Chapter 284

Amethus put on the mask.

And then he muttered somewhere, towards the place where Shion would be.

“Shion. Forget me.”

His head became a shining sphere.

Jade-colored flames ignited and blazed like the sun.

“You may leave me alone and lonely.”

The transforming shape resembled the guardian deity of Arete Island.

No, he was that very existence.

‘Breath of Light’.

One of the thirteen who ruled the Ancient Times.

“However, do not forget everything. In order not to forget me, and even to shoulder that burden, please survive.”

Then the mask spoke.

[Last Aretion, descendant of my servants who betrayed me.]

It is the voice of the dead Ancient God.

He continued to speak while draped over Amethus’s face.

[I am proud of you.]

The jade-colored flames jumped with joy.

The Ancient God ‘Breath of Light’ is still in pain.

The thousand years of time, the fact that he was betrayed by his servants, and the plight of having only his face torn off to become a mere tool were bound to be sorrowful.

[As much as you hurt me, as much as the size of your disappointment to me, I am proud of you, Amethus Aretion.]

The Ancient God gave his everything.

Amethus made him his Ars.

Clattering sounds.

Thousands of headless deer gathered.

They are all carrying burning suns instead of heads.

They were the retainers of ‘Breath of Light’.

There was a sound in the sky as well.

Even though it was a dark night, suddenly the sun rushed out making clattering hoofbeats.

The sun chariot rushed at Amethus and added power.

His whole body blazed with jade-colored flames.

It was already the appearance of a complete Ancient God.

Deep night, deep in the mountains.

However, the sun rises.

The sound of waves begins to be heard.

In the middle of Hobel Bay, the most beautiful island.

The jade coast and the setting sun.

Even though it is a beauty that has vanished and can no longer be found, it ended up visiting here again.

This island’s name is Arete.

“…Oh…!”

Deballo Debius expressed admiration.

An island appeared in the mountains and surrounded him.

On the sandy beach, the steel lion could not hide his gladness.

“Breath of Light! It has been 53 years!”

“His memory is telling me.”

Amethus opened his eyes fiercely blue.

Although his head had already turned like a jade sun and his physical eyes were gone.

“So it was you who suppressed the awakened Light on Arete Island.”

“Then it was me.”

Deballo gripped his sword.

“Because I am the most outstanding sword of His Majesty the Great Emperor.”

“Light is resenting you.”

“I suppose so.”

Amethus took the power of the complete Ancient God.

He soon became the ‘Breath of Light’.

Even if it was a power that might go out at any moment.

“If it was me who suppressed the awakened Light back then, what on earth is different now?”

“Everything is different.”

Amethus said.

“Light is continuing to say that you deceived him back then. That he accepted defeat because he was deceived by the words that Arete Island would live only if Light died.”

“…….”

“But you people let Arete Island become utterly miserable.”

The whole Empire mocks Arete Island.

That they were cowardly, that they were despicable.

It is a stigma that has not yet been cleared.

It is a yoke that has held Amethus for a long time.

“Do you have any idea how much Light is resenting you?”

“…….”

Deballo did not say anything.

He had things to say.

He believed that Arete Island would truly live if Light died.

So he tried hard to save them.

However, he did not know that the work of turning ‘Breath of Light’ into an Ancient Weapon would proceed on Arete Island.

He never dreamed that it would fail and the islanders would all become miserable.

It was even Deballo who saved Amethus’s parents.

Kerenneus insisted that all descendants of Arete Island should be killed, but he strongly opposed it.

It was all Deballo Debius who even supported Amethus from behind when he almost couldn’t enter Sdea Academy due to his origin.

Therefore, Deballo could make an excuse.

He had the right to say towards Amethus that he didn’t know, that he still tried to take responsibility, and that you and your parents were able to survive like that.

However, he did not say it.

Deballo Debius just chewed and swallowed all these facts.

Because even if he did, it would be an excuse.

Because even though he said he didn’t know, too many lives had become miserable.

Since he had lived like this for a thousand years, he couldn’t help it.

“…If you are angry, it is good for me.”

Instead, he just gripped his weapon firmly.

“Because when resentment is added to swordplay, it becomes more exhilarating.”

Deballo rushed in as soon as he finished speaking.

The sword is fierce.

It was a thrust aiming for the neck.

Amethus also countered with a thrust.

Sword tip and sword tip touched.

Both were double-edged swords.

The Cordis Empire-style, most ordinarily shaped double-edged sword.

Swordsmanship is also like that.

They enjoyed using the most ordinary and basic swordsmanship.

Only, it was fast, only, it was strong, only, it was precise, and above all, it was seasoned.

They confronted each other.

Fast against fast, strong against strong, precise against precise, and also seasoned against seasoned.

The man who embraced a dead god and the living god confronted each other and exchanged swords.

“I am enjoying this!”

“I am the same.”

They could not help but enjoy it.

They had no opponent to share swords with with all their might.

They had lived without even imagining that such a person would exist in this world.

“I feel sorry for the White Lord!”

“I feel the same way.”

They are certain.

There are only three existences on the whole continent to share this realm of the sword.

Amethus, Deballo, and Obro.

However, since the two of them came to see the outcome leaving out Obro Denoebang, they couldn’t help but feel sorry.

“I!”

Deballo’s slash.

“Do you know with what heart I have lived for a thousand years!”

Deballo laughs.

Even though he didn’t want to laugh, he ended up laughing.

Even though his heart was tied to his grandson’s death, even though he had complex feelings towards Arete Island, he burst into laughter because it was too enjoyable.

He couldn’t help but become talkative.

“Look! Look at me!”

Continuing slashes.

Thousands of times in a single moment.

“Look at where my speed, my strength, my precision and seasoning have reached! And please admire it!”

His voice boiled with desperation.

“I! That is enough for me. But is that such a difficult thing? Is that one word of admiration so difficult…!”

“I understand what kind of heart it is. I will speak in continuation.”

Amethus received the words.

Naturally, they were in the middle of exchanging swords.

“No! Do not admire it just that much! I still have many things I have polished. To me, that is too shallow a place.”

“Oh?”

“The place I truly consider great is deeper. So please! Recognize this profound beauty. Place your admiration in the right place…! Do not make me lonely!”

“Oh, ooh, ooooh-!!!”

Deballo Debius expressed deep admiration.

It was because Amethus’s words scraped the deepest part of his heart, the frustration of a thousand years, right out.

He laughed joyfully, even shedding tears.

“Amethus! I have also come to realize. I have lived for a thousand years to kill you and die for this moment!”

“It is troubling if you act friendly.”

“This old man thinks that if we share swords to this extent, we are friends!”

“Then, since we have become friends, I will speak comfortably.”

They rejoice in the meeting.

Because the enjoyment was repeated, it ended up becoming boundless joy.

“Please die, Deballo.”

“You die too, Amethus.”

Deballo was a joy to Amethus, and Amethus was a joy to Deballo.

Therefore, they sent out even sharper killing intent towards each other.

“For my Master, Prince Zionis.”

“For my Emperor, Great Emperor Continua!”

***

I ran.

I ran, shedding tears I did not want to admit.

“…….”

I felt the aftermath of the fight behind my back.

I clearly felt what kind of fight Amethus and Deballo were waging.

Even so, I had to run away.

It was a wretched feeling.

It was shameful heart.

“…Amethus….”

Amethus’s words calling me a friend lodged deeply within me.

Lodging deeply, they ended up touching what was beside it.

I ruminated on the name Zionis.

It was such a painful name that I almost collapsed without realizing it.

“…I cannot be your friend. I am a human who has no such qualification.”

My heart hurt.

It hurt because it had a hole.

No, even if there hadn’t been a hole, I had always only been in pain.

‘Soul Fire’ leaked from my eyes.

It was proof that the Septem Arcana was breaking down.

I barely survived by patching the Septem Arcana onto a soul that had already broken down.

However, the promise of the Seven Secrets also eventually met its limit.

“…Because….”

Tears flowed over the black scales.

Although the sun rose where Amethus and Deballo were fighting, I was still in the middle of the deep night.

“…Because, I am….”

There is a sound of crying in the night.

“…Merely, a liar.”

Shion Pollinglight’s seventh secret,

‘He is a liar’.

***

Seven flames spun round and round.

They accused me of shamelessness.

***

Seven voices in seven flames.

Condemnation towards the broken promise.

***

‘Look at that man.’

‘He is a sinner.’

‘We are that man.’

‘We are that man’s secrets.’

‘We will judge him.’

‘This is a righteous deed’.

‘Because he is a liar.’

***

I went completely bankrupt.

Choking up, I vomited out my secrets.

First secret, ‘He dreams a vain dream’.

“It is a lie.”

I had already given up on the vain dream.

Because that Empire was too mighty, because in fact I just wanted to protect people rather than hating the Empire, because eventually I broke from the pain, I came to be unable to hate all of myself who is the Cordis of Cordis.

“I came to be unable to dream a vain dream.”

Second secret, ‘He does not trust’.

“It is a lie.”

There were many I trusted.

Too many people were in my heart.

Meh, Cornelius, Widow Queen, Obro Denoebang, Kateka Keshulei, Leniar de Volmark, Secundus Debius, Sen Sorti, …‘Amethus’, ‘Serena’, ‘Serena de Verchello’.

There was even a face I could not cast away even if he plunged a knife into me.

I could not hate the Lord Denoebang at all.

It is because I remember what kind of comrade he was before the Regression.

“I still end up trusting.”

Third secret, ‘He does not give up’.

“It is a lie.”

The suffering was severe.

The pain was severe.

The sadness and fear were so old that I could not remember before.

As shame was added to that, I came to be unable to even dare hope for tomorrow.

I came to not even know for what I started this path, and ended up hearing the voices of those I tried to protect begging me to please die….

“I had already given up.”

Fourth secret, ‘He is locking up’.

“It is a lie.”

Both the hunchback and the dragon crawled out of my heart.

However, all these things were nothing but illusions.

I was just empty from beginning to end, and eventually, I ended up vomiting out all of this fact.

“I could not lock up.”

Fifth secret, ‘He burned everything up’.

“…It is a lie.”

There was something left in my heart.

If there wasn’t, there is no way tears would flow from melting.

I thought only ‘Soul Fire’ remained beneath the tears, but there were tears again beneath that.

There was a heart that pierced through.

“…I have not burned everything up yet….”

Sixth secret,

‘He has already become inhuman’.

“It is a lie!”

I wailed.

“It was a lie! It means it was all a lie!”

I just cried without even a listener.

“I pretended not to be human! I acted as if I were different! I acted as if I knew everything, could do everything, and could save everyone! But even this was a lie! I… I……!”

I shouted while crying.

“…Am a human! I was nothing more than just one vermin-like human! Even after turning back time, I could only do this much!”

I tore at my chest and showed the heart with a hole.

Blood flowed and the smell was terrible.

“Even the promise of the seven Ars in the Seven Secrets was a lie! It was a promise built on such lies from the beginning!”

The Ars of Septem Arcana.

‘Fantasy Finger’.

‘The Unclosable Twenty Steps’.

‘The Heated Iron Bloodline’.

‘The Screaming Hunchback’.

‘Soul Fire’.

‘Dragon of Six Horns’.

And…….

“…There is no such thing as a seventh Ars…. There was no such thing….”

I tore at my chest to reveal the heart with a hole.

However, there was no heart there.

Inside my chest was already empty.

“Seven Ars for Seven Secrets, but there is no last Ars…. It was a promise that started from such a contradiction…. Therefore, the last secret ends up overturning everything…….”

I cried endlessly.

“……I was merely such a liar.”

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