s blood boiled in fury.
Seeing Kaiyen’s contorted face, Ghislain laughed in amusement.
“I knew you’d follow me here.”
“Are you saying…”
“That’s right. Part of this plan was to lure you out. The Delfine Forces left on the Southern Front will be completely crushed by Amelia. Do you really think that a massive army can be properly commanded without you?”
Kuaooooo!
At Ghislain’s provocation, a storm-like aura erupted from Kaiyen’s body.
Even knowing it was a trap, he had no choice but to fall for it. If he hadn’t come, Eclipse would have truly been taken.
Within the raging mana storm, Kaiyen, his mane-like hair billowing, spoke with a rigid expression.
“The two bastards of the North have completely ruined our grand strategy.”
“You’re quite easy to provoke.”
Fwaaack!
At that moment, a massive Aura Blade surged from Kaiyen’s sword.
With an expression devoid of emotion, he spoke again.
“No matter. I’ll kill you here, then head straight to the Southern Front to kill Amelia as well.”
Sometimes, overwhelming power could shatter all strategies. Ghislain and Amelia might have devised a clever plan, but it wasn’t beyond his ability to handle.
That was the power of the Kingdom’s Strongest Swordsman.
Boom!
As Kaiyen took a single step forward, the ground cracked and crumbled beneath him.
He swung his sword from that spot. At a glance, it seemed incredibly slow.
Claang!
Ghislain raised his sword.
Before he knew it, Kaiyen had already closed the distance, still in the same downward swing position.
Dddddrk!
An immense pressure crashed down. Ghislain, who had been pushed back while blocking the sword, let out a fierce smile.
This was it. This was the power he wanted to test himself against.
Fwoosh!
Once again, his body was engulfed in a black aura. His eyes burned with a crimson light stronger than ever before.
Boom!
The two warriors separated, only to clash again in an instant. Blue and red flashes intertwined, spreading outward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their swords never fully met. The sheer force emanating from their strikes repelled each other before the blades could even touch.
But the resulting shockwaves showed no mercy to their surroundings. Each swing of the sword shattered the ground, sending storms of force rippling outward.
Flashes and gales filled the battlefield, obscuring their figures from view.
Boom!
Ghislain swallowed the blood rising in his throat with every collision of their swords. The sheer force contained in Kaiyen’s strikes was overwhelming.
‘As expected... The title of the Kingdom’s Strongest Swordsman is well earned.’
Compared to Count Palantz, who had indulged in laziness after consuming a Dragon Heart, Kaiyen was on a completely different level. His sword had no hesitation, no unnecessary tricks.
His sword was a reflection of his unwavering nature, pure and unshakable. If a knight’s blade could reach its ultimate form, it would look exactly like this.
Even more astonishing was—
‘The amount of mana he possesses is beyond imagination.’
Even with Dark’s power amplifying his aura to the maximum, it was still not enough to fully absorb Kaiyen’s strength. Each time he blocked an attack, his hands went numb, and he felt as though he might lose his grip on his sword.
He was certain now when it came to sheer mana reserves, he was lacking. Even if he were at full strength, he would still be at a disadvantage.
To make matters worse, he had already used up half of his mana breaking through Elois’s illusion.
‘He hasn’t rested even for a moment.’
It was clear that Kaiyen had dedicated decades to relentless training with the best possible support. No matter how quickly Ghislain had learned and grown stronger, the gap created by time itself was not something easily bridged.
But there was one thing Ghislain had honed for far longer than Kaiyen.
Swish!
Splat!
In an instant, Ghislain’s sword moved in an uncanny trajectory, and blood trickled down Kaiyen’s cheek.
Ghislain’s blade had started moving with razor-sharp precision. He no longer clashed head-on with Kaiyen’s strength.
This was the swordsmanship he had risked his life to master in his past life, an unpredictable, formless technique without any discernible pattern.
It was not a swordplay meant for honorable duels or fair battles. It was a sword honed through countless life-and-death struggles, a weapon of pure survival.
No, calling it a learned technique would be inaccurate.
It had evolved.
With this very swordsmanship, Ghislain had slain orcs without mana. He had defeated foes far stronger than himself.
And now, experiencing Ghislain’s sword firsthand, Kaiyen’s eyes widened.
‘What is this?!’
In all his years, he had never encountered such a feral sword technique.
At first, he thought it was merely an erratic style. But the more they fought, the more he realized that was not the case.
In fact, the movements of the blade were shockingly simple and more straightforward than even the rigid techniques of a knight.
It was a style composed solely of slashes and thrusts. And yet, predicting its trajectory was impossible.
‘This is absurd!’
It wasn’t just a simple sword technique. Was this what happened when fundamentals reached their absolute peak?
Before he could react, a blade appeared from his blind spot. Each strike was meant to kill this was a sword forged in battle, a weapon that was alive.
And that was what made it even more incomprehensible.
‘There is no way someone so young could have developed such a technique.’
Kaiyen had been raised with a sword in hand since birth. Born into a prestigious family, he had learned countless sword styles, discarding and refining them until he created his own.
Through that journey, he had naturally formed his own world.
Unlike others, his sword was not driven by faith or emotion.
The sword itself.
The blade that had been with him since birth was his world, his everything.
Becoming the Kingdom’s Strongest Swordsman had been his fate, his inevitable destiny.
Yet, now, the man before him, someone who had reached transcendence through sheer will and understanding of the sword was demonstrating a technique superior to his own.
‘Impossible!’
As someone who had built his world upon the foundation of the sword, Kaiyen was certain.
That sword carried the weight of countless years. A blade tempered by endless battles, drenched in blood, forged through the deaths of countless foes.
Count Fenris may have gained a reputation as a war fanatic through his many battles, but that alone was not enough.
That sword this monstrous technique could only be forged through experiences multiplied by tens, even hundreds of times beyond what was humanly possible.
That sword was surely speaking to him.
The Count of Fenris had killed more people and risked his life more times than what was known. It was a sword forged through years of endurance.
‘You… Just who in the world are you?’
Kwaaaang!
Once again, their swords clashed. The two conversed through their blades.
And that conversation grew fiercer by the moment. Kaiyen wielded overwhelming mana, while Ghislain countered with the mastery he had built over time, both unleashing lethal strikes upon one another.
— “M-Master! My magic is running low!”
Dark screamed, his voice laced with panic.
Unlike before, Ghislain's body was no longer deteriorating as severely. His vessel had expanded enough through training to withstand the amplified power.
But he still had to manage that power carefully. If not, his body would soon break down again.
He had already consumed a vast amount of mana destroying Elois’ magic. And without rest, he had immediately poured out even more power. Even with Dark's support, there was a limit to how much he could endure.
At this rate, he would burn through all his strength and eventually collapse.
‘It’s fine. Empty it all.’
Ghislain ignored Dark’s cries and continued to pour out his power. If he could kill the opponent before him, the rest would crumble easily.
Kaiyen was the pinnacle of the duchy’s martial strength. His symbolic presence was greater than anything else.
Kaiyen shared the same thought. He endured Ghislain's attacks with his body and relentlessly pressed forward.
‘All I need to do is kill the Count of Fenris.’
The Count of Fenris had shattered every scheme of the duchy and even altered the balance of the continent. His actions were nothing short of heroic.
In other words, eliminating him would turn everything around.
‘So, I must do this—!’
Kwaaang!
Both fighters swung their swords with all their might. Countless wounds covered Kaiyen’s body, and blood spurted out.
Ghislain was not unscathed either. Every time Kaiyen swung his blade, the dark energy surrounding Ghislain was violently torn apart. With each strike he endured, that dark energy diminished further.
And then, when Ghislain’s body was finally exposed—
Kagagagak!
Kaiyen seized the opportunity and slashed Ghislain’s chest with his sword.
Paaak!
Ghislain retreated swiftly, but he couldn’t evade the attack completely. Blood gushed from the wound.
Kaiyen observed Ghislain’s injury slowly healing and spoke.
"It doesn't regenerate as quickly as before."
"Ahh, I've used up a lot of my strength."
"You have many curious abilities. If only a few more years had passed, even I wouldn’t have been able to handle you."
"If time had passed, you would have grown just as much."
They locked eyes and smiled. Regardless of their positions, battling a strong opponent was an exhilarating experience.
Kaiyen raised his sword once more.
"If we had fought together… we could have conquered this continent with ease."
Ghislain pointed his blade forward and replied.
"Even in another life, that would never happen."
"Then one of us must die here."
Kwaaang!
Kaiyen swung his sword with immense force. Using the mana he had left, he completely overwhelmed Ghislain.
Ghislain could only struggle to defend and retreat. No matter how advanced his technique, a failing body could not properly execute it.
— “M-Master! This is dangerous!”
‘It’s fine. Empty it further.’
Kaiyen’s pressure was suffocating. Ghislain's hands trembled every time he blocked an attack. He had to acknowledge it.
The Kingdom’s Strongest Swordsman.
That title was not given lightly.
Ghislain would not earn his place among the Seven Strongest on the Continent until much later. Kaiyen, even now, was likely as powerful as those legendary figures.
And in this lifetime, given a few more years, he would surely reach that level again.
That is, if he survived this.
Kwaaaang!
Ghislain blocked another strike but couldn’t endure the force, sent flying backward.
Quickly regaining his stance, he lifted his gaze. Kaiyen approached, exhaling heavily.
He, too, was bleeding from the wounds that covered his body.
"Impressive. You’re the first to push me this far."
"I was about to say the same thing."
"Let’s put an end to this pretense. I will remember you as my greatest adversary."
Kaiyen raised his sword high.
Ghislain grinned.
"A battle isn’t over until the very end, is it?"
"My power is beyond what you can withstand now."
His words weren’t arrogant, nor did they carry any disdain.
Anyone could see that Ghislain had completely exhausted his mana. There was no way a fatigued Ghislain could endure Kaiyen’s monstrous energy.
Yet, Ghislain didn’t lose his smile.
"I actually prefer brute force fights the most."
Kaiyen ignored his words and prepared to swing his sword.
Kwaaaaaaa!
But before he could, an overwhelming surge of mana rushed into Ghislain’s body from the surroundings.
"What… is this?"
Kaiyen looked around in shock, suspecting an ally had intervened.
But there was no one.
Turning back, he saw Ghislain standing tall once again.
"What have you done…?"
An immense aura of mana radiated from Ghislain’s body once more.
It was impossible. How could his drained mana recover so quickly? To replenish mana, one needed time to refine it through Mana Cultivation.
Kaiyen’s eyes widened.
There was a way to restore mana without cultivation.
"No way…"
When one first forms a Core, the surrounding mana rushes in at an accelerated rate to fill the void.
The idea that a transcendent like Ghislain was just now forming his first Core was absurd. But there was no other explanation.
Ghislain pointed his sword at Kaiyen and grinned.
"Let’s go again. I've regained a little of my former self."
Within him—
Five Cores roared to life.