255th Episode
The new sword of the Empire is drawn from A-Space.
As Moros, the artifact symbolizing the Emperor’s authority, was revealed, those observing the situation began hastily kneeling.
Ray felt his vision widen and smirked.
“Well, whatever… If you’re going to rough it up, at least give it some dignity.”
With Moros in hand, Ray took a step forward.
The Imperial Legion straightened their backs and rose, beginning to move in unison as Ray advanced.
Ray walked towards the curtain, steadying his breathing.
If destroying the curtain succeeded, there would be no need for Ray to join the battle.
Even without Ray’s participation, the Imperial Legion would surely exterminate the fallen ones.
However, if the destruction of the curtain failed, a small team would have to infiltrate inside.
“…Is three people the limit for entry?”
“That’s right!”
Magna quickly nodded.
“Even if you lead, considering the curtain’s repelling force, it will be difficult for more than four to enter.”
Just three people. To form a team, only the best of the best could suffice.
Moreover, with demon worshippers rampant inside, someone capable of using divine power would be necessary for an appropriate response.
“Michael, call Anthonyus.”
Anthonyus was one of the top powers among the paladins.
At Ray’s request, Michael briefly showed reluctance.
“That…”
“Is it because of his origin?”
Michael neither confirmed nor denied.
Reports had come in that Instructor Izhise from the South had betrayed, but discussing it openly here was inappropriate.
Ray irritably chided Michael.
“Pull yourself together. This is a time when the Empire must unite, not draw lines based on origins. What nonsense is this?”
“I apologize. My thinking was short-sighted. However, whether he’ll respond to the cooperation request…”
Anthonyus belonged to the High Templar order, and this mission was a high-risk special operation with little chance of survival.
While assistance might be requested, if Anthonyus didn’t volunteer, forcing him to participate wasn’t an option.
At that moment, Anthonyus appeared, pushing through the Imperial Army ranks.
“I will participate.”
Anthonyus stood before Ray.
Not long ago, Ray had teased Anthonyus about whether they would face trials together.
But when things went wrong just as Ray warned, even Anthonyus, who prayed solely for his sister, couldn’t help but feel something akin to destiny or duty.
Furthermore, Anthonyus agreed with Ray’s claim that the stability of the Empire was the path for his sister.
“So it came to pass as you said.”
“Yeah. Unfortunately.”
Ray chuckled bitterly and stroked his cheek.
Now, they just needed one more person.
As Ray pondered, Michael spoke up.
“I will enter with you.”
“Did His Majesty approve?”
“I volunteered, and His Majesty permitted it.”
“…Then I entrust this to you.”
“It is my honor.”
To withstand the pressure of passing through the curtain, a mage’s physical strength wouldn’t suffice.
A knight was needed, and Michael was close to the strongest knight available at the moment.
With the raiding party now complete, Ray was about to discuss specifics when a young girl with an immature aura blocked the advancing Imperial Legion.
It was Johanna.
“RAY!!!”
Johanna shouted, her tear-filled eyes pleading.
“Don’t go!!”
“Johanna…?”
“Don’t go, I say!!”
As someone tried to pull Johanna away from blocking Ray’s path, Michael stopped them.
Johanna approached Ray slowly, shouting.
“You don’t have to go…!!”
Johanna grabbed Ray’s collar tightly upon reaching him.
Her trembling grip reflected her rising anxiety as she forced out her voice.
“Just…!! Just stay here…!!”
Looking around, countless soldiers of the Empire, clad in dazzling armor, surrounded them.
They were here, eager to flaunt their strength and might.
But why, why?
“Why do YOU have to fight…!!”
“…”
Ray took a deep breath.
There were many things he wanted to say, but his lips wouldn’t cooperate.
Looking at Johanna sobbing, Ray finally muttered the most obvious words.
“…Don’t worry.”
“Don’t go!!”
Johanna gripped Ray’s collar even tighter and shouted.
“Why do you keep doing this?! Why?!”
“…”
Ray couldn’t provide a proper answer, and Johanna realized she couldn’t change Ray’s stubbornness.
In front of everyone, Johanna let tears fall, unable to hide her resentful feelings toward Ray.
“Why… why are you like this…”
“…”
“Hiccup…! I’ll tell Luna…”
“Not that, please…”
Startled, Ray hugged Johanna.
Deeply feeling how inadequate his words were to comfort her cries, Ray tightened his jaw.
“…Don’t worry, just wait for me.”
Ray pulled out a medal from his inner pocket and placed it in Johanna’s hand.
“Keep this until I return.”
“Hiccup! Sniff…!”
Holding the medal tightly, Johanna eventually sent Ray off, unable to stop him any longer.
As Johanna stepped aside crying, Saria now stood before Ray.
Blinking at Ray, Saria briefly said,
“Come back safely. Unharmed.”
Saria then transferred control of all her artefacts to Ray.
Afterward,
As Ray, Anthonyus, and Michael advanced, the legion commanders and renowned knights sequentially transferred control of their most powerful weapons.
Amidst the solemn atmosphere, Magna alone still wore an excited expression while offering advice.
“Even carrying dozens of artefacts, most will likely be lost during penetration. Moreover, you can’t handle dozens simultaneously, so immediately after entering, overload the power sources to bombard the enemies.”
Though turning valuable artefacts into one-time-use bombs, there was no more efficient strategy.
After thinking hard, Magna added another suggestion.
“Ah, and if you have any equipment using Dragonheart as a power source, don’t bring it. There might be control issues.”
“I’ll take that into consideration.”
Finally, Ray stood before the curtain.
*
Inside the curtain, the Imperial forces suffered near-total annihilation.
A few survivors retreated momentarily to the edge of the curtain, but Preches made no effort to chase them.
Letting some of the Empire’s forces survive here would ensure testimony of the horrors within the curtain, further intensifying internal conflicts within the Empire.
Preches glanced briefly at Kieran, who had betrayed the Empire, then looked towards the Golden Tower.
Crack!
Every time Preches waved his hand, parts of the Golden Tower crumbled, eventually exposing the Dragonheart inside.
A knight in black armor handed Preches the Command Blade.
Gripping the blade, Preches smiled contentedly.
The Command Blade—one of the most dangerous and powerful cursed objects bestowed by the Demon God.
Preches encased the Dragonheart inside the Golden Tower with a dark magic circle, then thrust the Command Blade into its center.
Grind!!
The Command Blade pierced the Dragonheart.
Corrupt energy began to corrupt the Dragonheart, causing the surrounding mana to fluctuate wildly.
Once the Command Blade corrupted the Dragonheart, it would proceed to corrupt the mana vein below.
When completed,
Upon the disappearance of Preches’ curtain, the polluted mana trapped inside would surge back, widely contaminating areas where the mana vein flowed.
Once the mana vein is contaminated, the Imperial Capital will lose most of its self-defense capabilities.
In that case, the Empire would have to deploy massive troops solely to protect the Imperial Capital until the purification process is complete.
“Until the purification process is complete… The Empire won’t be able to make aggressive moves.”
This purification process would require, at minimum, a year—possibly even decades of immense effort.
To tie down the Empire for a long period, the mana vein had to be thoroughly contaminated.
And within a few hours, the Command Blade’s corruption would be complete.
Having finished his work, Preches turned his head.
He had been aware from the start that Izhise’s students lay scattered nearby.
Since they were the Empire’s future forces, it was necessary to either kill them or cripple them.
Preches sent demons to deal with the students.
Meanwhile, Delun was confused.
Teon, who had stopped him from moving earlier, suddenly got up and started walking forward.
Despite having achieved several feats recently, Kieran had become an instructor at Izhise despite not being retirement age.
Because of this, rumors of demotion spread, though since his hometown was nearby, Teon occasionally exchanged private conversations with Kieran.
“Huh, really…”
Recognizing Kieran’s face clearly, Teon burst into laughter repeatedly.
Kieran watched Teon approach with interest.
Would Teon beg for mercy?
Or try to cling to him?
Or perhaps question the reason for his betrayal?
Kieran was quite curious about Teon’s reaction.
However, Teon asked nothing.
He merely muttered curses under his breath.
“Because of bastards like you, I…”
Recently, over the past few years,
Unrest had emerged among the southern factions of the Empire, leading to increased discrimination against individuals from the South.
Teon, studying at Izhise, witnessed firsthand his senior peers from nearby hometowns facing various forms of prejudice.
Teon also endured subtle disdain and suspicion.
Teon felt stifled.
He desired full recognition of his efforts and passion.
But he didn’t receive it, and as the days of frustration lengthened, Teon became increasingly nervous, and the surrounding gazes worsened.
“Huh, damn it…”
What about the future?
Even if he survived here, people would look at him with even deeper prejudice.
No matter how hard Teon worked, he couldn’t erase their preconceived notions.
“Damn…”
Wiping his face, Teon finally drew his sword.
He pointed it at Kieran.
“You’ll be the one to kill me.”
Driven by anger, Teon half-cried as he shouted.
“I’ll prove my… purity by dying at your hands.”
Clutching his teeth, Teon took a step forward.
Watching this, Kieran furrowed his brow and shot out a volley of sword auras without uttering a word.
Planning to shred Teon into pieces.
Knowing it was futile resistance, Teon swung his sword anyway.
BOOM!!!
The volley of sword auras bombarded the ground.
Kieran, still frowning, looked at the spot where Teon had been.
There, covered in blood from both neutralizing and dodging the attack, Delun held Teon by the back of the neck.
Spitting out blood, the still-alive Teon shouted.
“What are you doing…!!”
“To think so.”
Delun laughed while gripping his deeply wounded shoulder.
“If it were Brother, he would have saved the senior without a scratch… Haha…”
Delun soon stopped laughing and murmured in a low voice.
“I can’t be like Brother.”
I can’t be like Ray.
That much he knew very well.
“But for Brother’s honor… I can’t act disgracefully.”
Releasing Teon’s back, Delun manifested a radiant sword aura.
“I won’t die like a coward.”
Delun straightened his back and aimed his sword at the enemies.
Behind Delun, the students of Izhise gradually gathered, drawing their swords and forming ranks.
So, if death was unavoidable…
They should at least die honorably.
The students’ determination sharpened.
As Kieran observed this scene and smirked, Preches waved his hand.
Zzzzang!!!
A flash of light, and Delun rolled across the ground.
Preches coldly surveyed the other students, asking,
“Is there anyone else who wishes to lead?”
“…”
The students looked at Delun.
A fist-sized hole pierced his side, blood streaming profusely.
The students hadn’t even seen what attack Preches used.
Terrified by the overwhelming power gap, the inexperienced students froze.
“Ugh…!”
Delun spat out blood.
Trying to rise by flailing his limbs, his body wouldn’t obey.
“Huh…”
Delun mocked himself.
Weak and powerless.
Too far from the person he admired, unable to even sketch his silhouette.
How long will it take to resemble you, even once?
Actually, he knew very well that it would be impossible, even dedicating his entire life.
But, but someday… just once.
Delun stretched his hand toward the sky obscured by the curtain, filled with such hope.
At that moment.
The curtain shattered, revealing a small crack.
Through the crack, the clear blue sky briefly appeared before vanishing again.
Everyone instinctively looked up at the sky.
“My”
Delun smiled brightly.
“Hero has arrived.”
