NOVEL NEXT Chapter 167
Chapter 167: The Clash of Fate
Swoosh!
The arrow sliced through the air with a sharp whine.
“Blink!”
Debra hurriedly cast Blink to dodge the incoming danger.
The arrow, charged with an immense amount of Qi, whizzed past the spot she had just vacated.
Boom!
With a tremendous roar, the ground erupted once more.
The area where they were fighting looked like it had been bombarded, completely in shambles.
It wasn’t just one arrow that was fired; several were shot in multiple directions at once.
It was an unbelievable technique that one could hardly believe without witnessing it firsthand.
“You little rat!”
Palmer gritted his teeth in frustration.
Archers are weak in close combat.
Consequently, maintaining distance is vital for an archer’s survival.
The moment they give up that distance, the archer has no choice but to drop their bow.
And that, in turn, meant a very high probability of losing their life.
For this reason, archers diligently trained to master techniques that would prevent them from losing their distance.
Among those techniques, Miriam’s Ghost Step was revered as the ultimate skill that every archer would sell their soul to learn.
Speed was essential, but the ability to mislead opponents with ghost-like movements—seeming to go left while going right, and vice versa—threw adversaries off-balance while launching arrows at any given opportunity, making it impossible for them to catch her.
One moment of distraction could lead to a shattered skull.
Palmer was desperately trying to force Miriam into close combat, but so far, his efforts had yielded nothing as he couldn’t keep up with her movements.
So, it was no wonder he was seething.
With a face flushed with anger, Palmer tightened his grip on his greatsword.
It was then that Arthur’s urgent voice rang out.
“…Leave the Death Bow and come this way, now!”
‘What?’
Debra looked puzzled at Arthur’s command.
They had a strategic formation with Palmer, yet they had not secured an advantage.
The Death Bow was indeed a strong foe. On the contrary, the oppositional side seemed more at ease.
On that side was Mirion Kingdom’s greatest swordsman, the Little King, along with Max, the terror of the desert, joining forces.
Thus, Debra thought they would have no trouble bringing down Po-ahim.
But suddenly, a call for help?
Debra tilted her head in confusion, and her eyes soon widened in horror.
“…W-what is that?!”
An unbelievable sight unfolded before her.
Dozens of various weapons floated in the air.
And they weren’t just floating aimlessly.
An ominous aura radiated a silvery gleam, surrounding all of the weapons.
It was a power she had never seen before, one that defied common sense.
Even without seeing Arthur’s pale face, one could tell that the situation was dire at a glance.
It felt as if the floating weapons would storm down upon Arthur at any moment.
That was truly dangerous.
Debra turned back to look at Palmer.
He had surely heard Arthur’s call for assistance but was too consumed with the battle to focus on anything else.
And that was understandable.
In a scenario where even the slightest opening could lead to loss of life, he was right to be wary.
Yet they could not just stand by idly.
Arthur was in danger.
Debra wasted no time in using Telepathy Magic.
– Palmer, when I send you the signal now, back off. I’ll cast a spell.
“What?”
Palmer, being a knight, couldn’t use magic, so he responded aloud.
– The king is in danger.
That one phrase communicated everything. Palmer no longer questioned her.
He merely bit his lip, his expression a mixture of tension and concern.
Debra prepared her magic.
High-class magic took time to cast, making it challenging to use in this chaotic situation.
Moreover, because the opponent was an archer, arrows came flying at every opportunity, complicating matters further.
However, the high-class magic inscribed on her staff could be unleashed simply by uttering the activation phrase.
She intended to use the inscribed magic.
Though the cooldown for inscribed magic was long, making it a resource for emergencies, this was not that situation.
– Now!
As soon as Debra sent the signal through Telepathy, Palmer jumped back with agility.
“Thunder Storm!”
Debra immediately unleashed the powerful Lightning Attack Magic of the 7th class.
A dazzling flash of light blinded the surroundings as bolts of lightning rained down toward Miriam.
Boom!
Crash!
Miriam evaded the falling lightning using Ghost Step, but in that instant, both Palmer and Debra completely withdrew.
“No?!”
Palmer’s eyes widened as he witnessed the situation unfold before him.
As a Sword Master, he instantly recognized the technique used by the Sword Master was the Manipulation of Weapons Technique.
But that was on a level that was almost absurd to call the Manipulation of Weapons Technique.
Moving weapons using Qi was far more challenging than simply handling them with one’s hands.
Most Sword Masters would struggle to control just a single weapon.
Yet this person was wielding dozens…?
‘No way, that’s insane.’
Suddenly, Palmer shook his head vigorously.
That couldn’t possibly be a normal Manipulation of Weapons Technique. Nobody would be capable of that.
And furthermore, Po-ahim?!
That was absurd.
It was clearly an illusion or some bizarre trick at play.
Palmer’s eyes regained their conviction as he charged toward the source of the Sword Master’s aura.
“That’s….”
Miriam’s expression flickered upon witnessing the Sword Master’s Manipulation of Weapons.
But unlike Debra and Palmer, her surprise stemmed from something else entirely.
It was a sight she had thought she would never see again, unexpectedly reappearing before her eyes.
Miriam blinked rapidly, her shaken gaze fixed ahead.
That was certainly Po-ahim without a doubt.
But how?
– Lady Miriam, well done. Leave these guys to me and just watch.
In that moment, the Sword Master’s voice echoed in her mind, and she grasped everything.
“Your Highness Kai-el….”
She stood there, her expression a complicated mix of happiness and sorrow as she stared intently at the Sword Master.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Your Highness, that must be an illusion, there’s no doubt about it!”
Palmer, who had dashed toward Arthur and the Sword Master, shouted in a strong voice.
Arthur looked at him with a questioning gaze.
Palmer continued,
“Have you ever heard of someone using such a Manipulation of Weapons? Even a Sword Master or Sword Saint would find that impossible. Plus, he’s Po-ahim!”
“Hmm…”
Arthur recognized that Palmer’s words made perfect sense.
Yet even so, his expression did not ease, for he sensed an unknown pressure emanating from the Sword Master.
Though he wasn’t emitting any killing intent or aura, an immense oppressiveness weighed down upon him.
“I’ll go and shatter that pathetic illusion!”
Palmer shouted vigorously, then commenced his movements.
He seemed to be in a hurry.
After all, who knew when Death Bow would show up to join the fray?
He needed to finish the battle before that happened.
As he charged toward the Sword Master, gathering his Qi into his greatsword, Arthur did not intervene.
That might have been a hasty move.
But in this scenario, there was no better judgment to be made.
If Death Bow joined in, the situation would undoubtedly worsen.
Thus, the seasoned knight, honed through endless battles, rushed forward to finish the fight.
Debra appeared to share similar thoughts as she began chanting a powerful spell with her lips moving rapidly.
Thud.
Arthur too sprang into action, moving in a different direction from Palmer.
He aimed to flank and set up a pincer attack.
A coordinated assault of three S-Class fighters.
Yet, the Sword Master stood there with an impassive expression, not a hint of anxiety marring his face.
He didn’t move to dodge, merely watching Palmer approach with unwavering focus.
“Haah!”
Palmer leaped with a battle cry, unleashing a lethal strike.
The downward swing of his greatsword, brimming with Qi, was intended to crush anything in its path.
If it connected, the longsword in the Sword Master’s hand would shatter like a twig.
The Sword Master opted for an upward slash.
It was a slow yet precise move he had shown during his battle with Max.
Palmer grinned with delight.
Indeed, this manipulation was just an illusion. After all, there was no reason for him to move the sword himself.
And the movements were flowing just as Palmer desired.
‘Fool.’
Countless had met their end trying to block his greatsword, their bodies sliced apart along with their weapons.
That jolt of excitement tingled at his fingertips.
‘This is it.’
Arthur, glancing at the unfolding scene, clenched his fist.
Heavy and powerful swordsmanship was Palmer’s specialty.
Not all Qi was the same.
Sword Masters avoided direct confrontation with Palmer because of his overwhelming might.
To clash head-on with such a powerful attack was reckless.
Especially without even the coverage of Qi.
Somehow, he had managed to evade Max’s attack, but this time he was bound to fail.
It should have been that way.
Finally, the moment arrived when Palmer’s greatsword clashed with the Sword Master’s cut.
Clang!
The sound of the impact echoed.
With it, a shattered piece of a sword sliced through the air.
And it was….
Palmer’s greatsword.
“W-what…?!”
Palmer’s eyes bulged in disbelief and shock.
But the Sword Master did not stop there.
He took a step forward.
Simultaneously, his sword painted a breathtaking silver arc in the air.
That arc sliced through the space where Palmer’s waist was, an area shielded by a sturdy full suit of armor.
Though it was a collision of metal, the sound was surprisingly muted.
Yet the result was tragically gruesome.
The armor ripped apart like torn rags, and a fountain of blood surged as innards mixed with the gore.
His body had been split in half along with the armor.
Palmer didn’t even have time to scream before he was left gaping in shock, now a departed soul.
Drenched in the blood that sprayed forth, the Sword Master spoke.
“I feel relaxed now, I think I can hurry things along.”
‘Yes, please.’
Si-hyun responded.
“Then next is…”
The Sword Master’s gaze turned toward Debra.
“Hiiik…”
Debra let out a panicked scream.
The unbelievable and shocking scene unfolding before her sent her spiraling into chaos.
She was well aware of how powerful Palmer was, having fought alongside him.
Yet he had been taken down in a single blow.
Her will to resist collapsed helplessly before the overwhelming terror.
Her legs trembled violently.
Desperate to flee at that moment, she found her body utterly frozen.
Thud!
From over there came the sound of someone fiercely stomping the ground.
Arthur, abandoning even his aides, was fleeing with a face drained of color.
He hadn’t realized until he was about to take down Max, but as soon as Palmer fell at a single blow, he understood that this was someone he couldn’t compete with.
And the moment he recognized that his life was in peril, his hidden true nature emerged.
“The King running away…”
The Sword Master glared coldly as he moved his left hand.
A few of the floating weapons surged toward the retreating Arthur like a torrential rain.
They moved with the speed of a thunderbolt.
Arthur poured every last bit of strength into evasiveness, but the weapons pursued his movements with uncanny agility, as though endowed with a life of their own.
Whoosh!
“Gah!”
A long spear pierced through Arthur’s thigh.
Thud!
Thud!
Whoosh!
As Arthur’s movements faltered from the injury, one after another, the remaining weapons pierced through his limbs.
“Gaaaah!”
Arthur’s body fell to the ground, impaled by the weapons like a nailed figure.
“Y-Your Highness…!”
Debra screamed, instinctively unleashing the last bit of magic she had cast earlier at the Sword Master.
“Blizzard Storm!”
An absolute level 8 Freezing Magic capable of freezing and shattering everything was deployed.
The storm of death raced toward the Sword Master.
Lifting his blood-dripping sword, the Sword Master swung it horizontally once.
Before the overwhelming attack magic, he felt powerlessly small.
However, Si-hyun knew.
That with that very technique, the monstrous magic of Hyris had been shattered in an instant.
And this time would be no different.
That wasn’t just an ordinary slash.
It was a decisive blow imbued with the essence of a supreme master.
Si-hyun’s predictions turned out to be true.
In an instant, the blizzard engulfing his vision shattered into fragments, scattering everywhere.
“Ugh… N-no way….”
Debra groaned in shock, her face completely drained of color.
The Sword Master gazed at her indifferently as he moved his left hand.
In an instant, the remaining floating weapons began to rain down upon her like a deluge.
There wasn’t even time to cast a dodge spell.
“AAAAAH!”
Thud!
Thud!
Thudthudthudthudthud!
A storm of weapons shredded her body beyond recognition.
“Uaaaargh…!”
Seeing this, Arthur writhed in agony, struggling to tear himself free from the weapons impaled in his body.
However, he could barely move at all.
“Little King, it seems you are the last one remaining.”
The Sword Master glared coldly at Arthur, advancing toward him with ghost-like movements.
“Get away! Don’t come any closer!”
Arthur’s expression twisted grotesquely as he screamed.
“…I-I was wrong! I’m sorry! Please forgive me!”
He pitifully begged for his life.
A king of an entire kingdom pleading for mercy—it was an unimaginable sight.
And that was indeed his true nature.
Strong and always in a position to dominate others, he had hidden that aspect well.
“How pathetic.”
The Sword Master looked at him with icy eyes, raising his sword.
“D-Don’t! Please! Spare me!”
Arthur shouted desperately, but the Sword Master showed no signs of hesitation.
The sword in his hand moved with a chilling ruthlessness.
“AAAH! NO…!”
Thud!
Crimson blood surged forth.
And then, Arthur’s head was severed from his body.