Sword Devouring Swordmaster-Chapter 60 : Chapter 60

Chapter 60 – Gale (1)
“Can’t you remove the tag?”
The Orc Elder, Behera.
A monster of a warrior who single-handedly slaughtered every combatant above the level of 「Sword Runner」 in two minutes and seventeen seconds—a living proof of orcish terror in this 「Race Duel」.
There was no chance I could win against him.
Surviving would already be a miracle. Under normal circumstances, the fact that Behera had challenged me—a man utterly drained—would have been a hopeless crisis. But fortunately, this was not a normal situation.
This was the arena of the 「Race Duel」.
“So the rumor about you being the king of the orcs was a lie after all.”
The Race Duel was a contest of all races gathered under one stage, observed by countless spectators. Because of that, the pride of each race was on the line. Which meant,
“I have always respected the orcs. Their courage to never avoid a duel, their bold honesty in showing themselves—! I thought the orcs were a race born for righteous combat, children worthy of Goddess Refri herself. But what I’ve seen from you, Elder Behera, has been nothing but disappointing. So much so that I now doubt the honor of your entire race.”
Here, the sword was not the only weapon.
“You declared yourself the king of the orcs. Because of that declaration, the warriors of other races, though weaker, still challenged you without hesitation. Why? Because fighting a ‘king’ for the pride of one’s race is glorious, even in death! But their deaths were meaningless—because you were no king. The duels you offered were built upon lies.”
In this place, well-crafted words could be sharper than any blade.
More precisely—‘justification’ itself could become a weapon.
“You stood upon falsehood, Elder Behera. Weaker fighters believed your lie and were slain by you. What meaning did their deaths have? The axe you swung insulted both their lives and souls. Your deceitful duels mocked the name of Goddess Refri herself, Elder Behera.”
‘Justification’ has always been the sharpest weapon of all.
History proved that. In all the wars recorded across the continent—wars of faith, wars of territory—nothing had ever cut deeper than righteous cause.
“You stole lives in battles born of deceit. Tell me, are orcs truly like that? You claim to love battle, to never avoid a fight, yet you lie through your tusks just to win? Is that the true face of the orcish race?”
“……”
“As I understand it, orcs love the struggle itself. Win or lose, what matters is how valiantly one fought. That’s why I’ve heard there are even weak orcs among your heroes—because what orcs call strength… is courage.”
And among the seven races, none cared more for “justification” than humans.
I was certain—there was no race on this continent more wicked than humans.
So I decided to fight as one. As the king of humankind.
To face madness, I had to go mad myself. So I did something insane. But once madness had drawn attention, the next step was to wrap it in brilliance—and that was something humans excelled at. History has proven it, too.
“If a small, weak orc child faced the Monster Wave with nothing but a crude axe, he would still be called a hero, even if he died. If an old, sick orc woman fought to protect her son and grandson from invaders, she too would be called a hero, even in death. That is the essence of orcs, isn’t it? No matter how strong you become, you must not lose your essence.”
“……”
“Elder Behera, have you forgotten the Coming-of-Age Ceremony of your kind? The warrior’s trial that values valor, not victory—have you forgotten its meaning? How disappointing.”
“A human… How could you know of our ceremony…?”
I didn’t give the Elder a chance to speak further.
“I do not wish to fight one who has soiled other warriors with false duels.”
If I fought Behera blade-to-blade, I would lose for certain.
But a fight of principles? I had undergone the orcish Coming-of-Age Ceremony myself.
I absorbed the memory of 「Wild Instinct」.
There was no human alive who knew the orcs better than I did.
And when it came to fighting with justification—no one was more dangerous than a human.
Because,
“……You are right.”
Orcs were simple, but not stupid.
They were warriors who knew how to understand.
“You speak true, human. I am no king of the orcs.”
If something wasn’t false, they accepted it.
If they believed they were wrong, they listened.
“My tag number is 6.”
Orcs were not like humans. Unlike us, who twisted excuses and wriggled to escape blame, they accepted the truth for what it was.
That was the nature of the orcs—and the very reason my weapon worked against Behera.
“I claimed to be a king to draw out the kings of other races, to protect our true orc king and gain advantage. And in doing so, I crushed and killed every warrior who challenged me—all for victory’s sake.”
“……”
“But hearing your words, I see how grave my mistake has been! You’re right—an orc’s essence is bravery, not victory! I became a vile monster obsessed with winning. Ah, what a fool I’ve been!”
Behera groaned in remorse.
I smiled inwardly.
Then Liam’s voice came through.
「Quick thinking as always. But honestly, if you hadn’t picked up a sword, I fear what kind of scoundrel you might’ve become.」
“……”
「Tell me honestly, you just made that justification up on the spot, didn’t you? You overused 「Gale」, can’t move your body, and just decided to run your mouth instead? Hah, I can see right through you, young descendant.」
Liam’s words hit me dead on.
‘Yeah, my body still won’t move properly.’
I had been too excited after learning to command the flow—the mystery of 「Gale」. I’d swept through the battlefield gloriously, but the power contained within 「Gale」 was meant only for swordsmen at or above the level of 「Sword Runner」.
When Behera appeared and the gale subsided, the recoil tore through me. My muscles felt shredded, my veins on fire. The fact I was even standing was a miracle.
「Good thing Steel Blood flows in your veins. If you’d been born in the Sky Empire, or to some high noble house, you’d have been a silver-tongued devil instead of a swordsman.」
I listened to Liam’s dry humor and looked again at Behera—repeating one silent prayer in my heart.
‘Please, don’t attack me.’ And perhaps, the gods heard me.
“This Behera of the Orcs has no right to challenge you. And after such dishonor, I must not continue this duel! Behera, bearer of tag number six, will forfeit!”
He didn’t attack. In fact, he withdrew from the duel entirely.
He had been convinced by my words.
A satisfying result. Truly.
“However.”
If only it had ended there.
“Another true orc surely has the right to fight you, human.”
“…What?”
“The true king of orcs will take my place! Orc warrior number 444! The human who said he loves our race and reminded me of my folly deserves to witness true orcish valor—show him!”
A thunderous roar shook the forest.
And then—“Your words had resonance, human─!”
From afar, a massive orc approached, his grotesque frame dwarfing all others.
“Perhaps the same blood flows in your veins as ours! Perhaps if we peeled your skin, we’d find green muscles beneath! Such orcish words! I was moved—deeply moved!”
Proudly holding up tag number 444, he strode closer—its shine marking him as royalty.
「…Young descendant.」
“……”
「That brute is stronger than Behera. What will you do now?」
Of course.
My life was never meant to be easy.
「He’s nearly a Sword Expert, by the way.」
I was utterly screwed.
“Human! You are weak! But the courage burning inside you is worthy of a hero! Therefore! I too shall fight you with all my strength!”
“……”
Please… don’t.
‘Shit.’
Should I run? But my body was still unresponsive. At this point, I couldn’t even muster the strength to awaken 「Gale」 again, let alone summon my superhuman power.
If I tried to turn and flee, I’d be dragged back by my hair before I could take a step.
My mind raced—and then:
【Descendant of Steel, impressive words. Perhaps the legacy in your blood is why your strategy and wit are so sharp.】
Dwight’s voice echoed in my head.
【Now that you’ve laid the groundwork, we can move freely.】
“……”
【Don’t worry. From here on, it won’t just be your fight—it will be a battle for every race’s pride.】
A voice carried through mana.
A technique I had never witnessed before.
「That dwarf… quite skilled.」
“……”
「That’s a transmission technique. You’re far from being able to do that.」
While I stood there stunned, Dwight stepped forward, blocking the path of the oncoming orc.
Encased in black steel armor, the dwarf general glared up at him.
“And where do you think you’re going, you thick-headed green brute?”
“Why is a dwarf blocking my way—”
“Because the dishonor committed by your elder shames your entire race, does it not?”
“……?”
“When this Race Duel began, our proud dwarven warrior was slain by Behera. We took no issue—believing it an honorable duel. But now that we know it was false, we have the right to vengeance.”
As Dwight said this, he cast his eyes subtly toward the strongest of each race—those who had been hanging back until now. One by one, voices rose.
“Now that I think about it… that wretched orc deceived our young elf and killed him! A bright child who still had so much ahead of him.”
The Elder of the Elves.
“Yes. And our demon warrior, the ‘Blue Baron,’ fought him too—before night even fell. Foolish perhaps, but if his death was caused by a false duel, then we cannot abide by it. As a fellow Noble of the Night, I demand orcish blood in return.”
The Demon noble, Harthias the Red Count.
“You know us well—the dwarves of the Sky Mountains never forgive the wrongful deaths of our kin.”
The Dwarven Iron General, Dwight.
“You called us beast bastards when you killed our own, and now you just forfeit? Don’t make me laugh.”
The Beastmen bared their fangs.
“Ah, there you are at last.”
“I was starting to worry you’d never show and get eliminated without a fight…”
And finally—“There you are, our king. Don’t worry—we’ll guard you properly.”
My own kind.
The human warriors.
“I was wondering why you stayed silent all day—but you’ve created quite the spectacle, haven’t you?”
The delicate balance that had held the 「Black Forest」 was now ablaze.
“Thanks to you, this Race Duel will end faster than any in history.”
And what a glorious fire it would be.
***
“You’ve done it this time, Little Gladiator.”
I couldn’t deny Seol Yoon’s words.
The Black Forest was now the stage of the truest kind of “Race Duel.”
“Even in the history of the event, you’d be hard-pressed to find chaos like this.”
The true powerhouses—those who had stayed behind for form’s sake or to let rookies gain experience—had finally emerged.
The speed and number of clashes were beyond what eyes could follow.
“The Arena’s sponsors will pay you in gold for this scene.”
“…Ha.”
Yes, it was entertaining. The audience must have been going wild. But I couldn’t feel satisfied.
「A duel without you in it—what’s the point?」
Exactly.
If things stayed like this, the “trial” I sought would never come.
I had glimpsed the essence of 「Gale」, but no true growth beyond that. Some would call it greed to ask for more—but right now, I needed that greed.
I needed more—anything I could grasp.
“Protect the center!”
But there was no chance.
The warriors fighting at the heart of the battlefield were all monsters beyond measure, while the enemies charging in our direction were intercepted by the human warriors before they could reach me.
“Stay behind the line!”
They even stopped me from stepping forward. Of course they would—if a mere 「Sword Walker」 lost his tag, humanity’s entire race would be eliminated. I’d be branded a criminal and never allowed back in the Arena—maybe even beaten to death in the Steel City.
I had no choice but to stay put.
The 「Race Duel」 was rushing toward its finale. The race that survived to the end would claim victory. And I—would not be part of it.
So this was as far as my luck went.
“Kyahhh!”
…Or so I thought.
“Damn it, the beast bastards broke through!”
“Protect them!”
The beastmen charged in.
Baring their fangs, they tore through the human defense line.
“Bastards—!”
And, true to their instincts, the wild race ignored the hardened warriors at the front and went for the rear—the weak.
Those with little defense, unable to protect themselves up close.
The mages.
“Ah—ahhh!”
Among the mages gathered to protect me, one woman’s scream stood out—sharp and clear.
Every other sound faded, leaving only her voice.
“Help me.”
She was a young woman in her twenties. Plain, without any adornment.
When she screamed, her small white teeth showed.
“Please… help me…”
For some reason, when her hair fluttered, I thought I smelled flowers.
A strange scent for such a bloody battlefield. And as it reached me, the world before my eyes wavered.
Then—『I still can’t forget the look in your eyes that day.』
A fierce memory surged from the sword—burning, violent emotion.
『The lovely voice that once laughed shyly was torn and broken.』
『The clothes that suited you so well were blackened and ripped apart.』
『Your pale skin was laid bare, bruised blue and streaked with blood.』
My body was still broken. Fighting now was sheer madness. But the sword screamed madly in my hand.
『Sobbing, crying, you said it clearly.』
『“Help me. Please, help me.”』
When I came to my senses—my body was already running toward her.
『It wasn’t a vague cry. It wasn’t a prayer to the heavens.』
『Ah, yes…』
I knew it instinctively. If I accepted this memory— 「Gale」 would be completely absorbed.
Because what was surging inside me now—『You were calling me.』—was the final memory of 「Gale」’s previous master.