Chapter 243: The Savior (3)

In Japan, politicians could be seen as shamans.

Hundreds of thousands of True Gods, False Gods, and mixed-bloods who didn’t even fit into those categories, or were mingled with other bloodlines.

For these beings, those who held the status of True Gods had to be the ones to mediate.

The Japanese government, which had faced all kinds of turmoil, was unable to coordinate them. Therefore, they sought one solution.

To form contracts with the ten gods known as True Gods and turn their priests into politicians.

When that bill was passed, and priests entered the Japanese government, Japan’s political stance began to change.

“So, they can’t help but be heavy-butted.”

The Sword Empress briefly introduced Japan.

Gods drew power from people’s respect and reverence. Therefore, even frivolous people, when they became high priests connected to gods, couldn’t help but become heavy-butted.

Moreover, they mostly represented beings known as True Gods.

No matter how significant an issue was, every move they made could be interpreted as mythology, or their reverence could be diminished, forcing them to act with utmost caution.

To put it nicely, that was how it was; to put it badly, they were too passive.

“It means Japan considers the current issue extremely important.”

Kimura Takuya said, standing next to them.

“The incidents happened too quickly, and the fall of the Sword Saint began too suddenly. The Japanese government is doing its best to evacuate civilians, but… there have been many sacrifices.”

“According to reports from the Association, Japan did their best. Though it was a sudden occurrence, they managed to gather top-ranked heroes and mid-tier heroes to buy time.”

Still, the sacrifices were many.

High-tier heroes were sacrificed just to hold back a single step of the Sword Saint, and those below them were almost useless.

“But that’s precisely why we can’t leave now. Only if the 15 top-tier members and transcendents gathered here join forces can we minimize the damage.”

“…That’s what the Prime Minister says.”

“It’s a sound argument. The Sword Saint’s swordsmanship is famous worldwide. Even the Overlord is wary of that swordsmanship. But the Sword Saint’s physical body is so fragile that if the Overlord were to fight him, the Overlord would inevitably win.”

“Now he’s a Mine.”

“Yes, that’s the problem. For whatever reason, simply accepting demonic energy makes the bodies of Mines at least twice as strong. Skin toughness, muscle strength, recovery… Those attributes are extremely foreign. But if it’s someone of the Sword Saint’s stature, the power he possesses would be on a different level. We should consider it at least five times stronger. Hmm…” РＡ𐌽ȎВЁṣ

The Sword Empress sighed as she spoke.

It was as if, no matter how much she thought, there was no answer.

“I’ve already reached out to other transcendents, but there hasn’t been a reply yet.”

“Try mentioning my name.”

“Seo-ha’s name?”

The Prime Minister, despite being flustered, spoke to someone who seemed to be a secretary.

Not long after, a phone rang.

Seeing the secretary’s phone, the Prime Minister’s eyes shook immensely.

With a trembling voice, he spoke.

“…The Emperor is coming.”

“Then let’s head to Sapporo.”

Arriving at Sapporo.

It was hard to believe it was once called the city of snow, as it now exuded an eerie atmosphere.

A tremendous demonic aura could be felt from one side.

“…The power is more absurd than I thought.”

“Since the Emperor is coming, we should proceed with the assumption of stalling for time.”

Many began to prepare.

In the midst of this, cries for help could be heard.

There were screams.

A faint voice of a mother begging to save just her child reached my ears.

“I’ll go ahead.”

“What…!”

Even though someone tried to stop me, I didn’t halt.

I kicked off the ground.

Having visited Sapporo in a previous life, there was a strange feeling.

No, it wasn’t just a strange feeling.

The entire city had ‘lowered.’ All the buildings had been sliced apart by the Sword Saint’s sword aura, causing the city itself to be lowered.

The ground had been lowered. It was a phenomenon created by the Sword Saint’s sword aura splitting the earth.

Civilians were fleeing.

“Help, save us!”

“Please, at least my child!”

“What are the heroes even doing!!”

A city thrown into panic by an unprecedented disaster.

All kinds of negative emotions converged at one point. It was someone who had not been hiding his presence since earlier.

I stopped in my tracks.

On top of a partially sliced apartment, a tremendous killing intent was felt.

From where the demonic aura was emanating, a figure was holding a sword and staring at me.@@novelbin@@

[Are you a hero?]

It was a low voice. Perhaps because he had become a Mine, there was an unpleasant metallic clash in his tone.

Sharp, madness-filled eyes were directed at me.

From the split building, I sat and projected killing intent.

“Have you fallen to the demon?”

[Fallen, you say. To your eyes, it may seem like a fall.]

The Sword Saint briefly glanced at his left hand.

[I have reached Nirvana.]

“Nirvana?”

[It means I have reached the world of perfected enlightenment. My sword style, Niten Ichi-ryu, was completed by becoming a Mine.]

The Sword Saint raised a short sword.

Then he took his stance.

The unique posture of Niten Ichi-ryu. One sword pointed at the opponent, while the other was pulled back. The Sword Saint, peculiarly, pointed the long sword towards me.

-So it’s Niten Ichi-ryu.

The voice of the Heavenly Demon, or rather Black Heaven, echoed.

I was momentarily startled but asked without revealing it.

‘They call him the Sword Saint.’

-His stance is solid. It means his skill has reached its peak. He is worthy of being called a star.

I felt something.

A black martial robe. A slender arm wrapped around my neck.

Deep eyes, like an abyss, stared at me.

“Your style doesn’t pair well with him. Your method involves breaking your opponent’s stance with physique and taking their neck. In fact, the Energy of Defying Heaven negates everything, so that approach was suitable.”

‘Would it be difficult?’

-If you haven’t gotten stronger while I was dormant, that being will dodge your attack and counter at all costs. That’s the strength of Niten Ichi-ryu. One side defends, and the other attacks. It’s like fighting at least two people at once. If he has the skill deserving of a star’s title, his complexity is beyond imagination.

‘So, do you think I’ll lose?’

-But there’s no way a master who defeated an apostle would be weak.

A confident tone from the Heavenly Demon.

I smirked.

‘Why did you dwell in Black Heaven?’

-I felt pity for the Heavenly Demon. Also, I had regained some memories.

Black Heaven spoke.

-And I realized that as your black power dwelled in Black Heaven, my existence was becoming complete.

‘I see.’

I stood up.

‘I’m sorry, but sleep for now.’

-Sure. Black Heaven hasn’t fully evolved yet. When I awaken next time, Black Heaven will have undergone complete evolution.

‘Thank you.’

-For what.

With that, the presence of Black Heaven disappeared.

I looked at the Sword Saint.

The Sword Saint was also watching me.

Not with the eyes of someone slaughtering civilians, but with the gaze of a swordsman.

[You look like a young hero. What is your name?]

“Why do you ask?”

[I do not know you. But I see your stature, and I feel your physical prowess. You are surely a hero who could save a nation, and it wouldn’t be strange. You resemble a great and once great hero, known as a Returnee… or perhaps, you are even greater.]

“So?”

[The world will remember you. And even if I am at your end, or if I fall to your sword, the world will remember us.]

“You sound confident; I can see it in your sword.”

[Of course, because I trust my sword.]

I smiled and drew a sword from the subspace.

Whoosh.

A pure white light burst forth. From that white light, a sword emerged. The surrounding temperature rose slightly. Vitality swirled, and the sky seemed to stretch higher.

[…Beautiful. Truly a beautiful sword.]

“My weapon is quite good, you see. Ah, but you won’t say you lost because of the difference in weapons, right?”

[Of course not.]

The Sword Saint’s short sword moved.

There was a distance of over 300 meters between us. However, without hesitation, I swung the Sword of Seasons.

Boom!

My hand stung. The transcendent sword aura of the Sword Saint clashed with the Sword of Seasons, sending shockwaves in all directions.

Crash!

The shockwave shattered all the windows nearby, adding to the city’s eerie atmosphere.

[Truly beautiful. It seems I’ll need to use all my strength to break it.]

I liked it too. The Sword Saint’s transcendent sword aura was known for cutting through everything.

Yet, I blocked the Sword Saint’s transcendent sword aura with a simple, brute-force swing of my sword.

[Now that the probing is over, shall we have some fun?]

‘Fun,’ huh.

I didn’t like that expression.

I smiled and poured the power of Black God into Sa-gye.

[……!]

Screeech!

A sound of space distorting could be heard. An abyss born from the pure white light was tearing the surrounding space apart.

The abyss itself was foreign.

Even the Infinite Black Flame Castle, which bore the name of infinity, consumed so much Energy of Defying Heaven that it was troublesome for even me to handle.

Leap.

Boom!

The building I was on was completely shattered as I reached the Sword Saint. Even though he had become a Mine, the pure white sword aura hadn’t lost its color. The Sword Saint’s pure white sword aura began to intensify.

“This time, take this.”

I swung the sword.

From top to bottom.

The surrounding space distorted as it clashed with the white sword aura.

“Lee Seo-ha.”

As the Sword Saint urgently swung his sword, I spoke quietly.

“That is the name of the one who will kill you.”

Hassan was a hero representing China.

He was the avatar of a god in India, the Asura, and a warrior who revered martial arts.

That is why, when he first met Lee Seo-ha, and when Lee Seo-ha crossed his path and seized his arm, he immediately realized.

Even if he died and was reborn, he could never defeat that being.

At first, he felt inferiority.

Then even that faded.

It was because Lee Seo-ha was something that could not be expressed by human standards.

He had heard he was only twenty years old.

So it was impossible not to know. If you were in the industry, you would have heard that name one way or another.

As the internet developed, the boundaries dividing the world became blurry, but even then, if a name crossed several countries, it meant that it was truly remarkable.

So when Lee Seo-ha headed toward the source of the demonic aura to save people, Hassan was already running.

-Watch that being.

There was a command from his god.

And as a warrior, he also wanted to stop him.

The power that Lee Seo-ha possessed was tremendous.

It was unfortunate if a few thousand citizens died right now, but if the Sword Saint wasn’t stopped, tens or hundreds of thousands could easily die. That’s why everyone was preparing until the transcendent, the Emperor, could arrive here.

“Bold. Is it because he’s still young?”

“But Lee Seo-ha is certainly skilled. Merlin, if you, I, and the Sword Empress join forces, we can at least buy some time.”

“Aah, no thanks. The Sword Saint’s transcendent sword aura is dangerous for me, too. Besides, its murderous intent is so dense that it has the concept of cutting through my illusions, so I really don’t want to fight him.”

“Liar. You’re smiling.”

“That’s right. I hate fighting the Sword Saint, but I’m afraid of losing a hero like that.”

The conversation between the Lion King and the magician reached Hassan’s ears.

Despite their relaxed tone, Hassan clenched his teeth as he ran.

Soon, they reached the place where the Sword Saint and Lee Seo-ha were confronting each other.

…

The Sword Saint’s sword emitted a continuous stream of white light. On the opposite side, Lee Seo-ha looked down from the building with a haughty expression, staring at the Sword Saint.

It was like a confrontation between the Demon King and the Hero.

But that Demon King was the one holding the greatest power among them, and the Hero was already a monster who had taken thousands of lives.

Boom!

With the sound of an explosion, the building Lee Seo-ha was sitting on shattered as if hit by a cannon.

And then he suddenly appeared beside the Sword Saint.

His pure white sword was completely enveloped in an abyss.

“Take this one.”

────────────!!!

Black and white collided.

They began to intertwine.

“Th-the sky…!!”

At someone’s shout, people looked up at the sky.

The shockwave from their clash spread in all directions, destroying the nearby buildings and shooting up into the sky.

It then manifested as a form that split the sky.

Seeing that spectacle, Hassan realized.

There was no place for them to intervene in this battle.

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