“Lea.”
Jimy continued to try and dissuade Lea until the end.
Although Lea’s determination was commendable and worthy of respect, the situation at hand was far too dire. What good would it do for Lea to step in?
While she possessed dragon blood and could serve as a formidable force, when considering the effort required to protect her, realistically, there was a higher probability that her involvement would only hinder their cause.
However, Lea wasn’t being stubborn out of immaturity or foolishness.
“I can feel it, Dad.”
“…?”
“I can sense someone with a heart like mine approaching.”
“…!”
The heart that harbored the royal family’s Dragonheart.
No one else in this world but the royal family possessed such a heart.
As Jimy hesitated, Lea placed her hand over her chest and stood up from her seat.
“If they’re not here just because they hate me… maybe there’s something I can do.”
So…
“There’s something I can do… and I want to do it. Please, Dad.”
“…”
Lea revealed an unwavering resolve like never before.
Facing her daughter, who had grown beyond her years and now displayed a maturity uncharacteristic of a child, Jimy couldn’t help but wipe his face slowly, unable to smile or cry.
Even now, Jimy found it difficult to choose what was right and wrong. He still struggled to understand what path would be best for Lea and what sacrifices were necessary to walk that path.
Still, as he looked at his young yet courageous daughter, Jimy felt a small sense of pride and eventually spoke.
“Alright, I understand.”
*
The Empire’s Swordmaster.
All accolades directed toward Ernst Prislan could be condensed into that single title.
The entire continent firmly believed without doubt that Ernst Prislan was the pinnacle of humanity.
Even Resina’s thoughts went so far as to evaluate that the rather straightforward title of “the Empire’s Swordmaster” actually diminished his true strength.
The most highly refined Swordmaster since Harshia.
Resina’s evaluation proved entirely accurate as Ernst demonstrated it on the battlefield.
After the Great War began, Ernst immediately concentrated on the Eastern Front formed near Alimo.
At that time, the Eastern Front was plagued by a catastrophe known as the “Ancient Ruin.”
That Chimera, revived through the Blessing of the Dark God, wielded bizarre powers that defied the definition of “magic,” devouring Alimo and causing significant damage to the empire.
Renowned mages and scholars of the continent sought ways to counter the Chimera’s strange powers but failed to find a proper solution.
Yet Ernst eradicated the Chimera alone, without any assistance.
The Ancient Ruin, which once defeated an ancient master of the sword, was reborn as a monstrous Chimera but met its end again at the hands of another who had reached the zenith of swordsmanship, its body torn apart.
Ernst was able to overwhelmingly defeat the Ancient Ruin due to achieving the second enlightenment.
Ernst believed that someday this power would become the key to saving the empire and the continent.
Through the trials of the Great War, Ernst ultimately validated this belief but carried a bittersweet feeling as he moved to other battlefields.
In this way, while a few absolute powerhouses like Ernst Prislan played crucial roles,
the continent rallied around the empire to confront the calamity.
Though the war devastated everyone’s lives, early on, the people of the continent still held hope.
However, when Preches fully bloomed into a complete hybrid and nearly half the continent fell to the Demonic Realm, the continent wavered greatly.
And shortly after the southern region became demonized,
a woman arrived in the ruined south.
Since her youth, she had been swept away by countless desires.
Her extraordinary talent incited these desires, and thanks to that same talent, she managed to survive her miserable life without the guidance of others.
Unfortunately, she knew nothing of forgetting.
Because she didn’t know how to forget, every evil in the world was etched vividly into her mind.
To protect herself from the world’s evils, she embraced corruption within her heart.
Already having embedded several artifacts of the Dark God into her body to survive, she stepped into a place where the papacy once stood.
When the southern region began to be invaded by the Demonic Realm, the papacy, due to insufficient preparation, failed to dispose of some of the Dark God’s relics they had kept.
The improperly disposed-of relics of the Dark God remained untouched in the ruins of the collapsed papal chambers.
As she approached, the relics buried underground, lying silent, began to react simultaneously.
She accepted even the relics the papacy had failed to dispose of into her body.
As time passed after accepting the relics of the Dark God, an ominous corruption emanated from her.
Though she had originally embraced evil merely to survive, it soon became all-consuming.
Before long,
she became an Apostle of the Dark God with unprecedented and horrific power throughout the history of the continent, earning the title of Demon King.
She was a calamity threatening the continent and a tumor that needed to be swiftly removed.
Without hesitation, the empire deployed its greatest forces to eliminate the Demon King.
And the Empire’s Swordmaster, Ernst Prislan, perished at the hands of the Demon King.
[…What?]
Speira couldn’t easily accept the news of her great-grandfather’s demise.
It might have been easier to accept if he had tragically fallen into a trap.
But neither the empire nor Ernst Prislan were complacent.
The empire and Ernst Prislan prepared thoroughly to eliminate the Demon King, and indeed, Ernst clashed with the Demon King under the support of the imperial army.
The operation itself was successful.
The imperial army supported Ernst according to plan.
Nevertheless,
they failed to eliminate the Demon King, and the Empire’s Swordmaster perished.
[…]
As Speira wrestled with the hard-to-believe reality,
the continent desperately needed to devise a new plan to kill the “Demon King.”
The Demon King was still lingering within a certain area and hadn’t yet launched an aggressive assault on the continent.
This was unfortunate but also fortunate, making it imperative to eliminate the Demon King while it was still confined to a limited region.
It was evident that the Demon King would eventually become a complete puppet of the dark gods as time went on.
[Resina.]
Lea sought out Resina.
A powerful enemy emerged against whom the continent, despite its utmost efforts, struggled to contend, and Lea had to face this formidable foe.
Aware that her current capabilities were insufficient, Lea visited Resina to take a gamble for victory.
Creating an additional core inside her body.
This was Lea’s gamble.
Theoretically possible due to her heart enhanced by the Dragonheart,
Lea ultimately succeeded in creating a core inside her womb, following her heart.
The two cores created by Lea resonated with each other, amplifying the core’s output to its limit.
As a result, Lea gained an overwhelmingly destructive power compared to her past.
Of course, operating two cores also required accepting an extreme reduction in lifespan, but Lea willingly chose to sacrifice.
The identity of a hero, given by others and strengthened by her own will, made such sacrifices possible.
Not long after,
the empire started gathering the surviving uppermost forces of the continent, temporarily abandoning the defense of key strategic locations.
However, Speira couldn’t join them immediately.
Following the death of the Crown Prince, the true owner of the Command Blade, who had supposedly vanished, reappeared and began to consume the northern part of the continent.
Speira expected to quickly wrap up the battle in the north and join the decisive battle against the Demon King, but it turned out to be a miscalculation.
[How dare…]
Speira glared at the enemy with a twisted expression after retreating without securing victory during their first clash.
The strength possessed by the owner of the Command Blade, the Apostle of Greed, far exceeded Speira’s expectations.
Even though the Demon King was the top priority for elimination, the Apostle of Greed, also called a Necromancer, couldn’t be left unchecked.
In the end, Speira had to risk her life on the northern front instead of joining the decisive battle against the Demon King.
The power of the Dark God wielded by the Apostle of Greed was extremely threatening.
However, what truly shocked Speira was that the Apostle of Greed was nearing the mastery of the sword.
Speira clashed repeatedly with the Apostle of Greed over a short period.
Each time they faced off on the battlefield, the Apostle of Greed mocked the dead and emitted a twisted laugh.
Confronting the accursed traitor soaked in malice towards the world, Speira spat out inappropriate curses.
[You damn bitch.]
Johanna.
Once bearing that name, the Apostle of Greed swung her sword as Speira attacked.
Zzzzkkk!!!
As the swords clashed, the visions of Speira and Johanna overlapped once more.
With the Sacred Sword, Speira dominated Johanna and twisted her lips in triumph.
“Yeah, you damn bitch.”
“…”
Johanna, whose stance faltered, struggled to look up at Speira.
As she raised her head, Johanna saw her own reflection overlapped with Speira’s.
Soaked in malice towards the world…
Her reflection revealing distorted hatred, Johanna finally understood more deeply the murmurs of “we are alike” that Speira had once muttered.
Both Speira and Johanna shared a similar potential.
Speira could have walked a noble path, sacrificing her life for the empire, her comrades, and a better future.
Johanna could have chosen a cruel fate, tearing people apart out of bitterness for her harsh life, fueled by twisted hatred for the world.
Their roots weren’t vastly different, and perhaps the two could have walked together towards a bright and beautiful destiny.
Still, Speira and Johanna ended up standing opposite each other, filled with murderous intent and clashing swords, just as their reflections showed.
“Hmph.”
Speira laughed.
As the heir of the Prizzran Clan, a glorious knight of the empire, and a great hero of the continent, facing her reflection battling against evil…
Speira twisted her lips.
“What kind of sight is this?”
Grrr!!
Speira clenched the neck of Johanna, who could barely resist, and cursed.
“You damn brat.”
“…”
Johanna instinctively realized the curse wasn’t aimed at her, even as her consciousness faded.
This was Speira’s resentment towards Ray.
Despite achieving such a grand feat and saving this world, Ray had thrown it all into ruin, and Speira resented him bitterly.
When Ray threw everything he accomplished into ruin, Speira’s destiny was also cast into ruin.
If only she could grab his collar and vent her frustration, it might have brought some relief, but he was gone now.
Cynically smiling at that damnable reality, Speira lifted the Sacred Sword above her head.
There was no hesitation now.
The Sacred Sword descended upon Johanna’s head.
Simultaneously,
the circle encircling Johanna’s heart pulsed.
