The Mad Swordsman of the Shadow World
Chapter 1
Whoooooosh!
A wind carrying the smell of blood swept quickly across his cheek.
Under the helmet pulled low over his head, a pair of red eyes flashed as though they had been dyed in blood.
Their armor was as dark as the night sky.
They were the hidden knight order of the Valenruke Family.
Known simply as the Shadow Knights, they had completed their final mission and gathered together.
"This takes care of all the First Prince's hands and feet."
"The Glory Knight Order. Their reputation was impressive, but they weren't anything special."
Two members of the Shadow Knights spoke quietly as they looked down at the burning mansion below the hill.
However...
"What about our casualties?"
"...Five dead."
Five out of only thirty knights had died.
Considering that their opponent had been the Glory Knight Order, known as the strongest knight order in the kingdom, their losses could almost be called insignificant.
Still, everyone knew the truth.
If their commander, Theron, had not killed the commander of the Glory Knight Order so quickly, more than half of them would have died during this mission.
Theron spoke to the vice commander beside him.
"Recover the bodies of our men. We can't leave them here to become food for wild beasts."
"Understood."
"The targets have been completely eliminated. The mission is over, but don't relax until we've secured our escape route and returned safely. There may be an ambush waiting for us."
The Vartian Kingdom.
The long and even struggle between the First Prince and the Third Prince had finally collapsed completely.
Castillo Valenruke supported the Third Prince.
Once the Third Prince took the throne, Castillo would become one of the most powerful men in the Vartian Kingdom.
Under Castillo's banner, the Shadow Knights had silently carried out countless difficult and dangerous missions.
And now...
"The fight for the throne should finally be over."
"Heh. Maybe we'll finally get some rest."
"Rest? Don't be ridiculous. We might get sent to some war on the border."
"That's nonsense. Our lord is about to become the most powerful man in the kingdom. Besides, wasn't this exactly why we were created?"
The purpose of the Shadow Knights.
It was for this very moment that they had kept running without rest.
In truth, this was practically their final mission.
"Enough. We're returning."
"Yes, Commander!"
At the answer of the Shadow Knights, Theron lifted his bloodstained sword.
From the handle to the blade, the entire weapon was black, just like his armor.
Soon, even the silver moon disappeared behind the clouds.
Darkness covered the world.
It was the perfect time for the Shadow Knights to move.
Whoosh!
With Theron running at the front, the Shadow Knights moved swiftly behind him.
Just as expected, soldiers belonging to the First Prince were waiting in ambush along their retreat route.
But...
"Aaaagh!"
"Argh!"
They were wiped out before they could launch even one proper attack.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
The eyes of the Shadow Knights were filled with awe as they looked at Theron.
After safely returning, the Shadow Knights were immediately ordered by their lord to gather in one place.
"Haah... I wish they'd at least let us rest. Why are we being ordered to gather the moment we return?"
"I want to wash up already. No matter how many times I wash, it feels like this smell of blood never disappears."
"Why are they telling all of us to gather in the underground training hall?"
Their minds were filled with complaints and confusion.
Theron, however, remained silent as he headed toward the underground training hall.
"Is everyone here?"
"...Instructor."
When they went down into the underground training hall, a familiar man was already waiting for them.
Berton.
The head instructor who had trained them on the place known as Hell Island.
Countless trainees had died by that man's hands.
Even they had nearly died many times during his training.
But they did not resent him.
They could not deny that his brutal training had made them stronger.
Still, why was he here?
"Why are you here, Instructor?"
Theron, who had remained silent until then, finally asked.
Berton counted the members of the Shadow Knights standing before him.
"Five are missing. Did they die?"
"..."
Theron's gaze instantly turned cold.
He had wondered before whether a day like this might eventually come.
"I am very satisfied with what all of you have accomplished until now. However... H-Huh?!"
Bang!
With a sound like something exploding, Theron's body shot toward Berton like an arrow.
At that exact moment, something flew toward Theron from the side.
CLANG!
Theron knocked it away with a hand covered in Aura.
The object flew upward and embedded itself in the ceiling.
At the same time, people who had been hiding behind the pillars revealed themselves.
"Th-Th-Th-Theroooooon!"
Berton, who had fallen backward onto the floor, shouted furiously.
There had been a considerable distance between them.
Yet he had nearly died in the blink of an eye.
"You bastard... Were you hiding your strength?"
Berton's eyes shook with surprise.
Theron ignored him and looked at the people surrounding them.
There were roughly fifty.
Unlike the Shadow Knights, they wore luxurious white armor decorated with golden patterns.
The members of the Shadow Knights looked at them in confusion.
The newcomers were fully armed.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Knights had only been allowed to carry a single sword each.
Theron looked at Berton.
"Was this your plan from the beginning? To kill all of us?"
"New water belongs in a new container. Isn't that simply the way of the world?"
As he spoke, Berton pulled a fist-sized orb from inside his clothes.
It gave off an ominous red glow.
Theron had never seen anything like it before.
A faint smile appeared on Berton's lips.
"You were my perfect masterpieces. I won't deny that much."
"What kind of bullshit is that?!"
"You bastard! I'll kill you!"
Unable to hold themselves back any longer, several members of the Shadow Knights shouted and charged toward Berton.
The knights in white armor flinched.
But then...
Hummmmm!
Berton poured mana into the orb in his hand.
At that exact moment...
Pop!
"...!"
Theron felt as if something had exploded inside their bodies.
"Gah!"
"Cough!"
The members of the Shadow Knights coughed up blood and collapsed.
Theron's eyes shook.
They were his comrades.
They had lived together, fought together, and crossed countless lines between life and death together.
Every single one of them had entered the beginner stage of Aura Expert.
They were powerful warriors.
Yet they had died without even being able to resist.
However...
"H-How... How are you still alive?"
Berton stared at Theron in shock.
"You should have swallowed the Death Sigil... I personally confirmed that every trainee took it!"
"...Death Sigil?"
"Yes! The day you first learned the Mana Method! Every trainee was gathered together, and I personally confirmed that all of you swallowed a pill containing a Death Sigil!"
Berton shouted as if he desperately wanted to deny what was happening.
At that moment, a memory from more than ten years ago flashed through Theron's mind.
During their ten years of training on Hell Island, there had only been a few occasions when every trainee gathered in the same place.
And if they had been made to eat something...
Grit.
Theron knew what a Death Sigil was.
Once mana was supplied to the connected device, an insect sleeping inside the heart would awaken and destroy the heart.
So from the beginning... we were only tools meant to be used and thrown away.
New water belonged in a new container.
Now that Castillo was about to become a new ruler behind the throne, he wanted to erase everyone who had handled his dirty work.
"I don't know how you survived, but that doesn't mean you'll leave this place alive. Kill him!"
Berton ordered the white-armored knights.
But at that moment...
BOOOOOOM!
A tremendous explosion erupted.
The white-armored knights surrounding Theron were blown away.
Dust filled the area, blocking everyone's vision.
Berton shouted.
"He's escaping! Don't let him get away!"
Among all the trainees Berton had raised, Theron had always been exceptional.
He absolutely could not let him escape.
But...
