SWNOVELXO Chapter 101
The Sword of Heaven’s Death.
The Sword of Cotton.
The Sword of Desire.
Legendary swords known throughout the world were shattered one after another.
Each time, Ergo’s face grew increasingly tense.
A natural response.
How could his face not harden with such expensive legendary swords being utterly destroyed?
Even the shattered swords were worth enough to buy a mansion.
This was a significant blow, even for Ergo.
Crash!
Once again, he shattered a legendary sword, throwing the pieces to the floor.
As I trampled over the broken swords, I dashed toward Ergo.
Every sword that broke brought me closer to him.
Ergo gritted his teeth.
He was continuously exhausting his energy while employing the Sky Art of Swordsmanship.
“What an outrageous fellow.”
Before my eyes, swords filled my vision once again.
The outstretched edge of his hand kept swatting the swords away.
The barrage of swords continued endlessly.
It felt like I was trapped in a rain of blades.
Yet, no matter how wet I got from the rain, I couldn’t stop moving forward.
The woods echoed with the thunderous sound of swords clashing.
But I broke through once more.
The moment I emerged from the storm of swords.
Dozens of swords converged before me, forming one gigantic sword that flew toward me.
It was as if tiny fish had gathered to form the shape of a massive predator.
My fist clenched.
At the same time, my body bent back with elasticity around my waist.
An old but well-practiced punch.
With the clean motion engraved into my body, I put all my weight behind my fist.
My back and stepping foot shifted.
Simultaneously, the Magic Seal inscribed on my elbow activated.
<Kwaaaang!>
A fist, forged from steel, obliterated the swords in unison.
Through the flying pieces of swords, I locked eyes with Ergo.
As red lines connected in his crimson eyes, he lowered his stance.
Power flowed into the foot that stomped the ground.
Boom—
My body launched like a cannonball, propelled by the trampled floor.
The distance Ergo had declared kept closing.
I could see him hastily gathering his swords to block me.
The shield formed by the gathered swords blocked my path again.
If it was blocked, I’d just break it.
The Magic Seal was imbued in my clenched fist.
Once more, the outstretched punch shattered the sword shield.
At that moment.
A sword flew through the shattered remains of the shield.
It was just another sword, not much different from the legendary swords.
However, the moment I faced it, my instincts felt a sense of unease.
This one would cut me.
With that conclusion, I quickly abandoned my attack and turned my neck sharply.
Splat!
At that moment, red lines stained my face as blood splattered.
Alongside it, I discovered the golden aura that clung to the sword.
‘It’s definitely imbued with sword energy.’
What’s needed to cut through a body of steel is sword energy.
Only a scant few can use sword energy in the world.
At Jerion Academy, aside from Ban and Iris, Hania could manage it at best.
But the opponent was the Six Stars.
Moreover, it was Ergo, called a genius of Sky Art of Swordsmanship.
I knew he could wield sword energy, even if he wasn’t on the level of Ban or Iris.
“I warned you.”
Two more swords danced around Ergo.
Both swords equally possessed the golden sword energy.
Currently, Ergo could wield a total of three swords.
Any more than that was impossible.
Yet those three could deliver a lethal blow to me.
“There’s an insurmountable difference between us.”
The presence or absence of sword energy is the difference between heaven and earth.
I recognized this fact as well.
Furthermore, Ergo had more than just sword energy.
Kugugugugu—
A colossal presence descended from the distant sky.
It was a divine sword.
‘He’s making his last gamble.’
A sword imbued with three auras.
A divine sword that I couldn’t handle.
Before all of his swords were destroyed, Ergo had made his decisive move.
Would I get pierced first by the divine sword or reach Ergo first?
However, Ergo had one thing.
Something he hadn’t anticipated.
He raised his right hand above his head.
The moment Ergo stared at me, puzzled by my actions.
Kugung—
Dark clouds gathered over the divine sword descending from the sky.
“Your Highness Ergo Paradon, let me clarify one thing before I go.”
Sizzle—
A blue lightning bolt unexpectedly shot from the ring on my finger.
“From the beginning until now.”
<Kugugugugu—>
The storm of black clouds began to emit an even more intense sound.
“I’m the one attacking, while you, Ergo Paradon, are the one defending.”
“What?”
Before Ergo could question further.
A blinding light split open the storm clouds above.
On the vacant ground created by the falling lightning.
I declared once more.
Come.
Lightning Call.
―――――――!
The storm that even swallowed sound crashed down to the ground.
The white-hot light, reaching before the divine sword, engulfed both me and Ergo.
Ergo let out a silent scream in the face of the overwhelming force.
But he wasn’t just any of the Six Stars.
He summoned his aura internally to forcibly protect his body.
Imbuing aura into the body instead of the sword carries a heavy burden.
Still, it prevented him from losing consciousness to the lightning.
Ergo’s eyes stared at me as if he were looking at a madman.
He hadn’t expected that I would self-destruct using the lightning.
Thus, I decided to let him know again.
This isn’t self-destruction.
Pzzzzzzzz—
The energy surged in my hand stretched toward the sky.
The current flowing into my steel body concentrated around my right hand.
In response, a spear, painted blue with aura, was formed.
Magic Seal · Lightning Grasp
I grasped the blue lightning of the goddess in my hand.
Ergo’s eyes widened in realization.
He also understood the significance of the spear I now held.
I could sense the alarm bells of danger ringing in his mind.
Ergo was the only prince.
A genius born from Paradon.
Before such genius, a mere third-rate villain spoke out.
“Try to stop me.”
With my teeth bared, I laughed heartily.
As I lent strength to my waist, the Magic Seal activated.
My arm swung with full power, unleashing the explosion of the magic seal from my elbow.
Blue rays of light engulfed the air as they raced forward.
Just before my view was swallowed by light.
Kugugugugu!
The divine sword indeed pierced through the white-hot light and reached this point.
The divine sword crossed paths with the goddess’ spear.
Kwagagagagagagagagagag!
A deafening roar shattered my eardrums.
Even the overwhelmingly heavy divine sword couldn’t withstand the force of the spear enhanced by the goddess’ aura and was pushed back.
Ergo gathered all the remaining swords with a heart-wrenching effort.
Countless swords lined up behind the divine sword.
If it wasn’t stopped, I’d be pierced through by the goddess’ spear and it would be over.
Knowing this, he desperately poured all his strength into blocking the goddess’ spear.
Chiiiii—
White smoke billowed before the divine sword.
The Sky Art of Swordsmanship demanded tremendous mental energy and strength.
Drip—
Perhaps because of this, Ergo had reached his limit, exuding blood from his nose.
He gasped heavily.
His chest swelled and deflated repeatedly.
But he had indeed held it off.
He raised his head confidently, believing he had secured victory.
And then his eyes widened.
I had closed the gap between us.
The instant the goddess’ spear was launched, I was already racing through the storm of lightning.
He never thought I would close in this fast.
A flash of red glinted in his dim eyes.
My body had also been ravaged by the lightning.
But unlike him, I had already withstood the lightning twice.
Lightning resistance.
The resilience embedded in my steel body allowed me to move even within the goddess’ lightning.
“You rotten bastard.”
Ergo muttered curses as white smoke spewed from his mouth.
The distance between him and me he had declared had ultimately converged to zero.
My outstretched fist struck precisely against Ergo’s jaw.
The force of my fist punched through his jaw, sending his head flying.
Bam!
Ergo crumpled to the floor, rolling limply.
After rolling for a while, he lay still without moving.
Breathing hard, I gazed at the fallen Ergo.
“The royal family made a promise, and I believe you’ll keep it.”
Apologize to Seron.
Finally, I too collapsed backward.
Boom—
Just before hitting the ground, I felt a soft sensation behind, and I lifted my head.
There stood Iris.
“I feel relieved.”
I nodded weakly.
Then Iris tossed the Paradon sword she held over to Ergo.
The Paradon sword lightly spun in the air before embedding itself right next to Ergo.
Following that, she moved to retrieve the Dream Blade hidden behind the divine sword, still holding me.
“It’s a historic moment, with my cousin defeating the Six Stars. Quite disappointing.”
Today, the battle between me and Ergo must not be known to anyone.
So, as Iris licked her lips, I smiled bitterly.
“If it gets out that I beat the Paradon Prince, I’ll be in trouble too.”
“Indeed. It’s our little secret between Hanon and me.”
Including Ergo as well.
He was too proud for that.
He wouldn’t go around bragging about it.
“More importantly, I had one more secret to keep.”
Iris asked sharply.
Did she know?
Just as Iris said, there was indeed one more secret.
But this one wasn’t something I intended to reveal against Ergo.
“I must save my trump card.”
As I spoke, I felt my eyelids growing heavier.
“Get some sleep.”
Iris enveloped me while saying so.
“I’m sorry. Just a little.”
Laying my body against Iris, I gently closed my eyes.
＊＊＊
Seron Parmia.
She had finally woken up from her sickbed and discharged herself.
Since she had heartily consumed the lunch box Hanon prepared, she felt quite good.
‘The prince’s sweet potato filled me up.’
As she walked with such thoughts, Seron noticed someone walking toward her from ahead.
As she tilted her head, recalling that figure, her expression stiffened.
Before her stood a blonde man with band-aids plastered here and there.
His name was Ergo Paradon.
He was one of the Six Stars, whom Seron had clashed with in the preliminary rounds.
Ergo had certainly not been injured in the preliminaries.
So why was he in such a state?
Seron began to feel a sense of unease for some reason.
“Seron Parmia, right?”
When Ergo mentioned her name, Seron flinched.
In that moment, Ergo bowed his head.
“I apologize for what I have done.”
“Uh?”
Seron exhibited a bewildered reaction.
She never expected him to apologize.
Seron spotted the pendant around his neck.
It was the pendant that Hanon had been wearing for quite some time.
Simultaneously, a memory flashed through Seron’s mind.
What Hanon had said when she was in the hospital.
“I’ll make him apologize and only then leave.”
Seron’s eyes widened slowly.
Meanwhile, Ergo let out a breath.
He rid himself of his usual oppressive demeanor.
“A fool would dare to fight for a lover. I never thought such a person would exist in this world.”
Ergo, who had lived his life revered as the Prince of Paradon.
For him, Hanon’s actions were unprecedented.
Perhaps that’s why Ergo felt as if his perspective had expanded since then.
Not everyone in this world looks up to him.
That realization brought about significant change within Ergo.
“You’re right. That guy is a genuine prince.”
One who can go that far for his lover could rightful be called a prince.
Ironically, Seron and Hanon weren’t actually lovers.
But after looking into Seron’s face, he couldn’t help but affirm their relationship.
“He was a fine man. Take care of him.”
Ergo seemed to have finished what he needed to say and turned to leave.
Once Ergo departed.
Left standing alone, Seron was in a daze.
She had placed her hand on her chest without noticing.
<Thump! Thump! Thump!>
Her heart ached.
Her heart raced uncontrollably.
<Thump! Thump! Thump!>
Her face flushed bright red as Seron bit her lip.
With her hair standing on end, she realized one undeniable truth.
She had undeniably fallen for him.
Oh, this is something I could never heal in my lifetime.
Stuck in childhood memories, the love she had clung to.
Finally bloomed today, completely.
Moreover, it was a flower that would never wither.
“…That fool.”
But it’s all right.
Even if it couldn’t be healed in her lifetime, this unbearable elation was the most beautiful thing in her life.
“I’ll definitely give him a kiss.”
And so, Seron’s smile was surpassingly beautiful.