Swordmaster of the Great Wall

Chapter 202

With a pillar of light soaring into the sky, Erich's sword struck the dragon's neck.Erich felt a fierce resistance traveling up from his hand.

It was not the mere resistance of cutting through something solid, but the unpleasant sensation one felt when laying a blade against a living, writhing creature.

― Kkwwadududeuk.

Erich's forearm swelled as if it would burst.

The dragon's shuddering scales squirmed, desperately trying to reject Erich's sweeping sword.

― Fwoooosh!

Yet, the more it resisted, the brighter the white aura wrapped around Erich burned.

At the same time, a strange pain coursed through Erich's entire body.

'... Can I endure this?'

Even Erich could not be sure.

The immense energy, composed of his own life force and that burned by countless soldiers, was not something a mortal body could possibly withstand.

But Erich had to endure.

Because this very moment was the time to sever their old, grim bond.

― Wooooong.

Erich's eyes burned even brighter. The fire in his gaze settled into his eyes like crystals, calm and still amid the blaze.

Soon, the perfectly fused power enveloped his eyes in white.

And then—

― Kwajijik!

Erich felt a sensation through his sword. He sensed the blade crushing through the dragon's scales.

The blade fully pierced the scales.

― Kwagagagagagak!

Erich felt his body moving downward. The tip of his sword cleaved the dragon's neck and swept downwards.

From the dragon's massive nape down through its chest.

― Kwaaaaaaaah!

The sound of flesh and the essence of decay being torn echoed across the battlefield.

At that moment—

Erich's eyes met the dragon's.

The bastard showed no sign of pain.

Nor was it filled with regret or fury.

It was simply—

The bastard was accepting its fate.

― Thud.

Erich's sword touched the ground.

Having cut through the dragon's enormous body, Erich held his breath and gazed at the dragon.

No counterattack came.

Instead—

― Kwaaaaang!

With a gigantic explosion, a powerful, dark crimson energy began to pour from the dragon's wound.

Even Erich flinched at the force of that ruinous aura.

"... What is that?"

Murmurs grew around him.

Rather than shouts of joy, the spreading aura of decay sparked horror in those who saw it.

Soon, now in perfect union with his new sight, Erich swept his gaze through the aura of decay.

'This is... dangerous.'

The aura of decay spreading as the dragon died was no ordinary curse.

With his heightened insight, Erich saw that the corruption would endlessly fan out, turning this entire north into a land of death.

Erich surveyed his surroundings.

He needed a way to block the aura of decay.

He quickly recalled his sword. Forged from auramite, the blade might just be enough to contain that energy.

But his hope was quickly shattered.

After cutting through the dragon's hard scales and channeling transcendent power, cracks had formed all along the blade.

A sword like that would not last long.

But then, something else came into view.

'Albrecht's sword!'

It was the sword Albrecht had used to pierce the Lord of the Dead.

That blade, imbued with the power of the Lord of the Dead, was tinted black.

Had it been an ordinary sword, piercing the Lord of the Dead's body would have been impossible.

Erich made a swift decision and leapt.

― Thud!

Sliding forward, Erich seized the black sword. Overcoming the rebound, he sprang once more toward the dragon.

― Kwajijijik!

Erich drove the black sword into the dragon. The uprising aura of decay halted.

Erich then focused on the embedded blade.

Using his power, he forced as much of the bastard's energy into the sword as he could.

The swirling darkness formed an eye of storm, like a typhoon. No one dared approach.

At the center of the crimson-black storm's eye, Erich gathered all his strength and absorbed the aura of decay through the black sword.

And in a flash—

― Kwarreuk!

With a small sound, the widely spreading dark energy was instantly drawn in.

As a result—

A sword with a gleaming, crimson-black blade was left in Erich's hand.

Erich lifted the sword and turned his gaze to the dragon.

The once terrifying presence of the dragon's body was crumbling into a brittle shell.

The dragon's remains, now just a hollow shell, looked as if even the wind might scatter them.

― Srrrk.

The dragon's scales and flesh turned to dust.

Everyone stared in wonder at the sight.

And then someone cried out.

-... We won!

Erich felt the victorious cheers erupting around him.

But the sounds hardly reached his numbed ears.

And in an instant—

Everything went dark.

― Fwaaaash!

*

Before he knew it, Erich realized he was within a white space. There was something subtly familiar about it.

Incensus.

He felt the presence that had marked the beginning of this entire journey—Incensus's energy—so strongly here.

And, before his eyes, a small, flickering flame.

― Fwoosh.

Erich instantly knew this was the essence of Incensus. But he did not sense the overwhelming power of a god from it.

Yet, as Erich's gaze rested on the wavering golden flame, as if it might extinguish at any moment—

Someone's voice called out.

"So, your journey has come to an end at last."

Erich turned his head. There stood a small girl, smiling gently at him.

"... Lady Incensus?"

She gave him a faint smile.

"You know now I'm not a god. There's no need for honorifics, is there?"

Erich's eyes narrowed.

When he had first met Incensus, her divinity had been overwhelming enough to bring him to his knees.

But now, it was different.

The aura she gave off was not divinity, but the overwhelming presence of a dragon.

Erich replied, "But we can only thank you for all you've done for us."

"Child, all of that was accomplished by your own hands. Now, I think the time has come for me to answer your questions."

Erich slowly took in the girl. She approached with light steps and opened her hand.

The white space shifted into a vast plain. From atop a hill, they gazed out over a field shimmering with a blue light.

Yet, Erich could see it. Incensus's remaining power was barely a speck.

There was a clear reason that, with only such a pitiful spark left, she appeared before him.

Erich spoke.

"It's the end, then. The Lord of the Dead, and you—neither of you will appear before mankind again."

The girl nodded, a sorrowful look in her eyes.

"But don't resent Ercheves too much. He, too, was once someone who dearly loved humanity. His love only became horribly twisted."

"... Ercheves. That was the Lord of the Dead's name?"

"That was his name when he was called the 'White Guardian'."

Erich slowly nodded. Incensus smiled wordlessly, as if inviting him to ask all he had ever wondered.

"Why me?"

"You mean, when there were countless avatars of mine before you?"

"Yes."

Incensus nodded slowly, then, choosing her words carefully, spoke.

"It was always by my direct intervention that Ercheves was stopped. Those empowered by me managed it. But you are different."

"... Did you not also give me power?"

"Yes, I did. But the power I bestowed upon you was my last. By chance, even without my gift, you stood equal to Ercheves in battle, and for decades endured his invasions."

"I was defeated. Anyone could have endured."

"Do you really think so?"

Incensus smiled. Erich fell silent in thought, then continued.

"But so many have been sacrificed."

"That's true. So, I want to give you all a final gift."

"... A gift?"

Erich stared at Incensus.

She smiled and raised her hand.

The girl's delicate hand glowed white and revealed a scene.

Before the vanished body of the dragon, the dead ran rampant—but were all effortlessly dealt with by Grand Duke Krupp.

The dead, now stripped of their king's power, were nothing but aimless monsters.

And the fallen humans—

They rose again.

After their brief celebration, they set to tending the wounded and saving the dying.

Even after the final battle had ended, they quietly continued what they must do.

Erich's eyes flickered.

Incensus's hand, and their figures.

Then, Incensus snapped her fingers.

― Paaaang!

From the sky outside, a great golden aurora appeared. All watched, entranced by the rain of golden light.

Those touched by the golden rain soon realized their bodies had changed—they were not as before.

Incensus answered Erich.

"All the life they offered I shall return. To you as well."

"That is your last gift to us?"

"Yes."

"That..."

Erich trailed off. He saw Frederick, who had been crushed to a pulp beneath the dragon, rising to his feet.

Not only that, but Erich felt his own exhausted life force, spent in battle, being restored.

Incensus continued where Erich had left off.

"Even if it means my own extinction? Yes."

Erich did not answer her. Sometimes gratitude only dulls the true value of the act.

Instead, Erich bowed his head briefly.

It was not a gesture for a mighty divine being, but the thanks due to someone truly deserving.

Her form looked fainter than before, her feet gradually disintegrating into dust.

Then Incensus spoke.

"And so, you have two choices now."

"Two?"

Incensus snapped her fingers again.

Two small doors appeared to either side.

One was an ornate door seemingly leading to a temple.

The other was a crude door, like a battered brick wall from the Watch.

Incensus continued, "Ercheves and I are dragons. I believe we should not intervene in the fate of humans. But you are different."

"... How so?"

"You are the first transcendent as a human. You could stand above them, if you wished."

"And the other option?"

"To return to their side. As a mortal."

Incensus pointed to the rough door. Erich looked down to the two swords at his belt.

One was the dragon fang, Krupp's heirloom, now battered and near breaking from the fight.

The other, the black sword that had absorbed all the dragon's energy.

Erich stared quietly at both doors, then strode firmly toward one.

Standing before the rough door, he smirked at Incensus.

"You already know my answer, don't you?"

Incensus smiled faintly.

Her form was now half lost, floating in the air, but her smile felt as warm as the morning sun.

Erich drew the black sword and thrust it into the earth. The blade sank smoothly into the blue grass.

― Kwajik!

Erich spoke.

"Humans don't need this kind of power, Incensus."

Without hesitation, Erich grabbed the handle and pulled open the door.

Only Incensus's smile was left behind where he had gone.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Thus the end of the Swordmaster of the Great Wall.

Thank you for reading!

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】