< Chapter 69 - Intensification >
Chapter 69 – Intensification
Count Bayer.
Father of Juder Bayer.
One of the Ten Swordsmen.
A powerful swordsman with the title of Sword Master.
However, despite being the father of Uder, one of the playable characters, Count Bayer’s presence in the original was not that strong.
‘First of all, because the number of appearances itself is small.’
Moreover, the sword of wind he uses – the swordsmanship and martial arts of the Count Bayer family – did not receive much attention.
‘There are no users.’
To be exact, there was no playable character who could deeply master the swordsmanship of the Bayer Counts.
In the original, after Yuder’s health recovered, he trained to some extent and then immediately went north to find the missing Cordelia, so he was unable to properly learn the swordsmanship of the Bayer Counts.
Furthermore, not long after they set out on their journey, a major incident called the invasion of the Northern Barbarians occurred, and during the war, not only Count Bayer but also his successor, Gale, were killed by the great evil Kreimler, so the swordsmanship of the Count Bayer family was effectively extinct.
‘There are still knights from the Counts of Bayer······.’
All they learned were basic techniques like the Jilpungbo and Noeseongbak.
Only the direct descendants of the Counts of Bayer could properly learn the ‘Sword of the Wind’, which was the essence of the Counts of Bayer.
‘The strength of Count Bayer.’
As it was one of the Ten Swords, it was clear that it was strong.
But how strong is it?
His sword, which has no notable original achievements other than his fight with the Great Demon Kremler, can really reach the Sword Saint of Light?
Wind and light intersected.
The sound of sword cries erupted from the two swords once again.
&
“Uder!”
floor.
Cordelia’s call.
A dazzling battle unfolding before our eyes.
Harsh winds and strong light.
Kwagagagagang!
The space was filled with a fierce sound that was so loud that it was hard to imagine it was a clash of swords.
The aftereffects of each person’s skills alone were enough to turn the surroundings into scorched earth.
This is a fight between the ten swordsmen.
No, a fight between black and black!
‘The Sword of the Wind.’
It was a story even Uder had never heard before.
When was this story?
If he really was a blacksmith, why did Count Bayer’s father give up the title of blacksmith?
‘No, before that.’
Is that really the sword of Count Bayer?
It was only a few moves.
However, it seemed to Yuder that he was seeing a completely different type of sword than the sword of the Count Bayer family that he had known until then.
And then Uther realized.
The swordsmanship of Count Bayer was not enhanced compared to the original – the Sword of Wind was not enhanced.
In the original, it just didn’t have a chance to be revealed, but it was truly a powerful black thread of wind.
The first sword exploded with light.
He laughed and laughed as if he was having so much fun with the current fight.
It could have happened.
Originally, duels between Ten Swordsmen were forbidden.
If the Ten Swordsmen unleashed their full power, one of them would inevitably die or suffer a fatal wound.
The power of the Aura Blade, a sword so powerful compared to a body made of flesh and bone, caused even a stray wound to be fatal.
Because of this, confrontations between the Ten Swordsmen were forbidden.
The Empire also strictly prohibited duels between its own swordsmen, who were of the same level as the Ten Swordsmen.
But now, a showdown between the Ten Swordsmen was taking place, and it was an all-out showdown at that.
“ha ha ha!”
The first blacksmith burst into hearty laughter.
Because it was so much fun.
It’s already been 6 years since I ascended to the position of Ten Swordsman. It’s been 3 years since I started being called the Sword Saint.
I haven’t had a proper fight in those six years.
I couldn’t fight with anyone with all my might.
Unlike the heyday of the Guardians, the Kingdom of Cailun and the Argon Empire are currently not at war, but are merely growling at each other.
Because competing with other Ten Swordsmen within the Kingdom of Seilun was forbidden.
“This is it!”
How long has it been since I’ve had the opportunity to face off against someone who can wield his sword in this manner?
There was another reason why I joined hands with the devil, but I felt that it was worth it just for this moment.
Count Bayer was not as crazy as the First Sword.
But he too felt the blood boiling in his body.
I was able to unleash my sword faster and stronger than usual.
‘Uder.’
Second, there was talk that there might be a disaster around the time of the National Foundation Day.
In addition, he gave her an artifact that would allow her to know his location, asking her to save him in case of an emergency.
An emergency signal was sent as the palace collapsed and zombies ran rampant. After leaving the situation to Count Chase, I arrived here through a half-open secret door.
Things I saw in the meantime.
The shattered corpses of the royal family.
And the first sword’s attack on Uder and Cordelia, which they witnessed as soon as they exited the secret door.
I blocked it reflexively.
And then I realized.
I don’t know the exact circumstances, but the first black enemy is.
If so, stop it with all your might.
Put all your efforts into defeating the enemy before your eyes!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Count Bayer’s sword was usually very soft.
But not now. It was a mad whirlwind that was driving the First Sword forward.
If the first sword was a sharp and clean sword, then Count Bayer’s sword was a rough and fierce gale.
Uther felt himself being drawn into the Sword of Wind without realizing it.
But now was not the time.
After mechanically switching my consciousness, I looked back at Cordelia.
She was the same as always.
I was instinctively focused on what had to be done right away.
Uder’s own treatment.
Although it had its own healing powers thanks to the Life Orb, it did not have the regenerative powers of a Lycanthrope.
Cordelia used the power of the Crown of Life, which she wore instead of a headdress, plus the power of an angel to cast a powerful healing spell, instantly healing Uther’s arm.
So Uther did his job too.
We looked for a way to overcome the current situation.
‘situation.’
I didn’t even have time to think about it all.
That’s why I only remembered the most important things.
The Guardian King is running to the shelter to annihilate the royal family and the first sword in front of him.
The first one was blocked by my father.
Then the remaining problem is the national defense.
I had to stop him.
I had to do something about him.
But how.
He has already left.
How to catch up with him.
Even if we catch up, how can we stop it?
Should I go to the grand ballroom right now and join Count Chase and my father before moving on?
No, it was a crowd.
Even if I got up and ran right now, there was a high chance that I wouldn’t be able to catch up with the Patriot.
It was also absurd to help my father subdue the First Sword.
Regardless of whether he could intervene in the fight between the swordsmen, if the Guardian King wiped out the royal family, everything would be over in that moment.
There was no time.
Neither option was up to the mark.
Even thinking like this now might be nothing more than a waste.
So what should we do?
What should I do?
‘Victory conditions.’
Always think about your winning conditions.
Killing is not the solution.
Alexei’s teachings came to mind.
It was just as he said.
Victory conditions.
The goal was not to kill the patriot.
The goal was to save the royal family.
He was saying that there was no need to defeat the Guardian of the Nation.
‘If you get there first.’
It was ridiculous to even catch up with the Guardian King, but if it were possible.
If we can reach the shelter before the Guardians.
If only I could get in touch with the royal family who are just standing there, waiting for the Duke of Guk to arrive.
A method is found.
You can complete the victory conditions.
But how.
“Follow me!”
Cordelia screamed.
I grabbed Yuder’s hand and ran.
how.
Did you read my thoughts by looking at my eyes?
Or maybe it was Yuder himself who unknowingly uttered the words?
No, where are you going right now?
Uther thought of the royal map.
And then I realized where Cordelia was headed.
Grand Ballroom.
Secret passage.
The hallway beyond.
And one of the many rooms connected to the hallway.
Quagga River!
The walls and ceiling collapsed during the fight between Count Bayer and the First Sword.
But Cordelia ran without looking back, and almost broke the door open with her telekinesis.
“Found it!”
Cordelia shouted, and Uther looked.
A large bathtub located on one side of the room.
One of the bathrooms built throughout the palace by the former king, who loved bathing.
“hurry!”
Cordelia ran while holding Uther’s hand, and Uther ended up getting into the bathtub with Cordelia.
And then I realized.
What Cordelia is trying to do now.
The gamble she took.
“Waterfall!”
Water poured down from above, soaking both Uther and Cordelia, and Cordelia opened her mouth. Uther opened his mouth in the same way and did what Cordelia wanted to do.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star!”
“It looks beautiful!”
It was almost like cursing rather than singing, but this was not the time to be discussing such things.
Plan B, prepared by Yuder himself.
It was different from this.
There was a separate place that had been agreed upon in advance.
But Cordelia ignored it. With a flash of wild instinct, she revised her plan.
Will it really work?
Even though it was within the palace, it was quite a distance from the outdoor hot springs.
But will it work here too?
Will fairies appear here too?
Uther looked at Cordelia. Cordelia looked at Uther.
I opened my mouth to spit out the next lyric at the same time, and at that moment a third voice was heard.
“Did you call?”
Summer Fairy Queen.
She agreed to the deal in exchange for a box of fairy chocolates.
Uther hugged Cordelia. He couldn’t help it.
“You are a genius!”
Cordelia let out a momentary scream, perhaps because he had hugged her too tightly, but it only lasted a moment. She hugged Uther tightly in return.
And here’s what to do from now on.
He wanted to whisper words of love and kiss Cordelia’s forehead and cheeks, but there was something he had to do first.
Uther saw the Fairy Queen.
She was sitting on a large box, smiling broadly, her chin resting on both hands as if she was watching.
“Go on. Now you two are going to kiss, right? Like the love story between the Great Wizard and the Fairy Queen?”
Instead of answering yes to the expected question, Yuder shook his head.
“Plans have changed.”
A contract with the Fairy Queen to get the royal family out when the time comes.
But things have changed.
Changed destination.
Not a move out of the palace, but a move to a shelter.
If she were a human merchant, she could have demanded more compensation here, but she was a bright and gentle fairy. She smiled brightly and accepted Yuder’s request.
&
Flames rose up all over the capital.
The demon followers unleashed zombies everywhere to spread the infection, and fierce battles broke out between the demon’s hand fighters and the royal guards at the east and west gates.
Among them, the West Gate.
One of the headquarters of the Royal Magic Corps.
“Fireball!”
Adelia shouted loudly and threw a ball of fire, but it missed the target. The one who was fighting Gale.
Solusia swung the two pairs of wings that sprouted from her back like swords, pressuring Gale while splitting the ball of flames thrown by Adelia.
“game!”
Adelia shouted once more, wanting to support Gale with her magic, but Solusia’s escort, the intermediate mines, would not allow her to do so.
Aside from the fighters who seemed to number at least a hundred, there were three guys who had infiltrated the Royal Magic Corps and were running wild, so it was a precarious situation where they had to protect Adelia and her subordinates.
‘Too strong!’
A female mine with deer antlers growing from her head.
It was a terrifying magical power.
Moreover, it wasn’t just his magical power that was strong. His close combat skills in pushing Gale were truly amazing. Even though only a few minutes had passed, Gale’s body was covered in scars.
How much longer can Gail last?
How much longer can Adelia herself hold the line?
‘You have to hold on.’
Until the other captains arrive.
It was questionable how many captains would gather here amidst the chaos throughout the capital, but at least three – no, at least two – would come!
“Fire Wall!”
Adelia unleashed a wall of fire.
After setting the night ablaze with flames that reached 3 meters in height and creating a wall for his men to lean on for a moment, he turned to look at Gale. He screamed at the sight before his eyes.
“No!”
Solusia’s wings descended upon Gale’s head.
Same time.
On the drawbridge leading to the South Gate.
Koros and the Seven-Slaughter Sword Seryu clashed.
Even among the upper-level mines of the Devil’s Hand, Koros’s attacks, which had the strongest body, were truly relentless.
The atmosphere exploded in one blast, and a single blast of cloud threatened to shatter the stone piers.
But Chilsalgeom Seryu responded calmly.
She was a master of counterattacking, taking down enemy attacks and then counterattacking in return.
The height of Koros, who transformed into a mine, is over 3 meters and almost 4 meters.
On the other hand, Seryu was only about 160 cm tall, so the difference in size was a bit of an exaggeration, reaching ten times the size of Seryu.
It was clear that if even a single blow was allowed, Seryu’s delicate body would be destroyed.
But he was a member of the Ten Swordsmen.
Chorus’s attacks were unable to reach Seryu.
Her adept swordsmanship, combined with her signature soft and flexible martial arts, deflected Koros’ attacks.
However, Seryu was unable to counterattack either. This was because Koros’s attacks continued without giving him time to respond.
How long can you avoid Chorus’ attacks?
How long will Koros be able to continue its fierce attack without giving them even a chance to counterattack?
The chorus laughed.
Seryu gritted his teeth.
Once again, fist and sword crossed.
‘Pink bomb!’
As she ran across the rooftops, Scarlett felt impatient.
The royal capital was on fire.
The palace was also burning.
Scarlett’s reason spoke.
This is the capital of the Kingdom of Seilun.
Even if it seems dangerous at the moment, the situation will soon be resolved as time goes by. It is a place with that level of strength.
But I felt uneasy.
Could that really be possible?
No, even if that were the case, what would be the damage that would occur in the meantime?
‘This it? Was this it?’
Pink Bomb’s words to be careful, as an incident might occur at the palace on the day of the National Foundation Day.
So, I didn’t hide in the palace. I decided to just enjoy the festival on the street.
But then something happened.
It was a much bigger deal than I had imagined.
I was worried about the pink bomb. Lucas’ bright smiling face kept coming to my mind.
But Scarlett eventually had no choice but to stop walking towards the palace.
“Please save me!”
“Mom!”
Under the roof.
A woman who has fallen and a crying child, people are too busy running away to even take care of them.
And zombies surge forward from beyond the flames and smoke.
Scarlett drew her sword, swearing. She looked back at the palace one last time before throwing herself at the zombie horde. She began a fight to protect it.
Southwest of the royal capital.
There was a man who stopped his galloping horse and looked at the burning royal road.
It was a strange outfit.
Not only did he cover his entire body with a black robe, he also wore a mask that resembled a bird’s beak over his head, covering his entire face.
The burning royal road.
Burning city.
Past and present intersect.
Because the sight before my eyes brought back memories of the past.
Paragon Kingdom.
A city destroyed by demons.
And one more thing added.
The man wearing the mask could feel it.
Death was spreading throughout the capital. Death was being mass-produced.
“Hey!”
The man didn’t ask any more questions. The closer he got to the capital, the stronger the guardians became, but not all of them were using demonic powers.
The magic of life.
The horse the man was riding revealed its true colors. Green light shone from the eyes of the ghost horse Phantom Steed, and smoke rose from its hooves. The sharp croak shook the night sky.
Necromancer Belkian.
One of the five heroes of Paragon.
He headed towards the royal road.
I crossed the night sky with Phantom Steed.
&
< Chapter 69 - Intensification > End
