The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years-Chapter 239

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 239

Meanwhile, on the moon—

Kaylen, wielding only four swords, was gathering himself.

‘Hmm.’

The moon.

A place where not even humans—nor any other lifeform from Earth—had ever set foot.

There was no air, so breathing wasn’t possible.

But since Kaylen's true form was a sword to begin with, there was no real need for him to breathe.

‘It’s bright.’

The moon, shining like broad daylight.

Kaylen looked up.

A brilliantly radiant Sunstone was embedded in the airless moon like a chandelier.

‘The concentration of light mana is tremendous.’

He had expected to deal primarily with the moon’s dark mana.

But unexpectedly, what he faced was the light mana emanating from the Sunstone.

‘I should prepare for battle.’

Kaylen reached out to the four swords that had accompanied him—

The Light Sword, Dark Sword, Earth Sword, and Water Sword.

As his hand touched them, a golden light burst out simultaneously from the blades.

Just like what Kaylen of Earth had done, the swords unified into a golden hue and then split into six blades.

[You… You already knew!]

From what had once been the Earth Sword and the Dark Sword—

Came the Earth God’s voice, flustered.

[The… The Celestial Demon God told you this? Kh… My link with my main body on Earth has been severed!]

“You’re in the same situation as me now.”

Unlike Kaylen, whose connection with Earth had long been cut off—

The Earth God within the Six Swords had still been connected until now.

But once the rebellion on Earth ended in failure, the Earth God had fallen into despair.

“You may as well rest now too.”

When Kaylen moved to eliminate the Earth God dwelling in the Six Swords—

The Earth God hurriedly spoke.

[W-Wait, let’s negotiate.]

“What negotiation?”

[I’ll fully cooperate with you. I’ll even tell you how to open the path back to Earth. So please… just spare me.]

“For an Earth God, you’re awfully pathetic.”

[Better than dying, isn’t it? Right, hey—aren’t you curious about that Sunstone?]

Desperate to prove his worth, the Earth God within the Six Swords began speaking rapidly.

[The Sunstone was something I created to collide with Earth. It’s a kind of mana stone that gathers the power of sunlight and uses it as an energy source. To acquire the propulsion necessary to crash into Earth, I constructed a massive power plant in the heart of Theia.]

“You’re saying you made that?”

[Yes. After becoming the god of Theia, it’s the greatest creation I made. Other than me, only my direct divine descendants know how to develop that. The Celestial Demon God must be one of my direct descendants now.]

“You were betrayed by your own descendant, then.”

[Kgh… Why… Why would they make such a choice? I just can’t understand it.]

“I’ve heard enough. Now rest.”

[W-Wait! Don’t you want to know how to return to Earth?!]

“I can find out on my own.”

[Do you know how far it is?! Don’t be like that—let’s cooperate!]

Persistent.

Even as a god, so disgraceful. Is he really struggling this hard just to survive?

Kaylen ignored the Earth God's pleas and moved to eliminate him.

Flash. Flash.

But as the Sunstone above his head suddenly flared with light, he paused for now in subduing the Earth God.

Because an unusual flow of mana was coming from the Sunstone.

[You’ve come.]

Sssssss—

The light from the Sunstone illuminated the space before Kaylen, and as the beams gathered together, they formed a single being.

It was someone Kaylen was quite familiar with.

“Arashiel.”

[Kaylen. Or should I say, Six Swords? You sure managed to fool us all until now.]

“The one who’s fooled is the one at fault.”

[You’re not one to talk, having been deceived by the Earth God.]

The fallen angel Arashiel sneered at Kaylen.

[Did you think the message the Celestial Demon God left in the Celestial Realm was false? He went out of his way to kindly inform us. And yet, like a fool, you were tricked by the Earth God and ended up on the moon.]

“You think I was deceived by the Earth God?”

[Yes. You may have expanded your swords to six now, but I saw it clearly. You arrived here with only four.]

Upon seeing that Kaylen initially arrived with just four of the Six Swords—

Arashiel’s side had concluded that the Celestial Demon God’s recording must’ve been tampered with, and that Kaylen had been misled by the Earth God.

Seems they never imagined he’d subdue the Earth God with just two swords.

“Think whatever you want.”

Kaylen didn’t bother correcting that misunderstanding and instead drew out the power of the Six Swords.

“Where is the Celestial Demon God?”

[Someone like you isn’t worth his attention. I’m more than enough.]

All the light from the Sunstone gathered toward Arashiel, and her body began to transform into metal, just like the Sunstone.

Then, Arashiel’s form vanished—

And what emerged was a metallic figure sculpted to look exactly like Kaylen.

“That form…”

[I merged with the body you left behind.]

“So it didn’t fall as a meteor, after all.”

The fusion of Arashiel and the lunar version of Kaylen—

Was something he had only learned through the Earth God’s information.

Back then, they made a fuss, saying a meteor containing Starfall would strike in a week, and time was running out.

So that was all part of the plan too.

[Meteor? Of course it will be. Once I subdue you and merge with this body, I’ll obtain the final clue to Starfall. After that, I’ll become the meteor that will destroy Earth.]

Arashiel spoke with complete confidence.

Right now, she planned to subdue Kaylen, who had only crossed over with four swords and was weakened, and fuse him back into that body.

Then she would fully become the meteor carrying Starfall—

And destroy Earth.

She seemed to genuinely believe that.

“You really think that’s how it’ll go? I don’t think so.”

But Kaylen let out a faint scoff, undeterred by her bold declaration.

[…What?]

“If things were truly going the way you claim, there would’ve been no reason for the Celestial Demon God to share that information with us. And if he really intended to create a perfect Starfall-bearing meteor by subduing me, he would’ve come in person, not sent you.”

[Hmph. Someone like you isn’t worthy to face him. I’m more than enough.]

“And yet you’re just a stray god from the moon who got chased out of Earth. Trying to keep up appearances now? No… the Celestial Demon God I know wouldn’t do that.”

[What…?!]

“There’s some scheme behind all this.”

Kaylen calmly lowered his gaze.

Why did the Celestial Demon God—

Reveal his collusion with the Earth God himself?

‘The Celestial Demon God wasn’t pleased about me coming here.’

The moon was his domain.

Had Kaylen split his strength and invaded here, it would’ve been easier for him to win.

Even so, the Celestial Demon God preferred that instead of Kaylen arriving weakened, he would heed the warning and subdue the Earth God from the Earth side with the Water God’s help.

[The Celestial Demon God… just what is he thinking?]

Even the Earth God, dwelling within Kaylen’s sword, was puzzled upon hearing that.

If the Celestial Demon God and the Earth God were working together for mutual benefit—

Then hiding their collusion and luring the others would’ve been the smarter move.

But he deliberately exposed it.

[…If I had been defeated and erased by you all before I could move to the moon.]

“Then we wouldn’t have found a way to reach the moon.”

[So you pretended to be deceived.]

“That’s right. With only a week to act, we had no choice but to take that path.”

There were far too many things Kaylen had to accomplish in a single week.

He had to complete the sword that could defeat the Celestial Demon God.

He had to find a way to reach the moon.

And he also had to deal with the Earth God’s betrayal.

In reality, it was impossible to finish all of this within the time limit.

So Kaylen put the matter of reaching the moon on the back burner.

Because pretending to be betrayed by the Earth God would take care of that.

‘I’d find a way from Earth, no matter what.’

After that, all that remained was subduing the Earth God and completing the sword to slay the Celestial Demon God.

Among those, subduing the Earth God ended up being easier than expected.

- Earth God... in its sealed state, it shouldn’t be that strong. The dark mana is a problem, though.

- I can handle that. The Earth God’s unique demon power is unpredictable, no matter how much you suppress it, so sealing it was the best choice, as the Water God said.

Kaylen could subdue the Earth God through the Lunar Eclipse Sword technique, which he had planned long ago to defeat the Celestial Demon God.

He would reach the moon and subdue the Earth God.

Both rabbits would be caught—Kaylen and the Water God.

Had the Lunar Eclipse Sword technique been weaker or the Earth God’s power remained strong even in its sealed state, they would have failed to catch both rabbits.

Listening to Kaylen, the Earth God, realizing the situation, let out a dejected voice.

[I was that weak…]

“No matter how much you gather your strength while buried underground, there’s a limit. You’ve overestimated yourself.”

[...Right. I am truly a weak existence. So, won’t you let me live just once more? Honestly, the mana in this sword of mine is almost gone. I’m no longer even a god. I’m just a Teyia now. I’ll cooperate willingly.]

“No need.”

[...I see. Fine. Then, instead of cooperating, I’ll swear my loyalty. Kaylen-nim! If you spare me, I’ll serve you faithfully! Please, just spare my life!]

“Pathetic, Earth God.”

[Do you... have no pride?]

Even the Water God, who had remained silent within the sword, spoke, but the Earth God’s fragments were defiant.

[What’s the point of pride? First, I need to live! Kaylen-nim, I’ll be more useful here than the Water God! Please, just let me breathe a little longer!]

When Kaylen first saw this existence in the Abyss, he never imagined it would turn out like this.

Hearing the Earth God’s voice, Kaylen, whose reputation had fallen to the bottom, suddenly dodged backward.

Chiieeek...!

Then, a beam of light poured toward the ground where he had been standing.

A powerful heat radiated from the beam, melting the ground beneath it.

[You ignore me and mutter to yourself about the sword. Kaylen. Are you crazy?]

From Arashiel’s perspective, Kaylen speaking to the sword without caring about her must have seemed insane.

Meanwhile, Kaylen felt his body being thrown back farther than expected and, intrigued, moved his body this way and that.

Perhaps due to the weaker gravity on the moon, his movements definitely felt different than on Earth.

“I’ll need to get used to this.”

Kaylen smiled as he watched the beam of light pouring down from the Sunstone.

He didn’t know what the Celestial Demon God’s game was, but someone like Arashiel...

“This will be perfect for a warm-up.”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]