Ch.123EP.30 – What They Needed Wasn’t Honor

Sling.

What Derrick had given him was a masterful sword in the form of a gladius.

I don’t know where it came from, but it was clearly forged by a master craftsman.

Otherwise, the moment I gripped it in my hand.

Woong.

“What did he give you?”

There’s no way a ‘sword resonance’ would occur otherwise.

A sword that reads the owner’s fighting spirit and heart.

What they call a masterpiece is a sword imbued with spirituality through direct forging by a master craftsman, and such masterpieces are so rare they can only be found in royal treasuries.

And now, a sword that should be in such a treasury was in his hand.

“……”

However, Ihan didn’t get excited and instead swung the sword through the air with a calm demeanor, as if taking time to become familiar with it.

Whoosh, whoosh!

With each swing, the sword moved faster, gradually accelerating at a rapid pace.

Swish-!

At some point, only afterimages remained, and when only faint rays of light could be seen instead of the blade.

Whaaash…!!

As the dust around him dispersed, Ihan succeeded in becoming familiar with the sword.

Watching this, Maximus Iron de Lionel.

“Impressive. Did you suppress the sword’s cry?”

“It’s not my will, but calling a sword’s self-indulgent crying a ‘sword cry’ would be unseemly.”

“That’s right! Just because a weapon is good doesn’t mean you should be led by it!! There are countless fools in both the North and Central who don’t understand this, but as expected, you know this, Rihan…!”

“It’s Ihan…. Anyway, I’m going to use a blade from now on, so speak up quickly if you have any objections. I don’t mind fighting without a sword.”

“Haha, of course not. Rather, it’s more interesting now that you’ve taken up a blade. Above all.”

Chuk.

“I can simply use a blade as well for fairness, can’t I?”

Maximus raised his right arm and extended his hand.

As if waiting for something to come.

“……”

“…?”

“Ah, please wait a moment. This fellow seems to be a bit lost.”

“I don’t know what it is, but hurry up. The tunnel is collapsing.”

“Just one minute, no, two minutes… Ah, here it comes!”

After the pointless comedy ended, Ihan could finally see what Maximus had been waiting for.

Whoosh!

A poleaxe, also well-known as a battle axe, glided through the air and settled in Maximus’s hand.

Koong.

It was different from a common battle axe.

It was much larger and longer, and judging by the spearhead, it could also be used as a spear.

Whatever material it was made of, it emitted a brilliant light, and it was clearly an excellent weapon no less impressive than the masterful sword he possessed.

Woong!

This was the first time he had seen such an intense resonance.

“What? Do Northern weapons fly through the air too?”

“It’s a type of spell. They say it connects to the owner’s body.”

“That’s an enviable feature.”

An automatic retrieval function…

That would be very convenient.

However.

“What a shame that convenient weapon is scheduled to be broken today.”

“We’ll see about that.”

The men of extraordinary strength had taken up weapons.

It was like giving guns to wild beasts, and unfortunately, these beasts were marksmen.

And as we know, the moment a beast more clever than humans picks up a gun…

Clash!!

It is no longer a creature made to lose.

* * *

The sword and poleaxe cross.

Common sense dictates that a sword should break under the weight of a poleaxe, but that common sense was shattered as the sword easily withstood the poleaxe’s weight.

The poleaxe should be slow and heavy to move, yet it appeared faster and lighter than swinging a sword, no, even lighter than swinging a bamboo staff.

A display of impossible strength and skill.

Kwang!

Kwaang!

A vibration that could hardly be thought of as blades colliding rings out.

The sword tries to cut the poleaxe, and the poleaxe tries to break the sword.

At the same time, they cleverly attempt to stab or split each other’s necks, chests, and shoulders.

Striking, cutting, breaking, and stabbing.

It’s a truly simple exchange of attacks and defenses.

But who could possibly intervene in such an exchange?

[keee!!]

[kiee!!!]

[kaaa-!]

But there are always those who don’t value their lives.

The mini worms, sensing the death of the Mother Worm,

rushed toward the enemies who had killed their parent.

Dozens, hundreds, thousands…!

Where had they been hiding?

The terrifying number of worms was approximately 10,000.

All the worms had gathered, drawn by the scent of their mother’s blood, and rushed in to avenge the Mother Worm, but…

Slash!

They chose the wrong timing to intervene.

They should have waited until after the fight was over.

Splat!!

[!!!!?]

The worms died, no, they were being massacred.

The two knights didn’t intentionally kill them.

From the beginning, the two men didn’t even pay attention to the worms; they were simply crossing blades against each other, and who had time to care about mere monsters?

The moment either of them lost even a bit of concentration, their bodies would be sliced apart.

So they deliberately chose not to pay attention to the worms.

Just.

Slash!

[…k…ee……?……!]

The worms that tried to attack the knights were caught in the aftermath of the battle and had their bodies bisected or blown apart.

Splat!

As the knights’ clash intensified, the worms died even more rapidly.

The sword waves emitted from the collisions swept through the worms, and the sword pressure crushed and burst them.

[KEEEE!!!]

An exceptionally large worm among them spewed out its rage.

It was expressing intense anger that such lowly prey had killed their siblings and mother, and the large specimen.

Crunch, crunch!

It ate the corpses of its siblings and dead mother.

Cannibalism.

Survival of the fittest.

Monsters are monsters.

They’re a species that will even eat their parents and siblings to become stronger, and once stronger, they’ll take revenge.

That’s why they are humanity’s natural enemies.

Crunch!!

The worm grew rapidly like that.

It was an abnormal growth, and the worm, which had been only about 3 meters long, gradually swelled like a balloon, becoming more ferocious and more repulsive.

The desert’s calamity and terror, the Sand Worm.

Befitting such a formidable appearance, no, even surpassing what could be seen in the desert, the Sand Worm, now exceeding 100 meters, instantly gained power surpassing its mother through its growth.

Now would be the time…!

─Swoosh!!

[[!!!?]]

“What is this?”

Whoosh!

Ihan kicked off the ground and instantly climbed onto the massive Sand Worm’s body.

Bow God Flash Step.

Shot like an arrow, he accelerated again and changed his footwork.

An application of Bow God Flash Step.

Phantom Eight Trigrams Step. The movement technique he had used in the Demon King battle the day before accelerated Ihan’s body, showing a versatile swiftness that even the Sand Worm’s 8 eyes couldn’t follow.

Not only did it dazzle the eyes, but there was nothing better for toying with a massive monster.

Stab, stab, stab!!

Covering a hundred meters in an instant, the slashing frenzy thoroughly cut up the entire body of the Sand Worm, and the Sand Worm rapidly lost its vitality.

Even though it had gained tough and hard skin upon reaching adulthood, the skin didn’t function at all.

It was only natural.

How could it have known?

That its opponent was a human who had effortlessly sliced up even a thousand-year-old troll, once called the king of monsters.

And so, the Sand Worm, failing to recognize the “superior beast”…

“How dare you interrupt a knight’s duel, know your place.”

Maximus lifted his body into the air and struck the Sand Worm’s head with great force.

Crack!

What it contained was flashing lightning.

Maximus’s single strike that had killed a frost giant in the past was recreated in this moment.

– Lightning Drop.

Like a true divine punishment falling from the sky, the lightning-filled strike blazed.

[[—-.]]

…Should have just run away.

The adult Sand Worm, which had gained some intelligence, saw darkness overtaking it with such regret.

Crunch!!

* * *

Crunch.

“…Did we kill them all?”

“Hmm, it seems so.”

Though unintended, the two knights felt as if they had completely annihilated all the Sand Worms living in the tunnel.

Though small and weak, 10,000 monsters wiped from existence in just 10 minutes, no, an achievement!

Among them was even an extra-large monster, an adult Sand Worm, yet the two showed little excitement.

Because monsters weren’t their main concern right now.

“Hmm, 189 moves… Even giants didn’t exceed a hundred moves.”

“Do you count them all while fighting?”

“It just naturally comes to me.”

“…This is why geniuses are…”

“Haha! Let’s stop, it’s embarrassing to be called a genius at this age.”

189 moves.

The number of times the two knights had clashed their blades.

Yet despite so many clashes, there was no conclusion.

Considering that knights’ duels typically end within 50 moves, their duel had lasted exceptionally long.

Does that mean they fought half-heartedly?

No.

Rather, they swung their swords with the resolve to kill each other, and there was nothing half-hearted about even a single swing.

Only full power.

Strength, technique, and will—all of these were imbued in each strike they exchanged, they could swear to that.

…Just.

‘So this is what it’s like to face an opponent with similar stamina and recovery.’

Unfortunately, they didn’t tire.

Despite it being a life-or-death battle, their stamina didn’t decrease, and even wounds healed quickly.

Ironically, the two were too similar, and there was no way to determine superiority in terms of strength, endurance, and durability.

An evenly matched situation.

If only their types were different, it might be different, but they were too similar to determine a victor.

Therefore…

“─Shall we end it with one strike?”

A single strike to take the opponent’s life.

To this proposal to end the match, Maximus.

“Hmm, I wouldn’t mind continuing?”

He groaned.

Not afraid of losing his life, but sad that this match would end.

However, Ihan pointed upward.

Crumble…

Indicating the underground world collapsing faster than before.

“I don’t think you want to end up buried under a pile of dirt.”

“Hmm…!!”

Maximus expressed his regret with all his might at Ihan’s words.

He didn’t want to end this match.

If possible, he wanted to continue.

It was an enticingly valuable match he wanted to continue forever.

Despite the approach of the end of such a precious and thrilling time, Maximus was simply sorrowful.

Therefore-!

“It’s a gloomy day, having to take the life of a knight I’ve come to like.”

“You don’t think at all that you might be the one to die?”

“Of course not, who would fight thinking they’ll die?”

“…That’s true.”

Whoosh.

Koong!

Ihan raised his sword tip, and Maximus aimed the spearhead attached to his poleaxe.

Rumble!

From the moment they harbored killing intent, there was no turning back.

This might be the last day of life for one of them.

Yet while their swords and spears contained killing intent, their faces remained calm.

Because they neither hated nor despised each other, their blades might contain killing intent, but their eyes remained serene.

And then.

“You’re stealing without paying.”

“Haha, I’m sorry.”

He didn’t spare the criticism.

Ihan saw it.

What his opponent, Maximus, had “stolen” from him.

‘There’s someone who learns this just by feeling.’

Maximus had been using Ihan’s technique, known as Muscle Arts, from some point.

Through their clashes, the initially clumsy technique became sharper and grew instantly.

Even the trio he called geniuses or the black-haired returner couldn’t do something like this…

That guy just figured it out by getting hit… by experiencing it.

Perhaps if he became a little more proficient, it would become even more natural.

He had suspected it when Maximus imitated, no, made the Hundred Step Divine Fist his own.

‘Is this the villain’s perspective in a martial arts novel? …It’s quite an unpleasant feeling.’

There’s a character like that among martial arts novel protagonists.

Someone who sees martial arts and immediately learns them.

And then the enemies get angry and confused before dying, a cliché scene, but there was a reason for it.

‘They died of rage, that’s what it was.’

If someone instantly understands and uses better the technique you’ve spent your whole life learning and training, even he would go crazy.

That’s truly unfair.

This is why talent is unfair and makes people miserable.

“Sigh, it’s a sin to be ordinary…”

“……”

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No, I’m not saying what I did was right, but I think you’re quite shameless too.”

“Me?”

“Yes, looking at this, it doesn’t seem like I’m the only one stealing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about? The technique you’re preparing now, ─isn’t that ‘my technique’?”

“Ah… This?”

Crack!

Lightning sparked from Ihan’s sword.

Just like Maximus’s [Lightning Drop].

That’s why such incredulous words came from Maximus’s mouth.

As if to say, I stole, but didn’t you steal too?

However, Ihan denies this.

He hadn’t exactly stolen his technique.

He just had a new idea after seeing Maximus’s technique.

“Isn’t the principle of your technique this? Applying strong pressure to the handle part of the weapon to create artificial friction, and using the sword’s resonance to summon lightning. …Am I right?”

“……”

“I thought so. The principle itself is intuitive. It’s just a bit tricky because it requires insanely strong grip strength and skill.”

If you add more strength and ferocity here, Lightning Drop could be completely recreated.

“It’s so common, it would be funny not to be able to copy it.”

Ihan shrugged his shoulders.

As if to say, there’s a difference between showing how to do it openly and stealing it without even knowing the principle.

“…Huh.”

At such a brazen and confident statement, Maximus let out a hollow laugh.

For the first time, his hearty demeanor disappeared.

That’s how absurd it was to him.

‘Did no one copy this common principle because they didn’t know it?’

No matter how much he taught the knights of the North, they couldn’t imitate it, and when he explained the principle, they would say, ‘Don’t mock me!’ or ‘Are you trying to ridicule me!!’ and get angry, but now this guy says it’s easy.

But what was even more absurd was…

Whoosh!!

“Still, thank you. Thanks to you, I think it’s possible now.”

“……”

His technique…

No, that’s no longer his technique.

Rather, it was like seeing clothes perfectly tailored for Ihan.

What Maximus lacked and Ihan had.

It was freedom of thought and flexibility of ideas.

Crack!

The lightning spreads widely.

The blue energy of the sword illuminated the dark underground world.

Whoosh!

He awakened the plum blossom while fighting the Demon King.

He was cut by the sword thread of Knight Vale in Tristan.

He realized Arahan in the fight with the Marquis.

And now, he combines all these realizations to unfold a new idea of spreading new energy with his sword.

What he’s demonstrating is the swordsmanship of the Namgung family, famous for being the master of Anhui and the sword of justice.

However, he arrogantly doesn’t like vague things like emperor or heavenly thunder.

So the swordsmanship and name he chose was…

“Boundless Sword.”

– Skyward Boundless Sword.

The sword power imbued with blue light literally resembled the blue sky, and its energy gradually covered the entire sword, drawing a chakram.

The chakram, the sword circle, rotated faster and faster.

Threateningly, as Ihan’s energy intensified, even more-!!

Having accomplished such an impossible feat, Ihan asked.

“How is it, pretty good, right?”

“…W-who’s calling who a genius…”

Though Maximus was said to have an iron heart that wouldn’t be surprised by anything, right now he was stuttering.

It must be a first.

The first time he felt beyond shock, ‘awe’ for someone other than his brother.

…Is this how others felt when they saw him?

“Kuh…! Kuahahahahahaha!!”

But soon, a thunderous laugh erupted from Maximus’s mouth.

Maximus was terrified.

The fear that he might die if he received that strike swept over his body.

That’s how much it felt like a sight and power beyond imagination.

Therefore, Maximus…!

‘Ah, I’m happy! I’m truly a fortunate man!!’

Maximus felt a joy that even swallowed his fear.

He was grateful for everything.

He was happy to be born with such excessive talent.

Because thanks to that, he could fight someone like him.

He was happy that such a person was before him.

So he could fight with everything he had!!

Gooo!

An ominous energy swirled around Maximus’s spearhead.

If Ihan had taken a hint from Maximus’s technique and created a new technique on the spot, Maximus was the opposite.

He had finally learned how to make his body sturdier by stealing the technique of Muscle Arts, and how to exert his full strength with his entire body.

With a heaven-given physique and talent, and through endless struggles, the man who had earned the name of a great warrior had finally obtained the means to squeeze out all the power of his body.

There was a risk that his body might not withstand the power and collapse, but…

‘Is that important right now?’

It’s not important.

Crunch!

The spearhead screamed.

The Muscle Arts of the formidable man named Maximus,

─Overlapping Muscle Arts occurred one after another, gathering power.

Crack!!

Lightning Drop, which had killed the frost giant.

That technique transformed into something more destructive, changing into a kind of horn.

If he were to name it.

“[Sky Breaker], I call it.”

“…I’m not one to talk, but you really don’t have a sense for naming.”

“Isn’t it good to be intuitive and simple!”

“How about Heavenly Destruction instead?”

“…That sounds even stranger.”

“…It makes you sound like a fake cult member.”

“?”

The two wanted to observe and explore each other’s techniques, which had become the foundation for their own, a little more, but unfortunately…

Rumble!

Whether it was because of their rampage or not, the underground world would collapse in just ten seconds.

So the two ended their conversation.

No, even without conversation.

Woong-!

Gooo-!

They could have their final conversation through the clash of blade and spearhead.

…Some might ask.

Why risk their lives in a duel that will bring neither fame, glory, nor praise?

But they would probably answer similarly.

That it doesn’t matter.

That such things are mere illusions that can be scattered by others’ rumors at any time.

Therefore, what they needed was ‘now.’

The fulfilling and valuable present moment where they feel alive in this world is more precious.

“───.”

So the two men lived the fleeting present without regret, giving their all.

To leave no regrets in this moment.

Perhaps that is.

Whoosh───!

The reason they can smile in any situation.

In the waterfall of collapsing dirt and rocks, blade and spearhead collided, and a clear blue sky that shouldn’t exist in the underground world…

The ‘azure sky’ illuminated the underground world.