Chapter 68 : Chapter 68

Chapter 068: The Sword Fiend Arrives (3)

“Uooaaah—!”

A ferocious roar echoed from below, akin to a beast’s howl.

Following it, a rumbling noise swept through, and the Zephyros scoundrels surrounding the plaza entrance screamed as they were flung toward the execution platform.

The source of the roar soon revealed himself.

Standing alone against Zephyros, as if willingly facing a hundred foes, he seemed to relish the gazes fixed upon him.

Boom—!

The sound of his fists colliding thundered like a storm.

Bolero was brazenly displaying his dominance.

“Crushing Evil! Enforcing Justice!”

“…”

“Those willing to repent, drop your weapons and step before me. I’ll count to three. One, two… done. Good.”

Then he turned to me, flashing a wide grin that bared his teeth and raising a thumb.

—…To think such a thing happened. I can’t help but swallow my tears.

The days and nights spent traveling from Belmont to here were not few.

It was more than enough time to recount everything that had transpired from my arrival in Breadport to the battle against the Blood Devil.

—I understand now.

The Saintess sent me here, but I believe it was Elzerus who orchestrated our meeting.

I must accept it as a revelation.

Of course, for the Solari Order, Adeline’s restoration would undoubtedly be advantageous in many ways.

Yet, after hearing the full story, Bolero never once mentioned the expansion of the Solari Order’s influence, which he used to speak of incessantly.

It was as if the weighty mission entrusted to him had transformed.

“Bihen—!”

Bolero shouted from the heart of the battlefield, his voice booming like a war cry.

Every time I saw him, I wondered if he had some knack for infusing mana into his voice.

A majestic echo reverberated across the entire plaza.

Thud.

I leaped and landed beside Bolero.

Slinging the bastard sword over my shoulder, I fixed my gaze on Ness.

“Ness Servai.”

“Bi-Bihen Benkou! How are you…!”

“I propose a formal duel in your style. One-on-one, you and me.”

Ness was dumbstruck, and in my peripheral vision, I caught sight of Jayden and Ramba nearby.

They looked as if they were on the verge of tears, like they’d finally reunited with a long-awaited friend.

‘Now’s not the time for heartfelt reunions.’

I shifted my gaze.

The Zephyros lackeys hurriedly formed ranks below the execution platform.

“Don’t rush to your deaths, you rabble. Who knows, if you behave, you might get a chance to fulfill your purpose.”

I turned back to Ness, putting force into my eyes as I spoke.

“What’s it gonna be?”

Ness’s face flushed crimson in an instant.

“You arrogant bastard…!”

Whoosh!

Ness kicked off the execution platform and soared into the air.

As he descended, his face loomed larger, the veins in his eyes bulging.

It seemed the thread of his rationality had finally snapped.

Clang!

He swung his sword down with both hands, full force.

I raised my bastard sword overhead to block it.

‘Full of openings.’

It was clear as day.

The gap between us was immense.

If I were wielding an Imperial blade, he’d already be dead at this moment.

Of course, I had no intention of ending this fight quickly.

I swiftly raised my knee and struck his side.

Crack!

The impact told me everything.

He was wearing high-quality armor.

Still, he couldn’t fully absorb the reverberation that would rattle his torso.

That’s why I hit him there.

“Ugh…!”

Grimacing, he staggered back, naturally creating distance.

I rested the bastard sword on my shoulder again and said,

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment, Ness? From the first time I saw you, I wanted to crush that smug face of yours.”

“That’s my line, you insolent Imperial swordsman…!”

Ness sidestepped slowly in a semicircle.

His pathetic movements made me scoff.

‘How should I kill him?’

I’d been pondering this the entire way here, yet I still hadn’t found an answer.

My condition wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t bad either.

I’d rested enough, thanks to Bolero.

Along the way, we’d occasionally encountered small groups of the Archduke’s forces, and each time, Bolero took charge like a commander, sparing me the effort of stepping in.

‘It’s like we fought a guerrilla campaign from Belmont to here.’

In any case, this marked the official announcement of the Sword Fiend’s return across Conwell.

…Huh, I’ve changed. To think I’d say something so grandiose without flinching.

Hiss.

A heat surged in my Ghost Eye.

It had been a while.

It felt like the embers of a quiet hearth suddenly flared up.

The Talrug Canyon campaign had relied heavily on my Ghost Eye.

It was a moment that brought me closer to the divine gift bestowed upon me, a realization of its boundless potential.

‘Blood Points.’

I gained this from my battle with the Blood Devil.

For now, I called it that.

It wasn’t yet refined enough to be considered an Eye Technique.

Whooosh—!

A sudden gust of wind roared through.

A mist, like sprayed blood, hung thick in the air.

This was a sight visible only through my Ghost Eye.

Swish!

As the afterimage of the whirlwind vanished, sparks like tiny fireballs scattered in all directions.

Where the sparks landed, vivid red dots began to bloom on the bodies of every Zephyros member in the area.

The positions and sizes varied, but for most, their entire bodies glowed red, rendering the points meaningless against them.

Ness wasn’t much different.

Click.

I shut the eyelid of my Ghost Eye completely.

It was fine.

I was used to seeing with one eye anyway.

With my restored vision, I could clearly see Ness’s face, his cheeks puffed out like a toad as he panted.

“Pathetic fool.”

“…Raaagh!”

As expected, he only charged after I provoked him.

Clang! Clang!

He swung his sword at my face, alternating left and right.

He was fairly quick.

Holding my bastard sword vertically, I shifted it slightly to block each strike.

The grating sound of metal clashing so close made my ears ring.

Ka—ang!

Ness brought his sword down again, capitalizing on the recoil.

Judging by his breathing, this was the end of his current sword form.

Keeeng!

I parried the blow while twisting my wrist.

In that fleeting moment, my blade slid along his, stopping abruptly at his neck.

I smirked, watching his face turn pale.

“Offense and defense as one. Isn’t that the essence of your Kingdom’s swordsmanship?”

“…!”

I laced my words with mockery.

It felt like I’d returned to my past life as the Dragon in the Fog.

Mimicking myself wasn’t exactly pleasant, but I was determined to instill fear and shame in Ness by any means necessary.

Smack!

I delivered a short elbow strike to his gaping face, a wake-up call.

Ness stumbled back a couple of steps.

When he removed his hand from his face, blood gushed from his nose.

“Damn it, how dare…!”

“Too much force. Nervous?”

“Shut up!”

Ness straightened his hunched posture and raised his sword before his face.

His eyes, visible past the blade, were closed.

I’d said it to rile him up, but was he actually taking it as advice and trying to regain his composure? Curious, I watched.

“…, … ……, ….”

I heard him muttering something, and suddenly, a white trail of light coiled around his sword like a serpent.

His blade was soon enveloped in blinding white light, crackling with a zzzt sound.

Compared to Aura, it felt… frivolous, for lack of a better word.

I slightly opened my left eye to check.

‘Mana.’

So that’s the enchantment I’d heard about.

“…Bihen Benkou. I’ve heard plenty of your rumors.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Not for any grand reason—just that the blood streaking from Ness’s philtrum to his chin looked like a child’s snot trail.

He must have misunderstood my laughter, because he raised his voice.

“Those sewer rats were dead set on it! Their lies were beyond measure—absurd delusions, not just one or two!”

“So what’s got you so pissed off?”

“Your tricks won’t work on me.”

Zzzzt—

Ness shifted his sword to the side of his face, assuming a thrusting stance for a charge.

“…Cutting magic? Magic can only be nullified by counteraction. Don’t try to mock the Kingdom’s principles with cheap tricks.”

The lightning sparking from Ness’s sword grew fiercer.

Was he planning to unleash it as is?

I glanced back.

The townsfolk gathered in the plaza had all retreated far behind me.

“You lunatic. If you fire that…”

Shwoooom!

I didn’t even finish my sentence.

A searing heat was already closing in.

I had no intention of dodging.

A single swing of my arm would suffice—why bother moving my whole body?

It was just surprising.

Ness and these townsfolk likely knew each other, at least in passing.

Yet he showed no hesitation, even if they got caught in the crossfire.

In my past life, I, the Dragon in the Fog, Bihen…

I felt disillusioned watching innocent people get swept up in the flames of war.

It wasn’t some grand love for humanity—just a natural emotion, because we’re all human.

Back then, I thought it was a weakness for a swordsman.

That’s why I wandered.

A half-baked man, a mediocre soldier, a bastard of a third-rate martial family, a one-eyed man, a talentless swordsman.

A fool full of lofty thoughts and greed.

Truly… weak and pathetic.

‘Not anymore.’

In this life, I’ll become a swordsman twice as great.

That’s how I want to atone.

Slash—!

I swung the bastard sword from my shoulder, followed by an upward cut and a horizontal slash.

The three consecutive strikes shattered Ness’s projectile entirely.

Tssst—

The remnants scattered in the air, and the area fell eerily calm, as if nothing had happened.

“Wahahahaha!”

It was Bolero.

Arms crossed, he burst into laughter before turning around to face the crowd.

“You all saw it clearly! If Bihen Benkou had dodged, most of you over there wouldn’t be alive to witness this! Death comes in an instant! If you’re grateful to be alive, you should chant Bihen Benkou’s name and spread the truth about Ness Servai and the Archduke’s true nature!”

He incited the crowd with ease.

Through our journey, I’d come to realize that Bolero, the Doom Fist of this life and Nick Huster of the past, was a born street brawler.

“Bihen Benkou!”

The response came quickly.

It was Ramba, atop the execution platform, a blade held to his throat, yet unfazed.

His cry shot past my shoulder like an arrow.

“Punish that filthy hypocrite, Sword Fiend!”

It was someone unknown in the crowd.

My head slowly turned back.

“Judge the Archduke’s lackey!”

“Adeline’s sword judges Zephyros!”

“I nearly died of rage before my time!”

“Ness, you vile scum! Pay for deceiving us all this time!”

Each person poured out their pent-up grievances.

Amid the constant chanting of my name, all sorts of crude insults flew, and it seemed the crowd might charge at any moment.

I turned back to Ness, leaving them behind. My lips kept curling upward, and my shoulders shrugged in sync.

“You should’ve lived virtuously. Or at least shown your true colors from the start, like those Langster Faction bastards. You sneaky rat.”

Ness’s face was a sight to behold.

His handsome features twisted into something demonic.

One of his subordinates approached, gesturing as if to dissuade him, seemingly saying it was over, that they were done for.

“Get lost.”

His pride seemed wounded.

Brushing off the hand, Ness let out another thunderous roar and charged.

I welcomed it.

I blocked effortlessly, tripped him with my foot, and instead of counterattacking, slapped him across the face, toying with him to my heart’s content.

How long did it go on?

Eventually, Ness, barely able to stand and staggering, suddenly screamed into the air.

“Aaaaaaagh—!”

Tch, what a foul-tempered bastard.

“Let’s take one solid hit.”

Not yet.

This wasn’t nearly enough to sate my anger.

Still, judging by his state, it was time to subdue him for now.

Thwap.

I lightly tossed the bastard sword upward, flipping it.

My hands gripped the blade itself, not the hilt.

‘Is this how it’s done?’

I’d seen it in my past life.

A Kingdom knight, mid-battle, switched his grip on the sword and attacked with the pommel.

I later learned it was a technique to crush plate armor.

Crack—!

Oh…

I swung the pommel—*whoosh!*—and Ness—*thud!*—dropped dead.

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