Humanity does not fade.
The aspirations of the old are bequeathed to their children. The youth finds a partner, forms a family, and the child develops their own dreams while watching their parents’ backs. The old are the past, the youth is the present, and the child is the future. Therefore, humanity does not vanish.
A lifespan of less than eighty years.
The most insignificant creatures among the seven races.
They possess no superior physique, no grand blessings, no eternal life, and no burning valor. Yet, there is beauty in humans. Human beauty is unceasing, an eternal continuity.
“How blessed was the era when one could look upon the starry firmament and read the map of the path they were destined to walk?”
I saw beauty continuing like a sacred flame.
Hundreds of years passed.
During that time, humanity changed. Harsh eras drove the insignificant and the lowly into corners. They were trampled by the strong, and the earth burned. But they did not vanish. Even if the ground was trampled, even if the rivers ran red with blood, even if the world was set ablaze, humanity eventually rose again.
They rose again and sparkled like stars.
“And how blessed was the era when the starlight brightly illuminated that path?”
It continues, on and on.
My will, which yearned for beauty and the Age of Stars, became a sacred flame. My descendants inherited it, the disciples I taught inherited it, and my people inherited it. Thus, the Peninsula—which the rest of the world dismissed as insignificant—was born.
The tiny Peninsula was meager compared to the other nations of the vast continent. It was not as powerful as the Iron Kingdom, not as great as the Sky Empire, not as influential as the Black Archipelago, and not as strong as the Great Land.
But it was beautiful.
In my eyes, this land was breathtaking. It sparkled like a heaven of stars embroidered across the night sky. The elderly and the children who sang of peace, whispered of love, and laughed while listening to nonsensical stories were beautiful. They were beyond beautiful.
Above that beautiful heaven of stars stood a man in dragon robes. The man bore a striking resemblance to me. Facing the wind, he held a blade with the words Dragon Sword inscribed in elegant script. He held it dearly.
“Ancestor.”
The man was smiling.
“Was the Age of Stars you spoke of truly like this?”
He spoke simply.
Heartily.
“I think I understand a little… why you cast everything aside and swung your sword to protect this land. I think I know what stars you wished to guard, and what beauty made you burn even your own life.”
The man’s back looked very much like mine.
Perhaps that was why.
“I, too, believe I can do the same.”
The man’s end eventually met the same conclusion as mine.
“When the time comes, I, too, will gladly become a lantern.”
Not long after that, a man calling himself the Descendant of a God began to trample and burn the Eastern Lands. The flames were so wicked that the screams of the innocent reached even here. Their blades eventually turned toward this insignificant Peninsula.
“For my stars.”
The most paltry land on the Eastern Continent.
The most insignificant army, the most insignificant people. And so began the prelude to the longest and most desperate war. The absolute monarch sitting upon the throne smiled like a young boy.
“For the starry firmament.”
Just as I once did.
*
The barrier encircling the amphitheater was closing in faster and faster. Fighters were dying in succession, ground to dust as they were forced into the narrowing fence while locked in combat. In the arena, which replicated city streets, the scent of blood grew thick, and corpses strewn across the ground became a common sight. Before I knew it, the Infinite Duel was entering its mid-to-late stages.
‘My stamina has recovered quite a bit.’
As always, the Heart of Steel quickly restored my body. Relying on my recovered strength, I moved cautiously, weaving through the buildings. In the process, I made a new discovery.
With a loud thud , I saw buildings collapsing one after another. The crumbling structures were all located on the outskirts. It was the sound of architecture disintegrating the moment it touched the narrowing fence.
‘The buildings are completely obliterated if they touch the barrier.’
Furthermore, the collapse happened at an incredible pace. If one were caught inside, not even their bones would remain. As the Arena announcer had mentioned, it was a device to prevent the match from dragging on. I could see hands sticking out from the gaps in the rubble—the remains of fighters who had been hiding, only to die without a sound.
‘In the end, it’ll be a frantic slaughter. Fortunately, I have enough stamina. The aftereffects of using the Lantern have mostly faded as well…’
What would ultimately decide the outcome was the question: ‘Who starts the fight first?’ The fighter who initiated the battle would end up fighting the most. They would consume the most stamina and have to deal with the most variables. Simply put, they would be at a severe disadvantage.
‘Then won’t the match become even more tedious toward the end? The fighters who survive the longest are likely the ones who use their heads. Unless they’re fools, there’s no way they’d commit first…’
The Arena had prepared several devices to prevent this.
However, it seemed those devices couldn’t fix the fundamental problem. Thinking this, I stepped out from between the buildings. My destination was the center. Since the fence was narrowing rapidly, I intended to claim the absolute center of the ‘circle’ soon.
The amphitheater was vast, but thanks to my steady pace, the distance wasn’t that far. As I walked while staying alert, my Doubt sent several signals.
‘Why is it so quiet? The other fighters must have had similar thoughts, so it should be a bloodbath here. Is the fight over already? That can’t be. Fighters are still being pushed in from the outskirts. With so many gathered, there’s no way things ended this quickly…’
The closer I got to the center, the more a deathly silence took hold. The chilling stillness was enough to make my skin crawl. The sound of clashing swords, common even on the outskirts, was nowhere to be heard. Moreover, as I approached the center, I saw an unusually large number of corpses rolling on the ground. Mangled corpses. These bodies didn’t look like they had died fighting other participants; rather, they looked as if they had been swept away by something massive.
Frowning as I walked, I caught a powerful scent of blood. Looking down, I saw that the area was completely drenched in thick, flowing gore. It was as if it had rained red. It was a repulsive sight. Feeling a sense of unease, I moved further inside and saw something grotesque.
‘What the…’
There stood a mountain built of corpses.
A mountain assembled from parts hacked away like butchered livestock. The moment I saw the eerie and horrifying sight, I recoiled.
‘Is it a hallucination?’
Were there shamans or wizards among the fighters?
Had they used some trick to show me a terrifying illusion? I thought that for a moment, but soon shook my head. No. Hallucinations created by magical beings are a product of the spiritual world. If that were the case, I should naturally feel Mana. But I felt no Mana from the mountain of corpses. Instead, I smelled death. The metallic tang of the freshly killed, the rot rising from the older remains…
‘Damn it.’
Only then did I realize my assumption was wrong.
‘I was thinking too rationally.’
My prediction had been based on common sense.
Fighters of equal level. I was imagining what would happen if those fighters were shoved into one place and their space was continuously restricted. But what if there was a ‘monster’ that defied common sense?
‘The Infinite Duel gathers countless fighters from across the continent. Sword Walker is merely the minimum requirement. While the vast majority participating in this duel are Sword Walkers, there are naturally Sword Runners among them as well. And…’
Among those Sword Runners, there are exceptional monsters.
Like Seol-yoon.
「He is far more dangerous than that girl.」
“…How could a human do such a thing?”
「It is because he is human that he can do it.」
Liam glanced at me.
「The shattering of common sense as if it were nothing. The world you prided yourself on knowing so well collapsing overnight, degenerating into something completely different and horrific. And everyone being swept away and going mad along with it.」
“…”
「Young descendant, there are things in this world that shatter common sense without a second thought.」
As I turned to walk away, I felt a presence.
「On this vast, vast continent, there are far too many such monsters.」
“…”
「The one you vowed to take revenge on is the same. A Swordmaster is a being who has reached the very peak among the monsters who shatter the world’s common sense.」
With a whoosh , a fighter wearing a pitch-black helmet appeared.
His level? His skill?
I couldn’t tell. Even so, instead of swinging my raised sword, I stood there blankly. That was because he didn’t look like he was in any condition to fight.
「Therefore, young descendant.」
“…”
「From now on, you must possess a sword capable of slaying a monster like the one coming from over there with a single strike. Even then, it will be insufficient to face a Swordmaster. Is not the enemy you declared you would kill a being who stands at the very top of the things the world fears?」
The body of the fighter who suddenly appeared was a wreck. His pitch-black armor was horribly mangled, and the blood flowing out drew red lines on the ground. His tattered legs were trembling. A sobbing sound came from behind the helmet.
“Save… me.”
It was a voice that had long since lost the will to fight.
A voice filled with terror. Leaving behind that final scream, the fighter slammed his head into the ground. Neither voice nor breath could be heard anymore. At the same time, from the place the fighter had emerged, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Simultaneously, my instincts screamed.
Run away.
「You will be afraid.」
Do not look back; just flee.
「But you must not run.」
Discard any thought of resisting.
「Face the ordeal, young descendant.」
Only then can you become strong.
Countless weak cries swirled within me. My heart hammered. My pulse quickened, and cold sweat poured down. While my hands shook, I bit my lip. Hard enough to draw blood.
「Only then can you accomplish what you desire.」
I took a breath for a moment.
Then I spoke.
“The guy coming from over there—is he someone I can beat?”
「Well. No one knows the outcome of a duel. Not until the swords clash.」
“Is he strong?”
Liam answered immediately, without hesitation.
「It would be an insult to compare him to you. Do you remember the blond guy who was yawning in the waiting room earlier? It’s him.」
“That guy… the one you said was a member of a Great Family?”
「Yes. One of the five most powerful families on the continent.」
As Liam whispered, I heard the sound of a long yawn from the distance. A haaaa-ahm sound. It was an attitude that suited neither the place nor the situation.
「The master of the Six Free Cities, the Lazy Idler, ‘Rhapsody’.」
The sound of leisurely footsteps drew closer.
Slowly, his figure was revealed. Special equipment thoroughly concealed even his appearance. But I felt it clearly. He was strong. Far too strong.
Are he and I truly the same kind of swordsmen?
No, I even wondered if we were the same kind of living creatures.
It was difficult even to breathe.
However.
『Our land burned, and once again, those who sparkled were trampled. The brilliant and beautiful era faded, and from the mouths that whispered of love, sobbing screams flowed.』
『Even so, we will not be broken.』
I gripped my sword.
『I realized it over the course of hundreds of years.』
『No, perhaps I knew it even before then.』
『Perhaps that is why I thought humans were beautiful.』
『Perhaps that is why I loved humanity.』
The sparkling tip of my sword pointed at him.
『Even if the world burns, humanity does not vanish.』
『The stars do not vanish. The twinkling light and beauty may fade for a moment, but one day, they will burn and sparkle again.』
『Humanity never vanishes.』
.
.
.
『The Age of Stars does not end.』
There was no more trembling.
『From the crumbling ashes, the phoenix is born.』
It was time to fight.
