**Chapter 119**
—
The moment he faced Ian, Arthur’s world began to spin.
The sky and earth flipped upside down, all colors swirled into chaos, and the very boundaries of form disappeared.
Within that distortion, Yenika turned into a bird drenched in blood.
*‘What a strange bird.’*
And the knights of Dormund turned into hideous monsters.
*‘Ugh, so ugly!’*
But Ian remained unchanged.
A man in his early thirties, with a blunt, detached expression, as though his soul had wandered off.
The one evaluated as Cain Dormund’s successor, called the Empire’s cherished jewel.
In this maddened world, for some reason, Ian alone appeared exactly as Arthur had seen him moments before.
And because of that, Arthur felt relief.
*‘Would’ve been a disaster if I mistook him for someone else. Good thing.’*
Besides, killing Ian as some ugly monster wouldn’t have been fun at all.
Ian was Ian, and that alone made him worth the effort.
With those thoughts, Arthur suddenly burst into laughter.
“Ah… good.”
“…?”
“This situation—it’s just perfect. Don’t you think so, Ian?”
Ian, roused from his daze, blinked.
*‘…Perfect? This situation?’*
He couldn’t hide his sour expression.
To him, nothing about this situation made sense.
Why was Arthur Bayern—who should be at the Arcane Academy—here?
Why was Arthur Bayern pointing a sword at him and speaking of killing him?
It was absurd. Far beyond anything that could be explained by common sense.
Yenika was no different.
*‘Arthur Bayern? Why is he here?’*
He should’ve been in the middle of midterms at the Academy.
*‘Could it be… he came chasing the bounty on my head?’*
But Yenika soon shook her head.
If that were the case, Arthur would have been pointing his sword at her, not Ian Dormund.
So, after a moment’s thought, she opened her mouth. There was no reason to speculate when the man himself was right in front of her.
“Lord Arthur, why are you here?”
Instead of answering, Arthur turned his head away.
He brought the beast-gun to his lips and smiled brightly.
“Shh.”
“…?”
“This is a very important moment. So please, be quiet, Yenika.”
Yenika blinked at his words.
Arthur then turned his head back toward Ian.
Ian’s once-vacant expression was regaining clarity.
He slowly lifted his face, meeting Arthur’s eyes.
“…I see.”
“…?”
“Father was always interested in the Bayerns.”
Ian’s lips curled faintly.
“I always wondered why. A so-called noble house, yes, but all it has left are the ruins of its past glory. Why would he care so much for such a crumbling house…?”
“……”
“But now that I see you, Arthur Bayern, I understand.”
With that, Ian drew his sword.
“The Bayerns are remnants that should not exist in this world. Father was right.”
Arthur chuckled again.
“Ha…”
He shook his head as though in disappointment, muttering.
“You’re already adjusting? Tch… I wanted you to panic more. I’ve waited so long for this moment.”
Ian lowered his gaze.
“Panic? Why should I? All I need to do is seize you here and interrogate you.”
“Really? Hm… well, that’s true. Very much like you.”
Arthur nodded, then raised his demonic sword.
The two men locked eyes.
And then, without warning, they leapt.
Clang—!
The harsh clash of steel rang out, and an unforeseen battle began.
Yenika, watching it unfold, let out a hollow laugh.
*‘What in the world is this?’*
Because of Arthur Bayern’s sudden appearance, the plan she had crafted so carefully had been ruined in an instant.
*‘Ian, who should die by my hand, is fighting Arthur Bayern?’*
She couldn’t understand it.
But she had no time to dwell on it.
“Knights! Seize that wench and force her to her knees before me!”
At Ian’s command, ten Dormund knights who had stood silently until now moved.
As they drew their swords, Yenika muttered under her breath.
*‘I don’t know what’s going on, but… I can’t afford to drag this out.’*
The sacrifice had to be made in time.
If Ian wasn’t slain before the full moon rose, everything would be for nothing.
Her eyes sharpened with killing intent.
*‘In that case… I’ll just kill them all.’*
At that moment, the dormant power of the Vampires—the People of the Moon—awakened.
Fwoosh—!
The lake of blood rippled violently under the surge of power.
The knights who witnessed the phenomenon shouted furiously.
“Stay alert! That woman is a vampire—a monster!”
And with those cries, the battle between vampire and knights—two ancient legacies—began.
—
—
**Steel met steel.**
Clang!
Arthur thrust, Ian blocked. Ian thrust, Arthur blocked.
As though rehearsed, attack and defense alternated, until both knocked each other’s blades away and widened the gap.
“……”
They glared at one another, then collided again.
Their swords clashed in a blur.
And as the exchange continued, Ian’s eyes widened.
*‘Arthur Bayern… is keeping up with my sword?’*
How could the fool once mocked as a dullard manage this?
A crease formed on his brow, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
He was a seasoned knight, a swordsman.
And a seasoned swordsman never allows idle thoughts to linger in the midst of battle.
The same applied now.
Clearing his mind, Ian muttered inwardly, his eyes gleaming.
*‘No point wasting time. I’ll subdue him swiftly.’*
He would seek answers later.
With that decision, Ian batted Arthur’s blade aside and exhaled sharply.
At once, gray sword-aura surged up his sword.
Woom—
A 7th-Circle knight.
Only a few steps away from the 10th Circle—the realm of Swordmasters—his sublime aura devoured the darkness around them.
Leveling his aura-clad sword at Arthur, Ian declared:
“Even now, if you surrender, I’ll spare your life, Arthur Bayern.”
Arthur blinked.
“Surrender? Out of nowhere?”
“You don’t actually think you can defeat me while I wield sword-aura, do you?”
“Oh? And you think you’re the only one who can wield it?”
“…?”
Arthur grinned.
At that sight, Ian felt a flicker of unease—just as red sword-aura burst from Arthur’s demonic sword.
Fwoosh—!
The crimson aura consumed the square’s darkness.
Ian’s expression froze in shock.
“…What? Sword-aura?”
Arthur let out an exclamation of delight.
“Oho… what a wonderful face, Ian.”
“……”
“Seeing you like that—it’s thrilling. I like it.”
Ian’s expression soured.
*‘What nonsense is he spouting?’*
But there was no time to ponder.
Arthur had already closed in.
Clang—!
Sword-aura met sword-aura, sparks scattering.
Regaining his composure, Ian let out a hollow laugh.
“…You’re making me more and more curious.”
Arthur’s lips curled.
“Funny, I was about to say the same. I’d like to see more of your twisted face.”
Ian leapt.
Arthur leapt to meet him.
Clang—!
Their swords collided midair.
Thus began another deadly exchange.
Boom!
Even after landing, their duel did not cease.
Each collision of sword-aura created shockwaves, while the scattering sparks lit the surroundings like falling stars.
After a long exchange, Ian finally thought:
*‘This one is dangerous.’*
It was one thing when Arthur merely parried his strikes.
But manifesting sword-aura? That was something else entirely.
*‘That mute Arthur Bayern shouldn’t be able to wield sword-aura.’*
Impossible.
Yet here it was, undeniable.
Whatever the reason, it made Arthur a grave threat.
Thus Ian resolved to end it quickly.
That resolve awakened the Dormund bloodline—
The Spirit of Blessing.
At once, a surge of fierce flames erupted behind Arthur.
\[*I heed your command, Master.*]
It was the flame of Ifrit, the high-ranking spirit of fire.
Arthur’s eyes widened in surprise, while Ian’s lips curled.
*‘Got you.’*
With Ifrit’s flames, he would strike Arthur from both sides.
But then—Arthur scratched his head with a troubled look.
“Ah… you’re going to use spirits?”
“…?”
“That’s troublesome. I was hoping to cross blades a bit longer.”
At those words, Ifrit’s flames vanished mid-charge.
Fwoosh—!
No—rather, they had been erased.
By a high-ranking water spirit—Undine—who had appeared at some point.
Ian’s eyes went wide.
“…Undine?”
At that instant, the ground beneath him shook violently.
“…!”
Startled, Ian leapt back, just as a massive earthen hand—Gnome’s—rose up, grasping only empty air.
“You… command Gnome too?”
For the first time, Ian’s composure broke.
Stammering, he muttered:
“How… how do you command… high-ranking spirits…?”
Arthur only shrugged.
“Too early to be surprised, isn’t it?”
“……”
“I haven’t even shown you half of what I’ve got. If this much startles you, how will you handle the rest?”
Ian’s jaw dropped.
*‘Half? This much is nothing?’*
More astonishing than seeing a fool from years past wield sword-aura and command two high-ranking spirits… was the implication that even greater surprises remained.
Arthur slipped a hand into his chest pocket.
“I’ve prepared so much to kill you. Don’t go fainting on me so soon—it’d be such a waste.”
Ian snarled, face twisted.
“You bastard! What nonsense are you—”
But his words never finished.
Bang—!
A gunshot rang. A graze tore across Ian’s cheek.
“…!”
Blood dripped along his jawline. His body stiffened.
So too did his mind.
*‘I… bled? From Arthur Bayern’s gun?’*
He hadn’t even reacted.
And then—Arthur disappeared.
“…!”
Startled, Ian tried to turn, but it was too late.
Arthur reappeared before him, thrusting his sword—
—and lightning suddenly exploded, paralyzing Ian’s body.
Crackle—!
The searing thunder made Ian mutter in shock.
*‘Lightning? Magic? No… bloodline?’*
Before the thought finished, Arthur’s demonic sword pierced his shoulder.
“Ghk!”
Ian staggered back, groaning.
Arthur pressed forward, pinning him against the wall, and seized his throat.
“Gah!”
Ian struggled to breathe, clawing at Arthur’s hand.
Arthur muttered quietly:
“I told you, Ian. Don’t be surprised so soon.”
“Ghk, khh…”
“There’s still so much I haven’t shown. If you die of shock before then, wouldn’t that be boring?”
Barely regaining clarity, Ian rasped:
“…Are you insane?”
Arthur’s eyes flashed.
“You’re only realizing that now?”
“…What?”
“I lost my mind ten years ago—because of you. Truly lost it.”
He smiled.
“But thankfully, I’m sane now. So let’s just say…”
He shrugged.
“…I’m only insane temporarily. Do you understand?”
Ian stayed silent.
It wasn’t just that he couldn’t tell if Arthur’s words were a question or an answer—it was that they defied reason itself.
But one thing was clear.
*‘Arthur Bayern… is not normal.’*
The realization made Ian’s eyes tremble.
“……”
Fear.
A feeling he hadn’t known in so long welled up in his chest.
Unable to accept it, he ground his teeth.
Arthur smiled with narrowed eyes.
“Now then. Shall we begin? First… yes, let’s start with the eyes.”
He nodded.
“Just like your brother, Bill. How does that sound, Ian?”
Ian’s eyes widened.
“…What? Like Bill?”
“Yes. Your brother. That sly little runt.”
Arthur’s smile curved.
“Should I gouge your eyes first, like I did his? Don’t like the idea?”
Ian’s mind reeled.
*‘Bill? My youngest brother, One-Eyed Bill?’*
Like Bill—his eye gouged?
*‘Then that accident… wasn’t an accident?’*
His thoughts froze.
At the same time, he saw Arthur’s eyes sink, dark as an abyss.
Looking into them, Ian could only admit it.
“……”
The smiling Arthur Bayern… was truly terrifying.
—
