The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years-Chapter 186

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 186

The Celestial Demon God.

It was the worst outcome Kaylen didn’t want to consider.

“So, the dungeon portals and colonies… were all part of the Celestial God's—no, the Celestial Demon God's plan? To compensate for the weakness of dark magic compared to divine power?”

Faith in the Celestial God was deeply rooted among the people of the Middle Realm.

The belief that the god protected humanity was so firm that even Kaylen, subconsciously, had thought the Celestial God was on humanity's side.

But now—

To realize that the god they relied on was actually the Demon King.

There was no one left for humanity to depend on.

“The Dragon God Meyer and now the Celestial Demon God… it's an endless uphill battle.”

First, the immediate threat of the Dragon God Meyer.

Then, the Celestial Demon God who had been striving to become the Absolute God by seizing control of the Demon Realm for over a thousand years.

The Flame Demon King they had faced before had been known for his strength, but compared to these enemies, he seemed almost insignificant.

Kaylen felt a suffocating frustration.

“Hoo...”

He took a moment to steady his breath and focus his mind.

It didn’t matter who the enemy was. He would take it step by step, starting from the beginning.

The first target was the Holy Emperor standing at the top of the stairs.

Subduing him and completing the Wind Sword were the highest priorities.

Swish.

Behind Kaylen, the Six Sword floated silently.

“You’ve been quite kind, explaining everything in such detail, Holy Emperor.”

“Well, soon you’ll be in the same situation as them.”

The Holy Emperor Benedict pointed his finger toward the humans trapped inside the glass chambers.

“An emperor can provide more energy to Saint Juari than thousands of ordinary humans.”

Rumble...

With a snap of Benedict’s fingers, the underground trembled, and the glass chambers began to crack one by one.

The bodies inside collapsed to the ground, and the liquid that had filled the chambers spilled out, gradually flowing toward Kaylen.

“You think this is enough to stop me?”

“Heh. That may look simple, but it’s a new holy water created by the Celestial Demon God. It will surely bind you...”

Whoosh!

Before Benedict could finish, Kaylen's figure vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he stood before Benedict, bringing down the Wind Sword in an instant.

Chiiiik!

“Hmph...”

Though it seemed the Holy Emperor's forehead had been split, a faint smile played on his lips.

At the same moment, his figure dissolved like smoke.

His voice echoed in the empty air.

“The Spirit King of Wind resides within me. I may not be able to defeat you, but you will find it difficult to catch me.”

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

So he had shown himself so confidently because he had that card to play.

Kaylen frowned slightly, staring at the quivering air.

The presence of the Holy Emperor had faded to the point where he could no longer sense it.

“Theresia. You don’t need to stay here. Come with me.”

“Your Holiness...”

The air resonated with the Holy Emperor’s voice, echoing in all directions.

His gentle tone coaxed Theresia, who sat on the ground with a despondent expression.

“You may be human, but you have served me faithfully for many years. You are worthy of survival.”

“If you agree to my offer, place your hand into the holy water. Then, I will free you.”

Theresia slightly lifted her head, her unfocused eyes staring into the void.

“I have one question.”

“Ask anything you wish.”

“What will happen to humanity?”

“Do not worry. They will not go extinct.”

A genuinely delighted laugh echoed through the air, and the Holy Emperor spoke in a lighter tone.

“No matter how inferior they may be, how could I allow such a valuable source of life energy to go extinct? The human species will never vanish. So, don’t worry.”

Livestock.

The Holy Emperor Benedict had defined humans as livestock. That single word encompassed his entire perception of humanity.

“Ha. Haha. I see...”

Theresia gave a faint, powerless laugh and then clasped her hands together once more.

“Mana of light, arise.”

Until now, she had used her divine power in worship of the Celestial God.

“Divine Shield.”

But now, she used her power in a calm tone, devoid of any praise to the god.

“Theresia, I told you to touch the holy water...”

“Heh. You expect me to touch that suspicious liquid, thinking it will save me? Do you take me for a fool?”

“Oh?”

“You were planning to trap me in that holy water just like you did with Lord Kaylen, weren’t you?”

Whirr.

The air gathered, and Benedict’s face floated in the air. He looked at Theresia with an expression of regret.

“Yes. What a pity. I had hoped to see you foolishly place your hand into the holy water in a desperate attempt to survive.”

“I would rather die than obey you.”

“Heh. You cannot die.”

Benedict glanced at the holy water approaching Kaylen’s group, a joyful smile on his face.

“You, too, must be trapped in the holy water and become an energy source for the Sanctuary. You were born a saint, after all. It’s the least you could do in service.”

“So... you intended for me to suffer the same fate as Kaylen, didn’t you?”

“Indeed. I had even planned to place you in the same glass chamber. Did you not harbor feelings for the Emperor? You could never be with him in life, so I thought to unite you in death...”

“Divine Spear!”

Theresia spread her palm, drawing forth her divine power. A spear of pure white light shot toward Benedict. The spear radiated with fierce momentum, but—

“Using divine power against the Holy Emperor? You truly are a fool.”

Benedict, his head floating in the air, blew gently. The spear of light flickered like a candle’s flame and was extinguished instantly. Against the Holy Emperor, the pinnacle of the Sanctuary, light mana posed no threat.

“...”

“Is this the end of your meaningless resistance?”

The Holy Emperor sneered, glancing at Kaylen.

“The Emperor resists less than expected. Have you realized that you cannot overcome the power of the holy water? Still, you are wiser than the saint.”

“Hmph. You think I can’t overcome that holy water?”

Six Sword Path – Second Sword

Flame Heaven

The fusion of the Fire Sword and the Light Sword created a massive blaze.

The same Flame Heaven that once set the skies ablaze now erupted in the underground chamber.

“You think this mere sword will be enough…?”

At first, the Holy Emperor mocked the Flame Heaven.

But then—

Bubble, bubble—

The holy water, which had been surrounding Kaylen, began to bubble and boil as it touched the flames, losing its form.

The Holy Emperor’s expression stiffened at the sight.

‘Impossible… This is the holy water granted directly by the Heavenly God. There’s no way it should burn so easily. What is happening…?’

His eyes widened, struggling to believe the sight before him.

“It’s nothing special.”

Kaylen, gazing at the burning holy water, pulled out a small, talisman-like artifact from within his robes—a relic of the Demon Clan.

He reached into it and withdrew something.

For the first time, Benedict—the Holy Emperor—let out a horrified scream.

“T-That… That’s…!”

“Oh? You recognize it right away, Holy Emperor?”

What Kaylen held wasn’t so much a physical object as it was a mass of radiance.

A large, green-glowing sphere.

Teresa, observing from the side, frowned in confusion.

‘What… What is that?’

But the answer soon came from the Holy Emperor himself.

“T-The World Tree’s Seed…! Why do you have that?!”

He abandoned his usual composed tone, his face flushed red as he shouted furiously.

Kaylen grinned.

“Because my former wife was a High Elf.”

“No… It can’t be…”

“Yes. This was created by Delruna.”

[Eren. Will you attack the Holy Emperor, the first Elf?]

-Yes.

[Then, will you take me with you when that time comes?]

When they had spoken about the first Elf, Delruna had asked Kaylen to take her along.

When Kaylen visited the Fairy Tower to retrieve the mold for the Wind Sword—

[Eren. Before you meet the Archmage, take me first… to where the World Tree is beneath the ground.]

Delruna had first made contact with the World Tree beneath the Fairy Tower.

And when Kaylen returned, she had already transformed into the form of the World Tree’s Seed.

[Let’s go. If you simply keep me close, the first Elf might sense me. Hide me well.]

-Alright. I have just the right way to do it.

She was hidden inside the Demon Clan’s relic, allowing her to secretly enter the Sanctuary.

“G-Give it back! Right now!”

The atmosphere trembled.

The Holy Emperor’s face appeared from every direction.

Gone was his earlier composure.

Dozens of faces floated in the air, each one twisted in horror, confusion, and fear.

“You’ve lost your composure.”

Six Sword Path – Second Sword

Dimensional Compression

With the Earth Sword, Baldrix, and the framework of the Wind Sword combined, Kaylen activated the Second Sword—Dimensional Compression.

In an instant, the underground space shrank, folding and collapsing, drawing everything towards Kaylen’s sword.

“Kgh…!”

Out of the dozens of faces that Benedict had manifested, over twenty were pulled into the sword.

They were absorbed directly into the framework of the Wind Sword, reinforcing it.

Unlike before, when Benedict had maintained his composure, his mind now wavered, and he could no longer completely conceal his presence.

“How… Why… How do you have… the Seed of the World Tree?!”

But rather than focusing on his essence being pulled in, Benedict was fixated on the seed.

He repeated his questions in a near-panic, his voice trembling.

Even Teresa, who had never seen the Holy Emperor so cornered, couldn’t tear her gaze away from the World Tree’s Seed.

‘What exactly… is that thing?’

Kaylen smirked.

“Holy Emperor, let’s be clear. As you said, this isn’t just the World Tree’s Seed… it’s a vault, isn’t it? This?”

Benedict gritted his teeth.

“You… Do you really understand what that is…?”

“Of course I do.”

Kaylen spun the seed around in his hand, alternately grasping and releasing it.

“Y-You dare to touch it so carelessly?!”

“Should I just crush it right now?”

“T-The gods will never forgive you, you wretch!!”

Seeing Benedict lose his composure and shout, Kaylen let out a soft chuckle.

“You really seem to care about your own kind, don’t you, Benedict?”

“Kgh… D-Don’t be reckless… Please!”

Kaylen laughed again, his tone laced with mockery.

“Isn’t the ‘First Elf’ losing a bit of his dignity? Even if this vault contains the soul of a High Elf…”

He tossed the seed lightly in his palm like a ball.

“…what difference does it make?”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]