Volume 3 Chapter 176 The Illusionary Magic Sword
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Juji’s carved, ancient tree had been shaped into a wooden spear—called a bokusou. Where the blade met the handle—the part that would normally be the socket—it was wrapped in thick, living vines. The grip itself was made of two winding vines, each about a finger thick, spiraling around a single straight shaft.
Even though the materials and design gave it a strange, otherworldly look, the whole thing still had the shape of a partisan-style spear.
The blade was formed like an isosceles triangle with a sharp, high point.
At the base of the triangle were small flares that looked like elf ears—hooks meant to catch or pull an enemy’s weapon. It could both pierce and slice well. The blade tip stretched about sixty centimeters long, and about nine centimeters across at the widest point. With the wings counted in, it reached around seventy centimeters. The entire spear was two meters long—about the same as Juji’s own height or maybe just a little shorter.
As a spear made of wood, it was believed to be very light.
”Raaaaah!” Juji yelled as he sprang forward with a sudden dash, the spear tip lunging straight at the face.
He charged in low, arm pulled back as if to throw, and thrust the weapon forward with all his weight.
Kian quickly read the move and stepped to the side. Holding the Misty Magic Sword flat near his ear, he angled it just right to knock the spear tip aside.
Crimson-black sparks burst right in front of his face, and a few hot bits of magic scraped his cheek. The power from the spear wasn’t normal. Even though it looked like just wood, it carried enough force to kill.
After parrying with the Misty Magic Sword, Kian shifted the blade and tried to stab at Juji’s neck.
But Juji was already behind him.
Kian had expected Juji to pull back and spin the spear to block, but instead, Juji dashed past him without stopping, dropped low, and came charging again from behind. His style was more like a charging knight—or even a tank—than a regular spear fighter.
When Juji dodged the five strikes from above, he gathered his magic.
”O, magic spear of the runes…!” he shouted.
Landing hard, he stepped forward to chase Kian. Spinning the spear with his whole body, he released a wave of red-black power from the tip.
It was a long-range attack—a crimson slash that roared across the ground straight toward Kian.
”────!”
Kian raised the Misty Magic Sword and swung it wide.
The magic wave broke apart under the cut, but some of its leftovers still brushed past his arms. His ‘Silver Ice’ armor sucked in the remaining magic, fully blocking the spell.
The part of the slash that missed Kian hit the ground behind him—and exploded.
”Na──”
The earth was torn open half a meter deep. The damp dirt boiled dry in an instant from the heat.
”That’s some nice armor you’ve got…” Juji said as he grabbed his spear again and grinned.
”Guess warm-up’s done. Ready for round two, slowpoke?”
A gust of wind.
Juji’s body dipped—and vanished.
Kian’s eyes widened.
Juji didn’t come from the front. Instead, he knocked the Misty Magic Sword away and flashed past him. It was like teleporting—he suddenly leapt sideways five meters in a blink, leaving Kian’s vision. But Kian listened—to the footfalls, the breath, the heartbeat. He matched Juji’s position with sharp senses and moved his sword to meet the ambush from behind.
It was heavy.
It numbed the body.
Three attacks landed with real weight—low, then center, then a wide swing. Juji had locked on, his Future Sight making it impossible to dodge. Kian blocked the first two with the Misty Magic Sword, and took the last strike on his gauntlet and armor. The blow hit like being slammed by a horse. The shock shook the air. His feet skidded, carving deep twin lines in the dirt. Loose earth flew as the trailing force kicked it all up.
(So fast… and strong.)
Kian was thrown back, further away from Natra and the rest.
”Urya!” Juji shouted.
He leapt.
A silver blur, covered in black armor, flipped through the air over ten meters. Juji dived down with five hard slashes from above Kian’s head.
The forehead.
The neck.
The chest.
Back to the neck.
Then a sideways leap—aimed to take the head.
He vanished again, slipped sideways, and swept toward Kian’s knee. From behind, a stab aimed at the groin—intended to crush.
Kian dodged by throwing himself into a wide twist, but Juji’s blade struck the ‘Silver Ice’ armor and rang out with a huge hit.
A wolf crawling low across the ground—silent, smooth.
From the side, a pale blue eye flashed.
It showed a future where Kian would be skewered.
”────!”
Kian raised one arm.
The sound of his lungs sharply filling echoed in his ears.
Another five-hit combo was coming.
— (Silver Ice Armor) —
Kian’s black eyes flared red.
Juji, filled with killing intent and maybe even catching a glimpse of a possible future, stiffened with sudden alarm.
(…Frozen!)
A cold blast shot out in all directions from Kian.
The earth turned white in a second, and freezing wind hit Juji in the face like a slap from winter itself.
”…!”
Juji staggered backward, making space between them. He spun his cursed spear slowly, then turned half-side toward Kian, glaring.
”Ice magic… So you can use spells too?” he asked with a wide, crooked smile. “Not bad. You’re making me want to slice more.”
”……”
(This man… he’s stronger than me as a fighter.)
Juji was from the Wolfmen, the top beastmen tribe. Among them, only Isthbaran stood above him in raw strength. Isthbaran clearly had some strange blood in him. And now, Kian—who had awakened vampire-like senses—was barely keeping up.
The speed.
The balance.
The way Juji moved—smooth and perfect.
At every level, Kian’s current body couldn’t match.
Even Rufna and Linca would probably be too slow to deal with him.
He was glad Rufna didn’t come forward.
(That’s exactly why… I have to take him down.)
”────”
Kian stabbed the Misty Magic Sword into the ground. It faded away without a sound.
In its place, he reached behind his back and drew another blade—the Windsong Blade.
It had followed him through every battle. Even after dying once, it had returned to his side.
Juji’s eyes narrowed.
Kian raised the sword slightly, as if opening a wing. A soft sound like wind through leaves came from the blade. As he held it, his power slowly dropped.
* * *
Juji rushed forward again without hesitation.
This time, Kian answered with sharp footwork, quick and steady.
He moved the Windsong Blade like a dancer, swinging it from a short distance to keep Juji away.
Juji flinched, his ears twitching, then jumped hard to the right—just in time to avoid the blast that hit the ground.
A heavy cloud of dust rose.
Thick and wet.
It blocked the view like a curtain.
Then, a red slash tore through the dark fog.
”Hyah! Haa—!” Kian shouted as he swung twice.
First, the blade came up from his waist, then down like thunder.
The sharp wind cut wrapped around a red magic strike, and the two attacks clashed in midair, causing a shockwave to ripple through the air.
The Silver Ice armor gave off a low roar.
Juji came in from the side like a blur, leaving a fading image behind him.
Kian responded with a heavy strike from above, smashing the ground with the full force of his wind blade.
The impact made Juji’s body shake deep inside.
Even so, his magic spear didn’t slow down.
One hand pressed to the earth, Juji launched a sudden thrust from below.
Kian dodged to the right and dropped a heavy stomp—but Juji was too fast.
Still, Kian’s foot hit the ground with a blast of freezing air, the Silver Ice skill bursting out in a wide wave.
Cracks split the ground as an icy gust exploded outward.
Clicking his tongue, Juji leapt back.
His light blue eyes shone like flames, and then—his magic erupted in a storm.
”Raaaagh!!”
It looked like a silver storm was being born.
With long silver hair trailing behind like a tail, he shot into the wetland, the morning sun gleaming across the surface as he darted through the air.
”Daaaahhh!!” he roared.
His body surged with power.
Muscles bulged, strength boiling over.
He moved even faster than Sarah’s warrior monks, launching a spear thrust with deadly speed.
Kian jumped backward.
Right after, the earth behind him burst open.
Black soil lifted like waves, and that silver storm came chasing after.
The Windsong Blade howled, whipping up fierce wind that tried to throw Juji off-balance.
Juji’s spear point shook slightly, and that small shift was all Kian needed.
His gauntlet, layered in Silver Ice, knocked it aside, and he swept his sword out in a smooth arc.
(Did he dodge that…!?)
Did he see it with Future Sight?
Juji lost balance and dropped low to the ground, twisting his body in a snake-like motion to avoid the Windsong Blade.
The magic wind sword gouged deep into the earth, carving a five-meter crater and flinging dirt high into the air.
Juji dragged his right foot with a screeching sound and spun a heel kick covered in black armor straight at them.
Dodge.
Then stomp.
Kian fired another wind blade at Juji, who was trying to retreat.
The Windsong Blade—modified by Guy and packed with magic—shot out sharp icy spikes that stabbed straight ahead.
”Gaaaah!!”
(He dodged. He’s circling from the side.)
Juji’s body vanished.
His speed had risen even more.
Was everything before just warm-up?
Even Kian, who stepped into Juji’s invisible range, had to race around him at full speed.
”Daaaaah! Rya! Haaaaah!!” Juji shouted as he turned toward the east.
The sunlight blinded their vision, bright and sudden.
He moved to the right.
Then jumped sharply to the left.
Vanished again.
His spear tip flashed forward.
Kian blocked with his gauntlet—but the impact threw him back.
His arm cracked open.
Silver Ice shattered, but with Kian’s blood and will, it rebuilt itself in a second.
His right arm followed, healing quickly.
Letting out a wild cry, Juji came down from the sky like a beast, stabbing his spear into the ground just ahead of Kian, who was still catching his breath.
The earth broke apart like glass, spiderweb cracks spreading wide, and then—boom—a huge blast of steam exploded around them.
”……!”
Kian’s face burned.
His body tore.
But as it healed, he sprang forward using the force of his repaired arm.
At close range, Kian locked eyes with Juji, who was pulling his spear from the ground.
Kian moved before Juji could even raise his weapon.
The roles flipped.
”…! …! …!!”
With the Windsong Blade, Kian struck downward, then upward, then sideways—a three-hit combo.
Even the best gladiators wouldn’t see it coming.
Still, compared to Juji’s speed, Kian’s movements looked slower.
But the weight behind each swing was immense.
Every time Juji deflected with his spear, the ground behind him got torn up like a beast had slashed through it.
(‘Silver Ice’)
”Ugh,” Juji grunted as the ground froze under his feet.
He stumbled slightly.
That moment was enough—he couldn’t guard against the next blow.
Letting out a sharp breath, Kian brought his sword down.
The enemy howled in return.
”Gaaaah!!”
──The magic sword and magic spear met with force.
Kian and Juji stood close, nearly close enough to trade punches.
Juji’s long silver hair was tossed backward by the wind of the sword.
Kian, with blood-red eyes like a vampire, bore sharp canine teeth as he pressed in.
”Your friends are dying, one by one,” Kian said with a twisted grin, his eyes full of madness.
Juji’s eyes narrowed.
His back slowly bent under the pressure.
Shredding blades of wind sliced across his cheek, leaving a deep line.
”If you don’t finish me now, you’ll lose everything.”
”Aaaaaahhhh! Ooooooohhhhhhhh!!! —a…!” Juji screamed.
His pale eyes shook.
His whole body trembled.
He knocked Kian’s weapon away to the side, slashing behind him with wind.
Disarmed, Kian stood wide open—but Juji didn’t strike.
He stumbled backward instead.
”…ah… ah…”
Blood spilled from his mouth as he dropped to one knee.
On his back, buried deep, was the Misty Magic Sword.
Earlier, Kian had stabbed it into the ground to keep it hidden.
Now, using thin magical threads, he had guided it into Juji’s back.
Juji couldn’t see it coming.
Blinded by his position and Kian’s taunts, he had no chance to block the ambush.
”…Ah…”
”────”
Kian pulled the sword back into his right hand using the thread, a smile on his lips as he stepped forward.
Juji knelt with his arms spread, breathing hard.
But Kian didn’t relax.
He looked around the area, checking carefully for traps or surprise moves.
”…Kill me.”
”You’re not my first pick,” Kian muttered, raising his sword. “But I’ll use that body. Might even be useful.”
”Wha…?”
”Die.”
He swung down without mercy.
But then, at the last second, Kian jumped back as if something pushed him.
”────!”
Sharp stone projectiles slammed into the ground.
Juji looked up, startled, as ten beetle-shaped golems dropped from the sky.
Among them, a giant stag beetle wrapped in lightning flew down.
They were Sarah’s golems.
The ones she left behind to guard the ancient temple.
All twenty had been deployed—every last one.
The golems raised a wall around Juji, then used Azrael’s warrior monk healing spell to treat him. His lungs grew back, and his breath steadied fast. Leaning on his magic spear, Juji forced himself upright.
But even with that spell, unlike a full Restoration Curse, all the blood he lost couldn’t come back.
”I will assist,” came a smooth voice.
An old man’s tone. Calm and deep—but Kian could feel the hidden edge behind it, a small shake of anger under the surface.
”Don’t step in…!” Kian growled.
”This is what happens when you ignore my advice,” the old man said flatly.
”Shut your mouth! I don’t take your orders!”
”Use the magic spear. He’s checking his shot range with that sword of his. Right now, he can’t counter with anything strong enough to stop you. This is your chance. End him.”
”Tch…” Juji spat blood mixed with spit, wiping his chin with his arm before smacking away a few of the beetle golems crawling on him. He stepped forward.
”Sorry, Lord Kian. Guess I’ll have to kill you with a cheap trick. If you end up in ValHara, don’t hold a grudge,” he said with a crooked smile.
(‘Glasses’)
Got it. Not with the sword, huh.
(Please… just believe in me.)
”Kian of Izerland. Too bad I can’t bring back your head. Still, killing you is all that matters.”
With that, Juji threw himself backward in one big leap.
The beetle golems split in two directions.
”Rufna, don’t interfere!” he shouted, sheathing both his magic swords and leaving himself unarmed.
”I’ll deal with this guy! You focus on backup!”
”Rune, roar…! Let your fire cover me in wrath!”
Juji raised the cursed spear made from the ancient tree. He held it flat over his head, the shaft parallel to the ground. Then, he bent his knees low, touching the ground lightly with the tips of his left fingers.
A terrible pressure of magic spilled out from him like a wave.
”Kian! Sir Kian! Mister Kian!”
”Stay back! I’ve got this!” Kian barked.
(‘Glasses’)
Let’s do this together, partner…
”Ooooooooooooh!”
Juji roared from his gut.
The spear stretched across his back burst into red and black fire, burning from tip to end. A flame spear, wild and evil.
Behind him, the sun rose—and in that light, the spear glowed like a star born from hate.
Kian took one step forward.
Talia walked beside him, her body slowly leaning into his.
Raise your right hand.
”…Yeah.”
He lifted it.
Kian’s eyes glowed red.
As Talia’s pale arm overlapped his, seven blurry swords appeared in a wide arc in his view. Was this what she saw all the time?
When she picked her sword, she reached into this arc and drew it like it was real.
It wasn’t a dream—no. Sparks of red lightning flashed as magic burst into the air.
Led by Talia’s arm, Kian’s hand reached for the blade on the far left—black and gold, thick with power. He grabbed it tight.
The seventh sword.
What did it look like to the others?
To them, Kian’s hand grabbed nothing at all… then somehow pulled a sword straight out from the air.
The Seventh Magic Sword, Water Moon (Mizuki).
Its power erased any long-range magic. Not only that—it swallowed that magic, changed it, and sent it flying back with twice the strength.
Even a god’s blade made from sunlight would be useless against it. Even something like a falling star would be flipped back.
Made from spirit ore, this weapon didn’t even need the user’s own magic. It pulled from the world itself. It could reflect spells by its own will.
Holding the blade sideways, Kian drew the magic sword free from its sheath.
”Turn to dust… Kian of Izerland!! OOOOOOHHH!”
Juji shot into the sky.
Even under his armor, his arms swelled with raw force—he raised the fire-wrapped spear and threw it down.
It fell like a blast from a god. A thin spear, now turned to a huge river of fire, roared toward Kian’s head.
”────!”
The sword was drawn.
In just a blink—a heartbeat before impact—Kian raised his blade.
He swung.
The red blade swallowed the huge blasts of fire one after another.
The magic sword shook slightly, as if sipping blood, and it hummed with deep, sharp magic.
Now… send it back.
”───────”
Kian brought the sword down with one smooth swing.
The red glow, shaped by the enemy’s magic type, wrapped Juji’s figure in the sky with a burning crimson light.
From beyond the blade’s tip, light rushed forward—faster than anything could follow.
Magic power spun into a spiral and formed a great whirl, tearing through the air as it crushed the small Wolfmen far below like insects underfoot.
They didn’t even have time to scream.
They simply vanished, turned to dust and wind.
Kian grabbed his magic spear, and in one motion, sent out another red flash. It punched through the clouds above, opening a wide hole.
A heavy gust roared out, and the heat in the air spiked wildly.
That light was not pure.
Not holy.
Not beautiful.
It was twisted, filthy, and wrong.
Its leftover force shattered the giant beetles floating high above, breaking them apart without mercy.
The power was so fierce that even the world itself seemed to pause.
Sarah and Linca stood frozen, looking up in shock.
Meanwhile, Natra and Rufna kept moving, finishing off the five silver wolves that were still fighting back.
Then the light faded away.
Only quiet remained over the wetlands.
And at last, Kian’s magic sword, Water Moon (Mizuki), faded into the morning haze like a dream vanishing with the dawn.
* * *
”What… what was that?”
The battlefield only began to breathe again when Umar’s voice echoed from the last surviving beetle golem.
”That can’t be real… That was the secret technique, ‘Mirror Moon’? But that kind of power… no one should have it…”
”Lord Umar,” Kian said as he stepped toward the three-meter-long beetle, his voice steady and quiet.
Natra, Sarah, and Linca, having cleared out the rest of the wolves, rushed to his side without a word.
”I don’t accept this…! It’s impossible…! How could a failure like you do something like that!?” Umar shouted, his voice shaking. “Am I dreaming some rotten nightmare!?”
”You’ve been hiding messages between the lines, haven’t you?” Kian asked, his eyes calm. “Looks like you sent someone to kill me. Why?”
”…”
Umar didn’t answer.
Behind Kian, Rufna strolled casually, her magic bow slung over one shoulder, eyes watching the sky.
”Lord Umar, can you hear me?” Kian asked with a light tone.
”I hear you, you worthless failure!” he shouted back, spitting the words.
”Again with that?” Kian muttered, shaking his head.
”Yes, again! A hundred times if I must! You’re garbage! You’re nothing compared to Jibril—you’re the lowest, most useless scum ever born!”
”Watch your mouth, Umar Vahid,” Linca’s voice cut through sharply.
Her stare was cold, deadly.
She looked directly at the beetles, rage boiling just beneath her calm face.
”I won’t forgive insults toward my future husband,” she said clearly. “If we meet again, I’ll peel your skin off and leave you to rot.”
”Linca…! You’re saying that now?” Umar laughed bitterly.
”Jibril’s lapdog,” he sneered. “A mindless follower. If Jibril throws you away, will you start bowing to this failure next? Pathetic.”
”I’m simply acting like a proper human being,” Linca replied, not hiding her fury. “What kind of parent calls their child garbage? You don’t deserve to be Sir Kian’s father. You’re beneath even beasts. Just hearing you speak makes my skin crawl.”
”That boy is not my son.”
”Have you finally left reality behind? That’s sad.”
”I refuse to see that thing as my son!”
Umar’s voice rose sharply. His tone, once collected, now dripped with disgust.
”Kian, you make me sick. Every time I look at you, it feels like insects are crawling through my blood. I hate your voice. I hate your scent. I hate every part of you.”
”I see,” Kian said simply.
Do you hear yourself?
Why aren’t you angry?
Why aren’t you yelling back?
You just stand there… like a bug under a boot. You’re so disgusting, it’s unreal.
Umar’s rage kept pouring out, each word like a knife tossed without care.
People say a parent’s love is unconditional—but for Umar, it was the opposite.
Rufna had stopped moving. Her face looked confused and lost.
Sarah stared ahead, her skin pale, lips pressed tightly together.
Kian let out a slow sigh.
”Lord Umar, you shared your life with my mother. You held it inside. That’s how I was born.”
”You have no mother!” Umar barked, not letting him finish. “I wanted someone like Sarah! Not you! You shouldn’t have existed! You shouldn’t have been born at all!”
”Damn you—! How dare you say that, you monster!”
Linca shouted, her voice cracking.
Natra’s eyes widened.
She knew Umar’s hate was real… but even she hadn’t expected it to run this deep.
It hit her like a hammer, breaking something inside.
”I won’t give up Sarah! She belongs to me! I will never allow someone like you to take her!”
”Haa… But she’s not your bride,” Kian said with a tired breath. “I don’t need your permission.”
”Lord Umar,” Sarah said, stepping forward with tears on her cheeks. Her voice trembled, but her eyes were fierce.
”Take that back. Apologize to Kian right now.”
”There’s no need. I’ve told him these things many times. And not once has he argued. That’s proof I was right.”
”Lord Umar!! Are you serious?” Sarah shouted, her voice breaking.
”Looks like it’s true,” Natra said quietly, her brows drawn tight. “I’ve heard him say things like that at the Vahid family’s private gatherings.”
”…People like this… really exist… Ugh…”
Kian gave a weak shrug.
”By the way, Lord Umar. If you’re heading to see Princess Maribel, I can show you the way. Do you plan to go?”
”It’s dangerous to joke now,” Rufna warned quietly. “It’s better to ask what he’s planning next.”
The beetle shook slightly, metal parts clicking.
”Kian. Linca. Thanks to you, our research at the gate has been ruined. If Linca and Sarah had stayed with me, we could’ve destroyed Arminus and cleaned up this whole mess. I’ll never forgive you.”
”Oh? So you’re picking a fight with me using that beetle?” Kian asked, his tone calm.
”Not me. Lord Arminus and Lord Fraus will end you.”
”Well, they sure are slow. Juji and the others are already dead, you know?”
”…The decision to pause the war… and the rejection of those foolish terms… that old fool…”
Umar’s voice settled a little.
”Anyway, well done. The beast threat is gone. I’ll take this as my proof to visit the princess of Izerland. She’s been sheltered too long. She’ll fall for sweet words easily.”
(But he might not go at all. He may stay here and try to kill me and Linca instead. Don’t let your guard down.)
”Next time we meet, it’ll be the end. …Honestly, I wanted to show you my real power. I wanted to crush your hope.”
As he said this, Kian drew his Windsong Blade.
There was no point in talking more.
Even asking about Eleonora or the others was useless—Umar’s words meant nothing but harm.
Kian lifted his hand and erased the fallen golems in a single stroke.
The wind whipped around them.
Natra’s hair fluttered in the breeze as she came back to herself.
”Linca, what time is it?”
”More important than that—!”
A woman with eastern looks rushed forward, her fist raised high. She slammed it into the silver-white armor of ‘Silver Ice,’ her lips tight with frustration.
”I’m worried about you, Sir Kian,” she muttered.
”I’m not hurt anywhere,” Kian said gently. “Still, judging by the sun’s position… it should be just after five in the morning. Everyone, thank you. I’m sorry, but please strip the silver wolves of their gear quickly. We need to send word to Ramsey—tell them ‘Owl has become a monster.’ There’s no time.”
”……”
Natra looked up at Kian, eyes filled with pain.
Sarah looked away.
Linca was crying silently.
”Everyone… thank you for caring about me. I’ll cry later, in my own room,” Kian said with a faint smile.
”Yeah, cry all you want,” Rufna said, patting his shoulder with a grin. “Don’t pretend to be strong just because you’re thirty. I’ll put up a barrier later, so go ahead and let it out.”
’Kian. You have this one.’
Talia ran up beside him as he moved toward the silver wolf corpses.
’Your heart’s been hurt so badly you don’t even feel it anymore. I will stay with you—forever.’
(Thank you, Talia)
Kian smiled softly into the empty air, then leaned down and pulled a magician’s staff from the dead body at his feet.
Notes:
• Juji – Male. Leader of the Wolfmen’s ‘Jinsou’. A skilled warrior with sharp senses and combat abilities. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Isthbaran – The High Warlord of the ‘Storm Herd.’
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Arminus – Male. Leader of the Black Panther Tribe. Possesses extraordinary physical abilities, enhanced by the tribe’s unique technique that repels energy and magic attacks. His speed and strength surpass those of High Warlord Isthbaran. Wields the magic sword Balmung, capable of cleaving through an ice dragon with a single strike. His black fur provides camouflage in low visibility, making him nearly undetectable. Relationship: Leader of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Fraus – Male. Son of Arminus. Member of the Black Panther Tribe. Shares his father’s enhanced physical abilities and combat prowess. Relationship: Subordinate and family to Arminus.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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