Extraneous Chapter – Final Battle [6]
[60]
Swordmaster.
A realm of mystery that the majority of commoners could never reach, even given hundreds or thousands of years of time.
However, thanks to the acceleration granted by the blessings of transcendent beings upon an incomprehensible talent, Speira achieved a miracle.
Even though it was aided by the blessings of these transcendent beings, ultimately, it was Speira herself who pioneered what was considered the peak for mortals.
In her twenties, she reached the level of Swordmaster—something only two people in the continent’s history had accomplished: the legendary hero Harshia, and Ray, the tragic usurper who perished alongside the Empire.
And now…
Speira carried on their legacy.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Speira, having attained the level of Swordmaster, faced Johanna.
“Hmm…”
Originally, Speira had considered concealing her Swordmaster status in preparation for battle against Luna.
Given that Luna was a Mage adept at manipulating Mana, Speira’s Absolute Domain would undoubtedly be lethal to her as well.
While Luna might not be completely incapacitated like an ordinary Mage, it was still certain to serve as a trump card.
“Unfortunately, though…”
Had Speira endured until the very end without revealing her Absolute Domain, there may have been an opportunity to deal a definitive blow to Luna.
However, Speira concluded that there was no point in wasting time now with such tactical games. With everything on the line, hesitation would yield nothing.
Having stepped onto the battlefield where the final clash would take place, Speira twisted her lips, now unhesitant to reveal her power.
“Johanna, did I warn you enough?”
“…!”
Johanna gripped her sword tightly, unable to hide her tense demeanor.
Soul Weapon.
The power fueled by its soul remained unaffected within the influence of the Absolute Domain.
But the true terror of the Absolute Domain wasn’t merely about disrupting the mana wielded by others.
A Swordmaster exerts absolute dominance over mana within their domain. In other words, a Swordmaster who has already reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship can control most powers based on mana with extreme precision.
And the dark radiance that Speira wielded, which was also fused with mana, followed this principle.
Tsuzuk!
The dark radiance, already highly refined, began to be drawn out like thin threads under Speira’s control within the Absolute Domain.
Speira lightly moved the finely condensed, undulating dark radiance horizontally.
In that instant, Johanna instinctively bent low.
Simultaneously, an ear-splitting roar enveloped them.
Chheeeek!!!!!
The area was devastated.
The strands of dark radiance constructed more precisely than before the revelation of the Absolute Domain mercilessly obliterated everything around without any sign of stopping.
Not content with that, Speira concentrated the strands of dark radiance around the Sacred Sword.
Johanna momentarily hesitated upon seeing the waves of dark radiance encircling the Sacred Sword.
Previously, Speira had used dark radiance to construct Sword Energy techniques.
But the Sword Energy manifested by Speira now was on an entirely different level in terms of density and structural stability compared to the past.
Speira lightly swung the Sacred Sword.
And following the trajectory traced by Speira’s Sacred Sword, the scenery itself tore apart.
!!!!
The atmosphere was pushed aside entirely, silencing all sound.
Johanna dared not meet swords with Speira.
Martial arts too required a narrowing of the gap in absolute power to be displayed effectively.
Yet the trajectory drawn by Speira’s Sacred Sword was so destructive that even Johanna couldn’t bring herself to block it.
Because of this, while Johanna took just a few steps back,
the Imperial forces waiting nearby to support Johanna and defend the Obelisk were shredded along with the landscape into countless fragments.
“…!”
Johanna clenched her jaw.
Though retreating would have been the right choice, retreating here meant there would be nowhere left to go.
Moreover, within Speira’s Absolute Domain, Johanna was the only one who could unleash her full power.
Despite the overwhelming power disparity that made her stomach churn, Johanna ultimately advanced toward Speira.
Chaak!!
The two swords accelerated, each hiding their trajectories.
Johanna didn’t even consider engaging Speira head-on in a straightforward duel.
Instead, leveraging her sole advantage of speed, Johanna attempted a surprise attack aimed at Speira’s waist.
After the Absolute Domain was deployed, thin pillar-like structures composed of dark radiance rotated around Speira.
Johanna confidently swung her sword, concluding that breaking through these thin structures wouldn’t be difficult.
However, that was a misconception.
Uudek!!!
Johanna unleashed the most destructive type of Sword Energy she could manifest.
But the moment this Sword Energy pierced into the structure of dark radiance,
its destructive force plummeted sharply and eventually dissipated entirely.
“…!”
Johanna realized why the power of her Sword Energy had diminished so drastically.
Within the structure of dark radiance, there existed a crossing of thin layers of the evil deity’s power that caused ‘severance’ and the dark radiance itself.
The severance power fragmented any external force intruding into it and reflected it in multiple directions, while the dark radiance absorbed those scattered fragments.
The principle wasn’t complex, but it required extremely precise processing of power.
Yet Speira effortlessly managed several of these structures made of dark radiance simultaneously.
“Ugh…!”
Before Johanna could frown, the trajectory of her sword changed.
Breaking through the structure in front of her was certainly possible.
However, even a minor mistake would drastically reduce the sword’s power, inevitably giving Speira an opening.
While wary of the structure in front of her, Johanna sought to exploit whatever remaining gaps Speira might have.
But it wasn’t a particularly meaningful attempt.
Cheeng!!!
The moment their swords grazed each other, Johanna was unilaterally pushed back, scraping the ground.
Of course, Speira didn’t budge an inch.
“Khh…”
Johanna let out a suppressed groan.
The disparity in power was immense.
Just brushing swords resulted in several broken bones.
Although Johanna could recover from broken bones instantly, Speira showed no consideration for her to regroup.
As Speira approached to finish her off, attacks immediately poured in from all sides.
Cheeek!!!!!
Johanna wasn’t alone.
The Empire had indeed prepared thoroughly for the defense of the Obelisk.
Although Delun and Ulte were absent, many of the Empire’s remaining elite forces were deployed in this battlefield.
The Empire’s defenses were unleashed to halt Speira and assist Johanna.
Kwaga-jak!!!!!
High-intensity projectiles utilizing electromagnetic force.
Artifacts that maximized anti-magic capabilities to their limits.
Fiery energy concentrated from massive magic circles.
New-style barriers established in coordination with the Elves.
The Sword Aura and Sword Energy of knights who survived bloodbaths.
And sacred artifacts imbued with divine power, created in hope against all odds.
All of these assaulted the ground where Speira stood.
“…”
Wobbling to her feet, Johanna hoped that even one of the countless attacks prepared by the Empire would disconcert Speira.
She clung to this hope, knowing fully well in her mind that it was impossible.
Of course, such a dreamlike miracle didn’t occur.
Kwaak!!!
With a single swing of her Sacred Sword, Speira dispersed the dust clouds that covered the area.
Nothing the Empire had prepared managed to even properly irritate Speira.
At best, they provided Johanna with a fleeting moment to catch her breath.
Overcome with despair, Johanna still rose to her feet.
Ultimately, it was up to Johanna to achieve something.
Before the warriors on the battlefield succumbed to frustration and fell to their knees, Johanna had to stop Speira.
Cheeek!!!!
As promised earlier, Speira showed no mercy.
Every time Speira swung her sword, Johanna was endlessly shattered and pushed backward across the ground.
The crushed corpses and collapsed debris accumulated along the path where Johanna was driven back.
“…”
How many times was this now?
Staggering, Johanna tried to rise again but belatedly realized where she was standing.
The Obelisk was visible at a very close distance.
Johanna had already stepped into the territory of the Royal Magic Tower.
Only now did Johanna realize, after being relentlessly pushed back, that she truly had nowhere left to retreat.
What’s more,
the Imperial forces assembled to support Johanna were on the verge of annihilation.
Speira didn’t focus on killing Johanna as she headed toward the Obelisk.
She simply swept away anything obstructive in front of her fairly.
This allowed Johanna to survive, but now all that lay ahead of her were ruins and scattered remains.
“…”
Just as Speira couldn’t easily accept Johanna’s blindness, Johanna couldn’t easily accept Speira’s malevolence.
Watching Speira grin contentedly while carrying out such one-sided slaughter, Johanna slowly wiped her face.
In fact, Johanna knew where Speira’s malevolence stemmed from.
Because of the ‘choice’ Ray made that day,
many lost their lovers, families, honor, houses, and futures, raging and weeping in anger.
At the heart of the malice of those who had lost everything stood Speira.
It wasn’t a matter of right or wrong.
This was purely an emotional issue and an inevitable cause-and-effect.
“Haa…”
Johanna decided to protect Ray.
Thus, the tragic karma left behind by Ray became something Johanna had to endure.
If she had to bear this heavy karma on his behalf, then she would.
Because she had decided to protect Ray.
“…”
Looking into Speira’s golden eyes, Johanna once again grasped her sword.
Speira paused briefly before the Obelisk.
Until now, Speira had always been in a more advantageous position compared to Johanna.
Except for age, Speira had always been in a better position than Johanna.
However, Johanna, who shared a once-in-a-lifetime talent with Speira, had always struggled to catch up despite unfavorable conditions.
Through bloody battles, Johanna grew while resisting Speira.
Abandoning gentleness, traversing battlefields, and embracing the history of her soul.
Speira, too, had to pick up the sword again, which she had neglected in an attempt to exclude Johanna.
The two geniuses ceaselessly imitated each other and accelerated each other’s growth through conflict.
Facing her fated rival, Speira sighed with a smile.
“How annoying.”
Tsuuk-!
The Absolute Domain deployed by Speira began to neutralize slightly.
At the center of the neutralizing Absolute Domain stood Johanna, gripping her sword.
Johanna, who had been wandering aimlessly near her peak mastery, realized where to go by confronting Speira, who had already ventured into a new realm first, and was now attempting to step into that same realm.
“…It’s irritating.”
Speira felt annoyed because meeting Johanna was enjoyable.
So, shaking her head, she began transforming the Absolute Domain she had already deployed.
The last technique she had arranged specifically for the decisive battle against Luna, Speira now revealed to Johanna.
“Now really… Let’s end this, Johanna.”
This tiresome and accursed karmic bond.
