The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 381

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Chapter 381

Those who had once followed the previous Emperor of Boscal numbered in considerable strength.

Among them were many archmages and swordmasters of formidable power, and because of that, they carried a strong confidence in their own martial might.

The forest surrounding the cavern where the wraiths hid was under airtight surveillance by the undead.

What was amusing was that they had not reacted at all to the Emperor, the Boscal swordmasters, or the archmages who had just entered.

As though they were carnivorous plants waiting for prey to step inside, they had accepted them without resistance.

The Emperor’s confidence was understandable.

Evaluated coldly, the force he had brought was a disaster that the current wraiths—now that Besival was gone—could not handle.

Knowing this well, the Emperor had chosen not to mobilize an army, nor give them time to respond, instead pushing straight in.

However, the current Emperor of Credos had been careless.

Although the original plan to attack Cascadia had changed, his actions did not greatly disrupt the original objective.

No—if anything, his arrival here reduced the number of variables they needed to worry about, making the outcome even more favorable.

At present, most of those in the forest were merely tasked with preventing external intrusion or internal escape.

Once the grotesque lifeform received from that collaborator was ready, the wraiths’ revenge would be complete.

It was then—

An upper-rank Expert knight, who had been scouting the surrounding forest, approached another man.

They were comrades tasked with reconnaissance.

“Anything unusual on your side?”

“Not even an ant’s passed through.”

“Well, I suppose no one would come to a forest like this.”

“You never know. Cascadia noticed our presence. They might send reinforcements.”

“The Duke of Cascadia isn’t strong enough to deal with us. He knows that.”

“True.”

Although the Duke of Cascadia had publicly been acknowledged as a Sword Master, he was still young—barely at the entry level.

He might pose a threat to Experts, but to the true monsters inside, he was no problem at all.

“Cascadia knows it too. Pushing further would only hurt them.”

As they chuckled—

The man suddenly froze and looked up.

The sky was tinged with a faint crimson hue.

“That’s strange. It’s not time for sunset yet.”

It was far too early for dusk.

“Does night fall early in the Bata Kingdom?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You think Cascadia’s in some other world?”

“Then why does the sky look like—”

As he muttered and stared upward, the man stiffened.

And then—

“MOVE!!!”

Realizing something at the last second, he grabbed his comrade and hurled himself away.

BOOOOOOM!!

A bolt of lightning slammed down from the sky, scorching the entire area into oblivion.

They froze in place.

“W-What… was that…?”

“Was that… magic?”

Impossible.

A spell capable of saturating an entire area with this level of firepower?

No archmage could do that.

BOOM! BOOM BOOM!!

But the crimson lightning continued to rain down across the forest, instilling terror.

This was an ordinary forest.

Such phenomena should not exist.

Then—what in the world was happening?

As panic set in, the man instinctively collapsed and reached for the sword at his waist.

CLACK!

It wouldn’t come out.

When had it arrived?

Cold sweat poured down his body.

This—this must be what it felt like for blood to run cold.

The knights froze, seized by an indescribable chill.

The reason was simple.

Before the sword could even be drawn, a young man had appeared, pressing down on the pommel with one foot, pinning it in place.

They hadn’t sensed him at all.

The moment they saw the youth’s sky-colored eyes—eyes as cold as the heavens themselves—they recognized him.

The man whose rumors, once seen in person, had been dismissed as exaggerations.

Just an inventor.

Nothing more.

Leon Cascadia.

But the Leon Cascadia standing before them was nothing like the information they had been given.

If he was here, then he was the cause of this bizarre phenomenon.

Someone who could deploy a super-high-tier spell over an entire region—and casually suppress a swordmaster before a blade was drawn—was just an overhyped brat?

Absurd.

And the girl behind him—beautiful enough to widen one’s eyes—radiated something equally dangerous.

There was no opening.

No chance.

A warrior’s instincts screamed.

Run. Now.

But they couldn’t move.

The pressure emanating from him crushed their lungs; their hearts pounded as if about to explode.

Why hadn’t they noticed before?

It wasn’t that he had changed.

They had simply been incapable of perceiving him until now.

How could a monster like this exist?

They had to report this—

But their bodies trembled uncontrollably, refusing to obey.

“Is Emperor Credos inside?”

A calm question.

The sky-colored gaze brushed against them, and they flinched, exchanging glances.

“…Never mind. Let’s just bulldoze through.”

He said it casually—almost madly.

A knight, terrified, forced his voice out.

“Y-You’re insane! Do you know who’s inside?! The might of the Empire that once served the previous Emperor of Boscal! You think just the two of you can handle that?!”

Like a cornered animal puffing itself up, he shouted.

Someone had noticed the disturbance and emerged.

Their reason told them.

‘We’re saved.’

Their instincts screamed the opposite.

‘No chance. Use the swordmaster as a shield and run.’

The swordmaster who emerged drew his blade instantly, igniting his aura blade as he charged at Leon with blinding speed.

No hesitation—enemy confirmed.

The instant his blade reached striking distance—

Tap.

An Expert knight suddenly realized his sword was no longer in its sheath.

It was in Leon’s hand.

Sssrk—! CLANG!!!

Leon casually swung the blade through empty air.

The sound of shattering glass rang out as space itself split into multiple slashes.

Though Leon had cut nothing—

The swordmaster’s blade shattered into pieces, bloodlines blooming across his body.

“Guh—?!”

Aura Blade—severed completely.

Silence fell.

“T-This… what kind of trick is this…?”

The swordmaster stared blankly at Leon, unable to comprehend what had happened.

Leon had already lost interest, turning away.

To be ignored like this—by a mere youth—was unbearable.

Furious, the swordmaster reached for a secondary weapon—

PSSHHK!!

Blood erupted from his body, and he collapsed.

Leon’s voice followed—cold, indifferent.

“So.”

“…?”

“That’s it?”

* * *

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“The transcendent entity Garlan created must be incomplete, from what I remember, there’s no way he could finish a complete one in such a short time.”

If Garlan had begun colluding with Nyarlathotep, Isna would have known.

Meaning the alliance was recent—and creating a complete transcendent in that time was impossible.

“Then there is a way to suppress it without killing the Emperor.”

“No way to prevent the aftereffects for a complete one?”

“I’m sorry… my memories are fragmented. I don’t know. But Garlan might be inside.”

They couldn’t find a perfect solution.

Leon and Luna exchanged glances and approached the sealed barrier.

“Then there is a solution.”

“You know one?”

“Yeah. Historically, this works.”

Shing—

Leon half-drew his sword, then slammed it back into the sheath.

BANG!!!

A shockwave erupted, deforming the barrier before it shattered completely.

“I’ll be performing surgery. Watch and learn.”

“INTR— GHK!!”

Someone inside screamed before collapsing in blood.

“So you’re just… smashing everything?”

As she panicked, Luna tapped Meryl’s shoulder.

“Don’t you want to execute the traitor? This is your chance.”

With that, Luna slipped on the Hand of Fury and followed Leon.

* * *

Credos El Boscal.

The absolute ruler of Boscal now suffered severe damage from wounds to his soul.

“Your Majesty! Please endure! The gods will open a path!”

As his three guards fought desperately ahead, the Emperor clenched his teeth.

Even a transcendent mind couldn’t acclimate to the agony of a wounded soul.

Entering this place had been a mistake.

The moment the grotesque being appeared, everything unraveled.

Simply encountering it damaged his soul—and it began siphoning his power.

The thing hadn’t even moved yet.

But losing the Emperor’s strength alone turned this place into a death trap.

The Wraiths of the Setting Sun pressed him relentlessly.

No—played with him.

Herded him inward.

In full condition, he would have broken through.

Now—he couldn’t.

He had been foolish.

He should have sought Leon Cascadia’s aid instead.

“Running with your tail tucked—no different from a mangy dog, patricidal bastard.”

Patricide.

Not wrong.

He had torn his own father apart.

No regrets.

The man had deserved it.

Surrounded now, Kashibel and Droga guarded him, blades drawn.

Calliostro prepared magic.

From the darkness emerged an elderly swordsman—

Quebel.

Former commander of the imperial knights.

Leader of the wraiths.

A wanted criminal.

A psychopath.

“You dare stand before me?”

Despite the sweat, the Emperor raised his sword.

“Patricidal bastard. I’ve waited long for this. Here, Boscal’s disgrace ends.”

Dialogue was meaningless.

“You already know. The moment you faced the transcendent—your soul cracked. Your power leaks away.”

His refined aura was being devoured.

Disgusting.

“Come then.”

Despite his weakening strength, the Emperor stood firm.

But retreat was impossible.

Droga was already down.

Calliostro was exhausted.

And the monster—the transcendent—now rampaged freely.

It wore a humanoid shape.

Its power—undeniably the Emperor’s.

“Now, the grand design is complete.”

The wraiths attacked.

* * *

The battle turned dire.

Swordmasters locked each other down.

Curses and black magic restrained movement.

“Ghk—!”

Droga fell, blood pouring from his side.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty…”

But all were near their limit.

Worst of all—the transcendent.

It now wielded the Emperor’s stolen power.

Balance collapsed.

“Who did you ally with?”

Quebel stepped forward.

Kashibel attacked—

CLANG!

He was struck down.

Quebel raised his blade.

“Your tyranny ends here.”

“No. You’ll never return to the past.”

The Emperor spoke proudly.

“Even if I fall—another Emperor will rise.”

Quebel lifted his sword.

“Your Majesty!!!”

They rushed forward.

Too slow.

Then—

“Excuse me. Did you get a construction permit for this structure?”

A calm voice froze everything.

From the darkness—

Leon walked forward.

Sky-colored eyes glowing.

A massive barrier stood before him.

A masterpiece of six-circle magic.

Unbreakable.

So they thought.

The Emperor laughed.

“Cascadia… you’ve drunk poison.”

Then—

“Luna. Master key.”

CRACK!!!

A pink-haired woman’s fist smashed into the barrier.

A fortress-grade defense—shattered.

Silence.

“I came to rescue you, Your Majesty.”

“If you’d died here, Cascadia would be in trouble.”

The transcendent charged.

“THAT’S IT!”

Its fist slammed into Leon’s face.

A killing blow.

Leon’s head tilted slightly.

That was all.

“Is this it?”

“Yes…”

“Huh. Usually machines work if you hit them.”

Tap.

He poked its chest.

BOOOOOOM!!

The transcendent’s body crumpled and flew into the wall.

Black aura dissipated.

The Emperor felt his power returning.

“Told you,”

Leon said.

“Pop the balloon, air goes out.”

Meryl babbled in disbelief.

Leon looked around.

“…Why are there so many bald guys here?”

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