WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 130: I Want You

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'What the...'

Galea's words were so arrogant, so outrageous, that even Kyle was caught off guard for a moment. He blinked at Galea as he thought.

'What gives her that kind of confidence?'

It seemed Galea had come to speak not with Helenas, but with Kyle. Even so, calling the Sword Church Master a "bonus" was extreme. It was openly aggressive.

Helenas, the Sword Church Master, was the strongest swordsman in the world by everyone's reckoning. The swords she commanded, along with the fanatics obsessed with the Sword Church Master, were a force that could not be ignored either.

"That's a pretty oversized bonus."

Kyle tilted his head and stared at Galea. She had emerged from the darkness poured out by the messenger and sat atop it, but that was not her true body. Her real body was surely somewhere else.

'Probably at the Crow Company's Southern Branch.'

Was she acting so arrogantly because her true body was not here? She might avoid being cut down by a sword, but what did she gain from such arrogance?

"I'm asking because I truly don't understand. Why is the Sword Church Master... ma'am, a bonus to me?"

"Because I have no business with her."

Galea answered with a smile. Her arrogance was so excessive that Kyle began to feel she must have some solid basis for it.

"I understand even less now. If we're talking only about personal strength, I can't even compare to the Sword Church Master. Not just me, either. There probably isn't anyone in the world stronger than her."

"Strength alone can't solve everything, can it?"

Her narrowed gaze turned to Helenas.

"Everyone recognizes how remarkable the Sword Church Master's sword is. Even my great father would be unable to withstand her full strength. But I see no appeal in a sword that cannot even be wielded according to its owner's desires."

"Hah..."

Kyle gave a hollow laugh and shook his head.

"I understand what you mean. But saying that to her face sounds less like courage and more like stupidity. It's our first meeting, but you're already making a terrible first impression."

"Ahaha. It only means that I have no need for either the Sword Church Master's sword or her time."

"You're getting on my nerves."

Helenas spoke. With a soft step, she moved to stand beside Kyle.

"And you're unpleasant."

Normally, Helenas would not react to words like that. Not because they were beneath a response, but because they could not stir even the slightest ripple in her heart.

This was different. Helenas found it irritating and unpleasant because precious time with Kyle was being stolen by someone she did not want to give even a shred of interest to.

"Is there any reason to continue this conversation?"

A chill ran through the air.

The invisible pressure Helenas released froze the air itself. The wind died, and the forest fell still, as if time had stopped. The messenger's body, which had stood motionless after pouring out darkness, began to tremble. Even Kyle, who was not facing that pressure directly, felt goosebumps rise on his skin.

"This is unexpected."

Galea's eyes shone. She lowered the hand that had been supporting her chin and stared at Helenas with a serious expression, all trace of amusement gone.

"It was surprising enough that you moved the immovable Sword Church Master. To think you could even draw emotion from an elf."

"I don't want this time interrupted."

Helenas whispered. She held neither sword nor even a branch in her hand, yet everyone there felt a sword from her presence. If she swung one now, it felt as though the entire space would be cut to pieces.

"I still remember Cyrus Rubalt's face, voice, and kindness. Do you want me to stop showing him respect?"

"Ahaha..."

Galea's eyes as she looked at Helenas filled with interest.

"Old stories really cannot be trusted. Elves do not do things that do not interest them. Elves follow only fate... We thought your fate was the sword. So that is why it changed."

"You want me to stop showing respect."

"Of course not. I apologize for my rudeness."

Galea rose from her pitch-black chair and lowered herself in an elegant bow.

"The Sword Church Master as she is now cannot possibly be dismissed as a mere bonus. Please calm your anger and share a little of your time with me."

"I don't want to."

"Kyle Alastor, what do you think? Don't you want to speak with me?"

"Me?"

Galea quickly gave up on persuading Helenas and turned to Kyle with a broad smile. This was their first time meeting and speaking face to face, yet Galea was certain Kyle held the authority to decide whether this conversation continued.

"Well, like I said earlier, it's our first meeting, but I don't like you. You've been rude in too many ways."

"Oh my. Should I have come more politely?"

"If you'd come bowing your head from the start, it would have been better than this."

"I fastened the first button wrong. Then I suppose it can't be helped."

With a deeper smile, Galea raised her hand.

"If you won't share your time with me, then I'll have no choice but to take it myself."

The moment Galea spread her hand wide.

Helenas's will moved.

Fwoosh!

A shameless sword that carved in only the result Helenas considered natural, without even the existence of a process, shredded Galea. In an instant, Galea was divided into hundreds of chunks of flesh.

Black blood and flesh rained down. The mangled pieces, cut so horribly that their original form could not be recognized, stuck together and formed a face. Galea's head alone floated in the air, smiling brightly.

"As expected."

Galea whispered.

"So this is the Sword Church Master's sword."

The messenger, who had stood still with his head lowered, began to twist. Darkness churned and spilled from inside the hood covering his head.

Rumble...!

The darkness pooled deep on the ground rose like a wave and began to melt into the space around them.

"It may be less impressive than I expected."

Fwaaaash!

The darkness that had melted into the space caused something to happen. The ground beneath Kyle's feet suddenly gave way. Kyle jerked his head up in surprise. While Kyle fell downward, Helenas remained above him. Frowning with clear irritation, Helenas reached for Kyle.

Clang!

The darkness that had consumed the space surged, and someone burst out from beyond it. A knight in pitch-black armor. Without warning, he thrust a massive spear at Helenas, blocking her hand.

'What is this?'

Kyle had no idea what was happening. Helenas's sword had cut Galea. Galea's true body was not standing before them, so Kyle understood that she would not die from being cut.

But what happened afterward was another matter. The messenger poured out darkness, the darkness consumed the space, and then something happened.

'Did the space change?'

It felt somewhat like the realm of consciousness created by Fenris's or Baal's Dokkaebi, but those were only realms of consciousness. This felt as though that unreal space had overlapped with reality.

"I apologize for the rough invitation."

A pale white hand shot out of the darkness and seized Kyle. Without looking at the hand, Kyle looked upward. He was still falling into darkness, while Helenas remained above.

The knight in black armor continued thrusting his spear at Helenas. Even from a distance, his skill looked extraordinary.

"Who is that?"

"The finest spear in my possession."

Galea emerged from beyond the darkness. Completely uninjured, she smiled at Kyle.

"That old relic has only barely reached that level after five hundred long years. Even if she now imitates desire and swings her sword, she is insignificant. My spear may not be able to pierce that relic, but he can buy me enough time for a conversation."

"Wow..."

It was so insane that Kyle wondered if he had heard her correctly. He asked with a hollow laugh.

"What kind of nerve does it take to pull something this crazy? Can you handle the consequences?"

"What consequences do I need to handle? The Sword Church? The Sword Church Master? Alastor? Ahahaha, why should I fear such old relics?"

Laughing loudly, Galea yanked Kyle's body toward her. Her violet eyes stared into his from so close that their breaths nearly touched.

"We don't have much time, so I'll get to the point. Kyle Alastor, I want you."

"That's awfully sudden."

"What did my idiot little brother promise you? No, let me change the question. What did my father, trapped in those distant western lands, promise you?"

Rumble...!

The darkness that kept pulling Kyle down began to churn. Kyle met Galea's gaze and opened his senses wide. His intent spread far into the darkness and read it.

'There are all kinds of things mixed together.'

The mana he had felt from the Black Cube. The revolting unease of the returned Ascendant. All of that, no, things even worse than that, had melted into the darkness. Yet no mutation occurred because this darkness was controlled by a firmer, stronger power.

"Is this darkness your power?"

"I put a great deal of effort into it. More than was necessary for a mere conversation."

Galea released Kyle's wrist and grabbed his head with both hands.

"So I will get results equal to what I invested. Kyle Alastor, I want you. Whatever my family promised you, I can give you more."

"..."

"The Family Head of Alastor? Your vessel is far too great to desire something so small, isn't it? This family began because of you. What meaning is there in taking back what should rightfully be yours?"

"What?"

Kyle could not listen any longer. He asked back.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ahahaha! I thought that might be the case, but you truly have not realized it. Kyle Alastor, no, Ruin Alastor."

"?"

"You, who changed the world five hundred years ago, have returned now that the world faces another age of upheaval. From the far beyond, beyond Ascension, where no one has ever reached. Ahaha. You must have returned to change and lead the world once more."

"?"

"Of course you have not realized it. You are still immature. That distant beyond you experienced must be sealed deep within your existence."

What the hell was this insane woman talking about? Kyle stared at Galea with wide eyes. Holding his head in both hands, Galea carefully stroked his hair as if touching some priceless treasure.

"You seem very surprised. But think carefully. If you are not the reincarnation of Ruin Alastor, then what are you?"

"Me...? I'm... just me. Kyle Alastor."

"Ahahaha! Don't be ridiculous. Look at what you have achieved when you have only been alive for fifteen years. What are the swords you use? Fenris, and Baal!"

"..."

"Why do you think the Sword Church Master shields you? That old relic must have sensed something in your sword. The world changed when you were born. It continues to change with every step you take. Why do you think that is? Ruin Alastor changed this world. The origin that created him has returned, so the world cannot help but change again."

Galea whispered with complete certainty.

"It doesn't matter if you cannot realize or accept the truth right now. If you want to think of yourself as Kyle Alastor, then yes, I will call you that. Kyle Alastor. I want you."

How could there be such an absurd misunderstanding? It was not completely off the mark. Kyle truly had been reincarnated. He simply was not, as Galea believed, the reincarnation of Ruin Alastor.

"I can offer devotion that neither my idiot little brother nor even my father can. I guarantee it, my father will never devote himself to you."

Galea's eyes, so close to his, shook with madness.

"Come south. There, become one with me. Become one with me and change the worl..."

"You've got the wrong person."

There was no need to listen any longer. Galea might have her own certain reasons for saying all this, but to Kyle, it was nothing more than unpleasant misunderstandings and bullshit.

Shhk!

Fenris slid from its sheath and cut off both of Galea's arms that held Kyle's head. Yet Galea did not let out a single cry of pain. Instead, she smiled even more brightly.

"Fenris's Ash follows you. And you still deny that you are Ruin Alastor's reincarnation?"

Perhaps because she had lived in the South for so long, Galea called it Ash instead of Dokkaebi. It seemed Galea could see Dokkaebi as well.

'The spiritual energy the messenger released did not return to him either. It returned to the ring. I don't know whether it's dark magic or something else, but it seems the Southern Branch can handle the power of Dokkaebi and outer gods.'

Then was the Southern Branch also responsible for massacring Narua's tribe?

"My Founding Ancestor was not Fenris's master. He simply kept it at his side. Fenris's master was the Sword Demon..."

"If a sword has even an Ash dwelling within it, it would consider the better and stronger swordsman its master."

"..."

This went beyond mistaking him for someone else. She was even grinding at his pride.

'She's not wrong, though.'

Ruin really had been the better and stronger swordsman compared to the Sword Demon.

"I keep telling you that you're wrong, but you just keep insisting. It's frustrating and irritating."

At least Kyle understood this much. Galea was not in her right mind.

"If I say no, understand that I mean no. If I say I don't like it, understand that I don't like it. Why do you keep pushing yourself on me? You're really getting on my nerves."

Kyle had wondered what she wanted badly enough to make such a scene, but there was no need to hear more.

'I'll cut her first.'

A sword was the best medicine for someone who would not listen. Fenris, which had cut off Galea's arms, shot upward toward her neck.

Clang!

With a sharp metallic ring, Fenris bounced back. A swordsman emerged from the darkness and swung his sword at Kyle in rapid succession.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Swords struck swords. Several strands of Kyle's hair were cut by the vicious barrage and scattered through the air.

"What is this now?"

Kyle was still falling toward the bottom of the darkness. He tried to stop himself in midair as he had learned earlier, but this fall could not be resisted.

The sword before him was too sharp to waste effort forcing the impossible. Kyle twisted his body without resisting the fall.

Whoosh!

The descending slash barely missed him. Kyle stabbed into the opening, but his sword passed uselessly through beneath the swordsman's arm.

"It is a sword being honed to sharpness."

Galea, whose severed arms had been restored without a trace, retreated and whispered.

"It is a sword prepared to face the old Ten Peaks and my father's swordsmen. I guarantee it, unless you recover the realm of your previous life, you as you are now cannot handle my sword."

"Oh, is that so?"

Kyle's lips curled upward.

Footnotes:

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