The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 485: Final Act (8)

“Humans, huh...” Yula muttered wryly. Her frown lingered, showing he couldn’t stand the fact that she had felt even a flicker of fear just moments earlier.

“Do you really believe you can defeat me as a human?”

Her lips curled into a mocking smirk, seemingly regarding Karyl with pity.

“You, of all people, should know why those who have challenged me before have failed. It’s because they clung to their condition.”

With that, Yula began walking slowly toward Karyl.

“Whether I’m human, a dragon, or a spirit... I will fight the gods in order to preserve the natural order of our world, and to protect its dignity.”

She shook her head.

“Godslaying? Sure, if that’s what your species needs for its so-called prosperity, then maybe the existence of gods is indeed flawed. But all your grand ideals amount to nothing more than cowardice, an excuse to stay comfortable, afraid to give up anything for true change.”

Shing!

She pointed her crimson blade directly at Karyl.

“In the end, you’re no different from those who came before you. For a moment, I felt a twinge of fear... but you’re just another human who couldn’t break free from your mortal shackles.”

Despite her provocation, Karyl’s expression remained calm.

“Heh, so you’re afraid of me.” He flashed her a defiant smirk.

At that, Yula clenched her teeth, her expression twisting with fury.

“You will cast aside your humanity, whether you like it or not.”

Clank! Boom!!

As her armor shifted with an audible metallic sound, she lunged at Karyl.

Whooooosh...!!

Each step she took shook the ground, her Divine Power so potent that Karyl could barely breathe.

I expected this, but it seems she has completely absorbed the Dimension Spiral. With my current strength, opposing her is nearly impossible.

Indeed, Karyl had once considered ascending to divinity, but now, that option was off the table.

“Suan... thanks to you, I found another way. I’m grateful to all of you,” he whispered, kneeling before Suan as he drew out the three Dimension Spirals engraved within him.

Whirr...

As the emerald shards emerged from Suan’s body, his corpse crumbled into dust and disappeared entirely. The human body, drained of all that Divine Power, had no strength left to maintain its form.

Clang!

All that remained of Suan Hazer was the pair of gauntlets on the ground. Maktuun picked them up.

“Take our power as well.”

“We cannot let the contractor’s death be in vain.”

The powers of the Spirit Kings of Earth and Lightning flowed into Karyl’s body.

Fwoooosh...!!!

The tremendous spirit energy engulfed him completely, mitigating the fierce turbulence of the Dimension Spirals that had seemed on the verge of overwhelming him.

“...”

Though he had now surpassed the pinnacle of human capability, his battle with Yula remained an uphill struggle.

“You will cast aside your humanity.”

Her words echoed in his ears like a curse, but Karyl shook his head as if to cast it away.

“Let’s go!” Miliana said resolutely, to which Karyl raised his sword in response.

As the spiritual power condensed into Agnel, fire, ice, lightning, wind, earth, light, and darkness swirled around the dagger’s blade. Each element radiated divine energy, dancing together into a deadly vortex.

“Haaaah...!”

[Karyl, remember. Unlike Yula, you are bound by mortal flesh. To wield Divine Power, you need a medium. Naturally, that medium will be us.]

[Humans must burn through their life force to wield Divine Power. Naturally, their flesh cannot withstand that. However, we’re here to prevent that from happening to you. So charge at Yula with everything you have.]

[Just as divine beasts are born anew, spirits will re-emerge wherever there is nature.]

[Our end does not mean the end of the Spirit Realm... we will simply become the foundation for those who come after.]

The Spirit Kings spoke with unwavering resolve, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

CLANG!

Yula’s blade crashed against Karyl’s, the fierce impact scattering the black mist around them like a raging storm. The earth trembled as if the dimension itself were on the verge of collapse, and a vicious shockwave burst forth.

This was a battle of gods—one the human realm could scarcely contain. None of the previous wielders of a Dimension Spiral had come even close to this level of power.

“Hraaaah...!! A sharp cry cut through the air.

Tack—

Amid the deafening roar, a faint footstep echoed—so subtle most wouldn’t even notice. In that split second, Karyl and Yula traded hundreds—no, thousands—of strikes.

“...”

It was like lightning striking lightning. Yula’s expression hardened as Karyl matched her blow for blow.

Even though they both possessed Dimension Spirals, they were worlds apart—Yula had fully absorbed hers, while Karyl relied on his sword to channel their power.

The sole reason Karyl could hold his own against Yula was clear.

“I can feel the spirits fading away...”

Even as he murmured, the deadly clash raged on. Yula’s blade swept toward Karyl’s abdomen, but he parried and countered, aiming for her neck. She blocked with her wing, unleashing Divine Power in the same motion to obliterate his leg.

Karyl twisted away just in time, and Mael slithered to her flank, his sharp fangs locking into place like the teeth of a machine.

Whooosh...!

Yula tried to swat Mael away, but the blue serpent coiled around her arm in a flash. A crushing pressure gripped her limb, stiffening it for the briefest fraction of a moment—almost imperceptible.

But Karyl didn’t miss it.

Annihilation Strike

Karyl swung Agnel. Instead of the usual shockwaves caused by the clash of opposing forces, a void formed along the path of his swing, as if space itself were being devoured.

CRACK...! VOOOOM...!

Emerald light erupted from the distorted space.

The Divine Power Karyl had unleashed from Agnel collided with the energy bestowed by the Spirit Kings, thus recreating the Annihilation Strike.

Whooosh...!!

The distorted void whirred violently, unleashing invisible blades that rained down on Yula.

BOOM...!

CLANG—CLANG—CLANG—!

The razor-sharp strikes landed true, but Yula did not scream.

“Even if your blade carries Divine Power, swordsmanship bound to the realm of mortals will always be inferior to true divinity.”

With that, Yula vanished and instantly emerged behind Karyl.

“...!!”

She wrenched Mael from her arm and, with one brutal twist, tore the spirit serpent’s jaws apart. A heartbeat later, her crimson blade, blazing with divine fire, surged toward Karyl. With a sickening thud, blood sprayed through the air.

“Ugh...”

But it wasn’t Karyl’s blood.

Hagane had wedged himself between them. He gripped the blade that dug into his chest with both arms, holding it tight like an embrace.

“Now...!”

And then, as if he had been waiting all along for this opportunity, Hagane proceeded to chant a spell. Dozens of crimson tendrils erupted from the pool of blood at their feet and surged toward Yula.

“Hmph.”

But Yula was indifferent to the Demon King’s last stand. She grabbed his head and pulled her sword free with ease.

VOOSH!

The blood tendrils meant to bind Yula were completely erased by the beams of light she unleashed.

Slash!

Her blade obliterated Hagane in an instant, then swung toward Karyl. A sharp clang rang out as he parried, and the Dimension Spiral flew off Agnel, as if ripped out by force.

Whooosh...!!

From the crack in the blade, spirit energy leaked out like smoke. The opening Hagane had created ended in utter failure. The Demon King’s lifeless body crumbled into black smoke and disappeared.

“All that lofty ambition you piled up amounts to nothing more than a tower built on sand. Now do you understand why gods are gods? Because they don’t need to rely on anyone. They are majestic and absolute by their own power.”

With that, Yula picked up the fallen Dimension Spiral and held it up for Karyl to see.

“The outcome was already decided from the moment you mortals dared to covet Divine Power. If you truly want to stand up to me, ascend to godhood.”

She flashed him a smile.

“If you don’t... this world will be destroyed. And in return for your little challenge, I’ll take everything you hold dear. Even if you win, you’ll be left with nothing but crushing solitude.”

“Is that so?”

It was then—

FWOOOOSH—!!!!

“Then I’ll just have to drag you down from that pedestal. Off your Divine Throne... and straight into the dirt we stand on!”

At that moment, Yula lurched slightly. Something burst out from her back, piercing through to her chest. Milliana had struck from her blind spot.

But that was mere magic, a far cry from Karyl’s divine blade. What could such an attack possibly do to a god?

“How foolish...”

Yet at that moment, Yula’s expression froze, all color draining from her face. Dark veins pulsed across her chest, just like the mortals who had overused Divine Power.

“Ghah...! Cough!”

She staggered, blood spilling from her lips.

“T-Toska’s bone...?”

To her disbelief, the white object lodged in her chest wasn’t a blade at all—rather, it was a bone shard of the Golden Dragon, akin to a spike. The unexpected counterattack left her visibly shaken. She finally looked down and understood what had pierced her.

Realizing what had struck her, Yula glimpsed at Miliana with infinite malice and roared, “YOU...!!! You wretched...!! How dare you—!”

Splurt!

In response, Miliana yanked Toska’s bone free from her chest. Dark blood gushed from Yula’s mouth, like a fountain.

“Draconic mana, being colorless, is among the most effective forces for humans to wield Divine Power... yet even it cannot fully withstand it.”

“Cough...!”

“And for a god like you, it’s nothing but poison. How does it feel to taste the agony we’ve endured throughout this battle?”

“You... fools! You dare covet a power beyond your means, and now you lecture me?!”

The dark veins rapidly spread across her chest, branching out like cracks in parched earth.

“GHAAAAAAAH...!!!”

Her scream pierced the heavens. Every time she tried to muster her divine energy, pain shot through her entire body. She cursed the one power she had taken for granted.

“You think this changes the outcome?!”

FWOOSH...!!

Yula spread her arms wide, calling forth the black mist that had once shrouded the battlefield. A fierce storm erupted, dragging Karyl and Miliana into a swirling abyss of darkness.

Serica...! Get a hold of yourself...! Stand up!!!

Ghah...! Damn it...

Lady Viola, retreat immediately! The front line is collapsing!!

Aaaaahhhh—!!

Warriors of the north, do not fear death! Charge...!!

Our empress is in there! Southern folk, take up arms! Show the courage of the wild!

S-Save me...!!

Cough...! Please...!!

Knights of the Free Nation... Advance!!

Golem unit! Report on survivors!!

Deploy magic! All sorcerers of the council, give it your all...!!

“FIGHT...!!!”

Desperate cries echoed from every direction. Within the black mist, the voices tolled like a knell—a bleak warning of the inevitable end.

Karyl could hear them—suffering excruciating deaths at the hands of monsters serving the very god humanity was meant to revere. The outcome was painfully clear—absolute defeat. Reducing their sacrifices to that single phrase felt disgraceful—cruel, even—but no one on this battlefield could deny what was in front of them.

Voosh!

A sudden impact snapped Karyl to attention, his expression dazed.

“Pull yourself together!” shouted Miliana. “We can’t know for sure what’s happening beyond this darkness! It might just be Yula’s trickery... or maybe those screams are real. Nevertheless, those people are still fighting, and so must you!”

Her bravado belied the grief that throbbed in her chest.

On that fateful day in his previous life, when Karyl had lost his comrades, anger had overshadowed his grief. But now, perhaps for the first time ever, Karyl let sorrow wash over him. He allowed himself to feel it.

Drip...

Tears trickled down his angular cheeks.

“Lift your head,” Miliana whispered as she embraced him.

Karyl looked at her weakly.

“Don’t forget their screams. They are a testament to their resolve. Even if the pain crushes us, we shall now break!”

Ironically, this sorrow could very well become the weapon to make him even stronger. And Karyl realized with chilling certainty that this sorrow would end with Miliana.

“Stop...”

Miliana smiled faintly.

“Without Divine Power, we cannot create an opening. Hagane’s sacrifice allowed us to land one blow, but it wasn’t enough. Thankfully, though, we still have this.”

She showed him something.

At some point, amidst the chaos, Miliana had managed to retrieve the Dimension Fragment Yula had dropped when pierced by Toska’s bone.

“No one but me can use this,” she said resolutely, grasping the shard tightly.

Thanks to the draconic mana flowing through her, she could utilize the Dimension Spiral to its full capacity. Of course, the price for wielding power equal to that of the gods was steep.

“Even if it’s just one strike, that’s one chance to end this.”

“...Enough! You’ve barely survived thanks to Hagata! You know full well what happens if you tap into a Dimension Spiral once again!”

Indeed, Miliana’s body was already like a patchwork, held together only by demonic artifacts and the power of the Demon King. It wouldn’t be surprising if she fell apart the next moment.

Regardless of her condition, the supreme demonic power that sustained her clashed directly with the divine energy of the Dimension Spiral. Naturally, using the shard again, in these conditions, would doom her.

“Yes, I know... But losing you is far worse than crumbling myself,” Miliana whispered before gently pushing Karyl away.

“Never bow to a god... my king.” Her voice was calm and resolute, as though she had already made her peace with what was to come.

“Miliana...!”

Karyl reached out, but she had already stepped through the mist.

***

In the suffocating, absolute darkness of the void, where simply maintaining one’s consciousness was a struggle, Miliana gripped the Dimension Spiral tightly.

So this is it...

She held the shard close to her chest, a bitter, rueful smile straying on her face.

“And I was so eager to see the future you’d create...”

Still, there was a hint of relief in her expression.

“I believe in you, Karyl. Through all the oppression and hardship we faced at the hands of the empire, you were our light. The day you first led us is still vivid in my mind, and that memory alone assures me the future you’ll build will shine just as brightly.”

Whummmm—!!

The Dimension Spiral began to glow.

She closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the final moment.

“Hey, did I not entrust Karyl to you? And yet you’re so willing to throw your life away.”

The mist parted briefly, revealing a silhouette.

“...Allen?!”

Miliana’s eyes widened in shock.

“Empress of the South, hand that over to me.”

“You...”

Her gaze went past Allen, toward the source of the second voice.