Chapter 1151: Fate of the End (2)

The final battle against Seonjong and Maleon in Kundara. At the end of the branching point of corruption, Lennok had deployed his Domain, thinking.

“The Gate” was Ban-gung’s symbol. The means he chose to deploy his Root Mindscape.

Therefore, investigating The Gate would inevitably become a pursuit of Ban-gung’s traces.

Yet, despite that, he hadn’t imagined that Ban-gung’s resurrection would be sought in Kabahim.

Even more, the method wasn’t some clumsy human sacrifice, but the theft of Ars Nova’s knowledge using the Talent for Duality—

“…No.” Lennok, who had been staring down at the stone tablet, forcibly shook his head and stood up.

Don’t overthink it.

What mattered was that Aron had concealed the fact that Ban-gung’s bloodline had to be sacrificed to enter the sanctuary.

With Kabahim’s side targeting Lennok’s life, further cooperation was impossible.

For now, joining Pandemonium with the information obtained here would be enough.

Escape the ancient fortress using the spatial transfer magic circle mentioned by Gillian. Return to the capital.

The moment Lennok turned sharply and walked quickly between the floating stone tablets, intending to leave the archive.

“There’s no need to rush so much; there’s still some time until the ritual resumes.”

“…”

The young knight, leaning against the archive entrance, was smiling gently at Lennok.

“As you must have seen on your way here, the royal family put a great deal of effort into today.”

“Uzel.”

“His Majesty has very high expectations for this matter.”

Uzel slowly straightened up and grinned at Lennok.

“So, how about we pretend nothing happened here and return with me?”

“…”

“It’s fine. If the esteemed guest is in the ‘appropriate position’ when His Majesty awakens, no one will raise an issue.”

The young knight smiled nonchalantly, offering a compromise as if exchanging pleasantries.

But Lennok knew that the boy standing before him was no ordinary knight.

The Commander of the 6th Division of the Ten Royal Knights of Rectitude under the capital. The royal blade, one of only ten in all of Kabahim.

It was as good as proof that the young knight before him was one of Kabahim’s top ten martial talents.

Though Lennok had been wary of him, who treated him politely on the surface but whose true intentions were unknown, he hadn’t expected to be caught off guard at such a critical moment.

“So, in that short time, it was discovered that Gillian had escaped from prison.”

Realizing the reason in an instant, Lennok pulled down his mask and changed his voice.

“I shouldn’t have wasted time releasing that foolish giant. A futile effort.”

“You don’t think I followed you?”

“If you had been tailing me, there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed.”

Lennok sneered.

“The mere fact that I didn’t perceive your approach is proof that you came through a route I don’t know. It means you were aware of the situation here and deliberately moved to avoid my eyes.”

“…”

“It’s too late to have moved after noticing my absence, and too early to have reacted to the intrusion into the archive. The only possibility I can think of is that Duke.”

“Haha, it can’t be helped.”

At that moment, Uzel laughed and shook his head.

“I was thinking of trying to persuade the esteemed guest that what you saw here wasn’t all true, even now… but it seems you’ve already learned too much.”

Saying that, Uzel slowly moved to the side. Lennok naturally followed, walking abreast with him.

Their figures repeatedly appeared and disappeared between the stone tablets.

“I thought the plan wouldn’t go smoothly, but to think you were already suspicious of the royal family even before it began.”

Uzel asked, smiling.

“At this rate, wouldn’t the royal family’s prestige, after carefully hosting you, be ruined?”

“You offer hospitality that’s little more than pretense, as if doing a great favor, and then you still expect gratitude to the very end.”

Lennok scoffed.

“To say now that my life was needed for this plan… don’t you think the compensation is far too little?”

“It seems the great bloodline is a very greedy individual.”

“I’m not one to refuse a gift with clear intentions.”

Lennok replied unhurriedly to Uzel’s words.

“However, the royal family’s hospitality was too meager to immerse myself in pleasure and luxury and forget this sense of incongruity.”

“…Is that so?”

“Even the items you offered to curry my favor were no different from a child’s toys; nothing caught my eye.”

Lennok tilted his head, meeting Uzel’s gaze.

“Fitting for a nation that has failed to advance to the Central Front for so long and fallen behind.”

“…”

For the first time, Uzel fell silent without answering.

Lost in thought between the stone tablets, Uzel slowly opened his mouth.

“Indeed, it seems the royal family has, after all, misjudged the esteemed guest.”

“Misjudged?”

“Yes. That you are suspicious, quick-witted, and sharp-tongued, all of that is true, but—”

Clank.

Uzel, his hand on the sword at his hip, gave a cold smile.

“They simply overlooked the fact that, from the beginning, you were a base human being, someone who shouldn’t even be associated with, let alone suited to them.”

“Much more honest than before, I like it.”

Lennok smiled, untying the mana threads bound to his wrist.

Unlike the manufactured infamy of Adamant Thunder, Victor was the identity of an outlaw Lennok had deliberately created.

At the point of being discovered by the knights, there was no need to deliberately try and resolve the situation.

If the board was broken, then he would simply rampage and overturn everything, just as it was.

“Shall we see how much more honest you can be?”

CRACK!

Uzel’s sword shot out through the stone tablet between them at subsonic speed.

In the instant Lennok, drawing and swinging mana threads, and Uzel, gripping his sword in a reverse grip, crossed paths.

Black mana threads and silver sword-light embroidered the air, swinging at dozens of times per second.

CRACKLING!!!

Sword-light accelerated, piercing through and cutting down the barrage of mana threads. Mana thread bundles twisted sword surfaces, binding armor and organs.

Between them, Lennok and Uzel’s forms repeatedly vanished and reappeared at incredible speeds, clashing.

Lennok, accelerating forward using Flicker, and Uzel, catching up to Lennok with just his two legs while swinging his sword.

Each time they traversed the archive in a straight line, the stone tablets arranged between them were sliced away en masse.

“A opening.”

THWACK!

Lennok, instantly breaking through Uzel’s senses and descending before him, gave a cold smile.

Lennok’s hand, extended from his robe, clutched Uzel’s neck, and the moment Uzel tried to react immediately.

Uzel’s face hardened as he realized that the mana threads tightly bound between his armor were hindering his movement.

“Die.”

‘Guiding the direction…!!’

With an immense shockwave, Uzel’s body was flung to the opposite side of the archive, slamming into it like a cannonball.

KABOOOM!!!!

“Direct manipulation of momentum and repulsion itself is still difficult. Is merely changing direction all I can do?”

Though I’ve practiced repulsion manipulation while handling gauntlets, it’s still difficult to use without a Forbidden Armament.

Indeed, to manipulate such power, obtaining a Mandala containing the essence of Manipulation Spellcraft would be the fastest way.

The moment Lennok turned around, dusting off his hands, and drew upon his magic to finish Uzel off.

Miniature Universe: Sword Principle Manifestation (劍理再現)

CRACKLING…!!!

Sharp slashes appeared from thin air and rained down on Lennok.

As if following the path Lennok and Uzel had taken, afterimages of sword attacks bloomed from the far end.

Dozens of cold sword-lights, multiplying, poured down fiercely from behind Lennok.

KABOOOM!!!

Lennok, using Flicker to evade between the plummeting sword-lights, looked up with a surprised expression.

It wasn’t a sword attack Uzel had directly swung. It was an afterimage of a slash, wielded in mid-air without a weapon.

As if a sword attack swung beforehand had only appeared after some time had passed—

“Time-lagged manifestation of sword energy… a Miniature Universe?”

“You’ve seen it correctly.”

CRASH!!

Uzel kicked aside the debris of the collapsed wall and walked out, smiling.

The impact had been so strong that the plating of his light armor was crumpled.

Uzel discarded his ruined armor and walked forward, gripping his sword.

“To be precise, it’s the ability to repeatedly manifest the sword strikes I’ve performed within a certain time frame.”

“Are you saying your Miniature Universe is touching the laws of time, even slightly?”

“It’s impossible for an ignorant swordsman like me to directly manipulate or control time.”

Uzel smiled, gripping his sword.

“But when one dedicates their entire life to a single sword, they sometimes get closer to the essence one step ahead of complex spellcraft.”

“…”

Miniature Universe: Sword Principle Manifestation is the ability to recreate a slash, once swung, at the same spot with a time delay.

Even if it’s not the power to directly manipulate time, it’s clearly connected to time in some way.

A miracle: a young Level 7 knight mimicking time manipulation, which Lennok had only just begun to dabble in, with just a single sword.

Surely, this must be the miracle granted to physical superhumans, and their very method of reaching enlightenment.

“Watching our spar, I thought you were indeed the type to manipulate mana threads and toy with the balance of power.”

Shing…!!

Uzel, laying his sword sideways, drew upon his magic with a cold smile.

“A method of disturbing the center of all things to gain leverage… If you rely on talent and senses like that, won’t you eventually fall utterly in vain?”

“You talk too much.”

Lennok crossed his arms, looking at Uzel, who had taken his stance.

Sword Principle Manifestation is an ability with tremendous utility in combat, but it’s a mental image far too high-dimensional for Uzel to wield.

Of course, it goes without saying that Uzel’s talent for possessing such an ability is immense, but there must be a part he has to sacrifice to wield it.

That’s likely why he used a Curse-Word (呪言) to explain his Miniature Universe ability and increase its power during their prolonged fight.

While it would be possible to analyze and counter Sword Principle Manifestation’s weakness, or to overwhelm it with brute force head-on.

“Even the time it takes to deal with you is a waste.”

Lennok scoffed.

“Let’s stop here. The fight is over.”

“That won’t—”

SWISH!!

At that moment, Uzel felt the sensation of mana threads clinging to his arm and instinctively swung his sword.

Black mana threads, surging from between the collapsed archive debris, shot out from all directions at incredible speed.

They wrapped around Uzel counter-clockwise, adhering with powerful tenacity.

WHIRRRR!!!

In the rain of surging mana threads, Uzel’s body spun at incredible speed.

Gripping his sword in a reverse grip and spinning, the trajectory of his sword manifested with a time delay simultaneously.

As he cut through the mana threads and cleared obstacles, a path was instantly opened between Lennok and Uzel.

The moment Uzel, having explosively accelerated, gripped his sword and leaned forward towards Lennok.

THUD!

“Got you.”

“…!!!”

Uzel’s face hardened as he realized his body had, at some point, been caught in a gigantic hand.

“Your Grace, the Duke…!!”

“This arrogant brat.”

Before he could finish, Gillian grabbed Uzel and slammed him headfirst into the ground.

KABOOOM!!!!

“Ah…!!”

“Who are you calling ‘Your Grace’?”

Uzel, gasping in pain, understood the situation a beat too late and his face contorted.

“Surely, you deliberately gave me space…!!!”

“No matter how fast Gillian’s Miniature Universe activates, openly grabbing a knight like you is difficult.”

CRACK!

Lennok said, stomping on the knight’s shoulder.

“But even this foolish giant can snatch a knight charging head-on.”

After wrapping Uzel in mana threads to hide Gillian’s presence, Lennok approached, creating distance.

As the mana threads were cleared, Uzel accelerated head-on towards Lennok, who had given him space.

Gillian, who had been waiting, used his Miniature Universe to seize Uzel’s body directly.

“Gah…!!”

“This shameless thief, who are you calling foolish and all sorts of things since earlier?”

Gillian glared at Lennok, but Lennok ignored his gaze and glanced away.

“Your talent seems excellent, but you lack experience. Did you not even consider Gillian’s intervention?”

“Because hosting His Grace the Duke was never my role to begin with.”

However, Uzel, even after hearing Lennok’s question, instead gave a cold smile.

“Because you weren’t the only one buying time.”

“What?”

“Ah, fuck.”

Uzel, flung away, the collapsed wall and ceiling.

A blond young man, squatting between the ruined rebar, with a greatsword on his back.

The Commander of the 7th Division of the Royal Capital Knights, Lyell, was looking down at the scene with a mocking expression.

“Our esteemed bloodline has finally caused trouble, hasn’t he?”

“…”

“You couldn’t endure it, went wandering around, and finally crawled in here, did you?”

His friendly demeanor from the spar was gone, replaced by the ferocious aura of a beast, filled with chilling killing intent.

Lyell slowly stood up, jumped down, and sneered.

“If you had stayed put, we would have treated you as a guest, but you always have to cause a ruckus. Then you’ll have to pay the price, won’t you?”

“This thuggish bastard dares to—”

“Your Grace the Duke. This matter is truly regrettable.”

THUD!!

A giant of rock-solid build walked out from the side.

The Commander of the 9th Division of Knights, Albian, his greatsword plunged into the floor, looked at Gillian with a stern expression.

“His Majesty magnanimously overlooked Your Grace’s insolence and ended it with merely one arm; could you not be grateful for his consideration and atone?”

“Anyone would think I begged Aron for mercy.”

But Gillian, seeing the knight commanders who had instantly surrounded him, scoffed in return.

“Dreaming of ascension by using humans as material, what makes you so confident?”

“Your Grace. If you escalate things like this, we can no longer help you.”

The Commander of the 4th Division of Knights, Florian, stroking her whip-like flexible sword, said.

Her perpetually smiling expression had settled into a chilling calm.

“A royal decree has been issued. From today onwards, Your Grace’s movements are forbidden throughout the royal capital.”

“No, that’s enough. I don’t want to hear any more.”

CRACK!

Gillian bared his teeth, his hand gripping Uzel’s body swelling to gigantic proportions, extending up to his forearm.

“Get lost before I kill you all. From now on, I’m going to smash heads.”

“Forgive me, Your Grace the Duke.”

At that moment, Uzel, still held in Gillian’s hand, smiled.

“Because that is not for us to decide. You will have to entertain us until His Majesty awakens.”

“Ah, is that so?”

From both sides of Gillian, who chuckled as if he had expected it, three knight commanders simultaneously drew their swords.

In the infinitely slowing perceived time, Gillian’s mental image explosively expanded, swelling his body.

Gillian’s gigantic body pierced through the entire research facility and detonated it completely.

KABOOOOOM!!!!

“Bloodline!!”

Lyell, accelerating by stepping on the flying debris, charged at Lennok with incredible speed.

A cruel, beast-like smile hung on his lips, his blond hair flowing.

“In the last spar, I was the only one getting beaten…!!”

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!

Lyell, surging forward at incredible speed by stepping on the scattering debris, swung his sword.

Following the path of his sword, flames spread everywhere, exploding spectacularly.

Miniature Universe: Slicing Heat (斬熱)

A Miniature Universe that grants flammability to the object cut by the sword, setting it ablaze and making it explode.

CRASH!!!

Following the charging Lyell, Lennok’s body was pushed back, piercing through the collapsed research facility vertically and horizontally.

Blades whirled, breaking through walls and ceilings, and sword marks carved into the facility blazed, scattering sparks.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!

Lyell, wreathed in flames and scattering fire, dropped before Lennok at tremendous speed and relentlessly plunged his sword in.

Lyell, breathing hot air, brought his face close as if to melt the obsidian mask, and smiled with exultation.

“Let’s do it again. This time, it’s your turn!!”

“No. No matter how many times we do it again, it’ll be the same.”

CRACK!

Lennok, gripping Lyell’s sword with one hand, looked up.

In the instant Lyell flinched, meeting the malevolent gaze from within the obsidian mask.

“You still haven’t come to your senses, even after seeing what happened to your comrade.”

Lennok whispered with a sneering voice.

“A fool who falls for the same trick twice isn’t even worth fighting.”

“…You bastard!!”

The moment Lyell, his face serious, twisted the blade plunged into Lennok’s stomach.

Lennok’s body exploded, and behind him, a giant’s palm appeared.

BANG!!

With a squelching sound, the giant’s hand gripped Lyell’s stomach as if to pulverize it.

The moment Lyell, gasping from the organ-rupturing impact, froze.

“OOOOOOH!!!!”

Gillian, now a giant, swung his arm powerfully from the center of the underground cavity, throwing Lyell diagonally.

A ten-meter tall giant, unleashing a full-power throw, lashing out with his swollen arm like a whip.

Lyell’s body, thrown with mass amplified by a Miniature Universe, slammed into the ground at supersonic speed.

CRASSSHHHH!!!!

“Ughhh!!”

“S-save me…!!”

“G-get out of the way!! You’ll die if you get caught!!”

Screams clamored from all directions. Researchers scurrying to escape.

The remnants of the research facility were completely crushed, following the impact zone where he crashed like a bombing.

“Ugh… URRGHH!!”

Lennok, descending before Lyell, who was convulsing and vomiting, touched his mask and looked up.

“Thief, over here!!”

CRASH!!

The giant, kicking aside the ruins to create a path with one foot, shouted.

“We have to escape before Aron awakens. To activate the transfer magic circle—”

“No. It’s already too late.”

“What?”

At that moment, a gigantic arm of ice appeared before them, crossing and grabbing Gillian’s hand.

A frost giant with a benevolent smile, located deep within the cavity, was blocking the other giant.

BOOM!!!

The two giants, gripping each other’s hands in mid-air, simultaneously twisted their arms, unleashing a shockwave.

Within the hand of the frost giant, scattering cold, was the figure of Aron, eyes closed and frozen.

“…Brother.”

Only then did Gillian understand the situation, and he gave a fierce smile.

“You’ve become quite dashing since I last saw you.”

“…A regrettable turn of events.”

Aron, slowly opening his eyes from within the frost giant’s embrace, looked down at Lennok with two pupils.

Aron’s frozen face was incomparably indifferent and coldly composed compared to before.

“I granted you an opportunity, yet you try to seize the fruit before the flower has even bloomed.”

“…”

“What you glimpsed was not everything, do you not think you seek to conclude things too prematurely?”

“I tend to only be satisfied after verifying anything suspicious on the spot.”

WHOOSH!!

Lennok, catching the mana threads and wrapping them around his wrist, retorted.

“Having come this far, I never expected to be able to pass by without dealing with you.”

“Is that so?”

Aron said, drawing up his magic with an indifferent gaze.

“Is that all… your excuse for laying hands upon My sacred body?”

“If we’re talking about cause and effect, you’d have nothing to say to me.”

Lennok, adjusting his obsidian mask, said in a cold voice.

“The deal is over, Aronbaiger.”