180 - #179

180 - #179

TL/Editor: looloo

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The sword he cherished most.

Thud-

It had been inevitably sliced and fallen to the ground.

Fragments of the blade, glinting in rainbow hues, scattered across the floor.

The precious sword he had treasured was shattered and embedded in the ground by someone precious.

In that moment.

“.......”

Even Han Siyoung couldn't hide his troubled heart.

His downcast eyes were fixed on the blade stuck in the ground.

"Go back, Siyoung."

The Sword King spoke.

He quietly sheathed his sword and looked at Han Siyoung, continuing his words.

"You're not fit to be a hero."

“.......”

Han Siyoung's expression remained unchanged.

His gaze still focused on the blade embedded in the ground.

But that was only for a moment.

Raising his head again, Han Siyoung tightly grasped the broken sword.

Quietly gathering his magical energy, he assumed his stance.

"It's not over yet."

Even if the sword was broken.

His eyes were still clear and steadfast.

"You're still the same."

The belief of the child he had watched for so long was unwavering.

Like a giant rock that cannot be destroyed.

And such belief always pointed in the right direction.

Whether his choices were right or wrong, nobody, including the child, could know, but he always seemed to be on the right path.

The Sword King thought of it as 'fate'.

His fate was always pointing in the right direction.

And he believed and maintained it with a strong will.

"You surpass me..."

The Sword King's bitter face slowly calmed down.

Yet, even so, he couldn't concede.

Because the child's belief would eventually lead to death.

The Sword King assumed his stance again.

Though the child had all the qualities of a hero.

The Sword King didn't want him to become one.

Just as the tension was about to rise again between them.

“?!”

Whoosh!!

Suddenly, the Sword King's eyes widened.

The same was true for Han Siyoung.

A tremendous surge of magical energy was felt behind Han Siyoung.

It appeared suddenly, without any precursor.

[A familiar face.]

Simultaneously, a man's voice was heard from behind Han Siyoung.

With the voice came an overwhelming magical pressure.

The arrival of the man completely shifted the magical energy of the area.

As if it was replaced by the man's magical energy from behind.

[So... you know me.]

The man's voice came from nearby.

Yet, Han Siyoung couldn't move at all.

The sheer intimidation of the magical presence.

It had frozen Han Siyoung's movements in an instant.

“You...”

Suddenly, the Sword King's aura, different from before, surged violently.

The Sword King, with a fierce gaze, looked at the man standing behind Han Siyoung and spoke in a subdued voice.

"So you were here after all."

[...You clearly know me, but I cannot remember.]

It was a calm baritone voice.

However, there was an unprecedented dignity in that voice.

[...Wait.]

At that moment, Han Siyoung felt it.

A sensation as if time and space had stopped along with the man's voice.

As if the space around them was synchronizing with the man's emotions.

When Han Siyoung realized this.

Suddenly, the man had moved past Han Siyoung and reached the Sword King.

[I remember now.]

A man with deep purple eyes, golden hair wrapped in a black robe.

His deep purple eyes were fixed on the Sword King.

[When I first arrived in this world, you were the human who tried to kill me.]

With those words, the surrounding magical energy stirred violently.

Turning his head along with those words.

At that moment, the Sword King saw Han Siyoung’s face.

His eyes were calm, without any disturbance.

From the time they faced each other, no, since his childhood, Han Siyoung’s expression had remained unchanged.

His face showed a firm resolve.

Han Siyoung was saying.

Trust me.

"I will not leave."

With those words, a brilliant white light burst forth from Han Siyoung’s body.

It created a colossal pillar of light that covered the dark sky and began illuminating the gloomy forest.

[?!]

At the sight of that brilliant pillar of light, for the first time, Zahart’s eyes showed disturbance.

He recognized the existence of that immense light.

[Stigmata...]

The light of the Stigmata.

It meant only one thing.

The boy holding the sword in front of him had attained a new level of existence.

A human at the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

The Sword Saint.

Fwoosh!!

At that moment, a blade of light burst forth from Han Siyoung’s broken sword.

A sharply honed blade of light.

Seeing this, the Sword King’s eyes trembled greatly.

"Siyoung..."

"Please trust me."

Hearing those words, the Sword King understood.

Even though he had broken it, a new blade had sprung forth.

No matter what he said, the child would not give up.

The child, too upright, firmly believed in his choice and would not flee.

Whoosh!!

The brilliant sword of light was swung by Han Siyoung.

At that moment, a sword strike made of pure white light surged towards Zahart.

Zahart extended his hand towards the sword strike, creating a protective barrier around himself.

He deemed it dangerous.

And as he expected.

[?!]

Sssk-

The sword strike flew and cleanly sliced through Zahart's barrier.

The barrier was too neatly cut diagonally.

Simultaneously, Han Siyoung, who had leaped towards Zahart, swung his sword.

Whoosh!!

Like a white thread drawn in the air, a sword line.

Zahart stepped back to avoid Han Siyoung's sword, but a streak of blood trickled down his cheek and dropped to the ground.

The energy that could cut anything he desired.

For the first time, the face of Zahart, the king of humans, contorted.

[You are dangerous.]

Zahart judged.

Simultaneously, a massive aura burst forth from his body, creating a threatening presence.

A purple, ominous aura.

It began to engulf the white light created by Han Siyoung.

He had made a decision, certain of it.

The boy's sword could kill him.

He was convinced that the boy in front of him could kill him.

'I must kill him here.'

The Sword Saint had awakened his power, but he was still just a seed.

Before he grew any further, Zahart decided he must kill him right now.

Zahart extended his hand towards Han Siyoung again.

In an instant, the magical energy engulfing the light began to be drawn into his grasp.

The space around his hand cracked and distorted, forming a massive black hole.

In the face of this ominous energy, Han Siyoung readied his sword of light for defense.

That's when it happened.

Rumble!

The ground started to tremble.

[?!]

At that moment, Zahart's eyes widened.

A presence felt behind him, a being emitting a force capable of causing such a phenomenon.

The dignity of the magic's owner was palpable, and Zahart, who knew the owner, could not help but feel an indescribable intimidation from it.

[Could it be...]

His head turned towards the source of the magic behind him.

Golden light visible between the dark trees.

The owner of the gold-rippling magic was gradually approaching him.

The king of humans, Zahart, knew.

[Horton...]

The greatest of kings, the King of Destruction, was approaching him.

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