Absolute Zero

+++

Clang—!

The whip and azure blade clashed, sparking.

“This damn brat…!”

Gritting her teeth, Lilith lashed her whip to deflect Brudhild’s sword. Initially, Brudhild had struggled to fend off her whip attacks, but the tide had completely turned.

Brudhild, the sole successor to Vyuskr’s style, was growing at an astonishingly steep rate.

Brudhild’s eyes remained as tranquil as still water. He swung his sword while experiencing the state of no-self.

‘The whip becomes clearer.’

Originally, even tracking the Vanguard Commander’s whip with his eyes had been difficult, reduced to glimpsing vague afterimages.

But now, the whip’s movements were distinctly visible – the paths to defend against and penetrate its openings clear to his blade.

Brudhild could feel it. Fighting alongside his returned father, guided by his uncle and father’s teachings – it enabled this growth.

And finally.

‘Here it comes…!’

The long-awaited realm manifested before him.

Reversing his grip, he planted his sword’s tip into the ground.

[Buske’s Style Swordsmanship – Declaration]

A hemispheric zone emanated from the sword’s point.

“…!”

Alarmed, Lilith hastily retreated, but it was too late – she had entered the zone.

She had fought the Sword Emperor a century ago. Like Brudhild against her now, the Sword Emperor had held a favorable matchup.

Hence, she was intimately familiar with Vyuskr’s zonal techniques.

A chilling aura paralyzed her body.

‘This is…’

The realm manifested by the fledgling swordsman before her eyes – astonishingly, it was identical to the Sword Emperor’s a century prior.

Sensing mortal peril, Lilith raised her head.

She could see Brudhild’s azure-tinted eyes and the upright azure blade he now gripped, his clenched fist trembling with rapture.

‘Now, I…’

Surpass even my father in his prime.

At last, I fulfill my father’s dream.

‘I inherit the Sword Emperor’s title.’

The pinnacle moment of his life.

[Buske’s Style Swordsmanship – Freezing Stroke]

Towards the wide-eyed Lilith, he swung his blade down.

“Ah…”

Intuiting her impending demise, Lilith squeezed her eyes shut.

The sword traced an azure streak through the air, slashing towards her face.

But then.

Splurch.

The sword halted.

“Ah…”

“…Uh?”

Lilith and Brudhild each let out groans of differing implication.

Their gazes turned downward towards Brudhild’s chest.

“…”

A greatsword had pierced through, emerging from his torso.

Creak—

From behind, an azure-armored puppet uttered an artificial noise as it retracted the impaling greatsword.

“Uh, ah…”

Brudhild could not comprehend the situation, only vividly feeling the agonizing pain searing his chest.

Recognizing the puppet’s form, Lilith quickly regained her senses and raised her whip.

“J-Just hold him there! We have to finish this brat off for sure!”

Creeak. The azure puppet withdrew its greatsword.

As it prepared to swing the retrieved blade and Lilith to lash her whip, a voice rang out:

“Lord Brudhild—!!”

The two Vanguard Commanders hastily evaded.

Kwaaaaaah!!

A Conquering Aura-infused shockwave swept the area they had occupied.

The intruding Citadel Lord caught Brudhild’s staggering body with his remaining arm.

“Lord Brudhild, Lord Brudhild!”

“Ah…”

Gulck! He coughed up black blood.

“Wh-What happened!? How did our forces get pushed back this far!? When did…!”

[The Black Duskroot’s absence. It proved fatal to the war situation.]

The Citadel Lord glared at the two while supporting the grievously wounded Brudhild.

Regardless, biting her whip in frustration, Lilith expressed her displeasure.

“Eeek…! Ah, so you’re strong? The Demon Lord said dispatching Crimson early and committing the entire army was to buy you time to awaken! Then let’s quickly finish those two off first!”

[Inefficient.]

“What?”

Its gaze turned towards another part of the battlefield.

[I have pierced the warrior Brudhild’s heart. Without an elixir, he cannot survive.]

“Seriously!? Then we should take out the Citadel Lord too…”

[There is a higher priority target at the moment.]

“Higher than them? Wait, don’t tell me…”

[You will detain the Citadel Lord.]

It flicked the blood from its greatsword.

[I will behead the Vanguard Commander.]

Boom—!

The azure puppet unleashed its Conquering Leg Aura.

Lilith squeezed her eyes shut against the gusting shockwave. When she opened them, it had left an azure trail, soaring towards…

Doyun’s location.

“Lord Brudhild! Stay with me, Lord Brudhild!”

She looked down at the Citadel Lord shaking Brudhild’s body. The Succubus Queen flashed a seductive smile.

In contrast to the unfavorable matchup against Brudhild, the one-armed Citadel Lord made for more suitable prey.

“Then… shall we play together? Hmm?”

“…”

The Citadel Lord glared up at her, jaw clenched tightly.

Drip.

A raindrop struck Brudhild’s eye.

“Ah…”

He groaned, his focus wavering.

Drip, drip drip… pitter patter…

Shhhhhh—

His rapidly cooling lips quivered faintly.

‘Fa…ther…’

The darkened skies and pouring rain concealed his tears.

+++

Shhhhhh—

The downpour drenched Doyun’s body.

“…”

Doyun clenched and unclenched his palm, vaguely grasping an elusive realization.

‘A little more…? No, still far off?’

The indistinct trail he had glimpsed after his bout with Vyuskr flickered once more.

The recent battle had provided valuable inspiration. But something still felt crucially lacking.

‘Something… if I just had one more catalyst.’

The final confrontation with the Demon Lord loomed near. Any delay in his growth felt immensely costly. Impatient, he furrowed his brow.

Meanwhile, Vyuskr sat perched on a boulder, gazing up at the rainy skies.

‘The rain… falls.’

The cold raindrops felt especially chilling today, despite his mere skeletal form devoid of warmth.

For a while, he simply let the rain pelt him.

‘…’

But only briefly.

Splish.

The sound of footsteps treading the rain reached them.

Doyun and Vyuskr turned their gazes towards the source.

Splish, splish.

“…Huh.”

Doyun exhaled in resigned disillusionment.

Creeak—

It lit up its emerald eyes, accompanied by an artificial noise.

[Greetings, Războlnic.]

“…”

Unbelievable. Before Doyun’s eyes stood a puppet wielding four massive greatswords, one in each arm – identical to Crimson but for its azure armor and different weapons.

But that was not all.

‘That one…’

Doyun levitated a spectral spear with his remaining mana.

Fwooosh—!

The golden mana-shrouded Thrown Spear shot forth rapidly. Yet it nonchalantly swung one of its greatswords, batting the spear aside.

Clang—!

‘…!’

The spear shattered.

Not an ordinary Thrown Spear, but a bona fide spirit weapon treasure – something that had proven invaluable against the Vanguard Commanders.

Yet it had been so casually destroyed.

Doyun swallowed dryly.

‘…Strong.’

Far beyond the likes of Crimson, a true Vanguard Commander on par with the Saint herself.

‘Just what…’

Where were these beings emerging from? What power had the Demon Lord been concealing?

[An underwhelming welcome.]

It spoke in its artificial tone.

[Did you slay Crimson?]

“Yeah.”

Though the situation seemed dire, Doyun calmly replied.

“And you must be Azure, or something?”

[Indeed.]

“Quite the quirky naming sense.”

Doyun extended his palm towards the discarded sword on the ground. Woooong—. It rose of its own accord, flying into his grasp.

“Tch. Why come out only now? After your brother kicked the bucket, that is.”

[Crimson hatched prematurely. I emerged after filling myself with all available power while he bought time. He served his purpose.]

Doyun clicked his tongue at Azure’s nonchalant, conversational attitude – reminiscent of how he would engage in dialogue to extract information, much like Crimson.

‘This one likely has my data too.’

Perhaps it had even studied the recent battle’s data, something Crimson had lacked – a worst-case opponent.

Doyun glimpsed Azure’s greatswords, one stained with crimson blood.

‘…No need to dwell on it.’

A bloodied weapon on the battlefield was hardly worth concerning himself over. His gaze had simply strayed for a moment.

For now, he needed to contemplate how to overcome this situation.

‘Do I have the strength…?’

Could he still prevail, having exhausted virtually all his mana?

‘…’

Ability was not the issue. He had to win, no matter what.

Regardless, he would have to fight imminently…

“My turn, it seems.”

Clack, clack.

The light clacking of bones shattered the tense silence.

Doyun and Azure turned towards the source behind them.

Clack, clack.

Fwoosh—

Azure flames erupted from the empty black sockets of the skeletal figure, chilling to the bone with their mere presence – a haunting cerulean blaze.

“Vyuskr?”

[Rest.]

Azure’s body and Doyun’s flinched at the overwhelming pressure laden within that grave utterance.

‘This power is…’

Just what was this might?!

Clack.

Creeak—

Biting frost bloomed from Vyuskr’s footprints, the rain-soaked ground freezing around the smoldering flames.

An azure aura enveloped his surroundings.

“Hey, don’t tell me you’re…”

[The weight of the Vanguard Commanders’ deaths. Quite substantial.]

Neither could speak in the face of that soul-shaking, profound voice.

An utterly dominating presence.

[This war has already reached its climax. Gathering any further power would be impossible. This may be the first and last time I manifest my true form. Thus.]

A sword materialized before Vyuskr.

Ding!

[Skill ‘Swordsmanship’ has leveled up. Current Level: 11]

[Trait ‘Path of the Sword’ has activated.]

[Behold. And make it your own.]

Shhhhing—

The Sword Emperor unsheathed his blade.

[This is the path I have walked for a hundred years.]