Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 105

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

One-Strike Kill Swordmaster Episode 105

Episode 105. The Second Sacred Inquisition (3)

Screech—!

With the sound of metal scraping, the blindfold that had been covering my vision was removed.

As light brushed against my eyes, the Sacred Temple revealed itself once again.

Pillars stretching straight toward the sky.

The flickering of blue flames dancing between them.

Above those seated in tiered rows, teal mist hung low, and I could feel vague forms staring intently at me.

“…”

A familiar scene.

After all, I had seen it countless times inside the game, and this was already the second time I’d faced this place in reality.

But there was just one thing.

If there was something different from last time…

‘…A barrier I haven’t seen before has been newly created.’

Whoooosh—!

The air before my eyes rippled.

Just the energy emanating from the barrier was enough to distort the surrounding flow.

A solid curtain that anyone could see had been intricately designed.

It was clearly made after witnessing Sedric von Haibrunn’s murder last time.

‘For a barrier created in just a few weeks, it’s quite an impressive result.’

Ah, of course…

‘Compared to those of Dorico Shiro or Demarion the Great Sage, it’s pathetic.’

Then, the Chairman’s voice echoed throughout the Sacred Temple.

—We shall begin the Sacred Inquisition.

—…

—…

A voice as dignified as always.

As soon as that declaration fell, the air in the Sacred Temple settled heavily.

The dozens of gazes directed at me became even sharper, and a weighty silence spread from beyond the teal mist.

—Thirteenth heretic, Gaon.

“…”

—From now on, you must answer the Council’s questions truthfully, and any false statements will surely be judged before the sacred flames.

I almost let out a bitter laugh without realizing it.

Because the Chairman’s way of addressing me and his tone had changed.

You.

And even the honorifics that followed.

‘Now that I’ve become a Sword Master, they’re certainly treating me properly.’

A situation that contrasted with last time, when I was treated like a criminal from the start and endlessly suspected.

But no matter what kind of heretic one might be, there was no escaping the essential procedures of the Sacred Inquisition.

For example, like now.

Whoosh—!

Just like last time, the “Sacred Fire of Aiter” began to burn.

However, there was one difference. In the previous Sacred Inquisition, flames had risen from the three vertices of a triangle, but…

Flicker, whoosh—!

…now only a single brazier was burning.

Since it was a precious resource that took decades to gather, and a large amount had already been consumed in the last Sacred Inquisition, only one remained this time.

‘This must be quite troublesome for the Council too.’

A situation where they had to interrogate me with only one question.

They had no choice but to make a careful decision.

I suspected that was also one of the reasons why the trial didn’t begin immediately even after the Sword Masters arrived.

—Ahem.

It was while I was having such thoughts.

From the Chairman’s throat-clearing mouth, the first and final question interrogating me finally began to flow.

—You have chosen to cooperate with Dorico Shiro, one of the Five Nightmares, and the Shadow Conclave, which has shown heretical behavior for ages.

“…”

—Even though this was a decision that directly contradicted the values that Middletemple has protected, there must have been a clear reason why you judged cooperation with them to be unavoidable.

The Chairman continued speaking.

—Did you sufficiently examine other alternatives before making such a dangerous choice? And were there no concerns about the risk that they could betray you at any time, or that their ideology could shake the foundation of Middletemple?

“…”

—Even considering all those possibilities, please answer the decisive reason for making such an extreme choice.

Silence.

With the Chairman’s question concluded, silence once again lingered in the Sacred Temple.

‘…Quite a complex question.’

I fell deep into thought.

On the surface, it was a legitimate and reasonable inquiry.

However, looking beneath the surface, there were intricately woven layers of traps hidden within.

First.

The Council was driving my answer into two branches by emphasizing the danger of Dorico Shiro and the Shadow Conclave.

If I acknowledged that those two were dangerous, I would become someone who had undertaken a reckless gamble.

On the other hand, if I said they weren’t dangerous?

It would reveal excessive confidence in my judgment and control… in other words, arrogance.

‘Either way, it would leave an unfavorable stigma on me.’

Second.

The question about whether I had sufficiently examined other alternatives harbored an even more insidious intent.

It contained the reproach of why I chose the most dangerous and extreme option when methods to save the world could have been found through existing systems.

‘It’s meant to criticize me for not seeking safer alternatives through cooperation with Middletemple.’

This question was a trap that highlighted how I had ignored Middletemple’s authority, along with doubt about whether my choice had truly been the best.

‘And…’

Finally, the third.

The question asking for the decisive reason behind my choice.

This would explicitly reveal that all my actions had been based on personal judgment.

In other words, this question wasn’t simply an inquiry, but…

‘…Nothing less than a preliminary device to shackle my future freedom of action.’

Heh.

A bitter laugh escaped.

Really, it was an insidiously crafted question.

An inquiry designed so that whatever answer I gave would become shackles.

Probably other Sword Masters would have fallen helplessly into this trap.

‘But…’

I’m different.

The malice hidden in seemingly innocent questions. And even the bait thrown to somehow catch me on a technicality.

Thump, thump.

…Such situations weren’t unfamiliar to me.

Once upon a time, I had naively given honest answers to such questions.

And as a price for that, fatal restrictions were created.

“….”

However, now is not the time.

I slowly drew in a breath.

The elaborate trap was already visible to my eyes. All I had to do was not step forward into it.

Hiss-.

I smiled.

The fact that Middle Temple had prepared such an elaborate question….

Paradoxically, it also showed just how much they feared my answer.

‘The initiative is mine.’

The impatience of trying to obtain everything with a single opportunity was buried within the question.

Rather, such complex questions only provide me with more opportunities. The longer and more complex the question, the broader the room for interpretation of the answer becomes.

Therefore….

‘The ones who will be used by this question are not me, but you.’

* * *

Smirk-.

A smile spread across Gaon’s lips.

At that moment, the brows of the councilors seated in the Holy Sanctum furrowed in unison.

‘…He’s smiling?’

Everyone couldn’t help but doubt their eyes.

At least in their view, Gaon was in no situation to act leisurely.

“How ridiculous.”

─…!

“Did you think I would meekly fall for the intent hidden in that question?”

However, the next moment.

The councilors who heard the following answer finally realized one fact.

“Still, I commend the effort put into preparing the question, so I’ll answer each part.”

─….

─….

The fact that Gaon had seen through the question’s intent.

“Dorico Shiro is indeed a dangerous existence. She’s one of the Five Nightmares, after all.”

─….

“The Shadow Sect is the same. Having shown heretical behavior for hundreds of years, I won’t deny that their existence poses a threat to Middle Temple.”

Gaon’s cold voice echoed through the Holy Sanctum.

“But that is only by ‘your’ standards.”

─….

“Those two existences pose absolutely no threat to me.”

Murmur murmur-.

Instantly, commotion arose in the Holy Sanctum.

A reaction of disbelief that Gaon would make such an arrogant statement.

No matter how much of a Sword Master he was for defeating Camillo von Taribas, treating the Five Nightmares and Shadow Sect as harmless existences seemed incredibly arrogant.

After all, ‘killing’ someone and keeping them under ‘control’ were entirely different dimensions of problems.

Especially if the targets were Dorico Shiro, one of the Five Nightmares, and the Shadow Sect with hundreds of years of history.

“Right now, I’m not displaying petty bravado.”

─…!

─…!

However, Gaon completely denied the Council’s concerns.

“The Shadow Sect has long since knelt beneath my feet.”

─….

“The Adversary who controlled the organization is dead, and the heretics you so despise have now fallen to puppets who would throw away their lives at a single word from me.”

Flicker, flutter-.

An utterly unbelievable statement.

But the “Sacred Fire of Aiter” merely burned quietly.

As if proving there was no falsehood in Gaon’s words, without even a hint of wavering.

The councilors looked at him with gazes mixed with shock and confusion. And Gaon, paying no heed to such gazes, calmly continued speaking.

“The same goes for Dorico Shiro of the Five Nightmares.”

─….

“I won’t deny that she’s a dangerous individual. However, she also cannot inflict any harm on me.”

Gaon continued speaking.

“I easily subdued Dorico Shiro in the Forest of the Heavenly Sea. She also accepted that she couldn’t defeat me and gave up any intention of resistance.”

─….

“It would be possible to present Adelia von Goldhart, who was present at the scene, as a witness….”

Gaon, who had trailed off for a moment, made an expression as if he had decided something.

“No, never mind. It would be faster to show you directly rather than explaining with words all day.”

─…?

Swoosh-.

Gaon turned his gaze to face the barrier.

He slowly raised his right hand. Even that small movement appeared infinitely graceful yet precise.

Slowly, his hand began moving toward the barrier.

A quiet and refined movement without any disturbance. However, within it was condensed an indescribable determination.

Whooom-!

Instantly, the air trembled.

The energy that had been writhing beyond the transparent membrane suddenly shrank back.

A phenomenon different from the intervention of mana or divine power.

It was as if the barrier itself instinctively felt fear at Gaon’s touch.

─What in the world is that….

At the sight they were seeing for the first time, one councilor unconsciously muttered to himself.

And.

CRAAAAAASH─!

The moment Gaon’s fingertip touched the barrier.

The transparent membrane burst outward in all directions as if screaming.

Light and sound poured out as one mass, and the barrier that had shone like transparent glass scattered into pieces as if it were a lie.

Brilliant flashes flickered through each crack. That momentary explosion was dazzling enough to take away the breath of those watching.

The broken fragments swirled through the air like dancing snowflakes before disappearing soundlessly as if being sucked into the void.

─….

─….

─….

Silence.

What remained in that place was only Gaon slowly lowering his hand and the empty air where even traces of the barrier’s existence had vanished.

The councilors in the Holy Sanctum simply could not believe that sight.

No matter how hastily constructed the barrier was in just a few weeks, it was by no means a flimsy wall.

It was the result of dozens of high-ranking priests dedicating themselves to research day and night, pouring all their knowledge and experience into its completion.

Moreover, what formed the foundation of this barrier were the techniques of Middle Temple accumulated over hundreds of years.

Though completed in just a few weeks, it meant that the long history built up by the Holy City was fully melted into it.

Yet.

Gaon had returned it to nothingness with just a touch of his hand.

‘With this level of spell-breaking ability….’

Perhaps Dorico Shiro’s claim that she wouldn’t be a threat might not have been mere bluster after all.

In the end, whether it was barriers or illusions, the key lay in breaking through the ‘spells.’

Of course, Gaon’s assertion that he could subdue Dorico Shiro had already been guaranteed by Aiter’s sacred fire, but witnessing this directly with his own eyes came as a much more intense shock.

Gooooo-.

The gazes of the Middle Temple Councilors gradually became tinged with awe and fear.

Amidst all this, Gaon merely exhaled quietly.

Ding-!

Just then, a familiar message formed in his eyes as he gazed into the void.

〔Active Skill: 【Barrier Destroyer】 has been used.〕

…It was the moment when complete control of the Holy Judgment had passed to him.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————