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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 230: All Vassals, Hear This
The omen came first.
In a fleeting instant, the sky turned crimson.
A heat so intense it seemed to boil the air caused the roof of the manor to begin melting.
As the flames of destruction spread across the heavens, a still silence fell, as if time itself had stopped, unable to comprehend the phenomenon.
Kwaaaak.
The Red Tyrant King opened his eyes wide, drew his greatsword, and hurled himself into the air.
“Steel Blade!”
His voice rang out, loud and clear.
The hieroglyphs engraved on the colossal blade of his greatsword began to shine.
The roof melted in a perfect circle, revealing the open sky above. And just as an immense radiance burst forth, filling that space completely, the Red Tyrant King swung his massive sword.
Right before the glowing object descending at incomprehensible speed reached the ground, just a half-beat before impact, a crimson sword force slashed through the sky.
“Break!”
A roar echoed like the cry of a great beast.
The crimson sword force that burst forth from the massive blade extended over three meters in length.
As the sword path drew a line meant to split the center of the falling meteor, a thunderous boom erupted.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang.
An explosion of light.
Flames erupted like fireworks, spreading across the sky in a mushroom-shaped blaze.
Only after the enormous shockwave began to sweep outward did the Vassal Clan warriors begin to regain their senses and release all their mana.
“Lord!”
Paaang.
Three of the Dominion Swords fully opened their mana cores and projected sword barriers to block the wave as they rushed forward.
The Red Tyrant King braced himself, having driven the half-severed greatsword into the ground in reverse grip to support his body.
“What in the world…”
Sweat poured from his scorched face like rain.
His beard had been burned black, his garments melted away.
His large frame trembled, revealing just how much of his strength he had poured into that single attack.
“Lord, are you alright?”
The three Dominion Swords had never seen their lord wear such an expression.
Among them, Altair was the most shaken.
He had already experienced something similar in Keplan. And now, he could vaguely grasp what had just unfolded.
Who was his lord, Leonlight?
The head of one of the Six Vassal Clans. A man who had beheaded one of the Four Giant Kings with a single sword and wounded one of the Three Evils by himself.
A knight who had reached the end of superhuman limits, now standing at the edge of the next realm.
The crimson sword energy he unleashed just now had been close to his full power.
Yet even that failed to completely split the dreadful meteor. Rather, the three-meter-long sword energy had been broken apart and scattered into nothing.
The impact wave from the meteor had been partially dispersed due to the disruption of its core, but...
Could this truly be called a successful defense?
Altair’s gaze slowly shifted to his surroundings.
"……"
It was utterly devastating
The clouds surrounding the area had melted and were now dripping away, parts of them torn apart and burning.
Was this what the fall of heaven would look like?
For countless years, the sacred ground of Mount Iris, where the Vassal Clan Banquet had always been held, had now been utterly devastated by the magic of a single man.
“...Lord.”
The Red Tyrant King did not respond.
His gaze was locked onto the man standing in the center of the burning holy land.
* * *
“What in the world…”
“Ah…”
Sighs of disbelief echoed in my ears.
The Vassal Clans—the very people who had been standing in the great hall just moments ago—now found that it had completely melted away without a trace.
All that remained where the shockwave had passed were hollow, helpless murmurs.
“Hoo.”
Suppressing the wild surge of mana still raging inside me from casting 7th-circle magic, I slowly opened my eyes.
"From this day forward, the Vassal Clans cease to exist."
"……"
"You three. Step forward. Let’s settle this."
I pointed to the Clan Heads of Gaion, Solsar, and Ziek.
"Why aren’t you answering?"
"……"
Even in the face of my taunt, there was no response.
All of them were still trapped in shock.
The elite forces of the Six Vassal Clans, those who had strived for and experienced the highest realms of swordsmanship and magic, had never imagined witnessing something like this.
Because this moment shattered every principle they had built their understanding of sword and magic upon.
“Could this truly be…”
The Gaion Clan Head clenched his teeth hard before finally stepping forward after some time.
"Is this what you call magic?"
"Does that even matter?"
Scattered embers still flickered all around.
The Gaion Clan Head lowered his gaze.
The once-majestic clouds had melted away, revealing the barren black earth beneath his feet.
"Come forth. Dogs of the Myriad Demon Assembly."
At last, as if making up their minds, the three Clan Heads exchanged looks and raised their hands.
At the same time, the elites of the Vassal Clans formed a fan-shaped formation, surrounding me.
“…Ruin Samael. Have you chosen the annihilation of your clan as your final stand?"
"I have no idea what nonsense you’re barking about."
"So you’ll insult the Vassal Clans to the very end. Very well."
Tadadak.
Embers still flickered in the air.
Waves of searing heat rippled through the atmosphere.
It felt as if we were fighting in the depths of hell itself. Any moment now, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Pelleer and his wretched kind appeared out of nowhere.
Azka, Zion, Azeta, Makan, Palge, Arin, Iron…
Now, even those bastards were all blending together in my thoughts.
As I let out a short laugh, I heard the Red Tyrant King’s voice from the distance.
"How can you do this!"
When I turned my head, I saw the Red Tyrant King standing upright, supporting himself with his greatsword, looking at me with an expression of disbelief.
"With your skill, you could have chosen the right path from the beginning."
"You and them, you’re all full of nonsense."
"……"
"This catastrophe wasn’t caused by me."
The Gaion Clan Head raised his execution staff and shouted.
"Enough! Stop this slander!"
The troops from the three clans cautiously tightened their encirclement.
The Red Tyrant King walked forward, flanked by the Dominion Swords, and lifted his greatsword.
"Even now, you can stop this. If you don’t..."
"Planning to gang up on me?"
The three Clan Heads nodded confidently.
The Red Tyrant King looked at me with a complicated expression.
"The Vassal Clan accord is an inviolable law. But your strength deserves recognition. Show proper respect to the Vassal Clans now, and in the name of Hyark’s honor, I will see to it that your transgressions are buried."
Saaah—
It was then that black lotus petals began to scatter in the air.
Loren, leading the Lotus Swordsmen, and Clan Head Phroha took position by my side. At that moment, the Solsar Clan Head shouted.
"Clan Head Phroha! I’m warning you, do not side with an outsider."
"Samael is no outsider."
"What is Ardehain thinking?"
Loren gave a faint smile.
"Exactly what you see."
"Are you truly turning your back on the Vassal Clans?"
"Ardehain stands with Samael. He is our comrade."
Loren looked into my eyes for a moment and then mouthed the words silently.
"You’re incredible, Ruin."
The Red Tyrant King shook his head.
"Think carefully. The outcome won’t change. Ardehain alone cannot stand against all of us. And Ruin Samael, you likely won’t be able to manifest divine power like that again so soon."
I let out a laugh.
Arrogant to the very end.
I looked at each of the four Clan Heads one by one.
"When I spoke of the demon threat to humanity, none of you cared. But the moment I beheaded the one who tried to kill me, the rest of you turn against me. Did you think your authority was being damaged? Is this what the Vassal Clans have become?"
"……"
"Pathetic bastards. It doesn’t even matter who among you is part of the Myriad Demon Assembly. You’re all rotten. Now I understand how they managed to seize control of the Vassal Clans so quickly."
"You insolent—"
Wiiing—
I rotated the circle in my heart once more.
"Today, I’ll rebuild the value of what the Vassal Clans once stood for."
***
The Red Tyrant King’s gaze turned calm as he slowly shook his head.
"Ardehain, stay out of this. I don’t want this to turn into an all-out war. Each clan, prepare your secret techniques..."
Then suddenly, the Red Tyrant King’s eyes turned toward Loren, who was covering her mouth as she laughed.
"What…?"
At that very moment, the Gaion Clan Head, sensing a horrifying aura, turned to his right—
And one of Gaion’s elders collapsed with a heavy thud.
No one had even seen it happen.
Sensing danger, the Gaion Clan Head immediately opened all his mana cores, attempting to activate Formless Ground Net against the opponent who appeared like an afterimage.
But just before he could, the platinum crown on his head tightened around his nerves and sounded an alarm.
“Urgh… why are the Six Guardian Monks—?”
Kwaaaang.
Far off in the distance, six bald men were hurled away by a massive shockwave, flying toward this side. They were Gaion’s Six Guardian Monks, the ones assigned to guard the outskirts of the Vassal Clan Banquet.
Everyone froze as if under a spell and turned their heads toward a single direction.
"……!"
Slow footsteps echoed behind the fallen Six Guardian Monks.
Step… step…
Clack.
“Pathetic.”
The moment the voice reached them on the wind, the Clan Heads all shuddered involuntarily, as if they’d agreed to it in advance.
"…No way."
Saaa—
Like space itself folding, something split open, and through it, a single flag fluttered.
Following behind were five swordsmen, and with them, a black-haired man appeared.
The Red Tyrant King's pupils trembled uncontrollably. It was someone who should never have appeared here.
“Why is the Black Star here…?”
Black Baltahar.
As he stepped out from between the swordsmen, he slowly looked around and spoke.
“Quite the mess.”
His tone was light, but no one dared respond.
The Divine Clan of the Sword. Everyone knew well the unpredictable temperament of its First Son.
The Gaion Clan Head, visibly tense, spoke cautiously.
“What brings the First Son of the Divine Clan here…”
“Did I come somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be?”
“No, that’s not what I meant—”
“Silence.”
A heavy silence followed.
The Vassal Clans, who had been poised to attack, now stood frozen in their formation.
Looking around once more, Black let out a short laugh.
“The Vassal Clans look pitiful.”
No one responded.
The Red Tyrant King finally opened his mouth, his face stiff.
“Lord Baltahar, the Clan Head of Bellusia is dead. According to the accords between clans—”
“You there, Clan Head of Hyark.”
Black’s smile faded in an instant as he turned to look directly at the Red Tyrant King.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
"……"
Black slowly stepped closer and stared directly into the Red Tyrant King's face from up close.
“Do you want your clan wiped out?”
"……!"
"……!"
Everyone swallowed hard at the cold, terrifying threat.
“Ruin Samael is my sworn friend.”
"……"
The silence lingered, but a shock like a lightning bolt crashing onto their heads swept through the space.
The Red Tyrant King's pupils shook violently.
There was no reason for the First Son of the Divine Clan to lie.
The one who just moments ago had radiated the aura of a great tiger now avoided Black’s gaze entirely and lowered his eyes.
"……"
The other three Clan Heads were no different.
…Samael is a sworn friend of the Divine Clan?
Had the sword-obsessed First Son of the Divine Clan ever recognized anyone as his equal?
Yet, not a single person in the space dared to question it.
Black let out another faint laugh and spoke with an unreadable expression.
“You should all be grateful.”
He shook his head briefly, then shouted loudly.
“All Vassals, hear me!”
A standard-bearer, who had been standing behind Black, stepped forward and raised the flag high. As it fluttered, the eyes of the five remaining Clan Heads widened, and they stepped forward and lowered their heads in a bow.
The Vassal Clans.
The clans who serve the Divine Clans.
“…We serve.”
“Rally to the north.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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