The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 370: The Final Battle (1)

“My lord.”

“Hmm?”

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but this is sheer madness.”

Zigra had never questioned Karyl’s decisions before, but now he wore a deeply uncomfortable expression, as if he felt apologetic for even bringing it up.

Nevertheless, Karyl dismissed his worries with a casual tone.

“You’re talking about our plan to attack the imperial palace, right?”

At his reaction, Zigra’s expression hardened.

“Fair enough. You have a point. Though the main force has been pushed to Tatur, there are still roughly 100,000 soldiers stationed here, including the Golden Knights under Beryl Vallention.”

As he spoke, Karyl conjured fire onto the twigs Zigra had gathered.

“The empire’s defenses are sturdy, even in wartime. And with the forces withdrawn from the marquisate, their numbers should total around 200,000. Some are likely already heading over to Tatur as reinforcements.”

“You’re right.”

“The palace is supposed to be the safest place on this continent.”

As he listened, Zigra held a piece of dried meat from the embers and handed it to Karyl.

“But that’s exactly what makes this the perfect assault.”

“...Pardon me?”

Karyl sank his teeth into the meat and went on, “The Platinum Dragon likely assumes that if he attacks Tatur, I’ll be forced to stay put there. After all, I’m the only one who can take him on.”

Having witnessed their clash firsthand, Zigra knew all too well that none but Karyl could stand against that creature.

“He’ll push harder against Tatur, thinking it’ll force me to show up.” One corner of Karyl’s mouth tugged into a grin. “But it’ll do the opposite. I won’t let him ravage Tatur—I’ll make him come to me instead.”

He finished eating, a satisfied look on his face.

“I’ll have him walk straight into the noose. This is the moment we’ve been preparing for. Aidan and his elite Snakel unit have emerged from that dragon-infested island stronger than ever, and Mikhail, Serica, and Miliana have also shown significant growth. They may not be able to defeat the Platinum Dragon easily, but they’ll certainly give him a difficult fight.”

“Ah...” Zigra gasped in astonishment. Everything up to this point hadn’t been about gaining more power—it had all been leading to a single, clear goal Karyl had already envisioned.

“And you’re not handling it alone, so don’t worry too much.”

“Sorry?”

“You were right.”

At that, Zigra shook his head in resignation.

“The Black-Eyed tribe has gathered.”

As Karyl finished speaking, nine shadows emerged from the darkness.

“You guys look terrible.”

Indeed, their bodies were utterly battered, a testament to how fierce their battles had been. The fact that they had made it all the way here with so many broken bones was nothing short of a miracle.

“Apologies for the delay... my lord. It took a while to locate the mark,” explained the man at the forefront. He wore an eyepatch and was missing his right arm. The cloth around the stump had long since dried, stained with dark blood. The wounds he had sustained would’ve been enough to make anyone pass out from the sheer pain, yet he had trudged on, leading his comrades all the way here.

“What’s your name?”

“Chamid, sir.”

“I can’t reattach your arm, but I’ll heal you enough to fight.”

“Th-Thank you, sir.”

Chamid bowed his head in embarrassment, almost as if startled by Karyl’s gesture. His reaction was rather surprising, given his rugged appearance and stocky build.

“Don’t worry. This much is nothing.”

As Karyl gripped his shoulder, Chamid’s entire body was enveloped by a surge of heat and energy. His wounds were quickly healing, even though Karyl wasn’t chanting anything.

Allen watched the scene with marked interest.

“So you didn’t actually cast a healing spell, but aided his physical regeneration with just sheer magical power. It’s the same technique that platinum bastard used for his wing, right?”

“Yup. Sure, I’m still not quite at his level, but I possess both Divine Power and draconic mana. Like I said, I’ve grasped his magic.”

After a brief pause, Karyl went on, “Or rather, it’s more accurate to say that I felt it. Funny, now that I’ve reached the 7th Class and have dragon mana coursing through my veins, I can sense Divine Power more clearly.”

“Oh, not mana?” Allen inquired.

“Remember when I took Mael’s trial and used his Divine Power?”

“You mean when you fought that wolf woman?”

“Yup, exactly.”

“If I remember correctly, you borrowed the power of the Spirit Kings to draw out Mael’s venom,” Allen reminisced.

When Karyl first used Divine Power in his swordsmanship enhanced by Mael’s power, he felt something elusive, as though he was one step away from grasping something incredibly profound. It was a tantalizing sensation, as if he could surpass the Five Stances he had perfected over eons. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Ever since then, he had been striving to recapture that feeling.

“And then I found it again after meeting that guy. It wasn’t a problem with the swordsmanship but with mana. Draconic mana alone won’t cut it. Narh Di Maug might have thought the same, which is why he devoured Rasis’ power, which is similar to Divine Power.”

“Why would he do that?”

“No idea. I’d have to ask him directly. Maybe he wants to become a god... I doubt that anyone ever knew what lurks in his dark heart.”

“Hmm...”

Allen nodded briefly and sighed warily. “In any case, this encounter with him has allowed you to take another step forward.”

“Yes, and I shall get ahead of him.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“When I used Mael’s power back then, I relied on the power of the Spirit Kings to control the venom, which halved its potency.”

“Well, it couldn’t be helped. You neutralized the poison using the Blazing King’s heat. Without it, the poison would have consumed you before you could wield your sword.”

“True, but if I manage to master Divine Power, I’ll be able to wield spirit power as my own, separate from that,” Karyl explained, his lips curling into a faint smile.

“So you’re aiming for something that neither the Blader nor the Platinum Dragon managed to achieve.”

[I always thought you were mad...] Ramine muttered.

[But I didn’t know you had concocted such a grand plan...] Ethereal added, sounding both amazed and exasperated.

[Haha... Well, that’s worthy of someone wielding my Divine Power!] Mael responded with excitement.

[The first Blader to lead the Great War of the Spirits and Gods, Judex, was a master of the sword, mana, and spirit power. And the Platinum Dragon, who also participated in that war, was known as the Sovereign of Souls. In other words, he too could wield the power of spirits. But there’s a crucial difference between them.]

“What’s that?”

[The Platinum Dragon had already contracted with Rasis, the Spirit King of Light. That’s what set him apart from other dragons. But he couldn’t wield Divine Power.]

Karyl nodded at Mael’s words.

[Judex, on the other hand, could have wielded Divine Power through me, yet chose not to. The Spirit King he contracted with was none other than Duaat, the Spirit King of Darkness. My Divine Power and the dark power are in absolute opposition. Moreover, he believed that Duaat’s dark power was the only force capable of slaying Yula.]

[One wielded light, the other darkness. That imbalance kept them from perfection. But now, Karyl, you have a pact with Duaat, and you can also use Mael’s Divine Power.]

[Yes, but that’s all all thanks to you. While Karyl did form the contract with Duaat, it’s you, Allen, his actual core, who manifests that power. Because of this division, Karyl can wield Divine Power while keeping the dark power intact, whether by luck or by design.]

“Haha... Ultimately, it’s my greatness that shines!” Allen exclaimed with a chuckle. “The Platinum Dragon is no different. If his reason for keeping Neil Blanc as a separate entity is similar to mine, he’s probably seeking to obtain the kind of power he lacked.”

“Duaat’s power.”

[Correct. Just as you desire Rasis, he must be after Duaat’s power. The Light of Rasis and Darkness of Duaat can’t coexist in harmony, yet both must be present for their true form to be realized.]

“In other words... one of them has to die for this to be over,” Allen murmured in a low voice at Mael’s words.

“Yeah, well, battles tend to be like that,” Karyl murmured, then looked down at the sprawling capital below, its buildings lit with countless lights.

“Judex reached the pinnacle of mana but couldn’t kill a god, while the Platinum Dragon, with Rasis’s power, tried to touch divinity but remained merely a servant to it.”

With that, Karyl clenched his fist.

“I will reach the realm they couldn’t. Mastering human swordsmanship, dragon mana, spirit contracts, and even Divine Power... I will make them all mine.”

His words, resembling a vow, sent shivers through the warriors of the Moonlit Night.

“Then let me ask you one thing,” Allen began.

“What is it?”

“When the emperor died that day in Heim, you didn’t kill Olivurn. Your reason was that simply ending his life wouldn’t win the empire’s loyalty.”

“That’s right.”

“But as a result, a great war has broken out, and much was lost in the process. Some of those that perished were indeed talented individuals.”

Karyl nodded.

“Is it really worth all this trouble and sacrifice just to set the stage for killing Olivurn? I understand your desire, as the descendant of the Godslayer, to surpass Judex and the Platinum Dragon. But that alone won’t win the hearts of the empire’s talents, as you once promised.”

Even Anthem Howard had seen it that way, but the incompetence and misalignment of those he had served had ultimately solidified his faith in Karyl.

But Bran Gamunt had been different. He had sworn unwavering loyalty to the empire, ultimately choosing to die for it. Even if Karyl won this war, merely enforcing loyalty would lead many to make the same choice as Bran Gamunt.

“Yes, perhaps things won’t go as I’ve planned. Still, I’m confident in my choices. Killing Olivurn in Heim wouldn’t have handed the empire to me on a silver platter, and this war would’ve started regardless. Kuwell MacGovern and the countless swordsmen from the House of the Sword would’ve become my enemies all the same, and others like Bran Gamunt would’ve emerged.”

Allen shrugged. “So nothing would’ve changed?”

“No, you’ve got it wrong. Olivurn is an enemy who must die, but it matters when and how he dies. I spared him in Heim precisely because he needed to be alive for this war.”

Karyl’s eyes gleamed resolutely as he went on, “So that I can strike down him, the Platinum Dragon, the Wooden Cloud, and the Church all at once. By offering them as sacrifices, I will seize the hearts of the empire’s soldiers.”

“So he’ll be the final offering for the grand vision you’ve painted.”

“Exactly. The color of these eyes will serve as the tool to win their hearts.” Karyl brought his finger to his eye. “Olivurn exists for that purpose."

“I get it. As an immigrant, you can’t rule over the people of the empire by force alone.”

In the darkness of the night, his eyes seemed like two bottomless wells. “This war isn’t merely to clear the old stains of immigrant ancestry. It doesn’t need to be that. Whatever they think of me is of little consequence.”

Sitting on the edge of the cliff, Karyl gazed down at the imperial palace.

“When dawn breaks, history will begin anew.”

Woosh!

Without hesitation, he dashed forward.