The Sword Emperor Transmigrates

Everything happened in an instant.

This flow... Could it be?

The overwhelming power that momentarily drew Leonard’s focus away from Vulcanus felt familiar. Almost instinctively, Leonard was about to turn his head toward where Grace was, but he barely managed to stop himself. If he hadn’t, he would have lost his head to Vulcanus’ massive sword.

Thanks to the speed granted by the Azure Dragon Qi, Leonard retreated like lightning, escaping with only a few strands of hair singed.

“Whew…”

His Mindscape, bolstered by the Five Elements One Origin, shook as though it had encountered a long-lost sibling. It seemed that Grace had reached a new level, as his inner side stirred when the ripple of the Five Elements Chaos Origin brushed past him.

If this was intentional, it felt almost like an assassination attempt. The thought of that sent a chill down Leonard’s spine.

Audrey, who had to have sensed the ripple as well, clicked her tongue lightly. “Grace must have revealed her trump card. Maybe she’s trying to go all out in Wade’s place.”

“You mean Areadbhar?”

“Yes. That ultimate technique is powerful, but it’s taxing even for a Demigod Tier knight, and the backlash is massive. It would’ve been a waste to use it all up before facing Yggdrasil.”

As they casually exchanged a few words, Vulcanus seemed to have regained his strength. The flames around the massive sword he had lifted into an overhead stance burned even more fiercely.

Just the heat radiating from the sword was enough to overwhelm a Demigod Tier knight’s senses. Its peculiarity was evident—it didn’t evaporate the air but burned only living beings and auras. Even Audrey’s Extermination was struggling to completely extinguish the flames.

The strength of a unique trait comes from the very status of its user. When the enemy’s status surpassed Audrey’s, even the destructive power of Extermination ceased to be absolute.

—■■.

Instead of pushing against the ground for acceleration, Vulcanus ignited his back. The flaming giant then surged forward, building to maximum speed in a fiery frenzy.

Northern God Style

One Hit One Kill Ultimate Skill

Life and Death Sword

In response, Leonard conjured a sword with his Black Tortoise Qi. While Life and Death Sword was originally a one-hit finishing move, if the full power wasn’t unleashed at once, it could be wielded similarly to augmented sword energy.

Despite this, Leonard had no intention of engaging in a power struggle with Vulcanus.

If I face him head-on, I’ll get crushed within seconds.

The heat was so intense that even the power of a unique trait of the opposite element couldn’t erase it all. Leonard deflected the sword that descended like a flash of lightning, enduring the pressure that strained even his Soul-Tempered Alloy Body.

As Audrey joined in, the two exchanged hundreds of attacks in mere moments, causing the ground beneath them to crack like a spider’s web.

There was no shockwave. All three were flawlessly controlling the power within their weapons, leaving no energy to be wasted in the aftermath. The ground had collapsed due to the force of their attacks being dispersed, its flow twisted by their footwork and step techniques.

Extermination

The darkness surging from the edge of Audrey’s glave dug a few inches into Vulcanus’ greatsword, but Vulcanus immediately countered by unleashing more flames, burning away the darkness. This was proof that Vulcanus had learned how to counter a unique trait’s power.

The destructive power of Extermination could affect even higher-level beings, so the fact that this exchange ended in a stalemate meant Audrey’s power had, at the very least, been nullified. If it had been anyone else, the glaive would have melted under Vulcanus’ flames.

“So annoying.”

—■■■.

Though they couldn’t understand each other, Vulcanus and Audrey seemed to share a brief moment of mutual understanding, both taking a few steps back. Despite Vulcanus’ current form being considerably smaller than his lava giant form, his nearly ten-meter frame allowed him to cover far more ground than humans with just a few steps.

They were at a stalemate once again. Leonard and Audrey couldn’t afford to go all out, fearing they might suffer a significant loss. On the other hand, Vulcanus found it difficult to deal with two opponents capable of delivering fatal blows with their unique traits.

Giving the initiative to an opponent with superior endurance would be a mistake. So, Leonard switched to the Western God Style, more suited for mid-range combat, and initiated the next exchange. The wind from his jet-black sword slashes crossed the distance, capable of tearing through even space itself.

Western God Style

Cutter of All Things

Sky and Clouds Piercer

Even if he used the Sky Splitting Cross Slash, it wouldn’t be enough to overwhelm a foe of this caliber. Though this technique could slice through fortresses in one blow, it would be little more than a deterrent against this monster.

Sure enough, Vulcanus responded with a horizontal slash that perfectly countered Leonard’s technique, burning away the wind of the Sky and Clouds Piercer. Instead of being pushed back, Vulcanus managed to take a step forward.

—■■■, ■■.

A loud crack echoed as the ground sank beneath him.

“He’s using a movement art now.”

“His learning speed is remarkable. At this rate, we won’t be able to conserve our techniques against this guy.”

At first, Vulcanus had merely been swinging his sword skillfully, but now he was stealing their martial arts and incorporating them in his arsenal. Or rather, it was more accurate to say that his original skills were reawakening, given how quickly he was learning.

Vulcanus’ resonance with Surtr, the Outer God he was imitating, had just surged. He was gradually becoming more of an Outer God and less of a Wraith King. As a result, his combat ability was rising at an alarming rate—far faster than Yggdrasil had anticipated when enhancing him.

—■■■■.

Having become aware of the knowledge bubbling up in his mind, Vulcanus suddenly appeared right in front of Audrey. Both Leonard and Audrey were half a beat too late to react.

With a speed that not even Demigod Tier knights could react to, Vulcanus had managed to slip past Leonard and Audrey’s defenses. Luckily, it seemed that Vulcanus himself was caught off guard by the sudden surge in speed; this threw off his timing when thrusting his sword, giving Audrey just enough time to barely evade the blow.

Kaboom...!

Sword against glaive—the imperfect strikes clashed, resulting in a thunderous shockwave. The sound was one of both triumph and despair, as the fates of two warriors and one monster collided.

The balance of the two-on-one fight, which had previously been maintained by numbers, shifted. Sensing the change, Leonard overlaid his sword with the Seven Star Sword.

Northern God Style

But now, Vulcanus was no longer an amateur. Recognizing that the momentum had shifted in his favor, he charged forward relentlessly, unleashing dozens of slashes as he advanced, shattering Leonard’s turtleback-like shield.

“Urgh!?”

As the incomplete defense of the Northern God Style collapsed, Leonard was thrown back by the impact, blood spurting from his mouth. Even though nearly ninety percent of the destructive force had been dispersed, the impact still left him with internal damage.

Audrey stepped in between them, attempting to cover for Leonard.

Extermination

Audrey spun the heavy glaive—longer than her own height—around in her grasp, making the blade rotate dozens of times. A storm of crescent moons formed, an effect born from the unique trait of Extermination.

Aware that an all-out strike would be neutralized due to the gap in power, Audrey was merely trying to cut off Vulcanus’ path.

However—

Sizzle…

Vulcanus’ single sword strike incinerated every crescent moon and severed Audrey’s left arm as she stood behind them.

It was a slash that transcended space. Without even relying on his authority, Vulcanus’ power now interfered with the very fabric of space and time—a power belonging to the realm of pure concepts.

An ability like this should never have manifested in a Wraith King, signaling that Vulcanus was nearing the power of a True God.

As if time had frozen, Leonard’s perception of time accelerated. With Audrey now incapacitated after losing her arm, Leonard realized she would probably lose her head next if he didn’t act at once.

Think, think! What went wrong, and where? Why is Vulcanus so strong? And what’s this strange feeling of provocation?

Charging in recklessly would only result in both of them burning to death. Pushed to the very edge of life and death, Leonard’s sharp mind reached an even higher level, gaining insight into things that would have been impossible to see under normal circumstances.

The blood vessels in his Dragon Eyes, fully dilated, ruptured, and tears of blood streamed down his face. However, it didn’t matter; this kind of damage would heal on its own within a few minutes.

Soon after, Leonard finally realized what was going on.

This guy… He’s no longer just a Wraith King.

Leonard was certain that not even Yggdrasil herself had anticipated this situation. Despite being poisoned by Nidhogg, Yggdrasil’s instinctive defense mechanisms, which protected against external dimensional incursions, were still intact. This was likely why no Rifts or Corroded Realm existed within this realm.

Given that, Vulcanus’ current state didn’t seem to be planned.

Thump…

Leonard’s Dragon Heart pulsed once, as if affirming his suspicions.

He was facing the enemy of the world.

The dragon’s blood within his Cardenas lineage had finally recognized its true nemesis, sending a request to the laws of the world. Even though Yggdrasil had been tainted by Nidhogg, this world did not see the Wraith King as an enemy. But Vulcanus, who had crossed the line, was no longer a Wraith King.

At this rate, Vulcanus, having fully become a vessel for the Outer God Surtr to descend, would reach a point beyond Yggdrasil’s control.

—You must subjugate him.

Although no one had said that out loud, Leonard felt as though the eyes watching him from the heavens had whispered those words to him.

As soon as the world’s laws granted him approval, Leonard’s disrupted meridians started to recover, and a surge of energy—purer and more abundant than the internal energy he had expended—flooded into him, filling him to the brim.

Unbeknownst to Leonard, his entire body, from his pupils to his skin, began to radiate a golden light.

—...Ancestor?

Audrey, who had been gravely injured, her vision blurry, unconsciously murmured a telepathic message. She herself didn’t know what she had just glimpsed in Leonard that was similar to Ancestor Cardenas.

The golden hair and golden eyes of the Cardenas family—those traits had been passed down through the direct bloodline of their ancestor, a Golden Dragon. Coincidentally, the divine beast Leonard had crafted within his Mindscape was the Yellow Dragon, and now, he essentially possessed all the qualifications to act as an agent of the world’s laws.

Time, which had been nearly frozen, began to accelerate again.

Vulcanus, realizing that Leonard had suddenly appeared in front of Audrey, instinctively swung his greatsword downward. The reaction came from a sense of impending crisis, a response drilled into him by his martial prowess.

Although he has accepted the power of an Outer God, the Eastern God Style will still work on him... but since he’s aligned with an opposite element, its effects will be diminished.

As Leonard gazed at the flaming sword about to crash down onto his head, he locked eyes with the Yellow Dragon coiling within his Mindscape.

Its gaze seemed to command,“Call me forth.”

In response to its demand, the golden light that enveloped Leonard’s jet-black sword grew even more intense. The power of the Yellow Dragon—positioned at the center of the divine beasts symbolizing the Five Elements—surged forth.

The Azure Dragon Qi, the White Tiger Qi, the Black Tortoise Qi, and the Vermillion Bird Qi—the Qi of the Four Symbols emitted a cry as if to praise its leader, and at last, the Yellow Dragon Qi, in all its majestic splendor, lifted its head in regal dignity.

Dragon God Style

Execution of the Defiers of Heaven

Evil-Repelling Sword of Heaven

Those who followed the will of the heavens would survive, and those who defied it would perish.

This was the ultimate technique, manifesting the punishment from the principle of inevitable retribution. To judge Vulcanus, who had defied the heavens by linking with the Outer God Surtr, the Evil-Repelling Sword of Heaven flowed from Leonard’s blade, clashing with the flaming sword that sought to obstruct it.

Crack… Crack—!

The flame sword, holding out for only a few seconds under the overwhelming force, cracked and shattered into pieces. Disarmed, Vulcanus was struck before he even fully grasped the situation.

The Evil-Repelling Sword of Heaven, imbued with the power to destroy those who defied the heavens, cleaved through Vulcanus along his centerline. This wasn’t just a physical cut; the slash reached Vulcanus’ very essence, which was corrupted by extradimensional power.

—...■■■? ■■.

For a brief moment, Vulcanus couldn’t comprehend the damage, his confusion clear. Then, something irreversibly collapsed from within him.

—■■■!? ■■?!! ■■■■!!?!

The form of the fire giant, once imitating the Outer God Surtr, twisted violently, exposing the instability within. It looked like he was about to explode at any moment, and yet he didn’t.

The reason for that was simple.

So, it’s a bit different from the Three Kingdoms Split Plan, huh...?

After seeing Vulcanus writhing, Leonard realized what was going on.

The power of Yggdrasil, the power of the Outer God Surtr, and the power of the world’s laws infused through the Evil-Repelling Sword of Heaven—those three energies were clashing inside Vulcanus.