Chapter 55

‘His presence is incredible.’

Coral Stone silently sipped his tea while sizing up the person sitting across from him.

Demian Eurasia.

The most likely heir to the Eurasia family.

A genius among geniuses who reached 6-star before the age of thirty.

The fact that he was this nervous without having exchanged much conversation was probably due to that background.

Coral Stone forced a leisurely smile onto his lips.

“Is there still no word from the Cornelia side?”

“Actually, there is something I have hidden from you, my lord.”

“Hidden?”

“Yes.”

At Demian’s indifferent reply as he drank his tea, Coral Stone’s face stiffened.

Demian, after putting down his teacup, opened his mouth.

“The strategic advantage of the Stone Family’s territory. Eurasia knows this better than anyone.”

“I am aware. Isn’t that why you lead the Knight Order here on a regular basis?”

“Eurasia is currently conducting a joint mission with Cornelia.”

“…….”

“Cornelia is likely driving the Empire’s Superhuman who was spying on the western frontier this way.”

“……!!”

“The prey is an Arch Mage of the Empire. My White Knight Order and I will hunt him directly, assisting Cornelia.”

“Why are you only telling me this now?”

Coral Stone asked, meeting Demian’s indifferent gaze.

“I wish to ask for your help, my lord.”

“Hearing this so suddenly puts me in a difficult position.”

“The Stone Family’s ‘Black Cloud’ is one of the top ten knight orders in the eastern frontier. If we join forces with Eurasia’s White Knight Order, we can minimize the damage.”

“That may be so, but…….”

“According to our intelligence, several families located in the border region seem to have joined hands with the Empire. The Stone Family will not be able to avoid suspicion.”

“Young Master Demian!”

Coral Stone raised his voice.

Demian continued, unconcerned.

“I want you, my lord, to show that you have not betrayed Eurasia.”

Coral Stone’s mind raced.

Demian Eurasia’s current actions were strange somehow.

‘Does he not know that Mainz Kimbel is here?’

Come to think of it, it was also strange to think that Eurasia’s intelligence network, having lost its Annihilation Squad, would be intact.

‘This is an opportunity.’

Eurasia has grasped the circumstances of his betrayal but wishes to postpone the punishment.

Furthermore, they are unaware that Mainz Kimbel, who annihilated the Annihilation Squad, is staying here.

‘Demian Eurasia. You’re not as skilled in strategy as I thought.’

Instead of telling him the truth, he should have stormed in with Cornelia from the beginning.

Or, he should have brought a Superhuman-level powerhouse from Eurasia to force his submission.

But Demian Eurasia had done neither.

‘If I play along moderately, things will be easy.’

A clear picture formed in his mind.

The probability of success for the great undertaking that had been weighing on his chest all this time had risen significantly.

‘Before Cornelia arrives, the Black Cloud Knight Order and Mainz Kimbel will join forces to subdue Demian’s knights and take them hostage.’

And then, with the Empire’s Superhuman, they would kill Cornelia’s Superhuman.

‘Are the heavens helping me?’

The best-case scenario was creating itself.

“I will cooperate with the young master’s plan. I will lend my strength to prove my family’s innocence.”

Coral Stone declared in a voice filled with emotion.

“…….”

The two men’s gazes met for a moment.

“I will be looking forward to it.”

Demian nodded.

Just then, as an unprecedentedly bright smile graced Coral Stone’s face.

Rumble.

A roar that could have been thunder was heard, and a moment later, the reception room shook.

Without even needing to use mana, he knew it had happened in the direction of the training ground.

“The knights must be training roughly.”

“The training of the Black Cloud Knight Order… May I have a look before we coordinate our efforts?”

“Of course. I will guide you myself.”

Coral Stone took the lead and walked towards the training ground.

‘First Young Master. You are jumping into the fire on your own two feet.’

Laughter came naturally at how easily the situation was unfolding.

‘But this is the first time it has shaken this much. Did Mainz Kimbel participate in the knight order’s training?’

He recalled the private sparring session that Heath and Mainz Kimbel had held before.

Even though Heath, who had mastered 5-star, had pushed with all his might, Mainz Kimbel had easily subdued him as if he were dealing with a child.

Even at that time, when a 5-star knight and a 7-star knight clashed, a shock of this magnitude had not occurred.

‘If he is at the training ground, things will be easy.’

It wasn't twenty minutes later that Coral Stone's smile vanished.

***

Clang.

The sound of two steel swords clashing echoed in the training ground.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

‘This is interesting.’

The corners of Mainz Kimbel’s mouth twitched as he endlessly exchanged blows with his opponent.

Ralph, a common knight of the Black Cloud Knight Order.

That was a status used only within the Stone Family; to those outside, excluding the commander and vice-commander, he was introduced as a guest sword instructor.

In any case, the important thing was the Fourth Young Master before him.

‘The rumors were true.’

An unfounded rumor had been circulating that Demian Eurasia was an early 6-star and Killian Eurasia was a 6-star master.

He had thought it was absurd to believe that Killian Eurasia, of all people, had reached such a level, though he might have considered it for Demian Eurasia.

But now, having crossed swords with him directly, he could be certain.

‘This man has mastered 6-star.’

The technique he had barely managed to block only after raising his mana to the 6-star level, Eurasia Style Meteor Flash.

It was proof not only that he had stabilized 6-star, but that he had achieved great mastery of it.

And wasn’t he still receiving his sword, which was at the 6-star master level, as an equal?

‘So he was the one Eurasia was raising as the family’s sword.’

Woke up from a coma and had an awakening?

‘Bullshit.’

No matter how great an awakening, it was impossible to reach this level in such a short time.

‘It would be impossible even if he received the mana of the Black Duke.’

Most likely, a knight of the level of the Head or Escardo had put him through grueling training and had been tempering him for a long time to use him as the family’s sword.

The reason he had revealed himself so late was highly likely to fill the vacancy in the Annihilation Squad that he himself had created.

‘Eurasia, you were doing some cute things behind my back.’

A deep smile appeared on Mainz Kimbel’s lips.

Whether it was a sword tempered by two Superhumans, or a genius who would shake the world.

‘A 6-star knight cannot defeat a 7-star knight.’

It was only a single wall, but between them existed countless enlightenments.

He fiddled with the pendant around his neck.

A magic tool, ‘Dark Truth’.

A high-grade magic tool that changed the wearer's appearance and voice in exchange for lowering their mana.

As a side effect, it was impossible to draw out a Superhuman’s mana, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use the techniques granted to a 7-star knight.

‘Things are turning out easier than I thought.’

He had also set a trap on the Cornelia side.

In the worst-case scenario, even if the plan failed, it would not be difficult to escape by using the Stone Family as bait.

Today, here, Eurasia would lose a knight order that could be called the pillar of the family, and two 6-star knights.

Clang!

Mainz Kimbel sneered and easily deflected the sword aimed at him.

‘Did you think we were on the same level just because I was using 6-star mana?’

Killian Eurasia’s face, sensing that something was wrong, had hardened.

That expression gave him a rather pleasant sense of superiority.

Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.

Killian Eurasia blocked the four sword strikes swung by Mainz.

As if he had exhausted a considerable amount of stamina, the sweat that dripped down soaked the floor.

‘I’d like to play with you a little longer, but it’s time to end this.’

In a fleeting moment.

Mainz Kimbel channeled his aura into his sword.

‘If I cut off one arm, the morale of the White Knight Order will also die down.’

Rumble.

The steel sword, covered in grayish-brown mana.

His sword, which let out a deeper cry than ever before, clashed with Killian Eurasia’s sword.

And then.

Rumble.

With an unexpected roar, his sword was sent flying.

“…….”

He stared at his broken sword with a bewildered look.

Similarly, Killian Eurasia’s sword was also half-broken and rolling on the ground.

His thoughts raced to understand the incomprehensible situation.

The only thing that could parry a sword imbued with aura was a sword of equal level.

‘What…….’

He had faced countless knights until now, but the only 6-star knight who had imbued her sword with aura was the green-haired girl from the Annihilation Squad whose life he had failed to take.

And yet.

‘This man can use an aura too?’

It was around the time such a thought was scrambling his mind.

The surroundings, which had only been filled with the clang of steel, suddenly became chaotic.

He could see knights in white light armor entering the entrance of the training ground.

Leading them at the forefront was the Vice-commander, Las Veltvik.

“Entering the training ground without permission! What kind of rude behavior is this!!”

Heath, who had been watching the sparring with a stiff expression all along, shouted with mana in his voice.

The Black Cloud knights exuded a menacing fighting spirit, as if they would draw their swords at any moment.

Just then.

Rumble.

The territory of the Carpe that Killian had formed expanded.

At the sudden strengthening of the pressure, the knights of the Black Cloud let out groans.

“…….”

Mainz Kimbel watched the scene silently.

Unlike his struggle until now, Killian was smiling.

“Calm down, Black Cloud Commander. I was the one who called them.”

“What? What is that…….”

“I told them I was going to give the Black Cloud knights some teachings, so they should come to the training ground and join us. I told them to come in an hour, but it seems time has already passed.”

“……!!”

A look of astonishment appeared on Heath’s face.

The Fourth Young Master’s rude behavior and the current situation were finally connecting.

‘It's a trap!!’

It was the moment he was about to shout something.

As Killian stretched out his hand, a sword from among the White Knight Order floated up.

Swish.

The scabbard, enveloped in blue mana, was sucked into Killian’s hand.

Screech.

He drew Aether without hesitation.

The surrounding mana gathered into the sword.

Killian’s gaze turned to the opponent who had been pushing him.

“Ralph. Or should I say, Mainz Kimbel.”

“…….”

“You’ve seen this sword before.”

Mainz Kimbel looked back and forth between the scabbard and the sword.

It was the sword that symbolized Eurasia’s Annihilation Squad.

The green-haired girl who had hunted his brother and escaped with her life with only 6-star skills, and a few Aethers that he had failed to retrieve.

All the puzzle pieces were coming together.

Thud.

Mainz Kimbel tore off the pendant that was hanging around his neck.

Sssssssss.

The face of a middle-aged man with clear sword scars in various places.

The grayish-brown mana scattered, revealing his original appearance that he had been hiding.

“I see. So you inherited it.”

Rumble.

He released the aura of a Superhuman.

The White Knight Order members who were entering the training ground, and the Black Cloud knights who were watching, all groaned under the overwhelming pressure.

While everyone was busy resisting the aura from their spots, Killian took a step closer to Mainz Kimbel.

“Let’s have a proper introduction.”

Whoosh.

The Aether, imbued with blue mana, began to absorb the surrounding mana even faster.

“I am the new commander of Eurasia’s Annihilation Squad.”

Grrrrr.

The cry that the Aether in his hand let out spread throughout the training ground.

Aura.

It was a power permitted only to knights who could handle 7-star mana.

Fwoosh.

As all the grayish-brown mana was sucked away, a new blue Carpe spread over the training ground.

“Annihilation Squad, form a formation.”

At the indifferent command, eight white knights stepped onto the training ground.

Screech. Ssscreech.

The white knights, or rather, the Annihilation Squad members wearing their light armor, released their mana.

Screeeeech.

As if resonating with Killian’s mana, eight Aethers let out a sword’s cry.

“This…….”

Mainz Kimbel’s face reddened as he belatedly realized he had fallen into a trap.

Unlike before, the Annihilation Squad Commander with his subdued gaze twisted his lips.

“From now on, we hunt Mainz Kimbel.”

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