Chwa-reuk―! The Great Sword was pulled out completely, severing chains, and the remnants of the chains scattered across the floor.
The moment I grasped the Great Sword inside me, I instinctively realized. Now, I was completely beyond all regulations. I had realized I was entirely detached from this world itself.
“Hoo…”
I exhaled the breath I had been holding back.
Though I held the Great Sword, it felt like I wasn’t really holding it at all. I looked at the Great Sword, which had become completely one with my body.
I saw it. My arm. The blood flowing from it. The hand covered in that blood. The Great Sword in my hand.
A shape of the Great Sword I had never seen before.
…It looked quite ominous. Unlike the clearly defined Jong-eon’s Great Sword, my Great Sword lacked a proper form.
A rippling black with a pulsating red aura. Overall, it looked like a blood-red Great Sword. It seemed to be similar in color to what Rubia had once told me about my status.
To think this came out of my body.
…At first, it felt unsettling, but thinking it emerged from my body also felt a bit cool.
Still, at least it resembled a Great Sword. Not a slashing sword, but a crushing one with mass. It had the appearance of a Great Sword that I loved.
And for a moment, I blinked a couple of times, my unfamiliar eyes fluttering. I wondered, perhaps if there was no Great Sword, would I not be able to see it? I pondered this, but the answer quickly came.
I would see it. No, I see it. I can’t even assume the Great Sword doesn’t exist. This Great Sword is me, after all. And, I am free from all constraints.
I can see it, no matter what.
Finishing that thought, a small smile crept onto my lips. I was excited to see Rubia’s face.
I lifted my head. I could see Jong-eon wielding the Great Sword. At first, I didn’t realize, but my body, having transcended the world, could immediately recognize how powerful the energy Jong-eon possessed was.
Surely, it was more than enough power to destroy a world. No, it was overflowing with power.
A force capable of annihilating a city the size of Ursphere with a single swing.
Yet, despite the power of Jong-eon…
I felt that I could give it a shot.
And that thought became a resolution that I would win.
Amidst this, Jong-eon’s slashing strike was completed. A strike swung from a distance that could never touch me. I knew what it was. Ruchi’s sword.
I moved immediately. Two steps to the left. One step forward. Szap- My body, lighter than when I emerged from the trial, moved with thought.
Simultaneously, Sugh- My hair, unable to keep up with my body, was cut away. And I arrived right in front of Jong-eon.
“You’re adapting quickly,” she commented.
“…Because I’m a stagnant pool,” I replied.
“Really?”
A moment’s exchange passed. Jong-eon smiled. With that, she swung her Great Sword. There was no process. Just the aftermath of a slash left behind. The slash immediately struck Jong-eon’s body, merely slicing through her cloak’s hem. Naturally. By now, the precognitive awareness would have moved Jong-eon’s body.
“Then, try to counter this.”
Following that, Jong-eon moved. She swung her sword just once. It appeared that way to the eye. However, my awareness, instinct, and intuition told me it was not a simple slash.
Thus, I raised the Great Sword. Gripping the hilt as if to break it. Pududuk. I truly heard a sound as if it were breaking, but it was fine. This Great Sword, I, would no longer break. It would not dull. It would not disappear. I discarded the doubts. I was certain.
The Great Sword responded. My soul responded.
A crimson rage surged forth. Filling my body with strength to respond to Jong-eon’s slash, I was ready.
My eyes darted quickly. My awareness expanded. Instinct spoke. Intuition shouted. The start was on the left.
Thud. My left foot pressed into the ground. Amid the rising sand, the Great Sword surged forward. Kaang- A lively sound resonated as Jong-eon’s slash vanished. Chains fell to the ground in its place. I held the Great Sword in reverse grip. I lifted it.
Chains, slashes, thousands of arrows, spells, shadows.
In that upwards motion, all the attacks I had faced thus far burst forth.
I then turned my head to the right. I twisted my waist. A spear shot past where I had been. I lifted my knee, altering the spear’s trajectory. The spear shot upwards and was shredded to pieces. Fragments of the spear grazed my skin. Drops of blood scattered. But a path opened to the right.
I walked that path. Just one step, but my body had reached before Jong-eon.
I thrust down with the Great Sword held in reverse grip. Jong-eon’s foot stepped back. Above it, Jong-eon’s Great Sword, a dragon’s fang lodged in its hilt, fell towards her back. Immediately, I stepped further forward, lunging into Jong-eon’s embrace.
A peculiar glint appeared in Jong-eon’s eyes. Confidence filled my gaze. I gripped the sword held in reverse firmly. I turned my foot’s direction. My body rotated to follow. My arm followed. The Great Sword gripped tightly, a will to slash surged within.
Towards Jong-eon’s wrist.
Simultaneously, Jong-eon reversed her sword grip. She too turned her foot. Twisting at the waist, the body that had been looking directly at me shifted to the side.
The hilt became the blade.
Beheading.
The guillotine-shaped Jong-eon’s Great Sword fell towards my Great Sword.
Kaang―!
A sharp sound struck my ears. A colossal vibration shook the ground. The earth flipped. The sky trembled. From where the swords met, sparks flew. Sparks became flames. A dragon emerged. The dragon’s maw opened wide towards me.
I reacted. I kicked up the leg that was supporting me.
My body soared. I pulled the Great Sword, shifting my weight.
The suddenly heavy Great Sword forcibly dragged my body down. Szap- My foot touched the ground. At the same time, I hurled myself forward.
My frame felt as though it was disjointed, yet I stood before Jong-eon again. The distance was too short to swing the Great Sword. I did not retreat. I threw a punch.
Perhaps thinking I would back down, Jong-eon, preparing her next attack, froze and laughed. Surprise mingled with her laughter, but her response was swift.
She charged up her knee. Pwa-jik- That knee struck my wrist upwards. Though it was an unstable posture, that spot held fierce strength.
With my wrist now elevated, Jong-eon lowered her raised knee, Thud. The foot slammed down. Black feathers soared. The magical energy contained within that feather shot towards me. Meanwhile, another slash roared like before.
I concentrated my mind. I squinted my eyes, searching for an opening amid the death surrounding me. I excluded my elevated wrist and swung my other arm widely.
The poorly swung Great Sword was illuminated by the light of Reverse Heaven.
A brilliant light refracted. It illuminated the space wrapped in black feathers. The relentless light of Reverse Heaven devoured everything indiscriminately, exploding.
The things blocking my view disappeared. I instantly dodged. Kwaaaang! Hellfire surged where I had just stood. The hellfire, touching the sky, left a scorched mark on the world as it faded.
I inhaled the parched oxygen and exhaled. Then I rushed at Jong-eon, scattering the Great Sword.
Jong-eon also charged at me, her face ablaze with a bright smile as she scattered the Great Sword.
In the combat where a moment’s lapse decided victory, hundreds and thousands of combinations collided. Neither of our swords held back. Each blow had the potential for a lethal strike.
Then, a drop of blood marked the end of the combination, bursting forth.
Blood flowed from Jong-eon’s neck.
Though it was quite a deep cut, it wasn’t mortal.
But soon, Jong-eon recovered, releasing her inner magical energy.
Kwaang- A rough wave separated us.
In an instant, Jong-eon waved her arms. Following this, an immense gravity bore down on my body. Heinzel’s ability.
Under the overwhelming gravity pressing down as if to force me to kneel, I pushed my feet against the ground. Chjeok- The ground cracked, resisting the gravity, rising upwards. My body regained its freedom. Gathering the momentum created by my feet, I swung the Great Sword. With that, Jong-eon mirrored my actions, swinging her Great Sword.
Light ignited between our swords.
And then, it exploded.
―――!!
Right after, a resounding blast shook my head. The sound generated from the clash of swords was hard to believe. In the chaos where only ringing remained, Jong-eon’s presence vanished. I immediately expanded my awareness.
Before I fully spread my awareness, a sharp sensation like electricity ran down my right cheek. Instinctively, I turned my head to the left. Pwa-jik- A dazzling electric jolt pierced through my hair.
I hadn’t even touched it, yet small wounds remained on my cheek. Drops of blood splattered. The electric shock vanished. Light faded, and the thunderous noise stopped.
And Jong-eon was gripping my forearm.
From her hand, purple flames ignited. The same from the fist at her waist. Fiery purple flames blazed sharply. Hermila’s essence. Soon, flames engulfed all of Jong-eon’s body, opening their maws toward me.
Could I escape Jong-eon’s grip? Could I evade those flames? In that fleeting moment, numerous thoughts passed through my mind, but they were all meaningless concerns.
There was no need to flee.
No need to stop.
No need to deflect.
I would break it.
That would suffice.
I twisted my waist. I swung the arm not grasped by Jong-eon. My thoughts poured into the extending Great Sword following that movement. I would break. Shatter. Collapse. What? Those flames? No, everything that stands in my way.
In that moment.
Kuwoong. Something ignited within me. A hot light burst in my head. An explosion. A massive explosion shook my body. It ignited my soul. Yet, it didn’t pain me. I wouldn’t burn. Rather, it amplified the strength within me. It bolstered my swing of the Great Sword.
An uncontrollable power. A power difficult to bear.
The instinct that said it wouldn’t end well if I swung like this made my body instinctively hesitate. However, my already buoyant body, my Great Sword, showed no signs of stopping.
I clenched my teeth. With a roar akin to a scream, I stifled the power that continued to erupt.
Thus, the Great Sword, now down to a third of its strength, surged forward towards Jong-eon.
The Great Sword racing toward Jong-eon, now holding an unfamiliar power. Jong-eon’s eyes widened as she saw it. Her lips slightly parted, revealing a face of surprise, but soon a deep smile bloomed on her face. Unable to contain it, she eventually erupted in laughter.
“Uha-ha-ha!”
With that laughter, Jong-eon, who had firmly held my arm, released me. She kicked off the ground, spinning in midair. As if that wasn’t enough, she swung the summoned Great Sword with all her might, cleaving the very space she stood in.
For a brief moment, Jong-eon’s space was completely isolated.
As a result, my Great Sword carved through the void.
And then.
Half of the world’s end vanished.
No, it shattered.
