In swordsmanship, a clear hierarchy exists.
Of course, most active swordsmanship schools tend to actively exchange ideas and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, but that’s not the case for the closed-off elves’ Merida-style.
There are more than enough superior swordsmanship techniques derived from Merida-style.
However, the secrets born from Merida-style are different.
In secrets, there is no hierarchy.
Secrets that break through the extremes of swordsmanship and transcend limits cannot be compared in terms of superiority and inferiority.
For example, asking whether the Iron Blood Storm Slash is stronger than Landgridd makes no sense.
Essentially, will meets will on equal footing.
If the Iron Blood Storm Slash contains a stronger will, it will cut through, and if Landgridd contains a stronger will, it will block.
Secrets fundamentally hold the same value.
The reason is simple.
They share the same essence.
Even if the paths they walked differ and their intentions vary, they all reach the same destination.
It’s akin to convergent evolution.
Thus, realizing one secret implies the possibility of acquiring another.
Of course, it is impossible to fully realize the same secret.
The history experienced differs, and the reasons for wielding a sword differ.
The grand intentions born at the end cannot be the same.
Yoo Jin couldn’t replicate Transylvania’s secret, and vice versa; it’s the same logic.
The principles may be the same, but the forms cannot be identical.
Therefore, Yoo Jin long ago gave up on attaining Rex’s Landgridd.
Didn’t he experience enough when learning Dakia-style secrets?
He recalled the overwhelming experience of trying to follow Transylvania.
What mattered was creating his own secret.
Chasing after others would get him nowhere.
But it was also true that Yoo Jin’s training in Merida-style was insufficient.
Having reached level 10 in Dakia-style, he remained stuck at level 9 in Merida-style.
It seemed impossible to create a secret solely from Merida-style.
Thus, Yoo Jin decided to combine the two.
To merge Dakia-style and Merida-style.
Since it was a combination of secrets, not swordsmanshop, it was possible.
He would fill the gaps in his training with Dakia-style.
And infuse the techniques he obtained from Rex into it.
The end of level swordsmanship and the end of water swordsmanship blend together.
The will born from this intersection is a contradictory one, seeking to protect the self while aiming to harm the counterpart beyond the reach of sword strikes.
A will filled with greed, unwilling to lose yet eager to take.
A form that combines Dakia-style and Merida-style.
That is the Celestial Blood Armor.
“Hoo…”
Swish…
The sword energy dispersed from Yoo Jin’s fingertips, the touch of the transparent sword fading away.
Before he knew it, the surroundings of Yoo Jin and his party were turned to rubble.
All the iron bars that rushed in were bent, twisted, and shattered, rolling around.
The rusted metal dust crushed by the Celestial Blood Armor painted the area red like blood.
The metallic scent teased the nose like blood.
Boom!
The Archive, the repository housing all the alliance’s records, collapsed.
As Yoo Jin watched, all he felt was relief.
To think something wearing Linda’s shell had been collecting all the alliance’s information until now.
It truly sent shivers down his spine.
“It’s just as that guy said. There’s no core circuit here.”
“How do you know that?”
“I couldn’t feel the hand sensation.”
“…”
The nameless one’s mouth fell open.
It was a blessing in disguise that he hadn’t started a fight because he looked weak.
The earlier attack was just a technique without any magic or curses.
From the nameless one’s perspective, it seemed he merely poured a minimal amount of mana into his body, moving his limbs as if striking down a sword.
Yet, what flew outward crushed everything in its path like a shield.
Could something like that really come from a human body?
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.
If this was possible without using magic, how much power could he unleash if he started using magic or curses?
That was no longer within the realm of humanity.
It was a weapon.
“Hey, uncle. Where to next? Just tell me. I’ll take care of the navigation.”
“What’s with the sudden obedience?”
“Thinking about it, this seems like the right attitude. I’ve been quite rude up until now, haven’t I?”
“What’s with this? It’s creepy.”
The nameless one immediately adopted a submissive position.
Up until now, he had merely appeared to be an overconfident unfortunate man.
But now it seemed there was reason behind it.
He was not just strong, he was unbelievably powerful.
He could probably handle Transylvania with one hand.
If he were to face the Frost Duchess… a decent match might unfold.
Though he hadn’t known him long, spending a short time together, he was convinced.
This man was neither evil nor weak.
Moreover, he felt an inexplicable instinct that this man needed to regain his existence as soon as possible.
He couldn’t help but offer his utmost assistance.
“I can’t guess how far the alliance has been eroded. It’s too dangerous. I have to check on those guys… no, the executives’ safety first.”
“Yes! Let’s do that! The security will be pretty tight, but you and I can break through easily!”
“… I have a bad feeling about this.”
Seeing the nameless one, who had attached himself like a leech in a sycophantic manner, Mi Jeong frowned.
When did she start looking up to Yoo Jin like this to act so friendly…
If she wanted to stand beside him, she should be banished to the demon realm alone and then return.
“Let’s hurry. The situation is urgent.”
“Yes!”
“… Okay.”
Stepping over the collapsed machinery, Yoo Jin moved forward.
Mi Jeong followed without any hesitation.
Even the nameless one was now following with confidence.
Confidence that he was walking the right path.
.
.
.
“Is this the right way? You didn’t lead us astray, Gui Ho?”
“What the heck is this…”
“Ah, the Archive…!”
Thud.
Allysha’s legs gave way, and she sat down.
Before her eyes unfolded a scene she had never even imagined in her dreams.
It was as if the ground had flipped over, overturning everything on the surface.
The magnificent Archive had collapsed into pieces, unrecognizable.
Who would dare to imagine something like this?
That the world’s strongest security and defense system could crumble so miserably.
There were even tales that it could intercept an airship fleet with various armaments, including heavy artillery.
“What are we even chasing…?”
Shivers, chills ran down her spine.
Gui Ho had said it.
This clearly wasn’t the work of the Great Demon Belphegor.
And indeed, he was right.
What lay before her exceeded the domain of cognition.
An enemy with inconceivable destructive power.
How could she face something like this?
Allysha felt her strength drain from her entire body.
‘Ah, Cornelia was right…’
She should have accepted the argument that they shouldn’t rely solely on Linda.
No one paid attention to Cornelia’s words about Linda being suspicious.
The alliance had over-invested in the Archive, believing Yoo Jin was the last registered master and that Cern’s automata would adhere to the three laws.
The result was this.
In a single blow, the Archive was completely obliterated.
The foundation of the alliance had turned to dust.
“Wait.”
“…?”
Thud, thud.
Transylvania walked deeper into the wreckage and bore a peculiar expression.
The scattered shards’ direction seemed strange.
She walked and walked.
When Transylvania reached deep inside, she stopped.
Inside the Archive, filled with machines, wooden shards lay crushed on the floor.
Standing at the center, Transylvania looked around.
“The culprit didn’t hit the Archive from the outside. They detonated it from the inside.”
The debris had spread outward from this point.
If it had been attacked from the outside, such an angle would be impossible.
This meant that the enemy had reached the Archive’s core without triggering any alarms or going unnoticed.
“Is it possible because it’s an unknown enemy?”
“No. The Archive is fundamentally a closed structure. Without internal approval, not even a fly can enter.”
“Then, is the enemy a ghost?!”
An impossible occurrence had transpired.
Even if the power to entirely demolish the Archive was possible, how had such a being managed to reach this far?
“Ugh…”
Allysha felt a headache creeping in.
Continuously facing unimaginable situations was overwhelming.
In truth, the realm of comprehension had long surpassed the appearance of an incomprehensible enemy.
How could they face something like this?
Would they merely be powerless against it?
Wasn’t this enemy just playing with them?
Thoughts like these flooded her mind, and the growing sense of powerlessness began to engulf her.
“It might not be something grand at all.”
“…?”
At that moment, Gui Ho began gathering demonic energy in her body.
Slowly, a formation began assembling from her fingertips.
As the formation completed, it started to shake the demonic energy spread throughout the area.
Like sifting through a sieve, the particles of demonic energy began to bounce and cluster together at a specific point.
Once all the particles halted, what materialized was a chaotic structure resembling the silhouette of the Archive before its collapse.
“What? You’re going to trace the movements of the demonic energy to see what happened here? If that’s the case, wouldn’t using mana provide clearer results? I heard the master of the White Magic Tower developed a technique that vividly recreates everything using all five senses and even the sixth sense.”
“That’s why we’re using demonic energy. Mana is far too efficient.”
“What?”
“You haven’t heard yet? The master of the White Magic Tower lost memories every time something related to this unknown enemy was recreated. It was too vivid, so they ended up seeing things they shouldn’t have. But with demonic energy, we should remain just beneath the line of losing memories.”
Whish…
As the demonic energy moved, the scene shifted like frames changing.
Structures twisted and transformed, aiming spikes toward where Transylvania stood.
And alongside Transylvania, four silhouettes appeared.
One was clearly a clockwork doll.
Another, just by looking at its height, was the nameless one.
The other two appeared to be a large man and a child.
“Ha ha! This is as far as I go! I haven’t lost my memory up to here!”
Gui Ho chuckled as she paused the operation of the formation.
However, the demonic energy suspended in the air remained.
Even if she couldn’t recognize the opponent, witnessing such vague silhouettes was still possible.
She succeeded in gathering information using a trick.
Gui Ho approached the silhouette formed from demonic energy and began estimating its size compared to her own body.
Transylvania and Allysha, amidst their stunned expressions, circled around to examine it.
This height.
This shoulder width.
And the child beside…
Gradually, a feeling of dread grew within her.
Allysha locked eyes with the two, realizing they were all thinking the same thing.
“The only two scenarios in which someone can enter the Archive without approval and without any alarms going off are this:”
Allysha spoke, her lips trembling.
“First, if Linda betrayed the alliance. Second, if the one who commanded Linda… that is, if Linda’s master is the perpetrator.”
It’s Yoo Jin.
No doubt about it, it’s Yoo Jin.
This was his body, and beside him was the blood ghoul girl who always accompanied him.
Every piece of circumstantial evidence and silhouette pointed to Yoo Jin.
At the moment Allysha trembled, a realization struck her.
Transylvania and Gui Ho exchanged grave looks.
“Or it could be both.”
“What?”
“If Linda betrayed the alliance, there would be no reason for the person inside to destroy the Archive. Conversely, if the one inside is Yoo Jin, that skeleton-like bastard, why would he destroy the Archive?”
“Ah…!”
“The answer is both. Linda’s master made his way in here as if entering his own bedroom, and Linda betrayed him, directing a blade at him. The disaster that ensued is this.”
The truth began to unfold.
And it was quite specific.
Allysha felt her heart racing, and at the same time.
“Then Linda has been stealing the alliance’s information this entire time… Ahhh!!!”
Her mind went blank.
The entire alliance was in danger.
