The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years – Chapter 108 – Riki (3)
Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Iris.
The moment he heard this name, Frey was glad he was wearing a mask.
Her appearance had changed a lot.
Iris always had a neat appearance with black hair and black eyes.
Her full lips had always been curved into a sensual smile, and he still remembered the shy smiles she sometimes gave him.
But all of that had changed.
The purple hair, revealing clothes and the wicked aura.
Still, he could tell.
The woman in front of him was definitely Iris Phisfounder.
One of his closest friends with whom he fought against the Demigods 4,000 years ago.
He didn’t know why she suddenly appeared here, and he also didn’t know her relationship with Lord.
This wasn’t like the old days.
Back then, Frey believed he knew Iris well enough to guess what she was thinking.
But now, he had no idea what Iris was thinking or what her purpose was.
One cruel fact coldly awakened his disillusioned mind just as he started questioning what had happened.
Iris was the one who killed Schweiser.
‘Why…’
Frey clenched his fist tightly.
‘Why did you kill Schweiser, Iris?’
If it weren’t for that, he would have been happier than anyone to see her.
He would have laughed heartily upon learning that she was still alive.
It would have completely washed away the sadness and loneliness he’d felt since his return.
He was sad.
He was very sad.
Iris, who had once been one of his most precious friends, had become someone he could never forgive.
[I find your entering of my space without permission incredibly unpleasant.]
“Lord, don’t kill that man.”
Frey turned to Iris with a shocked expression.
He never would have expected her to defend him.
As if she didn’t notice his gaze, Iris continued looking at Lord.
[…]
Lord didn’t respond.
Instead, he turned his head towards Iris and slowly lifted his finger.
‘It’s dangerous.’
It was just a simple gesture of raising one’s finger, but when Lord was the one doing it, this gesture rose to a different level.
At that moment, Frey wondered if he should warn Iris.
Then Iris spoke.
“This is my request.”
[…what?]
Lord asked in a confused voice.
‘Eyes’ filled with confusion appeared on Lord’s face.
[What did you just say?]
“I said please, Lord. Let him go. This is my request.”
Lord was silent for a while, and it seemed he was still wondering if he had heard her words correctly or not.
[…that’s ridiculous. Are you really going to use that opportunity here?]
“Are you not going to do it for me?”
[No.]
Lord lowered his finger before speaking in a blunt tone.
[That promise, I’ll keep it.]
Then he continued in a calm tone.
[That’s it, Iris. You can no longer ask me for anything.]
“Yes.”
[Ha. I don’t understand. You’ve been patient for so long… no. I don’t care. He will eventually die by my hands anyway.]
Lord spoke of his death as though it was set in stone, then he disappeared in the same manner that he appeared.
Frey and Iris were the only ones remaining in the cave.
No words were said for a while.
There were tens of thousands of thoughts floating through his mind, but none of them came out of his mouth.
Frey still didn’t trust her.
He couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
But… she had just saved his life.
However, this only made him more confused,
What exactly was Iris’ goal?
“The mask.”
Iris finally spoke.
“Can you take off the mask?”
It was a very sad voice.
It was desperate and fragile as though it might break at any moment.
Frey almost nodded subconsciously.
“No.”
But he didn’t.
Instead, he shook his head and spoke in a blunt tone.
It was possible that Iris was only acting like this to make him feel that way.
He was relieved when his voice didn’t falter like he thought it would.
“…why?”
“Because I don’t trust you.”
“…”
At that moment, Iris looked like her world had ended. She slowly lowered her head to the ground.
‘…don’t make that face.’
It would be a lie to say that Frey’s will wasn’t shaken after seeing her expression.
Even now, he couldn’t fully believe that she had killed Schweiser.
However, Hruhiral had shown him the memory of the earth directly.
With that undeniable evidence, there was nothing Frey could say to deny that.
Iris looked up again.
The weak expression had disappeared, replaced with the blank expression she had when she’d first arrived.
“…pardon me. I’ll take my leave now.”
The void split in front of Iris.
It was the same power as Lord.
As Riki had called it, the power of space… that meant.
Iris was Lord’s Apostle.
Frey asked her before she stepped into the crack in space.
“Why did you save me?”
Iris responded without looking back.
“Because I wanted to.”
* * *
‘It’s hot.’
In the scorching heat that was beginning to burn the air, Riki continued wielding his sword, unable to even wipe his sweat.
However, it was clear to anyone that his sharpness was beginning to dull.
The long battle was beginning to wear on his concentration.
Besides, there were too many things that he had to pay attention to.
Agni’s fiery hell, Ananta, Nozdog, and even Leyrins’ return.
Their onslaught, which would not tolerate any carelessness, gradually wore away at his concentration.
‘As time goes on, my situation will become more disadvantageous.’
They had noticed his weaknesses.
This was why they had settled for guerilla warfare within the field of fire rather than a direct confrontation.
In fact, their plan was perfect.
‘…I suppose it’s time to show my cards.’
As he had this thought, Riki held his sword upright.
Then, he looked at Nozdog and took a deep breath.
“Ssss…”
What he intended to use now was not his own power.
Instead, it was the swordsmanship that had been created by the only human he had ever considered a true opponent.
Riki had stolen this swordsmanship and polished it over the years.
Dreadment.
Lucid’s swordsmanship, whose name and movements had been changed drastically since the formation of the Luanoble Kingdom, was about to be wielded in Riki’s hands.
‘With my current strength…’
There weren’t many moves in Dreadment.
Additionally, it was a very risky technique.
If one made a wrong move, they might be the one to die instead of their opponent.
But that didn’t matter.
Riki felt no anxiety.
Instead, he felt a pleasant tension begin to build within his body.
Badump.
His heart began pounding violently.
He forgot everything.
Even breathing, which had become painful at that point.
‘Is this it?’
Was this the battle that Lucid told him about? Where he had to risk his life?
A smile formed on Riki’s lips.
He stretched his sword towards the sky.
Sky Break.
“…!”
Leyrin looked at the sword that Riki was extending with wide eyes.
For a moment, even the flames surrounding Riki seemed to freeze in place.
Ananta, who had been waiting for Riki to reveal an opening, suddenly stiffened.
Agni and Nozdog did the same.
They all looked up to the sky.
And literally watched as the sky began to split.
Crack.
A sword beam cut through the sky soundlessly.
“That is all for Dreadment.”
From now on, this was the power of the Demigod Riki.
Rain began pouring down from the cut in the sky.
Nozdogs face became stoney.
It was a rain of swords.
Heavy rain made from a sword strike so powerful it threatened all of their lives!
[Ri-ki-!]
Nozdog raised his hand to the sky as he shouted out his name.
Crack! Crack!
However, Nozdog’s bones, which boasted strength similar to mithril, were being cut apart as easily as worn stones.
Nozdog was struck by the horrific pain that coursed through his arm.
The same happened to the other Demigods.
Even Agni, who was known for his superb resistance to physical attacks, could not escape the threat of the sword rain.
The worst of them all was Ananta.
Even Leyrin was able to make use of wind pressure to deflect some of the swords.
‘Now.’
Riki realised that this was his best opportunity.
His head was dizzy because he used Sky Break, and blood dripped from his nose.
That wasn’t just a temporary symptom.
The longer he delayed, the more dizzy he would become.
So he forced his body to move.
Riki kicked off from the ground.
His body soared into the air, and he appeared before Nozdog in an instant.
[…! You!]
Just as Nozdog’s flaming eyes turned to Riki.
Shuk.
Riki’s blade slashed horizontally, and Nozdog was beheaded cleanly.
[Nozdog!]
Agni cried out urgently.
Naturally, Riki targeted him next.
He moved through the air and appeared beside Agni instantaneously.
‘Agni.’
The Demigod with a body of flame.
He could hurt him with his sword, but it wouldn’t have much of an effect.
He couldn’t just deal a single fatal blow like with Nozdog.
Therefore, it became a game of speed.
Papapat.
In less than the time it took to take a breath, Riki swung his sword hundreds of times.
[Ke…huk!]
Agni’s entire body shattered.
At the same time, Ananta appeared behind Riki.
“Puh!”
He spat, and his purple saliva flew towards Riki at a tremendous speed.
Riki didn’t look back.
He used the dagger in his left hand to block the saliva before immediately throwing it into Ananta’s heart.
“Kuk…!”
Ananta’s heart would corrode faster than the dagger.
Next was Leyrin.
Riki lifted his sword and charged toward her.
[Stop.]
Riki’s body froze in the air.
His expression hardened.
[Stop it, Riki.]
Lord spoke in a cold voice.
Riki turned his eyes to look at Lord, who’d just appeared.
He looked calm.
Riki couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked so cold.
[You made a foolish choice in the end.]
Only
“…Lord.”
[Don’t call me that, you traitor who turned his back on the Demigods.]
As he said this, Lord looked around.
Nozdog was missing a head, Agni was in thousands of pieces and Ananta had a dagger stuck in his chest.
[I’ve decided to not consider you a Demigod anymore. You’ve caused our kind so much pain. It’s unforgivable.]
Lord came closer to Riki and spoke in his ear.
[It was your choice that led to this. I’m sorry, Riki.]