Ch.89Crescendo (4)

Thud, as their lips lightly touched and parted, Evan’s face immediately turned red.

Now… no, in this situation?

Evan could only smile awkwardly at Aireen’s beaming face, unable to say anything. Eventually, he cleared his throat and carefully set Aireen down on the ground.

It wasn’t that he minded—in fact, he quite liked it. But was it appropriate to do this with Biltaine right there?

“Um… well, this is… quite embarrassing.”

“We’ll be doing this often from now on. How will you manage if you’re already flustered?”

Often, she says. Evan quietly smiled.

Come to think of it, many things would change after this battle ended. The structure of the five great families, the empire’s combat power, the crown prince’s position… but apart from all that, what mattered most to him was the annulment of his engagement.

The thought of no longer having that obstacle—being unable to appear publicly with Aireen or clearly define their relationship—made his face feel hot.

However, Evan shifted his gaze from Aireen and quietly looked behind him.

Though he was blocking Biltaine’s view, that wouldn’t last long.

Soon this light would fade. The rest of their conversation would have to wait until after they defeated Biltaine.

Aireen also understood this and said nothing more to Evan.

She merely touched her lips gently and gave a coy smile she rarely showed.

She would have liked to do… more. But now was the time to wait for later, wasn’t it?

As Evan stepped away, the light that had been shielding them began to disappear.

“…I have no idea how you managed to return alive.”

He was certain he had pierced through the heart. So how was he still alive?

Biltaine hadn’t seen what had just happened. That blinding light that burned anything that approached it, the mana density that was on a completely different level from their previous fight—Biltaine swallowed hard.

Aireen Yuris, whom he thought he had captured as a sacrifice, had been completely restored to her original state.

Evan Fried also appeared unharmed. Biltaine couldn’t begin to guess what had happened in that brief moment.

“Thanks to you, I’ve seen many things.”

“Is that so.”

Evan smiled with relief. Dying at Biltaine’s hands had given him many realizations.

The wall that stood before him—he now understood what it was and what he had been clinging to.

His lingering attachment to his brother, and what he truly desired.

Evan, who had wrapped Aireen in light to protect her, quietly gazed at Biltaine.

He no longer felt the suffocating pressure from him.

Perhaps because he had reached Master level, he could now see small gaps in Biltaine’s mana and movements.

Evan drew his sword from his waist and looked at the sword with only its handle remaining.

This nameless magic sword, which he had thought was simply a peculiar blade that responded to his mana,

now revealed its true nature to him after reaching Master level. More precisely, he could see the essence contained within the sword.

Whoosh—

Not just a blade that responded to the sinister energy contained within dark mages,

but a sword that cut down everything deemed ‘evil.’ The dragon-slaying sword that, in ancient times, Alar himself had wielded to kill a dragon.

“…Ascalon.”

The sword’s form had changed from before. The blade still maintained its pure white color,

but the handle and the guard were gradually transforming.

Teeth protruding as if to devour the sword, gripping the base of the blade,

the entirely white sword emitted a brilliant light.

Tearing through the surrounding shadows and filling everything with radiant light, the sword exuded a presence distinct from Evan himself.

Seeing that sword, Biltaine took a step back. Then, surprised by his own retreat, his eyes widened.

I stepped back? Against this mere knight? No, Biltaine deliberately ignored that emotion that had just surfaced.

His teeth clashed with a grinding sound. This was the knight he had easily dealt with before.

The changed mana indicated he had risen to Master level… but that was all.

Nothing else should have changed. He too was a Master, and his body, enhanced by dark magic, was stronger than ever before.

With a cracking sound, Biltaine’s body began to swell gradually.

With muscles grown grotesquely large, Biltaine broke his beloved sword that now looked tiny compared to his muscles and drew a new one.

A sword created four years ago at the request of Count Kasim.

A sword with a mysterious glow, as if modeled after a soul—

Whoosh! The light created by the collision of Ascalon and Biltaine’s sword exploded.

“Evan.”

“…It’s alright. This time, I truly won’t lose.”

Evan smiled quietly at Aireen, who was looking at him with concern, and began walking forward.

Aireen would be fine. As long as she remained within that light, she would be safe no matter what happened.

Shhh— The breath entering his lungs spread throughout his body.

The rapidly flowing blood penetrated his muscles, and the taut muscles in turn stimulated his heartbeat.

Evan carefully clutched near his heart. Thump, he could feel his heartbeat.

He couldn’t even attempt it when he was an Expert, but after reaching Master level, he instinctively realized something had changed.

Not just the changed mana circulation, but the dragon’s power contained within him.

Twisting the source—with that thought, the mana in his heart began to resonate with Evan’s guidance.

Woong—

A storm of magical power, though it didn’t appear compressed.

If released, it would be powerful enough to instantly devastate the surroundings, now surging within his body.

Dragon language, the power used by Scarlet, the original protagonist. Evan carefully stored a fragment of it in his heart.

Kuooo—! A power incomparably stronger than before enveloped his body.

A power unimaginable even for a Master, yet he could endure it.

Realizing this, the corner of Evan’s mouth twisted slightly.

Boom— The ground beneath Evan’s feet began to crack.

Flames surged around him, driving away the darkness.

A domain? No, he hadn’t even deployed his domain yet.

Within Biltaine’s domain, Evan was freer than anyone else. Even more so than Biltaine, who had cast it.

‘…This is, no, different.’

Biltaine felt the difference too. Evan Fried moving without any difficulty within his domain.

For some reason, the gap had suddenly widened. Had he been hiding his power?

No, he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t used his full power. Biltaine gripped his sword.

His body enhanced by dark magic—he still had every chance of winning. He would be the victor here today, and they would all… die.

“Nothing, nothing changes. Evan Fried!”

As Biltaine’s form dove into the darkness and completely disappeared, Evan calmly slashed around him with his sword.

The flame-infused sword tore through the darkness, revealing Biltaine in the clear space that emerged.

Clang! Evan’s sword met Biltaine’s.

In that instant, the difference between Evan and Biltaine was revealed.

He’s being pushed back—realizing this, Biltaine gritted his teeth.

Whoosh! Spear blades came pouring out of the darkness.

Evan didn’t bother trying to avoid them. More precisely, he didn’t need to.

The radiance emanating from his body deflected the spear blades as they collided.

Like something with a will of its own, spirits of light were assisting Evan’s movements while eliminating threats.

Slowly— golden light began to blaze in Evan’s eyes once more.

A body perfectly harmonized with the dragon, intense white flames enveloped Biltaine’s body.

“Argh!”

Biltaine, his arm wrapped in flames, created distance between them.

Whoosh, as Biltaine spread his arms, darkness surged from within him toward Evan.

With a hissing sound, the dark current swept around, and soon engulfed the light Evan was emitting.

But the darkness split apart. The flash of light from Evan’s body pierced through the darkness, tearing the shadow wrapped around Biltaine’s body.

A succession of sword strikes, Biltaine’s body gradually swelled in a strange way.

Growing power, eyes turned pitch black contained emptiness. Twilight, purple mana flickered on Biltaine’s body.

Now he could see it—having caught the trajectory of Evan’s sword, Biltaine giggled.

‘I can win.’

He hadn’t intended to use them as sacrifices, but with the completely changed situation, Biltaine’s mind grew urgent.

Stupid Adel! If that fool had fought properly, they wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Looking at his arm burned black, Biltaine twisted the corner of his mouth.

Sharp teeth were visible from his twisted lips. He no longer resembled a human.

“…What on earth.”

While swinging his sword, Evan quietly muttered.

Do all those who touch dark magic meet such a fate?

The intelligence was no longer visible in Biltaine’s eyes, which had lost their composure.

Only eyes burning with madness and rage, filled with the thought of killing whoever stood before him.

The magical barrier created by the dragon language merged with the flash created by the spirits.

A mass of golden light—every time Evan moved, a golden line was drawn in the air.

Evan’s foot glided across the ground, and simultaneously, the sword in his right hand swung.

Whoosh, white flames rose from within the cloak that still remained. Those flames irritated Biltaine.

It was also irritating that his sword movements were being read,

but what truly bothered him were the flames that tried to burn him between attacks.

Those flames had an affinity against darkness. They would burn his body infused with dark magic and eventually extinguish everything.

Biltaine gritted his teeth. Clearly, he should have had the upper hand with the sword.

A fight without deploying domains, yet why was he being pushed back?

The swords continued to cross.

Predicting the opponent’s actions, and then predicting the opponent’s movements again to swing the sword—it could no longer be called a fight.

The sword cut through the air. Feet collided and tangled, causing bodies to stagger.

A tedious exchange of merely blocking and avoiding each other’s attacks. Yet Evan and Biltaine felt exhilaration in the midst of it.

One slight mistake would result in a severed neck.

Just matching the Duke of Roman, who had lived his entire life with the sword, showed that

Evan’s growth was beyond anyone’s imagination.

Eeriness.

Feeling a cold sensation running down his spine, Biltaine bit his lip.

In swordsmanship, he should have had the upper hand.

The physical strength enhanced by dark magic, yet they were evenly matched…

No matter how he thought about it, this fight seemed unfavorable to him.

Evan quietly followed Biltaine’s sword. Swordsmanship? Technical perfection?

All good, but now they were just meaningless words.

He could never catch up to Roman’s swordsmanship that Biltaine possessed.

Knowing this, he didn’t try to compete with swords alone.

The quality and density of mana that had risen another level after reaching Master,

the sharpened senses from dragon blood, physical abilities. And a body incomparable to any other.

Understanding swordsmanship didn’t mean catching up—he was merely following the trajectory of the sword with his senses.

The faint line of the sword visible in the darkness, this purple trajectory adorning the air.

Clang! Evan’s sword collided with Biltaine’s sword once more.

The frequency of cutting through empty air was gradually decreasing.

And what that meant was that Evan’s eyes were becoming accustomed to following that trajectory.

Whoosh, flames enveloped Evan’s body. There was no reason to prolong this fight.

Swift attack, swift conclusion.

As Evan’s body accelerated further, Biltaine’s chest, unable to keep up with the movement, was slashed.

Splash! Blood spurted, and as dark waves surged in his chest, Biltaine immediately retreated from Evan.

“Haa… haa…”

He was being pushed back. But it was hard to understand why.

Clearly, he had been dominating until he pierced through the heart.

Fast sword, but all read. Mana density, completely outmatched.

When those golden eyes sparkled, his body’s movements became dull, overwhelmed by that mana.

What remained… Biltaine gritted his teeth. This mansion was his space and domain by its very existence.

The sword held in reverse was thrust into the ground. Like boiling lava, seething shadows were painting the surroundings.

Like a brush soaked in ink, it drew strokes in the air.

A space dyed in darkness, a dark room that didn’t allow even a point of light, the smallest radiance.

Kuooo—! Evan looked around.

In the space that had instantly turned black, Biltaine’s presence couldn’t be sensed.

With a twisted corner of his mouth, Evan didn’t lose his composure. The domain… was there even a need to deploy it?

The flames no longer blazed. But Aireen would be fine.

With that final thought, Evan cleared his mind and slowly began walking forward.

Darkness, but eyes adapt to darkness. Eyes adjusted to the dark gradually began to see the surroundings.

Although this domain didn’t allow even a little light, Evan found a very faint light rising in that darkness.

More precisely, because it was light emanating from Biltaine himself.

Slash, drops of blood splattered from the tip of the swung sword. No sound was heard.

The sensation of something being cut wasn’t felt either.

But a sense beyond the five senses was clearly saying ‘it was cut.’

Purple eyes were visible… he might think he’s invisible,

but to Evan’s eyes, which had fully adjusted to this darkness, everything was clearly visible.

The purified mana, the dragon blood that had leaped over a threshold, was detecting Biltaine’s presence.

“Don’t run away.”

Realizing Biltaine was moving away from him, Evan quietly spoke.

Drop, Biltaine’s footsteps stopped momentarily. He was running away?

No, he was just looking for a new move to win.

But, running away? Grinding his teeth, Biltaine turned around.

Retreating, it was a method to win, but he didn’t like it.

The sword of the empire and the bloodline of the emperor, and himself empowered by dark magic—how could he be running away?

The veins protruding grotesquely on his arm tore, and dark blood gushed out.

Woong— Purple mana gathered in one place, eventually creating an intense ripple in the darkness.

Black thorns pouring toward Evan eventually penetrated the flames.

But… that was all. The black thorns didn’t reach Evan.

Bang! In the darkness, a streak of light that shouldn’t exist flashed.

Biltaine’s eyes widened. Flames enveloping Evan’s body,

golden hair fluttering within it. Crack, the ground where the sword was thrust began to split, and white light began to surge.

Gradually, widening cracks were being drawn on the ground like circuits.

The surroundings were being consumed by light, and the rising masses of light bloomed round like stars in the darkness.

“Evan, Fried.”

Biltaine murmured lowly. Everything was ruined.

Even the domain he had painstakingly deployed, this domain where all shadows should be manipulated like his limbs, was being eroded by light.

The initial composed appearance was nowhere to be seen.

Holding his blackened arm, with wet hair fluttering about, Biltaine shouted.

All plans had gone awry. Winning chances? Plans? None of that mattered anymore.

His heart, which had once stood at the pinnacle of swordsmanship, was just crying out to claim victory over the knight before him.

The cloak wrapped around Biltaine’s body fluttered in the air.

The sword that cut the shield, perhaps from that emblem. It might have signified the fate of Roman, who would be at odds with Yuris.

As the sword of the empire and an elder of extinction. Biltaine quietly gripped his sword.

Having absorbed all the power left by the domain, Biltaine now felt a more intense power than ever before.

The confidence that he could cut down the knight before him at any moment seemed to pierce the sky.

Lowered shoulders, a posture to leap forward as quickly as possible, calves tightly drawn in legs extended backward.

Crack, the pressed ground was gradually breaking.

When enough force was applied to completely break it, to create a hole—

Bang! Biltaine, who had struck the ground, thrust his sword forward.

Thrust, and pierce through Evan Fried’s body. Surging darkness enveloped Biltaine’s body.

He was a sword and a spear. Twilight purple flickered in the selflessness filled with the sole thought of tearing and cutting.

And, Evan quietly closed his eyes.

Escape? Defense? No, what he wanted to do now was simply born from the thought of cutting that down.

It could be arrogance. Perhaps, he might not be able to cut it down.

But that was just a very slim probability. The flames enveloping his body, the radiance leaking through this darkness.

The brilliant light pouring from the sky resembled the night sky he used to watch with his brother.

-Do the stars still look lonely to you?

“No.”

Evan quietly smiled. Starlight pouring from the sky enveloped Evan’s body.

To cut something, such elaborate movements weren’t necessary.

Quietly exhaling, one of Evan’s feet silently slid backward.

Body facing forward, the sword gripped with both hands gradually raised and extended above his head.

Tightly tensed muscles, for just one strike. All mana was seeping into his body for the attack about to be executed.

Each oxygen molecule, lungs squeezed to not waste even a little, giving vitality to the muscles.

What was he trying to do?

Just, cut. Swing the sword and cut.

What this word, so simple it didn’t even consume a few syllables, specified was clearer and more powerful than anything else.

Woong, his heart trembled. Gradually, the pulsation decreased.

It wasn’t that life was fading away. Because he was concentrating by transcending everything,

Evan’s existence was becoming one with the act of ‘cutting.’

If I myself am a sword, if I am the sword.

Does cutting something require elaborate swordsmanship?

Is there a need to stamp the ground dozens of times, twist the body multiple times to target the opponent’s weakness? No, there was no such need. Swing, and therefore cut.

In a process consisting of just these two steps, anything added was just useless.

Zing— Light in the form of a sword rose from Evan’s sword.

Sharp, brilliant flash of light. Evan carefully took a step.

His feet felt heavy. Boom, brilliant white flames began to rise again from the cracks caused by the light.

Fragments of the breaking ground rose to the sky.

The rumbling earth, the earth that had been tainted and corrupted by darkness, shakes and is destroyed.

Therefore, Moving Earth.

Slowly— Evan’s sword slowly began to be drawn toward the target.

As if time had stopped, in the infinitely slow trajectory of the sword, Biltaine’s sword seemed about to pierce through Evan’s body at any moment.

But it didn’t reach. Slow, but not slow.

The clearly drawn trajectory of light drew a line on Biltaine’s body.

Eventually on the ground, in the sky, in the darkness of night that sprinkles brilliant starlight.

The sky split, and dawn broke. The clouds mixed with darkness split,

and the morning light piercing through that gap illuminated the tip of the sword.

The sky dyed white, the sun sprinkling its own radiance without any waste in between.

The clear light rising between the broken sky meant that Biltaine’s sky was broken and shattered.

Therefore, Shocking Heaven.

In the slowed world, Evan slowly lowered his sword.

To not miss the trajectory he had created himself.

Without even breathing, he calmly swung his sword along that line.

It felt different from usual. It was just one swing,

but the fatigue enveloping his body was incomparable to before.

In the stopped world, only Evan had regained his movement.

One strike, one exchange. When the sword strike that had even split the sky finally completed drawing that line perfectly.

The stopped time—

began to flow again.

Slash, Biltaine realized his advancing sword had stopped.

His body, which had been moving forward, collapsed rapidly.

In his mind, turned completely white, the word that clearly expressed the current situation was a cruel and tragic two-syllable word,

so Biltaine could only blankly stare at the blood surging from his chest.

Dark blood gushing toward the sky, the shadows he had spread were nowhere to be found.

Dawn had ended. The night that hadn’t allowed any light had ended… and morning had come.

Discovering the sun leisurely emitting light between the black clouds, Biltaine let out a hollow laugh.

The blue sky, the white sun he had so despised. What it meant was just one thing.

Biltaine Roman had been defeated.

Looking at the sky, Biltaine eventually burst into maniacal laughter.