Chapter 23: Avenger

Sir Faust suddenly entered the Main Hall a few minutes after the Crimson Hero, Princess Lucia, and their aides had gone to their designated table.

He immediately walked toward King Louis and leaned closer to whisper something into the King’s ear.

I, on the other hand, was completely unaware of what they were discussing.

My attention was focused on the last piece of cocoa cake sitting on my plate.

I picked it up with my fork and slowly ate it, enjoying the rich sweetness as one of the castle servants stood nearby with a tray of drinks.

“The dwarves won’t be coming,” King Louis announced as I swallowed the last bite of cocoa cake.

I looked toward him.

“Something important suddenly happened in the Dwarven Capital, Gienah,” King Louis explained.

The atmosphere in the Main Hall immediately became quieter.

“That’s why we won’t be waiting for them and will move forward with formally endorsing the new Hero,” King Louis stated.

My eyes widened slightly.

So it was finally happening.

“Hero Cael, please come in front,” King Louis ordered.

I quickly grabbed the cold tangerine juice that had been placed on my table and took a decent gulp to push the last bit of cocoa cake down my throat.

I then stood up and followed the King’s order.

Just like Gavis had taught me, I walked toward the throne before kneeling just below the stairs leading to the King of Cygnus.

Everyone in the Main Hall stood as I knelt.

King Louis slowly walked down from his throne.

The sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the Main Hall.

“I, Louis Xiphos Cygnus, the 36th King of Cygnus, officially recognize Cael Horais Sirius as the Hero and the master of the Holysword Fragarach.”

King Louis’s voice carried throughout the hall.

“As the new Hero residing in the Kingdom of Cygnus, he and his family will receive nobility equal to that of a Duke.”

I remained silent as I listened.

“No one other than me, the King, will have the authority to order Hero Cael while he is in the Kingdom of Cygnus,” King Louis announced.

“And my orders to the Hero can only be for the good of the people of Cygnus and the people of Cygnus alone.”

King Louis paused for a moment before continuing.

“This royal decree as written is absolute and final, and can only be broken if I, the King, and the Hero decide to nullify it.”

A piece of parchment floated in front of me.

“Hero Cael, put your blood print on it, and the decree will be final,” King Louis said.

I stared at the parchment.

“Cael, I don’t like this decree. It’s more like a powerful binding spell,” Fragarach said telepathically.

I could feel the seriousness in Fragarach’s voice.

“But I don’t think we have much of a choice,” I replied.

I was about to unsheathe Fragarach so I could prick my thumb when I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“Cael, look out!”

Talya.

Her voice was filled with panic.

Then I heard something shatter.

My body instinctively reacted.

I turned my head toward the source of the sound.

For a brief moment, I saw a crimson dagger.

It was only there for an instant.

My eyes widened.

I immediately shifted my body to dodge it.

The crimson dagger flew past me and pierced directly through the Royal Decree floating in front of me.

But something felt wrong.

I quickly looked toward Talya.

My heart stopped.

A gaping hole as large as my fist had appeared in the center of her chest.

“Talya!”

I instinctively used my skill.

“Long Hand, Six Steps!”

My body moved instantly.

I caught Talya's small body before she could fall to the floor.

Her blue dress was already being soaked in blood.

The beautiful blue fabric slowly turned red as blood spread across it.

“Cael…”

Her voice was weak.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Cael.”

Her trembling hand reached toward me.

Blood dripped from the corner of her lips.

“Stupid Talya, why did you try to block it?” I asked as I stared at the shattered blue sapphire dangling from her neck.

The necklace had been destroyed.

“I saw it piercing through you,” Talya said weakly.

“I thought I could at least lessen its impact using the protective necklace.”

Her voice trembled.

She coughed.

More blood spilled from her mouth.

I stared at her.

My mind refused to accept what I was seeing.

Talya was dying.

No.

She was already dying in my arms.

Everything around me suddenly became distant.

The people.

The tables.

The castle guards.

The nobles.

Even the King.

It was as if I had been placed inside a room without doors or windows.

I couldn't hear anything clearly anymore.

Even my own breathing sounded distant.

“Talya…”

My voice trembled.

“I thought you would stick around even if I don’t like it.”

Warm tears began flowing from my eyes.

Talya looked at me.

Her eyes were already beginning to lose their light.

“I... love... you... Ca...el...”

Her voice became weaker with every word.

Her hand, which had been reaching toward my face, slowly fell.

“Talya!”

I tightened my arms around her.

“Talya!”

I shouted her name again.

Her body remained completely still.

“Talya!”

I hugged her lifeless body as both of my arms trembled.

My coat was drenched in her blood.

“Cael! We can still save her. Control yourself!” Fragarach scolded me telepathically.

I didn't respond.

“If you lose control, you won’t be able to bring her back. Your own skill will destroy her body!”

I looked down at myself.

Lightning Aura completely covered my body.

Lightning crackled around me.

At the same time, Talya’s body was protected by Aegis’ Wind.

“Calm yourself,” Fragarach said.

“You only need to focus on saving Little Talya. Nothing else.”

I clenched my teeth.

“Remember when Lena was killed in front of Vesper during a battle?”

My eyes moved slightly.

“We were going to use the same spell to fix the hole in her chest and bring her back.”

Fragarach continued.

“Casting it alone using your Sweep Hands would cost you more than a month, and using it will cost you half of the person’s current Physical Age.”

I looked at Talya.

“I don’t care,” I said.

“As long as we can bring her back.”

I slowly tried to suppress the anger consuming me.

“The moment we cast it, I won’t be able to leave Little Talya’s side for a couple of minutes,” Fragarach said.

“Got it.”

I took a deep breath.

“Stay with her as long as you need to, Fragarach.”

I closed my eyes.

I tried to remember the spell Vesper had used to revive Lena.

The words slowly came back to me.

“Sweep Hands, Rank 10 Forbidden Holy Magic, Divine Cure.”

The moment I uttered the spell, several layers of Golden Magic Circles appeared around Talya.

They overlapped one another, surrounding her entire body.

Golden light descended upon her.

Talya's body slowly levitated from my arms.

The light gathered around the massive hole in her chest.

The torn flesh began moving.

The bleeding stopped.

The damaged tissues slowly began reconnecting.

The hole in her chest gradually became smaller.

“Can I leave now, Fragarach?” I asked.

“You can leave Little Talya in my hands,” Fragarach replied.

I slowly released Talya.

Knowing she would be okay, my eyes cleared slightly.

I looked around the Main Hall.

“Avenger, title acquired.”

An unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed inside my head.

I ignored it.

My parents and Uncle Ray were protected by Sir Faust’s magic barrier.

The other nobles within the Main Hall had also cast their own magic barriers around themselves.

Most of the tables and chairs had been destroyed.

Some of them were even charred.

The castle servants and guards stared at me.

I could see fear in their eyes.

My bloodlust had completely overwhelmed the Main Hall.

“Aegis, keep Talya safe,” I ordered.

“Consider it done, Master,” Aegis replied telepathically.

Instantly, Fragarach’s Scabbard Aegis split into hundreds of pieces.

The pieces surrounded Talya's body and formed a complete armor around her.

Only then did I turn toward the Crimson Hero.

“Hero Cael, I didn’t mean to kill her,” the Crimson Hero said.

“I didn’t expect her to shield you using her body. Plus, how could she even see my invisible dagger?”

His voice remained surprisingly calm.

“I was just trying to test if you’re really Fragarach’s Master,” the Crimson Hero added.

I stared at him.

It was probably the lamest reason I would hear until the day I died.

I took one step toward him.

“And did you get your answer?”

My voice was cold.

The Crimson Hero opened his mouth.

But before he could answer—

“Long Hands: Ten Steps.”

I instantly appeared in front of him.

Before he could react, my hand touched his body.

“Little Hands, a tenth weight.”

I kicked him immediately.

The moment Little Hands affected his body, he was sent flying.

His body crashed into the Main Hall wall.

The impact caused the wall to crack.

Pain suddenly shot through my leg.

I looked down.

The leg I had used to kick him was broken.

I ignored the pain and looked toward the Crimson Hero.

He emerged from the shattered wall.

Crimson Armor now completely covered his body.

“Are you really seriously fighting me without your Holy Sword, Hero Cael?” the Crimson Hero asked.

“Fighting?”

I stared at him.

“What do you mean?”

I slowly raised my hand.

“This will be a one-sided beating.”

I began casting my spells.

“Swift Hands, Rank 6 Rampart Holy Magic, Hyper Regeneration.”

Golden light covered my body.

“A spell that continuously heals any injuries or broken part of my body for five minutes.”

My broken leg began healing.

“Swift Hands, Rank 7 Legion Holy Magic, Aspect Boost.”

My Aspects surged.

“A spell that doubles all my Aspects for ten minutes.”

Lightning began gathering around my body.

“Swift Hands, Rank 6 Rampart Magic, Thunder Armor.”

Lightning covered my entire body.

“A spell that enhances my defensive capability by covering my body with a lightning element that blocks and lessens incoming physical or magical attacks. Last until fully destroyed or disabled.”

Wind began swirling around me.

“Swift Hands, Rank 6 Rampart Magic, Tempest Wing.”

A continuous gust of wind covered my entire body.

“A spell that creates a continuous gust of wind covering my entire body that allows me to float and freely in the air. Last until disabled.”

I raised my hand.

“Swift Hands, Rank 7 Legion Lightning Magic, Thunder Vajra.”

Lightning gathered in my palm.

A vajra materialized.

Lightning continuously surged through it, empowering the weapon.

I began walking toward the Crimson Hero.

Every step I took left the stone floor charred.

Five Crimson Daggers suddenly appeared in front of me.

They flew toward me.

But they never reached my body.

My Wind Protection and Thunder Armor blocked them.

I looked at the daggers.

“So you’re not lying.”

I reached out and caught one of the Crimson Daggers.

“They are indeed invisible.”

Lightning flowed through my hand and into the dagger.

I immediately threw it back.

The crimson dagger pierced through the Crimson Hero's armor and struck the flesh of one of his legs.

He staggered.

“Long Hands: Five Steps.”

I disappeared.

I instantly appeared in front of him.

My fist slammed into his stomach.

The Crimson Hero was sent flying.

He crashed through the wall of the castle and disappeared outside.

A moment later, he flew back into the air.

Red wings suddenly grew from his back.

I looked at him.

“I guess even insects can fly.”

My voice remained cold.

I raised my hand toward the sky.

“Sweep Hands: Rank 8 Offensive Territorial Lightning Magic, Red Sprite Storm.”

Black clouds instantly formed above the kingdom.

Thunder roared.

Lightning flickered inside the dark clouds.

The Crimson Hero looked toward the sky.

“You’re really just a child.”

He laughed.

“Even a Territorial Magic isn’t enough to pierce this kingdom’s barrier.”

I ignored his words.

“Long Hands: One Hundred Steps.”

My body instantly disappeared.

In the next moment, I was above the kingdom’s barrier.

The Crimson Hero looked up.

He seemed confused.

I raised my hand.

“Strike.”

A bolt of red lightning descended from the clouds.

It struck me.

Then another.

And another.

One hundred strikes of lightning crashed into my body.

The Thunder Vajra changed.

The lightning surrounding it became red.

My Aspect was now triple its original strength.

I looked down at the Crimson Hero.

“Long Hands: One Hundred and Twelve Steps.”

My body moved again.

I hovered directly above the Crimson Hero.

He raised his crimson blade.

He thought I was going to appear in front of him.

He was gravely wrong.

I appeared behind him, only a few steps away.

I rotated my body halfway.

My fist moved forward.

“Adhara’s Royal Swordless Style, Crushing Blow.”

My fist struck the Crimson Hero directly in the chest.

The impact sent his body upward.

He flew toward the Kingdom’s barrier.

His body crashed into it with tremendous force.

The entire barrier trembled from the impact.