Chapter 51
Kraaaang!
The massive front gate, which had been firmly guarding the smoke-filled battlefield, shattered. Despite its thick structure, a single deafening roar sent shards scattering like crumbs.
Thick smoke rose, and beyond it, the figure of the intruder who had broken the gate could be seen.
A man with black hair, draped in tattered clothes.
Though his appearance was shabby, the vigor emanating from his solid frame was extraordinary.
The moment I saw him, I clenched my lips.
“Here he comes.”
Kroud, the Swift Sword.
A monster among monsters, the one who had repeatedly driven the protagonist, Dia, to the brink of death.
He had finally returned from his rigorous training in the distant Selibert Great Bamboo Forest.
“Hah… damn. That was faster than I expected.”
I had assumed it would take at least another week.
He probably rushed here just to see my face a day sooner.
Could I possibly stop him?
Embarrassingly, that was impossible.
Then what about Priana?
Even if Priana stepped in, it wouldn’t be enough.
During their last duel, Kroud had held back.
He hadn’t even drawn the Pashan Sword, the massive greatsword whose name alone suggested it could destroy mountains.
Even without using it, Priana had been mercilessly defeated.
“What kind of guy are you!”
Priana quickly drew her sword.
But Kroud was faster.
Shaaak!
“Kuhk!”
In the blink of an eye, Kroud charged at me, gripping my collar.
“Ian… Impera…”
“…It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“You’ve… played quite an interesting little trick…”
“Kuhahaha! A trick? What are you talking about? I’ve never broken a promise!”
“You bastard!”
Their brief exchange was cut short by Priana’s intervention.
Priana pushed her aura to the extreme and swung at the intruder.
She knew well that this was not an opponent to fight while holding back.
Kraang!
The one who had just grabbed my collar had now drawn a massive greatsword to block her attack.
Beyond his flowing black hair, the sword gleamed like the night sky.
At its tip, a serpent devoured its own tail: the Ouroboros.
The Pashan Sword.
I never thought I’d see it in person.
I swallowed hard.
No time to marvel.
“Master! Are you alright?”
“Heh… incredibly strong…”
“That bastard! How dare he—”
Finally, Priana’s eyes met Kroud’s.
Kroud’s eyes met hers as well.
“And… you are?”
“You… are that brat from back then.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his words.
Calling someone a “brat” after seeing a Swordsmanship Rank 5?
‘Come to think of it, he said something similar back then.’
Priana, the Knight of the Swift Blade, had been told that Kroud’s swordplay was lighter than changing a baby’s diaper.
And now he mocked her as a “brat.”
A knight’s pride couldn’t possibly allow that.
Priana’s eyes narrowed fiercely.
“No matter who you are, that comment is unacceptable!”
Through dueling Kroud, Priana had felt a new wall.
The third wall.
She came to me hoping Kroud might break through it, and after various events, she came to work under me.
She had even abandoned her title as a royal knight.
And yet she had to hear such words—of course she was furious.
‘Good.’
Given Kroud’s personality, there could never have been a warm, friendly master-apprentice relationship.
Anger.
Anger wasn’t necessarily bad—it could be the driving force of life.
Especially for a young knight facing the third wall.
“Master! What’s going on? That man is supposed to be loyal to you…”
“Explaining would take too long.”
“I see…!”
“One thing’s for sure: no matter how violently he rampages, he can’t kill me.”
“Eh?”
Kroud laughed incredulously at my words.
“Hah! You want to test that?”
“Test? I’m the only one who knows how to activate the artifact. Across the entire continent.”
He smirked and added,
“Or you could just go ask ‘that guy’—the one who made the artifact the way it is.”
“…You!”
Kroud emitted a terrifying aura.
A wave of energy erupted from the Pashan Sword.
The name of the sword was no exaggeration.
A single strike could really send a mountain flying.
If it hit me, I’d be shattered into pieces.
“Let me say it again: I kept my promise! If you’re so upset, make a new contract or something!”
“…”
He was right, in a way.
He had represented the Impera family in the duel court.
In exchange, I had told him where the knightly artifact was hidden.
That was it. He might be angry, but…
“You’re right.”
“See?”
“But…”
He glared at me, still radiating aura.
“My anger isn’t going anywhere. Maybe I’ll have to tear off an arm to feel better.”
“…Huh?”
‘He’s angrier than I thought.’
He had spent a month traveling to the Selibert Bamboo Forest, thinking he could find the knightly artifact there.
But it had all been for nothing. A month later, he charged at me, simmering with even more rage. No wonder he was this furious.
My legs trembled, but I steadied myself.
I was going to have to fight anyway.
“Anyway, Priana, forget the complicated stuff. Isn’t this the fight you’ve been waiting for? Didn’t you want to fight Kroud?”
“Y-Yes!”
“Perfect. He wants to beat me senseless, and you’re here to protect me, right?”
“…Yes!”
“So what should we do?”
Priana paused, then readjusted her grip on her sword.
“Let’s just match his pace until he cools down.”
“As you command!”
I infused the Dragon Soul Sword with aura and followed Priana.
‘A tough test for the weapon’s limits… but no choice.’
“…Aura?”
Kroud looked surprised to see me.
When he had gone to Selibert, I had been Rank 2.
From his perspective, I was nothing but a bug, yet I had reached Rank 3 and broken through the first wall.
‘But still, to him, I’m only a worm who’s leveled up to a beetle.’
I wouldn’t just take hits without fighting back.
“Even worms thrash when stepped on!”
I charged at him with the Dragon Soul Sword.
Better to land a few blows than take hits silently.
“Khkh…”
“Laughing?”
Kroud smirked at my charge.
“Good. You’ve reached the level of floating aura. A few hits won’t kill you.”
“Eh?”
In an instant, the smile on his face vanished.
Simultaneously, the Pashan Sword came crashing down toward my head.
Whoosh!
If it hit me directly, I’d die.
Instinctively, I raised the Dragon Soul Sword.
…Ujik!
The sound itself was different.
Just blocking the Pashan Sword made my joints scream in protest.
The aftershock from the rank difference hit me.
“Gkhrk!”
It felt like molten lava was running through my stomach.
My insides twisted, muscles threatening to burst.
But considering the story’s settings, it was manageable.
A rookie who had just broken the first wall versus a monster who had reached the third wall.
We exchanged a single strike and nothing more.
The rank difference would have crushed my insides otherwise.
Not yet, though.
Close to death, but not quite.
All thanks to the Dragon Soul Sword.
“Grrrgh!”
“…Ho?”
“Master!”
Priana joined in, attacking with lightning speed.
She unleashed multiple strikes at Kroud in an instant.
“Hmph.”
Kroud smirked, blocking them with ease.
Sparks flew everywhere from the clashing swords.
“…You’ve gotten a bit stronger.”
“…Really?”
“But still weak. A long way to go.”
Now it was Kroud’s turn.
Memories of the previous duel flashed—where Priana had been crushed, yet Kroud spared her life.
The difference between them had been stark.
But now… subtly different.
Kra-kra-kra!
A wave of relentless strikes.
Priana blocked them one by one, never losing balance.
Even through the gaps, she endured, showing skilled precision.
“…Kugh!”
But her limits soon became apparent.
Though she blocked the strikes, the rank difference took its toll.
She began losing strength.
Just then, an ice pillar shot up from the ground.
Crack!
An Ice Blade from the floor.
Kroud paused and smashed it with a single punch.
“…”
He glanced around and met my eyes.
A magic only possible from Rank 4.
Kroud’s expression shifted slightly upon seeing the Ice Blade.
“Surprised again?”
“You bastard…!”
“Don’t get distracted!”
This wasn’t a fair one-on-one fight.
With the rank difference, we had to do this much.
Kraang!
Priana seized the brief opening and attacked again.
Whenever she faltered slightly, I jumped in to disrupt him.
“Master! Now!”
“Okay!”
Priana shoved Kroud’s greatsword aside with all her might.
Blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.
A gap made with all her strength.
I couldn’t waste this.
One power of the Dragon Soul Sword: Bloom.
A skill that explodes all stored aura at once.
Even in the ‘Conquer the World by Ranking’ universe, it was one of the top-tier abilities.
Only one strike, but it unleashes aura beyond ranks.
Usually, charging takes days, but not this time.
I had exchanged swords with Kroud himself.
Just a few exchanges had filled much of the Dragon Soul Sword’s aura.
“Haah!”
I exploded the stored aura.
Kra-kra-kra-kra!
Aura surged from the Dragon Soul Sword, engulfing Kroud’s body.
For a brief moment, his face stiffened.
‘Could this… actually win?’
Only for a moment.
Kroud stretched his hand toward the pouring aura.
And an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Shaaak!
“Eh?”
The raging aura was torn apart by his hand.
He even pulled it like ripping tough leather.
The aura was ripped apart, disappearing like smoke.
‘Insane! He tore aura with his hands?’
Not with a sword, but manually ripping it.
Before I could even react, aura exploded around him.
Flash!
The aura spread at lightning speed toward us.
Instinctively, we tried to dodge, but it was impossible.
Crackle!
“Aaagh!”
“Arghhh!”
Upon contact, our entire bodies were hit with electric agony.
Both Priana and I fell instantly.
Even our fingers couldn’t move—a bonus.
All our previous struggle was meaningless; one attack immobilized us.
“To make me use this technique…”
Kroud slung his greatsword back onto his back.
The fight was over.
We had thought we could win with a combined attack, but Rank 6 was truly monstrous.
Kraak!
“Ugh!”
Kroud grabbed my collar again.
“You’ll pay for mocking me.”
“Ahaha… Sorry about that. It was a rush back then.”
“Hah. Apologizing, are you?”
“Will you accept it?”
“Of course not.”
“Kuhuhu… I thought so.”
Blue aura swirled around Kroud’s hand.
He brought the aura-infused hand close to my face.
“Since you’re the only one who knows how to activate the knightly artifact, I’ll take your eyes instead of your tongue.”
A joke about plucking eyes after a little teasing? Harsh.
But I didn’t beg for mercy.
That’s the mistake most make with someone like Kroud.
He had seen countless plead for mercy.
To such people, you must strike hard instead.
“…Fine! Do it!”
“…”
Kroud’s hand froze.
Still, it hovered in front of my eyes.
“But remember this: if you even touch me with a fingertip, I’ll bite your tongue out and die.”
“…”
“The same goes for anyone around me.”
The fierce gleam in Kroud’s eyes wavered slightly.
“Sorry, but just because your rank is higher doesn’t mean you have absolute advantage. If I die, the artifact will never be unsealed.”
“…You bastard!”
He cursed, but I could sense his hesitation.
Crunch!
The sound of teeth grinding.
Only then did Kroud release my collar.
“…What do you want?”
‘Phew! I just dodged a decade of death.’
I answered with a sly smile.
“Let’s start with you letting go of this hand.”
