Chapter 247

There was no time for hesitation.

“I’ll go first.”

Before anyone could protest, Theo moved.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Four sacred swords streaked through the air like rays of light, cutting through the void. Riding atop the blade of the Drake’s Fang, Theo sprinted across the sky.

It was Sword Flight, a technique far beyond the mastery required for Weapon Manipulation.

Fwoosh!

"I had a feeling someone was interfering—it’s you."

A booming voice echoed across the air.

“Evelyn!”

Theo immediately recognized the voice. But the will it carried wasn’t Evelyn’s.

“Hilda! So you finally dared…!”

Julius, who had come to the same realization, leaped forward with a roar, slamming his feet into the ground.

Boom!

Like a boulder launched from a catapult, Julius shot through the air, landing before Theo at the cave’s entrance.

The swirling aura of death coalesced, forming a single, massive shape—like an enormous sword.

Centered on Julius, the black mana condensed into the shape of a dragon, its tail lashing wildly.

Rumble! Boom!

The shockwave reverberated through the forest, shaking it to its roots.

The cave entrance collapsed under the impact, cracks spreading across the cliff face as it crumbled entirely.

Amidst the rising dust and falling debris, a pillar of light erupted from the rubble.

From within, a force expanded outward, scattering the stones like paper.

As the beam of light grew, a figure floated serenely within its radiance.

Evelyn—no, Hilda, wearing Evelyn’s skin—twisted her lips into a cruel smile.

"I knew that if I waited here, you would come eventually."

Hilda spoke through Evelyn’s body, her voice eerily calm.

"Theo, the offer I made you long ago still stands."

She extended a hand toward him.

"Come to me. Become my disciple, and inherit all that I have. My swordsmanship, my path, my Ascension—I will give it all to you."

Theo shook his head.

“No. First, return her to me.”

"Return what?"

“Evelyn. She is my sword. Not yours.”

"If you become my successor, everything that is yours will also be mine. Forget these trivial attachments of the mortal world. A grand future far beyond your imagination awaits you."

“In that case…”

Theo’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“Negotiations are over.”

"Foolish as ever."

Swish!

Four rays of light crossed and slashed at Hilda.

But then, behind her, a new beam of light elongated and branched out, forming what looked like wings.

Ten luminous swords hovered like a halo of divine radiance, evoking the image of a saint chosen by the gods.

A technique Hilda had created in her final years, born from her enlightenment.

The sword wings shot forward in unison.

Four of them clashed mid-air with Theo’s Weapon Manipulation, while the remaining six descended upon the others.

Julius, who had already landed on the ground, was wielding his sword with ferocious precision.

The Six Techniques of the Demonic Dragon unleashed devastating arcs of dark light with each strike, carving into the earth like the end of days.

Opposing him, Hilda’s swords radiated a brilliance so dazzling it seemed more like the weapon of a savior than a destroyer.

Light and darkness clashed in a battle so intense it devoured the surrounding landscape in chaos.

The Plum Blossom Lord painted the air with countless blossoming sword flowers, intercepting the wings. She sought to bury the wings in a grave of petals.

But—

Screech!

The wings fragmented into dozens of smaller blades, aiming for the Plum Blossom Lord’s arms, waist, sides, and legs all at once.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Her sword’s speed increased exponentially, deflecting each attack, but fully repelling them seemed out of reach.

“Damn it!”

Two of the remaining wings targeted Lezé and Kincarnon.

Lezé, mid-sprint, flipped into the air and slashed upward with her scythe, sending one wing flying into the sky.

For a fleeting moment, she thought she had neutralized it. But then, the wing, which had been heading for Kincarnon, abruptly changed direction.

“Damn it! This is cheating…!”

Of course, Lezé knew Hilda wouldn’t care for her complaints. Twisting her body desperately, she narrowly avoided the wing.

But no sooner had she deflected it than another curved back toward her throat.

Realizing too late, she hastily gathered mana into her left hand to repel it.

However, the wing deftly shifted its trajectory again, bypassing her hand to target her jugular.

“!!!”

Could a sword move like this?

Ignoring the laws of inertia entirely, the wing struck with impossible precision, leaving her no time to block.

Her mind blanked as she braced for the end.

Suddenly, Kincarnon appeared beside her and deflected the blade with a massive strike.

Boom!

“Focus. You can’t judge that woman by our standards.”

“...I know that! You think I don’t?”

“No. Judging by your actions, you clearly don’t.”

“...”

“She’s lived for nearly two centuries—her experience far surpasses ours. A direct confrontation only leads to death. And don’t forget—she’s reached the threshold of the Pantheon itself. She’s practically a monster.”

Lezé ground her teeth in frustration.

Unlike the composed Kincarnon, her eyes burned crimson with fury. Her pride, fierce as ever, refused to accept being toyed with so easily—even by someone like Hilda.

“Then what do you propose?”

“We figure it out as we go.”

“...What?”

“Did you think I had a plan?”

What kind of nonsense was that?

Staring at Kincarnon’s dead-serious face as he spouted such absurdity, Lezé could only conclude that he was utterly insane.

She opened her mouth to tell him off, but he added:

“So let’s fight back-to-back.”

“?”

“If we fight together, we might find a way.”

That was just a roundabout way of saying ‘let’s brainstorm while fighting,’ wasn’t it?

Still, Lezé didn’t argue.

Kincarnon was right. Fighting the sword wings one-on-one was a recipe for disaster. But by covering each other’s weaknesses, they might stand a chance.

“Then let’s run as far as we can toward Hilda.”

“Why?”

“To create more chaos. The more frantic the battlefield, the harder it will be for her to focus on us.”

“Fair point.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“And… if we only fight her pawns, we’ll never win. We need to exploit her openings.”

“Agreed.”

The two of them lunged forward, the two sword wings chasing after them relentlessly, trying to block their approach to Hilda.

***

Wellington thought to himself:

“We have to eliminate Hilda before Master arrives, no matter what.”

He knew full well how difficult that task would be.

Crossing the Ascension Gate alone meant Hilda had already pioneered a level beyond comprehension.

Divinization.

She was standing at the threshold of becoming a god.

Eliminating her was the highest priority, no matter the cost.

But the situation was too chaotic.

The Mage Tower, the Beastfolk Front, the Gentleman’s Union, and Mulligan—at any moment, one of these factions could decide to barge into the Naga Forest in search of their comrades.

If that happened, it would only bolster the undead forces, and the already dormant Ascension Gate would spiral out of control once more.

Yet the greatest threat was the possibility of letting the Soaring Dragon exploit the situation.

The Soaring Dragon wasn’t just a formidable martial artist but also a cunning tactician.

If he managed to gain control over the undead forces… the entire scenario would spiral irreversibly.

“And the Sacred Demon Cult remains oddly quiet… everything about this is dangerous.”

That’s why Wellington had resolved to stake his life on this.

『Wel! We’ll help you! But if you change your mind, stop this. Just stop, okay?』

『Wel, don’t you think this is too dangerous?』

『We want to live with you. You’re our friend. But right now, you could die doing this.』

Gaaaaaah!

The song of the Naga resonated in Wellington’s ears.

He had told his companions that the area was too dangerous and the Nagas had either hidden themselves in the pond or returned to their sanctuary.

But that had been a lie. They were waiting.

And they were singing only for Wellington.

The Blessed Canticle.

The amplified mana surged through his body, sharpening his senses to an unprecedented degree.

Beyond the heightened clarity of his vision, he saw Hilda still suspended within the pillar of light.

He raised his sword toward her.

“No. Please.”

『Wel! Wel!』

『We…』

“This is my wish, my friends.”

『...When you put it that way, we can’t refuse. You’re our friend, and so is your wish.』

『Fine. We’ll help you.』

Gaaaaah!

The chorus swelled, and mana multiplied by dozens of times.

Fwoooosh!

Wellington’s body was enveloped in light.

The radiant aura expanded, forming a pillar of light nearly as grand as Hilda’s own.

Behind him, sword wings manifested and then converged, merging into his blade.

“Wel?”

“What is this? How are you using the same technique as Hilda…?!”

Ray and Erica stared in shock, their expressions hardening.

Ray, in particular, with his sharper instincts, sensed that something was profoundly wrong. Wellington’s power had skyrocketed too suddenly.

“This is dangerous, isn’t it?”

It didn’t take much thought to realize this couldn’t be normal.

Wellington was considered strong for his age, but attempting to replicate Hilda’s techniques was madness.

Even now, they couldn’t approach him easily.

Could Wellington truly emerge unscathed from this?

Wellington smiled.

The Ten Sword Light Wings was a technique taught to him long ago by the Soaring Dragon.

But he had only learned its form, not the intricate mysteries behind it. He simply lacked the capacity to master it.

However, the Naga Tribe’s songs could bolster their kin, even elevating them to realms previously unattainable.

And the Ascension Ritual, after all, had originally been their domain.

By combining these two forces, Wellington had drawn out an immense power.

Though he knew the cost wouldn’t be trivial, he didn’t think it was too much.

After all, hadn’t Evelyn already saved his life?

If he could use it to save her and protect his friends, it was a price he would gladly pay.

“Ray, Erica, Hulcus.”

At this final moment, he was simply grateful to share it with his friends.

“Be happy.”

Before Ray could reach out to stop him—

Flash!

The pillar of light surrounding Wellington erupted, engulfing everything in its wake.