Sword Devouring Swordmaster-Chapter 86 : Chapter 86

Chapter 86 — The Light (5)
Humanity does not disappear. The old man’s yearning passes to his son. The son meets his partner, builds a home, and their child looks upon their parents’ backs and grows the same yearning. The old are the past, the young are the present, and the children are the future. Thus, humanity does not disappear.
A lifespan not even eighty years long. The frailest of the Seven Races. No superior physique, no divine blessing, no eternal life, no raging valor. And yet—humans are beautiful. Their beauty endures. Forever.
“How blessed was the era when we could gaze upon the starlit sky, read the map of the roads we could and must take?”
I beheld the beauty passed down like a sacred flame. Centuries flowed by. In that time, humanity changed.
The harsh era cornered the weak and the insignificant. The strong trampled them, and the land burned. But they did not vanish. Even if the ground was crushed, even if the rivers ran red, even if the world burned—humanity always rose again. And once more, they shone like stars.
“And how blessed was the era when starlight illuminated those paths?”
The will I held—to yearn for beauty and the Age of Stars—became a flame. My descendants inherited it. My disciples inherited it. My people inherited it. And so, the land the world called worthless—the Peninsula—was born.
A small peninsula, insignificant compared to the vast nations of the continent. It was not as mighty as the Iron Kingdom, not as grand as the Sky Empire, not as influential as the 「Black Archipelago」, nor as powerful as the 「Great Land」.
But it was beautiful. In my eyes, unbearably beautiful. It sparkled like a heaven full of stars. Old and young, singing of peace, whispering of love, laughing at foolish tales—they were beautiful. So achingly beautiful.
Upon that starry land stood a man in royal robes. He looked very much like me. He held a sword engraved with an elegant script—「Dragon Sword」—with the utmost care.
“Ancestor.”
The man smiled.
“So this is the Age of Stars you spoke of.”
Humble.
Warm.
“I think I finally understand why you cast everything aside and wielded your sword for this land.
What you sought to protect, the beauty that made you burn your very life away.”
His back looked so much like mine. Perhaps that was why—
“I think… I could do the same.”
—his end mirrored mine.
“When the time comes, I too shall gladly become the Light.”
Not long after, a man who called himself a descendant of the gods began to burn the eastern lands. His flames were so cruel that even the cries of the innocent reached this place. And his blade eventually turned toward this humble peninsula.
“For my stars.”
The most insignificant land in the East. The weakest army. The frailest people. And thus began the longest and most desperate war. Upon his throne, the absolute monarch smiled like a boy.
“For the starlit sky.”
Just as I once had.
***
The outer walls of the coliseum were shrinking faster and faster. Warriors who fought too long were crushed or shredded by the closing barrier.
The arena—built like a city street—reeked of blood. Corpses littered the ground.
The 「Infinite Duel」 was entering its latter half.
‘My stamina’s mostly back.’
As always, my steel heart had swiftly restored my body. I moved carefully among the buildings, regaining strength. And then I noticed something new. With a thunderous crash, outer buildings collapsed.
The ones touching the narrowing barrier disintegrated instantly.
‘Anything touching the wall crumbles, huh.’
And quickly, too—so fast no one inside could survive.
It was, as the announcer said, a mechanism to prevent the match from dragging on. Between the rubble, I could see hands jutting out—remnants of fighters who’d died silently, crushed without a sound.
‘In the end, everyone’ll have to fight like mad. Good thing I’ve recovered. The aftereffects of 「The Light」 are almost gone now…’
The match’s outcome would depend on one thing—who starts fighting first. Whoever did would burn through stamina and face every unpredictable variable first—in short, they’d be fighting at a disadvantage.
‘So won’t the last rounds be dull? The ones who’ve lasted this long are all cautious types—they won’t attack first unless they’re idiots.’
The Arena had plenty of devices to push combatants together, but none could fix that fundamental flaw.
I stepped out from cover and began walking toward the center. With the barrier shrinking, that was where I needed to be.
The coliseum was vast, but after constant movement, the distance wasn’t far. Yet as I drew closer, my instinct—my doubt—sent signals.
‘Why is it so quiet? Everyone should be gathering near the middle. Have they already fought it out? Impossible. More fighters are still being driven inward. With that many people, there’s no way it’s this silent.’
The closer I got to the center, the deeper the silence grew—cold and unnatural. Even the sound of clashing swords was gone. Instead, the number of corpses increased. Bodies hacked apart—not slain in fair combat, but mangled, as if swept away by something colossal.
A nauseating stench of blood filled the air.
The ground below was slick and crimson, as though it had rained blood. I grimaced and pressed on—and then saw it.
‘What the—’
A mountain of corpses. Stacked, torn apart like butchered livestock, assembled into a grotesque mound.
I recoiled instinctively.
‘An illusion?’
Were there shamans or mages among the fighters? Was someone casting a spell to show such horrors? But no—the mountain of flesh carried no Mana. Instead, it reeked of death—the fresh iron scent of blood, the rot of decay.
‘Damn it.’
Then I understood.
‘I was thinking too rationally.’
I had assumed the reason. That all the combatants were of comparable skill. But what if one was not?
‘The 「Infinite Duel」 gathers fighters from across the continent. Sword Walker is the bare minimum. Most here would be at that level—but among them, there are Sword Runners. And among those… monsters.’
Like Seol Yoon.
「This one is far more dangerous than that girl.」
“…How could a human do this?”
「Because he’s human.」
Liam glanced at me.
「The world’s full of monsters that shatter common sense. Everything you believe in—everything that seems certain—can collapse overnight, and the world turns into something unrecognizable, horrific.」
“……”
「There are things that casually destroy the logic of the world.」
Footsteps.
「This vast continent is full of them.」
“……”
「The man you swore vengeance upon is one such monster. Swordmasters stand atop even those—the destroyers of reason.」
A black-armored warrior emerged.
I couldn’t gauge his realm or strength, but I didn’t move to strike.
He looked barely alive.
「So, young descendant,」
“……”
「You must one day wield a sword that can slay a monster like that in a single blow. Even then, it won’t be enough to face a Swordmaster. The man you seek to kill stands at the very pinnacle of terror itself.」
The warrior stumbled closer. His armor was shredded, blood dripping down in rivulets. His legs trembled. A pitiful sob escaped his helm.
“Please… save me.”
A voice emptied of will. He collapsed face-first into the ground. Silent. Still. And from the place he came—footsteps. Heavy, deliberate.
My instincts screamed.
「You will feel fear.」
Run.
「But you must not flee.」
Don’t look back—just run.
「Face your trial, young descendant.」
Give up any thought of fighting.
「Only through this can you grow stronger.」
A thousand weak voices swirled within me. My heart pounded faster. Cold sweat ran down my back. My hands trembled as I bit my lip until it bled.
「Only then can you do what you must.」
I drew a slow breath. Then I asked,
“That thing coming this way… can I beat it?”
「Who can know the outcome of a duel? Not until blades cross.」
“Is it strong?”
Liam didn’t hesitate.
「It’d be insulting to compare you. Remember the blond man from the waiting room—the one yawning? That’s him.」
“The one from one of the Great Houses?”
「Yes. One of the continent’s Great Five Houses.」
Even as Liam whispered, I heard it— a long, lazy yawn.
“Ha-aahm—”
A sound utterly unfitting for the place or time.
「Rhapsody, the slothful master of the Six Free Cities.」
Footsteps approached—unhurried. And then I saw him. Even through the specialized gear concealing his form, I could feel it. Power. Overwhelming, impossible power.
Was he really human? Was I?
Even breathing felt heavy. And yet—
『Our land burned, and those who shone were trampled. That radiant age dimmed, and the lips that once whispered love now screamed in despair.』
『And yet, we will not break.』
I gripped my sword.
『Over centuries, I came to understand.』
『Or perhaps, I had known it all along.』
『Perhaps that was why I found humanity beautiful.』
『Perhaps that was why I loved them.』
My shining blade aimed at him.
『Even if the world burns, humanity will not disappear.』
『The stars will not fade. Their light and beauty may dim for a time, but they will one day blaze again.』
『Humanity will never vanish.』
. . .
『The Age of Stars will not end.』
No more hesitation.
『From the ashes, the phoenix will rise.』
It was time to fight.