Raising the Elf’s Genius Slayer

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Chapter

The city lay silent, devoid of even the sound of insects. The crimson night sky quietly observed the desolate land, lifeless beneath the ravaging flames.

“Not bad, I suppose.”

The Nameless brushed off the bloodless sword. It was an old habit. Silently sheathing the sword at his hip, he added the sound of his footsteps to the self-imposed silence.

He sharpened his blade in preparation for the duel with the Swordmaster. A sword honed with the blood and flesh of humans was sharper than any famous blade, and his beloved sword, which had used a city as a whetstone, was sharper than ever.

Thud, he kept tripping over corpses at his feet. Annoying. He kicked the obstructive bodies out of his way as he walked.

The Swordmaster. A genius swordsman who had once reached the Harmony Realm. That realm, also called Grandmaster, was something special.

The last stage attainable by mortals, a level beyond the boundaries of a predetermined fate.

As a warrior who had ascended to the Harmony Realm himself, the Nameless was curious about the Swordmaster’s skills, which had been there since ancient times.

“Can you make my heart race?”

Of course, it should. If he is called the greatest swordsman in the world, he could certainly make this pathetic swordsman’s heart race until it burst.

Could he perhaps be a disciple of the Swordmaster? He pondered for a moment but dismissed the thought. He had heard that the disciple had just started engraving stars into his Ki; at that level, he wouldn’t even withstand his single strike.

However, surprisingly, the Swordmaster’s disciple showed a decent response.

“Hmm, did he dodge? A sharp kid.”

Even though it was a thrust without drawing his sword, the kid could avoid it. Clearly aimed at his neck, he miraculously saved his life with just one eye as the price.

Not a bad warm-up before facing the Swordmaster. The Nameless leisurely continued his steps.

“Right away attacking without warning! You clearly look like a villain!”

He managed to refrain from losing his mind until the lunatic blocked his path.

*

The boiling rage wavered for a moment. What more to say? It was all thanks to the crazy person in front of him.

“I, Zikfrein Le Demisto, will face you… ugh…!”

His head hurt a little, but he wasn’t a bad human. Enok slammed Zikfrein’s head into the ground.

Swoosh-!

Otherwise, his head would have been taken off by that last attack.

“Indeed, you’re visible.”

The man who had revealed himself raised an eyebrow. Only now did he realize that the guy hadn’t even drawn his sword from his hip. Instinct rapidly calculated. There was no way he could win.

He side-kicked the unconscious Zikfrein away and stepped forward.

An opponent he could never defeat. One eye was already gone, and soon his life could follow.

“Interesting.”

He released his full power. The first strike should indeed be intense.

“Form, take shape.”

He quickly chanted while keeping an eye on the guy. There was no sign of movement.

“Railgun.”

Bullets fell upon the barrel. The moment they touched, the reaction was instant.

Kawooosh─────────!!!

Hundreds of bullets were fired. Even the Ki enhanced by False Thunder God Transformation could barely keep up. The man calmly raised his hand.

“With no name of merit, if one were to name, let it be Nameless. Hurry and die so you can bring your teacher.”

A finger twitched. With that simple motion, hundreds of bullets were all sliced. The swirling Ki was absorbed by Enok’s eyes.

‘That’s right…’

Before thoughts could follow through, the world slowed. He could see it. The man had already drawn his sword.

When did it swing? He immediately realized his mistake. It had already swung. The blade was at his neck, and his senses went on high alert.

Can he dodge? No. It was already too late.

Then can he block it? No. Just cut together.

Then? A flood of thoughts rushed through his mind, akin to the rush before death’s moment.

Now it was impossible to attempt anything with Plasma. In this fleeting moment, he felt too weak to save his life with any result he could produce.

Then will he die just like this? Well, honestly, there wasn’t much emotional response. Death was just that. It was a shame that Rionne would be sad.

Unfulfilled things. The dreamt future. All of that gets severed by a single sword.

What a pity. That he had become this weak. Perhaps he should have tried a bit harder; a tinge of regret lingered.

Suddenly, the conversation they once had came to mind. What is love? How is it different from friendship? What meaning does it hold to label human feelings, which cannot be clearly defined?

What is Rionne to me? Mother? Sister? Teacher? Lover?

She was the benefactor who gave meaning to his colorless life and poured out a love he never thought he would receive.

A father whose face he did not know. A mother who died selling herself. People around him that were worse than the rats in the slums.

Not a single one offered a warm word. Even now, he does not feel regret. Thanks to that, he met Rionne.

The reason for his life. Proof of his existence. What she desires is his own wish, and her happiness is his happiness. If he were to be selfish for a moment, it’s merely wanting to stand by her side.

If what is named above is what people refer to as love, then sure, this must be it.

To let go, to empty out, and to fill over it. The realization gained at the last moment.

He was satisfied. For having known himself. The only regret is that he cannot convey it. After all, his head would fall, so it can’t be helped.

Kawaaang─────────!!

Oh wait, that felt a bit embarrassing.

“Hoh, what’s that?”

I don’t even know. Surveying where the power was coming from, what appeared was a single ring.

“Rionne….”

Thanks to her, he lived again. If so, then he must not let it go to waste.

Kweeng────────!

He trampled the ground. The earth turned to plasma, dyeing the surroundings. A certainty surged through him that he could do this now.

Pachutsu──────

He knew himself. No matter what he imbued within, he could now control it. Maintaining it was another issue, but that’s not the point right now.

“Huh….”

Taking a deep breath, he put it into action.

Thump—

His heart beat. He layered the plasma he controlled over it.

Thump—

His heart raced like it was about to explode. No,

Perrrk-!

It just burst. He replaced his burst heart with a plasma ring. He began a fusion he didn’t fully understand the theory behind. An immense energy filled him, ready to burst, and overflowing plasma swirled within him.

False Thunder God Transformation
All the energy that felt like it would explode was drawn into the heart’s ring. It amplified, and then newly emerged.

Wooong—

Plasma filled his hollow eye sockets. He didn’t have eyes anyway; he inscribed a small ring within.

Thunder God Transformation
Power overflowed throughout his body. Through the emptied eye sockets, he glimpsed the logic of the world. Now, even that man couldn’t trample him… or could he?

‘What is that?’

He could see more now that he had ascended. A monster. There still existed a disparity he couldn’t catch up to.

“You’re showing something interesting. Indeed, the Swordmaster wouldn’t have taken you as a disciple without reason.”

The Nameless smiled as he swung his sword. With his right eye, he observed the sword strikes, and with his left Thunder Eye, he watched the lines inscribed on the world.

Kiiiiiing──────────!!

The Halo spun, gathering plasma at his fingertips, and with all his might, he swung while adding magic.

Kweung──────!!!

At the end, he barely blocked the strike. His whole body shook from the impact.

“…What the hell.”

This time, hundreds of sword strikes flew towards him. Can he block them? Either way, he had to. Enok gritted his teeth.

Swoosh────────────

And then all the sword strikes faded away. A rift in space. Both the Nameless and Enok stared at it.

[──────────]

A strange resonance filled the space. Giant wooden trunks burst through the shattered space. They tore the fabric of reality apart.

A colossal wooden arm planted itself on the ground, and eventually, something began to reveal itself.

[…Enok.]

A delicate Elf. The twisting wooden trunks around her took shape.

[What are those eyes….?]

The Elf’s gaze turned towards the Nameless. An uncomfortable pressure sent a chill down his spine, and the Nameless laughed.

“Swordmaster!”

Casting aside his light-heartedness, he poured forth all his strength. The sword he held resonated with the world. An instant later, the sword slashed.

Kuuuuung────────!!

A massive hand descended upon him. The Elf’s eyes, filled with contempt, looked down at the spot where he had been.

[You don’t understand your place.]

At her gesture, the sword pulled itself from its sheath, hanging in the air. Simultaneously, the sword swung.

Swoosh──────────

Space tore along the blade’s trajectory. At that moment, the blackened insides of space were healed. And in that place, the Nameless, who lost one arm, revealed his teeth.

“Good…!”

The cross-section of his arm quivered as it regenerated. The Elf raised her hand. A colossal hand made of entwined wooden trunks grasped a similarly massive wooden sword.

[Today.]

The sword overshadowed the sky. Even the sun could not gaze down at the earth. The Elf, standing at the boundary between mortality and immortality, declared.

[I will erase the name of Haken Welt.]

Kuuuuuung────────!!!

The sword came crashing down.

*

“Y-Young Master! Are you alright!?”

“Ugh…. W-What is this….”

Zikfrein opened his eyes. It definitely felt like it was daytime, but why was it so dark?

He cautiously lifted his head. A gigantic wooden monster that looked as if it could drive anyone mad just by looking at it was visible.

“Wait, what?”

Kuuuung────────!!!

The struck sword erased the ground.

Wow, whoever that is, they’re taking a hit like that. But it shouldn’t hurt. It should be instant death.

He resisted the urge to faint again and surveyed his surroundings. The first thing that caught his eye was Heavenly Death. There seemed to be a purple mist swirling around, and it looked alarmingly dangerous.

If that wooden monster weren’t in front of him, he would have surely been taken aback. Now, thanks to it, nothing else was coming into sight.

“…I-It’s the Swordmaster. I never imagined he’d be at that level….”

He could feel Jatum’s body trembling. At this point, his vision felt like it was fading. The knight commander was about to faint just from looking. What kind of monster is the Swordmaster that he could make even him feel that way?

He glanced back at the wooden monster briefly.

‘Oh, our eyes met.’

For some reason, the Elf’s figure appeared hazy like it was shrouded in mist. The instant he thought their eyes met, Zikfrein’s consciousness faded away.