The New Sword God

Armored Dragon Calendar, year 408. One year after Rudeus was born.

The Dojo at the Sword Sanctum, in the Northlands of the Central Continent.

Snow drifted down that morning, dusting the Dojo's roof tiles white. The Sword Sanctum, usually alive with the hum of blades, had fallen silent.

"K-Kayin Brand wins!"

The swordsman judging the match stared wide-eyed. When he recovered, he hurried to announce the result.

With a thud and a clatter, a Wooden Sword rolled across the floor. The man ahead clutched his wrist, already twisted and broken, and stared at the short-haired boy in a white swordsman's uniform. Shock and resentment filled his eyes.

I'm a Sword Emperor of the Sword God Style, and I lost to a twelve-year-old boy?!

The handsome boy, whose black hair framed a face that still held a trace of childhood, slowly lowered his Wooden Sword and bowed slightly to the middle-aged man.

"Forgive me, but I won this match."

The man clicked his tongue and reluctantly stepped aside.

Seated in the place of honor, a blue-haired man smiled. Scars along his cheek and near his eye made the expression look almost ferocious.

He rose in his animal-hide jacket, fixed the boy who had challenged someone above his rank with a blade-sharp gaze, and broke into a grin.

"That's the disciple I picked! I never thought you'd take the Sword God Style this far at your age. I noticed your talent the day I found you, but I'd love to know what drives you to gain this kind of strength!"

The boy named Cain lifted his gaze. He drew a deep breath and looked straight at Sword God Gal Farion, his master and one of humanity's strongest fighters. He answered without a trace of fear or arrogance.

"I'm going to surpass the gods. How could I stop here?"

Those words left every swordsman present frozen in shock. Surpass the gods? Was he joking?

There were many gods in this world. There was the Dragon God and the Demon God. In human Swordsmanship, there were titles such as Sword God and Water God. Even a mage who reached a certain level could earn a Divine Rank title.

But not all gods were equal.

Everyone knew that the Divine Rank among the Human Race was only a title. True gods were beings mortals could never surpass, no matter how hard they worked their whole lives.

The top four of the Seven Great Powers—the Technique God, the Dragon God, the Battle God, and the Demon God—were the ones who truly deserved to be called gods.

Dreaming of surpassing them was sheer fantasy. Each of the top four possessed power beyond mortal imagination.

"Heh... hahahaha!"

Just as everyone thought Cain had lost his mind, Sword God Gall threw back his head and laughed. He laughed so freely that tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.

"So that's your dream?! Looks like I underestimated you after all. I can't help you reach that goal. Hell, I'm nothing next to them myself!"

The Sword God scratched his short blue hair. Memories came flooding back, and with them the terrifying man with eyes showing white on three sides: Dragon God Orsted. He was the nightmare of Gall's life.

The Sword God looked toward his disciples kneeling off to the side.

"Gino!"

"Ah!" Gino, who had been kneeling there with his mind elsewhere, jumped.

"Give him your sword."

Gino swallowed. He looked from Sword God Gall to Cain's serious face, then tossed over his sword.

"But I'm still the Sword God. Draw your sword. Kill me, and the position is yours!"

Cain frowned at the silver-white blade that slid to his feet and tightened his grip on his Wooden Sword.

"Master, may I use a Wooden Sword?"

"Heh. What's wrong? You made that grand declaration, and now you're afraid for your life?"

Cain shook his head slightly and pressed his lips together, unable to hide the conflict in his eyes.

"No. You took me in, Master. I can't point a real sword at you."

"Hmph. Softhearted!"

With that, Sword God Gall drove the golden blade of the Demon Sword Flute into the floor and took the Wooden Sword a Sword Emperor beside him offered.

They faced each other for a moment, then raised their Wooden Swords into the same high guard.

"That's... the opening stance for the Blade of Light?!"

The Blade of Light was proof of King-class mastery in the Sword God Style. Only swordsmen who could use it qualified to become Sword Kings.

"Heh. Who does he think he is, facing Lord Sword God? He only asked for Wooden Swords because he's afraid to die."

"Defeat that brat, Lord Sword God! Defend the honor of the Sword Sanctum!"

They're so loud. Annoying.

Gino watched the match, the thought passing through his mind. Beside him, the petite, long blue-haired Nina frowned.

Father won't lose! Everyone who challenges him gets a terrible beating. Father's the strongest! He'll never lose!

But as she watched the two fierce surges of Battle Aura rise across the floor, Nina clenched her hands.

Father will win... won't he?

Behind Gall, the two Sword Emperors narrowed their eyes. The powerful Battle Aura rolling off Cain was no weaker than Sword God Gall's, and they clicked their tongues in amazement.

To possess such remarkable Swordsmanship and so much Battle Aura at his age—one day, this boy would surely rank among the very best in the Sword Sanctum, perhaps even the entire Sword God Style.

Even if he lost today, Lord Sword God would surely pass the title to him when he grew old. Where would that leave the rest of them?

There was no question that both Sword Emperors had come to acknowledge the Demon Race child the Sword God had found on the Demon Continent. But they had begun to worry about their own futures. They wanted to become Sword God too.

"You really are incredible, Master!"

Cain tightened his grip on the Wooden Sword as he watched Gall's Battle Aura burn around him like fire.

Heh. You're waiting for me to attack?

The Battle Aura rising from Cain was as sharp as a blade. Gall felt it sting his cheeks, as though a raging Red Dragon had opened its bloody jaws and roared in his face.

Cain, you little bastard... Looks like the savage beast has grown up and bared its fangs at me.

Just how far have you come? Let me test you with the sword in my hands!

Everyone sat rigidly. A pin drop could have been heard across the Dojo.

Then a snowflake drifted in through the window and melted on the floor between them.

Blade of Light!

They swung at the same instant. The shrill hum of their swords rang through the Dojo. They moved so fast that even the other Sword God Style swordsmen could not make out this clash between Divine Rank fighters.

Their figures crossed in an instant. Sword God Gall still held his high guard, his face stern.

Cain held the same stance. But after a few seconds, he dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.

At last, Cain took a deep breath, used his Wooden Sword to push himself up, and turned to bow deeply to Sword God Gall.

He looked at the Wooden Sword, still intact in his hand. A trace of reluctance entered his eyes as his fingers lingered over it. Then he made up his mind and respectfully laid it on the floor.

Under everyone's gaze, he slowly walked out of the Dojo.

"Heh. The Sword God really is the strongest."

"He dared challenge Lord Sword God! Someone like him ought to be driven out of the Sword Sanctum!"

"That's right! He doesn't deserve to use the Sword God Style!"

"Phew... Father won, just as I thought. Thank goodness."

Even Nina, who was on good terms with both Cain and Gino, patted her chest and smiled in relief.

But the two Sword Emperors behind the Sword God wore grave expressions. Their eyes were wide, their bodies trembling. They still could not believe what they had seen as they stared after that small figure.

There was no doubt about it. The Sword God had lost.

"Silence!"

Sword God Gall roared. His furious gaze swept over the stunned swordsmen like an enraged lion's.

Their words insulted him! Every sneer they aimed at Cain was salt and hot pepper water poured straight into his wound!

Crack. A faint snap came from the Wooden Sword in Sword God Gall's hand.

A deep crack suddenly split the tip of the Wooden Sword crosswise. Gall's brow furrowed, then relaxed. A smile tugged at his scarred lips, making him look almost ferocious.

Hmph. That damned kid...

"Cain won. That was amazing. Really amazing. Did you see it, Nina?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Gino? Father clearly won."

"No. It's hard to believe, but Nina, the Sword God lost..."

Nina froze. What was he talking about? She couldn't make sense of it. Gino, trembling slightly with excitement, had no idea what she was thinking. He only smiled as he relived what he had seen.

Cain and Sword God Gall had unleashed the Blade of Light almost simultaneously. Gall's strike really had been faster at first.

But Cain's execution of the Blade of Light had been flawless. Though he had moved second, his strike arrived first and knocked the Sword God's attack aside!

And he had done more than deflect it. As Gall adjusted his stance, Cain had nearly unleashed two Blade of Light strikes in succession, aimed at the Wooden Sword and the wrist of Gall's sword hand. But for some reason, he had struck only the Wooden Sword. Forcing himself to stop the other blow had thrown his breathing off for an instant.

"Amazing. Really amazing."

Thump. Nina puffed out her cheeks and gave Gino a light knock on the head.

"Stop talking nonsense, Gino! Father won!"

"All right, all right. Your father won." Gino scratched his cheek and gave her a helpless, indulgent smile. His gaze kept drifting toward Cain's retreating figure beyond the Dojo doors.

"He really was amazing..."

Thud! Cain Brand sighed as he watched the heavy wooden doors of the Dojo close behind him.

He had grown up in the Sword Sanctum. He knew very well what happened to someone who challenged the Sword God.

He looked at his empty hands, marked by nothing more than a thin layer of calluses.

"You could've at least let me get my wallet..."

Then again, it hardly mattered. Cain did not even have one Asura Silver Coin to his name.

"Did Master just kick me out...?"

He had no money and nothing on him. He was penniless in the most literal sense.

Just then, a translucent blue panel appeared beside him.

[Host: Kain Brand Reiback]

[Age: Twelve]

[Personality traits: Optimistic, mature, levelheaded, extraordinarily tenacious, a little melodramatic, and unbelievably bad with directions.]

[Race: Undying Devil Race (mixed blood)]

[Magic: Beginner Water Ball, beginner Earth Magic]

[Total Magic Power: High]

[Special ability: Chantless Water Magic]

[Swordsmanship: Water God Style—beginner]

[North God Style—beginner]

[Sword God Style—Divine Rank]

[Assessment: Lower-ranked among the Seven Great Powers]

[Note: Attack without defense, unrivaled under heaven.]

[Proficiency System: Bound]

[Rank progression: Beginner, Intermediate-class, Advanced-class, Saint Rank, King-class, Emperor-class, Divine Rank]