Chapter 637

The third Great War, driven by the warriors’ rage and the responsibility as Kagan, began. There, I faced Ha-shal-leur again… who had shockingly transformed.

What had she seen and experienced in the Empire? Her rough speech, like a street thug, and her revealing attire left me speechless. If she chose that outfit herself, it was a tragedy. If someone recommended it, I’d have to hunt them down and beat them to death.

Of course, it wasn’t just her speech or clothing that had changed. She was now called the Empire’s Greatest Sword. That girl had grown incomparably stronger than before. Just like me.

Her combat style, based on Empire Swordsmanship, resembled Ai-mel-ra’s, and her ferocious, overwhelming power was eerily similar to mine. Even her body was so resilient it reminded me of the Indestructible Body, leaving me in awe.

At first, I thought she was mimicking the Indestructible Body technique. But then I remembered the heroic tales Ai-mel-ra had told me about her ancestors. A knight invincible to swords and spears, they said. And indeed, it was true. Though, experiencing it firsthand, it felt a bit exaggerated.

She might not surpass me, but her strength was unmatched by anyone else. Facing that power… I couldn’t help but feel a lingering regret.

After Ha-shal-leur slaughtered the White Armies using sorcery, I had set aside my dreams. But now, the regret of wanting to pass on the unified Great Plains to her resurfaced.

It didn’t seem impossible.

We, who had transcended the Realm of Heroes and reached superhuman levels, could suppress the warriors’ rebellion and achieve our goals, thanks to the Divine Blood.

Her hatred for me stemmed from a misunderstanding. I thought calmly explaining the truth behind Ai-mel-ra’s curse killing would resolve it.

“Go to hell.”

…It didn’t go as planned.

No matter how many times I tried to persuade her, Ha-shal-leur despised the entire Ka`har faction. She seemed to have built a friendly relationship with Ludwig, making it clear she had no intention of listening to me.

It was truly regrettable.

—

And now.

In the Lava Pit, where even the Indestructible Body couldn’t last long.

“…Ha-shal-leur.”

I welcomed the sense of impending death, something I hadn’t felt in decades, and clenched my fists.

Amid the collapsing, burning remnants of the barrier. A trap set by Ludwig and Ha-shal-leur had perfectly exploited the Indestructible Body’s weakness. Even I struggled to find a way out.

If I died here, my dreams—my clan’s revenge, the unification of the Great Plains, Ai-mel-ra’s memorial—would all end in failure.

But strangely, I felt no frustration, anger, or anxiety.

Instead, I felt like laughing.

The girl, resembling Ai-mel-ra, had grown fangs sharp enough to tear my throat. It was a joyous thought. Even if I died here, those fangs would grow sharper and eventually bite the entire world.

At just nineteen, she had reached my level and was preparing to go beyond. Watching her, I smiled with a sense of relief.

—

Meanwhile, in the underground cavern, where even rocks wept red tears from the hellish heat.

“Or-han…”

Hersela whispered the enemy’s name and raised her mother’s sword.

After ten years of waiting, the chance for revenge had finally come. Overwhelmed by an indescribable thrill, she smiled so wide it felt like her cheeks would tear.

Something deep within her burst forth like a collapsing dam.

【 D҈͔͓̎̾̃͢͠ie҈̧̝͇͕̝̤̊̇̾͆̍̕. 】

A growling hallucination pierced her mind. A savage impulse, like hunger. Anger fueled her murderous intent, baring its fangs at the enemy.

-Gooooo…!

The wolf’s blood in her veins boiled. Crimson steam enveloped her, merging with the flames, creating a swirling inferno.

“Huuu…”

Even her breath turned to fire. She looked less like a human and more like a monster, a mythical embodiment of fire and death.

Cloaked in blood fog and flames, Hersela raised her head to gaze at her enemy. Everything before her eyes turned red.

-Uuuuung!

Durandal trembled in her grip, as if desperate to break free. The sword was rejecting her.

Hersela tightened her grip, biting into the hilt, and—

-Kwaaaaang!

With a roar, she lunged, swinging her sword.

“Kyaaaaah!”

Flames and lava scattered like a splash. The unleashed Life Force Technique became a whirlwind, destroying everything in its path.

“Haaaap!”

Or-han, too, charged at her. His Indestructible Body, forged through the Life Force Technique, surged like a mountain.

-Kwaaaaaang!

The explosion shook the cavern.

In the battlefield of scorching hell, two superhumans, cloaked in flames, collided like comets. The shockwave swept the ground, momentarily pushing back the flames, and lava surged like waves.

The Memorial Rite had begun.

—

“Or-haaaan!”

Sword and fist clashed violently, roaring as half-melted stone pillars crumbled from the impact.

Their bodies were flung, smashing into the cavern walls, only to leap back and clash again.

The entire cavern trembled violently, raining lava and rocks. It was like fighting inside an erupting volcano.

“I’ll cut your limbs and behead you, offering them to my mother’s spirit!”

Despite her ferocious cries, neither her sword nor her left hand left a scratch. But it was enough to keep Or-han trapped in the prepared trap.

“Die and atone!”

Facing an enemy she couldn’t guarantee victory against, Hersela used every trick she had devised.

Controlling her surging murderous intent and rising rage with a thread of reason, she clung to her companion’s voice, shouting for her to calm down, to keep her sanity.

-Kwaoooo!

The Life Force Technique’s vortex surged like a tidal wave, constantly shifting and raging.

As Hersela stretched out her left hand, the Life Force energy, spreading like mist, turned into crimson chains, binding Or-han’s entire body.

His charge halted mid-air.

“Kaaap!”

Or-han roared, violently swinging his chained right arm. The iron chains shattered like waves against a cliff, turning back into mist.

A cannon-like punch followed. Hersela gathered the shattered Life Force energy, forming a shield resembling layers of silk.

Golden Wall. The Life Force shield that had blocked even Ryu-rik’s attacks.

But even with her deepened Life Force power, it was impossible to completely block Or-han’s strike.

-Kwaaaaang!

The silk shield exploded upon contact with his burning fist, unable to hold even for a moment.

The unstoppable, landslide-like punch. Hersela wrapped her left arm in Life Force energy and struck back. Oil droplets mixed with the Life Force current ignited, creating a whirlwind of flames.

The Indestructible Body clashed with the Ice Blade, shaking heaven and earth. Flames, swept by the force, sprayed behind their shoulders.

Both were flung back, tumbling over the lava.

A strike that would have turned a master into pulp, or left even those at the Realm of Heroes severely wounded. Yet, they stood up without a scratch.

“Not yet. It’s still far from over!”

“True, you’ll need to try harder if you want to kill me!”

Or-han, manifesting the Indestructible Body, was unharmed, and so was Hersela.

The Blessing of Invulnerability, a blessing from Median’s bloodline, protected her body.

Though neither Ha-shal-leur nor Hersela had anticipated their clothes burning away, the Blessing of Invulnerability now displayed defensive power rivaling Rotholandus in his prime.

It not only blocked cuts and stabs but also absorbed half the impact of a giant’s hammer-like blows.