The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 382: The Final Battle (13)

“The Spirit King of Light...?!”

“I can’t believe she[1] was actually sealed within his heart...”

Allen and Kay Rothschild were astonished by Karyl’s revelation.

“That’s not the most important part,” Zarka Hochi interjected, struggling to support himself against a pillar.

“If Rasis was sealed within the Platinum Dragon’s heart, that means Karyl now possesses the Two Powers.”

“That was impossible even in the Mythical Era,” a voice added.

“...!!”

Everyone turned around.

“Alteman, you came as well,” Kay remarked, as if she had expected him.

“I was slightly delayed by the clean-up. Truth be told, this was a moment I longed to witness more than anyone... but Miliana granted you permission, Kay, instead of me. There was nothing I could do.” Alteman offered a bitter smile. “Well, relics of the past should be grateful simply to observe.”

“Having lived through the Magical Age doesn’t make us so different, you and I. I’m merely grateful for the concession,” Zarka said, nodding with difficulty.

“I carry elven blood too,” Alteman replied with a shrug. “Watching Elvenheim fall isn’t something I can take lightly. And being half-human as well... I couldn’t turn a blind eye to humanity’s suffering either.”

Alteman had been cast out of Elvenheim for the human blood in his veins—and in the human world, he had lived as a slave because of his elven heritage.

As a Slelf, he had been rejected by both worlds. And yet, there was no regret or resentment in his eyes. If anything, he seemed strangely at peace as he spoke of his plight.

“That’s not the main concern. If the Platinum Dragon’s plans come to fruition, everything will be twisted beyond recognition.”

“Humanity? You’re being awfully sentimental, you know? The fate of the world is secondary. The main reason we take up arms is vengeance. Why think about the aftermath when you haven’t fulfilled your purpose?” Kay brushed her disheveled hair aside, her voice laced with defiance.

“You’re no different. Everyone here wants the Platinum Dragon dead. Since you’re not all battered up like the rest of us, why not take the chance to drive a blade into him yourself?”

At Kay’s words, Alteman gave a rueful smile.

“But what did you mean earlier, when you said it was impossible, even in the Mythical Era?" Zarka inquired.

“Judex, the first Blader; Toska, the Golden Dragon; and the Sovereign of Souls, the Platinum Dragon... They were all at the core of the god-slaying alliance. That much is clear.”

“Huh, I wouldn’t call that traitor a godslayer,” Allen sneered.

“Right. Well, they each mastered their respective domains. Judex mastered the sword, Toska mastered magic, and the Platinum Dragon earned the title of the Spirit Ruler. But despite that, he didn’t dominate all spirits.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, we spoke of the Great Magic. Even Judex, who wielded the sword, magic, and spirit power, only held Duaat’s power,” Zarka remarked.

“Exactly. And the Platinum Dragon was the guardian of Rasis’s power. The Two Powers were originally one force, yet also divided, which is why Yula split the power between two Bladers,” Alteman explained, drawing a deep breath.

“Even back then, Yula must have trusted the Platinum Dragon—to entrust him with such a dangerous power,” Zarka observed.

“Who knows.” Alteman shrugged. “Whether it was trust or a test, we’ll never know.”

“Where there is light, there must also be darkness. Rasis’s power indeed rivals that of a god, possessing divine attributes. But that alone isn’t enough.”

“Yes. If what she held were true divinity in itself, then she would be no different from a spirit.” Zarka nodded thoughtfully.

“Spirits were born out of rifts left behind after the world took form. They hold a power closest to that of the gods, but it’s fragmented, like a mere splinter of divinity.”

Indeed, that could explain why the attributes of the Spirit Kings aligned with those of magic—they were all part of the fundamental forces that shaped the world.

“So, if the darkness of spirits is Duaat, then the darkness of the gods is...”

“Tarak.”

Alteman nodded at Kay Rothschild’s words, his expression grave.

“Exactly.”

“Then... we were mistaken,” Allen murmured as the realization struck him. “The traces of Rasis we found in the Platinum Dragon’s lair weren’t signs of her seal having been broken. She had been in the Platinum Dragon’s possession from the start.”

Allen couldn’t help but wonder how Darryl Harian had discovered the secret of Rasis’s confinement within the Platinum Dragon’s heart.

“Uncovering that creature’s true nature is a job for another day,” he muttered, glancing at Alteman.

“So the potential he tried to unlock through those experiments had nothing to do with light—it was darkness all along. Duaat and Tarak. He sought both powers.”

“Correct. So, his plan was to use the Neil Blanc persona to forge a contract with Duaat. And through Rael, he attempted to wield Divine Power, as well as the absolute power of Tarak...”

“Huh, a classic case of self-sabotage,” Allen added in a low voice, gazing forward.

“His plan has backfired, giving Karyl access to both powers. Now, Karyl possesses the two attributes only a god could wield. He has stepped into the fabled realm of the Platinum Dragon faster than anyone could have imagined.”

“You mean... He has stepped into the realm of the divine?”

“Master...”

Hearing this, Kay and the others stared at Karyl in awe.

“But there’s something critical we mustn’t overlook,” Alteman said calmly, unshaken by the revelation.

“Something very important indeed.”

* * *

“Narh Di Maug.”

Karyl looked up at the twisted form of the Platinum Dragon—darkness swirled within his hollow chest, a sinister aura seeping from every part of his being.

“That thing is pure Tarak.”

He could barely recognize Narh Di Maug. Half-consumed by darkness, the dragon clung to life—if one could even call it that.

“What a pitiful sight. Is that the majesty of dragons? Surely the divine realm you sought wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“Grrrrrr...”

Reduced to a monstrous shell, devoid of reason, Narh Di Maug clung only to raw instinct, rejecting death itself in this corrupted state.

He lunged at Karyl, shifting mid-air into his dragon form. But now, he resembled little more than a reanimated corpse. One of his wings hung in tatters, bone exposed, and his shoulder and legs were torn open, Tarak oozing from the gaping wounds.

Each beat of his wings sent chunks of decayed flesh scattering through the air. The rotten bits sizzled on the ground, releasing black smoke and a foul stench.

“How repulsive. You better keep your distance. This Tarak is so potent that it could melt a human instantly,” Mael warned, watching Narh Di Maug with disdain.

“Falling into a state like this... Indeed, Tarak is the best word to describe him.”

With that, Karyl did the unexpected—he rushed directly into the cloud of corruption spreading around him.

“W-Wait...!!”

“Don’t worry. It won’t affect me.”

“...What?”

Sizzle...!

Indeed, the poison that killed everything it touched dissipated just before reaching him, vanishing as though halted by an invisible barrier.

“...”

Mael was stunned by what unfolded before his eyes—Duaat and Rasis’s spectral forms manifested behind Karyl, like wings of darkness and light.

* * *

“Something we mustn’t overlook?” Zarka Hochi echoed Alteman’s words.

“Why do you think Narh Di Maug went to such lengths to acquire both the powers of Duaat and Tarak?” Alteman’s tone was heavy with implication.

“To hide it from the gods, I would think. Killing Rael so abruptly was probably for the same reason,” Allen replied, almost dismissively.

“But now, the gods will know that Narh Di Maug was hiding Tarak. Everything has unraveled. Karyl needed to kill him before the gods discovered this,” Alteman explained, his voice tense with urgency.

“Allen, you’re connected to Karyl, right? Tell him that we need to conceal his power. If we fail to protect him, he could face the same fate as the Bladers from the Mythical Age.”

That was likely the reason Alteman had rushed from Tatur to the capital—to deliver this warning.

“No need,” Allen replied, a hint of cynicism in his voice. “Want to know why the Platinum Dragon failed?”

“...?”

“Because he tried to hide it.”

At that, Alteman’s eyes widened slightly.

“Yula—she’s omniscient, a god who created this world. Do you really think she wouldn’t notice what’s happening here? Nothing can truly escape her gaze.”

Allen pointed upward with his finger.

“Hiding things from her is like trying to cover the sky with your hand. Perhaps she allowed the Platinum Dragon to continue because she knew he would fail from the start.”

“...”

“We’ve been nothing but pawns, struggling while the god watched, amused by our efforts.”

Everyone blanched at his words, staring at his finger wide-eyed.

“It’s likely no different from the failed rebellion of the Bladers—the Great War of the Spirits and Gods. The gods knew everything, which is why she could tempt the Platinum Dragon into betrayal.”

“So that rebellion was doomed from the beginning...” Alteman’s face hardened as he processed Allen’s words.

“Exactly. So, there’s no need to hide.”

“...What?”

“Show our intent, direct our rage at our enemy. No need for secrecy or schemes. If there’s nothing to hide, there’s no need to worry.”

“Are you saying you’re not afraid of Yula?”

Allen gave a faint smile.

“I am afraid. After all, I’ve already been killed by that platinum bastard, but Karyl... He’s different. He came here with that mindset.”

Allen omitted the part about going back in time, though his tone already hinted at it. If Alteman read between the lines, he would grasp what made Karyl so terrifying.

If Yula truly was omniscient, then she was obviously aware of Karyl’s return to the past.. And yet, she had merely watched, confident that Karyl would fail just as the Platinum Dragon had.

“...”

Allen gestured toward Karyl.

“Look. What we considered our final enemy, the Platinum Dragon, is just another stepping stone to him. His eyes already see beyond that.”

The gods knew everything. Bearing that terror from the beginning, Karyl had come this far.

“So how could we ever consider giving up?”

* * *

As Karyl extended his hand, Duaat and Rasis emerged behind him, intertwining as if they were fusing into one.

“Mael, show yourself.”

The blue serpent uncoiled from his hand, his jaws stretching wide toward the sky. He swallowed the energy orb formed by the Two Powers, and then he was drawn directly into Polsetia.

Schlink—

Once again, Karyl drew a sword from within the grimoire, as if unsheathing it from its scabbard.

“Alright, time for round two. I have to say, he makes a good sparring partner.”

“Heh, so the great Platinum Dragon is just a training dummy now?” Allen chuckled.

“So what? I haven’t quite grasped it yet, but I feel like I’m close. This time, I’ll test it thoroughly.”

Karyl looked up at his foe.

“How many humans have you sacrificed for your twisted goals? This time, you shall be the offering, Narh Di Maug.”

With that, he gripped his sword tighter. In the deafening silence that followed, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the tip of Karyl’s blade.

“The Sixth Stance...” Allen murmured, his voice quavering with anticipation.

“Sixth...?” Alteman asked in confusion, not having witnessed the previous clash.

“Alteman, count yourself fortunate to be here. Witnessing the Platinum Dragon’s end is no trivial matter.”

Recalling the eerie feeling from earlier, Allen continued, “Yes, for a swordsman, this moment is a blessing. Having conquered the magic of Polsetia and the Two Powers of the spirits, Karyl is now poised to surpass even the realm of the sword, something only the first Blader had ever managed.”

1. In this chapter, it becomes apparent that Rasis is actually a female entity. Thus, we will change all pronouns up to this point accordingly. ☜