CHAPTER 5
THE SECRET OF THE HOLY SWORDS
“Dark Lord, what I am about to tell you is a guarded secret of the Integrated Empire,” Alexios began.
“Yes, I imagine it is.”
“Please keep this secret to yourself—”
“I know.” Leonis glanced at Shary beside him. “This maid is my faithful right hand. She will not speak of this without my express permission.”
Though she may squander her money on sweets regardless of what I tell her.
“Yes, understood.” Alexios lowered his head solemnly.
“Then let us begin with an explanation of this unnatural magical technology.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The rapid advance of magical technology and the power of the Holy Swords are intrinsically linked. Would you permit me to explain a portion of human history that remains undisclosed to this day?”
Leonis nodded, bidding the man continue. Alexios took a deep breath to calm himself.
“The first essential piece begins seven hundred years ago. The era predating that period is called the Dark History, as we only know vague facts about that era from the ruins we’ve uncovered.”
“Seven hundred years ago…,” Leonis whispered under his mask.
The oldest books Leonis could find in Excalibur Academy’s library only went back two centuries. He couldn’t find any that spoke of times older than that.
“What happened seven hundred years ago?”
“No one knows for certain. However, we can only trace our history back seven hundred years. It’s possible something happened at that time that set the age that followed in motion. It’s like some destructive calamity that defies imagination occurred, wiping away all previous history…”
Whether the ground split or the stars rained down from the heavens, the cataclysm that befell the world after Leonis’s sealing destroyed all life, wiping away the legends of the Six Heroes, the Dark Lords, and countless gods.
“Two centuries after that event, the surviving remnants of humanity began to rebuild civilization and lived in city-states. One hundred years later, the Odain Kingdom, which would later form the heart of the Human Integrated Empire, was established from three predecessor kingdoms—Kaimaru, O’ltriese, and Reinbelle.”
“The ancestors of the current three royal houses.”
“Correct, Your Majesty.”
“And the O’ltriese bloodline is, if I recall, capable of communicating with spirits.”
“You are well informed. The lineages of the three royal houses are said to be descended from ancient priestesses. I, too, bear this power, yet it seems to be weaker among male descendants, for some reason.”
“Yes, that stands to reason. Even in my time, the most powerful spirit users were princess priestesses,” Leonis remarked.
Alexios swallowed nervously. Perhaps it only just struck him that he was speaking to someone from a thousand years ago.
“Let’s return to the topic at hand,” Leonis said. “Did humanity’s magical technology emerge with the creation of the Odain Kingdom?”
“No, the people of that period still lived in stonework cities and employed mana through a technique called sorcery.”
“Hmm. Then your society at the time wasn’t much different from my era.”
“Shortly after that, countless nations formed on the continent, leading to an age of warfare. The next major change took place two hundred years ago. All across the world, people began hearing the voice of the planet.”
“The voice of the planet?” Leonis repeated the words, baffled.
“Strangers appeared in every corner of the world, speaking prophecies and claiming they were chosen by the planet. At first, those who heard the planet’s voice were either worshipped or considered mad and persecuted by their countries. However, people quickly realized that those who heard the voice of the planet were able to manifest a strange, supernatural power.”
“A supernatural power? You mean…”
“Yes. That power was the true identity of what we now refer to as Holy Swords.”
“That differs from the story I’ve heard,” Leonis said, fascinated. “I thought the Holy Swords first manifested sixty-four years ago, when the Voids invaded.”
“That’s true, in a manner of speaking, Your Majesty. The Holy Swords of those who first heard the voice of the planet were trifling in strength compared to what Holy Swordsmen today wield. They didn’t take the form of weapons at all.”
“So, originally, their power wasn’t significant enough to be dubbed Holy Swords.”
Alexios nodded. “Precisely. As the years passed by, the gifted individuals who heard the planet’s voice grew in number. And then, one day, all the gifted ones across the continent heard the same words.”
According to records, that was the day the red Star of Calamity appeared in the sky. The voice echoed in the gifted people’s minds in the form of a prophecy.
“Within the next two centuries, a threat to mankind will appear and destroy the world.”
Leonis’s eyes widened behind his mask. “Are you saying…the advent of the Voids was foretold?”
“…Yes. And at the same, some of the gifted found that a vast amount of unknown knowledge flowed into their minds.”
“Unknown knowledge…”
“That information was the foundational theory that led to the sudden development of magical technology. Vast wisdom that would normally take us centuries, if not millennia, to accumulate was suddenly bequeathed to humankind…”
And with that knowledge, humanity’s magical technology progressed at an explosive rate. While it did, the sages of the old kingdom began the Assault Garden project to prepare for the arrival of the future threat. They produced mana furnaces, causing an industrial revolution that relied on magical technology, and set up defensive installations.
“What’s more, upon realizing that the powers of the gifted passed onto offspring, nations formed blood ties between those blessed to cultivate and strengthen their abilities. That was how the Holy Swordsmen you know today came to be.”
“And that explains why the nobility produce so many children who manifest Holy Swords…” Leonis nodded.
Many Holy Swordsmen were created because of how their bloodlines were managed during past generations.
“And then, sixty-four years ago, the Void invasion began, and the strength of the Holy Swords awakened.” Alexios’s voice echoed through the audience chamber. “And you know what followed, Your Majesty. The Voids appeared, and in response, the rate with which people awakened to the power of the Holy Swords increased exponentially. The war with the Voids continued, and now, humankind stands on the brink of extinction…”
Alexios looked at Leonis, seated on his throne, and concluded his story.
“And that is everything I know.”
…
After a long silence, Leonis finally replied, “Very well. It seems you told me the truth.”
“…?”
Leonis reached into his jet-black robe and took out a shining crystal skull.
“This is an ancient magical apparatus that reacts to lies by laughing. You were wise to speak honestly. Had you told me a single lie, I would have made you a part of my throne.”
“…?!”
“Your information was very enlightening. You have my gratitude.”
“Thank you.” Alexios fell prostrate, sweating profusely.
The Voids’ true nature, the cataclysm that ravaged the world over seven hundred years ago, and the mystery of the planet’s voice. This man didn’t hold the answers to those questions. Leonis nodded in satisfaction and rose from his throne.
“Alexios, younger brother of the emperor. I believe you and I will make fine allies.”
Alexios raised his head. “So you mean…?!”
“The Voids are a nuisance. I care little for humanity’s continued existence, but depending on the price you are willing to play, the great Dark Lord will lend you his considerable strength.”
“Th-thank you!” Alexios fell prostrate again. “I will give you anything I can provide!”
“Hmm, in that case…” Leonis placed a hand on his chin. “For the time being, I must demand equipment and a war chest for the Dark Lords’ Armies. Also, the yielding of territory.”
“T-territory?”
“Yes. Your cities are marvelous realizations of your magical technology.”
“Y-you’re not asking me to give you an Assault Garden, are you?”
“Worry not. I’m not asking you to hand over Camelot. You have an uninhabited city destroyed by the Voids, do you not?”
“You’re requesting the Eighth Assault Garden?” Alexios asked, flabbergasted.
“The Ninth Assault Garden, which is currently under construction, is also an acceptable choice.”
“I—I can’t… No, that’s an impossible demand, Your Majesty. I lack the authority to approve that…”
“I was joking.” Leonis chuckled. “If I desired those cities, I could simply take them whenever I please.”
“…!” Alexios gritted his teeth.
“I have a more reasonable idea. A warship.”
“A…warship?”
“Yes, my Wild Hunt is a sight to behold, but is very much lacking in utility. I want a vessel that utilizes the newest magical technology.”
“A warship… A warship, you say…,” Alexios murmured in contemplation, sweating nervously. “If it’s just a single boat, I could make arrangements with the military to arrange for it in secret.”
“Oh, is that right?” Leonis replied.
I-is he serious? This man possesses more authority than I gave him credit for.
While internally perplexed, Leonis maintained a confidently pleased facade. He’d intended to make outrageous demands and ease into more favorable terms. He’d even considered settling for a year’s supply of doughnuts, which would go a long way toward appeasing Shary.
“Can you grant me the Hyperion?”
“N-no, I’m afraid that would be impossible to arrange. Please understand, Your Majesty.” Alexios shook his head hurriedly. “That ship is the exclusive vessel of the royal family and a symbol of humanity’s hope. What’s more, it requires the royal family’s spirit and Altiria’s power to perform at maximum efficiency.”
“Hmm, very well. An ordinary warship will do, then.” Leonis threw back his black cape. “This concludes our negotiation. Alexios, my ally, I promise you on the name of the Dark Lord Zol Vadis that I will lend you my strength when you need it.”
“Y-yes, thank you, Your Majesty the Dark Lord!” Alexios pressed his forehead against the floor.
“Escort him back to the surface, Shary. And be courteous.”
“Phew…”
The moment Shary and Alexios vanished into the darkness, Leonis removed Zol Vadis’s mask and exhaled. The Mantle of Illusions came undone and melted into the shadows. Having returned to his ten-year-old form, Leonis dangled his legs off the throne.
“Hmm, that wasn’t bad at all. That’s how a Dark Lord should be…”
Alexios’s terrified reaction to a Dark Lord felt satisfying, whereas Riselia and Regina offering their laps as pillows for him or using him as a hugging pillow seemed like a cruel mistake. Regardless, Leonis now had a cooperator in the royal family, which was a stroke of good fortune. Alexios wasn’t much of a Holy Swordsman, yet he’d proved to be a very capable sort.
The information he provided about the Holy Swords was very enlightening. Unfortunately, the greatest questions yet remained mysteries. What cataclysm had swept over the world seven centuries ago, wiping away all knowledge of Leonis’s era? And what was the voice of the planet that granted humans the power of Holy Swords?
I didn’t hear any voice when I received my Holy Sword…
Leonis didn’t recall Riselia mentioning anything like that when she awakened hers, either. The same went for Elfiné and Sakuya.
A voice.
Recalling something, Leonis looked down at his right hand. When he was thrown to that other world, he heard Roselia Ishtaris, and her words guided him to the ruins of the Ironblood Castle, Gazoth Hell Beast’s stronghold.
When Leonis had touched the goddess altar beneath the ruins, Void miasma flowed out and carved a curse pattern onto his arm. The sigil was nowhere to be seen now, but when he fought Shardark, Leonis couldn’t use his Holy Sword.
“…”
Leonis tensed his right hand and thrust it forward.
“Holy Sword, Excalibur XX—Activate!” he cried, but the Holy Sword didn’t manifest.
Why did I hear her voice? What happened down there? Leonis stared at the back of his empty hand as he pondered.
His thoughts were interrupted by a beeping. Leonis checked the terminal in his breast pocket, only to find…
Where are you, Leo?
Call me, K?
Leo?
You didn’t get kidnapped, did you?
His overprotective minion had sent him multiple messages.
I best head back as soon as possible.
When Alexios Ray O’ltriese awoke, he found himself in the middle of a forest.
“Th-this is…the special demi-human ward’s forest?”
The woods were dim, for the sun was descending. A quick look around revealed his two Holy Swordsmen guards lying on the ground. They were alive but seemed to have been put to sleep.
Alexios shook his head and sat up. His fingers still trembled from terror.
Zol Vadis. He’s the genuine article. A real Dark Lord…
An unknown Dark Lord not mentioned in Duke Edward’s research. Coming face-to-face with him made it clear that Zol Vadis wasn’t someone humanity could hope to harness and control.
Duke Edward. Were our actions truly for the best?
Alexios’s efforts were in the name of defeating the Voids, but…he may have signed a pact with an even worse monster.
Unease gathered in Alexios’s heart like black smoke.
“Blast it all. Such good-for-nothings…”
The Eighth Assault Garden’s harbor block was a port town meant for storing and preserving mineral resources harvested from the ocean floor. A young man clad in a tailored white suit was spouting insults into empty air.
He was Finzel Phillet, son of the noble Phillet Company, the biggest industrial giant in the capital. He came here in search of something. As the stage of the Holy Sword Dance Festival, the Eighth Assault Garden was completely closed and off-limits to anyone but those affiliated with the army. As such, there was no one else nearby.
The abrupt thunderstorm from earlier had died down, and the sun was setting. The gigantic Void fissure remained visible overhead, offering a glimpse at the crimson sky beyond. It hung like a gigantic eye peering down on this world.
How vexing. If it weren’t for that disturbance, I would have…
The ninth apostle, Iris Void Priestess, had used the Eighth Assault Garden’s mana furnace to trigger the Void Shift. Had it succeeded, the whole region around the capital would have been consumed by the Nether Void.
But something got in the way.
Finzel Phillet groaned bitterly. The Void tear had formed as a by-product of the interrupted process, but the Void Shift wasn’t realized. Someone had destroyed Iris Void Priestess, and the Academia unit Finzel had sent to the Holy Sword Dance Festival was wiped out.
“Damn it all! Why?! Why won’t things go according to plan…?!”
Finzel searched for Demon Sword reactions, cursing all the while. The Academia unit deployed to represent the Fourth Assault Garden was supposed to gather and recover Demon Swords. Its objective was to kill the most promising Holy Swordsmen chosen by each of the other schools to participate in the Holy Sword Dance Festival and offer their Demon Swords to the mana furnace.
While the plan had ultimately failed, Finzel still needed to recover the assembled Demon Swords to eliminate them as evidence. In other words, he was here to scavenge and sift through garbage.
“Damn that Sakura Orchid mad dog…,” Finzel spat.
He’d once hired a mercenary group called the Kenki Gathering. They, too, were rabid mutts in their own right, but they didn’t hold a candle to the blue-haired swordswoman from Excalibur Academy.
Sakuya Sieglinde had single-handedly defeated the Academia’s Demon Swordsmen, even after they’d begun to transform into Voids.
Had the plan worked, I would have been welcomed as one of the goddess’s apostles!
The apostles spread the goddess’s gospel and reigned over the Void home world.
Finzel wanted to be acknowledged—by the world and by his great father. When he was twelve, he attained the power of a Holy Sword, but everyone around him was disappointed. His Holy Sword’s abilities were useless in combat. Thus, Finzel came to loathe the world. He despised his brother and youngest sister for being gifted with powerful, useful Holy Swords…
However, he didn’t need a Holy Sword anymore. By becoming an apostle of the goddess, he would surpass even Father.
Finzel gazed up at the Void tear.
“Soon. Very soon, I shall welcome you to this world, goddess…”
Something grazed Finzel’s ear. The object whizzing past him struck the ground, kicking fragments into the air.
“…?”
Finzel spun around and saw a black-haired girl pointing a military pistol at him.
“I won’t miss the next shot, Finzel…,” Elfiné Phillet declared.
Elfiné faced Finzel, the muzzle of her Ray Hawk still pointed at him. Her sleek black hair fluttered in the ocean breeze.
“What are you doing here, Elfiné?” Finzel didn’t seem terribly surprised.
His voice came across as almost casual. It had been years since Elfiné last saw her brother’s face up close. She hadn’t met him since her admittance to Excalibur Academy, when she left Count Phillet’s domain on the Fourth Assault Garden.
“That tear…,” Elfiné muttered.
“Hmm?”
“At the army’s request, I was using my Holy Sword to observe the Void tear,” Elfiné explained coldly.
Two Eye of the Witch orbs floated around her like sentries. “And in the process, I spotted you. What are you doing here?”
“Oh, just looking for something.”
“Looking for something? In a place that’s off-limits to nonmilitary personnel?” Elfiné questioned, holding up an investigation warrant issued by the Imperial Knights.
“What are you trying to say?” Finzel replied curtly.
“I know you’re involved in the D Project, Finzel.”
“…”
“It was originally a plan spearheaded by the military to combat the Voids. The goal was to make Holy Swords even more powerful by forcing them to go out of control.” Elfiné took a step closer, the Ray Hawk still in her grip. “But the plan failed. There’s no controlling the Holy Swords in that state, and some of their wielders exhibited signs of turning into Voids. As a result, the dangerous Demon Sword project was suspended indefinitely, never to see the light of day again. That’s how it should have been anyway…”
“…But someone resurrected the project.” Finzel’s lips curled up into a smirk.
“…!”
“You’re talented, Elfiné. I can see why Father tried to groom you to be his successor.” He clapped his hands in sarcastic praise.
“Finzel, you…” Elfiné glared at the man. “You used that Sakura Orchid mercenary group for your experiments, tried to awaken Demon Swords at Excalibur Academy using an Artificial Elemental, and made Academia’s students into your test subjects, didn’t you?”
Elfiné had no decisive proof about any of those isolated incidents, but she knew that more people would be hurt if she didn’t stop her brother. Finzel Phillet received the accusations with a vexed click of the tongue.
“Perhaps I’ve been a bit careless with my operations. Had things only gone according to plan, the capital would be overrun with Voids by now.”
“What are you after, Finzel?!” Elfiné concentrated mana in the Ray Hawk. Liat’s face flashed in her mind. Elfiné had once been a member of the seventh platoon under Liat. He’d sought the power to protect others, only for his soul to be corrupted by the power of a Demon Sword…
“Ha-ha. Can you really shoot me?”
“I’m not a very good shot, but the Eye of the Witch supports my aim.”
“That’s not what I mean. Can you do this to your brother, your own flesh and blood?”
“I can. I won’t let you cause any more sacrifices.”
A gunshot rang out, and a bullet of compressed mana was propelled from the Ray Hawk, puncturing Finzel’s shoulder.
“Nng! Ahhh… Ahhhhhhhhh!” Finzel staggered and fell to his knees.
But the next moment, something unbelievable occurred. Black miasma spewed from the wound on his shoulder in place of blood.
“…What?!”
“Ahhhhh! Ahhhhhhhh■■■■■■—”
Squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch.
Finzel’s body underwent a horrifying transformation. His suit was torn up, and the flesh in his back swelled from the inside out. His limbs grew and writhed in inconsistent sizes, as if each one were a different creature.
“A Demon Sword?! No, this is…a Void?!”
“■■■■■■…!” The oversized monster released an inhuman howl.
Fragments of rubble shot out in a radial pattern, tearing through Elfiné’s uniform.
“…Have you submitted to a Demon Sword’s power, Finzel?!”
Elfiné aimed for Finzel’s head and shot. But the luminous bullet of mana was deflected by his hardened skin. Normal weaponry was ineffective against Voids.
“…?!”
“Elfiné, you’ve always been beautiful. But…” Finzel smirked in Void form. “Don’t you think this body is much more appealing?”
He brought down his massive arm with a force that far exceeded anything a human was capable of.
Screeeeeeeech…!
The gigantic limb was deflected right as it seemed it would collide with Elfiné. The Eye of the Witch deployed a shield around her without being given an order, acting on its auto-guard capabilities.
“What a wonderful Holy Sword. I wish I had one as strong as yours, toooooo!” Finzel howled and kicked off the asphalt, charging for his sister.
“Holy Sword, Mode Shift—Vorpal Ray!”
The two Eye of the Witch orbs released a blinding glow, producing a radiance around the pair of spheres.
Screeeech!
A beam blew off the Void’s arm and destroyed its head. Elfiné couldn’t hold back. Now that he’d relinquished his humanity and sold his soul to the emptiness, she could spare him no pity.
However…
“You’d never understand. You were blessed by the Holy Swords!”
Intense miasma spewed from Finzel’s wound, and a snakelike head grew out of the remains of his arm. Finzel’s transformed face surfaced on his chest.
Monster! A Demon Sword can really transform someone this much? Elfiné fired the Vorpal Ray again, but Finzel jumped away and climbed up to the rooftop of a warehouse.
Hisssss!
He whipped his snakelike arm like a lash at Elfiné, who reflexively summoned a third orb to deploy a shield. The serpent appendage was deflected and struck the warehouse wall, creating a shower of rubble.
…Oh no!
Their clash kicked up a cloud of dust. Elfiné sprinted through the cloud, blinded and holding her breath. She could only manifest up to eight orbs, but five of them were scanning and guarding the Void tear at the army’s request. Recalling them required time, and dismissing a manifested Holy Sword only to activate it again immediately consumed a great deal of stamina.
“Ah-ha-ha! This power the goddess granted me is wonderful!” Finzel laughed maniacally.
Goddess?
Elfiné latched on to her brother’s words. Other students corrupted by Demon Swords had claimed to hear a goddess’s voice. And when Elfiné ran into the Phillet Company Artificial Elemental, Seraphim, the spirit called itself a messenger of the goddess.
Just who is this…goddess?
Was it some code word linked to the D Project or an actual individual’s name?
While the dust settled, Elfiné continued shooting the Vorpal Ray, which cleaved horizontally through the warehouse and caused it to collapse over Finzel.
Crash!
“Haah… Ahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa■■■■■!”
Finzel’s body swelled up unnaturally again, limbs sprouting from random spots. It was like watching a caricature of the process of evolution.
“You can’t go back to being human anymore, can you…?” Elfiné whispered sadly. She bit her lip. “In that case, I can at least put you down before the army’s Holy Swordsmen see you.”
Elfiné thrust out her arm, commanding the three Eye of the Witch orbs to form a triangular force field.
“■■■■■…!”
Finzel’s now monstrous form tore off its arm, hurling it as a projectile weapon.
Hissss!
The arm, thrown at blinding speeds, struck the barrier and instantly evaporated.
“I kept this technique a secret for the Holy Sword Dance Festival…!” Elfiné said.
The three orbs’ force field converged on one point, and then…
“Tri-Flare Burst!”
Bwooooooooosh!
An intense explosion that rivaled Regina’s Drag Blast in firepower swallowed the Void.
“Did I…do it?” Elfiné whispered, dropping to her knees.
The three Eye of the Witch Orbs broke into particles of light.
If this doesn’t defeat him…
Elfiné heard the sound of something cracking.
What?
Elfiné raised her head and strained her eyes, peering into the ashen smoke. Finzel was still standing. He had a gaping hole in his torso, but he was alive.
“God…dess… My goddess!”
“…!”
The Void staggered for her, writhing.
Crack, crack, crack!
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Multiple fractures formed in the air around him, enveloping Finzel.
Am I going to die? To a Holy Sword, of all things? The power I hate most…
Amid his muddled consciousness, Finzel Phillet found himself gazing at the Nether Void’s crimson skies.
Crack, crack… Crack…
His body was falling apart, and there was no stopping it. He knew very well the fate that awaited test subjects whose bodies were corrupted by the power of a Demon Sword. He’d seen what his experiments had done to so many Holy Swordsmen.
“Heh-heh-heh…I’m…going to hell…”
“No. Those who gain the power of the Voids only return to emptiness.” A voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.
“…? O-ohhh!”
Was the goddess reaching out to him during his final moment?
“It’s a pity, Finzel, but your role ends here.”
No. It wasn’t the goddess. A palmtop-sized fairylike girl appeared above Finzel. It was the Phillet Company’s Artificial Elemental, Seraphim, a false goddess, implanted with a fragment of the true, great goddess.
“So you…came to recover my Demon Sword?” Finzel muttered miserably, extending his crumbling arm to the sky.
What irony that the false goddess he’d created came to see him in his last moments.
“Yes,” replied a voice quite unlike an Artificial Elemental’s. “And what’s more, your memories will make for useful combat data.”
“…?!”
The speaker was the man Finzel despised more than any other.
“Wh-why…?! Why are…you…?!”
The hands of an old man covered in black miasma grabbed his face like a vise.
“I am an apostle of the goddess.”
Finzel could only groan in despair at Deinfraude Phillet’s words.
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