Chapter 30 – 3rd Passage of the Legend: The Hymn of Heroes (2nd part)
The audience room had already turned into a battleground.
Even when the mud dolls have all been defeated, the duke new form still ferociously rampaged inside it, every swing of his large black sword produce a fierce storm that can make a mere mortal heart turns cold with each swings.
It hands become just as big as that of a log. And of course with the increase in size, its power also gets increased considerably. Every sword attack with those arms power that already surpass normal human strength already can’t be considered as a cutting action. It was instead meant to smash its target into grounded lump of flesh.
When it swings it sword down, the shock is enough to create a small tremor and create a large fissure in the floor. When it swings it sword horizontally, even without touching the blade, it can still shred people with the blades of wind it creates.
The red carpet which shows grace and nobility is reduced into rags, cracks and sword marks run in the wall. The audience room is turned into ruins in just a short time.
And to make it worse, the one that caused all of this doesn’t only have a tyrannical inhuman strength but it also assimilate the Duke swordsmanship as its own making it a perfect warrior in the aspect of strength, speed, and skill.
There are those who already can’t keep up with the fighting and distance themselves from the eye of the storm. Nervously watching over the battle that still keep on going from the side.
King Bernard is one of the retiree. He had used up all of his power when fighting with the mud dolls. With ragged breath, he is already down to his knee. The few remaining of the royal guard who somehow managed to survive surrounded him to continue on their duty to protect him.
The only one who can face the black giant right now is only Renya and Prince Gerard, the two of them left.
But the knights still haven’t lost their fighting spirit even in front of the monstrous giant.
When the black giant does another overhead swing, everyone expect another fissure created in the floor. But it didn’t happen. With his wondrous swordsmanship, Renya blocks that big sword while not forgetting to give a sharp swift counter to the giant’s cranium.
And against the black giant horizontal slash, Prince Gerard didn’t show any sign of faltering. Instead of falling back, he slips in while avoiding the giant attack, hit back, and immediately fall back to avoid getting countered. The Prince shows a excellent performance of overwhelming the giant power with his speed.
The two fighters are still not yet give up the fight and gallantly keep on fighting in the front. Because of them, the knights fighting spirit still continue to burning strong even against this kind of inhuman adversity. Even if they don’t have the competency to fight the giant, at least they want to make the two fights up front to keep on concentrating in their fight against the giant by protecting the king until their last. Fire of determination burns strong in their eyes.
“Good work holding out this long. Even though the duke is already turned into a monster like this but you two still able to keep up fighting with him this long is definitely a great feat. The Prince is strong just as expected but you there, did you use body strengthening magic? Or is it a kind of secret martial arts skill? Your power and your speed are easily surpass that off that a normal human by several folds. But just that much of strengthening is not enough to beat the duke and you must also close to your limit right?”
Renya doesn’t consent or denied what the man said. He just keep his silence while continue fighting the giant. But Darvis thought of that silence as a confirmation to his question and a fiendish smile appears in his face. He is definitely looking down on Renya.
(Nope, I still can continue this exchange for a year or more if I want. I was only wondering what I should do to wrap this mess up in the most perfect way)
There are a lot of witnesses in this room including the royal guards. Renya doesn’t mind making uproar by defeating the giant instantly but he doesn’t want to deal with the trouble that will definitely comes along after if he was to really to do that. Well he already involved too much in this mess so his worry is somewhat unreasonable but if it means that he will get less attention then he will do his best to achieve it.
It was because the conditions now are different from the time when he rescues Therese, so as Renya lines up his alibi.
And furthermore, this case, this battle is an extension that comes from Prince Gerard request. He worried whether it would look bad if he just run along and finish the giant by himself leaving Gerard behind. He also sees this mess as a chance for Gerard to make a name for himself so that once he become famous because of this event, it will help him greatly when he become king after.
After Renya realizes how the knights see Gerard with respect and awe, the battle against the giant is already something out from his mind. He is now busy thinking about what he must do to make a better future. He had already prepared something before just in case. So he is now waiting until the last second for a good chance to play his card in the best timing but Darvis think that what Renya do is searching a way on how to defeat the duke that had turned into a giant. It was frightening how far his misunderstanding is.
“GROOAAAAAAAAA!!”
With that roar that even trembles the air in the surrounding, the giant charges ahead while brandishing its big sword. Unmatched to its big frame, the giant shoots out nimbly step forward. And the one the giant target now is Gerard. Gerard is cornered. His back is against the wall. He can’t get out from the giant’s range by stepping back and avoiding to the side is also too far. If he carelessly tried to dodge to the side he will definitely get slashed.
His situation is at the worst. A desperate moment! Image of his death flashed inside his brain.
Gerard freezes by the image of death that assaults his brain.
Everyone on the audience room already saw the illusion of the prince dying in the pool of his own blood.
“Prince Gerard!”
“……! Yeah!”
Renya suddenly jumps in front of him while holding his sword overhead. Seeing that, Gerard instantly understands what Renya going to do.
If it can’t be avoided…… then just make it don’t hit!
Renya sword smashed into the giant’s big sword side, Gerard also imitate Renya and smash his own sword into the giant’s big sword from the same direction as Renya.
And they managed in forcefully repel the giant sword attack. Gerard also managed to avoid getting smashed into grounded meat. Instant judgment and instant team play, how much miraculous feat that one bizarre exchange was only King Bernard alone in this place that can understand.
But even though they manage to repel that big sword, the force behind it still not negated fully and it made Renya and Gerard blown off by the tyrannical power. But that was not much of a trouble for the two of them as they easily rolls on the ground to negate the impact.
Beside by rolling back in the ground, they can take some space from the giant. After they got far enough from the giant, the get back up and get in their fighting stance.
But as expected Gerard breathing is already getting rough. He can’t help getting tired because he had been facing those one hit kill slashing attack for more than ten times already. The mental strain also strangles him making his fatigue worsen that in the end making his body feel heavier.
Looking at the two who doesn’t know how to give up, Darvis can only shake his head, pitying them.
“I just can’t understand. I admit that your exchanges are magnificent indeed but is there any prospect for winning? Let’s just stop this futile resistance and obediently die there will you? Because in the end all the people in the castle will be sent to the afterlife by the duke anyway so just resign to fate already”
“And then next you will go to the outside and give a blood fest to the people right?”
“But of course, it was an offering for our god after all”
“If that the way it is then how could I choose to let myself die in a situation like this. And I also won’t let the duke get out from here. But if you insist, then do it over my dead body”
Even after getting cornered like this, Gerard still act tough and unyielding. Even Darvis start to get annoyed by it and his tone starts to get harsher.
“Che, a dreamer young prince really is such a pain. It was already decided that your life is forfeit, why do you still resist if that only meant to give yourself more suffering?! Do you not understand that it will be easier for you to just give up?!”
“Then let me return a question to you, can you forgive a royalty that runs away from crisis because he/she only think for his own sake?”
Gerard ignores the giant that stands before him and glares at Darvis.
The light of tenacity that burns bright in the depth of his eyes, added with his natural dignity as a royalty made Darvis falter involuntarily.
“My flesh and blood is nourished by the tax from the people. I can live easy was all because the power of the people supporting it. If they think that it was natural for them to offer those things to us the royalties, then it also natural for us royalties to dispose off any hardship that might befall them. It was a simple give and take. I might still a greenhorn who still haven’t get my own position in the kingdom…… but I must create the kingdom that even my father and king Bernard can’t make no matter what. If I just quit because of this much of a trouble…… then how can that dream be achieved!?”
Even he express this battle in which he risk his life is just as a ‘this much of a trouble’.
Seeing Gerard declares that, Renya can see a glimpse of a true king in Gerard profile.
This is the perfect chance! Renya’s instinct tells him that. With that, he secretly put the ‘thing he prepares before’ into action.
Between Gerard and the giant, a blazing light suddenly manifested. The blazing light blinds everyone present. Even the giant let out a pained howl from having it eyes burned by the blinding light.
It was only Gerard that can see something being born inside the blazing light. He is the only one who is unaffected and keeps on gazing straight inside the light.
A white world spreads in his surroundings. When Gerard comes to his sense, he is standing in a white world devoid of anything. There is nothing here… except a sword that stuck in the ground in front of him.
“Where… is this… What… is happening to me?”
[You don’t have to think about that kind of thing]
“Who goes there!?”
Gerard reflexively readying himself in the instant he heard the voice that comes from nowhere. He examines his surrounding with full awareness but it was all in vain. There really is nothing else here.
[I am here. In front of your eyes]
“In front of… my eyes?”
The only thing that can be seen in front of him is just that one sword that stuck out in the ground.
It was an orthodox long sword. But there is a big red jewel decorates its pommel. Golden ornament decorates it in a just right level to not make it too gaudy. Gerard can feel a mysterious powerful aura emanates from the sword.
In the first place, a sword is a symbol of royalty. Gerard had saw many sword that is offered to the royalty and almost all of them is luxuriously decorated with gold and other precious material. Those swords don’t have any function as a real weapon as they are just a decoration.
But he can’t feel that kind of futility from the sword in front of him. This sword is not created for the purpose of being a decoration. He can feel that sword power as a weapon hidden deep within it. Gerard even started to think that this sword is not something that should be fallen to the hand of humans.
[Can you put an oath to me?]
“Oath?”
[If you were to brandish me, a power that surpass human imagination, what do you want to achieve with it?]
“Surpass human imagination……”
[The trial that hinders your path is an impossible one. It is not something that can be broken through by your will power and spirit alone. For that reason, if you can give me an oath that can impress me, I shall lend my strength to you]
“……… Fine. What I want to achieve… is that what you want to hear?”
Author note: The sword name is a last resort that the author can come up to. Well, that scene is also similar in that aspect.
Well, that sword name is totally famous right? (smile bitterly)
And then as usual, the mastermind fleeing flag is destroyed without mercy (lol)
Eros Notes: The sword dialogue (the one inside bracket [] ) is in an archaic form of thou, thy, and such old vocabulary which I can’t reproduce it correctly in English (yet). My vocabulary in those old english language aspect is still too low compared to the Japanese one as I read more Japanese novel than English lol.
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