The Reincarnated Martial God Brings Down the Heavens

The ten knights forming a circle around were hesitant to make any sudden moves. Suddenly, one of them darted forward to confront me.

‘That damn chivalry again.’

A smirk crept up my lips.

This is why.

This is why I regard chivalry as nothing more than a funeral for the living.

“……If you were my men, you’d all be in coffins by now.”

But just then—

“What do you think you’re doing!?”

A thunderous voice boomed through the air. It was none other than Duke Veder, who had some awareness of my strength.

“We’re here to arrest a criminal! Do you think this is some sparring match?!”

“……!”

The ten knights, taken aback by the rebuke, finally began to briskly close in around me.

“If only you’d come at me like this from the start.”

With my sword drawn, I drifted into thought. A sword technique effective for taking on multiple opponents at once.

Several came to mind right away.

‘Yes, that one should do.’

A technique I remembered specifically because of the word ‘inauguration’.

‘Come to think of it, I never gave my deputy a proper appointment ceremony.’

Watch closely, Trevor. The swordplay I’m about to show is my own way of offering you encouragement.

‘And…… Brace yourself, Empire.’

I was certain that somewhere, the Empire’s eyes were on this scene.

‘I personally verified that the Swordsman of Illusions had lost his limbs, but his spirit remains unbroken.’

Slowly, I took up the basic stance of the swordsmanship I had in mind.

“Form a defensive line!”

At Duke Veder’s order.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The ten knights moved as one, their discipline impressive enough to draw admiration. Not a single hint of disorder could be seen.

‘The atmosphere here is definitely different from Verdant Vale.’

Well, what could you expect from bandits who have no sense of decorum? Their backgrounds were as varied as their conduct.

But these men were different. Each one was a properly trained knight. Moreover, they were among the principality’s finest, tasked with the vital duty of guarding the 1st Prince.

‘I can feel it.’

The Expert-level energy each knight radiated pricked my skin.

This would be the perfect moment to pair my words of encouragement with a suitable gift.

But then, a minor issue came up.

“Where will I find another sword?”

The Swordsman of Illusions was known for his dual-wielding style, after all.

“What to do……”

I pondered briefly but concluded it shouldn’t be much of an issue. After all, Trevor could no longer dual wield.

‘I could think of this as a kind of rebirth, and refine the swordsmanship to suit him better.’

My body was moving on its own, faster than my mind. Soon, I held the sword upright, level with my chest.

The tip pointed skyward.

‘Conceal it.’

Hummm!

Simultaneously, a powerful resonant sound echoed from the blade.

“……!”

Was he perhaps alarmed by the sight?

“Make him kneel! If he resists, you may slice off a limb!”

Only one person could give an order like that to royalty. The 1st Prince Enzi pointed a finger at me.

Step, step, step!

At his signal, the knights rushed me from all directions.

“……Idiots.”

Once again, a smirk crept up my lips.

‘They should have stopped my dance before the stage was set.’

Ssss.

“What!?”

By then, my mana-induced vapor had thickened, shrouding the area around us.

Their confusion followed quickly. By now, their vision of ‘me’ would have started to blur.

‘Light is a curious thing. Depending on the angle and refraction, an object’s shape can appear altered or even vanish.’

I recalled the subtleties of the swordsmanship.

-What is an illusion?

-A hallucination in which lies appear as truth through sensory deception.

-In other words, it’s any phenomenon that deceives all five senses.

-True ‘illusion’ doesn’t just deceive sight; it manipulates sound, smell, and all other bodily senses as well.

‘As your lord, I’m breaking my back here, so there’s no way I’d let you rest just because you’re missing a limb, Trevor.’

My sword began to sway and dance.

‘Even if you only have one sword, you don’t need to abandon your technique, Trevor.’

The vapor around us grew even denser with each swing.

Erase your presence. Hide within the illusion. Strike the confused enemies in their back.

The Illusionary Dance, First Chapter, revised.

‘Twin Rainbow.’

Puff!

In the blink of an eye, my figure vanished like smoke.

“Wh-Where did he go!?”

“Magic……?”

“He was right there just a moment ago……!”

While hidden in the world’s shadows, I gazed intently at them. I continued to use my sword to deflect, reflect, and disperse light.

With the help of the mana vapor, it was no difficult feat. The colors surrounding me shimmered like a rainbow in the sky.

‘Rainbows look different depending on the viewer’s position.’

Sometimes, they can even disappear entirely. That’s why this dance move is called the Twin Rainbow.

Though, it’ll need a new name now.

It’s not dual-wielding, but a secret technique I developed with a single sword.

‘Name your gift yourself, Trevor.’

Only I could see it clearly.

In the hidden realms of this world, I could see the enemies’ bewildered expressions as they whipped their heads around.

Whack!

“Argh!”

I swung the back of my sword against the back of the head of the guy right in front of me. That was the beginning.

Smack!

“Ack!”

Bam!

“……!”

One by one, the enemies fell with a scream. Many of them fainted without even getting a chance to act.

Every hit struck squarely on the back of their heads. In an instant, nearly half of them were down.

“What are you all doing!? How could knights rely only on their eyes to track an opponent!?”

“……!”

“Can’t you feel that overwhelming presence!? You might as well close your eyes! Even if you can’t hear it, smell it, or see it! Maintaining that illusion requires ‘mana’!”

The voice of Duke Veder rang out.

‘He’s half right.’

As expected of a master, he could see through the essence of the swordmanship. Of course, this sword technique makes even the presence of mana fade as one’s skill grows.

“And…… It’s already too late.”

Ignoring him, I kept moving my feet swiftly.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

Three more fell in quick succession.

Even if they closed their eyes and swung their swords wildly, how would they adapt simply by willing it?

People can’t easily adapt to something they’ve never seen.

‘Only two left.’

The remaining ones were now desperately trying to ‘sense’ me.

Ssss.

“……!”

“……!”

At that moment, I stopped moving.

“Huh!?”

Seeing me suddenly appear right before him, one of them froze in shock.

Crack!

I struck his cheek with the flat of my sword.

“Get a grip, will you?”

Thud!

The knight’s eyes rolled back into his head and collapsed.

“Hmph…… Who were you trying to capture with only this much strength?”

“Wh-What is the world……?”

The last one looked at me with trembling eyes.

“Attention.”

“……!”

“What’s this? You won’t stand at attention?”

The knight flinched and trembled in fear, but that was all. Despite his fear, he didn’t let go of his sword to the end.

“If you wanted to capture me, your leader should have come in person. A bunch of weaklings like you won’t cut it, no matter how many come.”

“……”

The knight bit his lip, clearly unwilling to admit it but unable to deny what he’d seen.

“D-Did you see that?”

“I didn’t see a thing…… One moment the knights were up, and the next, they were all down.”

“I saw it! Prince Andrew vanished like a mirage!”

“What if he just moved so fast we couldn’t see him?”

“My word…… So the 7th Prince was hiding such skills.”

“If it’s a matter of survival, who wouldn’t go to any lengths? He must have watched his brothers fall, one after the other.”

By now, the whole guest palace was abuzz.

“……Stand down, Harksen.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

With a small voice, the last knight quickly retreated as though he’d been waiting for this chance.

“So you’ve finally decided to step in yourself.”

I quietly watched the man approaching with steady steps.

One of two.

No, one of three Masters in the Meeke Principality

‘It’s a bit early to face someone of that caliber, but……’

Can I do it?

‘……No, I have to.’

In my current state, I probably wouldn’t be able to win. But I needed to hold my ground for at least a few exchanges.

By then, those watching from the shadows would step in to stop the fight. Whether it was a lunatic psycho trying to fatten me up or a bald-headed official trying to prevent things from getting worse.

‘I don’t know how many of a Master’s strikes I can block with this young body of mine.’

But apart from worry, I also felt a surge of pure curiosity. It was my first time facing a true Master in this era.

‘I suppose I really am a martial artist at heart. To feel a thrill at a time like this……”

Just five steps away now. A range where a single swing could take my head off.

Fla-sh!

It was Duke Veder who made the first move.

‘I can see it!’

Claaang!

Once again, my body reacted faster than my mind.

Sword against sword in a fierce clash. Sparks brighter than the surrounding lights scattered in all directions.

Clang! Claaang!

Left to right.

Top to bottom.

I moved instinctively.

My blood pumping as if my heart would burst.

‘What…… Are you!?’

Duke Veder was staring at me, beyond astonishment, his face frozen in disbelief. But I had no time to revel in his reaction.

‘My left shoulder!’

Hummm!

A deep, resonant sound echoed in my ears.

‘Sword spirit?’

My face crumpled.

A technique several levels above mere sword energy. A power only masters possessed. A force said to cut through iron as if it were paper.

‘So you plan to cut off my arm?’

My palm was soaked in sweat. I couldn’t afford to meet that brutal sword head-on. If I did, I’d lose both my sword and my arm.

‘As much as it stings my pride, dodging is my only option……’

Claaang!

Suddenly, a deafening roar resounded, rendering my dilemma meaningless. A new sword had unexpectedly come between us.

‘Who?’

Instinctively, I thought of Duke Herman or Marquis Foltaine, but the silhouette of the figure before me was unfamiliar to me.

Unlike them, the person had long, flowing hair. It shimmered under the moonlight, giving off a soft radiance.

“……What am I to make of this?”

The identity of the figure surprised me.

“Duke Serin.”

Duke Veder’s voice rang out, filled with suppressed rage.

“My apologies. I happened to get a scolding for the first time in a while.”

“Scolded? What are you talking about?”

“Well…… Isn’t it the role of adults to protect the young?”

“……!”

Duke Veder’s eyes narrowed, and at the same time, I sent a thought into Duke Serin’s mind.

-I know you’re not such a kind person. What’s the real reason you’re helping me?

-Complaining even when I’m helping?

-There’s a saying—never trust a favor that comes without a price.

Only then did Duke Serin shrug.

-You made quite an impression.

-Excuse me?

-A young one who doesn’t flinch and stands strong, even before adults or older siblings who only care about their own gain.

Aha.

I couldn’t help but smile.

-So you feel relieved, don’t you?

Reminiscent of the past, too, I’d suppose.

-……

After a pause, Duke Serin’s thoughts returned.

-With this, I’ve repaid the debt, young prince.

I swallowed back my retort about him solving the problem he’d created in the first place.

At last, I was starting to understand his nature.

‘You lead a tiring life, Duke Serin.’

Politicians always keep several ways out in preparation of the unexpected, after all.

***