Kays Translations

Chapter 147: Signs

Two months later…

In the forest nearing dusk.

Lucius stood before a group of ten or so magic eaters. Despite their numbers, he hadn’t summoned chiyou and faced them in his mortal form.

Beyond the group stood a larger magic eater, clearly the boss of the forest.

“So, you’re the boss of this forest, huh?”

Lucius readied his dual swords.

As if answering his challenge, the monsters raised their magic weapons. The forest, bathed in the red glow of sunset, grew tense with bloodlust.

Lucius moved first.

In an instant, he dashed forward, plunging into the horde of monsters.

Naturally, they surrounded him in an attempt to cut off any escape routes.

Blades from all directions aimed for his vital points with mechanical precision.

Even a single blow would mean instant death.

Yet Lucius calmly observed the approaching blades.

In his left hand, he held a black magic sword. Its jet-black blade, impervious to the crimson glow of the sunset, pulsed with magic power.

Sweep.

A black plane appeared in the air, tracing the path of his slash.

When the approaching blades touched the black plane, a high-pitched ping reverberated.

Moments later, shards of magic weapons flew into the air.

Just a single swing.

With that one motion, Lucius shattered the oncoming blades.

The monsters, their weapons destroyed, collapsed to the ground.

“…Two managed to evade that?”

The only ones who stepped back in time were a sword-wielding magic eater and the boss of the group.

The two remaining monsters eyed Lucius’s magic sword with caution.

The black plane created by his left-hand sword was a highly compressed spatial layer. When it burst apart, it unleashed a shockwave, turning it into a blade that could cut through anything.

The sheer sharpness made the magic eaters tremble. Was it fear of death—or the thrill of battling a formidable foe?

“GRAAAAARGH!”

With a roar, the sword-wielding magic eater poured magic power into its thick blade, causing it to swell and curve.

Looks more like a battle-axe now.

The weapon resembled an axe rather than a sword—optimized not for slicing but for smashing.

The magic eater, now wielding its axe-like weapon, took a wide stance that prioritized attack over all else.

Lucius locked eyes with the monster, sensing its unyielding resolve.

“…Fine by me.”

Next, he turned to his right-hand magic sword.

Twisting his wrist, the white blade caught the crimson rays of the setting sun, reflecting them brilliantly. As he infused it with magic power, a sinister glow replaced the light.

The monster’s lips curled upward. Was it gratitude for being taken head-on, or exhilaration at the impending clash?

The monster gathered its strength and unleashed its attack.

The massive axe swung down at Lucius’s head with blinding speed.

Lucius countered by swinging his blade upward.

The blades met.

Silence.

Not even the sound of metal clashing could be heard.

But the victor was clear.

The axe’s blade was cleaved in two.

Moments later, a faint thud echoed from far behind as a fragment of the shattered axe hit the ground. The axe-wielding monster, its face adorned with a satisfied grin, crumbled to dust.

Only one remained.

The larger magic eater, who had been observing the fight, readied its magic spear. Even after losing all its allies, its fighting spirit showed no signs of faltering.

Lucius regarded the lone monster with a hint of pity.

So, for them, fighting is their sole purpose.

Lucius had been battling daily, yet not once had he encountered a magic eater that chose to flee, regardless of the odds.

It seemed as though their time had frozen at the moment they fell to their monstrous state, bound forever to their final thoughts as holy warriors.

“Come.”

At Lucius’s call, the spear-wielding Boot lunged with lightning-fast thrusts.

Quick.

Magic eaters were skilled in combat techniques, using bodily enhancements as a matter of course to heighten their physical abilities.

The rapid spear thrusts nicked Lucius’s arm, drawing a thin line of blood. This monster’s proficiency and weapon grade far surpassed those of its fallen kin.

Even so, Lucius stepped in closer.

“You’re not the only fast one.”

Though Lucius couldn’t use combat techniques, his skill with dual swords allowed him to deflect the relentless spear strikes. His personal style of dual-wielding was gradually taking shape.

The battle raged on, blades clashing in rapid succession.

Fighting without techniques against a user of them is tough.

Little by little, Lucius found himself being pushed back.

Even so, he remained unfazed. In this world, battles weren’t decided by the blade alone.

It was all about the techniques.

With his left hand, Lucius swept horizontally with the black sword, carving a dark arc in the air.

Simultaneously, he infused the white sword in his right hand with crimson light.

He mirrored the path of the black arc perfectly, cutting through it with the white blade.

“It’s over.”

The combined techniques of light and darkness overlapped, creating a single strike. Opposing attributes collided, generating an instant burst of annihilation and repulsion.

The result:

There was a slash.

A red light wrapping around the blade of darkness.

Two physical properties that shouldn’t co-exist together.

A glowing black blade shot forth, cleaving through the magic eater and its spear.

All that remained was a perfectly severed cross-section.

The flying slash dissipated shortly after piercing the monster, vanishing in a blink.

Range: 1.5 meters. Duration: 0.2 seconds.

Lucius analyzed the ability he’d just used. By imbuing the compressed darkness with light, he enhanced its shearing power.

This technique ignored established principles, momentarily combining opposing elements to achieve unparalleled destructive force.

Lucius sheathed his swords.

As if waiting for his signal, countless black-armored soldiers emerged from the surrounding shadows, having finished their hunt of the other magic eaters.

For two months, Lucius had not only been perfecting his dual-sword techniques but also refining his ability to compress and manipulate magic power, exponentially increasing its potency.

At first, he could only summon about 20 armored soldiers for extended periods. Now, that number had risen to 500. Even Lucius didn’t know the exact extent of his power growth.

Furthermore, the performance of his dual swords had improved dramatically. The technique he had just executed was something he’d only mastered the previous week.

The combination of increasing magic power and enhanced soldiers had created a cycle: faster hunts, greater power for chiyou, and further enhancements to his swords.

Despite all this progress, Lucius frowned.

“Hm… These enemies are just too weak.”

The steady strengthening of chiyou was certainly gratifying, but it also meant that the magic eaters in the forest were becoming weaker in comparison. The reason Lucius had been fighting them in his unarmed state earlier was simply because using chiyou’s full power rendered the battles entirely one-sided.

Fighting weaker opponents would not improve his skills. On the contrary, it might dull them. Recently, his biggest challenge had been finding ways to make battles more evenly matched.

Yet, the number of magic eaters had been declining rapidly, making even hunting them a struggle. In a matter of days, they would likely be completely wiped out.

When that time came, the next step would be the Abyss. Although Pallavis had explicitly forbidden it, Lucius had already planned to sneak in under the cover of night.

“Master… find stronger enemies…”

Something silently appeared beside Lucius.

It was the puppet Sol. With Lucius’s increased magic power, Sol had become more active in combat, no longer holding back as it once had to conserve energy.

“Haha, sounds like you’re talking about some warrior race—ow!”

Suddenly, a dull pain ran through Lucius’s left hand.

It was the irritation of the Evil Dragon.

As chiyou’s strength and Lucius’s own magic power and skills continued to grow, the dragon—a being that craved overwhelming strength above all else—was starting to feel left behind. Its impatience was intensifying day by day.

“When we return to the territory, maybe the Orléans family will have found a dragon species for you. Then you’ll be able to evolve, right?”

Lucius tried to console it, but the Evil Dragon remained unconvinced.

“Well, nothing I can do about that.”

Lucius gave up on persuading it and began walking toward the village of Musuu.

◆ ◆ ◆

Meanwhile, in the Holy City…

“What is going on!?”

A woman’s voice echoed through a robust room surrounded by marble pillars.

In the center of the room were eight seats, but only seven were occupied.

This was the Council of Four Deities, the highest advisory body of the Sangara Republic.

The council was composed of the four Great Priestesses and the Four Saints, a total of eight members.

Though nominally an advisory body, in practice, it typically served as a rubber-stamp institution, approving resolutions submitted by the assembly—except in times of crisis.

“Calm yourself, Karina. Even the Flame God Agni is watching.”

Quodenent, the Shield Saint who also served Agni, attempted to soothe the agitated Great Priestess Karina of the Flame God Agni.

“Quodenent, how can I possibly remain calm!?”

Karina’s frustration was palpable, her anger causing the assembled divine priests in the room to shrink back in fear.

“Well, isn’t it fine? It’s not like the disappearance of magic eaters from the outer forest is a bad thing. It’s rather convenient, don’t you think?”

This dismissive remark came from a woman of a certain age, Sarian, the Bow Saint, who idly played with her nails.

“Sarian! The number of sealed magic weapons isn’t increasing, yet the magic eaters are disappearing—no, vanishing—at an unprecedented rate. This hasn’t happened since the Great Calamity when Vritra fell!”

“Karina-sama, please calm yourself. Getting worked up won’t change the situation. Risita-sama, is this information accurate?”

The speaker, a young woman, was Navia, the Great Priestess of the Thunder God Indra.

Addressed by Navia, a woman appearing to be about 20 years old responded. She was Risita, the Great Priestess of the Moon God Soma.

“Yes, according to the report, their numbers began decreasing about two months ago. And as of two days ago, the investigation team sent to the outer forest couldn’t locate a single one. Most likely, there are no magic eaters left in the area.”

Beside Risita sat an elderly man with a white beard, stroking it thoughtfully. This was Naris, the Staff Saint.

“Ho ho, what an interesting development. In all my years as a Saint, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“This is no laughing matter, Naris! Do you understand the gravity of the situation? The contract with the god Varuna remains unfulfilled, and the position remains vacant. The world is on the brink of chaos, and now the Holy Domain is experiencing inexplicable phenomena!”

“Indeed. But whether this is an ill omen or a sign of good fortune has yet to be determined.”

“By the time it’s confirmed as a calamity, it will already be too late. And what about the Sword Corps? Shouldn’t they be urgently searching for a replacement Sai for the bond!?”

The inquiry was directed at Arc, the Sword Saint.

Among the seats arranged in the room, only one person sat alone.

The seat next to him, meant for the Great Priestess of the Illusory Water God Varuna, remained vacant.

The man, with long hair tied back and a slim appearance, seemed unassuming at first glance. However, no one present failed to sense the extraordinary aura he exuded.

“We are currently searching the towns surrounding the Holy Domain.”

He responded with just a single sentence.

This brief reply appeared to irk Karina, the Great Priestess of the Flame God Agni, whose expression twisted with displeasure.

“Do you understand that the Varuna Temple bears responsibility for failing to prepare a suitable candidate for the Great Priestess position after Sai? While it’s true that the late Elinao was a person of great character, allowing the priestesses to grow complacent undermines that entirely!”

It was Quodenent, the Shield Saint, who reprimanded her harshly.

“Individuals qualified to become Great Priestesses are rare to begin with. There have been multiple instances in the past when no suitable candidates of the right age were available. That is precisely why the system of ‘interim’ priestesses exists.”

Realizing she had gone too far, Karina swallowed her retort.

“You’re right… If an interim priestess can hold out for two or three years, the temples would have enough time to produce a new candidate, ensuring the world remains stable. Fortunately, the Agni Temple has several candidates who could become Great Priestesses with just two more years of training.”

Throughout this exchange, Arc, the Sword Saint, remained silent, his eyes closed.

Shifting her tone to a more composed one, Karina addressed Arc.

“Sword Saint Arc, please find Sai without fail. If necessary, I am willing to lend the Shield Corps and deploy them across the entire Republic.”

Arc slowly opened his eyes.

“With the neighboring kingdom now under attack by the Empire, it’s unwise to disperse our forces from the Holy Domain.”

“But—”

Arc interrupted her with a low murmur.

“In relation to this, I have a proposal. This year marks the once-in-12-years cycle of Kali Yuga…”

Arc’s gaze swept slowly across the six others seated around him.

“I propose we assemble the Five Blades Army and dispatch them to the Abyss. Let us deliberate on this matter.”

“The Five Blades Army… Are you really planning to do that again, after sacrificing so many Holy Warriors and priestesses? The Abyss is now overflowing with magic eaters!”

Karina wasn’t the only one who gasped. The other divine priests and high-ranking Holy Warriors present also stiffened with apprehension, listening intently.

“For over 450 years, this battle has continued. We must reclaim the god. This time, we will vanquish Vritra, who has become an evil god.”

“It has been 450 years since the Great Calamity, when the name changed from Manu’s Rebirth to Noah’s Baptism. With so few people left who even remember its original name, how many still truly believe we need the god Vritra?”

Unable to hold back, Risita, the Great Priestess of the Moon God Soma, voiced her opinion. The three other Saints, excluding Arc, nodded in agreement.

In response, Arc turned his attention to someone outside the immediate council.

“Pallavis, commander of the Spear Corps. What is your opinion?”

Standing silently in the corner of the room, Pallavis had been suppressing his presence.

The Spear Corps, having lost both its Great Priestess and patron god, no longer had the right to participate in this organization.

Pallavis had been summoned specifically for this issue.

“…I agree.”

“Oh? Have you given up on the revival of the Spear Corps?”

Arc’s eyes widened, as if surprised that such words had come from a member of the Spear Corps.

“If a small group of elites—including myself—can reach the deepest layer of the Abyss, it will suffice.”

“And you believe you can defeat Vritra? After the Spear Corps lost not only its most superior divine weapons but even its first-grade ones due to repeated reckless incursions into the Abyss?”

Pallavis glanced at the tip of the spear strapped to his back.

It was a well-crafted spear, suitable for an ordinary Holy Warrior. However, it was far too inadequate to be wielded by a commander.

“…Someone has to do it.”

“That is nothing more than passive suicide driven by sentimentality.”

“Even so, it’s better than letting more priestesses lose their lives or having Holy Warriors overexert themselves and fall to the ghoul curse.”

Their gazes clashed, neither willing to yield.

The tense atmosphere made the clerics and Holy Warriors present break out in a cold sweat.

However, among the seven seated in the central chairs, not a single one showed signs of being intimidated.

Breaking the stalemate, Risita, the Great Priestess of the Moon God Soma, raised her hand to cut off the discussion.

“Then, regarding the Five Blades Army, we’ll reconvene after the Sword Corps and Spear Corps have reached a consensus. Returning to the issue of the forest ghouls—two months ago, if I’m not mistaken, was around the time Lady Elinao returned to the side of the God Varuna, correct?”

“Two months ago… Lady Elinao’s funeral. Yes, I remember. That day.”

Risita’s words prompted Navia, the Great Priestess of the Thunder God Indra, to fall into thought.

“Did something happen?”

“That man was forging a cursed sword in the Great Vat Chamber two months ago… could it be a coincidence?”

Navia murmured to herself as if speaking to no one in particular.

Recalling their earlier exchanges, Karina, the Great Priestess of the Flame God Agni, and the Shield Saint sighed. They seemed ready to dismiss the idea as nonsense—claims of a being greater than even the Quadra Gods existing in the Holy Domain.

Meanwhile, Salian, the Bow Saint, appeared more focused on cherishing Navia, his charge.

Unaware of the context, Risita, the Great Priestess of the Moon God Soma, questioned Navia again.

“Navia?”

“Oh, no, it’s just… I think I saw Ravana two months ago.”

“Ravana!? That Ravana has returned to the Holy Domain!?”

The one most visibly shocked by these words was Risita.

“Y-Yes. It might just be a coincidence, but…”

Pallavis, however, felt even more tense than before. After all, he was the one hiding Ravana’s priestess.

Suddenly, Risita, the Great Priestess of the Moon God Soma, stood up.

“I will track them down immediately.”

Accompanied by Naris, the staff Saint, Risita swiftly left the room.

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