The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 456: A Fair Chance

“How intriguing.”

Inside the temple, where massive pillars stood in a circular formation, the ceiling appeared transparent, revealing the night sky in its entirety. The stars gleamed brightly, the Milky Way flowed vividly, and distant planets moved with striking clarity.

At the center of the temple stood a round table, surrounded by chairs. Among them was a single ornate, grandiose seat, different from the rest, positioned as though it was a place of honor—although it was the only one left vacant.

“Shall we call it human ingenuity...?” said an elderly man seated at the table, his gaze lowered.

“Or perhaps sheer folly,” countered the man seated opposite him, arms crossed.

“Has anyone ever dared to approach Pharel like this before?” a woman added. Her lips, a mesmerizing turquoise that sparkled like gemstones, gave her an otherworldly air.

All of them were clad in pristine white robes that covered them from head to toe. Only their voices, along with glimpses of their cheeks and lips, hinted at their age and gender.

“No one has ever conquered Pharel. To even discuss this I find hilarious,” she went on.

The other woman, seated across from the grand chair, pulled back her hood. Her expression betrayed her irritation.

At the center of the table, a shimmering pool reflected the scene of the massive tower being surrounded by chaotic combat.

“As ridiculous as it may be, this assault on Pharel is your only hope, isn’t it?” remarked the woman with peculiar lips, her eyes fixed on the battle within the pool.

The unveiled figure cast her a contemptuous glance. She was none other than Yula.

“Impressive, isn’t it? Whatever happens from now, if Pharel falls, the victor of this game will be you, Yula,” said the elderly man with an ambiguous smile.

“To call the battle for the Lord’s seat a mere game... Perhaps you should take this more seriously,” Yula replied, clicking her tongue.

“Haha... Sometimes, you ought to see the world more lightly,” the elder chuckled.

Yula narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re calm because you know such methods won't bring down Pharel. You’re starting to resemble humans, you ruffian.”

The elder flashed her a peculiar smile. “I reckon it’s the humans starting to resemble us. They’ve inherited our traits.”

“And what sets them apart is their recklessness,” added another man with marked disapproval. “To attempt to break the laws set by gods... inferior creatures should know their place and abandon such foolish thoughts.”

“It was a mistake to grant free will, something only we, born of the Primordial Rift, were ever meant to possess, to mere creations. That is the sole reason such absurd defiance is occurring now.”

“It wasn’t us who gave them free will. They awakened it themselves within their own world,” countered the elder.

“And that led to the fall of the Lord, didn’t it? Also, Yula’s domain saw the Great War against her. If creation for the sake of world-building was the goal, even vermin would’ve sufficed,” added the woman with lips shaped like a snake’s.

“So is that why your dimension is teeming only with microbes?” the elder quipped.

The woman sneered at him. “It’s purer than any other dimension, preserving the primordial state."

“And yet, you failed too, didn’t you? Your Hekqet was obliterated by the light of the ancient dragon. Hastily granting intelligence to reptiles leads to such foolish battles,” the elder mocked.

“...”

“In the end, you were just as desperate. You deviated from your own world’s nature and granted intelligence. Bestowing that blessing requires a certain degree of wisdom, you know,” he added, smirking at her silence.

“I wonder what will fall first, Pharel or Yula’s domain?” he mused.

“I’m not going down that easily,” Yula replied, her gaze unwavering.

“Is that so? But surely you can’t expect humans to destroy Pharel,” the elder challenged.

“But neither do I believe your Tarak will ever dominate my world,” Yula shot back.

At her words, the elder’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“My Tarak will be unlike the first and second attempts.”

“...Is that so?” Yula asked rather lamely. She was clinging to her last shred of pride, but she couldn’t deny the gravity of the situation. Indeed, it seemed laughable for mere humans to shatter Pharel, a construct forged by the gods themselves.

Yes, creations cannot defy the power of their creators.

That certainty came from the fundamental distinction between deities and humans—a law established since the dawn of time.

And yet...

Unlike the other gods, Yula couldn’t shake the gnawing sense of uneasiness. If Pharel actually fell... it would mean that the one responsible had transcended humanity and entered the realm of the gods.

No, that’s not possible.

Displeased, Yula shook her head, as if to dismiss the creeping realization that she, who had scorned others for emulating human traits, might have unwittingly adopted their anxieties herself.

***

“Move! Out of my way!”

Zarka Hochi raised his arms and swept them through the air. Each motion unleashed a sharp gust of wind, causing the Tarak surrounding him to explode as if detonated from within.

Unlike the golems’ bombardment or the devastating energy strikes from the Celestial Fortress, Zarka Hochi’s attacks left no trace of the Tarak. Instead of dissolving into viscous fluid, they disintegrated into black smoke and scattered into nothingness.

As a necromancer who stood on the very edge of death, Zarka Hochi completely suppressed the Tarak’s ability to regenerate.

“It’s not like you can manage this alone...” muttered Nain Darhon, watching without a trace of surprise as Zarka Hochi annihilated the Tarak.

“How long are you going to take to clear a path? Do you think those things are just ordinary bones? A necromancer who’s never even handled Tarak can’t do much better than this.”

With that, Nain Darhon raised his voice.

“Arise, my servants.”

At his command, the Undead Legion emerged around him.

BOOM! CRACKLE!

His undead servants scattered in all directions, mercilessly slaughtering the Tarak.

“Ha! Look at that!”

The combined efforts of Zarka Hochi and Nain Darhon carved open a path for Ascalon.

“I didn’t bring you here to chatter,” said Karyl, dismounting from Ascalon’s shoulder as he passed the two of them. “I summoned you because you wield power uniquely effective against Tarak. Now, do what you’re worth.”

With a single slash of Karyl’s sword, the ground split open in an instant.

“Ramine, Rasis.”

The Blazing King and the Spirit King of Light promptly heeded his call, appearing at his sides.

“Clear the way.”

Woosh! BOOOOM...!!

Flames and light poured forth, surging down the path Zarka Hochi and Nain Darhon had created.

The Tarak recoiled in fear and hastily retreated.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Ascalon seized the moment and dashed forward, his steps pounding against the burning ground.

[Halt.]

A Morax, one of the Tarak beasts standing behind the hounds, stepped forward to block Ascalon’s path.

“Raaahh...!!”

CLANG! CRACK!

Wingel Hart swung Ascalon’s massive greatsword with all his might. The blade struck with a thunderous crash that carried across the battlefield.

CLANG!

However, the greatsword was abruptly repelled, bouncing back violently.

[Urgh?!]

Ascalon staggered against the sudden recoil.

“Exordiar isn’t over yet. Only those who have completed Exordiar may enter this place.”

Exordiar, the eternal war for the Divine Throne, had been going on since the dawn of time. The death of the Supreme God—the Lord of all deities—had left the seat vacant, leading to the rise of Pharel and the descent of the Calamities, all of which could be considered part of Exordiar.

Mael had once explained Exordiar to Kuwell and Gordon. However, Karyl had already heard of it before—directly from them.

“So, you’ve been saying the same thing since back then,” Karyl muttered.

“...!!”

The Morax that had effortlessly blocked Ascalon’s strike suddenly turned its head, startled by the voice behind it.

“You wretch...!!”

The other two Morax immediately raised their swords toward Karyl, while a third lifted the horn and blew it once again. In response, the Tarak surged forward, rushing at Karyl en masse.

“Indeed, it’s not over yet,” Karyl murmured, his tone almost nostalgic as he faced the Morax amidst the looming danger.

In his past life, before challenging Pharel, these same monsters had stood in his way. Now, they mechanically uttered the same words as before—that only those who had thwarted the Calamities may challenge the Tower of Pharel.

Back then, the declaration had been doubly cruel, as humanity was already on the brink of annihilation, having failed to see the war through to the end.

Shing!

The Morax surrounding him flinched.

“Grrrhhh...!”

One of them raised its sword.

“Be careful!” Wingel shouted, urgently pulling the lever to charge forward.

But even with the Morax preparing to strike him, Karyl stood motionless.

Thud—

The creature’s head rolled on the ground, and its massive sword crumbled into dust before it even hit the earth.

“...?!?”

The other two Morax recoiled in panic, lowering their swords as they retreated.

Shhhhk! Bang!

When they tried to parry Karyl’s follow-up attack, a shockwave erupted, violently hurling them to the ground.

Before, I slipped past you and into Pharel with the help of the Platinum Dragon. But this time, things are different.

The Morax’s expressions contorted with disbelief as they stared at their fallen kin.

“I like that look on your face. So you do have emotions after all?” Karyl sneered, grinding his teeth as if to release his rage against the Tarak he hadn’t been able to defeat in his past life.

“He... defeated them so easily...”

“It must have looked like childish squabbling to him, seeing us argue about who would win this fight.”

“...”

Zarka Hochi and Nain Darhon were at a loss for words as they watched Karyl grind the severed Morax head under his boot.

“You... Did you even need our help?”

At this, Karyl let out a faint chuckle.

“Of course I did.”

With that, he slowly walked toward Phrael.

“Stop him...!!”

“Raaaahrrr...!”

The two Morax that had been knocked down moments ago lunged at him to block his path.

BOOM! CRASH!

“Where do you think you're going?”

Nain Darhon’s shield and Zarka Hochi’s blade promptly intercepted their charge.

“See? I do need you,” Karyl remarked, glancing back with a faint smirk.

“Hah...” Nain Darhon let out a chuckle, somewhat in disbelief.

***

The round table fell silent.

The gods, including Yula, were left speechless by the defeat of the Morax.

“First with Malek, and now this—how can a human so easily kill Xeck-Mut’s highest creations, subordinates of the gods? They’re beings we poured everything into, even beyond our capacity to reproduce.”

The god responsible for the First Calamity stared at the projection displaying Karyl, their expression contorted with disbelief.

“That human possesses two dragon hearts. It’s almost too absurd to call it a coincidence. But if he truly holds such power, defeating the Morax would’ve been plausible. Still... that’s as far as it goes,” the elder god mused.

Though intrigued by Karyl’s battle, the elder leaned back in his chair, appearing at ease for the first time during the gathering. Or perhaps he was merely feigning calm. After all, he had no idea what Karyl’s next move would be.

“Before that, my Calamity will engulf the continent,” he added, his voice calm yet foreboding.

Yula’s expression stiffened slightly as she watched him.

***

BOOM! CRASH!!

The Morax who had been blowing the horn summoned another wave of Tarak to block Karyl’s path to Pharel.

However, Ascalon and the golem battalions formed an unyielding wall to intercept the beasts.

“My lord!”

At Wingel Hart’s shout, a barrage of attacks rained down from the Celestial Fortress.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!

Amidst the thunderous chaos, Karyl reached the tower’s base. Slowly, he grasped the embedded Aegis and drew his sword.

CLANG!

The massive blade of Polsetia struck with full force, only to rebound violently.

“...”

Karyl opened and closed his aching hand, looking up at the towering structure.

“See? What did I say? A human cannot destroy Pharel with mere strength,” the elder god cackled.

However, unlike the elder, the other gods failed to mask their unease.

“If I destroy it, Yula wins. If I don’t, then the god who unleashed the Calamity claims victory. Is that right?”

Karyl placed his hand on the wall of Pharel as if caressing it. He slowly looked up.

“Answer me,” he demanded. “You up there, watching us. I’m sure you’re paying close attention.”

“What... What is he talking about?”

“Could it be? Does he know that Exordiar isn’t merely a series of Calamities, but a competition to determine who will sit on the Divine Throne?”

“Who told him?”

“You... Yula! Could it be... you told a human about Exordiar?! We all have a duty to uphold the divine rules, and you broke them instead!!”

The elder’s veneer of calm finally broke.

“What? Weren’t you confident he wouldn’t be able to destroy Pharel? If you truly believe your Calamity will bring you victory, there’s no need to get angry,” Yula sneered.

“You...!” the elder growled, grinding his teeth as he glared at Yula. But after a moment, he exhaled deeply and sank further into his chair.

“Indeed, my Calamity shall make me the victor. But Yula, this will not go unpunished. Rest assured, you will face the consequences once the Exordiar reaches its conclusion.”

“...”

Yula averted her eyes.

“What, no answer?” Karyl muttered. “Well, I suppose a god wouldn’t reveal themselves so easily.”

He lowered his gaze from the sky,

“In that case, I’ll force you to come out.”

WOOOM...!!

Power radiated from his palm as he pressed it against the stone wall of the tower.

“If Pharel is merely a tool to determine who gets to sit on the Divine Throne... then my actions will decide your fates. I bet you’re all on the edge of your seats. Will the human manage to bring the tower down? Or will he die trying? Which one is it, I wonder...?”

CRACK!

At that moment, something extraordinary happened.

The stone that had previously repelled Polsetia’s blade crumbled against Karyl’s grip—like a fruit yielding to a bite.

BOOM...!!

Yula shot to her feet in shock. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“D-Dimension Spiral?! How does a human—?!”

“What is this madness?!”

“This is not possible...!”

The gods erupted in chaos, their voices filled with disbelief.

CRUNCH—

“Consider your position very carefully,” Karyl murmured, opening his palm to let the wind carry away the dust from the shattered stone.

“I am not doing any of this under your command,” he went on, raising his voice. “Stopping the Calamity? Challenging Pharel? I act freely, and ultimately, I alone will decide who sits on the Divine Throne. If you want it, come down.”

Karyl looked up at the sky, now darkened with swirling storm clouds.

“Let the auction begin.”

“What...?”

“That lunatic...!”

The gods were utterly stunned, their outrage boiling over.

“A mere human... daring to bargain with the gods?”

“You ungrateful vermin!”

“We shall not indulge such travesty! It goes against the rules!”

The gods shouted over one another, each voicing their fiery indignation.

But two figures—the man who had lost his power and the woman with serpentine lips—remained silent, watching the unfolding situation with unreadable expressions.

“You gods are supposed to be fair. Isn’t that what you always claim?”

The clouds darkened further, lightning crackling through them. It seemed as though the gods’ rage fueled the sky, twisting it into something truly menacing.

“So let’s make this fair. I’ll give you all an equal chance.”

With a cold smirk, Karyl snapped his fingers.

A magical projection appeared, revealing Israphil’s tense expression. With a nod, Israphil stepped aside and, with great effort, pushed open the lid of a massive coffin.

“...?!”

The gods froze as their eyes widened in horror. Inside the coffin were the preserved corpses of Blood and Hekqet.

“These are for all of you,” Karyl declared to the heavens.

“...”

His words hung in the air, leaving everyone around the table dumbfounded. But the two gods who had already lost in this competition wore expressions twisted with something close to satisfaction.