The Hero’s Disciple Has Returned

Claaang! Clang! Claaang!

Escandelos’s movements get even faster. But each time, Jade’s sword also gets faster.

Despite having his eyes closed, Jade was gradually beginning to ‘see’.

‘Growth? No, should I call it synchronization?’

Even with his eyes closed, he can see ahead. It’s not just that thoughts are connected with the wind spirit Lin, but they’re completely synchronized. Thanks to this, he was able to analyze and move more clearly.

‘Is that the distortion caused by magic that Lin mentioned?’

Something like pitch-black smoke at Escandelos’s center moves according to his will. Therefore, through the movement of that black smoke, it was possible to know in advance how Escandelos would swing his sword even before he did so. Literally, that black smoke itself was the future showing what kind of attack Escandelos would make.

It was no different from seeing the future a few seconds ahead.

But the situation was still the worst.

Clang!

“Kugh!”

‘He got even faster!!’

Escandelos’s attacks got even faster. No, he raised his realm by one level. He had intentionally come down to Jade’s realm from that high realm. And now that Jade seemed to be enduring well, he started climbing one realm, one realm, continuously one step at a time.

It’s too fast, even for fast.

Clang! Whoosh!

If he had been even slightly late in reacting… No, honestly, Jade managed to narrowly avoid an attack aimed at his legs by luck.

‘Damn it!’

The sword that had clearly been swung at his upper body just a moment ago suddenly moved nimbly like a snake and aimed for his lower body.

From a powerful sword that only pushes with force, it changes to a dancing phantom sword in an instant. It’s like a tiger suddenly turning into a snake. Originally, this shouldn’t be possible. Swordsmanship usually has its own characteristics and color. But Escandelos’s sword had none of that. As if it could become anything, as if there was nothing it couldn’t do as a sword…

Literally

Infinite (無限)

An infinite sword.

Therefore, that sword had no limits, no weaknesses.

He absolutely cannot win with his own power. Originally, even breathing like this should have been impossible. Normally, his breath should have been cut off with a single strike, that’s how different the realms they stood in were.

‘What on earth is the Demon King thinking?’

Why did he say not to kill him? Thanks to that, he hasn’t died and is rapidly accumulating experience for growth, but… He can’t understand.

‘Does he want to play with me?’

It could be that

Or it might not be.

Before that, now wasn’t the time to think about such things.

‘At least now isn’t the time to think about that.’

He didn’t have the luxury to ponder such things.

“Huu….”

His whole body screams.

It was a natural result.

Unlike Escandelos, who seemed to be doing light exercise at his own pace as if running a marathon without exerting full power, Jade was in a situation no different from running at full force, gritting his teeth even though his heart felt like it would burst, to break his personal best record. Naturally, there was nothing strange about Jade’s body hitting its limit, about pain that felt like his heart would tear apart at any moment rushing in.

Tremble tremble

His arms scream and shake violently. It felt like the sword would fall from his hand at any moment. But…

Grip!

He grits his teeth and somehow grips the sword in his hand. Because there’s no uglier act, no more shameful deed for a swordsman than carelessly letting go of the sword from his hand. That’s why Jade stubbornly gripped the sword strongly with willpower. He endured and didn’t collapse through sheer mental strength.

‘The shame of a swordsman… Was I the kind of guy who cared about such things?’

A mercenary doesn’t need such things.

To survive, you can turn your back on the enemy and run away as much as you want. Rolling on the ground and throwing dirt in the enemy’s eyes is basic for a mercenary. For someone who was like that to now care about the shame of a swordsman…

‘No, isn’t it okay? I retired from being a mercenary after all.’

How long has it been since he retired as a mercenary, it’s funny to still talk about being a mercenary, isn’t it?

Then isn’t it okay to care about things like the shame of a swordsman, pride as a swordsman now?

Jade decided to think that it was okay. No matter what others said, he firmly decided to do so. Because thinking that way and living that way was his life and his freedom.

That’s when it happened.

“Kuhahahahaha!!!!!!!”

Suddenly, the black knight burst into laughter.

♧♧♧

‘It’s fun! Truly fun!’

He had never felt such strong interest in his life. Should I say it’s like being the only one to witness the first moment an animal that could only walk on four legs starts walking on two legs for the first time? Should I say it’s like experiencing the glory of enjoying sweetness for the first time after discovering sugar in this world for the first time?

Any expression is insufficient.

The important thing is just one.

The ecstasy felt at this moment is a privilege that only he can feel.

Escandelos couldn’t help but think that this must be what Heaven meant by ‘delight’.

That’s why he couldn’t help but laugh.

To think that from a mere human

From such a weak human

To think he would feel such a feeling.

‘To think I only realized this now.’

Escandelos couldn’t help but sincerely admire his great Heaven who had ordered him not to kill this human.
The great Heaven had seen it. That he would feel such deep ecstasy through this human. What if he had killed this human so simply and hadn’t felt this?

Now it felt terribly frightening. Without the deep intention of the great Heaven, he would have ruined this ecstasy with his own hands. Escandelos couldn’t help but think that it really shouldn’t have happened.

“Hahaha. Really. It’s surprisingly fun. To the point where I can’t help but admire. I should thank the great Heaven. If I had killed you easily… It would have been truly terrible.”
“……”

Jade showed no reaction. He thought about trying to buy even a little time by engaging in conversation, but… Such shallow tactics were utterly meaningless in the face of such an overwhelmingly violent gap. It was clearly a more rationally correct judgment to whip himself and raise his concentration even a little more.

‘…That human is already at his limit.’

I want to play with him a little more.

It’s fun to watch him struggle and climb the stairs of the realm every time he’s whipped. Even if it’s to survive, being able to climb the stairs of the realm so quickly was a very rare case that couldn’t be found even among demons.

‘Is it because he borrowed the power of spirits? No, in this case, is it possible because of the pure yet powerful mental strength that can stake even his life on the spirits? Whatever it is… It’s clear that this human is the only case of this being possible in both the human world and the demon world.’

Being rare means it has value.

Something so full of value is right in front of him.

Then it’s a natural desire to want to test how far he can go.

“Human”
“…?”
“What’s your name?”
“…Jade”
“I see, Jade. I’ll remember it. You new type of strong one that I’ve never seen before. This is the last. I will put a bit of seriousness into this attack. Try to survive this attack.”
“……”
“I hope I can look forward to the next.”

With those words, magic burst forth. Through the eyes of the spirits, Jade could grasp the future attack that would come in a few seconds.

‘A downward strike aiming for the head from the upper position….’

An attack so simple and therefore the most powerful strike

But an attack so simple and monotonous

If predicted, avoiding it should be so simple, but…

‘I can’t avoid it…’

To avoid it, he would need to dodge to either side, but massive walls of magic were blocking both sides. He could destroy them by swinging his sword, but if he focused on destroying them, he would die without even properly resisting the sword swung by Escandelos.

There is no way to avoid it.

He must receive it.

With all the strength he can muster

Using every means possible

He must survive that absolute strike.

Live

Or die

Everything is decided in an instant.

‘In the end, the very last is a gamble…’

Thinking that, Jade smiled.

‘Then I’ll just go all-in on surviving!’

“Lun!!!!!!!!!!!”
-If you want to live, you die, and if you want to die, you live.

Listening to the words of Lun, who looks like the youngest because she has the smallest build among the three wind spirit sisters and always uses strange speech, Jade prepared for the final strike.