Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight

[Translator - Kie]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]

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Chapter 324: The Grandmaster (2)

***

A meteor is falling.

At the moment the Imperial Supreme Sword brought his sword down, Vahel thought this.

Of course, it was a ridiculous notion. That wasn’t a star—it was just a sword wielded by a person.

Yet, even with that understanding, Vahel couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.

A flawless, graceful slash struck Vahel right of his head.

The shockwave alone shattered nearby buildings. The ground split in half. A whirlwind raged.

But.

Even after unleashing such an incredible technique, Vahel remained unscathed. No matter how strong the attack of the Imperial Supreme Sword, it couldn’t pierce through Vahel's power.

“Wow, that was pretty dangerous.”

Vahel pointed at his own head as he spoke, his tone and expression as relaxed as ever.

“So, even this isn’t enough.”

The Imperial Supreme Sword said.

Despite his powerful attack having failed, his expression remained unchanged.

His opponent was a Duke class demon, one often called the actual king of Inferno.

He had already known it wouldn’t be easy to defeat him.

“You don't seem too surprised. Do you have more to show?”

“You guessed correctly. You have yet to witness the Empire's full strength.”

“Full strength?”

Vahel let out a mocking laugh.

“Other than you three, nothing else seems impressive. Full strength?”

Right now, countless knights were standing by in the imperial palace.

However, they couldn't intervene in the battle unfolding before them. In fact, they would only hinder the Imperial Supreme Sword.

“Whatever that full strength is, you’d better show it quickly. Your friends don’t seem to be doing so well.”

As soon as Vahel finished speaking, a flash of lightning erupted in the distance. The Mercenary King had summoned a thunderstorm to attack Bass.

- Hah! That tickles!

But Bass was seemed to unaffected as he shrugged off the Mercenary King's technique with his bare body.

“You...!”

The Mercenary King’s face hardened as he continuously fired off bolts of lightning. Yet, he couldn’t even land a critical blow, let alone prevent Bass from advancing.

“Your friend doesn't seem too comfortable either.”

Vahel pointed behind the Imperial Supreme Sword.

Every time Laria flapped her wings, a pink-tinged whirlwind swept through the air. The Sword Saint couldn’t even get close, as he was too busy dodging the winds.

“In this situation, what kind of ‘full strength’ are you planning to show me?”

Vahel’s tone was mocking. The Imperial Supreme Sword stared at Vahel for a moment before speaking.

“Now, I can show you.”

“Now?”

Vahel was confused. Just as he finished speaking, a dimensional portal opened in the sky above the capital.

As the dimensional portal opened, a group of mages emerged. An elderly wizard with a full head of white hair called out to the Imperial Supreme Sword.

"Eos! You rascal! How dare you work this old man to the bone like this!"

One of the five great Magic Towers of the Empire.

The most powerful among them was the White Magic Tower.

Tower Master, Gerg Axel, raised his staff high into the air.

"But I still brought what you asked for safely!"

The dimensional portal expanded, and a group of people poured out from it.

They were all dressed in pure white robes, so bright that the sunlight reflecting off them was almost blinding.

The Church.

A colossal organization that rivaled the Empire in military strength across the continent.

They had crossed through the dimensional portal and arrived in the capital.

"My, My, what a disgusting horde of sinful creatures."

A beautiful woman covered her mouth as she spoke.

She was Radiant Light, one of the Five Great Elders.

"Everyone looks busy, so let's get started."

Radiant Light raised her hand, and the priests who followed her simultaneously unleashed their divine power.

A dazzling light engulfed the entire capital. Vahel looked on with astonishment.

"This is..."

Vahel glanced down at his own arm. The power that had surrounded his body was evaporating.

"A barrier that weakens the power of demons?"

Vahel murmured.

A barrier strong enough to affect even a Duke class demon?

Vahel stared at the priests with a look of disbelief.

"You have yet to see everything."

The Imperial Supreme Sword spoke in a low voice.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a golden pillar erupted from the imperial palace.

The golden light enveloped the entire capital, and Vahel's body staggered.

"...!"

For the first time, the composure on Vahel's face wavered. He looked at the Imperial Supreme Sword with a face full of disbelief.

"According to legend, when the first Emperor of the Empire built the capital, he forged a certain pact."

The Imperial Supreme Sword spoke as he looked at Vahel.

"To bring a terrible calamity upon those who invade the Empire and to bestow blessings upon those who protect it."

The golden light surrounded the Imperial Supreme Sword, amplifying the pressure radiating from him.

"You’ve prepared something quite entertaining, haven’t you…?"

Vahel's lips twisted into a grin.

"Then I suppose I should show you something in return."

And at that moment...

A distant explosion echoed. Immediately, a fist collided with Vahel’s face.

Vahel’s body was hurled backward. As soon as he slammed into the ground, he lifted his head.

Thanks to his power, his face remained unscathed, but the shock was evident in his expression.

“What the... What just hit me?”

“It was I, you wretched filth of Hell.”

Suddenly, an old man stood in front of the Imperial Supreme Sword.

The old man wore an expression so fierce, it resembled that of a vengeful spirit.

“You wretch, crawling out from the underworld without knowing your place. I will personally stomp you to death.”

He was the strongest of the Five Great Elders.

Cheongyeum, who was covered in blue flames.

“Cheongyeum, thank you for the support.”

“Think nothing of it. As someone who follows the words of God, I am merely doing what is expected of me.”

Even as he conversed with the Imperial Supreme Sword, Cheongyeum’s gaze was fixed solely on Vahel.

“Ah, and the other saints have joined the rest as well. They may not be as powerful as I am, but they’re all capable, so don’t worry.”

“Then we can focus solely on him.”

The Imperial Supreme Sword stood side by side with Cheongyeum. Looking at the two Grandmasters, Vahel let out a dry laugh.

“This won’t be easy, will it?”

* * *

“How… how are you able to speak?”

Damien asked with cautiousness.

“Don’t tell me you were pretending to be mindless this whole time?”

“Oh, no, not at all. So, don’t make that scary face.”

Ruin shook his head with a sigh.

“I’m just a lingering thought left behind after my main body died. But the shock of my death was so overwhelming that my emotions became mixed up. That’s why my mind became tainted.”

When a person dies, they always leave behind a remnant of their thoughts. The stronger the power they held in life, the stronger the remnant becomes.

The stronger the remnant, the clearer the memories and sense of self. Some remnants are even identical to the original person.

“So, why have you regained your mind all of a sudden?”

“It’s because you killed me. Each time you killed me, the impact scattered my emotions. Thanks to that, my mind became clearer.”

Ruin brushed off his clothes with both hands as he spoke.

“In other words, the fact that we’re able to talk like this is all thanks to you. I’m grateful. Oh, do you know who killed me? You’ll be surprised when you hear.”

“The Salvation Squad, wasn’t it?”

“You even knew that? Are you perhaps one of my followers or something?”

Ruin smiled broadly as he spoke.

He was much more talkative than Damien had expected.

Damien found it hard to adjust to this side of Ruin.

“So, I suppose you hold a grudge against the Salvation Squad.”

Considering that a hero like Ruin had left behind thoughtform that couldn’t even maintain its sanity...

“Well…”

Ruin’s expression grew complicated as his words trailed off.

“I remember everything from the moment my main body died. The shock of being betrayed by my trusted comrades, the pain I felt right before I died—I remember it all vividly.”

Damien recalled the sight of Ruin’s corpse and the wounds left on it.

The wounds were far too numerous and deep for any one person to bear.

"But strangely enough, while the original might have felt sadness, it never resented them."

"I can't understand that."

"Really? I can. After all, I’m just a remnant of the original's thoughts."

Damien paused as he thought carefully before speaking.

"You might not know this, but the world knows nothing about your existence. All of your accomplishments are credited to the Salvation Squad. And yet, you don’t hold any resentment?"

"Not at all."

Ruin answered without the slightest hesitation.

"The original me—I didn’t help humanity for the sake of glory."

"Then why did you fight?"

"Hmm? I fought for humanity, of course."

Ruin answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Damien was slightly taken aback. He had never encountered someone so pure in his life.

"I have a question. What exactly are you? What’s your connection to Dorugo? And Dorugo...?"

Damien began asking the questions that had been on his mind for some time, but Ruin shook his head.

"Sorry, but I don't have much time left."

"What?"

"I can feel the emotions taking over again."

Damien looked into Ruin’s eyes.

The once-clear eyes were becoming clouded again.

"Just two deaths weren't enough to fully regain my sanity, I suppose."

"Then at least tell me who Dorugo really is..."

"More important than that, I have something to tell you. It’s crucial advice, so listen carefully."

Ruin pointed to the sword in Damien’s hand.

"You’re far too trapped within the mold."

"The mold?"

Damien almost let out a laugh in disbelief.

The mold? It was a term he'd never heard used to describe him before, not after all the battles he’d fought.

"You probably haven’t met anyone more extraordinary than yourself in your entire life. You can learn any technique just by watching, and even reach levels that others spend their whole lives mastering."

But what followed left Damien in shock.

Ruin had seen right through Damien's talent.

"How do you know that...?"

"But that’s not all." Ruin continued. "Your talent is far greater than you realize. Yet, you remain unaware of it."

Ruin spread his arms wide as he spoke.

"Damien, don’t set limits for yourself. Imagine. You were born with the ability to do anything."

Then he added,

"Of course, that doesn’t mean you can literally do everything. Your body can only handle so much. No matter how much of a genius you are, a child can’t wield a sword properly, right?"

"..."

"It’s like how a weak bow can’t fire a powerful arrow."

Ruin gently tapped Damien's shoulder with his fist, giving him advice.

"So first, focus on strengthening your body. Accumulate more mana as well. The stronger your foundation, the more you’ll be able to achieve."

"How do you know so much about me?"

Damien asked.

Ruin responded nonchalantly,

"Because, naturally, I would know."

He then revealed something shocking.

"You’re my reincarnation."

***

[PR/N- Dorugo was his girlfriend in a past life LoL.]

[Translator - Kie]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]