The Amber Sword

“Your Eminence, you have truly surprised me.”

“I have the same sentiments, Lady Veronica,” he replied with a grim expression.

“Indeed, it’s truly an eye-opener, the supposedly mighty Sword Saint of Ashes joining hands with someone from the Empire.” Andesha glanced at her left arm, finding that Mephisto’s attack was more deadly than it appeared. There was a large wound on it, but she did not seem like she was hurting and merely continued: “Is the defeated dog’s memory so shallow that it has forgotten what the Empire did to it?”

Brendel’s eyes went to Mephisto to see his reaction, but the latter’s expression did not even change a little. It was as if he had not heard Andesha’s words at all.

The youth secretly nodded at Mephisto’s patience.

However, Mephisto raised his head and said one word:

“..... Huh?”

[Is your head in cuckooland?!]

Bremdel nearly choked on his spit, recalling how Mephisto reacted to him earlier when they met for the first time.

The Sword Saint of Ashes, one of the most powerful warriors amongst the NPCs and worshipped by countless gamers, was actually an airhead. Even though Brendel was not a rabid fanboy, he could not help but feel that Mephisto’s image was destroyed in his mind.

Andesha’s expression was one of rage. The color of her face was turning to a particular shade of dark green because of the blood rushing to it. She did not understand that Mephisto was dense in the head when it came to insults, and thought that the bastard was mocking her instead.

[It has been two hundred years ever since I mastered my Element Power. And I have never been looked down on ever since, certainly not to this degree!]

She felt her blood was boiling as she pointed her finger at Mephisto, half-screaming:

“Mephisto, I heard that you were a genius that comes every one thousand years. The Kirrlutz Empire perceived you as a threat and sent out soldiers to quell the Dukedom of Sutherland. You were fortunate enough to receive the foolish Goddess Marsha’s favor, and yet you did not cherish it but joined hands with your enemies instead! Indeed, you’re certainly gifted, but you are still far away to be my match. The situation where I underestimated you will never happen again.”

Her finger moved to Veronica.

“You should work with me and kill her. That woman is known as the Goddess of Combat in the Empire, and if she dies, it would be a considerable blow to the Empire. Surely you understand this point?”

Mephisto nodded: “Indeed, Lady Andesha, I know it well. But for now, I’m here for your life. As for my enemity with the Empire, I’ll settle it later on.”

“Wretched fool, do you really seek to go against me?” Andesha spoke through clenched teeth.

She had roughly gauged Mephisto’s strength, and as long as she was cautious in dealing with him, there was no chance for Mephisto to reach her. However, even though she wanted to end him, she did not trust Hamir. The filthy worm from the Unifying Guild was very likely to stab them both in the back the moment they did not pay attention.

“There is no number of threats that would change my mind,” Mephisto raised his greatsword and replied, “you ought to know that faltering is the worst thing a swordsman can do.”

Veronica smiled smugly with folded arms and joined in the conversation, even flicking her hair back and formed a beautiful pose:

“Indeed, and you know very well that we humans are all Mother Marsha’s children. We’re unlike the twisted abominations like yourself. You are the biggest enemy before anyone else. Even if Count Mephisto hates us people from the Empire more than he already is, it is still natural for us to exterminate you first, right?”

“Then die! Die! I will make sure every one of you dies!” Andesha went berserk: “I shall let you witness the ravages of time!”

A green boundary formed in front of Andesha, spreading towards the city and forest. Every object that was caught within the expanding light turned into dust in an instant. Buildings that persisted for tens of thousands of years and dated back to the era of the Twilight Dragon were not spared either, disintegrating into fine sand.

The boundary soon reached Veronica and Mephisto, and it was going to swallow them in the blink of any eye. But the green light did not advance and stopped a hundred feet around Mephisto’s body. The rocky paths broke down to reveal the earth beneath them. Vegetation grew rapidly out from the cracks before they withered and the earth eventually turned dark.

But the area around Mephisto retained its appearance without a change at all.

[What?]

Andesha felt a slight chill crawling over her nerves. Mephisto’s control over his Element Power was considerably weaker than hers, and he should not be able to resist her.

“What’s going on?” Faena muttered under the cloak: “How is that d— fellow capable of resisting her Element Power over such a wide area? Is he as strong as Andesha?”

Faena changed the words ‘demon king’ into that ‘fellow’ when she saw Veronica standing at Mephisto’s side.

“..... No, it’s an oppression of a stronger Element Power.” Brendel’s eyes were brightening up: “Andesha’s Element Power, Withering Decay, is some kind of byproduct of the Element Power of Time. At best, hers is an Element Power that affects the physical world. But the World of Ashes is the one of the strongest Element Power that affects reality and changes the Laws within the boundary. It’s also related to time, and just this fact alone renders the Withering Decay factor useless. Time slows down within the World of Ashes, so how is Andesha’s power going to work? Furthermore, the Laws are changed, so the Withering Decay won’t work.”

Brendel did not teach Faena the classification of Element Powers. There were six tiers of the Element Powers a person could have.

The weakest tier was hard to detect and was something that anyone could possess as long as they were born in this world.

The next tier was a passive Element Power, and an example would be adding strength to the body.

The tier that was in the middle was a visible manifestation of the Element Power, like how Brendel was capable of manifesting a by-product of his Element Power that could freeze things, or Andesha’s Withering Decay.

By mastering the full extent of the Element Power, it would once again be classified as one tier higher, and came in the form of a true boundary. Mephisto’s Element Power was something that could rewrite the Laws within that boundary, which meant that it was simply more powerful.

The second strongest tier was the control of powerful Laws that built the foundation of this world

Finally, the strongest Element Powers were something that broke mortal comprehension. It could surpass the limits defined by this world and rewrite physical entities and even whole consciousness.

If it was not for the fact that Mephisto was much weaker than Andesha, he could have used his Element Power and overwhelmed the latter instead.

“My, my, it seems like we’re quite lucky, Count Mephisto,” Veronica stood behind Mephisto and said with a laugh. She knew how dangerous Andesha’s Element Power was from her previous encounters, but she still smiled without a single worry.

Mephisto glanced back once at the woman behind her, his eyes saying as though he already knew about Andesha’s powers would not work.

“I see,” Veronica said. She extended a hand to push Scarlett back: “Move back. You can’t participate in this battle.”

“There’s no need to coddle me, Lady Veronica, I’m a Gold-ranker.”

“Oh?” Mephisto was a little surprised: “Your young lord is a Gold-ranker as well, but what’s even more impressive was his swordsmanship at his age. To think that he’s someone from Aouine...... Indeed, there are quite a number of rising stars from this kingdom. I have heard of a young man called Buga, one who has gained the teachings of the Cross Sword. Is he from your kingdom too?”

Scarlett nodded. Buga was even her vice-commander in the past, but she did not explain that he was no longer a young man.

“What’s with that look, Mephisto?” Veronica said in exasperation: “Do you really think the Empire sent their forces into your dukedom because of you? Besides, I’ll honor what I said, so stop worrying.”

“Very well,” Mephisto swung his sword twice, “I’ll take care of that woman, and you handle that bishop, there’s no problem, right?”

“None at all. Amman is no match for me.” She answered.

“It might not end up that way. Be careful—” Mephisto said, paused for a moment, then added another line: “I’m not worried about you, but I don’t want you dragging my feet.”

Veronica stared at him. No one dared to speak in that manner ever since she became famous. She was even older than Mephisto. But the Sword Saint of Ashes continued to display his disrespect by ignoring her and turned back to Andesha.

The conversation only took a few seconds, and by this time, Andesha also realized what the problem was.

She was so surprised that the muscles in her face bunched up.

But even if her Element Power was oppressed, it did not mean that she was unable to fight Mephisto. As one of the twelve leaders of the Tree Shepherds, she had more than one trump card. She gripped her squirming staff tightly and shrieked, rotating it as she glared at the people below:

“The Chaos that is above everything, I revere your might wholeheartedly, may you rage and destroy the limitless oceans of Laws and overturn the rules of this world, lend me the authority to wield you and be your conduit!”

Her words sent shockwaves into everyone’s minds.

“In the name of the seventh moon, Ankaram, let Chaos unify into one entity! Descend onto earth, Dragon of Chaos!”

[Shit, she’s borrowing the seventh moon’s Mana of Destruction and Shadows. By doing so she’s replicating the Twilight Dragon’s energy. In addition, Ankaram is closely related to the fourth moon, Akaana, Judgment and Rebirth.]

Brendel watched a pair of horns grow out of Andesha’s head. The sunlight suddenly dimmed as Mana poured into Andesha’s body, and her body twisted and shuddered as though her bones were being rearranged. Finally, a pair of scaly wings burst out from her back. She swung her neck that was extending slowly, her fingernails becoming pointed, and her body grew many times in size.

“She’s definitely using her trump card now!” Brendel watched a tail spout out from Andesha’s lower spine while she released bestial roars. He gripped Halran Gaia and spoke to Faena: “Hold on to the cloak and bring Sifrid somewhere safe. Don’t get too close to the battle. Even the wind from it can cut your face into ribbons, and if that happens, don’t blame me for not reminding you.”

“Y-you...... I, I’m not afraid. I’m going too, I’m also a swordsman!” Faena’s eyes seemed like they were glued onto Andesha’s transformation. She reached for her sword before she remembered she dropped it on one of the cliffs: “I-I can use magic to help you!”

“My lady, is your heart made of stone? You’re abandoning a small child like Sifrid alone?”

“I—” Faena was unable to respond and her eyes went to the youth: “Fine, I got it, but I’ll laugh at you every time I see you if you lose.”

[Lose?]

Brendel glanced at the dragon. If they lost, everyone would be dead and there would be no need for her to laugh. But he did not truly have the intention to get involved between Andesha and Mephisto’s fight. He was completely outclassed even if he wanted to.

The youth slipped out of the cloak and hid behind a wall.

His attention was on Amman, and when the bishop was fully committed to fighting with Veronica, he would backstab him.

Faena would probably call him despicable and ruthless for that, but it was the most foolish thing to do if he did not sneak up on people and stab them in the back.

[Foolish little girl— Know that this is the power of the gamers’ cheese strategy, and even something like the power of Chaos would not be a match for it!]

Brendel tried to encourage himself when he stared at Andesha who had turned into a massive black dragon.

[...... Ah. Wait. I forgot to ask that stupid girl something.]