The God-Possessed Swordsmanship Genius - Chapter 33

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Sword God Incarnate: Chapter 33

* * *

Whoosh!

Amid the surging flames.
Blood spilled across the ground before he even had time to stiffen against the scorching fire.
From within the blaze came a demon with blood-red eyes, dragging a sword that dripped with fresh gore.

‘Belbemos.’

Among the Ten Great Demons, the Third Demon.
Excluding the Demon King, he was the third most powerful being among all demons.
And there he stood, trampling the corpses of the Suicide Squad.
Around him, the swordsmen and mages of the Suicide Squad still remained.
Among them was Allen from the previous life, too.

‘There was simply no way to catch him.’

Belbemos’s power was overwhelming.
Every swing of his blade split the earth and the clouds, and crimson sword energy rained down from the sky.
Laughing like a madman as he chewed and swallowed chunks of flesh, he eventually forced the Suicide Squad to retreat.
They had judged that if they stayed, they would all die.

‘That sword.’

Allen remembered it clearly.
The shape of the crimson-tinged sword Belbemos had been wielding.
Part of the reason that demon possessed such overwhelming strength was the sword in his hand.
The Demon Sword Kaglos.
The divine relic that Bishuken and the Empire had searched for over many long years, only to end up in the hands of the demons.

‘Until the demon sword fell into his hands, Belbemos had been the Ninth Demon. That he climbed all the way to the Third Demon in a single stroke was thanks to the sword’s power.’

Why Bishuken wanted the demon sword so desperately was beyond Allen’s understanding.
But what mattered more was making sure the demon sword never fell into the hands of the demons.

‘This time, without fail.’

When he opened his eyes again, Allen was standing before the door of the Grand Lord’s Chamber.
Allen, having returned from the past to the present, set his feet moving once more.
The lives riding on this mission were more than just one or two. The Suicide Squad of the future, and everyone who had resisted the demons.
The weight of their lives settled heavily across his shoulders.

* * *

Two hours later.
The team leaders of the Bigeom Corps gathered one by one around the long round table in the Sword Corps Meeting Room.

“Is it finally a mission?”
“I wonder how long it’s been since every squad gathered like this.”
“About eleven years, maybe?”
“That’s the time, right? When the Northern Sea King had the nerve to encroach on our Silk Road.”
“How was that one?”
“Ah, the Seventh Squad Leader wasn’t there back then, was he?”
“That was no joke. Look at this scar here. This is from that time…”

Gathered together for the first time in ages, the squad leaders dug up old stories and filled the room with noisy chatter.
With busy assignments keeping them apart, it was rare for them to ever gather in one place. But the Bigeom Corps had been left on standby for a long while, and several missions were scheduled to go out at once, which finally gave the squad leaders a rare chance to meet.
Then, all at once.
The noisy meeting room fell silent, and every gaze swung toward a single spot.
It was because of the person who had just walked in.

‘The Second Squad Leader.’
‘The Second Young Lord?’
‘He really does look young.’
‘I heard he took down the entire Second Squad by himself.’
‘Really?’

The squad leaders rolled their eyes at one another and whispered.
Second Squad Leader, Allen Bishuken.
To the other squad leaders, he was a truly difficult man to deal with.
He was young, he was high-born, and his reputation was dreadful. No one could quite work out how they were supposed to treat him.
That was why most of the squad leaders kept a careful distance from Allen.
Of course, there were some, like First Squad Leader Kasar, who openly bristled at him.
And then.

“Second Squad Leader!”

There were also those who greeted him with a bright smile, like the one calling out right now.

“Come over and sit down here.”

The one who had called Allen over was the Fifth Squad Leader, Greedon.
He was the eldest of the Bigeom Corps squad leaders, and regardless of his record, he commanded the respect of every swordsman in the corps.
Allen, who had crossed paths with him several times before, walked over to him and smiled warmly.

“Have you been well?”
“Well? What is there to be well or unwell about? I haven’t had a dull stretch like this in ages.”
“Seems the Fifth Squad Leader has been itching for some action.”
“Hah! Though I’ll decline training with you lot. When you get old, your bones ache.”

Since Allen had taken over as Second Squad Leader, the Second Squad was known for training like it was hell on earth every single day.
Greedon had come by to greet Allen himself and had seen it firsthand, so he wanted no part of it.

“Don’t say that. You still look hale and hearty.”
“Your words alone are a comfort.”

After exchanging greetings with Greedon, Allen glanced at the seat across from him.
As luck would have it, First Squad Leader Kasar was sitting there.

“You know our bet has only three months left, don’t you?”

At his question, Allen nodded.
Unlike the time he had come to the training grounds looking for a fight, Allen spoke to him with proper courtesy.

“Time really flies. Have you been well all this while?”
“I’ve been sleeping soundly, stretched out with nothing to worry about. Though I can’t say the same for the Second Squad Leader.”
“I’ve slept well too.”

The other squad leaders watched with interest as the air between the two of them shifted.
The bet between the First and Second Squads was known to everyone. No one doubted the outcome of that wager, of course, but the real question was the Second Squad Leader’s status.
The Second Young Lord of Bishuken.
Naturally, within the family, no one believed Allen would ever become the heir. Everyone assumed Lucas would be the next head of the household, and even if he weren’t, they didn’t think Allen would ever be named heir.
That was why.
Kasar could treat Allen so casually like this.

“Our bet is one thing, but let’s set aside any personal feelings for the mission. Understood? Squad Leader Two.”
“Fair enough.”

Nodding, Allen asked the question that had been bothering him.

“So why is One Squad Leader so set on poaching our Deputy Squad Leader?”

Kasar flinched at Allen’s question.
His eyes swept the room. He clearly hadn’t expected to be asked that here, of all places.
His answer came only after a moment’s hesitation.

“Deputy Squad Leader Mary is simply outstanding with a sword. Of course I’d want a swordsman that gifted on my team.”
“I see.”

Allen nodded, but he didn’t believe a word of it.
It was an answer given with the room’s eyes in mind. Something about it told him the real reason lay elsewhere.
He was still trading uneasy words with Kasar when it happened.

“Is everyone here?”

The door swung open with a bang, and the star of the hour strode into the meeting hall.
None other than the man who commanded every squad in the Bigeom Corps.
Lucas.

“Yes, sir!”
“No need for long speeches. I’ll explain the operation right away. The goal of this mission is to secure the Demon Sword.”

At the words “Demon Sword,” the hall stirred for a moment.

“Demon Sword?”
“Wait, that’s actually real?”
“I thought it was just a legend…”

Kaglos, the Demon Sword, was one of the famous blades that appeared in legend.
Unlike the Five Great Famous Swords that still existed today, Kaglos’s very existence was shrouded in mystery.
For that reason, eight out of ten people said it was nothing more than a legendary demon beast or divine creature, a thing that never truly existed.

“Nothing is certain yet. For now, we estimate the chance of success at four in ten.”

Four in ten.
It wasn’t a low probability, but a few squad leaders frowned at the number.
That was because, of all the missions the Bigeom Corps had undertaken so far, none had ever been rated below a six-in-ten chance of success.

“No need to sulk about it. Whether this mission succeeds is beyond our control. What matters is whether the Demon Sword actually exists.”
“Ah, I see.”
“So that’s why…”

A few squad leaders nodded at Lucas’s explanation.
Having thus smoothed over the Bigeom Corps’ pride for a moment, Lucas resumed his briefing.

“The operation zone is Stonevill. It’s a small rock city between Gangcheolseong and the Empire. Right now, the Gangcheolseong swordsmen there are…”

The squad leaders listened closely to the briefing. Memorizing mission details was the basic duty of every swordsman in the corps.
Allen was no different.
Still, Allen didn’t take all of this information at face value.
He simply listened, committed it to memory, and made it his own.
Having finished his brisk explanation, Lucas turned on his heel.

“We’ll travel by Transfer Gate. Since we’re heading first to Gangcheolseong, where the operation is underway, gather your squad members in front of the Path of the Sword in two hours.”

* * *

Each squad leader in the Bigeom Corps handed down assignments to their teams.
At the mention of an important mission involving the Demon Sword, Mary and her teammates’ eyes lit up.

“If our squad can secure it, couldn’t we turn everything around in one stroke?”

At Bigla’s question, Allen nodded.

“Squad One hasn’t had a mission lately either, so it’s probably the same for them.”
“Finally, our chance!”
“Yes!”

The moment they heard they’d received a mission, the squad members let out a cheer.
Amid it all, Allen watched Mary quietly rejoicing and frowned in puzzlement.
Why on earth did Squad One Leader Kasar want Mary?
Kasar’s reaction stirred his curiosity, but now was not the time to ask about such personal matters.

“Get ready, then assemble in front of the Path of the Sword by seventeen hundred. We’re heading out through the Transfer Gate, so if you’re late, you’ll be writing an incident report that never ends.”
“The Transfer Gate?”
“Must be a really important mission.”

The Transfer Gate was a magical apparatus that shortened vast distances for travel.
But each activation consumed an enormous amount of cost, and preparation took a long time, so it was rarely used unless absolutely necessary.
That they had prepared a Transfer Gate in advance meant that this mission was all the more important.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, the Second Squad hurried to finish their preparations.
Before the appointed time had even arrived, every squad of the Bigeom Corps had gathered in front of the Path of the Sword.

At the center of the Path of the Sword.
Right in the middle of the road stood a round gate, its inner space warped and rippling.
A Transfer Gate linked to Gangcheolseong.
Lucas was commanding the corps in front of it.

“Squad One, move out first.”

Squad One, led by Squad Leader Kasar, stepped into the Transfer Gate.
Once they had all gone through, Allen sent the Second Squad in after them.
Now it was Allen’s turn.

‘So this is what lies beyond, Gangcheolseong.’

To be precise, it would be an area adjacent to Stonevill, the operation zone, within Gangcheolseong.
Allen stepped into the Transfer Gate. He had taken only a single step inside, yet the world turned upside down and his vision blurred into haze.
Allen kept walking through that hazy space.
It had been a long time since he’d used a Transfer Gate. Having run away from his family, Allen had never had the means to afford one.
A queasy sensation churned in his stomach. Though he didn’t notice it, Allen was cutting across the world at a tremendous speed.
How long had he been walking like that?

Thud.

The blurred view slowly came into focus. The nauseating speed gradually settled.
In the distance, he could see the sky where the sun was setting. He had come so far that this sky looked nothing like the sky over Bishuken.
He had arrived on the other side of the Transfer Gate.

After the sky, what came into view were the swordsmen of the Bigeom Corps who had arrived ahead of them.
But they weren’t the only ones there.
Before a towering city wall.
Several hundred swordsmen stood waiting, encircling the area around the Transfer Gate.

“The swordsmen of Gangcheolseong.”

Just as the name suggested, several hundred swordsmen radiating a steel-hard aura had taken over the area.
They had said the Bigeom Corps would be moving together with them for this mission, and it seemed they were already fully prepared.
And the one leading a fortress like Gangcheolseong was none other than—

“So you’ve come too.”

At the familiar voice, Allen turned his head.
He had always figured they would meet again someday, but this reunion came far sooner than he had imagined.

“Welcome. To Gangcheolseong.”

Saul, Lord of Gangcheolseong.
The man who had begun his acquaintance with Allen on the worst of terms was now greeting the Bigeom Corps with a bright, easy smile.

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