Chapter 149 : Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Hwiiiiiii.

The wind blew.

'It's refreshing.'

A thought that came to her once, in the middle of a forest where she was lying still.

When she refined her Mana Heart, the green verdure seemed to bless her body that had refined the Mana Heart.

It felt as if the winds of the world would follow her wherever she wished.

It felt as if it could even bring back her lost mother if she wished.

Lonely.

'I miss you.'

I miss you, mother.

She could not speak her inner thoughts out loud.

"Serena."

Her father, Bastian Constantine, who was left alone.

He too was enduring alone, thinking only of himself.

"This is the place we will rely on."

Eurasia, a renowned sword family in the eastern frontier.

Her father, who was a renowned knight in the south, had sworn allegiance to the head of that family.

Simon Eurasia and Escardo Schtenberg had treated her father as a pillar of the family.

Recognizing his skill, they entrusted him with the position of Annihilation Squad Leader and secretly discussed the family's major and minor affairs.

"You can find a path other than the sword."

One day, as he was repeating the arduous work of the Annihilation Squad Leader.

Her father had come to find her, who had not been able to adapt to the family.

"Just because you have refined a Mana Heart doesn't mean everyone has to wield a sword."

“……”

"As it happens, I hear there is an excellent Head Apothecary in Eurasia."

'Father, I want to go back to the south again.'

"If you wish, I will ask her to accept you as her disciple."

'I miss mother.'

I don't want to live in a barren place like this.

'I want to go back to the south, to the forest.'

"You are my proud daughter."

“……”

Pat.

Bastian's thick hand stroked her head.

The calluses on his hand could be felt vividly.

"No matter what path you choose, you are mine and her..."

Bastian, who seemed to have choked up, continued.

"Only child."

Bastian Constantine was smiling.

But she, at her young age, was not unaware of the sadness hidden in his benevolent smile.

“……”

She had to collect her scattered heart.

So that her only remaining family would not perish in vain in this barren eastern frontier.

She decided to accept the blessed Mana Heart she was given.

"Father."

"Yes."

"I too will walk the path of the sword."

“……”

"I too will join the Annihilation Squad."

“……”

Bastian was silent for a long time.

As if thinking about something, he just stared into her eyes.

It was after a considerable amount of time that he opened his mouth.

"Serena."

"Yes."

"Eurasia has declared itself the hegemon of the eastern frontier to return to being a kingdom. The Annihilation Squad is the secret sword of such a family."

He said that one could not expect honor like that of a knight during missions, and that one had to be prepared for an unhonorable death.

"Even if you meet such a death, the world will not remember you."

To her father's words, she replied.

It was fine if the world did not remember.

"It is enough if you remember me, father."

“……”

"I will do the same."

"It will not be easy to adapt to the Annihilation Squad."

"I can adapt."

"When it comes to handling mana and the sword, there will be plenty of people more skilled than you."

"That may be so for now. I will surpass them."

“……”

"I am well aware that my Mana Heart is special."

"That is an arrogant thought. Among the swords of the Annihilation Squad, there is no one who was not born with a special talent."

"Among them, I will be the best."

“……”

I am the wind.

"I will not disappoint you, father."

The wind that protects your side.

And so, I will no longer leave you alone.

An even longer silence flowed than before.

"If that is your will."

“……”

Bastian opened his mouth with difficulty.

"So be it."

"Yes."

The next day, she took the entrance test for the Annihilation Squad.

After a hellish training, she was personally granted an Aether by the head of the family.

The pillars of the family recognized her talent at a glance.

"Mana of a deeper green than Bastian's. Eurasia has obtained a precious sword."

Simon Eurasia personally taught her the Eurasia Ke.

"I feel loneliness in your sword. If you cannot shake off that emotion, you will one day hit a wall."

Escardo Schtenberg personally advised her on the Eurasia Shik.

"The Constantine Ke and Shik are not yet complete. When you fit the last piece of the puzzle, you will surpass me."

Bastian Constantine personally passed down the family's secret techniques.

Several years passed.

The swords of the Annihilation Squad, who had shared life and death together, perished one by one.

Overcoming the deaths of her comrades, her sword was forged even sharper.

After reaching 5-star, a few years that felt like decades passed, and she finally reached 6-star.

When she came to her senses, she had become the 1st sword of the Annihilation Squad, right below the Annihilation Squad Leader.

"Serena Constantine. You must become the center of the Carpe Illusion."

"Yes."

Bastian no longer called her his daughter.

Everything seemed to flow as it should, but.

The wind that had lingered as if in blessing no longer blew.

***

Clang. Claaang.

The two famous swords clashed, making a loud noise.

Claaaaang. Claaaaang.

The two swords, born from a single craftsman, shared one name.

Kagagagak.

And one of those swords accepted a new master.

"Serena."

Killian called out the name of the one who was parrying his sword.

"Serena Constantine."

As if mocking his call.

"Didn't I tell you it was useless?"

The god who had possessed Serena's body wore a sneer.

"I am Silvana."

Ggeugeugeugeuk.

The famous swords, born from the hands of a craftsman, made a metallic sound as if pushing each other away.

"There is no mere mortal here."

Kwaang!

The sword swung by Serena pushed Killian away.

The moment the sword was pushed back, a tingling sensation traveled up his hand and spread throughout his body.

'That bastard Silvana... is using mana and Haki.'

Wrapping oneself in mana and Haki was the realm of a superhuman.

The skill that the current Serena was showing was that of one who had mastered 7-star.

Moreover, that power was growing stronger with each exchange.

At this rate, it was possible that she would surpass 8-star.

'Dangerous.'

Even if she was a master of Haki due to her excellent understanding, even if the one who had possessed her was a god.

Her body was a 6-star that had not completely surpassed the wall.

The power used by force would hasten the collapse of her body.

He had to stop her from using any more power.

'I have to subdue her.'

"You look troubled."

Kwaang. Kwang.

Serena's sword became more violent.

Along with it, the power of the mana and Haki imbued in her sword also increased.

"Are you worried about the life of your subordinate now? Against me?"

Hwooong. Hung.

Each time the sword was swung, sword energy like a blade of wind poured out.

A power that could sever limbs even if it was a superhuman's body if it were a direct hit.

Killian, who had increased the distance, lowered his center of gravity.

Eurasia Style, Meteor Flash.

The sword energy that had been firing indiscriminately as if to tear space apart was shot down, and green and blue mana scattered.

Killian's body leaned.

The sword that was swung, closing the distance in an instant.

Clang!

Was easily blocked.

"You called it a trick. Aren't your words and actions too different?"

He glared at Silvana, who was overflowing with green mana and pushing back his sword.

"Yes, this may be just a trick, but."

Clang!!

"Being defeated by that trick would not be a bad end for you either."

"You're still talking nonsense."

"Huhu. A clumsy provocation..."

"You were contaminated by a Piece of Grotesquery. Your mind must be going back and forth."

“……”

For the first time, Serena's body slowed down.

'Now!!'

Kwang!

The flat of the swung Aether struck her ribs.

Jureuk.

Fresh blood flowed from her grimaced lips.

"The pain of a human body is vivid. You must have been prepared for that much when you took it, right?"

"Arrogant thing. You're still pulling the same cheap tricks."

"You, who are contaminated by a Piece of Grotesquery."

“……”

"You can't use your divine power properly, can you?"

Gods are arrogant.

They possess power that is not lacking, and therefore they have no need to lie.

The only ability they need is the ability to see through lies.

Therefore.

“……”

The current silence was an answer to Killian.

"As expected, you're simple."

Silvana read the memories of the body's owner and recalled her meeting with Rundel.

"Foolish things. They told me unnecessary things."

"Who do you think it is that is parasitizing the bodies of those foolish things?"

Killian knew the arrogance of the gods better than anyone.

That the divine tree Yggdrasil was a divine object, and that synchronization with a divine object was for the purpose of manifesting.

"The Chief Priest of the temple and the royalty of the fairy race. You're still concerned with bloodlines, just like in the old days."

Kwang. Kwang. Kwaang. Kwang.

Killian's sword pushed Serena back.

Her movements had slowed down considerably after her ribs were injured.

'At this rate, I can disable her.'

"Foolish thing. What's a mere curse?"

Hwaaak.

The divine power that bloomed from Serena's body healed her wounds.

It was a healing ability of at least a Chief Priest level.

'Look at this?'

"You are the one who has restrictions on using your precious mana."

Kung.

Serena's Aether struck the ground.

"A trick. Is this how you do it?"

Carpe Illusion.

Tzzzzzzzz.

Green mana flowed along the ground.

A forest of the fairy race was manifested in the area.

It was a scene as if Elvenheim itself had been moved into the space.

'If she was contaminated by a Piece of Grotesquery, there would be restrictions on the use of divine power.'

Rundel had said.

That Yggdrasil, contaminated by a Piece of Grotesquery, had lost its control and was contaminating Elvenheim, and was even driving the synchronized king mad.

In a short moment, Killian went through inference after inference.

And the conclusion he reached was.

The Carpe Illusion before him was.

'She has overlaid her Authority on the mana.'

To think she would rely on the power she called a trick to fight him.

"This forest is mine."

The divine power, combined with green mana, flowed along the ground, and trees soared up.

The ground split, and life gushed out.

"You are destined to become fertilizer here."

The corners of Killian's mouth twisted meaningfully.

'Right. If it had been a complete power, it might have been so.'

But.

"Not now."

"What would the likes of you know. My power is more than enough to crush you."

"To me, it sounds like you're saying I can cut you."

Kwak.

Killian thrust his own sword into the ground.

"Carpe Illusion."

Eurasia Style, Total Solar Eclipse.

Four spheres floated up.

Gwaak.

He grabbed the pendant around his neck.

Another mana that was now familiar.

"Carpe Illusion."

Cornelia Style, Violet Magic Tower.

When the two Shik overlapped, a scene unfolded as if the four spheres were protecting the Violet Magic Tower.

Blue and violet began to encroach on the green forest that the god had manifested.

"A futile hope."

The divine power, mixed in with the three manas, was strengthened.

"Do you not know that the power you are using is no longer a threat!"

The pressure of the two forces clashed in a tug-of-war.

And at the peak moment.

Kwaang!!!

An explosion occurred.

His vision was not clear due to the dense fog.

Just then.

"What...?"

Silvana was flustered and stepped back.

It was because the forest that she had manifested by overlaying her Authority was slowly drying up.

She felt her Authority being absorbed by Killian.

"A mere mortal!!"

Apart from her cry, the blue and violet mana continued to encroach on Silvana's Authority, and the forest gradually began to disappear.

Killian, who had approached with his sword drawn, swung his sword.

The Aether that was swung in response parried the sword strike.

Kkang!!

A clear sound.

"Open your eyes, Serena Constantine."

Emitting a mana of mixed blue and violet.

Kkang!!

The two swords clashed.

Tzzzzzzzz.

Serena's Aether sucked in Killian's mana.

"I am the Annihilation Squad Leader of Eurasia."

“……!!”

The green mana began to be sucked into the other Aether in reverse.

"Killian Eurasia."

Kaaaaang!!!

The blue and violet subsided.

Sseuseuseuseuseu.

Green mana rose from Killian's Aether.

"Carpe Illusion."

A single, lonely knight who had refined the Mana Heart of the fairy race.

"Constantine Shik."

Who had to wield a sword for her family.

"Green Zone."

The mind image of a woman who had longed for the wind of the forest more than anyone else unfolded.