I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Chapter 141 : Egosword (1)

Egosword (1)

The moment Bellain swung his sword, everything in front of him vanished.

The Sword Aura created by the aura swept the land with a massive slash.

The ground was carved into a fan-shaped furrow, and it soon turned into a giant canyon.

The blow not only changed the topography of the elves' village, but the slash extended even further beyond, flattening even the mountains that had risen there.

'This is insane.'

Sensing the danger, Louis was fortunately able to avoid the slash.

If he'd been even slightly late in dodging sideways, what would have happened?

The destructive power was enough to give him chills just from thinking about it.

'Even if he's not in his right mind...'

Whatever else might be uncertain, that power was for sure.

Of all the swordsmen he'd fought, this one was definitely the strongest.

'Come to think of it, didn't he say he was a Hero?'

He'd said something about being chosen, and such, a moment ago.

Out of curiosity, Louis asked for confirmation.

"Are you, by any chance, the prophesied Hero?"

"The prophesied Hero?"

At that question, Bellain gave a wry smile and said,

"I'm not exactly sure either. Just as there are several candidates for the Saint, there were also candidates for the Hero. I too was one of those candidates."

"So you were destined to be used and thrown away, just like the Saint candidates?"

"Perhaps. I was also quite anxious that I might fail the ritual."

"Ritual?"

"The ritual to make a Hero. It's performed among our Holy Nation's White Knights."

A ritual conducted among the powerful White Knights. Only those who succeeded could be reborn as Heroes, he said.

"But the success rate was very low. No matter how skilled a White Knight was, plenty of them gave up, unable to endure the powerful light that came with the ritual. But I succeeded. Do you know what that means?"

Bellain puffed out his chest as if to show off his existence.

"It means I was chosen. I have enough potential to withstand the powerful light granted by that god!"

He endured the Hero's ritual that no one else could complete. That alone was enough for immense pride to take root.

"That's why I can say with confidence: if someone calls me the prophesied Hero, then that's what I am."

"But the prophesied Hero isn't someone who was created like you, is he?"

The prophesied Hero is someone who possesses that quality from birth.

It's not something that can be created by a ritual.

The Holy Nation, which puts absolute faith in the god's prophecy, should know that better than anyone.

"Aren't you mistaken?"

"But it doesn't change the fact that I'm a Hero. Even after witnessing that power, do you still doubt it?"

That alone was hard to refute.

The power he'd just shown was on a level incomparable to some mere 'Expert'.

Although he hadn't fought personally, he guessed it might be strength on par with the Swordmaster, said to be the strongest in the empire.

"So, do you understand what you've done? You've interfered with my noble duty bestowed by god. That's a great sin deserving death."

"Haa......"

That again. Is he really that bitter about his seduction failing?

In another sense, it was like fighting an invincible foe.

"You think you've done well, sighing like that?"

"Yeah, punk. Let's say I did... I interfered with your seduction, fine. It's reasonable to be disappointed if you failed at something. But do you think I did it on purpose? Even I didn't expect Pram to react that way, punk."

Even Louis hadn't expected Pram to be unaffected by such a guy's seduction.

He'd always thought of Pram as both a subordinate and someone to look after.

Who'd have thought she'd look for the young master even after being brainwashed?

"That's your problem! That attitude of trying to avoid responsibility as if you have nothing to do with it! I really can't overlook it! I'll execute you here and now!"

"Oh, for fu—..."

Louis muttered a curse while thinking, realizing he was stupid for even trying to talk with some understanding.

In the end, it was just like preaching to a cow.

"My holy aura, to the maximum!!"

Bellain, seething with rage, launched another slash. But since the movement was the same as before, it was easy to dodge again.

No matter how powerful, as long as he could sense danger, he wouldn't be hit.

"It's not over yet!"

Just as Louis avoided the attack, his body suddenly became stiff.

He felt a suffocating pressure, and his mind grew hazy.

Could it be someone was casting a hypnosis spell? But the cause wasn't far away.

"Could it be just by emitting your aura...!"

"That's right! My power can forcibly put my opponent to sleep."

Taking advantage of Louis' slowed movement, Bellain swung his sword continuously.

With his sword speed increasing, Louis even got a cut on his cheek.

"Even slowed, you're still agile. But!"

As Louis raised his sword to counterattack, Bellain kicked his hand first.

"...!"

Louis dropped his sword and became completely defenseless.

As the threatening slash approached, Louis cleverly raised his scabbard.

Kaaang!—

The scabbard acted as a shield, saving him from a fatal wound.

But as the scabbard shattered instantly, Louis was thrown back by the rebound.

With a resounding crash, Louis slammed into a wall and thought:

That strange aura that dulled his body. He'd tasted it once before.

'It's similar to the aura Paulo used to emit back then.'

The aura of another Swordmaster, Paulo, who was currently the 7th Legion's commander.

The scope of his aura's effects was so wide Louis once mistook it for magic.

Inside the domain created by his aura, others could hardly breathe, feeling as if they were floating in the middle of space.

Though the form was a little different, the aura Bellain released now was similar.

He manipulated special phenomena with his aura, creating a battlefield field in his favor.

It was a specialty reserved only for those at the level of Swordmaster.

'There was even a skill like this in the game.'

But why could this pseudo-Hero use a similar skill?

Was this yet another power received from that esteemed god?

Of course, similar classes like 'Paladin' in the game had a comparable skill, but not one that left the mind hazy like this.

No matter how far the White Knights advanced, it shouldn't be possible to use it like this.

'Something feels off, but...'

Now was not the time for deep thoughts.

"It's over!!"

Bellain's sword closed the distance in a flash, about to touch Louis's neck.

Even if he quickly raised his guard, it was already too late.

Even if he managed to block, his arm would be severed instead.

The same aura that had sliced the land was now concentrated in the sword.

Kwoooaaang!!―

The aftermath of the slash swept through the village in another whirlwind.

This time, as the sword bent upward, it split the sky rather than the ground.

The shockwave left the surroundings shrouded in dust, as if veiled in smoke.

Thinking it was over, Bellain let a smile curl his lips.

But as the dust slowly cleared, he was shocked.

Louis's neck, which should have been severed, was still intact.

"Man, that really hurts."

As Louis muttered about the pain, Bellain saw something peculiar.

"Huh?"

Louis's neck was covered by something.

Thanks to the dust, Bellain couldn't see clearly, but it looked like a hide, a mix of reptilian scales and beast fur.

He couldn't tell exactly. But something had definitely shielded Louis's neck and blocked the slash.

"So it's not just all talk. Even with hardening, I'm still bleeding."

"Hardening?"

Just as he said, he felt a sensation like hitting something hard.

Blood was faintly smeared on the blade—a sign that, however slightly, he'd inflicted a wound.

"The torture spell might not be enough to control the rampage... Well, it can't be helped."

Torture spell? Rampage? Just what was this guy talking about?

Those questions circled his mind as Louis's silhouette began to change in the dust.

From the humanoid shape he'd maintained, suddenly, horns and a tail sprouted, and wings grew, shaping him into a grotesque creature.

"No choice. I'll have to accept the rampage."

Just as the dust was about to clear and his form would be revealed—

"Wait!"

Someone descended from the sky, swinging a sword at Bellain.

Forced to block, Bellain was pushed back by the rebound.

As the dust cleared completely, Rio landed before Bellain, blocking his way.

"Louis! Return to your original form."

"He's not normal. You can't handle him alone, squad leader..."

"Just go back for now! If you rampage again, something terrible will happen."

Silia's words were convincing, but Louis hesitated.

Could she really take on someone at least Swordmaster level alone?

"Don't interfere!"

At that moment, Bellain unleashed his aura again, targeting Silia.

As her movement slowed, his sword aimed for her neck.

"I'm here too."

Suddenly, a red slash interrupted and stopped Bellain.

Forced to dodge, he saw a black-haired girl standing before him.

"Young master. Change back to your original form."

As Rio said, Louis quickly returned to human shape.

Just before the dust cleared entirely, Louis's form reverted once again.

'What are these people, really?'

Bellain thought as he watched Louis, who'd just transformed into a monstrous creature and now stood as a human again.

They were anything but ordinary.

And that was obvious just from looking at the black-haired girl before him.

'She doesn't seem affected by my aura.'

It seemed the rumors about the empire's special task force weren't exaggerated.

Just as he was the only Hero in the Holy Nation, these people might possess similar strength.

'More than that...'

Suddenly seeing Rio and Silia's faces, Bellain went slack-jawed.

'They're stunningly beautiful.'

The two were so attractive that Bellain almost lost his senses.

He'd seen countless Saint candidates, but none at their level.

He'd expected only burly, savage men in the empire's special task force, but his expectations were shattered.

As Silia pressed her attack, Bellain snapped out of it, spinning his sword to deflect hers.

When Silia's attack was parried and she moved back, Bellain once again looked stunned as he said,

"Unlike that man over there, I don't want to kill you. If you come to our Holy Nation, I'll grant you a chance to live."

Rather than attack again, Bellain waited for their answer. He hoped they'd choose wisely.

"Just as I thought..."

"Huh?"

"I've been watching how you fight. That swordsmanship—it's awfully familiar. The way you parried my attack just now, too."

Silia muttered to herself.

"Where did you learn that swordsmanship?"

When she suddenly asked, Bellain snorted and replied.

"Hmph, I didn't learn it. It was granted to me by god."

"God?"

"Yes. Power bestowed through a ritual. I was chosen by that power."

"Ritual... god... hahahaha...!"

At those words, Silia suddenly burst out in a hollow laugh.

"This god you speak of... Just who could it be?"

"Who else! The all-knowing, all-powerful—"

"No, you weren't chosen. You just stole it."

"What?"

Was she denying his power? Beautiful as she might be, that was unforgivable.

"What would you think if there was an original version of that power?"

"The original? Do you mean god?"

"I don't care if it's god or whoever. If the original was right in front of your eyes, I mean."

Suddenly, Silia threw her sword to the ground.

But seeing as her face was still confident, she clearly wasn't surrendering.

"For your information, that swordsmanship was meant to be used with two swords."

With that, two swords Silia had never shown before appeared in her hands.

"I only learned it hastily from the family head... but at least I'll use it better than you."

Unlike ordinary swords, hers had green and blue gems embedded in their hilts.

[Finally, real combat.]

[Be careful. Just as the boy said, he's no ordinary opponent.]

Voices echoed from the gems in each sword.