Book 14 Chapter 35

The homeland of the hero,

In the central Empire (6)

Leland met Sena Apeltas when he was fifteen years old, in autumn.

The Swordsmanship Tournament sanctioned by the Papacy, the Jijimje (地劍祭, Festival of Earth Swords).

Leland met Sena in the finals of that competition, which only juvenile swordsmen vying for the top spot entered, and he was defeated.

Sena, who was a disciple of Paequor, was 14 at the time, and Leland's soul was captivated by her quiet, shy beauty.

'He wanted to be united with her.'

However, if Sena were to become a hero, a hero could not accept a man, could not marry, and could not form a family.

From that day on, Leland desperately swung his sword. And a year later, in the round of 16 of the Gonggeomje (公劍第, Festival of Public Swords), the higher-tier competition of the Jijimje, he met Sena and defeated her.

The fact that Paequor's disciple was eliminated in the round of 16 would be a major obstacle to her succession as a hero.

That judgment proved effective.

Sena could not enroll in <Wiyonggeomjeon>, the hero training institution.

From then on, Leland passionately wooed Sena… and finally bore fruit.

That year, Sena's older sibling was killed on the great demon front, and the Apeltas family, whose lineage of legitimate successors was almost cut off, seemed grateful to Leland. They readily accepted Leland as a son-in-law who would live with them.

He only found out just before the engagement.

Sena had been sickly since childhood, and had wanted to become a hero if she was going to die soon anyway.

Leland got engaged and married even after hearing that.

'I thought I could inherit Sena's calling.'

Leland spent most of his youth on the demon frontier.

He was not a hero, but he had to live the life of a hero. Because Leland had diverted the hero, who should have originally come here, to another place.

However, every time he returned here, he saw Sena always looking sadly at the city, and he realized that he had taken the greatest happiness from this woman.

'Sena, in fact, didn't she want to be a hero? But, didn't I block all her paths?'

His eldest daughter, who was playful since childhood but also quick-witted, aimed to become a hero, perhaps to fulfill Sena's dream on her behalf.

'I ruined everything because of my greed.'

Leland was not qualified as a husband, nor as a father.

He was unqualified trash.

No matter how hard he tried to become a Sword Saint, no matter how many demons he slew, time could not be turned back, and that choice could not be changed.

'That's why after Sena died, I didn't lay a hand on my children…'

Since everything he touched was ruined, he gave them all autonomy.

He simply tolerated his children's choices.

That was the best love he could give.

'Now, I vowed not to cause any trouble to my family, but how could this happen again…'

Leland gripped his sword in sorrowful helplessness. He had already expended all his magic in the struggle with Zihit, but he had to fight.

"A hero?"

Bremana, a black mage belonging to [Seven Souls], showed interest in Lista's appearance.

'I heard all heroes left for the great demon front.'

Right.

The last hero who hadn't appeared on the front yet… Is it Lista Alter Shirphain?

"Were you waiting here to protect your father rather than heading to the front? What a filial daughter. Though disqualified as a hero."

Before she even finished speaking, Lista aimed for the sensory gap that living beings inevitably have during respiration.

Simply put, it was high-speed movement.

By instantaneously lowering her posture, she moved out of the opponent's perception range, and she could concentrate explosive propulsion into her leg strength.

"!"

The holy sword's slash sharply cut through the space where the black mage Bremana had been located.

It was a hair's breadth difference, less than a split second.

Bremana's body was sucked into a suddenly appearing ice mirror.

'Is she trying to escape with a spatial spell unique to black magic?'

Whether human or beast, if they launch a sudden, aggressive attack, they need time to recover their posture due to their skeletal structure.

That's normal, but…

The next moment, Lista's entire body joints twisted in an impossible manner. That series of joint dislocations allowed her to unleash a second slash without a 0.1-second grace period.

"I won't let you."

The brilliant radiance spewed by the holy sword advanced, carving out space.

This was the most precise yet simple display of power that could be created with a sword, so-called Geomgi (劍氣, Sword Aura).

Complete liberation of the holy sword in such a short moment was impossible, Lista judged.

'Indeed, it's a beautiful combo attack…'

That momentary exchange of blows elicited pure admiration from Zihit, who had dedicated his entire life to the sword.

Even general geniuses found it impossible to generate Geomgi in such a short time.

Leland also felt a thrilling tremor in his chest as he witnessed his daughter's remarkable growth firsthand, but immediately, a tremor of fear overshadowed that emotion.

"Lista, no!"

Before his voice could reach her, the mirror that had absorbed Bremana absorbed Lista's slash… and immediately returned it.

"……!"

As a result, crimson drops of blood splattered across the lawn. A severed arm rolled on the grass, staining the ground red.

It was Lista's hand.

For a swordsman, whose normal limb function is crucial, losing a hand creates a huge vulnerability. Immediately, Bremana's counterattack, the Abyss Ice Spear, surged forward.

Chae-aeng…!

Lista plunged Shirphain into the lawn.

As the holy sword's unique barrier unfolded to withstand the black magic's clutches, Lista pulled out a syringe from her waist and plunged it deep into the severed arm.

Paequor, who underwent physical modification, could temporarily use the authority of absolute beings, namely ultra-high-speed regeneration, using dragon's blood serum.

…Bu-ru-ru-ruk.

Now, tendons, blood vessels, bones, muscle fibers, and skin sprouted from the severed surface, creating a new hand – this situation was possible due to that principle. The dislocated joints also regenerated instantly.

"Monster."

Bremana emerged from the four-sided ice mirror and uttered that assessment. Zihit stepped forward.

"I know for sure from that exchange. Lista, you are stronger than me. In that case, I have no choice but to go all out from the start."

Within the prayer that sang of the Mother of the Burning Desert, of ancient lands of only sand, Zihit's [King's Flesh] within his body bloomed.

"Ha, hahahaha, hahahaha!"

The power of the King resided in his body.

"Absolute power is boiling!"

His blood flow turned into lava, and the veins protruding on his skin glowed ferociously red. The 3.5 seals of magic power deployed behind him also began to take on the properties of lava.

'I can immediately tell what he did after seeing it last time, but I can't quite grasp what the black mage just did.'

Lista held Shirphain in a reverse grip, alternately keeping Zihit and Bremana in check.

'First, the magic casting speed was incredibly fast.'

This grip method was a completely unorthodox, heretical path. However, Lista favored this method.

Because it allowed for irregular movements in any situation, and it excelled when cutting the same trajectory multiple times.

This bizarre swordsmanship would be passed down to later generations under the name 'Temporal Flow Swordsmanship'.

'Can she move anywhere with just that mirror? If such unconditional use is possible, can I find a flaw?'

The enemies' pincer attack began.

Zihit's blade exploded with the properties of lava that swallowed all living things.

While she was blocking that, countless ice spears, causing abyssal decay upon impact, poured down.

'Lista.'

Leland Apeltas moved his body.

He had to protect his daughter.

If Lista could unleash the hero's power, the inherent power of the holy sword, defeating Zihit would be a matter of time, but…

'She can't unleash her true power properly because of that black mage's reflection magic.'

But reflection magic, how could that be?

His old friend, the Archmage of the Yellow River Four Saints, had only managed to block Leland's ultimate slash, saying reflection was impossible.

Reflection is a superior technique to simple defense. It goes beyond merely blocking an opponent's attack to returning it, which is impossible without significantly superior skill.

'First of all, her magic casting speed is absurd. To the point where Lista can't even switch to offense.'

Then he had to admit it.

He didn't know where she came from, but that person was at least as skilled as, or even more skilled than, the former Archmage.

Let's give up on defeating this black mage whom he recognized as a powerful opponent. If he could block her movements for even a moment, his daughter would surely accomplish something.

"You should have been my daughter."

Zihit shouted, unleashing lava slashes at Lista.

"How much you must have suffered under such a taciturn and rigid man."

The holy sword's silver light blocked the slashes, forcing her to repeatedly retreat.

There was no time to switch to offense.

If she tried to unleash her full power against Zihit, the black mage's freezing magic would menacingly pour in from somewhere.

"I was very happy under my father, though?"

Even if she tried to eliminate the spellcaster using freezing magic first, Zihit firmly blocked her path.

The opponent was a knight who had reached 3.5 seals with the [King's Flesh], not easily pushed back even by the oppressive power of the holy sword.

However, Zihit had been imprisoned for a long time, so their coordination couldn't be perfect. If she kept looking, a flaw would surely appear.

"!"

At that moment, Lista saw her father approaching the black mage with his presence completely erased.

The enemy didn't know that.

And the next moment, Leland swung his sword at the black mage, and her defensive barrier reacted, revealing a momentary flaw. Now was the time.

"Don't move!"

Just as Lista was about to finish off the black mage, her body froze solid. Leland was no different.

"Ah, Father, Sister…"

The sword instructor, Billian, appeared, holding a dagger to Gid Apeltas's temple.

"Hero, and former Sword Saint senior, both of you would do well to drop your swords. Unless you want a hole in our Young Master Gid's head."

For a moment, Lista desperately swallowed dryly. Just one moment was all she needed.

'Just one moment to concentrate all my magic power into my leg strength and awaken the power of the Dragon Spirit.'

But would Zihit, and that black mage raining down high-level spells, miss that? If they attacked first or protected Billian, there would be no next chance.

"Sister, Father…! Never drop your swords!"

As Gid shouted urgently, Billian tightened his grip on the knife, and the dagger thinly scraped Gid's temple, blood trickling down his cheek.

"This isn't a game! I'll give you 3 seconds! Hurry!"

Zihit, who had intended not to win by fair means, but to inflict the most miserable and painful defeat, let out a booming laugh.

"No, Leland, don't drop your sword, come to me."

"!"

"But don't resist. You will die without any resistance before my slash. In front of your daughter and son. Yes, it would be even better in front of Sena's grave."

"Father!"

"Lead me to the grave, now!"

Patchut… The power of the abyss flowing along Zihit's blade grew even stronger, and at that critical moment when Lista was reluctantly about to lower her holy sword.

A tremor (戰慄).

Everyone except Billian and Gid, who had not reached their peak, felt a dizzying tremor sweep up their bodies from their toes to their heads in an instant.

It was an immensely powerful magic beyond conventional scale, the presence of a powerful being that only other powerful beings could sense.

At that moment, only Lista's reaction was different. While everyone was filled with bewilderment, only her face filled with exultation.

"Ah, damn it, it's dark and too wide, I don't know the way out. Where's the exit?"

"Kyukyu, kyukyu!"

"Tsk, I'm a fool for asking you."

Bremana, the black mage who had been assisting Zihit in battle from the shadows of the night, narrowed her eyes and looked in that direction.

"Who are you?"

Then the owner of the magic chuckled, as if amused, or rather… as if he had been eagerly waiting for this question his whole life, lifting his straw hat slightly.

"Just passing by, the [Strongest]."