WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Oblivious
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Weakest Knight Became a Swordmaster, But Only in Dungeons ◈
Chapter 53: Founding Anniversary Festival (4)
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“Haah...”
Anger threatened to boil up inside him like lava.
But if he let his emotions take over, his sword strikes would only grow dull.
Ron Hazely took a deep breath and reined in his emotions. Thanks to the traits of his Swordmaster state, he quickly calmed down.
With a cool head, Ron recalled the original story.
‘Azera, the White-Night Demon. A high-ranking executive of the fallen Demon King Army.’
In For Elise, Azera had been one of the subordinates protecting Violet, the False Demon King and Undead Lord.
Azera was the wielder of the Ice-Jade Sword Kshalion. In the original story, Azera had been an enemy that piled every kind of debuff onto the player.
‘So Dansel was taken from her.’
Violet’s trump card, the cursed sword Dansel, was fastened at Azera’s waist.
Ron judged that it would not be a problem. There was no way Azera could handle Dansel’s power.
Fwoooosh.
Silver-gray mana gathered in the air, swirling with the wind before taking the form of a sword.
Ravenous Wolf Sword Kalzak.
Ron fastened the sword at his waist as well.
[You have two famed swords.]
“And today, I’ll have three.”
Ron stepped toward Azera.
“It’s time for you to pay the price, you Demonkin bastard.”
[The price...? For hurting her?]
“Well, hurting Violet is already a crime worth several lives of your own...”
Ron glared at Azera.
“And I’ll avenge my friend, Woof-Woof, too.”
[......?]
Who was Woof-Woof...?
Azera was puzzled, but decided there was no need to know.
Fwoooosh!
Azera drew up demonic energy.
The current situation was difficult to grasp, but what needed to be done was obvious.
There was no choice but to fight.
If Azera raised another wave of ice, it would only be devoured by those mysterious flames that consumed mana.
‘Then.’
Boom!
Azera lunged at Ron.
Whoooosh!!
Shrrraaaak!!
A snowstorm spread broadly along the blade of the Ice-Jade Sword.
Ice crystals scattered through the air, glittering all around.
Ron instantly recognized the pattern.
“Violet, close your eyes!”
“Y-Yes...!”
Violet tightly shut her eyes as Ron instructed.
‘Has he seen through it?’
Azera furrowed their brow. Was this the sense of a Swordmaster?
Azera filled a Word Command for light magic with demonic energy.
[Let there be light.]
Flash!
An intense light burst from the ground. The brilliant radiance reflected off the ice crystals and spread over a wide area.
It was bright enough to blind most people.
Even against a Swordmaster, it should have bought at least a moment.
Azera’s vision was unaffected by such light, but they still could not see their opponent.
However, Azera could sense the enemy’s movements through innately and unusually developed sensory organs and aura sense.
Light was a hunting ground that favored Azera.
Whoooosh!
Shraaak!!
Boom!!
Suddenly, the sound of fierce wind and several explosions pierced Azera’s ears.
Then, unknown slashes rushed toward Azera. Blind attacks. Azera easily dodged them.
They easily endured the shockwaves that came one after another.
‘Did he just swing his sword wildly because he couldn’t see?’
The question lasted only an instant.
Azera swung the Ice-Jade Sword at Ron through the white radiance.
Shraaak!!
Ron lightly dodged, and the freezing slash filled with demonic energy split the ice and the wall.
At that moment, Azera frowned. Ron, vaguely visible at close range, had his eyes closed.
In other words, he had dodged using aura sense alone.
Just how sharp did his aura sense have to be to dodge sword strikes so easily?
‘Then what were those indiscriminate attacks just now...?’
There was no time to ponder the question.
Fwoooosh!!
Blue flames spiraled up from the surroundings and began to devour the snowstorm.
As the mana-made light was partly consumed by the blue flames, the retention basin came into view. Only then did Ron open his eyes.
Ignoring that, Azera avoided the blue flames and brought the sword down toward Ron’s shoulder.
Whooosh!!
At that moment, Ron twisted his body and exploded his aura by the narrowest margin.
Crackle!
Boom!
[!]
Propelled by the aura explosion, Ron spun across the ice like a top.
Whirl!
The Ice-Jade Sword’s slash cut through the space Ron had vacated.
Using the rotational force, Ron powerfully swung the Flame Demon Blade.
The black blade, trailing blue flames, struck at Azera’s torso.
A sharp, powerful sword strike at tremendous speed. Azera met it at an angle with the Ice-Jade Sword wrapped in freezing demonic energy.
Boooom!!
As the two blades collided, the mana of flame and ice clashed and exploded.
Ron and Azera were thrown in opposite directions, and the bright light source completely went out.
[What...!]
“That’s an upright spin, you punk!”
A technique where one spun in place.
It was a figure-skating term.
Scrape!
Sliding across the ice, Ron drove his black sword into the frozen ground.
The blade cut through the ice for a moment before supporting Ron’s body.
The instant he stopped, Ron pulled the sword from the ice.
Crackle!
Boom!!
Ron exploded lightning aura behind him and shot forward.
He swiftly and gracefully slid across the ice toward Azera.
A sense of danger, like being driven off a cliff, heavily stirred Azera’s survival instincts.
But Azera could not simply take the attack.
Azera spread freezing demonic energy around the area and raised walls of ice in every direction.
Ron stepped into the prison of ice formed in an instant.
Thud!
Azera also drove the Ice-Jade Sword into the ground and released demonic energy at maximum output.
[Freeze...!]
Shrrrraaaak!!
Cold burst from the sword tip and swept across the ground. In turn, the ice prison spewed a violent chill infused with bitter frost.
Frozen Land. Ice Prison.
It was a prison of frost that could freeze even high-ranking magical beasts in an instant.
However...
Fwoooosh!!
Boom!!
Blue flames fueled by the mana of a Swordmaster mercilessly devoured the cold.
The flames rapidly climbed the walls of the ice prison.
In an instant, the ice prison collapsed, engulfed in flames.
[You monster...!]
Azera felt immense pressure. Had they ever felt so helpless before?
Even when the Demon King Army fell, it could not have been as bad as this.
Azera urgently shouted.
[Doblgis, support me!! ...Huh?]
Since when had this happened?
Azera turned toward Snow Yeti Doblgis, the Dungeon boss, and could not hide their shock.
Beyond the drifting cold...
The boss Doblgis, stripped of all four limbs, was impaled through the chest by Ravenous Wolf Sword Kalzak and pinned to a massive pillar.
‘When did he...? Ah!’
Only then did Azera realize.
Both sheaths at Ron’s waist were empty.
‘Could it have been then?’
When Azera had burst forth with light and covered the area in radiance, those indiscriminate slashes Ron had unleashed...
‘They were aimed at Doblgis...!’
Azera’s black eyes widened as they were struck speechless.
The battlefield ruled by a Swordmaster filled them with unmistakable terror.
[Hraaaah!!]
As if struggling desperately, Azera swung the Ice-Jade Sword. A frost-filled slash ground through the ice as it rushed at Ron.
Ron’s black sword drew a streak of blue light.
Shraaaak!!
A blue-flame slash shot out. It split the freezing slash in two and steadily advanced toward Azera.
Azera quickly twisted aside, avoiding a fatal blow, but...
Slice!!
[Urk!]
Azera’s right arm, still holding the Ice-Jade Sword, was sent flying.
Blue flames clung to the severed shoulder. The fire burrowed into Azera’s body through the demonic-energy circuits, bringing terrible pain.
Azera clenched their teeth, then shouted at the death looming before them.
[Damned human, fear us! We will surely sweep you away and devour this world!!]
At that moment, Ron reached Azera.
Ron’s resolute voice came from close range.
“Then die.”
Slice!
A flaming trail took Azera’s head.
* * *
Fwoosh.
The corpse of Azera, the Demonkin, turned into ash and scattered away.
I let out a deep breath and raised my head with a wistful expression.
“Woof-Woof, I avenged you...”
Woof-Woof, the undead servant who had thrown itself forward and sacrificed itself to protect me while we fought the monsters...
Thanks to it, I had safely made it through a few near-death experiences.
“Mr. Hazely...?”
“Hm?”
“If you mean the undead servant who brought you to me, Woof-Woof will be fine again after being recalled to rest...”
“Yeah, I know.”
“?”
I was just attached to him, that was all.
“Anyway, Violet. You’re not hurt, right?”
“Ah, y-yes...! I’m fine.”
I had kept an eye on Violet’s condition throughout the battle, so I already knew. Still, I asked directly just in case.
I picked up the cursed sword Dansel from the ground.
‘I’ll return this to Violet...’
Then I picked up the white sword that gave off pale blue cold.
‘Ice-Jade Sword Kshalion.’
Long ago, a tear shed by an ice dragon had turned into ore and been forged into this famed sword.
When I formed the intention to become the sword’s owner, a translucent notification window appeared in the air.
[“Ice-Jade Sword Kshalion” welcomes you as its new master.]
[You have acquired the Trait “Ice-Fang Dragon.”]
[When using “Ice-Jade Sword Kshalion,” you can wield “Ice Dragon’s Mana.”]
‘To think I’d get something like this...’
Well, I could bask in the accomplishment later.
‘First, I need to settle this situation.’
I sheathed the Ice-Jade Sword. Then...
[Kiik, eek...!]
Slice!
I cut off the head of the Dungeon boss, which I had already incapacitated with Ravenous Wolf Sword Kalzak.
That should do it...
[You have cleared the Dungeon boss.]
[The Dungeon and Gate will both disappear.]
Whoooosh.
The collapsed Gate gathered into a single point. It would probably disappear completely in about ten minutes.
Then an overwhelming sense of exhaustion hit me.
“Fuuuuh...”
A heavy sigh slipped out as all strength drained from my body.
As expected, I was suddenly tired.
Still...
‘Huh? What? It doesn’t hurt anymore?’
Hadn’t my entire body been covered in injuries after forcing my way through that horde of monsters?
Yet unlike before, there was barely any pain.
Even my visible wounds had stopped bleeding. The blood on my body had been spilled earlier.
‘Does my natural healing ability greatly increase while I’m in the Swordmaster state?’
That was some unexpected information.
‘Still, I’m more tired than usual...’
Maybe because of the injuries, my body seemed to be crying out for me to rest properly.
I seriously didn’t have any strength left.
Fwoooosh.
The wolf’s sword, the flame demon’s sword, and the ice dragon’s sword.
I turned all three famed swords, along with Kelius’s Cloak, into mana and stored them within my body.
Then I hurried over to Violet.
“Here. This is yours, right?”
“...Thank you.”
I returned the cursed sword Dansel to Violet. Her eyes trembled briefly before she accepted it.
“Violet.”
Then I held out my hand to Violet.
“......”
Violet’s eyes grew moist as she looked at my hand. She smiled faintly in relief and took my hand as she stood.
“Thank you, Haze... Ah.”
I gently pulled Violet closer and held her tightly.
Feeling Violet’s warmth filled my chest with even deeper relief.
“Thank you for surviving.”
I had impulsively hugged her because my emotions got the better of me, but this time, I could not hold back.
I was just so relieved.
“...Hehe.”
Violet’s voice trailed off, and for some reason, her tone went off-key.
That was enough getting sentimental. It was time to run.
I slowly pulled Violet from my arms. Her face was red as she lowered her head deeply.
“Let’s get out of here first.”
“Ah, y-yes...! We should...! Manifest.”
Fwoooosh!
Violet summoned a fox magical beast undead servant larger than Woof-Woof.
‘This is my first time seeing that one.’
Was it one of the undead servants she had learned to control since the second semester began?
Violet had trained during break and increased the number of undead servants she could control as she wished.
“How about making that magical beast an undead servant too?”
“Yes, I agree.”
Fwoooosh!
Violet turned the corpse of Snow Yeti Doblgis, the former Dungeon boss, into an undead servant and recalled it into herself.
‘That makes three high-ranking magical beast undead servants.’
The high-ranking magical beasts she had collected as undead servants so far were the Venomous Strange Bird, the Ice-White Tiger, and the snow yeti. Three in total.
I was looking forward to seeing the day Violet could control all of them.
Thud thud thud!
We rode the fox magical beast undead servant and moved on.
When I had been in the Swordmaster state, my aura sense had not detected anything troubling along the escape route. We should be able to get away like this.
“Mr. Hazely.”
“Yeah.”
“Um, I...”
As we rode the undead servant, Violet’s voice, from where she sat in front of me, became subdued.
She seemed to be about to say something serious...
Unfortunately, I did not have the mental space to listen to Violet right now.
My body was terribly weary, and my mind was not working properly either.
“Violet... Leave me somewhere suitable on the surface. Make it look like I’m resting after getting tired from fighting.”
“Pardon? Ah...!”
I buried my face in Violet’s shoulder. She flinched in surprise.
A pleasant scent from Violet’s nape brushed my nose, and a feeling of calm washed over me.
“Sorry. I overdid it a little...”
I really felt like I was going to die...
Violet let out a trembling breath and whispered gently.
“Yes. Leave the rest to me... and rest comfortably.”
Soon, we emerged onto the surface.
Violet checked with her undead servants and said that the monsters seemed to have been dealt with.
The plaza was empty after everyone had evacuated.
With Violet’s help, I sat leaning against the fountain.
My whole body was caked with blood, and I looked like a wreck, but there was still hardly any pain.
Wounds stinging a little did not even count as pain. The bleeding had stopped, so that was fine.
Still, washing off the blood would look unnatural, so I decided to only wipe myself down a little.
Violet watched me anxiously for a while, then hid herself as I had asked.
Boooom!!
I looked up at the sky. The battle of Elise and Lara against the Demonkin Golus was reaching its end.
The number of Fish Swords had visibly decreased. It seemed Lara’s mana was running dry.
Meanwhile, perhaps Elise had noticed Golus was about to explode, she was trying to surround a wide area with a petal storm.
‘Good job, Elise.’
Then...
[Kyahhh!!]
[Aaahhh!!]
[Gwoooar!!]
Golus screamed through countless mouths and exploded their own body.
Booooom!!
Whoooooosh!!!
As if waiting for it, Elise’s petal storm formed a tornado, containing the explosion as it surged into the sky.
The fierce roar of the explosion and howling winds shook the ground beneath me for a moment.
In an instant, the night sky filled with light.
Magnificent flames filled the sky.
It was like enormous fireworks bursting as the highlight of a festival.
The sight felt strangely hollow, and I could not help letting out a dry laugh.
‘It’s over.’
This damned mess had somehow come to an end.
“Ah... That was fucking exhausting...”
Only then could I completely lean against the fountain and finally relax.
For Elise, Chapter 2, Act 4.
The Founding Anniversary Festival arc was coming to an end.
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