The Great Sword is not the Main Body!
Chapter 208 – Hero

Each step I took felt incredibly light.

My long hair, always such a nuisance, now looked just right.

The formal uniform I used to find embarrassing, its pristine white cloth that always ended up soaked red on the battlefield, now clung to my body like it belonged there.

The countless scars carved into me from surviving battlefield after battlefield felt fresh again.

The sensation of the longsword in my hand, it felt madly lovely.

I closed my eyes and drew a breath.

Not the kind of breath taken while leaning against Noah’s body as usual, but my own breath, through my own body.

The thick stench of blood, the wretched reek of dragons, the scent of the battlefield that now pierced my nose felt strangely refreshing.

Those sensations that flowed through my nose stirred my dulled mind and gave renewed tension to my relaxed body.

“Not bad.”

Speaking in my own voice, not mimicking telepathy, not through the shared senses.

The vibration in my throat, the movement of my tongue, the feel inside my mouth, the clear shape of my lips as I formed words.

Every one of them felt unfamiliar.

But I didn’t hate it.

In fact, I felt thrilled.

A thousand years.

After living like a cripple for a thousand years, even the most mundane things that came with being human felt precious.

I wasn’t even human anymore, but still.

“Heh.”

I let out a small chuckle and opened my eyes.

Unlike just a moment ago, the battlefield came clearly into view.

“Damn… what a mess.”

Where I stood now, it was pure chaos.

No, perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a mess just before all hell breaks loose.

The end of the world that had once been beautiful, even dreamlike.

A sky overflowing with a sea of stars, an endless horizon that seemed like a single massive star itself, 

But now, it was a place overflowing only with death.

The beautiful stars that once adorned the sky had all shut their eyes.

The roots of the bashful flowers that once swayed, seeking attention, were all torn out. The silent galaxy-like sea was now murky and stained red with blood.

Above this devastated landscape, only the darkness cast by the black sun and the cries of lizard bastards echoed through the air.

And at the head of it all, 

A beast like nothing I’d ever seen before, one that could only be described as “huge,” bowed its head toward the Nameless One.

That must be the “Primordial Beast” Laila mentioned. Judging by the wings, this one had to be called “Ziz.”

A size that defied perspective.

A build that redefined the word “massive.”

Even with its head buried in the ground, I had to crane my neck all the way back just to meet its eyes.

Compared to the dragons flying nearby, it was like comparing a chicken to a chick.

Compared to me, I might be no larger than Ziz’s claw.

Maybe even smaller than that.

Clicking my tongue, I locked eyes with Ziz.

Bright yellow, vertically slit pupils stared down at me.

Reptilian eyes that choked the breath from my lungs, sent pressure crashing down on my body as if it would burst.

And eyes filled with undeniable intelligence.

I took a short breath, vowing that those arrogant eyes would be the first ones I tore out.

After staring upward for so long that my neck ached, I slowly lowered my head and rolled my neck side to side.

Loosening the stiff muscles in my unfamiliar body, I looked straight ahead.

“Oh my… It’s been a long time since I saw you like that.”

The Nameless One, wearing the same smile Rubia always did, looked at me with what seemed like genuine surprise.

“I’ve always thought so, even back then, Kartia looks best like this. That flowing golden hair, that perfect uniform, those striking scars here and there… You look like a seasoned hero straight out of a fairy tale. I really do love that side of you, Kartia.”

Crazy bastard.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“If you want to die peacefully, you’d best not go around telling people you ‘love’ them in that body.”

Feigning amusement, the Nameless One’s dry gaze shifted to Noah, who was barely holding herself up behind me.

“Heehee, is that so?”

“Yeah. I don’t know much, but I know this much for sure, if you keep doing that, you’re seriously fucked.”

“…Mm. I suppose if I said that, Noah might be disappointed in me. Thank you for the advice, Kartia. I’ll try to restrain myself going forward.”

Wow, this son of a bitch. How can someone be this insufferable?

Every curse I knew surged up to the back of my throat, but I swallowed them.

Just in case my one and only adorable disciple ended up learning profanity from her wonderful teacher.

So instead, I bit down hard, grrk, and looked back.

There hung Frey, unconscious and crucified on a black cross.

“…Stupid girl.”

Just like before she passed out, Frey’s soul was slowly being consumed by the black cross.

I could forcefully tear her off if I wanted, but the scar left on her soul would be something I couldn’t do anything about.

Even so, what allowed me to stay calm in this situation, 

Was the fact that Frey was still breathing.

[Leave this side to me.]

The voice that echoed in my mind, full of confidence, was Laila’s.

[Everyone, including my descendant lying over there, I’ll take care of it. So you focus on the battle right in front of you.]

A thousand years ago, she was such an insufferable bitch that I never wanted to see her again.

But now that bitch was on my side…

It bruised my pride, but damn if it didn’t feel reassuring.

‘…Yeah. Thanks.’

[What’s this? I should be the one thanking you. But look at life… a day has come when I’m hearing a thank you from you. I suppose the sun will rise from the west tomorrow.]

The sun rising in the west, huh?

I looked up toward the sky where the black sun loomed.

‘Wouldn’t that be something.’

If it did rise from the west, 

I’d like to see it for myself, at least once.

“Heh…”

That meaningless chuckle scattered into the tension of the looming battle.

“Kartia. Aren’t you curious how I was able to settle into this body?”

The Nameless One’s voice came, filled with genuine wonder.

“No. Not curious.”

“That’s a shame. I had something I wanted to ask you, hoping we could share our thoughts.”

“Live your whole life wondering.”

I cut off that question like a blade.

I was confused at first, but after running headfirst into this shitshow, it all made sense.

There was something odd about the armor Frey had been wearing.

A strange energy flowed through it, something that prevented even Noah and me from peering inside.

Alstein must have been hiding within it.

Just like before, in the form of that black light.

The condition to emerge was Frey’s [awakening].

Then that bastard must have hollowed out all her organs and stuffed that divine relic imbued with the Nameless One’s presence into her body. That meant she’d been empty inside.

And finally, the key that let the Nameless One take over Rubia’s body, 

It must’ve been to injure Rubia in a way that kept her alive but severed her consciousness, then for Alstein, right before death, to pour the rest of his life force into that divine relic and release it.

A plan as obvious as they come.

Painfully obvious.

But that cockroach bastard, he went so far as to throw away his own life to pull it off.

…Yeah.

It all went wrong from the start.

Because of my greed.

Because of the lingering regrets I couldn’t let go of, even after a thousand years, it all got tangled up.

Which means it’s my responsibility to make it right.

I looked down at the worn, broken longsword in my hand.

The edge that should have been razor-sharp had lost all its teeth. The blade, once glowing faintly blue like the cold moonlight, had dulled. Even the hilt, made from Manticore material said to be impossible to tear by human strength, had been pathetically crushed.

Could I even call this thing a weapon?

It was in such pitiful shape that, 

If I brought it to Borean, the blacksmith I used to visit now and then, he’d probably scold me for three straight hours.

A thousand years ago, this had been called a divine sword, and now, time had truly taken its toll.

Of course, I had been pretty rough with it too.

Both the sword… and my own body.

Heh.

I chuckled as always and gently stroked the sheath hanging at my hip. The sensation at my fingertips sent a thrill through me.

I gripped the hilt of the longsword in my other hand. Bent out of shape to match my grip, the twisted handle wrapped around my palm just right.

Then, 

Click. 

Though broken, the longsword’s hilt remained intact as I sheathed it. That sharp jolt that pulsed through my palm, 

“Haa…”

Yeah.

This is a weapon. This is a sword.

Ah, how much of a pain it was to use that oversized greatsword all this time.

It was only thanks to Frey’s instincts being attuned to it that I managed. Without that, I’d have tossed it long ago.

It was just stupidly big.

Stupidly heavy. Annoying to maintain. A pain to store.

You had to be overly mindful of terrain and surroundings, seriously, what a garbage, 

Well, maybe not that bad.

There were some upsides to a greatsword.

The impact feel was satisfying. Pulling off a parry was electric. That one clean sweep, it was pretty thrilling.

And, 

It helped me get close to that awkward little runt.

Because of it, I had fun experiences.

Saw some rare sights.

Sometimes I raged.

Sometimes I grieved.

Every moment was joyful.

I could laugh from the bottom of my heart.

Over the ashes of everything I had burned down, 

I could light a new spark.

Yeah, that hunk of scrap wasn’t half bad.

No, 

The greatsword, 

At least for me, it was the best weapon I ever had.

Thinking so, I let out a quiet laugh.

Shhhrrng, 

From the cracked and shattered sheath, 

A sword once broken, 

Now, after a thousand years, 

A sword drawn anew, reborn in a brilliant sweep, once again cradling the faint blue glow of the moonlight.