The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

159 – Eternal Slumber (2)

The One Hero of All Time.

The strongest hero in history.

Maximilian Argon Hoenberk received absolute support and praise from the Emperor of the Empire, the Sovereign of the Holy Kingdom, and the rulers of the continent due to his unparalleled strength.

A master of all weapons and armaments in the world.

His martial arts and combat skills were honed to their utmost limits.

He could even use magic, albeit clumsily.

Though not his specialty, he occasionally employed divine magic, including emergency healing and detoxification.

The merciful One True God loves all humans who worship Him equally. Yet, Maximilian was the sole exception. It was as if all the principles and truths of the world had bestowed their favor upon one single human, giving birth to a being of absolute perfection.

“…Regnas.”

A flash of golden brilliance erupted.

But that was not all.

Black, white, and gray blades of light shot forth in succession.

As Aldebaran was swung, the three holy swords that had been flying in the air moved simultaneously. Unlike the autonomous attacks granted to the seraph’s sacred artifacts, they acted according to Maximilian’s will.

-…….

The hilt gripped by the Abyss Knight trembled.

Clang!

It deflected the blade of Aldebaran.

Following that, the swung single blade repelled the blades of Altair, Procyon, and Heila.

It was invisible to the naked eye.

The fleeting glimmer of the blade’s tip was all that could be seen.

The swordsmanship wielded by the Sword Saint boasted the pinnacle of sword speed that could not be captured by sight. The only way to keep up with that speed was to rely solely on instinct.

It felt like stepping onto a thin layer of ice.

If one’s intuition dulled or reflexes slowed, death was the only outcome.

A moment of carelessness would mercilessly claim a life. Faced with the terror of death, Maximilian gasped for breath, sharpening his instincts.

Swish—! Swish—!!

Invisible blades surged forth.

The blade, imbued with pure white chill, aimed gracefully at Maximilian.

He could feel it.

Every strike was homing in on his vital points.

“Of course, you would aim for a one-hit kill.”

All four holy swords were mobilized to counter the onslaught of the Sword Saint.

Then, the undead’s calm, bluish gaze flickered slightly.

-……!

The tip of Aldebaran targeted the Abyss Knight’s lower abdomen.

The location of the core.

The armor was in tatters, leaving the lower abdomen fully exposed.

The blade tip, imbued with the chill of death, blurred ominously.

Maximilian’s strike shattered the Abyss Knight’s skeletal structure, but unfortunately, it did not penetrate the core. The deeply embedded blade tip was deflected by the Sword Saint’s counterattack.

Thud—.

Fragments of shattered bones spilled out.

The Abyss Knight momentarily stepped back to regroup.

‘The only chance of victory has just returned to nothingness… Even in this state of a corpse, the sword’s aura remains strong.’

Kaaang! Kaaang! Kaaang!

Five consecutive slashes.

With a single sword, five lethal strikes were delivered simultaneously.

Snow and ice scattered like a hazy fog. Though visibility was briefly obscured, Maximilian did not lose track of the swordsman’s trajectory. The blade, cutting through the air with a harsh metallic sound, curved and twisted away.

—Not bad, indeed…!

A refined and pure trajectory of the sword.

Even transformed into an undead with nothing left but its skeletal frame, the sword’s spirit had never rusted.

Strength and skill.

And experience honed through countless battles.

As the undead continued to swing its sword, Maximilian’s stamina was being drained endlessly. His skill still boasted the level of his prime, but the greatest issue he faced now was the fatigue accumulated within his body.

Kagagak!!

Maximilian was slowly being pushed back.

Despite deploying all four holy swords for defense, he could not deflect every lethal strike.

The impact of power accumulated.

It was exhausted like droplets of blood trickling down through his wounds.

How many more times could he endure—?

It was hard to guess.

Perhaps he might fall with the next blow.

Reflecting the precarious situation, the radiant glow of the holy swords gradually diminished. All the holy swords, including Aldebaran gripped tightly in his hand, were in a state akin to a lamp about to extinguish.

-…….

The undead took a step forward.

At the same time, it gripped the hilt of its sword with both hands.

“Damn it.”

Fwoosh—.

A sharp blade carried an endlessly crimson aura that flowed down.

Bloodshadow Sword (血影劍).

The pinnacle of the sword’s might that had vanquished countless great demons of the demon realm.

The sword, which had displayed its power against Edanant in the immortal fortress, revealed itself. Maximilian, witnessing the flickering red sword like a shadow cast upon the ground at dusk, let out a short curse.

* * *

As the red shadow spun in a spiral, it spread along the blade’s edge.

There was no escape.

The shadow, having broken the sound barrier, would soon catch up to even the flash of light.

There was only one way.

To somehow block the swordmaster’s strike coming straight at him.

────!!!

The trajectory of the blade was astonishingly straightforward.

Isn’t it common sense in the world of swordsmen to unleash erratic attacks from various angles to seize the enemy’s vital points? Yet, defying such logic, the swordmaster’s strike was exceedingly simple.

It was visible.

The red shadow, swirling like a vortex.

Faced with it, Maximilian squeezed out every last ounce of strength and channeled it into the hilt of his sword.

Kwaddeuk!!

The golden holy sword clashed with the red shadow.

As the forces collided, the holy sword let out a scream and shattered with a resounding crack.

It was a mistake.

There was utterly insufficient power to topple the red shadow.

The radiant brilliance that had poured forth from the holy sword was swallowed by the red shadow. The divinity of the one true god bestowed upon the holy sword of demon-slaying met its defeat.

“Grrrgh!!”

Having lost in close combat, Maximilian was swept away by the current and flung aside. He rolled several times across the ice and snow-covered ground before crashing into a wall.

Instinctively, he grasped the hilt of his sword.

He managed to hold onto Aldebaran with a firm grip, but the outcome was truly disastrous.

Crackling-.

The remaining three holy swords that had fallen into the snow had completely lost their light.

“Huuh, huuh…!”

Not yet-.

It was still far from over.

The fight was not finished.

His entire body was ragged like a tattered cloth, yet his resolve showed no signs of waning.

Maximilian gripped the hilt of his sword with all his might, leaning against the tip of Aldebaran, which emitted a soft golden glow.

– It is the end, intruder…! Now, sleep in the cold earth.

Had he been consumed by the ashes of death, to the point of not recognizing even his lifelong companions?

The Abyss Knight raised his sword.

At the sight of such an undead, Maximilian forced a bitter smile.

“…….”

Death approached right before his eyes.

As if resisting that death, the hero attempted to swing the golden holy sword.

“Maximilian!!”

At that moment—.

A fierce, agitated call pierced through the frigid air.

Hearing the familiar yet tiresome voice, Maximilian instinctively furrowed his brow.

A blizzard raged fiercely.

At the same time, the holy knight of the Holy Kingdom revealed himself.

The tip of his sword, imbued with blue sanctity, threatened the undead. As Maximilian faced the noble knight with flowing blue hair from behind, he slowly rose, exhaling a sigh.

“Cyril… To think you would come to my rescue, what utter humiliation.”

“Shut your mouth, traitor!”

Maximilian expressed genuine regret.

In response, Cyril screeched, revealing their long-standing rivalry.

“Your injuries are severe. Maximilian.”

“…Master.”

A middle-aged man, neatly dressed in a colorless priest’s robe, joined them. Upon reuniting with his master, whom he had sworn he would never see again, Maximilian wore an awkward expression.

Cyril Vailede.

Ikeron Nebiacus.

The invincible sword of the Holy Kingdom and the Black Cardinal had arrived on the battlefield.

Swoosh—.

Rustle—.

Holy cloths, emitting a soft gray hue, flew in, ensnaring the undead.

As they clashed with the holy swords, perhaps due to the accumulated sanctity, the Abyss Knight moved as if intoxicated, displaying unnatural movements.

“Abyss Knight…!”

“Don’t let the Holy Manifest slip away! It’s the highest undead born from the abyss!”

The Holy Kingdom’s knight order, surrounding the Demon King’s castle, served as a precaution against any unforeseen circumstances. With a small group of priests, Sirel and Ilkeron were able to join Maximilian without delay.

Crack-.

Creeeak.

The Holy Manifest summoned by divine magic began to tear apart one by one.

In response, the priests stared in horror at the undead, whose blue eyes glimmered ominously.

—Intruders…! The foul stench, vibrating… intruders!!

The skeletal hand ripped the Holy Manifest to shreds.

The Abyss Knight swung its blade of red shadow and let out a mighty roar. The heroes and knights of the Holy Kingdom gripped their swords tightly and approached the undead to confront it.

* * *

The deathly curse that possessed Elizabeta.

The monster that completely engulfed Beatrice.

Should it be called a proxy battle?

Or should it be referred to as a full-scale war in which they themselves participated?

The struggle between the curse and the monster was like a tug-of-war. Which side would seize the initiative of divinity first? That was the crux of the battle.

“The divinity planted in that human girl will gradually reveal its limits. A foolish struggle.”

—Well…! The perfect burden has never failed even once.

It seemed to have completely forgotten the dark history of being sealed after being thoroughly toured by the saint party blessed with the oracle of the One True God. It appears to have a knack for instantly forgetting memories that are unfavorable to itself.

As the monster mocked, the curse shrugged its shoulders and replied.

“Endlessly babbling…! I’ll make that mouth shut!”

Swoosh-.

The cold air solidified, taking the form of a spear.

It was undoubtedly the weapon that the Frost Giant had swung toward Edanant. The monster, gripping the spear, charged straight ahead, its white hair flowing down to its waist.

—Alright, shall we begin again?

The curse grasped the hilt of the great sword with both hands.

And then, leaving Edanant behind, it lunged at the monster.