Volume 7 Chapter 53 Romantista Of Death And Silence
'Oath' had clearly understood that he had stepped on the tiger's tail.
Normally, a Druid user who has their voice sealed wouldn't prepare anything if they're immature, and if they're mature, they'd prepare a second, weaker weapon than the Druid.
Especially if it's the 'Narcissistic Bard' Romantini, he thought he wouldn't weaken that much. But he was certain he would weaken to some extent.
But he was wrong.
He didn't think he had prepared his true strength for that moment.
―――As expected of the second-strongest in the Fist of the Dragon army. I underestimated them.
'Oath' was sweating coldly, feeling a sense of excitement towards the enemy who had become even stronger. While feeling the warrior's tremble, he approached Romantini.
Romantini, or perhaps the god residing within, swung his sword and let out a silent, fierce cry.
"―――――――――――!"
The air was vibrating with a strange, electric tension. It was terrifying to see something like this without making a sound. But at the same time, 'Oath' started to figure out who the god residing within Romantini was.
Probably a war god. If they're a Druid user, it would be a god from Celtic mythology.
'Oath' also uses Geas. Geas is a Druid, and Druids are magic from the Celtic mythology realm. So, 'Oath' was familiar with the gods of Celtic mythology.
But war gods aren't just one entity. If he knew which god it was, he'd know his weakness, but he couldn't pinpoint it yet.
So 'Oath' stood firm, ready to receive any attack. He held his sword in front of him, keeping his wrists soft and flexible.
Then, Romantini charged in.
'Oath' boasts considerable speed, but the god surpassed it. Before he knew it, Romantini's sword was striking 'Oath', and 'Oath' could only barely deflect it.
The sound of metal clashing echoed. 'Oath' couldn't help but laugh, "Haha," at the unexpectedly strong enemy. Romantini's sword struck the ground, shattered, and released a shockwave.
―――As expected, gods can do this much
'Oath' was deflecting the shockwave with his sword. It was an attack that had already surpassed the realm of human swordsmanship. But still, 'Oath' deflected it.
That was because of the protection granted by Geas, the 'Willow Wind's Protection'. Instead of sealing his vision, he could deflect every attack with his sword alone.
'Oath' quickly created some distance. Not yet. He couldn't make a move yet. He didn't know where the weak point of the god possessing Roman was. Until he knew that, 'Oath' wouldn't make a move.
Slowly, Roman turned around. His appearance was no longer Roman's, but that of a ferocious war god. A war god was one that had such eyes ―― eyes that lived for battle, eyes that died in battle.
'Oath' remembered the god he had killed in the past. That god wasn't a war god, but its mere existence had brought about great disaster. Gods that descended upon the human world were naturally like that.
―――But, he could kill them. Gods could be killed. Not with borrowed power from magic, but with his own immense authority, he could easily turn the world upside down, and kill them.
'Oath' readied his sword.
What he needed to think about was how to figure out the name of the god possessing Roman.
There was a theory to killing gods.
Know their name, know their weakness, and strike. Gods were strong, but they couldn't defy the laws of mythology.
And what was crucial in uncovering a god's name was their actions. That's why 'Oath' observed Roman's movements closely, with his closed vision, through the air and the faint sounds.
Roman readied his sword, looking this way―――and took off his hat.
The hat transformed in the god's hand. A lion's mane. Roman wore the lion's mane that existed from the top half of its face to its back.
'Oath' was convinced by that.
―――Ogma. The war god Ogma!
Roman attacked again.
While deflecting the attack, 'Oath' thought. Ogma, the war god who controlled words. A god who controlled his followers with words.
Then, in this situation where words couldn't be used, Ogma was just a brute who couldn't wield his authority. Ogma was a god who controlled humans with words, but if words were sealed, he was just a mere strongman.
But at the same time, there's also anxiety. Ogma is an existence that didn't die even in myths. So, he doesn't have a special weakness. However, 'Oath' has already weakened Ogma.
The god who doesn't know how to die, already weakened. The theory of god-slaying is unclear, but it's a god that can be confronted head-on.
In that case, there's no other method but to go head-on. 'Oath' makes up his mind.
It's a battle against the god.
'Oath' swings his sword. Roman strikes back with an attacking sword. The swords clash. Since it's a battle of strength, 'Oath' can't win, so his receives the sword with a flow.
'Oath' has multiple protections, excluding the "Willow Wind Protection". If it's going to attack the god, it needs to invalidate the "Shield Destruction Protection".
In other words, it's the invalidation of the enemy's defense. 'Oath''s sword can break through the enemy's will to defend, which makes it impossible for them to take defensive actions.
With this one strike, even a god can be cut down. It was this protection that killed a god before. However, its usage is a bit tricky.
That's because this "will to defend" is troublesome, and it won't activate if the enemy has the intention to attack.
So, in a clash of swords, 'Oath''s sword can't destroy the enemy's sword. On the contrary, if it cuts somewhere else, it will be instantly cut down, and that's what will happen.
Sword fight.
At close range, 'Oath' receives Roman's sword multiple times. The metallic sound echoes through the area, and 'Oath''s straight sword, which is about to break, scatters fragments from the impact.
Its power is abnormal. It's a power that humans can't possibly produce. Even with the "Willow Wind Protection" that can receive any attack, the sword is about to break.
―――Ah, this is why strong enemies are unbearable.
'Oath' dodges the swung sword in an instant, and gets behind Roman. One flash. He strikes Roman with intense force.
Normally, this would be the end. If you can't defend, it's over, and even if you defend, the "Shield Destruction Protection" will break through.
But Roman throws the lion's mane it was wearing, and suddenly, the lion comes back to life and bites into the 'Oath''s straight sword. That means it has the intention to attack. Moreover, it's targeting the straight sword.
At that moment, 'Oath' realized his own defeat.
The lion's fang bit into the straight sword, and the worn-out straight sword was about to break again.
But even so, 'Oath's fighting spirit did not waver.
Right after, he received the incoming magic sword with the broken straight sword, which had almost no power or length left. Despite that, he boldly challenged the god.
The swords clashed. Whether the phrase "clashed" was fitting or not was questionable even to the onlookers. The god wielded a magnificent magic sword, while 'Oath' wielded a mere broken stick.
Of course, even with Geas's enhancement, the difference was stark. The short straight sword, which was hard to use for defense, couldn't withstand Ogma's single blow. 'Oath's body bled with each passing moment.
But still.
The fact that he laughed with joy, even in the midst of disadvantage, was perhaps a quality of platinum.
Even in an unfavorable battle against the god, platinum enjoyed the fight. He swung his sword, clashed, was struck, and was crushed, yet 'Oath' still reveled in the intense swordfight.
"It was an honor, Military God Ogma. I'm proud to have crossed swords with you, a god, like this."
'Oath' thanked the god, breaking his own set Geas. Ogma slightly raised the corner of his mouth and increased its attack speed.
At the same time, the curse of death, the price of breaking Geas, began to spread through 'Oath's body. Already battered by Ogma's sword, he accepted the curse from within as well.
'Oath' thought. Until the very end, he wanted to enjoy this sword conversation to the limit. He had been ages since it last savored a sword fight like this.
A battle that enjoyed the fight itself. That was how sweet it was.
But that time wouldn't last long. The curse spread, corroding his body, and eventually 'Oath' spat out blood, unable to endure.
Right after, the incoming magic sword struck and blew away 'Oath's slender body.
The sword fell from his hand. If 'Oath' lost his sword, it couldn't attack or defend. All that awaited was a one-sided trampling.
The lion released by Roman pounced on 'Oath', biting his throat and tearing it apart while it was still alive. Blood spilled, and flesh flew everywhere.
But Military God Ogma wouldn't let it end there. With a high jump, Ogma turned the lion back into his fur, put it on, and unleashed a torrent of sword slashes on 'Oath's' lifeless body.
It was like a waterfall. Each drop of water in the waterfall was replaced by Ogma's sword flashes, crushing 'Oath's' body.
It felt like a grand, dignified funeral, as if performed by the gods themselves.
"Thank you, I'm grateful."
'Oath' said, his body slowly disintegrating into flesh pieces.
After the intense attack, Ogma stopped. The lion's fur, which had been covering its head, slid off.
As Roman caught it, the fur transformed back into his usual hat. Roman, now back to normal, realized that the Geas on his throat had been lifted ―― this battle was finally over.
"'Oath', you did something you shouldn't have. But I won't blame you. I had placed my strongest trump card in a place where I would be seen as the weakest. That's all."
However, Roman put on his hat again and let out a sigh.
"I never thought I'd be the one to defeat 'Oath', not Wade-kun... It's a bit embarrassing. I think the general would have been a worthy opponent."
Roman breathed a sigh of relief, averting his gaze from the flesh pieces that were once 'Oath'.
The 'Romantista of Death and Silence', which allowed Ogma to possess Roman, was a hidden trump card that could rival even the great general Sieg. It was activated during the battle where Roman served the king, and it was a fight that brought Roman down to the Fist of the Dragon army.
In the end, the general emerged victorious, but it was unexpected for Roman that Ogma, who had been defeated by the general Sieg, would defeat 'Oath', which the king had said "Don't make Sieg fight".
"...Is the king also human, after all?"
Until now, his king Alexander, who had been feared for his cunning and intuition, had been expanding his empire, conquering neighboring countries one by one. But this time, it seemed he had made a mistake.
Anyway, he managed to protect this place. He's worried that Wade hasn't come back yet, but as long as they didn't fight 'Oath', they should be fine.
Let's take a break for now, and then inform the people who escaped that the battle is over. And, this flesh fragment is too stimulating for the younger ones. He'll put it away for now, and turn his gaze back.
There, 'Oath' was standing, completely unharmed, with a faint smile.
"...What?"
"It was a very enjoyable battle. I couldn't win against you, 'Narcissistic Bard', even with the military god Ogma's power, which is a regret that won't go away."
"What? How is that possible? Such injuries would have killed even the golden sword 'The Undying Patient'!"
"Oh, you fought him too? You people are quite bloodthirsty. Indeed, his immortality was impressive. We killed each other several times, laughing and saying 'we can't kill each other'. If he died, he would be satisfied."
"That's not the point! You shouldn't be unharmed, considering the extent of your injuries! That's not a realm where you can maintain your original form... So, how are you...?"
"This is my most detestable Geas. It's called 'Immortal Protection'. I won't age, and I won't die no matter what. As long as I don't kill all the gods, I won't die. The price is―――."
'Oath' laughed, looking troubled.
"No matter how much I want to die, I'm not allowed to die."
"...!"
"That's why I'm always kept away from death, even when I'm on the brink of it. I can't even sleep. That's the Oath the gods imposed on me."
―――I won't die. I won't be allowed to die. Instead, I'll be kept from dying, that's all.
'Oath' said. Extreme immortality. Something like that wasn't in the information he gathered about 'Oath'. It's the most famous and important information, too.
'Oath' said, as if reading his romantic emotions.
"But, since I've lived for a very long time, I've become so immortal that I hardly get killed anymore. 'Narcissistic Bard', you're going to kill me, which means I'll die for the first time in decades. It's only natural that I wouldn't be able to say it."
―――Thanks to this powerful resurrection, the healing prohibition Geas I placed on 'Slow' was also broken.
As he said, 'Oath' walked and picked up the hilt of the straight sword. With the remaining blade, 'Oath' cut his own hand.
Blood flowed out. At the same time, the shattered fragments of the straight sword returned, and the broken sword was restored. Simultaneously, 'Oath's' bleeding stopped.
Roman thought. The king was right. Even with an unbeatable single blow, Wade's immortality, which surpassed even the great general, was a formidable foe.
"Well, 'Narcissistic Bard'."
'Oath' said.
"The battle earlier has ended, and the silent Geas has been lifted. Since my body, which was badly injured, has been healed, 'Slow' must have regained his right arm by now."
So, 'Oath' pointed the restored straight sword at Roman.
"I'll defeat you head-on before 'Slow' returns. After that, I'll collect Alkei and engage in the final battle with 'Slow'. I'm tired of playing noble games."
"...'Oath'...!"
Roman had no effective counter against 'Oath', who couldn't be killed with his hidden techniques. However, Roman had been entrusted with this task by Wade and couldn't back down.
So, he shouted.
"Oh gods! Witness my wholehearted battle! My enemy is 'Oath', one of the strongest in the world! Have mercy on my reckless bravery! Cheer on my struggle! Favor my sacrifice!"
Roman spread his arms wide, covering his entire body with magic. 'Oath' swung his restored straight sword, saying, "You're quite spirited. It's a shame to kill you."
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