How insignificant is the individual?
I have known this truth since the dawn of this atrocious era of war. I lamented as young men, bright as stars, perished in a conflict driven by trivial convictions and hollow justifications. Swords, spears, and shields. Radiant lives were shattered under a downpour of arrows. Scribes recorded their deaths in brief, hurried script. A handful of wheat and moldy bread—that was the price of their lives.
After the young men were drowned in blood and there was no one left to fight, even the women and children were eventually conscripted. Children who once played at sword fighting with sticks now died on the dirt floor, clutching blood-stained weapons. Children, enraged by the deaths of their parents, took up blades and spears to kill other children. Elderly mothers and fathers, fueled by fury over the loss of their sons and daughters, dragged their broken bodies onto the battlefield. In those countless deaths, there was no glory, no fierce duels, and no honor.
What was the purpose of those deaths, those lives, and that slaughter? What did the blood spilled by those swords, spears, and shields leave behind? I still did not know.
“ Cough. ”
Vanfleet, a young man who used to sing of love, his golden hair so beautiful, ended his life at the age of seventeen, struck by a stray arrow. He was a youth with an exceptionally fine voice. He had shyly mentioned that once this war was over, he would confess his feelings to a lovely red-haired girl.
“ Gasp. ”
Emily, a nine-year-old girl who always gave up her portion of wheat to others, took her own life after killing two girls younger than herself. She was a girl who used to smile brightly, saying she wanted to try a dessert called “Imperial Sweet Cake” someday. Instead of tart strawberry jam, she died with her eyes wide open, her mouth filled with a boiling froth of blood.
“…… Wheeze, cough. ”
The light of countless stars faded. Unable to even twinkle, they were shrouded by a thick darkness and finally vanished from the world. I cannot accept this era. I cannot accept the end of the youths swept away by the times, the shining children, and the elderly who smiled so kindly. I cannot accept such an irrational outcome. I cannot be convinced by the answer the world has presented….
All those who should have shone became mere accessories of war. Stars that once held desires were stripped of their free will, turned into blades, and cast away. Then, they broke and disappeared while fighting others who had been cast away just like them. Leaving nothing behind in this world.
“Stop.”
That was why I longed for the Age of Stars.
Not this horrific era where the shining ones gradually vanished, but a time when they sang of love and peace, laughing together in harmony.
“……Stop this now.”
But even with grand convictions, I was ultimately just an individual. The blade I held could not change the world. It could not even drive away an army, which was merely a swarm of humans, let alone the world itself. Because an individual is insignificant. To halt an era of madness, an individual is far too small a being….
I was a small being.
I stood against the legion that came to trample our land, resolving to sing my fury to them, but my struggle was meaningless. The numbers of the great army did not dwindle. I could not display any magnificent martial prowess. I merely cut down a few insignificant soldiers, sustained a fatal wound, and became unable to swing my sword any longer. Just like the countless youths of this era of war.
Now, they would advance.
Into our land.
And they would extinguish the stars.
And they would stain everything with war.
“For what purpose do you fight so desperately?”
A man who appeared to be the Master of the Great Army asked me. My reflection was mirrored in his eyes. A body drenched in blood. Limbs torn to tatters, hands so ruined they couldn’t even grip a piece of wood, let alone a sword. Yes, my life was flickering out. Just like those countless other lives.
“Don’t you know? No matter how hard you fight, nothing changes.”
“…… Cough. ”
“This world has gone mad. We have all already come too far in this era of frenzy. To kill or be killed…… there is nothing else left to choose.”
The Master of the Great Army looked melancholy.
The Great Army standing behind him was no different.
This was the reality of the era of war that so many monarchs and leaders worshipped as the ‘Age of Glory.’ A horrific era where no one could smile. A world where no value remained, only ashes….
“Even if you burn yourself out and sacrifice everything, you can change nothing in the end. Eventually, everyone will have to take up swords and spears, and then everyone will become the same. The purity of those you tried to protect will be stained by the blood of this war, and in the end, everyone will return to the earth together. At the tip of a blade.”
“…….”
“Accept it now. This is how everyone disappears. The Nine Goddesses and the Seven Chief Gods have brought the end upon this continent. To harvest the seven foolish races blinded by greed from this beautiful land….”
I slowly looked at the general.
“That may be so.”
“…….”
“But I cannot simply stand by and watch humans as beautiful as stars disappear. I remember a world full of beautiful people, a peaceful world that shone like a paradise of stars.”
“…….”
“An era when people did not live for things like war. An era when everyone burned themselves for what they loved and desired, running until their bodies broke, shining all the while. An era when no one mocked those struggling to shine, but instead willingly clapped and cheered for them…… That era when, at night, people sang of peace and love before a campfire.”
My world shook.
But I did not fall.
“The stars will not disappear.”
“…….”
“Ah, how happy was the era when one could look at the starry firmament and read the map of the path one could and must take. And how happy was the era when the starlight brightly illuminated that path.”
I might stagger, but I had no intention of breaking.
Never.
“You may trample us and burn our land. Nevertheless, our will will not vanish. Nevertheless, the flame I have kindled will not go out, and the light of the stars will not fade.”
“…….”
“Even if I die here, the Age of Stars does not end.”
Standing firm, I felt death slowly approaching.
“Even if I am extinguished here, someone will inherit the flame. He will once again lead those wandering at the very front. By becoming a lantern.”
With those final words, I died.
And then….
“……Uh.”
When I opened my eyes, I was a hazy specter. A bodiless soul. A bound spirit that could not leave for the side of the gods because of lingering attachments to the world. Before me, now a bound spirit, stood a small boy wearing dragon robes. A boy whose eyes shone like stars.
“I, I greet the Progenitor.”
The boy resembled me.
.
.
.
“ Haa. ”
I opened my eyes and exhaled the breath I had been holding. The air flowing from my mouth was as hot as a flicker of flame. The world I looked upon gradually became clear. Intensely so.
Control it as much as possible.
The digestion of the 「Lantern」 was not yet complete. Ignoring the memories of the sword rising confusedly in my mind, I focused on the reality unfolding before my eyes. Beyond the vivid world, a black fighter appeared. A threatening 「Path」 unfolded, and I thrust my sword between those lines.
And—
“……!”
The warrior who lunged at me twisted his body right in front of my thrusting blade, narrowly escaping the crisis. The movement was unnaturally fast and bizarre.
Right.
「Hmph.」
That wasn’t a movement a human could show.
「He’s a Beastman, that one.」
The fighter who had entered through the window was crouched, pressing both hands and feet to the ground. Like a beast on all fours.
*
Beastmen.
Beasts that evolved to resemble humans under the influence of Mana. They inherited part of the appearance of the beast that was their root, as well as its characteristics. Thus, the priority when fighting Beastmen was to gauge what ‘species’ they were.
But right now, gauging that is impossible.
The equipment of the Infinite Duel didn’t just hide simple facial features or body outlines; it masked all characteristics in pitch black. Therefore, there wasn’t much I could deduce.
A beast-like posture on all fours. Is he the type who doesn’t use blades? It’ll be tricky if he’s a martial artist like a Monk.
Beastmen are born with explosive physical abilities. Their innate physical strength is on par with monsters. But their true weapon isn’t just a sturdy body.
「If that guy is a martial artist, the compatibility is the worst.」
Their roots are beasts.
As such, all Beastmen are born with combat instincts that are far superior among the seven races. On top of that, Beastmen have eyes that can see the 「Blood Path」. A special power granted only to them. The details aren’t well known, but the world often defined the 「Blood Path」 like this:
「Those beast bastards, they’re a real pain in the ass.」
A power that allows one to find a way to survive even if the heavens collapse.
“…….”
I stood still, pointing my sword at him. There was no reason to move first. He didn’t move from his spot either. Thus, a situation was created where two fighters confronted each other in a state of immovability. It might look boring to others, but for the parties involved, it was a suffocating standoff. The tension, which seemed like it would last forever, was broken by an external factor.
“What the—why are there two people here—”
With a creak, the door opened. A fighter who entered from outside immediately drew his weapon upon facing the two of us. A massive axe. It was a violent weapon, but not a very good blade to use indoors.
Shit.
I was the one put at a disadvantage by that fighter’s appearance. The Beastman fighter had come through the window, and I was waiting near the door. In other words, I was suddenly sandwiched between two enemies.
“ Whew —”
Tsking, I discarded the 「Lantern」 and drew another sword. The 「Lantern」 isn’t very efficient when fighting multiple enemies alone. Besides, don’t I have another blade perfectly suited for this situation? Then I should use it.
『I was a sliver of wind.』
I lowered my body. Then, I spun around once, sweeping the floor with the tip of my sword. Simultaneously, the surrounding 「Paths」 began to fluctuate. It was the mystery of 「Gale」, a power that tangled all flows at will.
“This is a total steal—”
The fighter who opened the door swung his axe wide toward me. Normally, an axe cannot exert its full power in such a cramped space. Because there isn’t ‘enough room to swing.’ But he swung it without caring about that. It wasn’t because he was ignorant.
「A certain saying comes to mind. If something can’t be done with strength, you should consider if you simply lack enough strength.」
It was because he had sufficient strength.
Damn.
With a splintering crack, the axe blade smashed through the wooden wall and flew toward my head. Watching the approaching blade, I made a short cut in the air. Soon, the small whirlwind I had raised swallowed the surrounding flow and became a ‘Gale.’
“……?”
A powerful wind blew. Immediately after the gust, the axe blade he swung rose bizarrely and struck the wrong part of the ceiling. With a crumbling sound, debris from the ceiling fell. Before that debris could hit the floor, the other fighter moved. The Beastman.
“ Huu —.”
I inhaled, replenishing my lacking mana. The mana required by 「Gale」 was excessively high. If my Mana Heart hadn’t taken on the characteristics of Steel, my heart would have burst and I would have died long ago. Enduring the surging dizziness, I summoned the Gale once more. The Beastman’s path, which had been heading straight for me, became a curved line and headed toward the floor.
“—?!”
A whirlwind swept through once. In the next moment, the charging Beastman’s head slammed into the floor. While he was stopped, I turned my head toward the one approaching with the axe.
“This bastard, using some strange power—”
I drew upon 「Gale」 once more. His axe once again headed toward the wrong place. While he spat out curses, I leaped high and jumped over him. Taking his back to perform a surprise attack from an advantageous position? I didn’t do that.
Because.
Why should I do him any favors?
I had to use this guy to make things easier for myself.
Now I was in a position close to the door, and the ignorant guy with the axe was in the middle. Which meant….
“───!”
A chance had arisen to push the Beastman fighter somewhere else.
I just need to move while that guy holds him off. There’s no reason to waste time here. There are still many enemies to fight, and the barrier hasn’t narrowed enough yet….
I prepared to move while formulating a plan in my head. It was a fairly efficient and rational action.
However, there was one thing I hadn’t anticipated.
“Using petty tricks…… urk .”
The Beastman’s combat power.
“…….”
There was a thud. Immediately after the sound, the Beastman, who had lunged like a predator, pierced the chest of the axe-wielding fighter with his hand. The sound of bone and flesh breaking so easily. Along with that chilling sound, impact noises erupted in succession. It sounded like someone playing a musical instrument. Rhythmic, exhilarating, and resonant. In the next moment, red blood and bits of flesh were sprayed in front of me, along with fragments of the black armor and helmet that had been smashed to pieces.
「Ho ho.」
This wasn’t a fight between those of similar realms.
To use a metaphor, yes.
「This is dangerous.」
It was exactly what it would look like if an ordinary person met a fierce beast in the forest. A terrifying story an old hunter had told me when I was young came to mind. A story about a bear appearing in the forest, tearing a person apart and scattering them everywhere….
I’m screwed.
The Beastman fighter, drenched in blood, looked at me.
He was still pressing both hands and feet to the ground like an animal. He looked incredibly lethal. Feeling goosebumps erupt on the back of my neck, I pointed my sword at him.
Immediately after I leveled my sword, there was a tap . The sound of him kicking off the floor echoed, and the Beastman vanished from my sight. The next place he appeared was above. Moving from floor to ceiling, and ceiling to floor, he appeared as if teleporting. Just as I had done earlier.
Did he learn that already? He’s not even a smart dog, what the hell is this….
I hurriedly turned the sword that had been pointing forward. But I was too late. With a crack , my body jolted violently. The Beastman’s toes struck my chest. The impact was far too great for a simple kick. Blood filled my mouth, and my vision shook dizzily. I barely managed to regain my senses and swung my sword. But I was late again. Immediately after one attack succeeded, the Beastman lowered his body and, as if dancing, lay on the floor and delivered a kick while sweeping the ground with his toes. His target was my ankle.
Shit.
Crack.
My ankle broke. With that, my body was sent flying upward. The moment I lost my balance and was suspended in the air, the beast-like bastard attacked again. Pressing both hands to the ground, he delivered an upward kick as if doing a handstand. It was a method of attack I had never seen or heard of. A free, unpredictable, and relentless violence that relied on instinct.
That kick was aimed at my jaw. My instincts were whispering to me. If that hits, it’s over. If the impact from earlier hits my jaw, I’ll definitely lose consciousness. Even if I somehow endure it, the moment my helmet is lifted and my neck is exposed, it’s the end. I bit my lip. Then, I inhaled.
Next, I pressed down and trapped the breath I had taken.
“ Hup —!”
That was the only way to overcome this crisis.
*
Dragon Sword.
Its original name was 「Lantern」. A blade inhabited by the Progenitor of the now-ruined Peninsula, Han. The former master of this sword, who fought against a harsh world, was not exceptionally strong. Even if he had reached the realm of a 「Sword Runner」, ‘Wings’ were nothing special in the era of war. Thus, a man who longed for the stars died helplessly.
「Grip it tight so you never let go.」
But the will the man possessed—the conviction of a hero—did not vanish. The sword the man swung for the last time remained in everyone’s eyes and hearts. It even captured the hearts of the legion that had appeared to occupy Han.
“……!”
The power to burn everything one possesses without leaving a trace to create a momentary, brilliant flame. That was the mystery contained within the 「Lantern」. A noble sword that could discard anything for the sake of what it held dear.
「You remember, right? You must never inhale more than a ‘handful of breath.’」
The mystery of the 「Lantern」 is simple and powerful.
It burns all the mana in the body to momentarily surpass one’s limits. This mystery can be applied to anything. It can be used on the ‘eyes’ to dodge an enemy’s attack, on the ‘legs’ to approach an enemy, or to swing the ultimate ‘single strike’ to cut down an enemy. The problem was that it was a power not yet permitted to the current me.
「Do not become intoxicated by the memories of the sword. You do not have wings.」
Originally, the mystery of the 「Lantern」 required ‘Wings’ as a sacrifice.
Because Wings are both proof of being a 「Sword Runner」 and a form made of mana. Thus, the former master of this sword sacrificed his wings to swing a sword that surpassed limits time and time again. But I do not have wings. Therefore, if I were to use the 「Lantern」, I would burn and exhaust all the mana that stretched like veins through my body and all the mana contained in my 「Mana Heart」. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I would effectively become a dead person for a while.
Even if I were prepared for death, I could only swing it once.
However.
This is damn hard.
There are shortcuts for everything in the world.
「Yes. Endure just like that.」
Why did I train to endure and hold my breath to the limit after inhaling a ‘handful of breath’? My 「Mana Heart」 can accept much more breath, and it cannot exert its true power with just a handful. Nevertheless, I repeatedly practiced inhaling only a ‘handful of breath.’
The reason is simple.
Without wings, it is impossible for me to adjust and use the mystery of the 「Lantern」. It means all the mana in my body will unconditionally be exhausted. No matter how many times I tried, the result was the same. So I changed my thinking. If all mana is used as fuel no matter what I do…… then wouldn’t it work if I only had a small amount of mana in my body from the start?
If it’s impossible to make the flame small, then I just need to remove the fuel so that the flame has no choice but to be small.
“ Hup !”
The handful of mana trapped in my body was heated intensely.
Yes, just a handful.
But that was enough. It was more than enough.
With the sensation of my entire body burning, my field of vision expanded greatly. In the widened world, everything was slow. The debris falling from the ceiling, the floating dust, and even the sole of the Beastman fighter’s foot.
The 「Paths」 that stretched like veins starting from the second heart. The mana circulating through the body along those paths stimulated my muscles and bones as if they were on fire. I was heated from head to toe as if I had been set ablaze. Thus, the place the heated Mana headed was my right hand.
Simultaneously with the manifestation of the mystery, I let go of the sword I was holding with both hands. Instead, I drew a dagger from my thigh with my right hand. A dagger I carried to utilize 「Fang」. A tiny weapon that wouldn’t even leave a scratch on iron armor if weight wasn’t properly behind it. The moment the Beastman saw me discard my sword and draw a dagger, his body flinched.
Normally, he shouldn’t have reacted.
After all, there was no way a dagger hurriedly drawn at this distance could pierce iron armor. It was ‘common sense’ to dismiss discarding one’s original weapon and drawing a dagger as a meaningless struggle. However, the Beastman fighter was trying to retreat, even abandoning his advantage and ruining his posture. It was likely because of his special ability that bordered on cheating. The 「Blood Path」. I didn’t know what he saw through his eyes, but regardless, a signal warning of danger must have been ringing powerfully.
Well.
『It didn’t matter if I turned to ashes.』
『I could burn my insignificant body and soul as many times as it took.』
It was too late, anyway.
“Truly, as much as it takes.”
The dagger traced an arc.
Slash. Blood sprayed.
The Beastman Warrior, who had scrambled back in a panic, crouched near the window and glared at me. My hand was drenched in hot blood. I flicked the blood away and looked down at the floor.
“…You certainly are a master at running away.”
There lay the Beastman Warrior’s left leg—severed cleanly from his body.
*
「Name: Lantern」
「A treasure passed down through the Royal Family, imbued with the spirit of the Progenitor of Han.」
「Imbued with the Mystery of Incineration.」
「- Surpasses limits by burning all internal Mana.」
「- If the user is a ‘Sword Runner,’ consumes a pair of wings per use.」
.
.
.
「Digestion in progress.」
