Chapter 449
'Roan. I didn't expect that you b.a.s.t.a.r.d didn't perish and is alive.'
Sensing a squirming existence in Vertex, the deepest place of the body and heart.
Flamdor realized that existence was Roan.
He immediately at that moment casually sat down on the ground and entered into the Vertex.
The Vertex, which was completely black, was changed to a beautiful and brilliant sight.
Green fields and a tall mountain, lush forest and clear river, a sky without a speck of cloud.
"Where are you? Where are you hiding?"
The man of crimson-hue uniform, Flamdor looked around and loudly shouted.
The sky and the earth sharply trembled.
At that moment, a black point was dotted in the blue sky.
The black dot, with an amazingly fast speed, fell towards the ground.
Chk!
A soft landing.
Brown hair, eyebrows, and eyes tinged with black hue.
Although his appearance had slightly changed, the man who fell from the sky was definitely Roan.
He, while wearing a crimson armor, was holding the Travias Spear.
"Oho. You really are alive."
Flamdor queerly laughed and shook his head back and forth.
An expression that said he predicted but still find it hard to believe.
"Just how did you survive?"
At those words, Roan raised up the Travias Spear.
"I received some help."
Instantly, Flamdor's lips deeply twisted.
"So it was that blacky b.a.s.t.a.r.d's work as expected. Idiotic b.a.s.t.a.r.d."
Thickly spat out curse.
His words kept continuing on.
"Well, this is something I expected to a degree. That blacky b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he began to slowly change since he started eating your blood."
Travias too originally thought completely of only himself and decided and acted only for his own benefit same as Flamdor.
But after drinking Roan's blood and awakening, a large change began to appear in his heart.
a.s.similation.
Travias a.s.similated into Roan.
That too was a truly instinctive event.
A relations.h.i.+p tied with blood.
As the time flowed more and more, Roan and Travias became unable to reject each other.
In the middle of that, Roan, Flamdor, and Travias fought a grand duel within the Vertex in order to suppress Mad Monarch Simon.
The grand duel, as predicted, flowed towards Flamdor's overwhelming dominance.
At this moment, Travias made a portentous decision.
He had separated his power and abilities into two and gave one to Flamdor, and another to Roan.
Of course, he didn't simply give his strength.
Travias had used his last strength and abilities and confused Flamdor's senses, and at that moment had broken Roan out of the Vertex and hid him inside the Travias Spear.
Flamdor was superbly caught in Travias's scheme.
He had thought Roan too had perished together with Travias.
Understandably, it was because Roans' existence couldn't be felt in Vertex as well as anywhere inside the body.
He completely hadn't thought that he had possibly been hiding inside the Travias Spear.
"Come to think of it, the reason the Travias Spear showed no reaction when I tried to kill Simon brat just now wasn't because the spear didn't listen, but because Roan, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d has refused my order, wasn't it?"
Roan nodded his head in place of answer.
Flamdor stared at that sight and lightly clenched his fists.
"Somehow avoiding being erased is something commendable, but there's nothing that changes even so."
His eyes turned fierce.
"You brat can never win against me."
In the first place, the strongest amongst the three was Flamdor.
On top of that, he absolved half of Travias's power and abilities.
There were reasons to why he was confident.
But Roan's expression, for some reason, was notably calm.
He exhaled a breath shortly and formed a faint smile.
"It would be so if it was the past me."
"Past?"
Flamdor frowned.
An expression saying it made no sense.
"Past? Me erasing you and killing Simon was something that happened in a blink. What can happen in that short……"
Flamdor who was continuing his words suddenly goggled his eyes.
An unbelieving expression floated up on his face.
"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d actually……?"
The end of his words slightly trembled.
Roan was still making a faint smile.
Within his head, the story Travias pa.s.sed just before peris.h.i.+ng floated up.
At first, he didn't understand what that meant.
But to fight Flamdor and survive, he had to find the way to properly control the Vertex that Travias spoke of.
And before Flamdor realize his existence too.
His heart had been desperate, but finding the method wasn't easy.
Blindly, he had come out of the Travias Spear and entered into the Vertex.
It was because of a hope that he might be able to find at least a small thread of hint if he were to directly jump in and try.
But the moment he entered the Vertex, Flamdor had noticed his existence.
'I thought that it was completely over.'
Roan driven to a corner.
The desperate heart had ridden up his throat and had completely filled his head.
At that instant, the entire Vertex had very faintly but sharply shaken.
It was a movement unstable as if it was showing Roan's tangled and desperate state of mind.
Though it was a change very minute enough for most people to not notice, Roan did not miss that change.
'And at the same time, I found the way to control the Vertex.'
The Vertex wasn't a separate s.p.a.ce.
The place that was the origin of Roan's mind and emotions.
Thus, Vertex could be said to be Roan himself.
'It wasn't controlling the Vertex. It was controlling myself.'
Roan had opened up his mind that focused on, no, was absorbed in Vertex and began to meditate largely and widely on himself.
As his body and mind calmly subsided, the Vertex's unstable trembling had also stopped.
It was the moment that Roan had come to completely control the Vertex.
At that moment, Vertex's time had stopped.
No, to be exact, the time that flowed in the Vertex had become incredibly slower than the real world's time.
This too was one of the unique feature Roan gained as he came to completely control the Vertex.
No, it was one of its natural abilities.
'I can't tell how long the time flowed. Since there is no day and night here in the Vertex.'
Firstly, Roan had devoted to making the half of power and abilities Travias left wholly his own.
The good thing was that Travias had pa.s.sed all of the memories and abilities related to spearmans.h.i.+p to Roan.
Thanks to that, Roan had been instantly able to learn the tens, hundreds of skills that directed the powerful spearmans.h.i.+p and the spear.
Roan who had completely absorbed Travias's power and abilities had continued and focused on spearmans.h.i.+p training.
Because mana was of no use in the Vertex anyway, he didn't separately do mana technique training.
Time without a visible end had continued to flow.
During that time, Roan had achieved an unrecognizably great advance.
Meanwhile, his hair, eyebrows, and eyes that were brown had changed to a peculiar color with a hint of black.
Roan and Travias had perfectly became one.
And finally.
'The gate of Vertex opened up and Flamdor showed up.'
Roan stared with calm light in his eyes at Flamdor.
"Should we finish about now?"
A voice soft but overflowing with confidence.
Flamdor's face comically twisted.
'As expected, he became able to control the Vertex.' 1
That in short meant that he could freely mold the Vertex's time as well.
'If it's Roan b.a.s.t.a.r.d's level of ability……'
The calculation within his head turned complicated.
'At the least, has about 2, 3 years have pa.s.s?'
Of course, it was a significantly approximate estimate.
For if Roan's ability was much greater than his prediction, he could have instead stop the time itself.
If so, the gap between the real world's time and the time within the Vertex would be much bigger.
Flamdor formed a b.l.o.o.d.y smile.
'If he repeated training and research within all that time……'
His eyes sharply shook.
'It could also not be easy.'
It was a moment that a slight c.h.i.n.k formed in his concrete confidence.
The firm belief collapsed and doubt rose up.
Though Flamdor did not quite realize it, that very doubt was the part that should be most cautious of in the Vertex.
The nearby s.p.a.ce very slightly blurred.
A sight as if the Vertex was pus.h.i.+ng Flamdor away.
Roan didn't miss that sight.
Travias Spear's head pointed at Flamdor.
"Not believing yourself here in Vertex……"
A quiet voice pierced into his ears.
"In short means erasure."
The instant his words finished, Roan kicked off the ground.
Distance closing in an instant.
It was a speed that exceeded the level of a human.
"d.a.m.n it! What a haughty look!"
Flamdor too kicked the ground with a shout.
Paat!
A fierce charge that rip apart the air.
Fwoos.h.!.+
Fire burst out from
Jiing.
Through the Kalian's Tears, Flamdor's movement was seen slowly.
But even so, at a level similar to an ordinary person throwing a punch.
Flamdor's movements were rapid to such degree.
Paat! Ssweaaak!
With sharp shattering of air, the Travias Spear moved as if dancing.
Kkang! Kkagang! Kkakakakang!
Roan's spearhead and Flamdor's fist clashed and metallic din echoed.
Though it was something unbelievable, Roan and Flamdor weren't perturbed.
Right now, Roan and Flamdor's battle was a duel that exceeded the level of humans.
"Kuk!"
Flamdor tightly clenched his teeth with a groan.
Although it seemed an equal exchange when seen from the outside, it wasn't actually so.
Each time the spear and the fists crashed, a pain like the entire body's bones shattering was felt.
'I, I merely by a human!'
It didn't matter that the s.p.a.ce right now was the Vertex.
That himself who drove the world into fear hundreds of years ago was being pushed by a mere human and feeling pain was degrading.
"d.a.m.n it!"
Flamdor couldn't hold back and shouted.
Simultaneously, he raised an incredible flame and pounced towards Roan.
But at that instant.
Paat!
Roan who was right before his nose instantly became far away.
It wasn't him kicking off the ground and throwing his body backwards either.
Flamdor's face comically twisted.
"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d. You're molding the Vertex as you wish."
He could see it clearly.
The s.p.a.ce between Roan and himself extending by tens of times the instant Roan faintly smiled.
Roan pointed at Flamdor with the spearhead.
"Feel it."
A quietly echoing voice.
"The despair."
Simultaneously, Roan who was far away appeared in front of his nose.
In reverse this time, the s.p.a.ce between Roan and Flamdor had shrank to mere centimeters.
Spat!
The spearhead slashed past Flamdor's side.
Flamdor had dodged Roan's attack with an incredible reflex in that short instant.
But Roan's attack wasn't a single strike.
Wuung! Wung! Pbat! Spat!
The length, size, and thickness of the Travias Spear that rode Roan's hand and moved changed stupefyingly.
It didn't stay still for even an instant.
It thickened tens of times wider than a body and then quickly thinned thinner than a needle, and it elongated until its end disappeared and then shortened shorter than a nail.
Roan even threw the spear that shrank to an invisible degree then changed it to an incredible size and length.
Now, Roan could freely change the Travias Spear's length, thickness, and size without even touching it.
'It's something possible because it's Vertex, of course, but……'
If it was the real world, it was something only possible at a very short distance.
Kkakang! Pbuk! Kkang! Kkakakakang!
Flamdor, at the stunningly flooding attacks, began to slowly, slowly be pushed back.
A feeling like the bones of the entire body were turning to dust.
But he was Flamdor.
'I can't fall just like this!'
Flamdor glared at Roan with brightly burning eyes.
The fire bursting out of his entire body turned even fiercer.
The crimson fire slowly turned blue.
Right now, he was squeezing out all the power he had.
"I'll show you the essence of fire."
Flamdor murmured with a quiet and powerful voice.
The blue flame slowly turned faint, then became colored into a white hue.
A bizarre sight.
But the change was not over with that.
Even the white light slowly turned faint, then soon completely disappeared.
The fire pouring out of his entire body completely lost its color and turned transparent.
Flamdor made a bright smile that showed all his teeth.
"I am the fire."
Synchronously, he kicked off the ground and rushed towards Roan.
Fwoooos.h.!.+
Fire erupted on the ground each time he moved.
No, it wasn't only the ground.
Fire spread even onto the air and the sky along the wind.
"Hhm."
Roan leaked out a quiet groan.
Even though it was within the Vertex, foul heat was felt.
It was a heat that exceeded the threshold the Brent's Ring could endure.
'I would already have turned to a fistful of ash if it was the outside world.'
He newly awed at Flamdor's ability.
But he did not become dispirited nor despaired.
'Because this place is Vertex.'
Roan deeply inhaled and extended the spearhead forwards.
A somehow slack movement that strength was drained amazingly naturally.
It was a pose embarra.s.sing to dare call a stance.
Roan collected his breath and extended his left foot forwards.
His torso turned and his body and the spear became one.
Meanwhile, Flamdor neared before his nose.
A pose intending to pour down the invisible and transparent flame all over Roan.
"Roan! I will kill you b.a.s.t.a.r.d and become this body's true owner!"
Flamdor's roar rang the Vertex.
Roan faintly smiled and extended the spear he held.
Sss.
It was a very slow thrust without any change.
Travias's spearhead split the heat and went forwards.
"Let's now end this."
Roan's quiet voice fully filled the Vertex's inside like an echo.
Simultaneously.
Kkkwaaaaaaaaaaaanngggg!
The Travias Spear and Flamdor's fire clashed.
An incredibly bright light completely filled the Vertex.
Meanwhile, Pierce and Katy were worryingly staring at Roan who had abruptly and casually sat down on the ground and didn't move a bit with his eyes closed.
'The energies within his body are rocking on their own.'
Pierce, through outstanding sense of energy, had noticed that Roan was currently experiencing unusual event.
He, even with an injured body, raised his old spear and guarded Roan's side.
He was worried that someone might perhaps approach carelessly and touch his body or cause harm.
Katy too noticed Pierce's such heart and guarded his side without a word.
Though the talents she possessed were insignificant, she wished to at least act like returning the kindness she received from Roan and Pierce.
After who knew how long.
Pierce who was standing guard slightly creased his forehead.
'It finished.'
The incredible stream of mana felt from Roan's body disappeared.
He, raising his spear back, moved about two steps back from Roan.
"Princess. Come behind me."
He pulled Katy back too and stood her behind his back.
'Just in case……'
The alien feeling he felt when he met Roan.
Just in case Roan might show the bizarre look again, he was worrying and staying guarded.
At that moment.
Paat!
Roan widely opened the eyes he had closed.
Crimson eyes flashed and shone with light.
"Si, Sir Count?"
Pierce called out Roan with a cautious voice.
But Roan showed no reaction at all.
Instead, only the crimson eyes were very sharply trembling.
And.
Flas.h.!.+
Light flashed from Roan's entire body.
The light was a truly strange color that wasn't brown, wasn't black, and wasn't red either.
Pierce instinctively raised his spear and aimed at Roan.
A moment later, the light disappeared and Roan's appearance showed.
"Hhm."
Pierce and Katy leaked quiet groans.
Roan's appearance was different than before.
The hair, eyebrows, and eyes that were blood-red until just now had changed to a truly sublime and strange blackish crimson hue.
Though it was a greatly fearsome and melancholic hue from an angle, somehow a majesty that naturally made heads lower was felt when looked close.
A sublime feeling like an existence that exceeded human.
"……"
Pierce and Katy stared at Roan dazed.
At that moment, a faint smile hanged on Roan's face that had no expression at all.
An infinitely gentle and warm smile.
The blackish crimson eyes slowly moved and stared at Pierce and Katy.
At the same time, a voice quiet but overflowing with dignity flowed out.
"Pierce. Are you going to cut me?"
Pierce widely goggled his eyes seeming asking what did he mean, then soon looked at his hands and made a shocked and jolted expression.
"Ah! N, no sir!"
He quickly pulled back the spear he aimed at Roan.
Roan looked at that sight and brightly smiled as he stood up.
The grand duel in Vertex.
Roan had finally defeated Flamdor and after absorbing him was able to regain his body.
He deeply breathed in and closed his eyes.
"Ah……"
Roan unconsciously let out a quiet exclamation.
"These memories and powers, just what……"
They overflowed.
Incredible memories in the head, and incredible mana and energy in the body.
Furthermore, they weren't simply memorized superficially and stored.
Thanks to training and duel in the Vertex, and directly absorbing Travias and Flamdor, they were at a state where he had already completely learned them as his own.
'I became strong. No……'
It wasn't just that much.
Furthermore.
'I will become stronger.'
If it were the memories and powers of now, he could become much stronger than now.
Roan made a bitter smile.
'I thought that the limit was clear, but……'
He had thought that there was a limit to martial strength and abilities one could raise through training and research.
He had thought that he would someday face a wall he simply cannot jump over.
But today.
'Now, is there no such thing as a wall before me?'
It was a feeling like the wall called the limit was all destroyed as he absorbed Travias and Flamdor.
The bitter smile hanging on his mouth became even deeper.
His heart was tangled.
At that moment.
"Sir Count. Are you okay?"
Pierce approached and cautiously asked.
His face seemed truly relaxed.
Because he was confident that Roan before his eyes was the Roan he had known.
A deeply moved light was apparent fully in his eyes.
Roan faintly smiled and nodded his head.
"Pierce. Have you become the best spearman of the continent?"
At those words, Pierce bashfully smiled and scratched the back of his head.
"I was confident just until I was coming back out of the mountains, but……"
His gaze turned towards Roan.
"It seems the strongest is impossible and I can be about the second strongest spearman, sir."
Meaning that he would concede the seat of the best spearman of the continent to Roan.
No, it meant that he could only concede it.
At those words, Roan cheerfully smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
"We won't know until we fight."
Pierce bitterly smiled and shook his head.
"If you have to hit me, then I'll just have to get hit."
A whining he couldn't even imagine in the past.
Roan once again smiled as he looked at that sight.
His heart became rea.s.sured as he looked at Pierce before his eyes.
At that moment.
"Waaaaah!"
"Die!"
"Kkuaaaah!"
Sounds of cheer and arms were heard from below the hill.
Roan moved his steps towards the edge of the hill.
Below their feet, the battle was still at its peak.
"Pierce."
"Yes sir."
Pierce approached at Roan's call.
Roan lightly swung his Travias Spear and looked down at the battlefield.
"Let's do our fight after the battle ends."
Pierce once again made a bitter smile at those words.
"So I said do as you wish if you insist on hitting me, sir."
A whine once again flowed out.
Roan lightly tapped such Pierce's shoulder, then kicked off the ground.
Taat!
Instantly, his image shot up towards the sky.
"Wow……"
Katy who was watching from the back let out an exclamation with her mouth wide open.
Roan brought to mind a bird.
The crimson bird cut across the sky and then soon landed on top of the earth.
Boom!
A wind pressure arose with the place he landed as the center.
"Kkuaaaah!"
"Kkeeee?"
At the same time, blackish crimson fire drew a circle shape and spread out in all direction.
"Kkuaaaah!"
"Gguah!"
The hex dolls that foolishly pounced, with a bizarre shriek, turned into a fistful of ash and disappeared.
Fwoos.h.!.+
Flame soared along the Travias Spear.
Roan's blackish red eyes twinkled with a cold light.
Simultaneously, the spearhead that held flame moved as if to dance.
Brilliantly blossoming flower of fire.
That, like the Amaranth, fiercely burned up as if it would forever unwither.
With Roan's entering of the fight, the battle flowed one-sidedly.
Hexers who created and controlled the hex dolls all lost their lives.
Thanks to that, the battle ended truly blandly.
A complete victory.
Roan and the Lancephil Legion completely defeated Simon and the Legion of Dark.
"Huu."
Roan stood at the center of the battlefield and exhaled a short sigh.
On his right hand, two small letters were held.
The news that arrived simultaneously with the victory.
The one was the news of the Rinse Kingdom's North that Agens had sent, and the remaining one was the news of the South that Tenebra Troop had sent.
"So it ultimately becomes like this."
Roan looked back and forth between the north and the south.
A peculiar smile hanged on his mouth.
The small letters held at the tip of his fingers received the wind and fluttered.
The lettters' stories took on the clear sunlight and flickeringly showed.
Although the two letters' preceding stories were different, their ends were surprisingly the same story.
End.
Translator: CSV
Proofreader: Fujimaru
1. "as expected" as in confirming his earlier suspicion.