Hard Carried by My Sword-Chapter 26

Chapter 26
It was truly an excruciating, searing pain. Leon’s clenched teeth ground against the towel as if they might shatter. The blood vessels in his eyes burst, dyeing them crimson, as his entire body convulsed, curling up as if shrinking under a massive spasm.
It felt like a searing awl being driven straight into his spine. A blinding white burned across Leon’s vision, then flickered as if sparks were flying. His nervous system had gone into overload.
Gaaah...ah!
he swallowed a scream that never made it out.
His breath had already stopped, and his muscles clenched so hard they threatened to snap bone. It was as if his body was trying to squeeze every drop of blood out through his pores. The pain he had once experienced while stimulating his nervous system was severe, but it was child’s play compared to this.
This was why he had depleted his energy beforehand. If his muscles had any strength left in them, they would have ripped him apart from the inside out.
With a
splash
, a stream of blood burst from his nose. The internal pressure had risen so high that it ruptured his sinuses.
Regardless, El-Cid’s voice was calm as he moved the second light sword.
—Second sword incoming.
Another golden sword pierced through Leon’s nape. The cervical vertebrae—bones connecting the head and body and where the energy surging from the heart passed through—played a crucial role in Aura cultivation. Mystics often referred to it as the Vishuddha Chakra.
At the same time, Leon’s body locked up. He still had his consciousness, but he had lost all control of his body. Holy energy permeated his central nervous system and flooded the pathways that hadn’t carried flow in nineteen years. This was the beginning of the Baptism, an operation so dangerous that a single misstep could be fatal that was going to be continued without pause.
—Let’s bring it up to five swords right away.
Two blades of light pierced just above his collarbones and one plunged into his upper abdomen. They struck the major vessels that connected to the arms and those linking the heart to the stomach. The moment they did, the impurities clogging his blood vessels melted and oozed out as blackened sweat.
For a moment, Leon thought his arms had been ripped off. Was this what it felt like to have both arms severed and a skewer rammed through your belly? Sludge poured out from his skin, but he couldn’t even register that sensation.
—That makes eight.
Riding the momentum, the rest of the swords dropped into his lower abdomen and both hips. The major vessels connecting the lower body to the core burst open, and a flood of dark impurities poured out like urine. Without El-Cid’s purifying light, the stench alone would’ve sent the innkeeper racing upstairs.
Leon, having lost all senses, was starting to lose his mind.
Ah...
It felt like all his limbs had been cut off, his abdomen skewered top to bottom. Even pain began to fade, his consciousness flickering on and off. One step from the cliff’s edge—he just barely held on.
Not... yet...
Desperately, he blinked. Just lowering and lifting his eyelids felt like it would knock him out. To do so with his nervous system scrambled... it was incredible.
El-Cid, clearly satisfied, moved the final two light blades and drove into the soles of Leon’s feet. That marked the end of the Baptism.
“
Ugh
.”
Leon let out a short groan and passed out completely. He had endured all ten light swords, but that left him with no strength—not even a bit to shift position, so he collapsed against the wall in a seated slump.
While El-Cid had conducted the Baptism faster and more efficiently than usual, Leon’s fortitude was still undeniable. Replacing his blood with hydrochloric acid and his bones with iron rods might’ve been easier than what he had just endured.
El-Cid, unable to hold back the awe, muttered, —That mental strength... it’s already on par with a Master. He would have been okay to pass out after I got five swords in, but to endure all ten? Even taking into account that he’s awakened his ‘Will,’ this exceeded all expectations. Don’t you think?
To that, the Goddess replied, —......!
—Oh, stop it. I’m the one in charge of training the Hero, remember? It all turned out fine, so what’s the problem?
As the Holy Sword holding the soul of a former Hero casually sassed the goddess, he let her nagging wash over him.
—You want a strong Hero as much as I do, don’t you? The ones you picked after me were all unqualified. That’s why you had to stick me in this sword, right? Because your old way wasn’t working.
—......
—Exactly. A Hero is either born one or forged through hell. Unless they’re naturally insanely gifted, there’s simply no other way. You know that I was the only one with that kind of talent.
—...!
The name Holy King Rodrick left the goddess speechless. At twelve, he killed an ogre in the mountains. At fifteen, he broke the wall known as Master. By the time of his coming-of-age ceremony, he was already stronger than a dragon.
He was truly a chosen one, but an outlier so rare that he defied even the goddess’s designs. He didn’t even really need the Holy Sword—he only used it because nothing else worked against the Demon King. Even that sacred weapon barely kept up with his strength.
That was why El-Cid hadn’t chosen Lyon. If someone were aiming to reach that level of power, the difference in natural talent didn’t matter. Unless they were as absurdly strong as Rodrick, whether it was Lyon or Leon... the difference was truly negligible.
—He’s
my
successor. So stop meddling.
—......
At that, the goddess finally relented and returned to the heavens.
—Jeez. That was anticlimactic.
The inn room soon returned to silence. No one would believe a goddess had just descended there. The divine presence that had filled the space, a power mortals couldn’t wield or even sense, slowly dispersed.
As El-Cid brushed against it, he felt his sealed power momentarily stir. Whether it was a gift from the goddess or a mistake, he couldn’t say.
—
Hmm
?
Then, he sensed something—an old, vile presence lurking somewhere in the city. It was a force of Evil.
Even after he killed countless of their kind three hundred years ago, they still hadn’t vanished. Like a cockroach, they had crawled back from the edge. With a harsh click of his tongue, El-Cid turned to look at Leon.
The boy had only just entered the world of Aura. That presence was far too much for him. However, ignoring it wasn’t an option either.
—Looks like we’ll have to crank the training up a notch.
Whether it was coincidence or instinct, Leon’s unconscious body gave a faint twitch.
***
After receiving the baptism from El-Cid and falling unconscious, Leon opened his eyes a full day later. Thanks to El-Cid’s purifying light, no impurities remained.
He stood up, brushing off his wrinkled clothes, only to be hit by an overwhelming hunger and fatigue. It was only natural—he had not only crossed the threshold of Aura but had also slept for twenty-four hours.
And yet, more than anything, Leon felt a surge of power.
“This... is Aura!” he exclaimed.
He could feel the flow circulating within him. The energy drawn in through breath, refined by the heart, now spread through his entire body. It was a sensation only someone who had awakened Aura could truly understand.
It felt like he had gained a second fuel tank beyond mere stamina. He felt like he could do anything.
However, there was El-Cid to immediately throw cold water on him.
—It’s all in your head. What I opened through the Baptism were only your major vessels. If you want to use Aura properly, you’ll need to train your finer meridians. Right now, you’re just a brat with too much raw power. You’ve got a long way to go.
“I know that already!” Leon shouted and bounced on the spot a few times.
Awakening Aura didn’t mean his physical strength had instantly increased. What he had done was essentially build the container for the power—it wasn’t as though he’d filled it yet.
Even so, there was one major change. From the eight great vessels connecting his heart and core, a circulating flow surrounded his body.
“Aura Sense...” Leon muttered.
It was a sense separate from the traditional five—it was like his nervous system had extended beyond his skin. With enough focus, he might even be able to use that flow to perceive his surroundings.
—I get that you’re excited about stepping into Aura but listen to my explanation first. It’s about the Aura you just awakened.
“Oh, got it.”
Leon quickly calmed down as if nothing had happened as if the word “Aura” itself had become some kind of magic word. El-Cid, annoyed by the reaction, continued in a sour tone.
—You already know that there are different attributes of Aura, right?
“Of course.”
—The most common among humans are the Five Elements, but the Aura you’ve awakened doesn’t fall into that category. I’ll admit, it’s a little surprising—you’ve awakened the same Aura as me.
“Wait, the same as El-Cid?! Then...!”
Leon’s eyes lit up, and El-Cid confirmed it for him.
—That’s right. Your Aura is of the “Sun” attribute. The highest tier, representing light, heat, and true clarity.
“
Let’s go
!”
To have the same attribute as the legendary Hero! Leon threw both arms into the air and let out a cheer. They said that just having the Sun attribute was enough to get you invitations from all across the continent.
It was the same type of Aura wielded by the Holy King Rodrick—and renowned as proof of one’s righteousness.
—Before we get into the details, let’s do a quick review.
At El-Cid’s words, a translucent panel appeared.
It had been a long time since Leon had seen his stat window.
Name: Leon
Title & Class: Hero (who finally awakened Aura)
Level: 22
Strength: 133 (D)
Endurance: 140(D)
Agility: 129 (D)
Aura: 50 (E)
Skills: Sword Mastery I (max), Rodrick’s Vision (3), Rodrick’s Footwork (2), Acquired Martial Root II, Aura Wielder I (3)
The contents had changed significantly since the last time he’d seen it. Leon smiled in satisfaction as he noticed that the Aura Wielder skill he’d only just awakened yesterday had already reached level three.
El-Cid explained before he even had a chance to ask, —You were already able to use Accel before learning Aura, and you could use Aura Sense as soon as you awakened Aura. That alone puts you above level one or two.
“Hoh, I see.”
—With the major vessels open, your Acquired Martial Root has also reached the second stage. I think it’s about time I start teaching you proper swordsmanship.
“Finally!”
Leon perked up at the fact that he would finally learn the swordsmanship of the legendary Hero, Rodrick. Leon’s eyes lit up at the offer, and he responded immediately, “Should we start today?”
—Well, someone’s fired up,
huh
?
It wasn’t a bad reaction at all—far better than being disinterested. El-Cid gave a short chuckle at his enthusiasm, then got straight to the point without giving any time to prepare.
—There’s an enemy of ours in this city.
“What...?”
—The Hero’s archenemies. Traitors who’ve sold this world to beings from another dimension in order to achieve their own ends. Worms that always squirm in the shadows of history, no matter the era. I sensed those bastards’ presence last night.
They didn’t even deserve a name—they were simply called “the Evil” and their followers were known as the Horde of Evil. Compared to them, the average black mage who borrows a bit of power was practically a kindly neighbor.
If a man who sold out his country deserved to be stoned to death across generations, then these scum who tried to sell out the entire world deserved worse. They were rebels who colluded with interdimensional invaders to fulfill their selfish desires.
—I think they’ll be lying low for a while, but that doesn’t mean we have a lot of time. I would say that we have, at most, two months before they start moving.
They were enemies the Hero could not ignore. If El-Cid hadn’t noticed them, it’d be one thing—but once they were in his sight, he had to uproot them down to the last root. That was the Hero’s way.
Maybe the goddess descending yesterday temporarily lifting his seal had been a sign—a divine message urging them to destroy those enemies. Leon couldn’t take them on in his current state. So, he would simply have to grow stronger.
With that in mind, El-Cid asked, —Are you ready?
Monster hunting was just preparation to grow strong, to fight. His mindset thus far had only been about self-discipline.
Facing Evil—a force of unmistakable malice—that was different.
He would have to leap headfirst into a pit swirling with blood and hatred. The moment he chose to become a Hero, escape was no longer an option. El-Cid’s voice beckoned, echoing that inescapable fate.
Leon took that hand without hesitation.
“I’m ready. I made up my mind to become a Hero.”
His answer had already been decided when he cursed the heavens behind the Academy, and when he rejected El-Cid’s temptation and gripped that hilt instead.