The Gap in Strength

The guard looked grave and gave Darius a slight nod.

"Then should we kill them?"

Darius froze. A moment later, his fleshy face flushed red with anger as he glared at the guard. If he weren't short on men, he would have kicked the fool off Ranoa's city wall and followed up with a Fireball.

"Have you lost your damn mind?! You want those King-class Swordsmen and that King-class mage to kill a Sword God of the Sword God Style?!"

That would be like sending an ordinary man with a battered wooden sword to slaughter a Red Dragon.

"Kayin Brand is the successor personally acknowledged by Gall, the Sword God of the Sword Sanctum! The Second Sword God! Do you want our country to go to war with the Sword Sanctum?"

"Or do you want the monster Sword God who killed three S-rank Red Dragons at the city gate this morning to slaughter everyone in the Ranoa Kingdom?!"

"S-sorry, sir!" The guard lowered his head and pressed his lips together.

Darius wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and shifted his heavy backside. The words of the White Deity from his dream last night still rang in his ears.

The union of Kain Blade, the Second Sword God from the Sword Sanctum, and Roxy Migurdia, a student at the Magic Academy, would destroy this world.

"Think before you speak. He's not someone we can touch. We don't want to bring his wrath down on us."

"I-I'm terribly sorry!"

Darius of the Magic City paused, thought for a moment, then chose his words.

"In short, that Sword God is a hundred times more dangerous than an S-rank Red Dragon. We can't afford to cross him."

"And we don't need to. We only have to make that Demon Race girl called Roxy disappear without anyone noticing. Remember, do not provoke the Sword God called Cain. This is the will of the deity. Just make Roxy disappear. Go and prepare."

"Y-yes, sir!"

Just then, another guard hurried in and dropped to one knee.

"Darius! Those adventurers are back!"

Darius raised an eyebrow.

"Drive them off. Why are you reporting something like that to me?"

"B-but..."

The soldier swallowed as though he had seen something terrifying. His voice faltered.

"What is it? They're just small fry. If you can't handle them, take the North King with you."

"N-no. Th-that Sword God, Cain, is with them."

"Oh... Hm?!"

Darius shot to his feet, his mouth twitching.

"Who did you say was with them?!"

Outside the palace, Cain slowly sheathed his stone sword. Twenty or thirty guards lay around him, unconscious but alive.

Behind him, the adventurers tied the soldiers up.

But everyone frowned at the tightly shut gate ahead.

"Hey! We're here to collect what you owe us! Let us in already!"

Zoldat shouted to the soldiers atop the wall, but received only silence.

Did they not understand a word he said? Looked like they intended to stiff them...

Cain was getting angry. The adventurers had risked their lives out there while the nobles hid inside. Hiding was one thing, but refusing to pay after the job was done? Then they couldn't blame him for tearing down their capital!

Cold light flashed. Cain drew his Tachi and swung it through the air at blinding speed. All anyone could make out was his final motion as he slowly returned it to its sheath.

Boom! The heavy solid-wood gate shattered into countless pieces.

The adventurers stood stunned for a moment, then charged into the city, cheering as they ran over the fragments.

"You! How dare you!"

A dozen or so soldiers rushed out to stop them, but Cain's Blade of Light struck them from a distance and sent them flying at once. A few suffered fractured hand bones; most passed out on the spot.

"I used only the back of the blade. We're here to reclaim what belongs to us. Please don't stand in our way."

Cain paused. He had no idea which room in this enormous palace belonged to the noble who owed them money. Though he had been leading the way, he could only let Roxy or Zoldat go ahead while he followed quietly behind.

"Incredible. Cain, you should be up front. No need to be so modest," Zoldat said admiringly.

Cain's mouth twitched. He wasn't being modest. He genuinely didn't know the way...

Before long, they reached the nobleman's palace. At Cain's side, Roxy gripped her faintly glowing staff and leaned close to his ear.

"Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll do everything I can to help!" Roxy said, pressing her lips together, determination in her eyes—even if her apprentice might not need her help.

Ah, Teacher Roxy's words were as reassuring as ever.

Cain stepped forward with a faint smile. Over a hundred adventurers parted to either side. As they watched him slowly climb the stone steps between them, they nodded to him, their gazes full of admiration and respect.

Behind Cain, Roxy pressed her lips together. All those admiring looks made her a little shy, but more than that, they filled her with satisfaction. Her staff glowed faintly as she gathered magic, ready to support Cain at any moment.

Creak! The heavy bluestone doors before Cain slowly opened, spilling light from within.

Cain rested his hand on the hilt of his Tachi, Instant Void.

The adventurers moved to follow him inside, but a tall, thin man and a yellow-haired woman stood in their way at the center of the main hall.

The man was a King-class Swordsman of the North God Style, known as the North King. The yellow-haired woman was the Water King, a King-class Swordsman of the Water God Style.

Behind them stood a King-class mage holding a staff set with a ruby.

"Brazen intruders! Leave the royal palace at once!"

"Tch. You're the ones who deceived us! We'll leave if you pay us what we're owed. Give us our rightful reward, and we'll be on our way."

As Zoldat spoke, he smiled at the Water King. She had beaten him that morning. Now that he had brought Cain along, he could settle the score!

"You arrogant fool!"

Zoldat's grin enraged the yellow-haired woman. She reached for her sword, but her pupils suddenly contracted as she sensed something. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. The hand on her hilt trembled uncontrollably, and she could not draw her blade.

Her instincts told her that if she drew her sword and swung at the person before her, her head would be severed from her body in the next instant.

Only then did she notice the source of that fear.

Beside the man called Zoldat stood a handsome black-haired young man, his hand resting on his sword hilt as he watched her coldly.

"Hey, hey! Is this for real?! That blade-sharp Battle Aura coming off him—is he serious?! What a terrifying guy they've brought..."

The King-class Swordsman of the North God Style straightened at once, his eyelids twitching. His instincts told him to get out of there. No one had warned them that someone like this was among the adventurers.

"Hey, you over there! State your name!"

Cain looked at the North King and Water King, who were staring at him, and pursed his lips. All they wanted was the money they were owed. Why make such a show of force? Was getting their own money back really this hard?

"Second Sword God, Kayin Brand."

After giving his name, Cain added a few words as he watched the two Sword Kings' eyes widen. He truly did not want to kill anyone.

"I don't want to kill anyone. Move aside. We're only taking back what belongs to us."

"Sword God?!"

Both of them jolted. Their faces twitched, and they swallowed, wary eyes fixed on him.

"Just my luck. I have no desire to fight you..."

The North King put away his sword, raised both hands, and sighed. Then he retreated to the doorway and crouched down. He had all but surrendered.

The Water King clicked her tongue. Brow furrowed, she yanked the sword from her waist and took a Water God Style stance, desperately trying to reassure herself.

It'll be fine! The Water God Style's Secret Art: Flow counters the Sword God Style's Blade of Light. I've even blocked a Sword King's Blade of Light before. I should be able to—

Hum!

The Water King's vision went dark, and she flew backward. While she had been holding that stance, Cain had already finished his swing and was slowly sliding the stone sword back into its sheath.

"Naive..."

Cain watched the Water King fly backward from a blow that had caught her from head to toe, leaving her unconscious. He pursed his lips. Were Water God Style swordsmen all this naive?

She had assumed the Secret Art: Flow countered the Sword God Style's Blade of Light and had taken her stance without a worry. But if he unleashed a Blade of Light faster than any they could even see, he could defeat them easily.

"Th-that's impossible..." the Water King murmured from the floor. Her head lolled to one side, and she passed out.

"It was only the back of the blade..."

Cain looked at the Water King, put away his stone sword, and walked on. He ignored the red-haired King-class mage sitting frozen in fright, passed right by her, and entered the hall where Darius waited.

In close combat, even an Advanced Swordsman could probably kill a King-class mage like her with ease. Giving up a pointless fight against him was the wise choice.

"So you're the noble? Please give us the payment you owe us."