episode_0265

“Cha-at!”

Beneath the night sky.

There was a woman wielding a sword powerfully amidst countless undead. The woman, scattering white hair that sparkled in the moonlight, sliced off the necks of the undead with a single stroke and subdued them. She was eventually able to discover a brand radiating an ominous aura.

“There it is!”

The woman plunged her sword into the brand without a moment’s hesitation.

Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!

The screams of the spirits, so eerie they sent shivers down the spine, were heard.

But that was not enough to penetrate the woman’s steadfast mind, and the spirits, bound by the brand and creating the undead, scattered in all directions and disappeared.

“Hoo…. I suppose this area around here is taken care of.”

The woman, Baek-ryun, took a breather, shook the blood off her sword, and then looked towards the distant royal castle.

A tremendous energy surged through her entire body in a flash.

It was not an ominous, evil aura, but a kind of awakening emitted by martial artists who had reached a certain level of mastery.

Among those here, there was only one martial artist capable of emitting that level of power.

“Doryeong seems to have taken another step forward.”

Leon is already strong enough.

Despite that, the sight of him moving further forward stirred a competitive spirit within Baek-ryun’s heart. Although it may be impossible for her to reach the same level as Leon even if she trained in martial arts her entire life, she wanted to walk in his footsteps and someday reach at least the tips of his toes.

With that thought in mind, Baek-ryun gripped the sword in her hand tightly.

“Alright then, shall I go help the others.”

* * *

“Haa…, haa….”

“Haa…. Let’s stop soon.”

The royal castle was now in a state where its original form could no longer be found.

This was naturally because the building could not withstand my sword energy.

Fortunately, however, it seems that those who were staying inside the royal castle had sensed the danger in advance and fled, as I could not feel the presence of anyone other than the Pope, the holy knights guarding her, and Noren and Princess Emula.

After confirming that, I looked down at the Demon King at my feet, who was gasping heavily and half-dead.

“…Tsk. They must have been quite close.”

The curse that the Demon King cast upon this world.

The distortion caused by the curse.

As I cleaved, tore, and shattered it, the ‘power’ that Leon originally possessed returned to Leon’s body.

But what returned was not simply the power that Leon originally possessed.

Before this world was distorted.

Before they revealed their fangs to each other and prioritized their own desires as they do now.

The memories of that time also returned.

Before the world was distorted, Abel was certainly a womanizer who liked women, but he did not cross the line.

He even met a lover whom he sincerely loved during his journey to defeat the Demon King.

Before the world was distorted, Ragna was arrogant due to her royal bloodline, but she was not reckless.

She always looked down on others, but at the same time, she calmly assessed the situation and assigned roles to each person according to their abilities. She was remarkable as a leader.

And Leon played the role of ‘buffer’, preventing Abel and Ragna from clashing with each other.

Now that all those memories had returned, seeing the Demon King’s battered state in Ragna’s form made me feel disturbed.

“Perhaps, you might resent me. Leon.”

He killed Abel, who was originally a close friend.

He is driving Ragna, who was originally a close friend, to her death,

He failed to prevent the death of Tiris, his first swordsmanship teacher,

He directly ended the life of Marie, whom he cherished like a younger sister, even though they were not blood-related.

“But this is the path you chose. Don’t blame me too much.”

It is a duty that he himself abandoned.

It is an inevitable event that occurred while fulfilling that duty on his behalf.

So, in the end, the responsibility also lies with Leon, who gave up on all of this.

“Impossible….”

“?”

“You…. You are not a being of this world?….”

Somehow having recovered while I was lost in thought, the Demon King staggered to his feet and glared at me.

“Why…. Why is a being from another world here….”

“Why, you ask…. Isn’t it because you were causing such a ruckus that I hired a mercenary?”

“Keuek…. That damn goddess!…. Keoeok!….”

“?”

The guy who was trembling suddenly groaned and collapsed.

I wondered if he had self-destructed, but my instincts warned me that it wasn’t completely over yet.

Kuurururung!…

Black energies poured out of Ragna’s body, and they gathered and coalesced to form a humanoid demon.

A demon with red eyes and horns that looked familiar.

“Is that your true form?”

[So, I’m finally showing this form.]

“…Is that so?”

[Do you know why I brought the ‘status’ of the Seven Demon Kings of this world? I will now… imprint that reason on your body!]

Well, if I passed phase 1, then there should be a next phase for the final boss.

“But you’re weak, aren’t you.”

[!]

Kwaaaang!!!

The moment the holy sword was swung, the guy’s arm was severed.

And, not content with that, the ground behind him split apart as if tofu were being cut.

[Geuaaaaaaaak!!!]

[system: You have reached the essence of the sword left behind by the Sword King.]

[system: You have accumulated enough experience to level up.]

[system: Leon’s power returns.]

[system: Stats are additionally increased to match the current level of ability.]

[system: Leon’s skills have been added.]

System windows that covered my vision.

As I said before, Leon’s power that he should have originally possessed has returned.

And originally, Leon possessed a level of power that could ‘kill’ the Demon King.

Well, of course, the Demon King’s curse is basically activated only if one can kill him, so it’s only natural.

[Keuaaaaaaaat!!!]

“…?”

Kwang! Kwang!! Kwang!!!

Each time the sword was swung, the Demon King’s body was severed and spewed black smoke like blood.

But even so, he does not reach ‘death’.

Each and every one of my swords right now should be on par with the ‘Sword King’s Secret Art’.

Even so, the fact that he doesn’t die means….

‘Is there a condition needed to kill him?’

Kwaaaang!!!

“….”

[Keueuk!!]

Peoeok!

The guy’s desperate attack grazed my body.

Even if it hit directly, I wouldn’t be seriously injured, but I dodged and punched him as a counter.

The guy couldn’t resist my strength and was knocked to the ground as he rolled over.

“…I’m starting to feel sorry for him.”

It’s as one-sided as breaking a child’s fingers.

The opponent is fighting hard and desperately, but I’m watching without any tension….

But the fact that I can’t kill him was a problem.

‘…A way to kill him. It’s not like I have no idea at all….’

[I…. I will not die….]

“Looks like it.”

[The status of the Seven Demon Kings that I possess!…. As long as I have that power, you guys can never kill me!!!]

Black flames engulfed the guy’s body.

“The flames of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven?”

The guy runs at me in that state.

A very different movement from before. I’ve seen that movement before.

“It’s the technique of the Great Sage Who Pacifies the Wind. And the brute force of the Great Sage Who Calms the Heavens is combined as well?”

Kwaang!!

The guy’s attack only destroyed the innocent ground.

He keeps trying to attack me without stopping, but I’m not stupid enough to get hit by an attack I’ve already experienced, in addition to the overwhelming difference in specs.

I dodged the opponent’s attack and struck him with the blade of the holy sword as a counter.

Ppeoeok!!

[Keoeok!!]

“Hero!!”

And at that moment, the Pope’s group ran in from afar with good timing.

In the hand of the holy knight next to her was a sword with a pure white blade.

I knew what it was without having to think deeply about it.

The holy sword that was initially corrupted by the Demon King and the final condition to kill him.

The guy probably corrupted one of the holy swords with his own power and turned it into a demon sword for the sake of the off chance….

But in addition to being overwhelmingly pushed back by me, the Pope’s power became complete, unlike in the first playthrough, and she ended up purifying the corrupted holy sword.

“Receive it!!”

With the Pope’s words, the holy knight holding the holy sword threw the holy sword with all his might.

[N, no way!!!]

Of course, the guy rushed at the holy sword to prevent the holy sword from completely merging, but I wasn’t going to let him.

“Stay put.”

[!!]

Ppeoeok!! Kwaaaang!!!

I kicked the guy engulfed in flames and received the last holy sword.

“Machina!”

[Yes, I’m already preparing!]

I overlap the holy sword I’m holding with the last remaining holy sword.

At that moment, the holy swords resonated with each other and began to overlap into one. As a result, a brilliant pure white flash that seemed to blind the eyes flickered, and after the flash disappeared, only one sword remained that looked like a work of art.

[Complete Primordial Light: Holy Sword Deus Ex Machina]

The holy sword Deus, holy sword Ex, holy sword Machina, which were divided into three swords because the wielder could not fully handle the overwhelming power.

After a long time, it has finally returned to its complete form.

[N, no way!….]

“….”

The holy sword emits a brilliant light even though I didn’t give it any power.

The Demon King, seeing the light of the holy sword, hurriedly turned around and tried to escape.

It’s an ugly and pathetic appearance that doesn’t seem like a final boss, but that’s that and this is this.

“You should have understood that distance has no meaning to me.”

[Space Severance] + [Sword King’s Ultimate Art]

“Let’s end this. Everything.”

[T, to go so futilely!…. I can’t go so futilely!!!! How much effort have I put in until now!!!….]

“Life is originally as fleeting as a bubble.”

Heaven and Earth Cleaving