[Vol. 8] Chapter 200: The Broken Sword and the Heart of Inheritance
Who was stronger, the Sword Saint or the Earth Magic Dragon?
Even the Emperor himself didn’t know the answer. But one thing was clear. If the Sword Saint had been able to kill Tartanos directly, there would’ve been no need to go through the trouble of sealing it back then.
Even if the Sword Saint had the power to defeat it, the result would’ve likely been a hard-fought victory with a heavy price to pay. That’s why the Austre Empire chose to intervene now, to reduce the burden on the Sword Saint. By working together to slay the Earth Magic Dragon, they could not only earn his gratitude, but also negotiate to take certain things from the creature’s body afterward. It would be a win-win.
Having sorted through the situation in his mind, and seeing that the two powerful beings inside the valley had already started fighting, and that the disruptive magic environment had disappeared due to Tartanos's full awakening, Miles gave his command without hesitation.
“Relay my order: All troops, move into the valley immediately! [Graemes] advance first, the rest follow. We must reach the target location as fast as possible and begin the operation!”
“Yes, sir!”
With the order given, the already-prepared mechanized magic army sprang into action. Flying machines soared into the sky, wolf-type [Graemes] charged forward at full speed, and rows of armored vehicles carrying technicians rolled out toward the valley.
With the incredible mobility of this force, they would need less than an hour to reach their destination—
BOOM!!!
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a figure suddenly shot out from the front, speeding past Miles and slamming hard into the rocky wall beside him, kicking up wind and debris with a thunderous crash.
“...?!”
He looked closely, and realized it was one of the wolf-type [Graemes] that had been leading the charge!
What happened?!
Even though these newer wolf-model [Graemes] weren’t as tall as the older ones (which were several meters high), they were still built from high-density alloys and magical components, weighing thousands of helks (a unit of mass). What kind of overwhelming force could smash such a heavy machine like a cannonball?
Before Miles could even think further, shouts and alarms erupted across the army!
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Prepare to engage!!”
As Deputy Director of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau and the officer personally appointed by the Emperor to lead this mission, Miles wasn’t someone who panicked easily. Staying calm, he immediately drew the magic pistol from his waist.
“What’s going on?!”
“Sir, it’s beastfolk! We’re being attacked by beastfolk!”
Loud noises echoed from the front lines. Clouds of dust rose as what seemed like a fierce battle suddenly broke out. One of the assistant officers, covered in dirt, ran back from the front, bringing strange news that made Miles pause.
“Beastfolk? But the Holy Empire’s territory is separated from the Beast Kingdom by the Human United Kingdom. They almost never appear here in large numbers, let alone form military units. And aren’t we currently allied with the Beast Kingdom? How many are there?”
“Uh... two people. A strange male tiger-man and a creepy female fox-woman. There might be a few more helpers behind them, but it was too far. I couldn’t see clearly...”
“Idiot! You’re focusing on their species when there are only a few of them?!”
Miles instantly realized the problem, cursed, and gave a firm order.
“Don’t waste time fighting them. They must be here for the Earth Magic Dragon too. There are probably more of them hidden in the valley, maybe even agents of the Church!”
“Send a small team to hold them off. The main force will break through with me and carry out the original mission!”
“Yes, sir!”
………………………………………
Things must have started over there by now.
Standing on a high slope overlooking the battlefield with two maids and Eudora, the priestess quietly stared into the distance, where a massive snake made of stone coiled through the sky, shaking the heavens with its overwhelming power. But her thoughts drifted toward Elunie and the others instead.
The Austre Empire had set up an ambush outside the Chaos Magic Valley.
Violet had already discovered this a couple of days ago when she first arrived in the area.
Back then, the enemy troops hadn't fully gathered, so it wasn’t too obvious yet. But combined with the captured Imperial officer, who had disguised himself as a bandit and was spying on the situation, she could easily guess. The Emperor must be after something here. Again.
She remembered how, back when Carinvega became the “Agent of Fate,” she had warned Violet that being entangled with the Wheel of Fate meant she would keep getting pulled into big events, whether she wanted to or not.
Even if she didn’t seek them out, trouble would always find her. And now, it seemed that prophecy wasn’t just nonsense.
Originally, she only planned to cross the Chaos Magic Valley as a shortcut to the ruins, hoping to save time and maybe have a bit of fun along the way. But before she knew it, things had escalated… to this.
If the Austre Empire’s Intelligence Bureau had gone to such lengths, even dispatching the Swift Wind Sword Saint himself, it was clear that this monster had an incredible background.
Just from the sheer size of the creature alone, which looked like a mountain-sized beast made of stone, it was easily the largest magical creature Violet had ever seen.
The Theo Province didn’t have a huge population, but with many people fleeing the war front and heading inland, if that thing escaped the valley, it could cause a disaster as bad as one of the Four Great Calamities, maybe even worse.
There was no doubt, this was another world-changing event.
“...?”
Violet suddenly felt a tug on the hem of her robe. Looking down, she saw Eudora glancing between her and the distant battlefield with worried eyes. The girl asked softly.
“Sister Violet… are we really not going to help? That giant snake looks really strong… can Sister Xiao Guang really handle it on her own?”
Violet smiled and replied casually.
“Who said she’s alone? Isn’t that amazing Sword Saint guy helping too? Besides, this is really his fight. We’re just background characters at best.”
“Little Eudora, now that you’re a hero yourself, let me teach you something important today. In life, you need to know when to act and when to stand back. That whole ‘great power comes with great responsibility’ thing? Total nonsense. Power isn’t a shackle, it’s not a burden. Just because you can help doesn’t mean you have to. If you never learn how to slack off, life’s going to be way too tiring.”
“Uh… Sister Violet, I don’t really get it…”
“That’s fine. Just remember it. Someday, you’ll understand.”
Violet chuckled, not bothering to explain further. She turned her gaze back to the sky.
Far above, on top of the massive stone snake’s head, two small figures zipped through the air, almost invisible to the naked eye.
Despite their tiny size compared to the beast, each of their attacks caused massive destruction, strong enough to shatter mountains and rivers.
Sword energy and claw slashes rained down constantly, tearing into the snake’s rocky body and sending dark liquid flying everywhere.
But the snake was still not fully free from the ground. It could only counterattack by spewing dark, dragon-like breath from its mouth. Powerful, yes, but too straightforward. Its attacks were easily dodged or even sliced apart head-on.
Even though it had the size advantage, the snake was clearly being pushed back by the two fighting it.
Still... it was only temporary.
This so-called Earth Magic Dragon was a bizarre mix of dragon and snake, and clearly not a normal creature.
Its body was entirely made of stone, it seemed to feel no pain, and its power seemed endless.
No matter how serious the damage, even when Xiao Guang sliced it cleanly in half like splitting a mountain, the monster’s body would quickly reattach and heal as if nothing had happened.
It was so unbelievable…
Anyone watching would start to question what this creature really was.
Was what they were seeing now really the true body of Tartanos?
The priestess had already sensed that something was off. And now that Xiao Guang had learned how to think things through more carefully, she had clearly noticed something too. That’s why she agreed to join forces with the Swift Wind Sword Saint to fight Tartanos.
Because… the Dragon God’s real goal was never to defeat Tartanos head-on. She was just “playing” with it, drawing its attention and holding it off, to buy time and space for something much more important happening elsewhere.
“Sister Violet… then what should we do now...?”
Knowing the little one was still worried about her teammates, Violet didn’t tease her this time.
She raised her hand slightly, and the unconscious young scholar, rescued earlier by Xiao Guang from the black tide and still in a coma, suddenly floated into the air and hovered in front of them. The maids had been carrying him during their retreat.
This young man was one of the people swallowed by the ground during the first explosion in the valley’s center when they had just arrived.
And judging by what they knew now, he might be the only survivor.
But… why him? Why was he the only one to survive?
Maybe it was just luck. Maybe the Sword Saint happened to save him in time.
But in this world, there were rarely so many coincidences. Most things that look like chance usually have a deeper reason behind them, if you take the time to really dig into it.
“Watch closely, little Eudora. This is a pretty high-level technique used to resonate and communicate with someone’s mind and soul. I’ll demonstrate it once. Make sure to write your thoughts afterward, okay~?”
As she spoke, under the slightly surprised gaze of the young Spirit Hero, Violet reached out and gently tapped the young man’s forehead with one finger.
A faint flicker of black-and-white light shimmered in her silver-blue eyes.
The power of [Reincarnation] surged, cutting through fate itself.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the world spun. Everything around her shifted and changed in a blur.
When things became clear again, Violet found herself inside a damp and dark underground tunnel, deep beneath the earth.
“Ahhh, looks like I ended up in the right place by accident. What a hassle… Now I can’t slack off like I planned~”
Muttering lightly to herself, Violet smiled as white light gathered in her hand, forming the shape of her weapon, [Eternal Scepter of the World's Heart], and began walking calmly through the dim, twisting tunnel.
Of course, this wasn’t the real world. This wasn’t her actual body, either. To be precise, this was more like the mental world of the young man named Rowan, which she entered by using the power of [Reincarnation].
But even then... it wasn’t just that.
As she walked forward, the scenery around her subtly changed. The underground stream became black and murky, replacing the once-clear water.
The stone walls and ceiling began to grow strange, colorful, and dense magical crystals. Some of them incredibly valuable.
But Violet ignored all of them, no matter how bizarre or precious they looked, and just kept moving forward.
With each step she took, the atmosphere around her gradually shifted.
The flowing water in the underground river became thicker and darker, until it finally started to bubble like lava, giving off an eerie feeling.
The magical crystals on the walls began to swell, turning into disgusting pustules, which then flattened and condensed into scaly textures that clung tightly to the rocks like dragon scales.
And then, Violet heard the sound of a heartbeat.
Thump-thump… thump-thump… thump-thump...
The walls and scale-like surfaces trembled slightly in rhythm with the pulse. The dark flow in the river seemed like blood, pumped powerfully through a massive body.
Violet knew—
She was getting close to her true destination.
The girl still didn’t stop walking, as if the strange and twisted surroundings couldn’t affect her at all. She kept going until a faint light slowly appeared from the darkness ahead. Turning around the final corner, she saw a campfire and a stone chamber lit by its warm glow.
……………………………
Two figures sat on the ground beside the fire. Their young faces flickered in and out of view in the yellow-orange light, casting long shadows on the walls, shadows that twisted and danced like snakes.
A ridiculously large greatsword was stabbed into the ground beside the younger-looking boy. He stared quietly at the flickering flames, locking eyes with the other young man sitting across from him in silence.
The fire reflected in his clear, bright eyes, as he finally asked the question that had been building in his heart.
“Have you really decided?”
The young man being asked gave a small nod.
A broken sword rested across his legs. His face looked about 70% similar to the boy’s. But more mature, a bit worn, and calm in a way that came from experience.
Unlike the younger one, who was mostly unharmed despite being covered in dirt, this older youth had lost the entire lower half of his right arm, just like his sword. The wound had been wrapped in torn cloth, but fresh blood was still faintly seeping through.
Maybe because he had lost so much blood, his face looked pale. But his voice was still steady and calm as he replied.
“Bevis, this is the best choice... and the only chance we have. That thing has completely lost control. If we let it keep polluting the land’s energy, it’ll lead to disaster, millions could die. Even the White Dragon King fears the power it holds. If sacrificing just me is enough to make it sleep again, then that’s already a good deal.”
“Besides, we’ve both been heavily infected by the [Serpent’s Blood]. If I don’t do this, neither of us will survive today. If I die… at least it’ll give you a chance to—”
“Ashnard Bernard!! I’m a man too, just like you! You think I’m afraid of dying?! Why can’t I be the one to do it? This arm, this broken sword, why does it always have to be you?! I’m not a kid anymore. I can protect others too!”
The boy, named Bevis, suddenly jumped to his feet.
His cape flared dramatically in the firelight, casting huge shadows as he shouted in fury, his chest heaving, like a wild beast ready to fight.
But Ashnard only looked at him calmly. Even though his face was pale from blood loss, he smiled slightly.
“Bevis, you’re an incredibly talented child. More gifted than me, more gifted than even our father. That’s exactly why you must live on, and live strong. I’m already broken. Death is just my way out. But you, who still live, have to take on the duty called ‘protection.’”
“Besides… I was the one who brought you here. So I should be the one to clean up the mess. If Dad found out, he’d probably rise from his grave just to slap me upside the head~”
“Ashnard, you damn idiot…!”
The boy glared fiercely, but his anger faded quickly. He sat back down heavily, sighing.
“Tch… I can never win an argument with you… And now, I guess I won’t get the chance anymore.”
“Hahaha~ Well, we are real brothers, after all. When I was already helping with chores, you were still crying and wetting the bed, remember?”
Suddenly—
Whoooom~
The image rippled like water.
At some unknown moment, the young Bevis who had been sitting across the fire was gone, replaced by Violet, who had just arrived in this place.
Ashnard’s expression didn’t change. He kept that same calm, gentle smile, as if he had known all along that someone else would eventually show up here.
“Do you think... I made the right choice?”
Violet didn’t look surprised at all. She met his eyes with the same calmness, then curled her lips slightly and said.
“Whether it was right or wrong… what does it matter? You should be asking a certain Sword Saint, not a random passerby like me who just stumbled in by fate.”