Chapter 1325

<Chapter 1325> 1325. The Plum Swordmaster Reincarnated into a Viscount Family

I appeared atop a reasonably tall building.

It was chaotic.

Shouts, screams, the sounds of buildings burning and collapsing, the clash of swords and spears—every kind of noise intertwined to create utter confusion.

I casually glanced around.

Our forces and the enemy were all mixed up together.

The rebels were focused on protecting the citizens who couldn’t evacuate. Their goal was to seize the new throne, after all.

To smoothly claim the throne, they needed the people’s support. Therefore, they prioritized the safety of the citizens.

Our side, however, was running rampant. If they saw an enemy, they killed; if they saw a house, they broke in to loot it. There were countless soldiers who couldn’t control their lust even in the middle of war, trying to commit rapes.

I frowned as I looked at our forces.

“I specifically said not to loot or rape during this war…”

Melissa had asked me, so my plan was to end this conflict as peacefully as possible.

“But these insignificant maggots have disobeyed my orders.”

Disobeying orders is punishable by immediate execution.

I leaped down from the building, landing on the ground. A soldier who was about to rape a fleeing woman froze when he saw me.

“S-sir Commander!”

“I clearly stated that there should be no raping during this war.”

“B-but this isn’t rape! I was just capturing a prisoner!”

“Rubbish. When your superiors aren’t watching, you really let loose, don’t you?”

I summoned my Hwaryeon Blade and swung it toward our forces. A beam of energy shot out, severing the soldier’s head.

I glanced at the woman who was moments away from being assaulted—it was an auntie. Ignoring her, I casually looked around. Our soldiers stood rigidly, staring at me with fear.

“You should’ve stopped your comrade instead of letting him go astray. You’re all guilty of the same crime.”

“S-spare us…!”

I killed the visible allied soldiers. Since the war wasn’t over yet, I also eliminated the enemy troops but left the rebels alone. If I killed the rebels, complications would arise after the war, potentially shaking Melissa’s position as commander. I didn’t want her to get tangled up in unnecessary trouble.

I walked along the main road of the royal city. I executed allied soldiers and mercilessly slaughtered the enemies. My destination was the palace.

“Lord!”

A knight riding a horse approached me after noticing me while clearing the main road. It was the Golden Rose Knights.

“It’s good to see things are going well. Are all the knights here in the capital?”

“Yes. Following General Scarlett’s orders, we’re slowly taking control from the outskirts while cooperating with the rebels.”

“What about Dullibard?”

“He’s presumed to be in the palace. A magical barrier is protecting it, and it’s not easy to break through.”

“So his refusal to give up means he’s planning something.”

Dullibard can’t escape.

An invisible wave surrounds the city wall. It’s a kind of barrier set up to counter teleportation magic. They can only teleport within the walls at best. Of course, items like Spatial Transfer Scrolls are also ineffective. While an Ancient Dragon-level magic could ignore this barrier… LeoSION isn’t here. And he probably has no intention of helping Dullibard anyway.

“There seem to be quite a few maggots among our forces crossing the line.”

“I’ll take care of them.”


The knight’s eyes glimmered with a sinister aura. Along with the Golden Rose Knights, she held the allied soldiers in low regard, knowing full well they were spreading lewd rumors about her and the other female knights behind their backs.

The armored knight charged forward on horseback, straight toward the allied soldiers. Her sword mercilessly claimed the lives of the so-called allies, while her massive warhorse trampled them into pulp. Afterwards, she pulled out her radio to broadcast orders to the Golden Rose Knights.

I approached the palace gates. As expected, a magical barrier protected the royal palace. But no magic lasts forever – it simply consumes mana as fuel.

“They’re either squeezing some mage dry or using spirit stones…”

More likely the latter. And that’s annoying. Without knowing exactly how many stones they’ve stockpiled, the barrier should last at least a week.

“Yuria, Priscilla, and Sharneal could probably dispel this barrier easily… but I have my pride. Do I really need to ask them for help over something this trivial?”

I tightened my grip on the Flaming Lotus Blade. Mana flowed from my dantian, coating the crimson blade in a blue aura that sharpened into an ethereal edge. With my Aura Blade technique, I stabbed towards the magical barrier.

KIIIIIING!

The barrier resisted, trying to repel my attack. I gripped the hilt with both hands, activating the Thunder Heaven Style in earnest.

Red lightning crackled along the blade, flowing into the magical barrier.

KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

The barrier violently shook but my blade remained steadfast, embedded within it. Something was still missing.

As I watched the red current coursing through the transparent barrier, realization struck.

“Ah, that’s right.”

I’d forgotten about the perfect technique for this situation.

Sealing Lightning – Supreme Technique of the Thunder Heaven Style.

This move temporarily suppresses mana by forcefully pinning it down, making it especially effective against magic reliant on mana.

The results were immediate.

The barrier wavered, unable to maintain its form, and vanished.

I shook off my blade in mid-air and strode toward the massive palace doors. Beyond the steel gates, I sensed dozens of presences. They weren’t preparing to charge out but rather determined to prevent the doors from opening at all costs.

I placed my Flaming Lotus Blade against the door and summoned lightning. Red currents surged through the gate into the other side. Within ten seconds, all movement ceased.

Kicking open the shattered door, I stepped inside. Dozens of soldiers lay unconscious, including a couple of knights.

Walking through the palace, I surveyed my surroundings. The servants cowered in corners, immediately prostrating themselves upon seeing me and pleading for mercy.

I ignored them without unnecessary slaughter.

“Where’s Dullibard?”

“I, I don’t know! Please spare me!”

“Where are the nobles?”

“Second floor! In the guest rooms!”

Passing by the servants, I continued onward. Soldiers and knights who surrendered were spared, but I had no intention of letting any nobles live.

“All the nobles currently in the palace are followers of Dullibard. They’re all marked for elimination anyway… might as well take care of this now before they drag out the proceedings.”

Entering a second-floor room, I found corpses scattered throughout the lavish chamber.

“They poisoned themselves.”

After searching around, I located Dullibard. He sat proudly on the throne in the audience hall, looking down at me. Beneath him lay more bodies – apparently high-ranking nobles and their children, unmarked except for death.

“Yu Jin Frucius! I knew you would come! Of course someone like you would personally come to claim my life!”

Dullibard shouted excitedly, not out of fear but confidence. He clearly didn’t think he would lose.

I approached beneath the throne…


The scattered corpses were getting on my nerves.

“Why the hell are these guys dead? Doesn’t look like they drank poison…”

At my question, Dullbird’s lips curled into a smirk.

“They made a deal with a demon. These ones are sacrifices—direct descendants of viscounts, dukes, and marquises. The higher their rank, the greater their value as offerings.”

I wasn’t surprised. I’d expected something like this ever since he teamed up with Pantheon. If someone had the means to obtain demonic power and the drive to use it, resisting would’ve been next to impossible.

“…You said ‘deal,’ not ‘contract’?”

“Hell no, I’m not gonna be dragged around by some measly demon.”

“With *which* demon did you make this deal?”

“Haha! Take a guess.”

CRACKLE!

I shot a bolt of lightning at Dullbird.

“(Stop it.)”

One of the corpses stood up and took the lightning strike in Dullbird’s place. It collapsed with a burning smell. I frowned. This was magic—but also not magic.

“Dragon speech… Even if your bloodline connects to dragons, it’s nowhere near enough to use dragon speech properly. How the heck are you doing it?”

“It’s because I *am* a dragon. (Die!)”

The surrounding mana began to surge wildly. At the same time, I felt an oppressive pain squeezing my heart. I countered with Brain-Piercing Current, and the pressure eased.

Dullbird clicked his tongue.

“I see… Direct death methods still don’t work on you, huh?”

Something didn’t add up. The power Dullbird was displaying went far beyond anything within the realm of common sense. But when demons got involved, all bets were off.

“You became a dragon through a demon’s deal, didn’t you? I can piece together the situation now. You made a pact with the Demon of Evolution, right?”

One of the top-tier demons mentioned in the source material. A demon that grants the ability to evolve living beings.

It made sense—since Dullbird is part-dragon, he could have evolved further using that demon’s power.

“Indeed, you’re sharp. Just as you said, I’ve ascended to become a dragon.”

And it probably didn’t happen today. Evolving into a full-fledged dragon must’ve required countless sacrifices far exceeding the bodies piled beneath that throne.

[Accelerate activated. Duration: 10 minutes. Remaining stacks: 6]

[Blink activated. Remaining stacks: 5]

With skills deployed, I lunged at Dullbird. His awkwardness in using dragon speech told me he wasn’t fully accustomed to it yet. So I had to end this before things got worse.

CLANG!

My attack bounced off the barrier protecting him. I caught sight of a gem embedded in the throne glowing brightly.

‘Is the throne itself a magical artifact?’

Undeterred, I hammered away at the barrier with my Aura Blade. There’s no way this thing lasts forever.

Dullbird looked down at me arrogantly.

“At one point, Melisa was everything to me. I dreamed of a future with her. For her, I thought I could even abandon this throne… until she was taken from me by you. That moment taught me how powerless I truly was. I realized that in this world, strength is everything.”

“Your nonsense is getting really annoying. No matter what desperate measures you take, Melisa is mine. That fact will never change.”

CLANG! CLANG! CRASH!

Cracks started forming in the barrier.

“Just as you stole Melisa from me, I’ll strip you of everything!”

The barrier shattered.

[Blink activated. Remaining stacks: 4]

Perfect timing—I used Blink just as my blade aimed for Dullbird’s right eye. The tip was about to touch his pupil when suddenly…

‘Time… no, space has stopped. He’s dominating the surrounding mana instantly.’

All the mana in this area was under Dullbird’s control now. Another dragon ability.

I summoned protective energy around myself. Blue flames resembling aura flared up from my body. The blade moved again. Right before it touched his eye, Dullbird spoke.

“(Get lost.)”

Without mercy, the dragon speech shoved me backward. Barely managing to regain balance before hitting the ground, I stood firm once more.