Chapter 85

"..."

Karaf briefly came face-to-face with the past through Alter.

He had thought it was merely Uriel's afterglow lingering within, but at some point, the aura of the Northern Grand Duke had started to emanate from him.

If the previous emperor had seen this sight, what would he have said?

"I won't talk about a fair fight. You must win to survive. You won't start complaining about that, will you?"

As Alter replied, cold air spread out from him.

Karaf instinctively stepped back, but already his fingertips were starting to freeze.

As expected, the Great Mage's disciple was, among the rebels, considered the most formidable opponent.

"Whew..."

Brillie hesitated for a moment, but soon threw herself into the fray first.

If neither she nor Alter stepped up, not only the knights but also the soldiers would hesitate and look to each other.

To grip this outcome firmly, someone had to set an example here.

"Hmph..."

Karaf, almost unconsciously, let his breathing falter and swung his sword.

Two swords clashed, producing a brief metallic ring. The strike wasn't especially heavy, but its sharpness could not be concealed.

'He's filled with killing intent... Is he truly trying to kill me?'

Karaf, feeling troubled, unwillingly pushed back Brillie's sword.

At the same time, he aimed vertically for her neck. But Brillie noticed immediately and evaded naturally.

'Has she grown stronger as time passed? I can't be confident of victory even in a one-on-one bout.'

Deeming her too dangerous an opponent, Karaf tried to eliminate her quickly.

But the cold swept in again, and he could not advance as he was. Moreover, with other knights joining in, he was forced to retreat.

'I'd forgotten for a moment. No betrothed would let her fiancé die like this.'

Karaf shook off the cold settling on his skin and looked around. Around Brillie, a dozen spears and swords were extending outward.

Under these circumstances, not only was it impossible to approach Brillie, but only wounds, big and small, would accumulate.

'I'll have to cut down the small fries first.'

Continuously releasing magic power and neutralizing the cold, Karaf sought out the weakest among the opponents and slashed at him.

In a brief moment, he sliced through a wrist, forcing the wounded knight to quickly fall back.

'With allies present, he can't expand the range of his cold.'

Karaf, conscious of the Great Mage's disciple, tried to maintain a proper distance from his enemies.

If the attribute's variability is fixed, he could ignore the shapes and launch quick attacks.

However, the implementation area of the cold could not be completely suppressed; thus, if one got closer to his own allies, the flow would be disrupted to some extent.

'Now isn't the time to use sword force. It would just open myself to an opening...'

Karaf knew better than anyone that using sword force would be a terrible choice.

Even those knights alone had enough skill to counter sword force techniques.

Above all, Brillie also wielded sword force—if he couldn't properly block it, the imperial knights themselves would get caught up in the storm.

'The only reason we're holding our position is because I'm holding out. If anyone tries to step in, they'll just end up hurt.'

Karaf intentionally ordered his subordinates not to interfere. If the imperial knights stormed into this fight, the entire rebel army would move.

To keep his subordinates safe, he had no choice but to stand and fight alone.

'So they all surrendered? That's better. If they want to use them as knights, at least they wouldn't try to kill them.'

Though Brillie and the other knights pressed in, Karaf was ironically more at peace now than ever.

As long as his subordinates were safe, at least he wouldn't be tormented by regret.

The Third Princess wouldn't want to waste troops either, so she'd likely want to end this quietly.

'I have to die here. Even if it leaves a stain on my honor... that too is my fate.'

His subordinates had only followed him and the emperor. Thus it couldn't be said they'd committed grave crimes, and they wouldn't be sentenced to death.

But if someone wasn't held responsible, the subordinates would only suffer more.

'Why would I complain now? I just want a noble death.'

With his sword locked against Brillie's, Karaf was faintly seized by a sense of guilt. Likely, Brillie hadn't wanted to fight him like this.

But the current emperor had insulted the Northern Grand Duke and Duke Illenat, even wounding her fiancé's pride.

Thus, Brillie had no choice but to join the rebellion in some form.

'You and I are both fighting for honor, aren't we? So I'll bear no grudge.'

Karaf was frustrated that he couldn't fight Brillie in a fair duel.

A swordsman so fine didn't spring up easily. He had watched her with interest, but in the end, they stood with swords drawn, forced to try to kill one another.

'Is it finally getting difficult for me? If nothing else, there's nothing I can do about that cold...'

To endure the cold, Karaf was expending a portion of his magic power.

Even so, with Brillie's sword strikes raining in, it was all he could do to keep up.

Any mistake here would mean serious injury.

"Hmph!"

Karaf unconsciously sliced down a knight and tried to pull back quickly.

However, Brillie didn't miss that brief opening, and her sword swept up along a diagonal trajectory.

Ordinarily, it would have glanced off his armor, but the magic power coating her blade pierced straight through.

"Ohhh..."

"Lady Brillie really deserves the title 'Sword Flower'"

"She cuts like that?"

"..."

Brillie had left a wound on the imperial knight captain's left arm, but her heart was still heavy.

Her pride as the Sword Flower had to be set aside, and she and her allies were overwhelmingly on the attack.

Had it been one-on-one, she could have stayed calm, but now things had turned into this farce.

"Captain! We..."

"Stay out of this! This is my fight."

Karaf ignored his injury and coolly raised his sword. Frost was already blooming from cracks in his armor, and blood dripped from his left arm.

The drops themselves were gradually freezing, which could only inspire a strange admiration.

'What a terrifying magic. If I didn't have allies, I'd be finished already...'

"That's enough now. I should be the one fighting that man."

Someone rushed in with-nimble movements, deftly inserting himself.

The knights instinctively recognized him, and Yuria finally felt at ease.

She had brought even the chancellor to invite him—had he only now decided to show up?

"Th—the Sword Saint!"

"Even the Sword Saint has joined the rebellion?"

"How could this be..."

"..."

Karaf fell silent, gripping his sword hilt tightly. That his old rival himself would step in, he hadn't expected.

Yet, if he thought about it, there were more than a few reasons the Sword Saint would become involved.

"Your Highness, Princess. I may be a bit late, but from here on, I'll act as I please."

"... Do as you wish."

Yuria had no intention of stopping the Sword Saint. He was the only strong one who called her "kid" and treated her with such familiarity.

Besides, since he was close with the imperial knight captain, surely this last bout ought to be left in his hands.

"Everyone fall back. Especially you, Brillie, do nothing. You're too strong—if you move, you'll only be a nuisance."

"... Yes."

"Hey, Northern Grand Duke's youngest, stop your magic. Just dealing with him alone is tough enough."

"... Understood."

At the Sword Saint's order, the knights reluctantly lowered their weapons.

Alter and Brillie fell silent, only watching the figure of the Sword Saint from behind.

"Don't play weak in front of me. You're not off your game just because of a scratch, are you?"

"Haha! I could never pretend to be weak in front of you."

"Let's not go into reasons, you and I. We both saw this coming, didn't we?"

"... That's true. There was no other way."

"I'll end this in one blow. If you don't want to die, struggle as hard as you can!"

Megarex charged in fast, filled with firm hostility. Karaf blocked his blade at once, but already his grip was faltering.

"You're not out of strength yet, are you? Let's at least have some fun before you die."

"You're talking about fun at a time like this? Hup!"

Karaf knocked away Megarex's sword and tried to slash at his abdomen. But Megarex blocked him, and a fierce clang of steel rang out.

"I told you before. That guy won't last long!"

"That means nothing to me."

"Does it mean nothing that the rebellious army rose up? Is it okay for an emperor to steal another man's lover?"

"... I only follow the imperial decree."

"You idiot! You call that obedience to an imperial order?"

Megarex raised his voice, then fiercely swept his sword. Karaf barely held against that force for a moment before being pushed back.

"That's your problem. You know and yet you pretend not to, you bastard!"

"Heh... You've even taken to cursing now."

"If you die here, you're not a loyal retainer, you're a fool. You're just a dumbass who died serving a sorry excuse for an emperor!"

"..."

Karaf couldn't bring himself to deny those words.

History had always been written by the victors.

No matter how much legitimacy and imperial order he followed—if the imperial family fell, he would be remembered as incompetent and foolish.

"If I die here, they'll put up a monument, call me a hero forever. That's the difference between you and me!"

"So, does being a hero make you proud?"

"Of course I'm proud, you idiot! What's going on in that head of yours? What do you expect to get by being stubborn like this!"

Megarex spat out a fair bit of anger, but his sword's trajectory did not stray.

This was respect for his opponent, and also a primal kind of fear.

For Megarex, this was an opponent he had no choice but to recognize—even as the Sword Saint.

That's why he refused to show any openings, determined to finish this with his own sword.

"You still... walk an honest path with your sword. Is that fitting for a rebel?"

"It's better than playing tricks like you. And what's the so-called Imperial Knight Captain been up to? Any more tricks up your sleeve?"

"I have to trick people if I want to survive!"

Karaf gave a wry laugh and conjured an afterimage. Megarex immediately tried to read and discern the real trajectory.

It had once been a bother for him, but he was no longer fooled—he was no longer just a mere swordsman, but praised as the Sword Saint.

"I know you, but you still don't know me. The blade shines brightest when it's honest."

Megarex poured his magic power completely into his sword and brought it down resolutely.

The afterimages scattered along the slash, and Karaf's sword stopped dead.

Karaf gazed into the air as if in a daze, then slowly opened his mouth.

"You... have won. So you weren't just playing around all this time, then."

"Any last words?"

"... I was not wrong. It's just that this era has abandoned me."

"You're stubborn to the end. Get going now."

Thinking of the previous emperor, Karaf instantly crumbled. Red blood gushed from the wound, and his sight grew dimmer and dimmer.

At least he had given his utmost loyalty before fading away—he would leave with no regrets.

"I won't say it again. Surrender, now. Do I really have to see more blood here?"

"..."

"Do you think anything will change just because you die? Don't you see the soldiers behind you? If you have eyes, use your judgment!"

"..."

At the Sword Saint's threat, the Imperial Knights began to drop their weapons.

Even the famous, formidable Imperial Knight Captain had fallen before the Sword Saint's blade.

With Brillie, the Great Mage's disciple, and countless rebels here too, how could they do anything more?

"It seems this side's resolved well. Shall we bring this to an end now?"