TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 10
[Episode 10 includes additional illustrations. We recommend disabling dark mode.]
And he was one of Kraush’s most bitter adversaries.
The reason Aniks knew so much about him was because of that.
He was once Kraush’s friend.
‘Friend, my ass.’
Kraush had long since known the truth.
The reason he stayed by Kraush’s side as a “friend” was because he saw value in using him.
To others, Balheim could be considered a rival family to Aniks.
Demonstrating leadership by embracing Kraush, a direct descendant of Balheim, must have been useful for positioning himself at the center of the Kingdom Faction.
And Kraush knew there was an even more repulsive reason behind the surface-level justification.
The incident occurred after they graduated from the Academy.
Kraush, who had joined the Skyborne Generation alongside him, moved to stop the World Erosion with Aniks, and then it happened.
Aniks’ team fell into a trap set by the World Erosion.
All the team members died in the trap, and Kraush barely survived by clinging to the edge of a cliff.
Meanwhile, Aniks, true to the Skyborne Generation’s reputation, was the only one to escape the trap.
“Aniks! Pull me up!”
Kraush’s arms felt like they were being torn apart under the intense gravitational pull from below.
That was why he called out to Aniks for help.
But what came from Aniks was not help, but something entirely different.
“…Kraush, if it becomes known that this trap was caused by my mistake, I’ll lose my place in the Skyborne Generation.”
Hearing those words, Kraush’s eyes widened in fury.
Aniks had already been pushed to the edge of the Skyborne Generation due to a recent mistake.
If this new mistake were to come to light—
He would undoubtedly be expelled from the Skyborne Generation, just as he feared.
The Skyborne Generation had now become the center of power.
Being cast out from there was something to be avoided at all costs.
“What kind of nonsense is that?! That shouldn’t matter right now!”
But wasn’t survival more important than such things?
However, Aniks’ expression remained unchanged.
It was the face of someone who had already made up his mind long ago.
“If I make it out alone, all my mistakes will be buried.”
Aniks stood up from his spot.
Then, leaving Kraush trapped in the pit, he began to walk away.
“Aniks, Aniks, wait!”
Kraush shouted desperately.
If things continued like this, he would die.
“You idiot! Do you think it’ll be that easy to cover this up?!”
The Skyborne Generation wasn’t full of fools.
Before being part of the Skyborne Generation, they were a group constantly embroiled in internal power struggles.
They would undoubtedly use this incident as an excuse to expel Aniks in some way.
After all, he was one of the central figures in Starlon.
Aniks surely knew this as well.
Yet Aniks let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“It’s fine. After all, you’re here, Kraush.”
Kraush’s eyes began to widen.
He realized what Aniks was planning.
Aniks intended to shift the blame for this mistake entirely onto him.
He would claim that the Half-Penny of Balheim had dragged him down and caused the trap.
Kraush, who already had many enemies within the Skyborne Generation, would become their scapegoat.
They would ignore the truth and immediately pounce on Kraush’s supposed failure.
In the meantime, the truth would fade into obscurity.
“Thank you, Kraush. For being my friend until the very end.”
Aniks’ final words struck a nerve deep within Kraush.
“Friend, friend?! What a load of crap! When did you ever think of me as a friend?!”
Kraush had long known how meaningless Aniks’ concept of “friendship” was.
Yet, deep down, Kraush had wanted to believe.
At the very least, he wanted to believe that Aniks was a comrade who fought against the World Erosion alongside him.
But to Aniks, Kraush was neither a friend nor even a comrade.
Overwhelmed with disgust, Kraush struck a nerve in Aniks in return.
“From the start, the only reason you stayed near me was because of Charlotte!”
For the first time, Aniks’ composed face cracked.
“Do you think I don’t know? Today’s mistake happened because you lost focus after hearing about Charlotte’s wedding!”
Aniks, who harbored deep love and hatred for Charlotte.
Today’s blunder was entirely because he had lost his composure upon hearing the news of her wedding.
Kraush had initially told Aniks not to come.
Judging by his state, it was obvious he would cause trouble.
Yet, despite that, he had insisted on joining the mission to stop the World Erosion, leading to this disaster.
And now, he wanted to pin the blame on someone else.
It was utterly revolting.
“…This is why I hate you.”
Aniks’ face, as he looked at Kraush, was a chaotic mix of emotions.
“You have no ability, yet you possess an uncanny knack for seeing through people, and you always dig into that.”
The real reason Aniks had kept Kraush around as a “friend.”
It was because Charlotte, who occasionally visited Kraush, could be seen when he was near.
But that was all over now.
She had left for good.
“Ah, but at least one good thing came out of today.”
With those words, Aniks’ face twisted into a grotesque smile, born of his conflicted emotions.
“Charlotte wouldn’t want to hold a funeral and a wedding on the same day.”
“You crazy bastard!”
Realizing that Aniks was completely broken, Kraush shouted, but Aniks had already turned his back and started walking away.
“At least you were useful in the end, Kraush.”
And with that, Aniks left.
All Kraush could do was hurl curses at his retreating figure.
Just as Kraush was on the brink of death,
someone came to his rescue.
The owner of platinum hair that shone like the rising sun.
Arthur Gramalte.
It was the beginning of a new bitter relationship.
‘Damn bastard.’
Later, Aniks was expelled from the Skyborne Generation thanks to Arthur’s testimony.
Shortly after, he married Princess Claudia, who had no claim to the throne, in a desperate attempt to cling to power.
“You look and sound so much like Charlotte.”
At that moment, Aniks’ voice spilled into the present.
Even now, this idiot could only think about Charlotte.
“Hey.”
So Kraush glared at Aniks and cracked his knuckles.
“Don’t go around saying my sister’s name so casually.”
Aniks’ eyes widened in surprise.
He hadn’t expected such a reaction from Kraush.
“And you said I look like my sister, right?”
At the same time, Aura began to ripple from Kraush’s fist.
While Aniks quietly observed the Aura, which was at the level of an Expert beginner.
“I take after my sister, too. I don’t let anyone who messes with me off the hook.”
Kraush kicked off the ground and leaped.
In an instant, Kraush closed the distance between him and Aniks, throwing a punch just like he had against Balak.
Crack!
His punch was blocked by a branch that emerged from behind Aniks.
Although the sudden intrusion of the tree might have been startling, it was something Kraush was familiar with.
Thud!
Grabbing the branch with both hands, Kraush spun downward like a gymnast on a horizontal bar.
Then, he immediately swung his legs toward Aniks.
However, once again, a tree that shot up between the gaps coiled around Kraush’s leg and hurled him away.
In an instant, he was flung into the air.
The trees extended their branches, attacking Kraush.
Amidst the branches spreading in all directions to capture him.
Kraush brushed past them as if performing an aerial stunt and landed on the ground.
“Mr. Kraush, you’re like a flying squirrel.”
Bianca, who had been quietly observing from behind, remarked with an expression of amazement.
So carefree.
“Phew.”
In contrast, Kraush lightly wiped away a bead of sweat.
The secret technique of the Graiza Family still annoyed him.
“Is this all you’ve got? You might as well use a weapon, then.”
Aniks, surrounded by branches like armor, gave a faint smile.
The secret technique of the Graiza Family.
Mokchendo.
The Graiza’s secret technique, which freely manipulates not only trees but plants, was a unique art that strengthened plants by infusing them with Aura.
Of course, its power weakened in places where plants couldn’t grow.
But the skill granted by a contract with a god rendered that weakness meaningless.
‘Recovery.’
Simply put, regeneration.
Anywhere, plants would bloom and become extensions of Aniks’ will through his skill.
That was the true reason he could belong to the Skyborne Generation.
“I told you to use a weapon.”
Kraush gave him a chilling smile and revealed what he had been hiding behind his back.
For the first time, Aniks’ eyes twitched.
What Kraush held in his hand was a branch.
And that branch was none other than one taken from Aniks’ tree.
Kraush had stolen the branch using the Black Hood.
“Your tree is quite useful.”
Kraush assumed a sword stance with the long branch, about the length of a longsword.
At this, Aniks let out a dry laugh.
“I don’t know what you think you can do with that.”
Though he said this, his twisted smile betrayed his irritation.
“Then go ahead and try with my branch.”
At that moment, branches began to pour out from behind Aniks.
The branches infused with Aura took on the shape of spikes, sharp enough to pierce even the marble floor.
Kraush moved freely amidst the rain of wooden spikes.
Though the wooden spikes seemed to fall randomly, each one was controlled by Aniks.
During the Skyborne Generation, Kraush had fought alongside Aniks countless times.
Even in this era, Aniks’ inherent habits remained unchanged.
In a way, Kraush was like a natural enemy to Aniks.
There was likely no one who understood Aniks better than Kraush.
“Huh?”
As Kraush dodged all the wooden spikes and steadily approached him, Aniks reacted with disbelief.
Kraush moved as if he knew exactly where each attack would land.
Yet, even so, Kraush did not exude an overwhelming aura.
The energy emanating from him was, at best, that of an ordinary person.
‘It feels like he’s pushing himself to the limit.’
Even now, Kraush seemed to struggle, breathing heavily as he dodged the wooden spikes.
It was proof that, while his mind knew, his body couldn’t keep up.
‘Has he awakened the Heart’s Eye or something?’
Aniks briefly considered the legendary Heart’s Eye but soon scoffed.
‘Maybe if it were Charlotte.’
Someone who had awakened such a thing wouldn’t be called Balheim’s Half-Penny.
“Aniks.”
Amidst the wooden spikes, Kraush sneered as he closed the remaining distance.
“Thinking about Charlotte again, aren’t you?”
Twitch—
Aniks’ eyebrow twitched.
Those words struck a nerve deep within Aniks.
“……I’ve let you off the hook enough times.”
With those words, Aniks raised his hand.
“It seems you need to fix that mouth of yours.”
Then, through his hand, a power different from Aura began to flow.
The tree behind him suddenly began to bloom with countless leaves.
The marble floor was pierced, revealing massive roots.
On the enormous tree, so large it could be called a World Tree.
A humanoid figure took shape, forming two arms.
Mokchendo.
Fifth Form.
Wooden Sky Giant.
It was a giant created through the Mokchendo passed down by the Graiza Family.
The shadow cast by the giant filled the terrace of the Arayon Pavilion.
“You’d better be more careful next time.”
Beneath the giant, whose mere presence could make an ordinary person collapse.
Aniks spoke as if declaring the end to Kraush and lowered his hand.
At last, the giant’s enormous fist descended upon Kraush.
“Mr. Aniks!”
Elphin, Aniks’ subordinate, belatedly burst through the terrace door, shouting.
If Kraush were hit directly by that fist, there would be no turning back.
But it was already too late.
The massive fist, large enough to destroy the Arayon Pavilion, was already inches from Kraush.
Looking at the fist, Kraush raised the branch above his head.
In the secret library of the Green Pine Mansion, there is a single, thinnest secret technique book.
The reason that book is so thin is simple.
The author of the book had only ever created one secret technique in his lifetime.
Balheim’s Half-Penny, who had no talent for anything.
Because he lacked talent, he devoted himself solely to the basics of the sword and spent his entire life practicing only the downward strike.
A pure downward strike without any flair or technique.
He swung his sword downward countless times—hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions—until the number surpassed even a billion.
When his life had passed the age of eighty.
The sword he had been striking with shattered.
The sword that had endured his strikes could no longer withstand them.
However, by that point, he no longer needed a sword.
The sword becomes me, and I become the sword.
In just one thing.
In the downward strike, he had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship known as the Sword and Spirit Fusion.
From that day onward, there was no one in the world who could withstand his downward strike.
The final secret technique book he wrote in his lifetime contained only the simple technique of the downward strike and was exceedingly short.
However, despite the brevity of the secret technique book, the technique it contained was in a realm that could never be reached through short-lived martial arts.
Kraush raised the branch in his hand, his eyes quietly closing.
He erased all sounds and presences around him from his awareness.
Kraush focused solely on the single branch he held in his hand.
This secret technique required an extraordinary level of concentration.
That concentration demanded nothing less than the realm of the Unity of Man and Nature.
For this reason, even if the secret technique book existed, most people could not master the secret technique.
But Kraush was different.
Due to a curse in the past, Kraush had been forced into situations countless times that resembled the Unity of Man and Nature.
Ironically, because of this, Kraush was able to perceive his inner self better than anyone else.
An empty inner self, where there was nothing at all.
That was only natural.
He had not achieved anything on his own.
But precisely because of that.
Kraush was able to embrace the ancestors’ secret technique within his inner self.
The sword becomes me, and I become the sword.
A very simple truth.
Rumble!
The Wooden Sky Giant collapsed with a tremendous sound reverberating through the air.
“W-What, what just happened?”
“What’s going on outside?”
The enormous noise caused a commotion inside the terrace.
However, the dust rising from the collapse of the Wooden Sky Giant obscured the view, leaving the noble scions unable to grasp the situation.
Amidst the dust, Aniks stared straight ahead with wide-open eyes.
The Wooden Sky Giant was the secret technique imbued with Recovery, passed down in his family.
Yet that Wooden Sky Giant had been utterly destroyed with just a single downward strike.
The problem was that even if he gave his all, he doubted whether he could block that downward strike.
“Hey.”
At that moment, Kraush’s voice echoed through the dust.
Startled by the voice, Aniks instinctively stepped back.
“……Ugh.”
But he felt ashamed to realize he had retreated merely at the sound of Kraush’s voice.
However, contrary to his thoughts, his body was tense with fear.
Cold sweat formed and trickled down his back.
His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed hard.
Until the dust cleared.
Aniks could not move a single inch, frozen in tension.
Gradually, through the veil of dust, Kraush’s figure began to emerge.
He casually tossed the shattered wooden sword to the ground and opened his mouth.
“Don’t act cocky again.”
It was a statement that was so very like him.