Love Letter From The Future

It was only a few minutes.

The time it took for the man to drink an unidentified potion, pass out, and then wake up was just that.

In fact, it was an embarrassingly short interval to even call it “a few minutes.”

Merely one to two minutes, at most.

But that slight difference was enough to turn the tide of the battlefield.

Mitram, who had been leading the situation until now, was silently observing the man.

Tension was evident on her face, to the extent that a few drops of sweat were beading on her pale forehead.

It was a change that no one was able to understand.

Though what he had done was unclear, the opponent was still Ian Percus.

Firstly, his appearance was the same and the mana within him displayed neither qualitative nor quantitative change. There seemed to be no reason for Mitram to be on guard.

Yet, the fear etched into Mitram instincts couldn’t be shaken off.

Beyond reason, her intuition was sounding alarms wildly.

This was a different man.

Originally, Ian Percus was a strong and dangerous opponent, but when compared to the current Ian Percus, he was nothing.

I might die.

Mitram’s breath caught in her throat at the possibility that occurred to her for the first time since she became a Dark Priest decades ago. She had swapped countless bodies, enjoying eternal life and youth.

Her obsession with life was stronger than anyone else's.

Unable to overcome her anxiety, a desperate cry burst from Mitram's mouth.

"A-Anyway, you're alone now! Even in a group, you couldn't do anything, what can you possibly do alone……!"

"Plenty."

The man answered in a dry voice.

In the language of the strong, simple and direct.

That's why Mitram felt even more chills.

Because that single word must have been his unadorned truth.

Sword in hand, the man took a tentative step forward.

"Watch closely, I'll show you one by one."

Unable to bear it any longer, Mitram ordered the test subjects.

"……Kill him right now!"

There was no trace of the leisure or ridicule that had been present until now.

Mitram gnashed her teeth and droppedall formalities.

Seeing the fear in her eyes, the man swallowed a scoff.

"You certainly catch on fast."

The man murmured, and two heavily armed test subjects charged at him at once.

Their massive bodies, shot out like cannonballs of metal, created a terrifying sonic boom.

Yet, the man showed no signs of flinching.

He simply continued to walk, lowering his sword to the left in a sweep.

And the next moment.

Swoosh, blood sprayed into the air.

Mitram's eyes widened. This was true for Ian's companions as well, but Seria showed an especially intense reaction.

Seven streaks of claw marks were etched.

Blood was bursting along those silver cuts.. It was the lifeblood of the test subjects who had charged at the man.

The sight of two giants, still in armour, being split in half felt somewhat surreal

It wasn't only the armour.

Even the blades they had attempted to swing fell piece by piece along the silver cuts. The metal dropped, leaving behind a sorrowful sound as their support was lost.

The name of this peak of murderous artistry spilled from Seria's lips.

"……Illusory Sword of the Golden Lion!"

If it was indeed the seven strikes of the Illusory Sword of the Golden Lion, then it matched the skill level of Yurdina Marquess in his prime.

It was natural for Seria to look baffled.

Of course, the man didn't seem to care at all.

As chunks of flesh and blood rained down, Mitram, who had been wearing a dumbfounded expression, stuttered in a sob.

"My, my masterpiece… H-How could this…"

"I told you."

The man said, walking through the spilled blood and guts.

"There's a lot I can do… and there's still much more to come."

Mitram's eyes became bloodshot as her body trembled for a while.

Biting her lips, she spread her arms.

Black smoke began to billow up from the ground.

It was the Evil God’s power.

Yet, the man's expression showed no change.

There was no sense of setback, fear, or anxiety. If anything, his expression lacked even confidence or a trace of murderous intent.

He simply kept silently moving forward

As the distance shortened, Mitram appeared increasingly more anxious.

As she waved her hand as if commanding, all enemies except the test subjects that were restraining his companions attacked the man.

Among them was one test subject in particularly fine armour, two wielding daggers and, at the back, one with a bow and another holding a wire with a weight attached.

Each one was a formidable enemy that had caused trouble for the companions.

It was no surprise that Mitram's masterpieces, selectively nurtured over decades, were extraordinary.

While one or two might not make a difference, facing five would surely pose a challenge even for him.

Indeed, as Mitram expected, when the five subjects charged, the man's response changed.

He kicked off the ground.

It signified his readiness to engage in serious combat.

The man rapidly closed the distance to the armoured test subject.

In the blink of an eye, as the man closed in and the test subject hurriedly swung its sword downwards. However, it couldn't even reap the benefits of having drawn its sword first.

With a clang, the man's blade, drawn in a reverse stroke, caused the test subject's sword to slide off.

Even though the trajectory was only slightly off, the test subject couldn't respond at all. As if he had expected it, the man then exerted force on the hand holding the sword.

The man's sword, having flicked off the test subject's blade, traced a silver horizontal line.

Despite the armour's sturdy seams, it stood no chance against the man's aura. A helmeted head soared into the sky.

Then came the test subjects wielding daggers.

The shining daggers shot across either side of the man were exceedingly fast. It seemed that the man, even with his rapid responses, couldn’t possibly keep up.

However, this misconception was shortly corrected.

Two successive strikes, like lightning bolts, followed one after the other.

There was no other way to describe them than that. Mitram's mouth hung open in astonishment, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"What, what just……!"

It was a sword strike faster than any she had seen in her decades of life.

The horizontal sword strike directly struck both sides, piercing through the chests of the two test subjects, causing their upper bodies to fall back as if they couldn't withstand the impact.

Naturally, the trajectory of the two blades targeting the man were also deflected.

The aftermath of the supersonic sword strike did not end there.

A loud boom erupted, creating a small storm that swept through the area.

The bodies of the two test subjects that had just fallen were caught in the blast wave. They spun wildly and were thrown about.

But that wasn't all.

The incoming arrows twisted, and the wire aiming for a gap fluttered in disarray.

In a single strike, all of the threats aiming at the man were effectively neutralised.

It was as if a real lightning bolt had struck down.

Amidst that violent turmoil, a blade suddenly shot out.

It was the sword the man was holding.

The sword flew in a straight line, piercing through the forehead of the one holding a bow and cutting through his skull before it changed its trajectory again..

It was 'Principles of the Movement within Stillness'.

As this was a technique Mitram was well aware of, she exerted all her effort to control the remaining test subject.

The test subject immediately bent its knees as if to sit down. Right then, a silver streak of light whizzed past overhead.

It was a dangerously close call.

For the first time, a thrill appeared in Mitram's eyes as she watched the battle.

Ian Percus could only alter the trajectory of his thrown weapon once.

At least, that's what she had known.

Therefore, the man should have been out of weapons now.

Still, the possibility of him picking up a weapon from the ground couldn't be ruled out, so an immediate counterattack was necessary.

Mitram quickly made her decision, but hesitated as she was about to give the order.

Because she saw a strange sight.

The sword was spinning in place.

It was a phenomenon that couldn't occur naturally. Realizing this, Mitram's face paled in an instant.

Phakk, the sword slashed the neck of the kneeling test subject.

It was a clean beheading, like a headsman executing a condemned prisoner.

The spinning sword, along with splattered blood, plunged into the ground and then returned to the man's hand.

Not once, but three times

This was the change the man had shown as he dealt with the two test subjects and retrieved his sword.

It was the man’s weary voice that snapped Mitram out of her daze.

As always, he spoke in an indifferent tone.

"...It would be a mistake to think of me as an amateur."

With those words, the body of the last remaining test subject collapsed with a thud.

Now, the only test subjects left were the ones restraining the group.

However, using them to confront the man would only end up increasing his strength. Handling one was already challenging; if reinforcements began to join in from the rear, it would become hopeless.

She knew this.

Even though she knew, Mitram was so drenched in vivid fear that she almost cried out instinctively.

‘Stop that man right now.’

Halt his leisurely stride so he could no longer approach her.

Mitram shouted in a fit of rage.

"If you come any closer, your companions' lives are over...!"

Boom, Boom, Boom.

Like balloons, the heads of the test subjects subduing the group were burst open.

It was the result of the man nonchalantly picking up and throwing a dagger he found on the ground.

The ease with which the force was neutralised left the group just as stunned.

The oppressive hands on them loosened, and one by one, the headless bodies fell to the side, yet, until then, the group showed no reaction.

They were merely staring at the man while holding their breaths.

The man didn't even glance at his companions. He simply resumed his previously halted stride.

Mitram resisted until the end.

"D-Don't come any closer!"

Suddenly, the head of one of the test subjects sticking out through the ground turned red.

It was a precursor to an explosion, the man faced the blade straight ahead without showing any signs of surprise.

And then, at that moment, a loud bang resounded.

The man had struck the core of the explosion with his sword’s blade.

A shockwave spread out like a fan, leaving behind traces of blood and destruction.

The direction of the shockwave was the exact opposite of where the man stood, towards where Mitram was.

Mitram's body was launched into the air before tumbling across the ground.

Her teeth clacked together, testifying to the peak of her anxiety and unease.

The opponent defied reason.

To adjust the range of the explosion at will and direct its course on top of that?

Mitram considered all possible countermeasures, but no solution came to mind.

No matter what reasoning she went through, the conclusion was always the same.

Her death.

The man's declaration turned intoreality.

Unwilling to accept this, Mitram desperately racked her brain. The obsession with life that had persisted for decades greased her thoughts haphazardly.

And so, Mitram found her lifeline.

The tremors in the trembling woman's body subsided, and soon, a chuckling laugh leaked out.

Mitram's eyes, tinged with a faint madness, turned towards the man.

Though she was in a somewhat disgraceful state, lying prostrate and clutching her head, it didn't matter. To Mitram, what was important at that moment was her life.

She had an ingenious idea.

"Ian Percus... you are strong."

The man's stride halted just steps away from the woman.

His golden eyes turned towards Mitram, as if willing to hear what she had to say.

Mitram said in a tone mixed with giggles.

"Marvelous, splendid! I don't know how you did it, but even the regeneration abilities of the test subjects are not working… However, you've overlooked one fact!"

The man's lips remained sealed, showing no sign of opening.

Mitram, interpreting this in her own way, spoke with even more excitement.

She was so thrilled that she was practically bouncing on the spot.

"The realisation of the Grand Plan we've been preparing for over ten years is just around the corner... of course, right here in the Percus territory! Oh, the Lord’s underling will descend upon this place! Hundreds will die and thousands will be injured... The ritual has already begun, and even without me it will proceed."

It didn't seem like she was lying.

Anyone would think so.

It was unthinkable for words shouted so recklessly and drenched in madness to contain any falsehood, even for a sinister Dark Priest.

Thus, the atmosphere in the clearing instantly plummeted.

The conspiracy was terrifying, just from hearing about it.

Mitram, sensing the shift, smiled even more broadly.

"You must spare me, Ian Percus... Unless you want to see those you cherish in your territory dying and getting hurt."

The woman staggered to her feet.

With a victor's smile, she spread her arms wide.

Then she shouted.

"Come, lower your sword now! And has the ritual been cancelled, or... hugh?!"

Before she could finish her sentence,

A streak of silver crossed through the air.

It traced a path right across Mitram's neck.

Mitram's head soared into the sky. That was the last expression she bore in life.

Her face was frozen in shock and disbelief.

As Mitram's body, spurting blood, staggered, the man spoke in a tone devoid of any emotion.

"...So be it."

It was the death of a Dark Priest who had led a tenacious life.