Chapter 32:
The Slash of Blades
The Conqueror
Chapter 32 – The Clash of Blades and Shadows
The air thickened with dread.
The earth still trembled faintly from the blast at the village entrance, dust and smoke rising like a curtain before the eyes of every villager.
The once bright sky had turned heavy with dark clouds, as though the heavens themselves recoiled from what was about to unfold.
At the frontline, Vice Admiral Ming stood arrogantly, his twin sickles dangling loosely from his hands, chains glimmering faintly with mana.
Behind him, three Admirals stood shoulder to shoulder, their presence so suffocating that even seasoned guild members broke into cold sweat.
A hundred and fifty soldiers waited in formation, their boots stomping the ground with a slow, deliberate rhythm that sounded like war drums.
And then—
A figure appeared.
Silver hair gleamed under the dim light, his eyes carrying the calm weight of countless battles.
A trident rested firmly in his grip, its runes faintly pulsing with mana.
With a single step, the atmosphere around the battlefield shifted.
It was Eldran.
Shinra's breath caught.
"Grandpa…?" His voice was faint, swallowed by the dense mana pressing on his chest.
Even without moving, Eldran's presence reshaped the battlefield, and a dozen weaker villagers collapsed unconscious, unable to withstand the pressure.
Ming's lips curled upward in a twisted smile."So it's true… after all this time, you're alive.
Eldran, the Storm Trident. Hahaha!"
The guild members froze. Lucas, Thomas, Hiroshi, and Anthony exchanged quick glances—confusion flashing in their eyes.
Anthony narrowed his eyes. "Wait… isn't that just the old restaurant owner? What the hell is going on here?"
Lucas clenched his fists. He, too, had eaten Eldran's cooking countless times, never suspecting the man had such power hidden within him.
The air became heavier. Eldran's gaze never left Ming. His tone was calm, but beneath it was steel.
"You're making a mistake, Ming."
"A mistake?" Ming's laughter shook the air.
He twirled his chained sickles, the blades humming with malice.
"Don't tell me you're trying to lecture me—after what you did years ago? Hah! The only mistake that you make back then!"
His hand shot upward, and his army roared in unison. The ground shook as weapons were raised.
"ATTACK!"
Ming's body blurred. With a sweep, he hurled both sickles forward, their chains whistling through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Eldran spun his trident, deflecting each strike with flawless precision, sparks exploding in the air. His eyes narrowed."I won't show mercy this time."
"Mercy?" Ming sneered, his eyes wild.
"Then disappear, old man!"
The two vanished in a burst of lightning and shadow, their weapons clashing so violently that shockwaves tore through the field.
Shinra gasped, rubbing his eyes. "W–Where did they go…?"
He could barely track their movements.
Every clash sounded like thunder splitting the sky.
And then the battlefield erupted.
---
Chris, one of the Admirals, stepped forward with a smirk, his spear glimmering with killing intent.
He pointed it at Hiroshi's chest.
"You look eager. Let's see how long you last."
The spear shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Hiroshi barely managed to intercept, his blade clanging against the steel shaft. The impact sent tremors down his arm.
Grinding his teeth, Hiroshi pushed back, forcing Chris's spear upward, then swung his sword in a horizontal arc infused with lightning.
Sparks carved a glowing arc across the air.
Chris dodged with a chuckle.
"Oooh… nice trick.
But you'll need more than that to entertain me."
---
High above, Admiral Chang's eyes locked onto Lucas. Without a word, he drew his blade.
Both men vanished, reappearing midair with sparks raining down as their swords collided.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each strike rattled the sky itself. The villagers below could only watch shadows flicker in the air, blades screaming against each other.
Lucas's jaw tightened. His mana flared, his sword glowing brighter. "I won't lose here!"
Chang's lips curved into a calm smile.
"Good. Don't die too quickly."
---
On the ground, Zoe, the third Admiral, hefted her massive hammer, smashing it into the earth with a deafening BOOM.
The ground cracked, dust and stone blasting outward.
"Hahaha! More! More!" Zoe roared with wild joy.
Thomas barely dodged, rolling aside as the hammer tore a crater where he had stood. Sweat dripped down his brow, but he grinned.
"You're insane… but I like it."
When Zoe raised the hammer again, Thomas didn't dodge this time.
He caught the weapon with his bare hands, muscles bulging, veins straining.
Zoe's grin widened. "Hah? You think you can hold this?"
Thomas's lips curled into a savage smirk.
"Not just hold it—"
His left fist smashed into the hammer's head, the shockwave sending Zoe staggering backward.
"I can break it."
Before Zoe could recover, Thomas lunged, delivering an uppercut that sent her flying into the air.
Without pause, he grabbed her foot, spun her around, and hurled her skyward.
---
Meanwhile, arrows rained down.
Dozens of Governor's soldiers looked up as shadows blotted the light. Mana-forged arrows fell like meteors, exploding on impact and scattering formations.
At the rear, Sofia stood tall, her weapon gleaming in the shifting light—a bow that, when separated, became dual swords. Her eyes narrowed, sharp and cold.
Two young soldiers spotted her, lust clouding their eyes.
"What a beauty… Someone should tell her this isn't a place for children to play."
Sofia's gaze sharpened. With a fluid motion, she split her bow into twin blades.
"Then let's see who the child really is."
She darted forward, blades flashing. A downward slash split one soldier's spear in half, her follow-up strike carving across his chest.
With a swift spin, she kicked the second soldier square in the jaw, sending him crashing to the dirt.
"Don't tell me that's all you've got." Her voice was cold, merciless.
---
At the heart of the chaos, Shinra stood frozen.
The sounds of clashing weapons, explosions of mana, and the cries of both guild members and soldiers surrounded him. His chest pounded.
He clenched his fists. He wasn't strong enough yet to stand beside them… but he could watch, he could learn.
Eldran's presence, Hiroshi's lightning sword, Lucas's defiance, Thomas's raw strength, Sofia's precision—all of it etched itself into his heart.
The war had truly begun.
And above it all, somewhere between the crashing storm clouds and the thunder of steel, the battle between Eldran and Ming raged unseen—each clash shaking the very foundations of the village.
The air thickened with dread.
The earth still trembled faintly from the blast at the village entrance, dust and smoke rising like a curtain before the eyes of every villager.
The once bright sky had turned heavy with dark clouds, as though the heavens themselves recoiled from what was about to unfold.
At the frontline, Vice Admiral Ming stood arrogantly, his twin sickles dangling loosely from his hands, chains glimmering faintly with mana.
Behind him, three Admirals stood shoulder to shoulder, their presence so suffocating that even seasoned guild members broke into cold sweat.
A hundred and fifty soldiers waited in formation, their boots stomping the ground with a slow, deliberate rhythm that sounded like war drums.
And then—
A figure appeared.
Silver hair gleamed under the dim light, his eyes carrying the calm weight of countless battles.
A trident rested firmly in his grip, its runes faintly pulsing with mana.
With a single step, the atmosphere around the battlefield shifted.
It was Eldran.
Shinra's breath caught.
"Grandpa…?" His voice was faint, swallowed by the dense mana pressing on his chest.
Even without moving, Eldran's presence reshaped the battlefield, and a dozen weaker villagers collapsed unconscious, unable to withstand the pressure.
Ming's lips curled upward in a twisted smile."So it's true… after all this time, you're alive.
Eldran, the Storm Trident. Hahaha!"
The guild members froze. Lucas, Thomas, Hiroshi, and Anthony exchanged quick glances—confusion flashing in their eyes.
Anthony narrowed his eyes. "Wait… isn't that just the old restaurant owner? What the hell is going on here?"
Lucas clenched his fists. He, too, had eaten Eldran's cooking countless times, never suspecting the man had such power hidden within him.
The air became heavier. Eldran's gaze never left Ming. His tone was calm, but beneath it was steel.
"You're making a mistake, Ming."
"A mistake?" Ming's laughter shook the air.
He twirled his chained sickles, the blades humming with malice.
"Don't tell me you're trying to lecture me—after what you did years ago? Hah! The only mistake that you make back then!"
His hand shot upward, and his army roared in unison. The ground shook as weapons were raised.
"ATTACK!"
Ming's body blurred. With a sweep, he hurled both sickles forward, their chains whistling through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Eldran spun his trident, deflecting each strike with flawless precision, sparks exploding in the air. His eyes narrowed."I won't show mercy this time."
"Mercy?" Ming sneered, his eyes wild.
"Then disappear, old man!"
The two vanished in a burst of lightning and shadow, their weapons clashing so violently that shockwaves tore through the field.
Shinra gasped, rubbing his eyes. "W–Where did they go…?"
He could barely track their movements.
Every clash sounded like thunder splitting the sky.
And then the battlefield erupted.
---
Chris, one of the Admirals, stepped forward with a smirk, his spear glimmering with killing intent.
He pointed it at Hiroshi's chest.
"You look eager. Let's see how long you last."
The spear shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Hiroshi barely managed to intercept, his blade clanging against the steel shaft. The impact sent tremors down his arm.
Grinding his teeth, Hiroshi pushed back, forcing Chris's spear upward, then swung his sword in a horizontal arc infused with lightning.
Sparks carved a glowing arc across the air.
Chris dodged with a chuckle.
"Oooh… nice trick.
But you'll need more than that to entertain me."
---
High above, Admiral Chang's eyes locked onto Lucas. Without a word, he drew his blade.
Both men vanished, reappearing midair with sparks raining down as their swords collided.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each strike rattled the sky itself. The villagers below could only watch shadows flicker in the air, blades screaming against each other.
Lucas's jaw tightened. His mana flared, his sword glowing brighter. "I won't lose here!"
Chang's lips curved into a calm smile.
"Good. Don't die too quickly."
---
On the ground, Zoe, the third Admiral, hefted her massive hammer, smashing it into the earth with a deafening BOOM.
The ground cracked, dust and stone blasting outward.
"Hahaha! More! More!" Zoe roared with wild joy.
Thomas barely dodged, rolling aside as the hammer tore a crater where he had stood. Sweat dripped down his brow, but he grinned.
"You're insane… but I like it."
When Zoe raised the hammer again, Thomas didn't dodge this time.
He caught the weapon with his bare hands, muscles bulging, veins straining.
Zoe's grin widened. "Hah? You think you can hold this?"
Thomas's lips curled into a savage smirk.
"Not just hold it—"
His left fist smashed into the hammer's head, the shockwave sending Zoe staggering backward.
"I can break it."
Before Zoe could recover, Thomas lunged, delivering an uppercut that sent her flying into the air.
Without pause, he grabbed her foot, spun her around, and hurled her skyward.
---
Meanwhile, arrows rained down.
Dozens of Governor's soldiers looked up as shadows blotted the light. Mana-forged arrows fell like meteors, exploding on impact and scattering formations.
At the rear, Sofia stood tall, her weapon gleaming in the shifting light—a bow that, when separated, became dual swords. Her eyes narrowed, sharp and cold.
Two young soldiers spotted her, lust clouding their eyes.
"What a beauty… Someone should tell her this isn't a place for children to play."
Sofia's gaze sharpened. With a fluid motion, she split her bow into twin blades.
"Then let's see who the child really is."
She darted forward, blades flashing. A downward slash split one soldier's spear in half, her follow-up strike carving across his chest.
With a swift spin, she kicked the second soldier square in the jaw, sending him crashing to the dirt.
"Don't tell me that's all you've got." Her voice was cold, merciless.
---
At the heart of the chaos, Shinra stood frozen.
The sounds of clashing weapons, explosions of mana, and the cries of both guild members and soldiers surrounded him. His chest pounded.
He clenched his fists. He wasn't strong enough yet to stand beside them… but he could watch, he could learn.
Eldran's presence, Hiroshi's lightning sword, Lucas's defiance, Thomas's raw strength, Sofia's precision—all of it etched itself into his heart.
The war had truly begun.
And above it all, somewhere between the crashing storm clouds and the thunder of steel, the battle between Eldran and Ming raged unseen—each clash shaking the very foundations of the village.
Please sign in to leave a comment.