I Was the Strongest Sword God in My Past Life

part 28

Her face, trying to smile, contorted. If anyone could discern the truth, it was her.

“If that’s truly how you feel… then I can’t die, can I… heh.”

Clearly laughing, yet Liza was crumbling.

“If you don’t speak, I won’t know.”

The words Liza struggled to utter.

“So I’d rather die not knowing.”

“Are you a fool? You’re much stronger than me. You should have survived to the end and saved humanity.”

“Hmm, that’s true…”

Liza closed her eyes, pondering.

She exhaled for a long while.

“Certainly… someone has to save the world.”

Her voice was faint.

“The next strongest after me, you must save it, Evan.”

Now her voice faded as if drifting into sleep.

“…Survive to the end, and save everything in my stead.”

“Of course. I promise. I promise you, Liza, I will save everything.”

Yes, a promise.

The reason why Zien, no, Evan became strong. For this moment, a memory erased. Now everything is clear.

[If you don’t speak, I won’t know.]

A person once lost.

[Are you that tired? How could you fall asleep so quickly?]

A world once lost.

Shaa-

Before Zien’s eyes, Liza turned into smoke. Not just Liza, but the golden gate, the bodies of the warriors, all turned to smoke and vanished.

“Now I understand.”

The purpose of this magic tool.

Perhaps this world shows the scene I most desired. Zien slowly closed his eyes.

Upon opening my eyes, the world had transformed once again into a verdant forest.

In the tranquil woods, birds chirped, and the sunlight was warm…

“Evan?”

There was Liza, looking at Gian with a worried expression.

“Yes.”

Regaining his senses, Gian marveled. Such a perfect scenario. Even knowing this world was a fabrication, he felt a desire to stay. Yet, Gian looked at Liza and laughed bitterly.

“What’s so funny? Let’s go. Everyone’s waiting.”

Liza reached out to Gian with a radiant smile. Gian just watched her quietly.

“…”

In a past life, Liza was a childhood friend, a comrade, and something even more precious. But Liza had died. Now she was gone,

“Liza.”

“Yes, why?”

“Back then, I lacked resolve.”

Gian spoke calmly.

“Resolve? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“The resolve to face it.”

“Evan? What on earth…”

As Liza panicked, Gian shook his head.

“No, Liza. My name is Gian, not Evan.”

Yes. This dream… this nightmare belonged to Evan.

Gian had no time to be entangled in the dreams of a past life. As Gian made his decision, Liza’s expression changed, and she continued in a cold tone.

“That’s a pity. Have you decided?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a world that could last forever if you wish. Maybe this time, you could save me?”

Liza took a step closer.

The sunlight shattered, and her golden hair shone brightly.

“I know what your last words were meant to be.”

Liza with a smile.

Gian recited with a bitter face.

“So you’re……”

She said that without speaking, it cannot be known.

“It’s not Liza.”

Swoosh.

The holy mark emitting light.

Gien looked at Liza with an unreadable expression.

“Reality is cruel, and dreams are sweet.”

Suddenly, in Gien’s hand was a jet-black sword.

“But that doesn’t mean you can ignore the truth forever.”

Gien thrust the sword into the ground.

Clang-!

The sword of negation, which cuts through mana, denies the world.

The ground where the sword was thrust split open, the forest eroded, and the sky crumbled as it was.

The things that sustained the world scattered into fragments.

And so did the dreams.

* * *

A dark corridor.

“Ugh!”

A flood of memories and emotions.

Feeling dizzy, Gien vomited.

“Huh? Hey! Why all of a sudden?”

Isabel supported the staggering Gien. Unlike her, whose eyes were round with surprise, Gien glared at the illusion with narrowed eyes.

“Really… such a distasteful magic device.”

The eternity in the dream was but a moment in reality. Knowing the truth, the illusion admired Gien sincerely.

“Incredible… My mana is of the 6th-grade Saber realm.”

The name of the magic device used by the illusion was Cloud Dream.

Cloud Dream induces hallucinations in the opponent. Enchanted by the sweetness of the hallucination, the opponent wanders the dream like a cloud forever, until their consciousness fades away.

“To overcome such a magic device with mental strength… Such a thing should be impossible. What exactly are you?”

The illusion scrutinized Gien carefully. A student who had beaten Cloa and withstood his own magic device. Despite low mana, he was no ordinary student.

“Let’s find out for ourselves.”

“…Interesting. So, the dream I created, was it sweet?”

“Sickly sweet, to the point of worrying about diabetes.”

At Gian’s response, Illusion laughed.

“Good. Let’s resume the battle.”

Illusion flicked the band on his wrist. Then, grasping the space above the band, he pulled.

Zwaaak-!

With a fearsome sound, a rapier was drawn. Illusion pointed the rapier at Gian.

“It’s a mythic artifact from Zone 4. A sword superior to any magical tool.”

Thud!

With a powerful thrust of the rapier, Gian was pushed back. No matter how skilled his swordsmanship, the physical disparity was too great.

“Kuh!”

Still, Gian couldn’t withstand Illusion’s mana-wrapped attacks. With each clash, Illusion’s assaults grew faster.

“Gian!”

Isabel hastily deployed a mana shield.

Click-

But with a tap of Illusion’s shoe, the mana emitted struck Isabel, slamming her against the wall, causing her to spit blood.

“Ugh…!”

“Thinking about it now… there’s no need to capture you alive.”

Even if Isabel died, Illusion was confident he could deal with the tower master.

“Does it bother you?”

Illusion smirked at Gian, who, despite the provocation, swung his sword calmly. Slashing down, twisting, cutting, dodging.

Gian’s swordsmanship was filled with secret techniques, even in simple movements.

But the opponent was a 6th class.

As the battle dragged on, Gian’s body became a wreck. His clothes were torn like rags, and blood flowed from his continuous wounds. Now, both his body and spirit had reached their limits.

‘With my current strength, winning this battle is absolutely impossible.’

The duel between Gian, the student, and Illusion, the 6th class saber, had continued solely due to Illusion’s interest and mercy.

Gian looked at the black-tiled floor and walls, the barrier of the artifact Sky Net. Without destroying it, escape was impossible. Illusion found this sight incredibly fascinating.

“Even in such a situation, you’re abnormally calm. As if you’re used to this kind of thing.”

It was natural for Gian, considering the crises he faced in his past life. The former saber was intimately acquainted with death. Whether friend or foe, death was always close. Gian’s past life was always at the forefront in such an era.

‘There must be a way. A way to break through this situation…’

Jien steadied his breath and regained his posture. Illusion, observing this, sheathed his rapier.

“Talent? No… There’s something special about you. It’s a sad thing for a Saber with such potential to die.”

Illusion looked down at Jien with a confident face.

“When we reach the truth, a strong Saber will be a great power.”

“…The truth?”

“Yes. The truth of the Gate. We will create a world without pain or death. A utopia. Our leader has the power and the right to do so.”

At Illusion’s words, Jien clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“I wondered what pie in the sky you were grabbing at, turns out it’s a delusion.”

“…Maybe, maybe not. But it’s an eternal dream. What’s so bad about that? Is which side is the truth so important to you?”

There was madness in Illusion’s calm voice.

“In the world I create, all sweetness will exist. What I’ve chosen is not a worthless truth, but a faithful lie.”

Jien closed his mouth.

‘Yes, I’ve certainly seen it.’

The hallucination created by Illusion. A dream more vivid than reality. Jien was lost in subtle emotions.

“I’ll spare you, hand over the daughter of the Tower Master. It’s my last whim.”

Illusion’s own mercy.

He was cold, but not a murderer. As long as humanity had a common enemy in the Gate, Illusion had no desire to kill a strong Saber without reason.

“…Alright. Fine.”

Isabel, perhaps injured at the ankle, got up with a limp.

“Isabel.”

“I’m fine. Sabers prioritize efficiency, don’t they…?”

Despite her calm voice, Isabel was trembling. It was just a hallucination, but the shaking hand of Liza, that faint vibration, still lingered with Jien.

Saber.

For humanity, children must grow up too fast. Not yet adults, they must become detached in the face of death and utter the words ‘I’m fine.’

“Yes. You’re right.”

But Jien knew. That saying ‘I’m fine’ doesn’t always mean it’s fine. Being mature doesn’t make one an adult.

“Sabers do prioritize efficiency. But that’s not…”

It was never meant to be an excuse or a reason to abandon a comrade.

“Never an excuse or a reason to abandon a comrade.”

Jien clenched his teeth tightly.

If I were to repeat the same mistake, it would mean that regaining my memory was pointless.