Chapter 637

“The Sword and Saber Sovereign…?”

Raon swallowed nervously as he watched the old man step on the blood.

‘Is he really the Sword and Saber Sovereign?’

Since the Sword and Saber Sovereign had lived hundreds of years ago, even the Black Market couldn’t tell him about his appearance. All he knew was that he was a transcended warrior who used a blue sword and a red saber, which perfectly matched his characteristics.

As the old man walked towards them, raising his sword, which was shining in galaxy blue, and his saber, which was burning endlessly like lava, he overwhelmed everyone in that place with his wave of energy.

Except for the fact that the white parts of his eyes were black and the pupils were white, he looked exactly like the Sword and Saber Sovereign had been described in the records.

‘Even though the Sword and Saber is a transcended warrior, it’s impossible for him to still be alive. Which means, that thing is… dead, and revived.’

Splash.

It was difficult to figure out because the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s pressure was far too powerful, but he was showing almost no signs of life. He was definitely a dead person who was being controlled.

“Th-the Sword and Saber Sovereign?”

“The owner of this grave…?”

“H-how is that even possible? The Sword and Saber Sovereign lived hundreds of years ago!”

The warriors widened their eyes in disbelief while looking at the Sword and Saber Sovereign.

“H-he must be a fake, right?”

“Look at that sword and saber! He is exactly like the Sword and Saber Sovereign described in the records!”

“Abyssal Saber, Demon Breaking Sword… The Sword and Saber Sovereign’s weapons have the same names as his techniques, and his appearance perfectly matches…”

People stepped back because of the monstrous energy wave emanating from the Sword and Saber Sovereign and the frightening glimmer of his weapons.

“There’s no reason to suspect him. He is the Sword and Saber Sovereign.” Delpros shook his head while sweeping his short hair back. Composure was returning to his gaze.

“This cavern that you are standing in right now is the actual location of the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s grave.”

“Then what about his legacy…?” Raon looked at Delpros with a furrowed brow.

“Yes, I took it already.” Delpros casually nodded. “The Sword and Saber Sovereign left behind his weapon, martial art, and even his corpse in pristine condition here, as if his greatest regret in life was not having a successor. Thanks to that…”

He curled his lip into a smile while looking at the Sword and Saber Sovereign standing in front of the platform.

“We even received the opportunity to control the Sword and Saber Sovereign himself.” Delpros shook his hand as if he were conducting an orchestra. “He was indeed a Transcender. His corpse was perfectly fine even after his death. He’d left some incomprehensible will, but it shouldn’t really matter.”

He giggled, saying that he was glad that the Sword and Saber Sovereign was so dumb.

“......”

Raon bit his lip while looking at the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s empty eyes.

‘My guess was right.’

The first head of Zieghart had created the training ground for the sake of the people in the future, and the Sword and Saber Sovereign came all the way there and tried to leave his martial art and weapons to Zieghart because he looked up to the first head.

However, everyone must’ve forgotten about it afterward because the land ended up being no longer part of Zieghart’s domain.

The Sword and Saber Sovereign must’ve left behind his legacy with good intentions, but the land had been turned into hell by the biggest villain of the century, Derus Robert, and the warrior who’d been carrying out righteous actions as a neutral entity ended up as a genocidal fiend after his death.

He is seriously trash!

Wrath finally understood the situation and bit his lip.

Humans insult demons all the time, but you are even worse than us when you look at it.

‘That’s true.’

Raon couldn’t even say anything to refute the words. Delpros and Derus were both pretty much evil fiends in the guise of humans.

“Sword and Saber Sovereign.”

Delpros bobbed his finger, and the Sword and Saber Sovereign bowed to him. The extreme courtesy he was showing was reminiscent of a vassal serving his king.

“Kill them all. But don’t tear them apart. I have a use for their corpses.”

“......”

The Sword and Saber Sovereign nodded his head and turned around. The intense stench of blood emanated from the white glimmer of his eyes.

Raon chewed his lip while gripping the divine and demonic swords.

‘He has a use for our corpses?’

Since he asked him to not tear them apart, Delpros must’ve been planning to start a war by leaving fake wounds on their bodies.

‘I won’t let that happen.’

War was one thing that had to be stopped no matter what.

“Uuh…”

“W-wait!”

The warriors near Delpros’s platform couldn’t even budge a finger, terrified by the murderous intent emanating from the Sword and Saber Sovereign.

Swoosh!

The Sword and Saber Sovereign’s left hand turned into light. A blue radiance glimmered and suddenly dropped onto the necks of the warriors. It was a simple slash, but the speed was tremendous.

Cring!

Raon executed the Supreme Harmony Steps. He advanced towards the Sword and Saber Sovereign, incorporating heaviness into the divine sword.

He blocked the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s falling blade as a blue wind with a spiral flame.

Claaang!

The flaming sword clashed against the blue sword, and a powerful shockwave burst out as a result. The aftereffect of the astral energy spread in all directions and destroyed the floor.

“Kuh.”

Raon bit his lip, the hand holding the divine sword trembling in pain.

‘I feel like my hand is being cut off.’

The pain was far surpassing his expectations. He even felt like his Sword Field had stopped.

Spark!

Even though they were crossing swords, the Sword and Saber Sovereign wasn’t showing any curiosity or malice in his eyes. He simply moved his white pupils, as if all he wanted to do was to accomplish Delpros’s order.

“S-Sir Raon?”

“Why did you…”

“Save us?”

The warriors who barely managed to survive asked why he’d saved them after they'd attacked the Light Wind Division with widened eyes.

“I’m aware that you didn’t attack us on purpose. Step back!” Raon quickly shook his head.

“Th-thank you!”

“I’ll definitely repay this gratitude!”

The warriors hurriedly bowed at him and ran to the back.

For you to save vermin like them… How surprising.

Wrath tilted his head, curious about his behavior.

It’s too late for good deeds!

‘It wasn’t for that reason.’

He hadn’t saved them to look like a kind person or because he liked them. He’d only saved them because saving as many people as possible allowed him to ruin Derus’s plan for war.

Rumble!

The Sword and Saber Sovereign’s sword became heavier and heavier. He couldn’t be sure if his Transcended power still remained, but he was definitely stronger than his current state at least.

Huff.

Raon inhaled deeply and stabbed the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s shoulder with the demonic sword in his left hand.

The Sword and Saber Sovereign immediately raised his red saber to block the blade.

Claang!

The clashes between the swords, as well as between the sword and the saber, sent black sparks scattering in all directions.

Thud!

Raon executed the Supreme Harmony’s Third Step. He retreated smoothly, as if gliding on ice. He unleashed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation from the tip of his right foot. He advanced by incorporating the energy of fire in his lower body and unleashed the Thirty-Six Crimson Slash towards the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s chest.

“......”

The Sword and Saber Sovereign was capable of using his full power even when he’d lost his balance slightly. The red haze burst from his Abyssal Saber like a divine dragon.

Whaam!

The clash between the divine sword and the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s Abyssal Saber caused a powerful flame to surge up and smash into the cavern’s ceiling.

Step.

Raon took another step into the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s space. He clenched the demonic sword instead of the divine sword that was being pushed back.

The blue light dwelling on the demonic sword was separated into two and rushed toward the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s neck and heart at the same time.

Cring!

The Sword and Saber Sovereign’s left hand unleashed a current similar to the lunar halo. The Demon Breaking Sword created a thick wall, blocking the demonic sword’s blade with the grotesque roar of a dragon.

Whaam!

Both the divine and demonic sword subsided in vain, unable to break through the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s defense. A huge shockwave spread around to violently shake the entire cavern, but it was completely meaningless.

“Kuh…”

Raon’s tightened lips parted before he knew it.

‘Is this how powerful a Transcender is, even after his death…?’

He was superior in terms of strength and agility, but his opponent’s amount of aura and realm of martial arts were way better. He should’ve been praised for not being completely pushed back.

Thud!

The Sword and Saber Sovereign executed footwork for the first time. The heavy footwork felt like it was crushing the floor. However, the speed was no less than the Supreme Harmony Steps.

He rapidly closed the distance and slammed his sword and saber down at the same time.

“Kuh!”

Raon tried to escape, but the pressure caused by the Sword and Saber Sovereign didn’t allow it.

Raon unleashed the Firewall with the divine sword while executing the Golden Void Infusion with the demonic sword.

The Golden Void Infusion, capable of surrounding an opponent’s aura to remove it, and the Firewall, with the power to stop all of his opponent’s attacks, clashed against the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s martial art.

Pssh!

Raon furrowed his brow while being pushed far back. Even though he’d removed most of the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s aura with the Golden Void Infusion, the impact felt still powerful enough to almost destroy the Firewall.

‘He isn’t an opponent that I can win against on my own.’

He wasn’t saving his aura at all, probably because he was already dead. Raon could predict that his body might tear apart if he continued to fight like that. The Sword and Saber Sovereign was a monster that he couldn’t face yet.

Whoosh!

He fired an astral sphere to divert him and shifted his gaze to the back.

“I’ll be there soon! Hang in there!”

“Damn it, if only I didn’t have this injury…”

Rimmer and Serena were fully occupied with the sixth apostle and the Master of the Abyssal Sword.

It was only natural because Rimmer was still not used to his prosthetic arm and Serena was severely injured.

Cring!

As expected of a dead person, the Sword and Saber Sovereign wasn’t showing any sign of exhaustion as he thrust the Demon Breaking Sword and the Abyssal Sword. The blue and red rays were extended towards him as a storm of blades.

‘I have to do it alone.’

Raon gritted his teeth, thinking that he had no other choice.

Rumble!

A huge lightning strike struck from the left side to fend off the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s saber, and a heavy sword strike extended from the right to suppress his sword.

Wham!

The Sword and Saber Sovereign stepped back for the first time, and two people took the opportunity to dash forward. It was Kuzan, the Cohman knight captain, and Barphil the Boltweaver.

Their desperate resolutions showed in their expressions as they looked back.

“It should be difficult on your own.”

“I’m going to help.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

Raon shook his head while looking at the Cohman knight captain and the Boltweaver. Since neither of them was in good shape, they could end up perishing in a single strike at worst.

“I already said that I would repay the favor. I’m glad that I quickly got that opportunity.”

“I concur.”

The two stood next to Raon, shaking their heads to show that they didn’t mind dying for that sake.

“Huhu.” Delpros sneered at them with his arms crossed. “Do as you wish. But I wonder if three of you are going to be enough.”

“......”

Raon clenched his back teeth without responding to him. It was frustrating to admit, but the Sword and Saber Sovereign was still too powerful. There was no guarantee that they could win, even with the three of them.

“Since it’s too boring to wait, let us make our move as well.” Delpros snapped his fingers, and people in black uniforms walked out from the darkness.

‘Are they the Nightshade Division?’

They were the warriors from the Nightshade Division, to which Delpros belonged. They had properly polished their martial arts, unlike the Shadows, who had learned assassination techniques.

“Kill them.”

Upon hearing his order, the Nightshade Division’s warriors dashed towards the warriors who hadn’t returned to their senses yet.

Slash!

The difference in strength was one thing, but the extremely rapid development of the situation made the warriors from the neutral factions quickly die one after the other, unable to survive their assault.

“Hmm…”

Raon’s fingers trembled as he looked backward.

‘They shouldn’t be dying here.’

It was necessary to save as many people as possible in order to stop the war. However, the Light Wind Division and the Void Sword Division were unable to help because they were occupied by the White Blood Religion and the Black Tower.

“So we need to save people,” Kuzan, the Cohman knight captain, turned around and shouted at his subordinates.

“Cohman knights, stop those murderers!”

“Same goes for you! Help the knights and protect the people!” Barphil the Boltweaver also gave the order to defend while nodding his head.

They must’ve been serious when they said they would help by any means necessary.

“We should get started, too. I’ll be the vanguard!” Kuzan roared, dashing towards the Sword and Saber Sovereign from the front.

Claaang!

Even his thick sword was easily fended off by the Abyssal Saber, as if it were nothing but a branch.

“Where do you think you are going?”

However, he wasn’t pushed back, nor did he step back. He stomped the ground and slashed again to persistently keep the Sword and Saber Sovereign with him.

Zap!

As the Sword and Saber Sovereign was distracted by the Cohman knight captain, the Boltweaver took the opportunity to drop a huge lightning bolt shaped like a tree root onto him.

Rumble!

The Sword and Saber Sovereign lifted the Demon Breaking Sword to destroy the lightning while fending off the Cohman knight captain’s attack at the same time. His sword barrier was flexible and thick at the same time.

Thud!

Raon kicked the ground, creating a red ray of light. He stabbed the divine and demonic swords toward the slightly thinner sword barrier.

Crack!

The barrier was destroyed and the blades of the divine and demonic swords stopped right in front of the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s face. His eyes were still as composed as ever.

Raon twisted his wrists and unleashed all the aura he had in his energy center, stomping on the ground heavily.

Rumble!

A flame dragon burst from the divine sword’s tip while a water dragon emerged from the demonic blade, showering him with their haughty breaths. He’d performed the Flame Dragon Art during the Sword Field Creation.

Whaaam!

The flame and frost exploded at once, completely destroying the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s sword barrier in the process.

“Kuaaah!”

“Lightning Spirit!”

The Cohman knight captain smashed his astral sphere onto the broken sword barrier, and the Boltweaver made a huge sphere of lightning energy explode.

Whaaam!

Another huge explosion occurred, and a crater formed on the ground under the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s feet.

“Is it over?”

As the Boltweaver was letting out a sigh of relief, a black spark emerged from the dark smoke.

“Gasp!”

“Ah…”

Since the Cohman knight captain and the Boltweaver had gone all out on the previous attack, they could only stare at the light, unable to even think about dodging it.

Cring!

Raon dashed forward while biting his lip. He spun the divine sword to create a shield of flame, which was blazing from the bottom.

Whaam!

The powerful saber strike shattered the Firewall in an instant. Raon immediately laid down the demonic sword to unleash a shield of frost.

Whaaam!

He managed to barely fend off the attack, but he felt like the bones all around his body were reverberating with pain. The difference in power and quality of the aura was much too severe.

Whoosh!

The Sword and Saber Sovereign could be seen once the smoke faded away. His outfit was cut apart, but not a single drop of blood was shed from his white skin.

‘Is he even a corpse… Hmm?’

Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at the inside of the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s outfit. The emblem on the clothes he was wearing inside his martial uniform looked similar to Zieghart’s.

‘Right, the Sword and Saber Sovereign supposedly looked up to Zieghart’s first head. He might recognize the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation if that’s true.’

Raon slashed with the Flame Spirit, increasing the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s output to the maximum.

Whaaap!

The flaming flower petals nourished by the fire spread around in all directions before they surrounded the Sword and Saber Sovereign.

Since the Flame Spirit was the most characteristic move of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, it could potentially return his sanity.

Slash!

However, the Sword and Saber Sovereign violently swung his saber as if he were cutting down a tree, completely removing all of the red flower petals covering the darkness.

‘I guess it’s no good…’

Apparently, awakening a person who was revived after being brainwashed with martial arts was only possible in a story.

‘Yeah, this is even better.’

Raon fixed the grips of the swords. He twisted his lips while gazing into the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s serious eyes.

‘I don’t even need to get the book of martial arts. I’ll take everything from you right here.’

* * *

Rumble!

At the same time that the huge shockwave burst out, the Cohman knight captain was sent flying and smashed into a wall, and the Boltweaver rolled on the ground while coughing up blood.

“Cough!”

“Kuh…”

The Cohman knight captain managed to stand back up with difficulty, but his legs were still trembling and the Boltweaver had fallen on his knees, unable to stand up.

“Huff…”

Raon shook his head while wiping the blood flowing from his mouth.

‘He really is different because he used to be a Transcender.’

Even though he was rotating the rings of fire as fast as possible, he was still having a hard time figuring out the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s martial art.

Even if he’d managed to analyze his martial art, the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s will was far too powerful, making it impossible to create any openings.

“This is strange…” The Cohman knight captain slowly caught his breath, his sword hand trembling slightly. “Why is his aura not decreasing at all?”

“Hmm. Even a Transcender should have a limit…” the Boltweaver gave a short nod of agreement.

‘Now that I think about it…’

Raon stroked his chin while looking at the Sword and Saber Sovereign.

‘He still has the same amount of aura as in the beginning.’

He could understand that he wasn’t getting tired at all since he’d been revived. However, the Sword and Saber Sovereign had also been using his aura as if it were unlimited. Even though he’d been going all out in every single strike, the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s aura wasn’t decreasing at all.

“Is he similar to a lich?”

“A lich?”

The Cohman knight captain turned his head, asking what the Boltweaver was talking about.

“A lich can revive even after death and use an unlimited amount of mana as long as the core containing its soul is intact. He seems to be similar to that.”

“Th-then is it impossible to kill him?”

“That’s not the case.” The Boltweaver shook his head. “Even if they’ve imprisoned his soul, there’s still a limit to it. If he can use such tremendous power, there must be a drawback big enough to justify it.”

He clenched his teeth, saying that it was impossible to unconditionally use a power like that.

“That’s right. He must have a weakness.”

Raon steadied his breath and raised the divine and demonic swords.

“Let’s keep going.”

“Haa, it’s not like I can go back to my words now!”

With a pointless complaint, the Cohman knight captain dashed towards the Sword and Saber Sovereign from the front.

“Lightning Dragon!”

The Boltweaver unleashed a lightning bolt from the staff, unable to even fully stand up. The yellow lightning energy turned into a dragon and rushed towards the Sword and Saber Sovereign from the left.

“Haap!”

Raon stomped the ground. He rotated to the right side and executed the Crimson Slash with the divine sword while drawing the Sword’s Silvery Dream with the demonic sword.

Slaash!

As the three Grandmasters’ all-out attacks coordinated with each other, the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s weapons sparkled.

Whaaam!

He caused a huge amount of power to explode, pushing back all three of them just like at the very start of the battle.

‘We need to stop the Sword and Saber Sovereign before trying or finding anything…’

They were gradually growing exhausted, but the Sword and Saber Sovereign had an endless supply of stamina and aura. If the fight continued like that, it was going to be impossible to win, even if Raon managed to analyze his martial art.

“Haa…”

Raon was enduring the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s attack while biting his lip. An extremely covert presence approaching from behind suddenly jumped above his head.

“I’m taking the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s martial art!”

He had been quietly hiding so far. The old man, his long ebony hair cascading down, was none other than the Shadowless Wanderer, the first to discover the map to the Sword and Saber Sovereign's grave and to unlock its secrets thereafter.

He extended his hand towards the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s book of martial arts while everyone was occupied with something else.

Swoosh!

The moment the Shadowless Wanderer’s hand reached the book, the Sword and Saber Sovereign violently slashed upwards with the Demon Breaking Sword that had been blocking the lightning dragon.

Psssh!

The Demon Breaking Sword’s blue blade split apart the Shadowless Wanderer’s body like cutting through paper.

“What an idiot. Did you think that a warrior would let you take his book of martial arts away?” Delpros sneered at the Shadowless Wanderer’s separated body. “Your job was already over the moment you opened this grave. This is a fitting death for vermin like you.”

“Uuh…”

The Shadowless Wanderer perished, his gaze fixated on the book of martial arts that he couldn’t obtain.

“......”

Raon wasn’t looking at Delpros or the Shadowless Wanderer. He swallowed nervously while looking at the Sword and Saber Sovereign.

‘Could it be… was it that?’

It was only for a moment, but the Sword and Saber Sovereign and his book of martial arts were connected by an evil energy the moment the Shadowless Wanderer touched the book.

Others could’ve been mistaken, but there was no way he would’ve been when he had the Ring of Fire with him.

Raon slowly raised his gaze. The luminance in his eyes glowed even darker than blood as he looked at the book of martial arts floating in the air.

‘I found it. That’s the Sword and Saber Sovereign’s core.’

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]