Vector clenched his hand toward the charging Ian.
“Disappear.”
In that instant, a powerful gravitational force shook the air and ground, crashing down upon Ian. It wasn’t just him—it was everything in the vicinity, crushed and compressed toward a single point.
Boom!
Yet, Ian broke through it with sheer will.
[Nothing in this world shall hinder my path!]
It was the power of Faith, an enhanced version resembling Galon’s oath. Ian surged forward without faltering and swung his sword at Vector.
Boom!
The royal sword clashed against Vector’s sword, producing a deafening explosion. The sheer force sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
“F-Fall back!”“Don’t get too close! You’ll die!”
The soldiers nearby were thrown off balance. Some coughed up blood, while others collapsed unconscious. Standing firm, Vector raised an eyebrow as he locked swords with Ian.
“Impressive. To possess such skill at your age.”
“I appreciate the compliment,” Ian smirked. But Vector’s response was cold.
“However, that alone is not enough to break my sword.”
“You’re one to talk!”
Simultaneously, both Vector and Ian poured their strength into their swords. The moment their blades clashed, a powerful shockwave burst forth.
Boom!
The impact triggered another devastating explosion of force, sending both warriors flying backward. However, Ian didn’t escape unscathed—a thin stream of blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
‘Tsk. Am I being pushed back?’
The force was incredible—clashing blades alone produced devastating shockwaves. Ian had activated Faith at full power, yet…
Swish.
Vector remained completely unaffected. Standing tall and composed, he fixed Ian with a cold, piercing gaze.
“A strong opponent deserves proper respect. From now on, I will fight seriously.”
Woong!
The crushing force that distorted the surroundings began to flow into Vector’s sword, forming a massive aurora. The light coalesced, taking the shape of a massive club.
Shudder.
Ian instinctively knew—this was the concentrated power of all Vector’s power unlike any he had faced before. At that moment—
“For our commander!”
“Die!”
A handful of surviving soldiers charged at Vector from behind, launching their weapons.
“Use the magical relics left by the commander!”
“Raise your shields! We can block him once—then we strike!”
They believed in the shield-shaped magical tool, a high-level defensive artifact strong enough to withstand even seasoned knights. It was the last relic of their fallen commander. A shimmering blue barrier materialized in front of the charging soldiers.
Vector barely spared them a glance.
“Pathetic little mutts… stay out of my way.”
With a casual backward swing of his sword, something horrifying happened.
Crash!
Their weapons met his, but instead of clashing—everything shattered.
The soldiers, their weapons, even the magical shield disintegrated into dust. They didn’t even have time to scream. Not a drop of blood, not a single strand of hair remained.
“!”
The battlefield fell into stunned silence.
Galon, fending off an enemy knight, shouted urgently.
“My lord! You must not come into contact with that sword!”
Clang!
Nathan felt the same horror.
“The Amplitude of Annihilation? That crazy old man… no, that madman is using a finishing move against the prince?!”
It was no surprise—the Amplitude was the ultimate move of the Annihilation technique, capable of reducing opponents to nothing upon contact. The knights knew all too well of its power, as it had been used during the Great War of Kaistein.
Nathan, in particular, who had heard so much about the other Three Great Knights, broke into a cold sweat.
‘So that’s why they call him Annihilation…’
Dozens of knights had turned to dust because of this one technique. His name wasn’t Annihilation for nothing—he erased anything in his path.
No matter how powerful Ian was, countering that technique seemed impossible. Worse yet, the Amplitude of Annihilation was even greater than before.
Woong! Woong!
The aurora surrounding Vector’s sword expanded, growing more massive with each passing second. What had once simply encased his blade now surged outward, engulfing the weapon in an immense, club-like force that rivaled the size of his towering figure. It expanded to a massive size, impossible to dodge. Ian’s eyes narrowed.
‘He crushed those soldiers in an instant… and now he’s swinging that massive sword with such speed?’
A sword that could reduce men to dust had now grown even more formidable. It was wielded by an opponent who matched Ian’s speed and strength. This was beyond dangerous.
‘I have no choice but to unleash everything I have.’
Summoning every ounce of power within him, Ian prepared to face what was to come. Just then, Vector spoke.
“Ian Kaistein. You who stand in the way of my lord… This is my final courtesy to you.”
With those words, a murderous aura erupted from Vector. Ian scoffed at the sight.
“Is this how one of Kaistein’s Three Great Knights should act? No matter how much of a predecessor you are, I am still a member of the Kaistein royal family!”
The Three Great Knights had served Kaistein for generations, protecting the kingdom and remaining unwaveringly loyal to the royal family. Even in the previous generation, the Three Great Knights had devotedly followed King Eloin. Ian reminded him of that.
“Leon is a traitor to Kaistein. You must know that your actions betray King Eloin.”
“…”
“Do you wish to be remembered as a traitor in history?”
Vector remained silent, his sword still raised. Then, in a voice as cold as ice, he spoke.
“And what has King Eloin ever done for me?”
Ian’s expression hardened. “What?”
“I spent my youth fighting in his name, shedding blood in his wars, and what did I gain in the end? Glory that faded with age? A name that would soon be forgotten? I was left with nothing.”
“But… you are a knight.”
“And is a knight meant to die like that? Bedridden, wasting away, instead of on the battlefield?”
A terrifying killing intent surged from Vector’s body.
“The only one who gave me purpose again—the only one who returned my youth—was Lord Leon. That is why I serve him.”
The energy from his sword surged, reaching toward the sky as if it could pierce the heavens. A grin spread across Vector’s face.
“You call me a traitor? History is written by the victors. And… you will be defeated here.”
With that, Vector’s sword came crashing down toward Ian.
***
The enormous blade descended, splitting the very air as it fell. Ian’s gaze sharpened.
‘I can’t block this.’
Even from a distance, the sheer pressure of the attack was suffocating. Faith had grown stronger, but even at its peak, it might not be enough. Even Ian, master of Faith, the Seven Virtues, and the Seven Sins, could see the outcome—blocking it would come at a heavy cost.
‘No… if I take that head-on, I might die.’
Nathan’s oath wouldn’t be enough. Avoiding it wasn’t an option either.
‘Behind me are the soldiers and my knights.’
Perhaps Galon, with his Invincibility, could survive. But Nathan, the other knights, and the soldiers—none of them would make it. The moment the blade struck, they would be reduced to dust.
Ian exhaled and smiled.
“Then I have no choice… but to succeed.”
Raising the royal sword, Ian steeled himself against the incoming strike. Then, he shouted:
“Come forth!”
The black dragon etched onto his body writhed, and in an instant, the massive dragon, Fury, burst forth with an earth-shaking roar. It was the manifestation of all the anger Ian had accumulated over time, now unleashed in full force.
Roar!
But Fury was not alone. Not one, not two—but dozens of black dragons surged from Ian’s body, all rushing toward Vector’s falling blade.
Boom!
The collision was immense, yet the dragons could only slow Vector’s descent for a brief moment before disintegrating upon contact with his sword. Ian, however, had anticipated this outcome.
“This is just the beginning!”
The anger he had built up over time was far greater than that.
The rage of being betrayed by Duke Garcia. The anger of seeing his mother and sister used as pawns. The burning hatred for Leon, the mastermind behind it all.
All of it surged forth, and in an instant, new dragons emerged—larger, stronger—dwarfing those that had just vanished.
Crackle!
Vector’s sword continued its relentless descent, shattering the dragons with ease. But the new ones that formed began to slow the blade’s momentum. No, they had nearly brought it to a halt.
Of course, Ian wasn’t done yet.
Woong!
A radiant white aura enveloped the royal sword. It was Patience. Soon, the sword transformed into the shape of a massive hammer. However, the power needed to wield it wasn’t instantaneous—it needed time to charge.
‘Just a little longer! Just a bit more!’
Cold sweat dripped down Ian’s face as he unleashed wave after wave of black dragons. But then—Vector smirked.
“Is this all you have? Then it ends now.”
Tightening his grip, Vector swung his sword with even greater force. Instantly, the black dragons that had been pushing against him were repelled.
Roar!
Fury let out an earth-shaking cry, its eyes burning crimson, refusing to be defeated by mere humans. Yet even as it raged, Vector’s immense power was tearing it apart.
That was when Ian’s eyes gleamed.
“Not yet! Not even close!”
At that moment, Ian summoned yet another power within him. A voice echoed in his mind.
[A promise is a promise. In exchange for my help, that power belongs to me!]
It was Jealousy. The entity emerged as per their pact before the battle. A dark aura surged from Ian’s body, fusing into Fury.
Roar!
Empowered by Jealousy, Fury swelled in size, growing even more formidable. The rage that had once been dispersed among countless black dragons now converged into a single, colossal entity. But it wasn’t just its size that changed—its fangs and horns sharpened, radiating an even more menacing presence.
With this newfound power, the black dragon, which had been relentlessly forced back, now held its ground. Vector’s sword came to an abrupt stop, and for the first time, uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
“What… what is this!?”
Vector’s sword, which had been descending with unstoppable force, suddenly began to rise. The battle raged on, unpredictable and fierce. Yet Ian had not yet unleashed all of his power.
“Let there be Humility! And let this be my Compassion!”
Though Humility was nearing its limit, on the verge of collapse, Ian summoned Compassion—exhausted but still present.
Humility weighed down on Vector’s legs, pinning them beneath the black dragon’s pressure, while Compassion drained the strength from the hand gripping his sword.
“How dare you… resort to these petty tricks!”
Vector shouted through clenched teeth. But this was no mere trick. His body, caught in the opposing forces, wavered. His sword, which had once seemed immovable, was now being forced back.
“You’re wielding not just the Seven Sins, but the Seven Virtues as well? How could a kid like you possess power like Lord Leon?”
But Vector, too, had not yet reached his limit. He quickly analyzed the situation, his eyes burning with resolve.
“The power granted to me… I will use it all, here and now.”
He began infusing the strength of the Seven Sins into his oath.
But that momentary focus gave Ian the smallest window of opportunity. And Ian seized it without hesitation.
“This is everything I have!”
With Patience fully charged, Ian swung the massive hammer down with all his might.
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield.
Author's Thoughts📚 Hey! Check Out My Newest Series:
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