TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 216
[You have fulfilled the conditions to become a Sword Master.]
(You need an opportunity to break through the realm.)
*
The Black Sun, imbued with Black Flame, began to obscure the light above Olaf’s head.
“…”
I stared blankly at the Sun rising in the dawn sky. It wasn’t hot. Despite the blazing Sun being so close, it wasn’t hot at all.
Rather, it radiated a Warmth so gentle that it seemed to devour the Dawn’s Sun while burning intensely.
Only one thing.
“What… is this magic?”
For Olaf, that Warmth manifested differently. It was a Warmth denied to Olaf. ‘Whoosh,’ Black Flame began to ignite on Olaf’s body.
Starting from his arms and spreading to his torso. No matter how desperately he struggled to extinguish it, the Black Flame continued to burn Olaf relentlessly.
Black Smoke rose.
From Olaf’s body, which was repeating Regeneration and restoration, the smell of seared flesh and screams filled the air.
“Aaaagh!!!”
Olaf raised his axe and approached the Young Lady.
Entering Phase 2, Olaf’s body, which had overcome the Thief of his flesh and the aging of his body, was incomparably stronger than before, yet the Young Lady didn’t even glance at him.
Even though she was clearly exhausted, she was still an Apostle.
With all his power unleashed, Olaf’s youthful body should have been one that no one could easily harm, yet the Young Lady nonchalantly ignored Olaf’s momentum and checked my condition.
She simply crushed Olaf with Neglect. She did nothing else.
Sitting in her Wheelchair, the Young Lady reached out her hand and gently caressed my cheek. As she touched the Wound inflicted by Olaf’s Axe, she spoke to me in a quiet, locked voice with a wistful expression.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“No. More than that, what is this….”
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“Young Lady?”
The Young Lady looked at me with wistful eyes.
My doubts, blooming in my chest, were lightly ignored as she spoke to me with a hand filled with concern, as if chiding me not to break our Promise.
“I told you not to get hurt.”
“I asked you not to get hurt anymore.”
“Why don’t you listen?”
The Young Lady muttered in a Small Voice. As she murmured, “Do you know how worried I was…,” she slowly began to scatter her Mana.
-Rumble…
The Black Sun moved.
What appeared to be a massive Black Sun began to rotate as if spinning. Olaf, filled with rage, strode toward us, but the Young Lady calmly suppressed him.
Through the medium of Black Flame, she burned Olaf’s legs.
“I’ll kill you.”
-Crash!
As he regenerated, she burned him again.
“I’ll sever your limbs…”
-Crunch…!
While repeatedly toppling him, Olaf had already approached from behind the Young Lady, raising his axe and glaring fiercely.
With his upper garment burned away, Olaf, clad in white shorts, wielded his axe. Swinging it with muscular arms as if to decapitate the Young Lady in one blow.
Oddly enough, his shorts hadn’t burned.
I slowly steadied my breathing and rose to stop him.
[You have reached the realm of a Sword Master. └(Strike an attack to surpass the threshold.)]
Now, I’m different from before.
Standing before the New Realm, I thought I could engage Olaf in an All-Out War.
But.
-Rumble…
The Young Lady did not allow it.
Calmly, while touching my cheek, she held me back as if telling me not to move.
An eye opened.
From the rotating Black Sun, an eye began to open. A small line appeared in the center of the massive Sphere and slowly, ever so slightly, it began to open.
-Drip…
A massive Sun revealed an enormous pupil. Half-closed as if drowsy, the eye exuded vitality, as though it were a living being.
-Drip…
The pupil of the Sun moved.
With astonished eyes, it looked up at the sky, then once at me, who was staring up in shock. Then at the Young Lady, who was silently glaring at Olaf. Lastly, it blinked as it looked at Olaf’s hands burning in Black Flame and began to widen its eyes.
-Creak…!
As the massive Sphere, unaffected by the Clouds, opened its eyes wide, I finally realized what that Sphere truly was.
‘…Dark Magic.’
The weapon of the Young Lady, which I thought had disappeared, was revealing itself.
I had seen it before.
The words the author had once officially declared.
[Harem Lover]: Author, is the strongest character in the story Mikhail, who awakened as a Hero?
[Author]: No. At this point, Mikhail is indeed the strongest, but if the story had continued without any incidents, the strongest would be…
-Olivia.
A monster acknowledged by the author.
I had momentarily forgotten that the Young Lady was someone with overwhelming Talent in the field of Magic. No, I couldn’t help but forget. I never imagined she would have a Talent for Dark Magic.
Because she had lost her Mana, I mistakenly assumed she wouldn’t be able to use Dark Magic.
The Young Lady shattered my assumptions with ease, exuding immense Dark Mana and dominating the battlefield.
-Blink.
Olaf lifted his head and met the gaze of the massive Sun. Olaf, who was now facing an overwhelming Fear that made his Entire Body’s muscles contract, dropped the axe in his hand to the ground.
“This… can’t be.”
He was frozen.
The body of the mighty Apostle was paralyzed by the overwhelming power, unable to move. Olaf’s body, as well as mine, were crushed by the overwhelming force, leaving us speechless as we simply stared at the sky.
Now, the only person capable of moving on this battlefield was the Young Lady. The Young Lady, who had become the Master of immense Dark Mana, opened her eyes coldly without any emotion.
“Ricardo told me not to, so I held back….”
Floating. The Young Lady’s body began to rise from the Wheelchair. As if overcoming the Restriction of her immobile legs, she used Dark Mana to lift herself and slowly approached the frozen Olaf.
“Because of you, I have to break my Promise.”
The weary Young Lady placed her hand on Olaf’s heart.
To the robust Olaf, the Young Lady’s hand seemed small and delicate, yet to Olaf, who experienced it firsthand, it felt larger and more imposing than anyone else’s.
Olaf had experienced this feeling only once before.
Overwhelmed.
The sensation as if his heart was being gripped—he had felt it once before.
It was the same feeling he had when the Pope had placed a hand on his shoulder while granting him the title of Apostle.
With trembling eyes, Olaf looked at Olivia’s hand.
“Oh, God….”
Olivia raised her head and spoke to Olaf.
“I despise you.”
“…”
“I despise you so much that I want to crush you right here and now.”
“…”
“So.”
In a Cold Voice, Olivia spoke.
In a Cold Voice I had never heard before, she placed her hand on Olaf’s heart and said.
“Die.”
And in that moment.
-Cough.
Blood began to flow from the Young Lady’s mouth.
*
The price of using excessive power was returning to the Young Lady.
“Cough… Cough…”
Despite possessing powerful Dark Mana and immense Talent, Olivia’s body, using Dark Magic for the first time, could not endure it.
Veins bulged on her hands.
The Scent of Iron filled her mouth.
A dizziness that made her feel as if she would lose consciousness.
Right now, all Olivia could do was endure the price of recklessly using Dark Magic. Using unprepared power always comes with a cost.
‘Those who hurt Ricardo deserve to be punished with Death.’ Olivia clenched her Fist, suppressing her rising anger.
But.
“Ugh… It hurts…”
Her body refused to comply.
Seizing the Opening, Olaf began swinging his Axe. Shaking off his stiff body as if determined to end it in one blow, Olaf moved swiftly with sharp eyes.
“Oh God. Grant me the chance to vanquish this evil.”
I supported the staggering Young Lady’s body and swung my Sword.
Narrowly avoiding Olaf’s Axe, which targeted the gap, I held the Young Lady tightly in my arms.
Letting out steady breaths, the Young Lady bit her lip and glared at Olaf with Resentment in her eyes.
“Ricardo, stay still.”
“Young Lady.”
“I… will kill him.”
I flicked the Young Lady’s forehead and showed a small Smile.
“Ack!”
Seeing the Young Lady pout her lips and make a tearful face, I spoke in a low voice.
“You will have to explain yourself when we return home.”
“…”
“Just how long have you been deceiving me…!”
-Clang!
“You will have to explain yourself.”
Letting out a calm breath, I gently leaned the Young Lady against the ground.
The Young Lady, struggling to catch her breath, continued to move the massive Sun, her shoulders heaving. It seemed this was the limit of what she could do.
Although I had many questions, it didn’t seem like the right time. To bring the battle to an end, I gripped my Sword and turned to face Olaf.
Olaf let out an Empty Laugh as he brushed off the fading Black Flame and spoke.
“If I hadn’t been exhausted, I could have easily killed that woman.”
I responded to his Whiny Complaints.
“You’re not wrong.”
After all, Olaf’s words weren’t incorrect. If Olaf had fought the Young Lady instead of me from the start, he would have easily secured Victory. I could somewhat acknowledge his complaints.
Still, what could he do?
In the end, Olaf was losing.
Stretching, I spoke to Olaf.
“If I weren’t so soft-hearted, I would have killed you long ago.”
“More empty words from that mouth of yours…”
Looking at the Monster writhing in Black Flame, I said.
“That Monster. Isn’t it the child you brought back to life?”
“…”
“A Monster resurrected with Dark Magic after your mistake caused your daughter to die.”
“Do you want to die?”
“No. I’m just saying I could have reduced the numbers from the start.”
Veins began to bulge on Olaf’s forehead. Infuriated by my clumsy Provocation, he gripped his Axe tightly and took a step toward me.
Looking at Olaf, I spoke my final words.
“Can’t you hear your daughter’s Voice? I think I can hear it.”
“Shut up.”
“She’s saying it hurts.”
Looking at the Monster burning in Black Flame, I said.
-Eeeek!.. It hurts…
“Is this truly the right thing to do?”
“…”
“Your daughter is screaming in pain, so why have you never listened to her?”
It wasn’t Emotional Manipulation.
I was merely repeating the Dialogue Yuria had spoken to Olaf when she brought their story to an end in the Novel.
-Listen to your grieving daughter’s Voice.
“Listen to your grieving daughter’s Voice.”
-Is this truly the life your daughter wished for?
“Is this truly the life your daughter wished for?”
-Your young daughter, who still calls you Father despite being used as a tool… Why!
“Your daughter, enduring endless pain, still follows and respects you. Why do you judge her as incurable, interpret her pain, and continue to inflict endless suffering?”
Calmly embracing the wave of Emotions, I raised my Sword. And this was my final statement as the Possessor who had seen Olaf’s flashback scene.
“Your daughter, who couldn’t even harm a single Butterfly, is crying, isn’t she?”
-Father… Father…
“Atone.”
“Not to the God you prayed to, but to your daughter.”
The Sword, imbued with Red Aura, shone brightly. As the Flash of light filled the battlefield, my Sword finally Touched Olaf’s neck.
-You have reached the realm of a Sword Master.