[Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]

    Chapter 91

    "Fire Ball."

    "Dark Lance."

    "Explosion."

    As the monotonous, emotionless voice from the Combine Suit recited, dozens of spells were unleashed.

    The White Knight, in contrast, was fending off the attacks with nothing but his sword.

    Boom! Boom!

    The Combine Suit relentlessly bombarded the area.

    Despite the chaos, the royal guards and the Civil Squads had set out from the palace.

    "What is that...?"

    "Shield!"

    The massive Combine Suit’s magical barrage was overwhelming, and they could barely keep up with defending against it.

    "...Ice Shield."

    When Violet, who had been sitting down, stood up and activated a defensive spell, they finally had a moment to breathe.

    "Saintess, are you sure we shouldn''t intervene?"

    "I said not to interfere."

    The saintess crossed her arms and looked at the White Knight with dissatisfaction.

    She had let him combine with confidence, but now, with the attacks from the Combine Suit in full swing, the Sword Master couldn''t even get close.

    The magical attacks created by the 150 mana stones were a problem, but what made it even worse was the dark shield that was thickly formed around the Combine Suit.

    "Still, he is the only Sword Master of humanity. Shouldn''t we intervene...?"

    "Look closely at him."

    Whoosh. Whoosh.

    The White Knight calmly dodged the magic raining down from all directions.

    Whenever a full-scale magical attack was incoming,

    he swiftly swung his sword and cleaved through the spells.

    Even after hours of this relentless carpet bombing, the White Knight showed no signs of exhaustion.

    On the contrary, the mana stones of the Combine Suit were gradually losing their energy.

    "Does he look like he''s in danger?"

    "...No. He''s defending perfectly."

    "That''s right. He’s at ease."

    The saintess watched him with a sharp gaze.

    "Such ease is impossible without overwhelming confidence. He’s still not using his full strength."

    "...It seems so."

    "This is actually a good opportunity. We can gauge his true power now."

    Meanwhile,

    Bormian, heading hastily toward the palace, felt something was off.

    ''None of the attacks from the Combine Suit are working.''

    The Combine Suit was a demon world mana suit capable of fusing mana suits to transform into a giant.

    Only undead mages, whose bodies were more free, could use it, and it had been perfected over many years of sacrifices.

    To see such a hard-earned artifact fail was unsettling.

    Tch. I should be controlling it directly.

    Though Bormian had been upgraded from the Black Skull and had grown stronger,the physical distance was simply too great.

    However, if he could close the distance a bit more, he felt he could control the Combine Suit directly.

    ''At this speed, I should be able to descend in a day. And once I get a little closer, I''ll be able to take control.''

    "Then let’s properly capture him."

    Bormian laughed ominously and observed the White Knight’s movements through visual sharing.

    ‘He’s quick to dodge, but he’s not attacking at all. He probably can’t even think of breaking through the Dark Barrier... Heh heh.’

    Both sides were unable to break through each other’s defenses.

    But in terms of mana, this side had the overwhelming advantage.

    If controlled properly, he could easily overpower them.

    Bormian, feeling optimistic, narrowed the distance.

    "Now, it’s possible."

    He had closed the distance enough to directly influence the battle.

    Flash. Flash.

    The Combine Suit, which had been unable to land an effective hit on Kaylen, suddenly changed.

    The light emanating from the mana stones turned black, and the atmosphere shifted.

    "Heh heh... Now, I’ll control it myself. It will be different from before."

    Whoooosh.

    The dark mana spread explosively, and the ground was entirely blackened.

    The power that had been displayed before was now several times stronger.

    [Dark Hand.]

    The dark magic transformed into a massive hand that descended upon Kaylen.

    The palm was too large to avoid.

    It was as though a person were about to crush a mosquito, and it seemed the White Knight would soon be crushed into a bloody mess by the Dark Hand.

    It was an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.

    But the White Knight remained completely calm.

    Who would have thought a Sword Master would appear in this era?

    And who would have thought a Sword Master would burn the sky?

    If the Sword Master’s limits couldn’t be measured, then perhaps...

    ‘I... I have to run...’

    At that moment, Bormian instinctively shrank at the voice of the Demon Lord that echoed in his mind.

    [What are you doing, insignificant fool.]

    “Mas—Master...”

    [I personally gave you a name. You’re not trying to run after receiving my power, are you?]

    ‘Master... has noticed...!’

    Just as Bormian could control the vampires of the Necropolis, the Demon Lord could also control Bormian.

    [Don’t think foolishly. Pour all the power I’ve granted you and capture the Sword Master alive. If you defy me, I’ll make you roll in the hellfire for eternity... I swear on my name.]

    The absolute command of the Demon Lord, sworn on his name.

    Bormian could only nod in agreement.

    “Understood...”

    At this point, there was no turning back.

    Bormian gathered the maximum amount of dark magic.

    Using his overwhelming dark magic, he raised the dead.

    Opening a portal to the Demon World, he summoned monsters to his side.

    “Ha... ha ha... So this is the power I have!”

    In less than a few hours.

    Bormian was able to summon an army of thousands.

    With this, he could easily crush the territory of a local noble.

    His mood lightened.

    ‘If there’s a village on the way, I’ll replenish my forces as I go.’

    Slaughtering humans and continuously raising undead soldiers would certainly increase his chances of victory.

    While thinking this, Bormian smiled but suddenly felt that the mana in the air had changed.

    To the southwest, where the royal palace was located.

    A breeze started to blow.

    Though weak, the flow of mana was entirely different.

    ‘Mana... is coming towards me?’

    The mana flowing from the southwest gathered into a single point.

    That point was Bormian’s skull.

    “D-Dark Shield...”

    Feeling uneasy, Bormian tried to activate his defense.

    Whooosh—

    Suddenly, a powerful wind rushed toward him, and a massive dragon began to appear from beyond the sky.

    ‘That... that’s...!’

    The dragon rapidly closed the distance.

    On its back, a pure white knight stood holding a giant Aura Sword.

    And soon after.

    The dragon’s body seemed to merge with the Aura Sword, turning white.

    Seeing this, Bormian sighed.

    That appearance...

    Wasn’t it the legendary image often quoted in the founding king Bormian’s story?

    “D-Dragon... Strike.”

    The Dragon Knight’s ultimate move.

    A legendary fusion technique where the dragon and knight merge, surrounded by an aura, and charge like a comet.

    Hadn’t it been said that even a powerful Demon World Count fell helplessly to this attack?

    Despair filled Bormian’s heart.

    And soon,

    Dragon Strike became a reality.

    “Ugh...”

    Even before it reached him, his Dark Shield spontaneously burned away and disappeared.

    The undead army he had painstakingly gathered burned away completely.

    The summoned monsters from the Demon World were also melted by the power of light.

    “Ugh... Aaargh!”

    Then, the dark magic given to him by the Demon Lord scattered.

    His body burned with fire.

    “No, no... I need to become a demon... I need to...”

    Bormian cried desperately.

    “This world... this world is a world of demons...! I... I’ve only worked for my family and descendants... To survive, I must become a demon...!”

    When only a pitiful skull remained, like a firefly before the sun,

    Bormian saw the brilliant tip of the sword.

    “Please... please save me...”

    Thud!

    Before he could finish his words,

    Bormian vanished without leaving a trace.

    [Translator - Kiteretsu]

    [Proofreader - Kyros]