The “Wings” exclusive to Sword Runners are symbolic. Manifested as a halo of mana, they serve as proof that a swordsman’s power has transcended their own body to influence the world around them. Consequently, possessing “Wings” does not inherently mean one can use them as biological limbs to soar through the clouds; they are usually nothing more than a metaphor.
However, the warriors of the northern Iron Kingdom disagreed. They bestowed the title of “Valkyrie” upon their greatest female warriors, believing that a true Valkyrie should take to the skies and rain down violence as a battle angel of myth.
Efficiency and technical limitations meant nothing to these barbarians. Living far from civilization, they had no use for such complexities. Their conviction was born of a simple, stubborn logic: if one is a Valkyrie, one must fly.
Masters of the blade would have called it madness.
They would have scoffed, calling it a total waste of the potential offered by the “Wings” and the Mysteries that allow mana to manipulate nature. But the barbarians didn’t mock the Valkyries who failed. Instead, when one finally took flight after countless attempts, every warrior in the mountain range gathered to cheer and feast.
Centuries had passed since that first flight.
For those hundreds of years, every Valkyrie believed that once they spread their wings, they must naturally fly. Since the Valkyries of myth glided through the heavens as battle angels, they had to do the same. Thus, the Valkyries developed their own unique combat style. How would they fly? How would they effectively annihilate their enemies? How would they fight with grace and majesty in the sky?
Though it began as a foolish notion, the long passage of time brought them to perfection. When the true form of the “Valkyrie” was finally revealed to the world, the laughter died, replaced by the same awe those first barbarians felt.
To the eyes of the people, they were no different from the battle angels of myth.
* * *
A Sword Runner is granted two weapons.
A Sword Runner who has obtained wings can “accelerate” what they possess. This is the decisive reason they are given the name “Runner.” Their acceleration is transcendent, reaching a level beyond the superhuman. It allows for movement comparable to a wizard’s teleportation and enables them to swing their blades with enough speed to pulverize an enemy in heartbeats.
Furthermore, Sword Runners possess unique Mysteries—mystical phenomena born from their values, beliefs, and lives. Much like the “Gale” I had devoured, which conjures whirlwinds to disrupt the flow of battle, a sorcerous power dwells within their blades.
Valkyrie Maia was no exception. She had invested both of her weapons entirely into becoming a battle angel like the Valkyries of myth. Consequently, the brand of violence Maia displayed on the battlefield was devastatingly simple. No complex magic imbued her blade; instead, Valkyrie Maia simply glided through the sky, her sword and spear claiming a life with every thrust.
But simplicity did not mean weakness. With those “simple attacks” alone, Valkyrie Maia shattered the enemy’s momentum in a single breath.
“Arrows! Fire the arrows!”
“She’s too fast! We can’t lead the target!”
“Then bind her!”
“The bindings aren’t sticking…!”
A Sword Runner’s acceleration is transcendental. To the soldiers of the Conquest Army, Valkyrie Maia was a blur, appearing to be in several places at once. She existed in numerous locations simultaneously, reaping lives every second. To soldiers who possessed no mana, she must have looked like a judge from legend or a mythical being. In truth, even to my eyes, Valkyrie Maia’s combat was blindingly brilliant.
“She’s on a different level than the knight I fought before.”
「Is that not obvious? The title ‘Ghost of the Battlefield’ originally belonged to the Valkyries. During the War Era, their appearance struck terror into everyone. They thought the enraged gods had sent angels of death.」
To a flying Valkyrie, the mounted cavalry were mere prey. Their upward-pointing spears were no threat, unable to react to a Sword Runner’s acceleration. By the time the soldiers adjusted their aim, she had already slaughtered them and retreated to the sky. From the cavalry’s perspective, it was an utterly unreasonable battle.
“The incantation! When will the spell be ready?”
“That’s… everyone in the casting circle has been killed.”
A Sword Runner can reach any point within their sight in the blink of an eye. Valkyrie Maia’s first targets had been the rear units chanting incantations. With a single flap of her wings, over ten men fell helplessly. It was as if a ghost had drifted through them.
“What are we supposed to do?! How do we stop that?!”
“That’s not the problem! With our sorcery force dead, there’s no one to maintain the shields. At this rate—”
Maia was a warrior who knew how to win a war. She was no ignorant brute who merely enjoyed the fight, but a supreme commander who could strike at the heart of the matter. She hadn’t stepped forward just to be the center of attention. She shouted with all her might.
“Arrows! Fire the incendiaries again!”
With those words, a rain of arrows began to pour from the fortress walls. The sound of cheering erupted alongside the rhythmic beating of drums. Screams broke out everywhere as arrows found their marks. The Conquest Army of the “Great Land” was falling helplessly under the barrage. The tide of the battlefield was turning, and it would be foolish to miss this opportunity.
I settled firmly into the saddle of the horse Maia had left behind. Holding the reins, I shifted my center of gravity forward. I had never officially learned how to ride, but I knew how. One of the masters of the swords I had devoured was a paragon of horsemanship.
『A knight must be able to move as one with his horse.』
My old neighbor, Petel.
Petel, who had mastered everything a knight should possess, naturally knew how to ride. Recalling his memories, I entrusted my body to the horse with practiced ease. Amidst the chaos brought by the Valkyrie and the troops on the wall, I rode wild and free. For a Sword Walker, carving through a melee of soldiers who couldn’t even handle mana was child’s play.
“Do not panic! First, that… urk .”
Valkyrie Maia was even prioritizing the assassination of the officers. If you crush the head, a massive force is reduced to a mere rabble. Soldiers who received no orders stood around stupidly until they were cut down by stray arrows or blades.
It seemed the initial victory would go to the side of Han.
However.
“Push forward! Even if your horses fall and your comrades die, do not falter! We are the warriors of the sun that never sets! Khan protects us! Advance! Advance!”
The army recreated in this spiritual world was no ordinary legion. They were the Conquest Army of the “Great Land,” the most powerful land force on the continent. An invincible legion that had never failed a single conquest would not break like this. Never.
Even if the terrifying “Descendant of Khan” had not manifested, the elite warriors under his command certainly had.
“Great Warriors of the plains! Did you not vow to tear down these walls before the sun sets?!”
In the Arena, the victory condition for the Han faction was set:
Defend the walls for the allotted time.
This meant that simply holding out would result in victory. Why would the Arena, which desired fierce duels, offer such a merciful condition? The answer was simple.
It wasn’t merciful at all.
“Grip the reins!”
Because simply holding out would be a “miracle.”
“The Eternal Sun is with us!”
A thundering of hooves shook the earth. From the distance, a presence far more oppressive than before surged forth. I saw a warhorse clad in crimson armor, moving with monstrous speed. Atop it sat a warrior of massive build, wielding a colossal polearm.
And then.
“Ha—finally, some real warriors are coming!”
A javelin, trailing light like a comet, was hurled toward Maia as she flew. She narrowly dodged the spear, but as more were launched in succession, she was forced to descend to the ground. The one throwing the javelins was a warrior in azure armor.
The Great Warriors of the Great Land.
“It is an honor, O Invincible Legion!”
I could feel it just by looking at them. The presence they exuded was overwhelming. Furthermore, the enemies we had to face did not end with them. Intense killing intent flared up from various points. These were no ordinary soldiers; they wore armor and helmets distinct from the Conquest Army. Fighters in all sorts of attire appeared.
“This! This is going to be quite fun!”
The fighters from the Eastern Continent who had initially chosen the Han faction were now pouring out in a swarm, mixed in with the Conquest Army. And among them, there was one who exuded a particularly powerful presence. A fighter wearing a very familiar helmet. Black hair shimmering in the sunlight, and indifferent eyes visible through the gaps in the visor.
Seol-yoon.
The “Black Bride.”
She had finally made her appearance.
“Maia.”
“Why are you calling me now?!”
“You’d better be careful of that fighter in black.”
Valkyrie Maia was strong. She was a Sword Runner, her skills were formidable, and she was experienced in battle. Yet, for some reason, the aura Seol-yoon exuded was terrifyingly incomparable to Maia’s. I had yet to see Seol-yoon’s sword as a Sword Runner; the swordsmanship I had seen was from her time as a Sword Walker. Moreover, I had clearly defeated her in several sparring matches.
And yet.
The energy coming from Seol-yoon was excessively ominous.
“I feel it too!”
“Then…”
“That’s why I want to clash with her even more!”
Valkyrie Maia seemed to have felt the same pressure. She looked at me and gave a wide, feral grin.
“Of course, I won’t have the chance just yet!”
“Just yet?”
“To withstand that army swarming in, we’ve been given something as well! A gift from the clowns of the Arena!”
A gift from the clowns?
As I stood there wondering, the rear fortress gates swung open. Other fighters came rushing out alongside the army of Han. They looked exhilarated; it seemed the display Maia and I had put on had emboldened them.
However, it wasn’t the excitement of the fighters that caught my attention. My eyes were fixed on the Han general at the very front and the items he was carrying.
The moment I saw them, the announcement the Arena had made finally came back to me.
A Dragon’s Relic.
The general spoke.
“His Highness has bestowed these treasures upon us who fight bravely. These are the weapons our ancestors used to defend this land in the past!”
The general looked at Maia and me.
“I believe it is only right to give these to you, who have proven your bravery first. Choose a weapon to stand against those wicked enemies.”
At the same time, a voice echoed in my head.
『Select a Dragon’s Relic!』
