I Pulled Out the Excalibur

An unbelievable output of sword aura.
However, it didn’t possess any special form or properties.

Of course, it didn’t. Najin was still a Sword Expert, not yet at the level of a Sword Seeker. What Najin had done was simply push the output of his sword aura beyond its limits in a way only he could.

…Najin’s mana cultivation technique was unique.

The mana stored in his body was minimal, and most of the cultivated mana was used to strengthen his body and the pathways through which mana flowed. There was no need to store mana inside the body.

After all, Najin could immediately utilize the mana floating in the air around him. He could draw the mana floating in the air and instantly weave it into his sword aura.

His sense of handling mana was different from others who had to manage only the mana stored within them.

‘That’s why.’

Najin knew.

‘There’s no limit to mana itself.’

Mana floating outside.
The raw flow circulating the world.
Najin, who manipulates this flow, is like standing in the middle of a vast ocean with a cup.

He only had a small vessel to scoop the water, but he knew that if he enlarged the vessel, he could scoop as much as he wanted.

Here’s one thing.

Just before leaving the underground city, during his decisive battle with Ivan, Najin unconsciously stumbled upon a special method of usage unique only to him.

It wasn’t about scooping water with a vessel.
It was about jumping into the ocean.

Even at the risk of drowning, he would throw his body in just to snatch a victory. That was the gamble Najin discovered. At this moment, he was making the same bet.

-You, that…

Merlin was startled by Najin’s method of using mana.
The paths etched in Najin’s body, the channels where mana flowed, began to creak. Mana, in quantities too vast to be contained, was filling up inside Najin.

Operation of mana beyond its limit.

The circuits creaked. Broke. Cracked. Mana that couldn’t be contained in the circuits began to leak. The raw mana that leaked started to lash out inside Najin’s body.

Drawing in more mana than he could handle.
Stepping beyond the allowed limits.

Damaging his body and circuits in exchange for overwhelming output, a reckless method without regard for the future. Even with the recovery powers of Excalibur…

“Cough. Cough…”

The pain of being torn apart from the inside by rampant mana was something only Najin had to endure. He spat out a mouthful of blood. Despite the excruciating pain tearing him from within, his grip on the sword tightened.

With bloodshot eyes, Najin glared at Verheigen. His eyes, glowing with the hue of sunset, held a yearning for victory. Clenching his teeth, Najin slammed his foot down.

-……

Merlin remained silent.
The method of operation born from Najin’s desire for victory. Incidentally, it was also something Arthur had used. A technique that no one had ever taught him, and nowhere recorded.

Arthur, who fought countless strong adversaries, yearned for it.
A strike to tear the throats of the powerful.

A strike to break his own limits.

Always challenging those stronger than himself, risking his life for victory… Arthur, who struggled even in dire situations to snatch victory, had developed this method during his journey.

Despite the mana churning inside, tearing his body apart.
Despite the excruciating pain from the twisting circuits.
He would never back down, vomiting blood while charging at his enemies to cut their throats.

Merlin saw a resemblance between Arthur’s image and Najin. Without anyone’s guidance, Najin had independently discovered the same method as Arthur. Solely driven by his determination to win.

-Really.

Merlin burst out laughing.

-You’re crazier than I thought.

Najin dashed towards Verheigen, his white sword aura blazing brilliantly.

Verheigen’s eyes wavered.

The man who seemed almost dead had suddenly come back to life. Not only did he revive, but his speed increased, and the sword aura wrapping his blade surged more fiercely. It was as if he had been hiding his strength all along.

Kaang!

At the moment of the swords’ clash, Verheigen was pushed back. Despite having the upper hand in terms of the weight of the sword and physical strength, he was overpowered in terms of output. The rebound from the violently surging sword aura pushed Verheigen’s greatsword back.

‘What is this…!’

Verheigen’s eyes widened in shock.
His grip on the sword ached, and Najin’s sword struck, continuously clashing it. Previously, Verheigen had protected his neck by raising his forearms, but this time, he shuddered.

No, it won’t work.
He can’t take it with his bare body.

Belatedly, Verheigen twisted his body. Najin’s sword, aiming for his neck, grazed Verheigen’s shoulder. At that moment, Verheigen confirmed his decision to dodge was right.

The shoulder wound was deep. If it had hit his neck, it would have almost severed half of it. Amidst the burning pain from the wound, Verheigen locked eyes with Najin.

Those eyes were shining with bloodlust and sunset hue.

Eerily intense eyes. Verheigen had a feeling. The situation had completely changed. Najin’s sword aura was strong enough to slice through his demonized body. He could no longer block with his body.

‘What are you?’

He wasn’t just a Sword Expert.
It’s impossible for a Sword Expert to unleash such a powerful sword aura. It was unthinkable for him to move like that.

‘What are you, really?’

Cold sweat ran down Verheigen’s spine.
With each clash of swords, with every charge of Najin’s sword aiming for his throat… Verheigen clenched his teeth and had to fend off the attacks.

Previously, he had toyed with Najin.
But now, he had to confront him as an equal.

If he couldn’t block, he would die. The difference in level was no longer meaningful. Victory and defeat were decided by skill and momentary judgment. Each swing of Najin’s sword was imposed upon Verheigen.

Death. Blood. Flesh.

Blood splattered. Flesh was scattered. It wasn’t just Najin bleeding anymore. Blood began to spurt from Verheigen’s body as well.

The pursuit team of the demon knight Verheigen.
Argo, the leading knight of the Knights of Atanga’ pursuit team, pulled the reins of his horse.

The last location where the signal was detected. Argo stopped there and looked around, then heard the clashing of swords ‘kang, kaang’. He signaled the following knights and moved towards the source of the sound.

Pushing through the bushes and passing the dense trees, he reached an artificially cleared area in the middle of the forest.

Trees uprooted and split lay scattered around the clearing. Likely created by cutting and uprooting trees that hindered the duel. At first glance, it seemed like a dueling arena in the midst of the forest.

Kaang!

In that arena, two swordsmen clashed. One was Verheigen, the demon knight chased by the Knights of Atanga, and the other, a young adventurer.

‘Wasn’t there talk of an adventurer in Cambria taking on the mission?’

Presumably, that young man was the adventurer.
Intending to express gratitude to the young man for excellently carrying out the mission, Argo drew his sword. To ease the young man’s burden and to subdue the demon knight.

As he was about to step forward, Argo frowned, sensing something off.

Verheigen’s movements, the sword aura he wielded, and the intense demonic energy. In Argo’s eyes, Verheigen’s level seemed much higher than reported. Was the assessment of his strength wrong? Surprising, but not a problem.

‘I moved, anticipating such possibilities.’

Argo was a warrior who had reached the level of a Sword Seeker.
Furthermore, behind him were his proud colleagues from the Knights of Atanga. He was confident that they could handle any unexpected situations that might arise.

Thus, Verheigen’s unexpected strength wasn’t a concern, but something else caught Argo’s attention.

It was the movements of the young man clashing swords with Verheigen. The young man, wielding a sword wreathed in a pure white sword aura, displayed an astonishing level of swordplay.

Cha-cha-cha-cha-chaak!

The untainted, pristine white sword aura repelled Verheigen’s dark-tainted sword multiple times. Sometimes smoothly, sometimes boldly. The young man’s steps were light yet precise.

His sword strikes didn’t miss any openings.
His stance seamlessly transitioned between movements.

Based on the Order of the Sword’s techniques, the young man’s style seemed to blend various sword techniques. While the swordplay itself was admirable, what was most astonishing was the young man’s instantaneous decision-making.

‘Bold.’

Not just parrying but boldly piercing to inflict wounds, and never missing any openings revealed by the opponent. Like a fierce beast.

Thus, the young man matched Verheigen.

Engaging in a duel with Verheigen, who was presumed to be at the level of a Sword Seeker. Despite the young man’s impressive skills, Argo had never seen him before. As Argo looked at the young man’s face, he gasped.

It was because he saw the young man’s eyes.

Eyes that only focused on Verheigen, burning intensely with a strong desire for victory. Eyes that seemed to draw one in, eerily captivating.

“……”

Upon seeing those eyes, Argo silently sheathed his sword and signaled the Knights of Atanga to halt.

The young man had a firm resolve to deny his opponent.
With an intense desire for victory.
He was fully committed to the duel.

It was something that should never be interrupted or disturbed by others. Argo, ready to intervene at any moment, watched – no, was captivated by – the duel between Najin and Verheigen. It was not just a watchful gaze, but one that was snatched away.

The young man wielded a raw sword.

An unrefined, incomplete sword technique and sword aura. Yet, it was precisely because of this rawness that it was captivating. There was an intensity only found in something unrefined.

Ka, ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!

Sword auras clashed, sparks flew, and the tip of the sword grazed, causing blood to burst and evaporate upon touching the blazing sword aura.

Rising blood.
The sound of clashing swords.
Chaotically intertwined footsteps.

The perfectly balanced scale began to tilt in Najin’s favor. Unlike Verheigen, who was merely treading water, Najin continued to grow even amidst the battle.

Quajik!

Verheigen’s greatsword tore into the ground. As the heavy impact shook the ground, Najin was already not on the ground. With a light leap, Najin spun in the air and, upon landing, struck down towards Verheigen’s sword.

Kaang!

Najin’s longsword struck the greatsword, driving it deeper into the ground. Then, following the slanted blade of the greatsword, Najin swung his sword. Ga-ga-ga-gak, the sound rang as his blade aimed for Verheigen’s neck.

“…Ck!”

Verheigen hastily let go of his greatsword and reached out to grab Najin’s sword…

But Najin’s sword aura was beyond any resistance. Verheigen’s palm, stretched forward, was severed by the sword aura. From the little finger to the index finger, the flesh and bone were sliced as Najin’s sword continued unimpeded.

The blood that erupted evaporated, and Najin’s sword neared Verheigen’s neck.

At that moment, Verheigen sensed his imminent defeat. He felt an unavoidable death approaching. Therefore, he resorted to his last hidden move.

“—————————!”

Verheigen let out a monstrous yell.
His eyes flipped, and a momentary burst of black smoke erupted from his body, engulfing both him and Najin.

A scene that unfolded in an instant, too fast for even the Knights of Atanga to react.

Verheigen’s last resort.
It was a move he had saved for the battle against the Knights of Atanga, something he could use only once.

A power obtained through a contract with a demon.
A one-time opportunity lent by that power.

Verheigen used it to kill Najin, convinced that he would die otherwise. His face contorted with rage.

“I shouldn’t have used it on someone like you.”

The artifact managed by the Schulhauser family for generations.
Though it was known to contain a mid-level demon, Verheigen knew it was not just any ordinary being.

From centuries ago, the ancient era.

The entity in the artifact was an ancient demon active in that era. Having stolen the Schulhauser family’s secret texts, Verheigen knew this and contracted with the demon inside the artifact.

Darkness and fear. The demon symbolizing blindness.
The ancient demon, Arkand.

That power was manifested through Verheigen’s hands. The rising black mist quickly transformed into a dome-shaped barrier, enclosing both Najin and Verheigen.

Although the original Arkand could engulf a small territory, Verheigen’s extent was limited to this. However, he knew this was sufficient.

While the barrier’s range was limited.
Its properties remained the same.

‘A complete disconnect from the outside world. Creating a completely sealed space, unreachable even by starlight…’

And the amplification of demonic energy. Verheigen’s wounds instantly healed. Flesh regrew, and fingers sliced off regrew tainted black. His body overflowed with strength, incomparable to moments before.

The greatsword, now wreathed in black sword aura.

In this space, Verheigen held an overwhelming advantage. Even if it were the Knights of Atanga, he was confident they couldn’t match him. In fact, he was sure they couldn’t stand against him.

The sensation of omnipotence.
The overwhelming power felt.

Verheigen smirked, looking at Najin. The pure white sword aura that had been shining was now dimmed by the darkness of the barrier. It seemed unlikely to blaze again, as the barrier not only strengthened Verheigen but also weakened his opponent.

“This is the end, boy.”

Verheigen smirked, looking at Najin. In the darkness created by the demon, the light produced by a mere human seemed pitiful. The white sword aura, now seemingly on the verge of extinction, made Najin’s figure look pathetic.

Verheigen was sure of his victory.

He pondered how to crush Najin, how to give this insolent man a miserably fitting end. As he moved towards Najin…

“……”

Verheigen locked eyes with Najin.
There was no fear in those eyes, no wavering. They were eerily calm. Feeling a dissonance, Verheigen frowned.

…Was that color there before?

Najin’s eyes, which were sunset-colored moments ago, were now shining platinum.

Like the stars in the night sky.

-You finally used it.

Merlin’s voice echoed in Najin’s ears.
The voice was full of laughter.