Volume 4: Chapter 300 – The Boundary of the Underworld (2/3)

Light shot out.

Seven flashes all in all. A divine technique possessing sharpness far beyond that of humans. A domain humans could never hope to reach no matter the sacrifice. The sword unleashed tore through even the air as it bore through the man’s vital points.

But the man did not falter.

He merely took a step forward, and the blood splattering from him transformed into black flames. Even when his guts were destroyed, he would endure through all the pain. If not for such great resolve, why ever would the world choose to ride upon his sword? And when he thought of every pain he suffered to be from a sin he committed, how could he not be encouraged?

The man clenched his teeth, then with his wrath and a great bellow, he swung his great sword and gave rise to sparks.

One flash, two flashes… It was a contest between the great sword forged by those living on the land, and the long sword forged by a god. The red born by their clashes gave rise to a morning star amidst the dark of the night, giving rise to winds that abandoned sound, causing cracks to crawl upon the earth.

Their swords gave rise to tornadoes that tore up their surroundings. So powerful were these winds that even the ground below would be cut, but when the two swords collided and gave rise to shockwaves, even the winds died.

Already, the man was a soldier of death.

He would receive Ativ’s blade with his own flesh, so he could strike him with his own sword. Already, he was thinking of nothing but advancing with his sword. He has wielded his great sword countless times, but now it moved solely for the purpose of destroying his enemy. It was essentially a massive lump of iron, and a slight graze was all it would take to break Ativ’s posture and cause him to get caught up in his own storm.

Ativ, who received his attacks, was the world itself.

That’s why it wasn’t wrong to say that the world existed solely for this god’s sake. That’s why there was nothing that his power could not grant and no one who wouldn’t submit to his charm. Therefore, the sword he swung could only be the strongest, and his power could not even be harmed by monsters, leaving his foes with no recourse but to despair.

That should have been the case, yet…

He was clearly being pushed back… By this man turned avenger nonetheless.

With the man’s bellows did the great sword descend with speed, killing intent, and power that could break even a god.

Ativ turned his body and parried the slash.

The erupting sparks were bright enough to illuminate the night. For a moment, a shadow was cast on both warriors, then they clashed again, and the great sword created a gap on the earth. The hero’s movements were graceful like that of a flying swallow, and there was no stopping his attacks.

Seven flashes, seven times… That should have been enough to overwhelm any foe, enough to slay any denizen of this world. Yet even after being hit by those 49 times, the black flames continued to support the man’s crumbling body. It felt as though he were hitting a stormy sea. No, even a stormy sea would have long showed its bottom after the 49th attempt.

Yet this foe that stood before him remained unyielding and continued to wield his sword.

“Tch!”

It was humiliating. He was a god, yet now, there was someone besmirching his dignity.

It was humiliating to have someone bury their fangs into him while acting in the principle of the world he himself decided. Frustrated, Ativ backed off.

The man gave chase, but Ativ raised his hand and summoned countless spears in the air. Those spears that must have numbered in the thousands were all dripping with poison, or brimming with electricity, or burned with great heat. This was Ativ’s true wordsmagic that once repelled Gawain.

“Skewer himVana Se!”

Amidst the spears of certain death, the man ran.

On his eyes were reflected only his enemy. He took the shortest route and made the earth shake. Phantoms of black flames appeared around the man. There was no other choice if he was to stand his ground against a thousand spears.

Around him appeared flames of black shaped like men running alongside him.

“GURUUuUuUOOooAAAAaaaAAaAAA!!”

At the behest of the man’s bellows, the flames of the underworld took shape and transformed into fierce warriors that deflected the spears.

The King of ManBrandika wielded his battle axe.

The Wielder of the Holy SwordAizas and the Hero of PenaAllen swung their sword.

Before these warriors of black flames, all the spears were repelled.

“──Tch.”

Ativ clicked his tongue as he tried to distance himself again, but then lightning shot toward him. A whip of lightning divided into seven streaks and burned the spears around Ativ.

The warrior of black flames was laughing with a huge grin.

He had already died, but still the Indomitable HeroGulland wielded the Guardian Sword of the GiantsTitan Dagger on his shoulder. Lightning and black flames alike covered his blade.

“Audacious!”

Ativ thrust his long sword into the earth. As both divine and demonic spears appeared around him and clashed with the warriors of black flames, he raised his hand toward his adversary.

“SealLarod!”

The earth rose and covered the man from every direction. It was a seal formed with the earth that incorporated the soil, the stones, and even the ores. There were three-layers to the wall of soil, five-layers to the wall of stone, and seven-layers to the wall of ores.

It should have been enough to seal even a weaker god, yet it burned all the same a moment later. As though bathed in high heat, the ores melted, and black flames, like burning lava, scorched the heavens.

“Dance, My PuppetsGoram Lapier!”

Thousands of red incantations appeared around Ativ. Every one of them was a portal. Varying in size from small to large, warriors clad in armor appeared.

There was something off about them when they appeared, but when their whole bodies could finally be seen, it finally became clear what that was.

Their armor was their skin, and their sword their arms. Their skin was made of steel, while the places where their fingertips should have been were replaced with swords. Their mouths were covered in armor, their expressions invisible, and their whole body creaked. It was truly an army of puppets.

It was curious if they were originally humans, or if they were living weapons from the start, but regardless, despite them having enough power to receive Alrodena, Ativ continued to summoned more of them. There were about a thousand of them all in all. Through the gaps of their maskface, they beheld a man covered in black flames approaching.

They immediately recognized him to be their enemy and mobilized.

The wall of Larod had been burned by the black flames. From its melted remnants came pouring out a stream of black flames that transformed into shape.

Galloping with her steed’s heroic hooves, leaving a cloud of dust in her trail, and riding swiftly through the meadows, she was none other than the ever victorious war princess, Blanche Ririnoie. From behind her rode women in armors of black and steel, they were the battle maidensvalkyria who remained loyal to her even in death.

Together they trampled over the warriors of steel and transformed into an arrow that pierced through the battlefield.

The overlord of the plains has returned, and amidst her army was a man running.

All of the battlefield and foes he has conquered, they were all telling him to go onwards.

Still, the warriors of steel tried to approach, but two heroes appeared, a giant wolf and a centaur, together they swept them away.

Like a stream, they trampled all of the steel warriors as they made their way for Ativ, then that stream suddenly split for the sides and vanished. Despite that, not a single soldier showed their back to the enemy, only single-mindedly trying to bury their enemies, an act worthy of the Conqueror of the Plains.

“What’s the matter, Ativ! Are you scared!?”

Ativ avoided fighting head on, so the man decided to provoke him.

Ativ tried to laugh, but his smile froze and his face cramped.