Ch.5Ep.5 Sword of Judgment

“Inquisitor? Did that bastard just say ‘Inquisitor’?”

“I think so, boss. They must be remnants of the Guardian Spirits… no, the resistance, right?”

“I suppose…”

A title that no longer exists came from Radios’ mouth.

When the word “Inquisitor” was spoken, the otherworlders’ eyes darkened.

Guardian Spirits who hadn’t shown their faces for three years suddenly appearing at a remote slave labor site.

Or perhaps they appeared precisely because it was a remote slave labor site?

Either way, it didn’t matter.

“It seems the Dancing Green Flame has blessed us this time. We can capture the remnants of the Guardian Spirits–“

Before the man could finish his sentence.

Radios activated the Fire Dance skill on his dagger.

Whoosh!

The rough-looking man recognized the nature of the flames enveloping the dagger.

And for good reason—he was using the Fire Dance skill that only members of the Toolcha Order could use.

“H-how can a Guardian Spirit use that skill?!”

“What, is this a skill Kadinant people aren’t supposed to use?”

As Radios smiled cynically with an unconcerned expression.

The man realized that Radios was no ordinary remnant of the Guardian Spirits.

“Take them all down!!”

Feeling threatened, he ordered his subordinates to attack.

As Radios watched dozens of otherworlders rushing toward him.

Memories of fighting them as a Guardian Spirit briefly flashed before his eyes.

But only for a moment.

Radios was no fool who would stand there and take pathetic attacks.

And he certainly wasn’t the type to just watch as a disorganized mob charged at him.

“Huff!”

He took a deep breath and struck the ground.

His dagger cut into flesh, severing necks and bodies.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Three of the attackers lost their heads in an instant.

The otherworlders panicked.

Radios didn’t stop, activating the Fire Dance skill in his left hand.

“Hnngh!”

Whoosh!

He unleashed it.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Fire! Fiiiire!!”

“It hurts! It huuuurts!!”

Minimal, concise, and clean movements.

For Radios, who had crossed countless battle lines.

Even with the constraints of a seal, there was no disadvantage in dealing with a few thugs.

“You bastard!! How dare you!”

The leader of the otherworlders, unable to contain his anger, charged forward.

At that moment, Radios’ eyes gleamed with recognition.

‘This guy…!’

He couldn’t detect the distinctive aura of otherworlders in his magical energy.

That’s right.

The man charging at him with a sword was not an otherworlder, but a Kadinant person!

Clang!

Momentarily surprised, Radios deflected the downward strike with his dagger.

Seeing how easily Radios parried his sword, the man’s gaze became more cautious.

Radios suppressed his emotions as much as possible and spoke.

“You… you’re from Kadinant. Why are you siding with otherworlders who do such things?”

An incomprehensible action to Radios, who had spent a long time with the Guardian Spirits.

But the man snorted and retorted.

“Why, you ask? Because… it’s fun this way.”

“..!”

His heart turned cold.

Did this man even understand what he was saying?

“The Guardian Spirits are all dead anyway. If I can gain this position by kissing otherworlder ass, why wouldn’t I?”

“The Guardian Spirits… fought to protect Kadinant. How could a Kadinant person…”

“I told you. Because it’s fun. Because it’s fun, I could turn my back on my world.”

Drip.

He had endured it.

The collapse of Hermes’ temple.

Witnessing the destruction of places where people once lived happily.

Seeing Kadinant people enslaved by otherworlders.

Discovering Kadinant people reduced to mere pawns in a gambling den.

Through all this, Radios had not lost his grip on reason.

Even so.

“This isn’t right. At the very least, Kadinant people… shouldn’t be like this.”

He had risen to protect. He had fought to protect.

Because he wanted to protect, he was betrayed.

Was this really the result of crossing over the corpses of countless comrades?

He couldn’t accept it.

“I’ll ask once more… did you really, for fun–“

“Man, you talk too much. Find something you enjoy and focus on that. This is just what I find fun–“

Slash!

As the man was shrugging and making snide remarks.

With the sound of something being cut, extreme pain shot up from his right side.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Does it hurt? Just losing one arm… does it hurt?”

“Y-you crazy bastard…”

The man trembled as he saw the blue-tinged sword in Radios’ right hand.

A mana sword.

A technique that only the top 1% of skilled individuals in the Guardian Spirits could use, requiring both exceptional talent in handling magical energy and supreme effort.

The man, who had been reassured by sensing that Radios’ magical energy was only slightly superior to his own.

Lost all will to fight upon seeing Radios wielding a mana sword.

“I asked if it hurts. Does it hurt to lose that pathetic arm of yours?”

“Yes, it hurts! It hurts, so what! If you Guardian Spirit bastards hadn’t lost in the first place, would things have turned out like this?”

“…”

“What protection? You ran away with your tail between your legs when you were about to lose, and now you’re pitying others!”

The man knows.

Even if he begs Radios, pleads desperately for his life, his fate is death.

From the moment a remnant of the Guardian Spirits entered an Outer God’s slave labor site, death was a foregone conclusion.

No otherworlder would leave this place alive.

If he was going to die anyway, wouldn’t it be better to die after venting all his accumulated resentment?

“My father was also a Guardian Spirit! But…! He died! That’s when I realized! Guardian Spirits are just Guardian Spirits in name only… they’re the ones who destroyed Kadinant’s peace!”

“We protected Kadinant–“

“Your intentions might have been good! But look at the result! Otherworlders have taken over Kadinant, and we’re living as slaves or traitors!”

The man believed Radios would be shocked.

The statement that the Guardian Spirits had actually contributed to Kadinant’s downfall.

He thought Radios, who seemed to have special affection for the Guardian Spirits, would not react normally.

That’s what he expected, but.

“So what.”

“What…?”

“Are you a slave? You’re just a despicable traitor. You didn’t even join the Guardian Spirits! You’re just an idiot who rationalizes betrayal as an inevitable choice! That’s who you are right now.”

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t moved by the man’s words.

There was sufficient argument in what he said.

But if he agreed with him here, the very existence of the Guardian Spirits would be denied.

So Radios strongly retorted.

“…What are you saying, you bastard!”

Tap.

The man was momentarily stunned by Radios’ outburst, then moved violently.

Radios lightly jumped and slashed his throat with the mana sword.

“Gurk… grrrr.”

“Don’t taint my pride with your worthless words. You’re just a youngster who doesn’t know that hell.”

“Urrrgh…”

Every night Radios has nightmares, he wakes up drenched in sweat.

Fighting against the apostle of the Boundary Dweller, whose power was terrifying even now to think about.

Seeing the heads of countless comrades flying off again.

It was more painful to Radios than any other suffering.

“So… if you’ve seen enough, come out.”

“Oh my, seems I’ve been discovered.”

Radios deactivated his mana sword and turned around.

There stood an old man, fully armed like a warrior heading to battle.

“What brings the Cardinal of the Dancing Green Flame here?”

“The troops I sent to the Hermes temple site lost contact… I came here to rest, but I didn’t expect to witness this.”

The old man examined Radios with interested eyes.

He was a veteran among veterans who had survived the war against the Guardian Spirits in the past.

He couldn’t help but be intrigued by the man before him who claimed to be a Guardian Spirit.

A Guardian Spirit appearing after three years.

Whether this was the desperate act of one man or the resurgence of the Guardian Spirits remained to be seen.

“Judging by your use of the mana sword, your ability to handle magical energy is at least at the Grand Master level?”

“This doesn’t seem like the time to be so relaxed.”

“Relaxed… you cannot defeat me with your power. You won’t be able to block my Prison Flame with just one mana sword.”

With those words, the old man fired Prison Flames at Radios.

Radios created another mana sword and bisected the oncoming Prison Flames.

But the old man continued to fire Prison Flames in succession.

Eventually, Radios acknowledged that the old man’s power was superior to his own.

“Indeed, it seems I can’t win.”

“Why not surrender? I’d prefer not to exert myself.”

“Surrender? Who?”

Although the old man realized that Radios had no chance of winning.

He was puzzled by Radios’ snorting response.

Without hesitation, Radios opened a subspace and equipped Kynee.

“Activate Sword of Judgment.”

Flash!!

He activated the Sword of Judgment skill, which restored his power to its prime.

A light reminiscent of a red sunset enveloped Radios and the old man from behind him.

As that space transformed into the Underworld.

The shell covering Radios’ face slowly began to disappear.

“..!”

And the old man was shocked when he saw Radios’ face.

How could he forget that face?

The leader of the Guardian Spirits and the strongest Inquisitor.

“R-Radios Magnum…? But Lady Serena surely…!”

“Lady Serena. Lady… so that was the reason for your betrayal?”

From the old man’s attitude, treating her completely as his superior.

Radios felt an urge to see with his own eyes how Serena was doing now.

“You should have died… how!!”

“I survived. Is that answer enough?”

“..!”

Radios Magnum has returned.

No, he escaped death and survived.

This fact must be reported to the Order!

A critical matter that could disrupt all plans was unfolding before his eyes.

“Looks like you’re thinking of running… but who said I’d let you?”

With those words, Radios reached his hand toward the sky.

The very skill that had terrified countless otherworlders.

The Twilight Sword appeared.

“T-T-T-Twilight Sword!?”

“Grit your teeth. I have a lot to ask you.”

As Radios brought his arm down.

Swoosh!

The massive Twilight Sword fell upon the old man.