Chapter 151: Mr. Ryan
“Sword Demon, kick him out! Can you do it—”
Carlos yelled from a distance, retreating as the floor began to crumble beneath him, the ground warping and splitting apart as he had no choice but to back up even further.
Meanwhile, I was nearby, preparing to find a moment to launch myself forward and give Michel a good kick to send him flying out of here. Suddenly, I heard Anna’s faint voice amidst the crackling thunder light.
“I’ll just… be right back…”
Boom, boom, boom, boom!!
In the next moment, the brightness intensified as the thunder light mixed with shining holy light, intertwining into a dazzling orb. The entire second floor ignited, debris raining down as the temperature in the air skyrocketed, filling the space with a burnt smell.
Just as Anna’s words faded, an enormous buzzing sound erupted, and the glowing orb, along with the outline of the little dwarf, flew off with a “boom,” piercing through the church’s roof and vanishing out of sight in an instant.
“Oh, d*mn!”
With no time to think about anything else, I watched the direction where Anna and Michel had disappeared and suddenly heard Carlos cursing, rocks from the ceiling crashing down around him as the floor beneath his feet completely collapsed. He had no choice but to leap down to the first floor, and right after, the ground below me gave way too.
“Ha!”
Carlos let out a gleeful laugh, but unlike what he expected, I didn’t fall helplessly like he did; instead, I quickly formed an ice platform beneath my feet, standing firmly upon it.
Hmph…
Looking down, I saw that the man clicked his tongue in displeasure, averting his gaze.
He looked towards the altar, relieved that the entrance there hadn’t been affected by the collapsing rocks; otherwise, getting to the exit would have taken ages. Just as I was feeling relieved, I suddenly remembered something.
Oh no…~
The bag of belongings!
The Sword Demon had dropped it right there, and that spot had long since caved in, the bag was now completely out of sight—where the heck was it buried?
That stupid little dwarf…
“Carlos!”
I yelled at the man below, leaping down from the ice platform. “Help me find the bag!”
“My name is Carlos, you silly woman.”
He waved his hand. The collapse had mostly stopped by now, and we searched around the hall for a moment but found no sign of the bag. It was probably buried under a pile of rocks. We thought about digging it out, but didn’t even know where to start, and doing so would take way too much time.
As I hesitated, I suddenly heard clear footsteps.
Thud…
Thud…
Thud.
The sound of hard boots echoed softly against the stone path.
That wasn’t Carlos’s footsteps; he was just a bit away. He had obviously noticed the sound as well and looked over, listening intently for a moment. Suddenly, he stretched his hand out, pointing to the ground beneath us.
The sound was coming from below.
With the church’s collapse fully halted and the sounds of Anna and Michel’s fight long gone, it was eerily quiet in the church, making those footsteps stand out all the more, heavy and ominous.
And they were getting closer.
In sync, Carlos and I turned our gazes towards the underground entrance by the altar.
Thud, thud, thud…
The footsteps were approaching the entrance—someone was coming out of there.
Clang—
Carlos pulled out his sword while I stood there, expressionless.
Woof, woof, woof!
A whirlwind suddenly howled, picking up clouds of dust.
The wind rushed in from the dark entrance, making it impossible for Carlos and me to open our eyes. In the haze, I saw something rising from the underground entrance: wisps of dead smoke.
My heart sank.
At the same time, a frail figure emerged—old, snow-haired, and grizzled, yet standing upright like a pine tree. One hand held a sword. Coming out slowly from the black, dark entrance below the altar, he looked like he’d been through the wringer.
Thud…
Thud.
And then he came to a stop.
As the wind calmed, I finally got a good look at him.
He wore a white robe, loose-fitting linen pants, and boots that looked like they’d been worn for ages. His dark skin was lined with wrinkles, his face weathered, and although he wasn’t particularly tall, he stood straight with a single arm, high cheekbones, and deep-set eyes, resembling a humble tenant farmer or a weather-beaten fisherman.
But this man, holding a sword with one hand, standing there with a Pope Knight’s cloak flapping behind him, looked unlike anyone else. The cloak wasn’t the same as the one we’d seen before—this one was emblazoned with burning golden flames, waving like a banner in the wind.
Sword Saint Ryan.
In an instant, the name popped into my head—not because I recognized his face, but because the very presence he exuded gave off the impression of being insurmountable and unparalleled, even if it was the first time I laid eyes on him.
No, I believed it wasn’t just an impression.
Even with the faint dead smoke enveloping him, I could feel the aura that surrounded him, an aura that was eroding, barely holding itself together, on the brink of collapse.
Yet he stood there, effortlessly exuding an indescribable pressure.
Just like—
The feeling I had when facing Nero.
I thought no human would ever give me such a feeling again.
The atmosphere fell into silence.
After the old man stepped out from below, he first raised his head to glance at the mostly caved-in church roof. Then his gaze fell upon Carlos and me, lingering on each of us for a moment.
“I heard something…”
He spoke, “I thought it was that half-witch from the meteor shower, bored and looking for trouble again.”
When the old man mentioned Magipanny, he did so casually, as if he were prepared to chop off a leg if she showed up. After saying that, he looked at Carlos. “So it’s you, young man, Carlos. I thought after the Eastern Continent, you wouldn’t want to deal with this stubborn old fool anymore.”
“Teacher…”
Carlos seemed to finally register, his voice choked as he hurriedly sheathed his sword and stepped forward.
“Wait a second.”
However, the old man suddenly stopped him, glancing around, his brows furrowed. “Where’s the girl, Leah?”
“Leah… she…” Carlos paused, responding honestly, “I left her back in the royal city. I was afraid it was dangerous here, so I didn’t let her come along…”
“Hmm.”
The old man nodded slightly, “Good, a man knows his priorities.”
Carlos beamed at the praise, but the next moment, the old man said, “So, are you prepared for what’s to come?”
“Prepared?”
Carlos looked a bit dazed by the question. “Teacher, I came to rescue you… I’m here to take you out of the city, back home, away from this…”
“Ha ha ha!”
The Sword Saint suddenly laughed heartily, as though he had just heard the funniest joke. “Rescue me? Carlos, do you really think I’m so old I need you to save me?”
“……”
The old man’s voice boomed, laughter unabashed, leaving Carlos at a loss for words.
“Why do you want to save me and take me away?”
The old man continued, “Have you ever thought that if I truly wanted to leave, I would have done so long ago? Who could possibly keep me trapped?”
His barrage of rhetorical questions left Carlos speechless, “Carlos, you’re making the same mistake again. You’re too subjective and impulsive in your actions. You think you know it all, and even if your heart is in the right place, without knowledge, you’ll remain stuck. Do you want to be a wandering swordsman for the rest of your life?”
The aging Sword Saint paused, and since that first glance, he hadn’t looked at me again. His sharp gaze zeroed in on the man beside me, “Have you ever considered that one day, you too might be revered as the Sword Saint?”
“I… I’ve never thought of that…”
Under the old man’s serious gaze, Carlos hesitated, but after taking a deep breath, he looked straight into the old man’s eyes without wavering.
“If being a Sword Saint means making choices like those in the Eastern Continent, claiming to stand for the weak, but never letting the weak themselves decide who is weak, then if becoming a Sword Saint entails following such a rule…”
The man gazed at his teacher, speaking earnestly, “Then I’d rather be content as a wandering swordsman. At least wandering swordsmen are free, unrestrained by fame and fortune. No one lifts them to heights, so they are not swayed by accomplishments or failures. Even if I can’t do much, I can guarantee that whatever I do, it’s with a clear conscience.”
I watched him with surprise.
I always knew…
This guy may seem carefree and a bit of a klutz, but deep down he harbored ambition and had his own distinct beliefs—I always knew that…
But I hadn’t realized he had such fiery passion and an indomitable spirit.
But the old man didn’t seem to share this view.
“Is that so?”
He looked at his disciple standing tall before him, letting out a soft sigh. “Is this how you see it, Carlos… Have you always thought this way?”
His disapproval of Carlos’s words was evident in that sigh, but it didn’t seem like he rejected what the man meant either.
“But do you understand—”
The elder continued, “If everyone in this world acted as you do, driven solely by their feelings, what would this world become? Have you ever thought about that?”
“I…”
Carlos tried to argue.
But the elder interrupted, “No, you haven’t thought about it. Just like when you brought the black-haired girl into the Holy City, you were both filled with passion, wanting to save something. Were there any villains among you? No. But do you know what happened when you brought her here, Carlos?”
“The consequence…”
Carlos suddenly froze.
Not just him, even I was caught off guard by the old man’s words.
The consequence…
He mentioned consequences—I wanted to k*ll the Mother Deity before it fully broke free from its seal, and if possible, eliminate it here—it would be the worst-case scenario, that both Carlos and I would d*e here.
Before that, I must give it my all to inflict maximum damage to the Mother Deity, to weaken it as much as possible for my father, for Viki, for the allied forces preparing to deal with the impending disaster—to increase their odds.
That was the worst-case scenario…
But, wasn’t it?
Thoughts raced through my mind, eyes wide as I looked at the elder, and after a pause, I heard him say, “Carlos, do you know who I’ve been waiting for down here?”
“Are you waiting for…?” Carlos said, turning his gaze toward me.
At the same time, the elder looked over as well.
“I’ve been waiting for this black-haired girl, my dear daughter, Miss Peilo Guniver Winter Moon. I’m waiting for you.”
—Waiting for me?
“When you were misled by heresy in the Eastern Continent, you accepted the source of evil power. I knew it was you. When I killed that dominator of the Western Continent, the heretical female leader, I knew you were hiding not far away, but I didn’t make a move against you.”
“I know your identity, I know everything you’ve been through. This is precisely why I let you go and even concealed your whereabouts from the Council. You are innocent. Both you and your father are heroes of Snow City, decent people who care for the citizens. I believe this is the reason Carlos trusts you.”
“Teacher, what are you trying to say…”
Carlos frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
“But I’m sorry, despite your many grievances, I can no longer let you go as I did last time.” The old man’s tone was firm and resolute as he stepped forward, slowly raising his sword. The blade began to dance, the black edge stirring the wind with a sharp whistling sound.
“Why—”
I instinctively started to back away, not out of fear of the old man, but because I didn’t want to fight against someone like him—if it had to come to that, I needed a compelling reason.
“I’m waiting for you.”
But the elder continued, “It’s because the Mad God is also waiting for you. It waits for you to become its new Fire Seed, and I will never allow that to happen.”
!
What—
Boom!!!!!!
A fierce wind burst forth.
A terrifying gale erupted around the elder, instantly collapsing everything inside the church. In the next moment, a torrent of sword intent, fierce as a roaring wave, pointed straight at me, “Carlos! I’ll k*ll her here! Tell me, which side is the good, and which side is the evil!?”
Swish.
That thrust of the sword made little noise compared to the draught surrounding the elder, almost negligible.
But in an instant, I felt my hands and feet go numb.
bl**d sprayed out, the moment it splattered in front of me, I didn’t even register the pain. I vaguely heard Carlos yelling beside me, he seemed to have charged forward with his sword, his arm swinging wildly as everything in front of me blurred…
In the next moment, I suddenly became alert!
So fast!
With a series of sizzling sounds, black smoke erupted from my body, wrapping around my severed arm and reattaching it, then my feet followed suit. It was only at this moment that I felt the pain, the numerous gaping wounds all over my body rapidly healing. I promptly stomped down, leaping aside on the ice platform, just as the sword came slashing again, almost slicing the floor beneath me into neatly cut stone blocks, smashing through the rear wall…
The sword intent didn’t pause at all, continuing on until it had completely divided the church’s rear hall. It all happened in less than a second amidst the deafening sound of crashing stones. I could finally hear Carlos’s shout, “Stop it, teacher! You’re forcing me to go against you…”
Clang! Clang! Boom—!
Before me, countless crumbling pieces of the church cascaded down as Carlos and the Sword Saint clashed amidst the falling rubble, their figures colliding and rebounding. The old man was evidently holding back against his disciple, saying, “What of it if you go against me?”
“We’re leaving! I’m taking her with me—”
Carlos was nearly hoarse, “We need to get out of here, now! Please stop this—”
“It’s too late.”
The old man struck Carlos aside with a single slash, unfazed, “The Fire Seed has been nurtured; even if I let her go, it’s only a matter of time.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me? Why not tell me sooner! Knowing these things, why not act sooner, keep everyone in the dark—why—”
“Back then…”
The old man’s voice was soft, laced with helplessness and deep sighs, “Back then, didn’t I think like you? If only I’d known sooner…”
Some people only reveal their plans when they need you, and they might not even tell you the whole truth.
I understood what the old man was saying.
“Carlos!”
I stretched my neck, moved my limbs, took a deep breath, and smashed aside the large rocks falling from above my head. “We need to stop this.”
Sizzle!
Thunder light flickered, and the man appeared in front of me, facing the teacher and with his back to me, not turning around: “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
I shook my head gently. What could possibly be wrong with me?
I just got careless.
“You need to leave.” The man said again, always on guard against the elder’s sword energy. “I’ll hold him off for a moment; I’ll talk to him—I’m sure we can find a way…”
“Leave?”
I stepped forward and pushed him aside. “I’ve come this far; why should I leave? What’s the reason?”
Carlos stared at me blankly.
He watched as I moved to stand before him, facing that sword-wielding elder not far away, his teacher, the strongest Pope Knight in history. The icy aura began to spread beneath my feet, the air suddenly turning cold.
Just like my mood at that moment.
“Well, now I have a good reason to fight.”
I called out, tilting my head and blinking at him, “Mr. Ryan.”
“Miss Peilo.” The elder nodded in response.
“Are you going to k*ll me?” I asked him.
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?” I asked again.
“Yes.”
“Well then.” I nodded my head.
At that moment, there was no longer a need for lengthy discussion; I smiled and beckoned to him with my finger, “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Well then…”
The old man’s grip on the sword slackened, slowly raising it, “…prepare to receive my blow.”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Moon Step.
In an instant, the elder’s arm swung out, countless afterimages flying forth, an inestimable number of deadly blades arriving almost in the blink of an eye.
But the next moment, I took my step, and with a series of explosive sounds, my petite figure zipped around through the multitude of sword shadows.
In that same split second, I darted through the dense net of swords and shot toward the elder like lightning.
My face was scratched, my clothes torn, a finger severed, but it didn’t matter—I was right in front of him.
I bent my body, grounded my feet, my left fist encased in ice, my right fist charged with fire. The extreme cold and intense heat twisted the air around us, and the already broken ground beneath me violently caved in under the immense power!
This was the first time since my experience in the Eastern Continent that I unleashed these two forces together. My fists, as solid as rock, shot out in a blur, meeting the simple yet powerful sword stroke he swung down.
Boom!
My ears went deaf.
And then all sight vanished.
