Hard Carried by My Sword-Chapter 96

“He did it...” Kasim muttered as his gaze sank deep.

Psychokinesis. As someone who had entered that realm long before Leon, he knew better than anyone just how unfriendly and difficult this power was.

It wasn’t like using arms and legs one was born with, but akin to growing a third arm or a third leg. Since one had to try to move something without any nerves, the approach had to be completely different from physical movement.

It required pouring their entire focus into shaping nonexistent forms. They had to create joints, ligaments, blood vessels, muscles, nerves, and skin where there was nothing.

Even if the power transcended the laws of the material world, its execution was still bound by them. Otherwise, psychokinesis would just waste energy without ever affecting reality.

“Well, it can’t help but be complicated. Just trying to grasp the idea of ‘moving the mind’ is baffling,” El-Cid explained, and it was exactly that.

Moving the body was easy. There were nerves and muscles that responded obediently to the signals from the nervous system. The mind, however, was a whole different story. Most people couldn’t even perceive their own brainwaves, let alone understand where their consciousness came from.

It was no different from throwing someone into a maze and telling them to find the exit without using any of their five senses. It was no wonder the training methods of psychokinesis had vanished from history.

“No matter how well you explain how to fly, a creature without wings won’t understand the sensation. Same with breathing through gills or moving a tail.”

Human ears couldn’t hear ultrasound like a bat, nor could they see infrared like a snake. Even with the same organs, differences in performance led to entire worlds of incomprehension. So, if the organ itself didn’t exist, it was a matter beyond explanation.

Psychokinesis went beyond even that, reaching a horizon inaccessible to physical life. And yet, El-Cid spoke with confidence.

“Still, it’s possible for humans. I’m the pinnacle of the human species. I can do everything humans are capable of, and nothing humans are incapable of. If I can do something, that means no matter how difficult it is, it’s within humanity’s reach.”

Rodrick had said it many times during his life: What I can do, you can do too. Those weren’t words of encouragement to the weak, but his true belief. Some took it as humility, others as arrogance.

Rodrick wanted to become a star in the sky. A beacon anyone could look up to and take hope from—a destination the human race would someday reach.

“Hmph.”

El-Cid let out a soft grunt, brushing away the old memory. That wish was never fulfilled.

Holy King Rodrick became an untouchable hero, and though everyone praised his feats, no one tried to follow in his footsteps. He was too great for anyone to understand his intent. Unfortunately, it was a lackluster end.

“I knew it,” Kasim said plainly. “Leon is far too good for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He’s not just worshiping you—he’s chasing after you. I recall that’s what you always wanted.”

At Kasim’s comment, El-Cid fell silent. He’d dismissed his connection with the Giant King as a trivial one. A mere burden passed onto him by the Goddess.

He’d simply beat on the one who stepped forward as the leader of their kind. That was the extent of their relationship. El-Cid beat, and Kasim was beaten.

He never expected Kasim to be someone he could open up to. Humans only revered him, and there was no way a fledgling from a newly born race would ever understand him. Or so he thought.

“Yeah... You’re right.”

He had misjudged. He thought no one could understand.

“He really is too good for me.”

El-Cid lowered his voice for once and yielded this one victory to the disciple who had understood him: Giant King Kasim.

The student who had sharpened the martial arts El-Cid had taught offhand for three hundred years and grasped their essence. El-Cid had never considered anyone other than Leon his true disciple, but at that moment, he acknowledged Kasim as his great disciple.

Meanwhile, Kasim still found something to nitpick.

“No, not just too good—way too good is more accurate.”

Suddenly, Leon’s ragged breaths interrupted the argument between the two.

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

It wasn’t intentional. A few dozen seconds had passed since he’d entered a trance-like state and unleashed psychokinesis. In that short time, his mental strength had been completely depleted.

I-I’m blacking o-out... Leon cried inwardly as his vision repeatedly dimmed and brightened from the dizziness and pounding headache.

The overwhelming fatigue was incomparable to physical exhaustion. There was no “pushing through” with grit. Psychokinesis consumed the spirit itself—its source was grit; its fuel was willpower.

“Whoops, my bad, Leon.”

Realizing Leon’s condition too late, El-Cid released a soft glow. The focus returned to Leon’s eyes, just before he collapsed. Even sacred spells were inefficient when it came to restoring the mind, but it was enough to help him catch his breath.

Clinging desperately to consciousness, Leon immediately collapsed onto his back.

“I—I thought I was gonna die...”

To directly move one’s mind—to wield a force beyond physical life—was alien and dangerous. It was similar to controlling one’s own heartbeat.

If a heart were made to beat strongly and rapidly, it might temporarily increase the body’s oxygen supply, enabling explosive movement. However, overusing it without understanding its limits would eventually rupture arteries or kill the user outright.

El-Cid explained, “Psychokinesis directly consumes your mental strength. When you hit your limit, you’ll immediately lose consciousness. You could push beyond it... If you’re prepared for permanent damage.”

“What kind of... permanent damage?” Leon asked.

“Partially diminished brain function. Difficulty controlling your body. Or if you’re unlucky, death.”

Leon shivered at the chilling explanation. His joy at reaching a new realm was short-lived. It felt like a cold blade had been pressed to the back of his neck.

El-Cid’s voice carried none of its usual mischief. That alone was enough to underscore how deadly serious he was about the danger of reckless use.

“Advice is great and all, but aren’t you forgetting something?”

A deep voice came from behind, and a large, thick hand clapped Leon’s shoulder. It was Kasim.

“Congratulations, brother. It must have been grueling training, but you endured and seized the fruit of your efforts.”

“Kasim...”

“Hold your head high. You’ve set your footprint on a path that no one has walked in centuries.”

Kasim’s blunt words encouraged Leon, soothing his body and mind after the long, grueling training. Though it was true that they had grown close as senior and junior disciples of Rodrick, Kasim wasn’t the type to say anything he didn’t mean.

Not to be outdone, El-Cid also offered some uncharacteristic words—though not loud enough for Kasim to hear.

—Well done.

“That’s it...?” Leon muttered.

—A man shouldn’t be so desperate for praise!

Despite barking at the awkwardness of the moment, El-Cid quickly softened his voice and added a few more words.

—Thanks for keeping up with me. I’m glad you’re my disciple.

“...”

—You heard that, right? Even if you didn’t, I’m not saying it twice.

After a moment of silence, Leon spoke cautiously.

“Thanks for keeping up with me. I’m glad you’re my—”

—Shut up! That lunk is gonna hear you!

“Keke,” Leon chuckled at the successful tease.

Putting aside the emotion, how often would Leon get a chance to tease El-Cid like this? He was satisfied by El-Cid’s flustered response, then sat up and glanced around.

The once beautiful cave was now in ruins, torn apart by the psychokinesis training. Dozens of impact marks remained from when Kasim had slammed him into the wall, more holes and grooves than he could count.

Honestly, it feels like a miracle I even survived.

Kasim’s control had been incredibly precise, but during the fights, Leon hadn’t noticed. He had been skirting death with every move during the dance on the razor’s edge. The tension of hovering between life and death had pushed his body and mind right to the cliff’s edge.

“Anyway. Good. We got it done just in time.”

El-Cid’s muttering caught Leon’s and Kasim’s attention.

“Hm? Made it in time for what?” Leon asked.

“There was a time limit?” Kasim frowned. “You didn’t tell me that.”

El-Cid added, like it was obvious, “What, did you forget? Maybe I can’t blame the lunk, but Leon—you were supposed to remember.”

“Is there something going on today?”

“Not today. Tomorrow. It’s your birthday.”

“Oh, right... Wait, what does that matter?”

Leon scratched his head, confused by the sudden topic.

Even Kasim, growing annoyed, cut in, “Stop talking in circles. Why can’t you just explain things clearly?”

“Try living sealed inside a sword. Let’s see how long you last without rambling.”

“Didn’t you talk the same way when you were alive?”

El-Cid smoothly dodged that jab and continued, “You really forgot already? It’s the day of the prophecy.”

“Oh!”

Leon’s eyes widened in realization. Originally, the title of Hero was meant for Lyon. The Holy Sword was supposed to descend a year after his coming-of-age.

However, El-Cid had gone rogue and chosen Leon instead at the cost of having most of his power sealed. That seal would finally be lifted tomorrow, on the true day of the prophecy.

“Why do you think I rushed your psychokinesis training? Once the sword’s seal is lifted, your recovery ability becomes absurd. It’ll be nearly impossible to fully exhaust your body and mind.”

“Wait, that’s how good it gets?”

“With a bit of exaggeration, it’s troll-level. Just because you can heal doesn’t mean it’s always good, but that idiot Goddess just doesn’t seem to get it.”

Leon let the blasphemous remark slide and sighed in relief. If he hadn’t succeeded in mastering psychokinesis in time, he might have been pummeled until even his regeneration couldn’t keep up. Missing that by just a day was a narrow escape.

“The prophesied day, huh,” Kasim repeated the phrase quietly. “Will the Goddess descend herself?”

“As if,” El-Cid shot that down immediately. “You think summoning a god is like calling your pet? Even channeling a tiny fragment of her power through the Holy Sword only happens once every few centuries.”

Kasim lowered his large head in genuine disappointment.

“Shame.”

El-Cid decided to offer some words of encouragement.

“Honestly, she’ll come fetch your soul after you die. Just keep training hard until then.”

“I was planning to keep at it even without your encouragement.”

“Touchy as ever.”

After their usual exchange of barbs, El-Cid turned back to Leon.

“It’ll happen right at midnight, so be ready. I don’t think she’ll test you again—but that nutty Goddess has pulled things even I didn’t see coming.”

At those words, Leon looked up through the opening in the ceiling. The sky, streaked with the colors of sunset, turned the opening red. There were still a few hours until nightfall—but that was all. The day was nearly done. The time had come for him to begin his true role as a Hero.

“The Goddess...” Leon muttered.

El-Cid might toss around irreverent nicknames like “nutcase,” but to Leon, she was beyond imagining. The last remaining god, guardian of mortal life.

Because of her mercy, the world hadn’t become prey to the monsters beyond. Because of her will, they had been saved from destruction more than once.

Kasim, too, nodded as if in agreement.

“Seems there’s nothing more I can do to help. Will you pass along my gratitude to her, Leon?”

“Of course, brother. I’ll make sure to tell her.”

“Thank you. Don’t be rude like that damned idiot hero.”

He gave Leon a few firm pats on the shoulder, then departed to fulfill his duties as the king of the Titans. Leon remained alone, awaiting the few hours left until midnight.

During that time, he thought of the people who had passed through his life over the last year, of the incidents he’d resolved, and of the world he would now face.

Time passed. The sunlight through the ceiling faded, replaced by moonlight. Stars twinkled into view.

—It’s midnight.

At El-Cid’s signal, a column of light descended from the sky, so brilliant it could be seen hundreds of kilometers away. The pillar enveloped Leon completely, isolating him from the world.

It was the day of the prophecy.

Down came the divine power that could only be invoked once every few centuries—when the Goddess personally chose her champion through the law of causality.