Chapter 326

Whoooosh—

A ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍brilliant shaft of light illuminated the darkness.

It ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was Tatia's divine power.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍curses approaching her slowed as though their bodies had stiffened in the divine power.

"Impressive."

Edan ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍spoke with genuine admiration.

There had been a Saintess in his time as well, but Tatia looked several levels above her at a glance.

Thanks to that, cutting down the Anomaly's curses became far easier.

'Not all Saintesses are the same, then.'

At this rate, they might even be able to purify the curses.

A knight who had stabilized 9-Star by his own power, and a Saintess with abilities comparable to the Pope.

Edan had fought the Anomaly's curses for centuries.

To him, the present situation was a perfect opportunity to finish the battle he had failed to end hundreds of years ago.

CRUNCH.

The curse moving sluggishly was split in two by Edan's single swing.

CRUNCH.

Simon’s sword followed, cutting down another curse.

Hissss—

The two curses dispersed like smoke.

The Anomaly was a grotesque creature made of hundreds of curses.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Adamas, which contained all those curses, sealed the Anomaly's main body.

Once cut, a curse took considerable time to return. No matter how many they cut down now, it would not lead to complete destruction.

'We must cut down the main body.'

In the past, he had not been able to cut down the Anomaly by slashing all of its hundreds of curses.

The main body that condensed hundreds of curses into one.

'I must find the Curse of Radiance, that thing.'

Yet though he had wandered here for hundreds of years, he had never encountered it.

He had merely kept moving, cutting down every curse he met one by one.

It was a grueling path no one but him could continue.

"Do not use Ke. It drains too much stamina."

Edan advised Simon, who guarded his back, with a glance.

"I know."

The reply came in a blunt voice.

'This is troublesome.'

From his old friend's reaction when he reincarnated in Killian's body, Edan had expected that his descendants might not feel kindly toward him.

But he had not imagined the rift would run this deep.

"……"

Edan sighed as he watched Simon swing his sword in silence.

He was the first knight after Edan to reach 9-Star, and the strongest knight representing the Kingdom Alliance.

'Even if it is my karma, I never thought I would be hated this much.'

He believed he had atoned for his sins by being trapped in the sword and suppressing the Anomaly's curses.

Thus, he had warmly approached the descendant who came to find him, happy to see him, only for things to become like this.

"You need not be too hurt by Simon's attitude."

"Hm?"

"You chose the path of a hero for humanity, while Simon is walking the path of a hero for Eurasia."

"That is true, but at first, I took up the sword for Eurasia as well."

More than anyone, he had wanted to bring down the Empire.

That was why he trained knights and formed the Kingdom Alliance.

"Everyone who is not a citizen of Eurasia will be grateful to you. But……"

"Only Eurasia's people cannot understand me. How ironic."

In the end, one could not have one's actions recognized by everyone.

He had to accept that self-evident truth.

"Tatia de Veritas. Even so, it is fortunate that you are beside Simon."

As though he had never shown regret, Edan spoke with a gentle expression.

He knew that she was Simon's woman and Killian's mother.

"We are not bound by an engagement. So I have not truly become one of Eurasia's people either."

Hiding her bitter feelings, Tatia spoke calmly.

Although Claudio had saved her life through his quick thinking, the law that a Divine Maiden must not bear a child had not changed.

"I will recognize you."

"Pardon……?"

"I, Edan Eurasia, say that I recognize Tatia de Veritas as a member of Eurasia. I may not have the authority to make you mistress of the house, but I have enough authority for that much, do I not?"

"……"

Complex emotions surfaced on Tatia's face.

"It appears that your circumstances are not easy either."

Edan walked ahead and swung his sword.

One curse scattered like smoke from his blade.

"Well, if words from an ancestor sealed in a sword feel meaningless……"

"No."

Tatia hurriedly shook her head.

"They mean more than enough. I simply never imagined I would hear such words from a hero of humanity."

"Then I am glad."

The two exchanged gentle looks.

"Thanks to you, I get to act like an ancestor for once."

Tatia's presence alone made his battered soul feel restored.

'There is no need to tell them about Killian.'

They searched for the Anomaly's main body together, speaking of many things.

The current state of Eurasia and its successors could not be left out of those conversations.

In the process, Edan learned that Killian Eurasia was believed to be one who had received a god's revelation.

Killian's sudden growth seemed to have been understood that way as well.

'Well, becoming an 8-Star knight in less than ten years does defy reason.'

There was no need to reveal that his old friend Adamas resided in Killian Eurasia's body, or that Adamas was the ancient Godslayer.

'I wonder whether Adamas has reached 9-Star by now.'

He was a fellow who bore many burdens and took that for granted.

If Edan completely cut down the Anomaly here, he could remove one burden placed on him.

As he recalled memories neither long nor short by the measure of a human life.

"Concentrate."

Simon spoke stiffly and swung his sword a step ahead of him.

Slash.

A curse that had been aiming for Edan was torn apart.

Rumble—

The power contained in the curse scattered like smoke, pressing down on the area.

"……"

Simon frowned at the tingling sensation in his hand.

"It is the Curse of Haki."

Edan immediately recognized the curse.

He could distinguish it because he had cut it down many times over hundreds of years.

"Judging from how weakened it is, it has not yet returned from outside."

"What do you mean?"

Simon shook his hand to dispel the impact and asked.

It was a long corridor without a visible end, reminiscent of a dungeon.

They had cut down many curses to reach this point.

He could not understand why Edan made a point of the Curse of Haki alone.

"It is something I learned through experience."

"So there are things you have not told us?"

They had spoken of many things while walking here.

Edan had tirelessly explained the structure of this place, the Anomaly's curses, and the attitude needed to master 9-Star. Simon and Tatia, in turn, told him everything they knew about events that had occurred in the two centuries after Edan's death.

The strange part was that the more Simon spoke with Edan, the more he kept feeling as though they had discussed all this somewhere before.

"It seems you have forgotten it from your memories again."

"Yes……?"

"There is no need to find it so strange. It is a trait of the domain that makes up this place."

The interior of the Magic Sword Adamas.

This was a space that could evade the Laws of the World.

But at the same time, it was a space where oblivion was promised.

Even if those not permitted learned the truth, their memories were swiftly erased.

One keyword stood at its center.

'Killian Eurasia.'

No matter how long she had slept, Tatia was the mother who had borne him herself.

The oracle she had received before giving birth to Killian.

The choice she had made to risk her life to fulfill the revelation.

She had begun speaking with deep affection, but as the conversation continued, her emotions and attitude became dry and indifferent.

As though her memories and emotions were being erased in real time.

That was also why Edan had not told Killian when he met him before.

At the time, Killian was not yet a vessel capable of containing the world's truth.

"It is a cruel space."

Simon, who had quietly listened beside them, muttered lowly.

Even he, a 9-Star knight who prided himself on being dull to emotion, felt powerless before how warped the space was.

It made the ancestor who had endured here alone for hundreds of years feel like a monster.

Of course, Simon did not give voice to that thought to comfort his ancestor.

"The reason you can at least sense that something is familiar is because you are Veritas's Saintess."

"……"

"And in Simon's case, it is because he is one born with destiny."

"That means……"

"Yes. We have already spoken of these same subjects several times."

Edan continued as though it were no great matter.

"It does not feel as though even two hours have passed. I told you about the connection between Lord and the Anomaly."

The present gods were formed by splitting the Authorities of Lord, once the One God, while the Anomaly was a grotesque creature that stole Authorities from Lord.

"……"

"……"

It was information absent from Simon and Tatia's memories.

"It would be best to pick up the pace soon."

Edan said it was the first time in hundreds of years that he had cut down so many curses while preserving this much strength, thanks to them.

"This time, I have a feeling I can finally cut down the Anomaly's main body."

With a confident expression, Edan raised Adamas in his hand.

One curse approaching him was torn apart by his single swing.

"Simon, how severe is the curse's encroachment? "

"It is not enough to concern me."

"Honestly, keeping your pride until the end."

"……"

"You have a purpose, do you not?"

The reason Simon Eurasia had entered Adamas.

It was to purify the curses dwelling in Adamas, fully wield his ancestor's treasured sword, master 9-Star, and face the Emperor once more.

"You said you had lost to the Emperor once, and that this time was an opportunity given by reversed time."

That was right.

He had not expected that his ancestor was sealed in the sword to prevent the curses from running wild, but what Simon had come to do was ultimately cut down every Anomaly curse dwelling in the sword.

"But that is something only I can do."

"……"

"It is not merely a knight's stubbornness. Only I can cut down the Anomaly's main body."

In the past, he had not yielded his conviction even when his old friend tried to stop him.

Thus, he led the knights prepared for war with the Empire into the mountain range.

He cut down the Monster Lord, who had caused every manner of Wave and driven knights to their deaths.

Then, stepping over the knights' corpses, he finally cut down the Anomaly.

He even contained the Anomaly's curses in his body so that no harm would come to others below the mountain range.

When he opened his eyes after believing he had died, the Anomaly's curses floated beside him.

It was a space similar to the Mind Image World.

Fortunately, his realm as a 9-Star knight remained intact, and so long as his mental strength was whole, managing his stamina was comparatively easy.

He sensed a change after cutting down dozens of curses.

Lord, the One God. The Anomaly's radiance. The Laws of the World.

Information absent from his memories filled his mind.

Though he knew something was wrong, all Edan could do was keep walking and cutting down curses.

When he had cut down hundreds of curses other than the Anomaly's main body.

"I realized that my soul had fused with the Anomaly."

RelatedRelatedRelated