#Chapter 110
—
Haerbin and Arthur’s swords clashed.
*Cheng—!*
From the blazing sword aura, fragments of light scattered and sparkled in the darkness.
Within those shards of light, Haerbin and Arthur continued their exchange of blades.
When one thrust, the other defended; when one defended, the other thrust in again.
That countless sequence of movements formed a single band, creating a rhythmic beat.
But the harmony did not last long—it began to creak and falter.
“Kh…!”
Haerbin clenched his teeth.
Yet the groan that escaped him could not be hidden.
At the same time, pressed back by Arthur’s surging sword, Haerbin staggered and exhaled sharply.
Arthur, watching him, spun his sword into a new grip.
*Tang—!*
And in that instant, the hidden Beast unleashed fire.
Relying on the reflexes sharpened by his six rings, Haerbin narrowly avoided the strike.
*Kwaang—!*
The barracks behind him vanished in an explosion.
Haerbin, staring at the scene, involuntarily swallowed dryly.
*Strong… and troublesome.*
It was already astonishing that his opponent could emit sword aura, but this monster before him wielded both bloodline powers and firearms as well.
What was even more shocking was that his skill in those arts was not inferior to his sword aura.
*How is this possible?*
It was a realm beyond anything his common sense could grasp.
A swordsman capable of sword aura, and yet mastering bloodline powers and guns?
With such a monster, surely he should have at least heard the name once before.
Yet the man before him was unlike any swordsman of the continent.
*And such a man suddenly appears to assault the Dormund military camp?*
After a moment of thought, Haerbin shook his head.
*No point in pondering—it won’t make sense anyway.*
If he started questioning the stranger’s identity, he would also have to question the situation itself.
So he chose not to understand.
For the opponent before him was not one he could fight with idle thoughts clouding his mind.
At that moment, stray thoughts and tremors—
All of them vanished.
Haerbin’s wavering eyes regained their calm.
Arthur, watching, chuckled.
“My, what a difficult man.”
With that, he lunged again.
Haerbin raised his sword and blocked the charge.
*Kwaang—!*
The collision of sword aura burst into shockwaves that sent both men’s hair flying.
At the same time, Arthur leveled the Beast’s muzzle at Haerbin’s chest.
But as if expecting it, Haerbin twisted his body, knocked aside Arthur’s blade, and brought his sword down.
Arthur’s eyes widened at the strike, while Haerbin was convinced.
*Got him—!*
But in the instant Arthur’s eyes curved into a crescent smile right before him, Haerbin flinched.
*He’s smiling… now?*
A chill ran down the back of his neck.
Just as he tried to twist away from that ominous sense, lightning split through the storm clouds.
…*Kwaang—!*
Struck head-on by the lightning bolt, Haerbin staggered.
“Krgh…!”
His groan escaped as his balance collapsed.
Arthur did not waste the opening—his demonic sword thrust forward.
“…!”
Startled, Haerbin tried to twist away, but it was already too late.
Arthur closed in, sword aura raised, smiling.
“It’s over now, Haer—…”
But then, Arthur’s body shook violently.
“…?”
The demonic sword veered off course and shot into the sky.
Blinking, Arthur turned toward the one who had shaken his body with magic.
“Fire! Use everything—fire at will!”
A blood-soaked sorcerer bellowed at the top of his lungs.
At once, dozens of rifles in Dormund soldiers’ hands swung toward Arthur.
“Oh…”
Arthur sighed in admiration, belatedly moving to evade—
But the guns fired first.
*Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang—!!*
Flames burst forth as a hailstorm of bullets rained toward Arthur.
*Kwaang—!*
In that barrage of firepower, enough to erase any normal human without a trace, even the storm paused for an instant.
But the bombardment did not end there.
*Kuuhhh… Kwaang—!*
Cannons, fit for siege warfare, roared.
The storm winds blew away as a massive explosion swept across the Dormund encampment.
*Kwa-kwa-kwaang—!*
Thick, choking smoke rose, devouring even the pouring rain.
Soldiers, shivering, muttered.
“Damn…”
“They really fired cannons… at a man.”
Beside them, the sorcerer bit his lip hard.
*Shit… after all that, why don’t I feel at ease?*
No matter how great a swordsman, no matter if he could emit sword aura, no one could survive hundreds of bullets and cannon fire head-on.
Yet the sorcerer shook his head, unable to quiet the unease that trembled through him.
*It’s not enough… we need something bigger.*
With that thought, the staff in his hand shone.
A gift from the Dormund patriarch—its name, *Wrath of the Red Lizard.*
An artifact imbued with the power of a high-grade flame spirit.
From its tip burst forth massive flames, joining the shellfire to engulf Arthur.
*Kwaang—!*
The earth-shaking roar left the sorcerer collapsed, drained.
*Click… click—!*
The Dormund soldiers were no different.
Their rifles, emptied of bullets, no longer fired.
One soldier murmured.
“…Is it over?”
The soldier next to him smacked him across the head.
“You idiot! Don’t you dare say such ominous things!”
“B-but… shouldn’t it be over by now?”
“Of course it should! But you spout such crap now, and even the dead will rise!”
The scolded soldier muttered under his breath.
*What kind of superstition is that…?*
Just then, the storm winds shifted, clearing the smoke.
“…!”
Everyone present turned their gaze to the bombardment site.
Haerbin was no exception.
“…What?”
Mouth agape, he whispered.
“It’s… over?”
At the site where hundreds of bullets, cannons, and sorcery had rained down—
Only smoldering flames, torn earth, and a single charred human arm remained.
In that moment, Haerbin couldn’t help but think:
*Is he… dead?*
It seemed so, unbelievable as it was.
No body was in sight, only the burnt arm.
That monster, who had slaughtered over a hundred Dormund soldiers and forced Haerbin to taste defeat after so long—
At last, was dead.
And then, as if in response, the torrential rain ceased.
“……”
Raising his head, Haerbin saw the storm clouds had vanished.
Sunlight streamed faintly through.
“…The sky cleared?”
At that, soldiers collapsed where they stood.
“Phew…”
“This isn’t a dream, right?”
“The moment that monster dies, sunlight breaks through?”
As they murmured, Haerbin stared blankly at the sky.
Then, a blinding ray of sunlight shone upward from beneath his chin.
“…?”
Puzzled why sunlight would shine from below, Haerbin lowered his gaze.
And saw it.
A crimson sword, piercing through his chest.
“…Ah?”
A gasp escaped him, followed by a spurt of blood.
Behind him, Arthur stood, catching his breath.
“Whew… that was close.”
“……”
“As expected, trump cards must always be hidden. Without Mr. Gnome’s help, I really would’ve died there.”
At that, Haerbin turned his bloodied head.
Bathed in the new sunlight, the young man stood.
Haerbin coughed blood and asked:
“G…nome? You even command spirits?”
Instead of answering, Arthur pulled out his demonic sword.
*Chwaak—!*
Blood sprayed, startling the Dormund soldiers lost in their own thoughts.
They looked on, horrified, as Haerbin collapsed in his own blood.
“Sir… Sir Raine—!”
At that cry, Arthur turned to advance on the Dormund soldiers.
But Haerbin, collapsed, seized Arthur’s ankle.
“Enough… stop here!”
Arthur turned his gaze, while the soldiers froze.
“If you bore a grudge against Dormund, killing me should be enough! Must you spill more blood?”
Arthur let out a short laugh.
“Oh… that’s true as well.”
“Yes. So please, just—”
“But Haerbin. Do you truly believe those soldiers will abandon you, their commander, and flee while you die?”
Haerbin’s eyes widened.
At the same time, soldiers tightened their grips on spears and swords.
Even the battered sorcerer began preparing another spell.
“…Damn.”
He cursed under his breath.
Haerbin gasped to speak, but Arthur was faster.
“Sorry, but I don’t intend to let anyone here live.”
“……”
“I’m simply returning in kind. What Dormund did to Bayern, what they did to our family’s people—I’ll do the same.”
Haerbin’s eyes narrowed.
“Bayern…? You mean… the Bayern of the Empire?”
Arthur gave no reply, only turned his head.
Then he spoke to the Dormund soldiers glaring at him.
“Everyone ready? Then shall we begin?”
The Dormund sorcerer, with death already in his eyes, rasped:
“…Lord Ian and the Patriarch will avenge us.”
Arthur smiled faintly.
“I’ll look forward to that. Though, I’ll likely kill them both first.”
—
—
Haerbin coughed blood.
“……”
As death crept in, he thought.
*Bayern? Could it be… the Bayern I know?*
The only family to rival Dormund.
An ancient house that had stood since the Empire’s founding.
Haerbin muttered as the thought surfaced.
*Then that monster… was Bayern’s swordsman?*
He coughed blood again.
The pain in his pierced chest blurred his consciousness.
He had long accepted death as a swordsman, so he held no regrets.
But the gnawing curiosity would not relent.
Was that man truly of Bayern?
And if so, why attack Dormund?
As his mind tangled, his breath grew ragged.
Then a bloodied young man leaned into his vision.
“Oh… still alive? As expected of a sixth-circle knight.”
Haerbin lowered his gaze and asked:
“You killed them all?”
“For now.”
“…Any guilt?”
“None. They would have killed me if I hadn’t killed them first.”
Haerbin fell silent.
Arthur slumped beside him and said:
“You look like a man with many questions, Haerbin.”
“…I do. Will you answer them?”
“Well, since it’s your last, I will.”
Haerbin whispered.
“You’re from Bayern?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do this?”
“Because I’m from Bayern. Isn’t that reason enough?”
“…Because you’re from Bayern?”
Arthur turned his eyes toward him.
“Think about what Dormund did to Bayern.”
“……”
“They planted spies to ruin an innocent house, seized its lands, mocked the patriarch with petty tricks, tried to poison the heir. And more.”
A cold smile spread across Arthur’s lips.
“They massacred Bayern’s people, enslaved them, dragged the patriarch and his kin into filth. Tell me—why would I *not* seek revenge?”
Haerbin trembled at the torrent of words.
*Dormund… did that?*
He could not believe it.
Dormund was the Empire’s vanguard, shining in honor.
They were no petty thugs.
So Haerbin declared firmly:
“Dormund would never do such things!”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes! Dormund is… Dormund is the most just, the most radiant of all houses—”
He trailed off, falling silent.
Arthur murmured.
“You know the truth, don’t you?”
“……”
“What I’ve done here is what Dormund has done countless times to other houses, other powers, other tribes, other nations.”
“……”
“And back then, did you feel guilt?”
Haerbin’s eyes dimmed.
Watching the change, Arthur whispered:
“He’s gone.”
In the distant future, he would have risen as Dormund’s greatest knight, slaughtering more Bayern lives than any other.
But before he could bloom, his life was cut short.
Arthur watched Haerbin’s end, then slowly stood.
“You remind me of a saying.”
With that, he gently closed Haerbin’s unshut eyes.
“Ignorance is a sin. Reflect on it in hell, Haerbin Raine.”
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