I’m Here to End This Fight

Chapter 11. The Beginning of Training (3)

Anyone who had ever measured magical power would have thought about it at least once.

Johan Redner, the Master among Masters.

How strong was he?

What was his magical power level?

Everyone was curious, but who would dare to ask the unyielding sword, “What’s your magical power level?”

However, Yuri, the one who dared to ask such an audacious question, was busy calculating in his mind.

“Let’s see, if Level 1 is 1,000, then Level 9 would be about 10,000? But since he’s a Master… maybe around 50,000 to 100,000?”

If 100 magical power was about twice the strength of an average adult, then 50,000 was truly an unimaginable number.

However, Johan’s response far exceeded Yuri’s imagination and calculations.

“My magical power? Well, the last time I checked, it was roughly over a million.”

Screech—

Yuri, who was so shocked, slammed the cart to a stop and turned his head so sharply that it made a cracking sound.

“Wh-what? How much?”

“Are your ears blocked?”

“A million?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Good grief, believe me!”

“You’re not lying?”

“…You brat.”

Looking at Johan’s genuinely aggrieved expression, Yuri felt he was telling the truth.

Yuri sighed in amazement.

“My God, a million? Is that even possible for a human?”

At that question, Johan shrugged proudly.

“Of course, an average Master would be around 500,000.”

“…That sounds like a lot too.”

“Ah, it’s only 500,000! Because it’s me, it’s a million!”

Seeing Johan’s high pride, Yuri had to admit inwardly.

‘Indeed… You’d need that much to pull off those ridiculous feats.’

The extraordinary strength Johan displayed when he blew away cliffs and mountains in one strike lingered in Yuri’s mind.

After accepting the reality of a million magical power, Yuri’s intense curiosity surged again.

This time, he didn’t hold back.

“Then… what about the Sword Master? How much magical power does he have? You’ve fought him twice, so you must know, right?”

“……”

At Yuri’s question, Johan’s face stiffened slightly.

He contemplated while looking at Yuri.

‘What about this kid?’

Would Yuri have the courage to confront the Sword Master after knowing his strength?

Would he give up in fear before even starting?

Simultaneously, Johan chuckled to himself.

‘Who? This guy?’

It had only been about a month since Johan started training with Yuri.

He knew less about Yuri than he didn’t know.

However, there was one thing he could say for sure about Yuri.

That was…

‘This kid is like me.’

He had an obstinate personality in many ways.

And just like Johan, Yuri’s obstinate nature didn’t discriminate between superiors and inferiors.

With a slight smile, Johan opened his mouth.

“The Sword Master’s magical power has never been officially measured.”

“Then unofficially, there is a number?”

“There is. And I am one of the few people in the world who knows the Sword Master’s unofficial magical power level!”

“Oh! So how much is it?”

“Hohoho, do you want to know? If you want to know, say, ‘Respected Johan, please show mercy to this lowly one!'”

“Respected Johan, please show mercy to this lowly one! Please!”

“…Don’t you have any pride?”

“Hey, what’s pride worth in this kind of situation?”

“Rotten bastard…”

Johan frowned at Yuri’s attitude of throwing away his pride without hesitation to get what he wanted.

‘That’s a bit different from me.’

If it were Johan, he would never bow like that.

Thus, he revised his thoughts about Yuri’s personality.

If Johan was ‘prideful obstinance,’ Yuri was ‘obstinance without pride.’

“Ah, so how much is it? Why are you stalling?”

Urged by Yuri, Johan sighed slightly and opened his mouth.

“The Sword Master’s magical power is estimated to be over 5 million.”

“…Sorry? I didn’t hear you well?”

Yuri wondered if he had misheard and scratched his ear.

Doubting his own hearing.

“How… how much did you say?”

“Five million.”

Johan’s repeated answer confirmed that Yuri’s ears were working fine.

Instead, Yuri’s lips parted slightly.

“Five… five million?!”

Was that even possible?

The number was so overwhelmingly unrealistic that it didn’t feel real.

But Johan wasn’t done talking.

“At least 5 million magical power.”

“……”

“Back then, the device that measured magical power had a limit of 5 million, and it exploded from overheating while measuring the Sword Master’s power. So it’s at least 5 million.”

“Crazy…”

Yuri muttered, overwhelmed.

“Is that… even human?”

Johan quickly responded to Yuri’s murmur.

“Human? Does that seem human to you? If someone can lift a rock with 100 magical power, the Sword Master can split a mountain with the same power!”

“……”

“Could such a person be considered the same as us? Do you truly think that?”

At Johan’s voice, Yuri’s shoulders flinched.

He looked at Johan with slightly surprised eyes.

‘The old man… is trembling?’

Johan’s voice echoed in Yuri’s ears.

Within it was a faint tremor.

“That guy is a monster. Instead of weakening with age, he grows more ferocious and stronger—a true monster!”

But it wasn’t fear.

‘This man… is he excited?’

Johan’s voice was trembling, but it was filled with unmistakable joy and excitement.

As if the fact that the Sword Master was strong made him incredibly happy.

A deep madness of joy.

Overwhelmed by Johan’s vivid emotions, Yuri couldn’t say anything.

Misinterpreting Yuri’s silence, Johan grinned.

“Are you scared? Because the Sword Master is too strong?”

Awakened by that question, Yuri shook his head.

“No, rather than scared, it feels a bit overwhelming. Can I catch up to the Sword Master’s magical power? How long would it take to get there?”

Johan laughed dryly at Yuri’s response.

‘Look at this guy? Thinking about catching up?’

Most people wouldn’t even consider trying to catch up, but Yuri was clearly not like most people.

Johan chuckled.

“You probably won’t catch up even until you die. There’s an unbridgeable gap between someone just starting and an old monster who has lived for nearly a hundred years.”

“Are you talking about time?”

“Yes. The years of self-discipline by the one with the greatest talent in history form an impregnable fortress. A fortress too high for the weak-hearted to even look at.”

“But you said that while magical power is a common measure of strength, it’s not everything.”

“Of course. In this world, it’s common for someone with 1,000 magical power to have their head chopped off by someone with 500.”

“If strength were determined solely by magical power, we wouldn’t even have attempted the magic body technique to defeat the Sword Master, right?”

“Correct.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“What do you mean?”

“That it’s not impossible to defeat the Sword Master.”

“……”

Johan was at a loss for words due to Yuri’s calm voice.

Watching him, Yuri grinned.

“The Sword Master said it, didn’t he? That he would give everything to the one who kills him?”

The era known as the Sword Master’s.

No one living in this age would be unaware of the Sword Master’s declaration.

Many tried to kill the Sword Master, and a great amount of blood was shed to claim the position of the sole absolute being.

But no one had succeeded in overthrowing the Sword Master until now.

Fifty years after the Sword Master’s declaration, on a certain day in the northern continent, a young lad who had just begun his journey made a bold statement.

“So it’s simple. I just need to take down the strongest guy, and the whole world will be mine, right?”

“……”

Watching Yuri grin, Johan remained silent for a long time.

Then, he chuckled softly and threw out a word.

“Crazy bastard.”

He tapped the cart with his prosthetic leg.

“Stop joking around, rookie! Only make such nonsense claims when you can drag our cart for seven days and nights without fainting!”

“…This thing, Bungbung, or whatever, isn’t the name of this damn old cart, is it?”

“Hey, old things are said to have spirits. Naturally, you should name items with souls, shouldn’t you?”

“……”

Yuri vowed again.

Before arriving at the Cradle, he would absolutely, by all means, smash that Bungbung to pieces!

While Yuri was making a firm resolution, Johan tapped Bungbung again with his prosthetic leg.

Tap, tap.

“Alright, I’ll be generous. If you reach Chrome in two days, I’ll let you proceed to the next stage!”

“Next stage?”

“Entering mana!”

“Really?! Are you serious?”

“Do I seem like I’m always lying?”

“Because every time you open your mouth, it’s a lie!”

“This time it’s not a lie!”

The distance from where they were to Chrome Port was four days.

Cutting it down to two days was no easy task.

But Yuri, exhausted from dragging the cart for three weeks, couldn’t help but seize Johan’s offer.

“Alright! Hold on tight!”

Clenching his teeth, Yuri put all his strength into his legs, making Bungbung shoot forward quickly.

“Yahaaaah!”

Thus began the desperate sprint.

Amidst the echoing shouts filled with spirit, Johan watched Yuri’s round head and smiled.

“Crazy kid.”

The claim that an uninitiated brat would defeat the Sword Master was indeed crazy nonsense.

But if that nonsense came from Yuri…

“It won’t be mere nonsense.”

Johan’s smile deepened.

* * *

The world’s strongest individuals were represented by one superhuman and 22 Masters.

First, the sole superhuman.

The owner of the title, who had shed the human form, was the Sword Master, Luke Ryder.

Below him were 22 Masters.

Of these, a staggering 12 hailed from the Cradle, known as the Twelve Swords.

The Sword Master’s swords, nurtured by the Cradle.

Although called the Sword Master’s swords, not all of them were under his command.

Most operated with their own freedom.

However, one was different.

The first sword of the Twelve Swords, Gordon Crowden.

He also held the title of the Black Sword Corps Commander.

He was in charge of all internal affairs of the Cradle on behalf of the Sword Master.

Thus, he was the undisputed second-in-command of the Cradle.

Just a few minutes ago, a sudden message arrived for Gordon.

Seeing the words written on the small piece of paper handed to him by his lieutenant, his brow twitched slightly.

It was rare for Gordon, who rarely showed emotions, to exhibit even such a slight change.

“The Black Dragon Plaque has returned?”

This meant that someone had used the plaque to recommend a new holder.

Of course, what caught Gordon’s attention wasn’t something so trivial.

“Johan Redner is the owner of the returned Black Dragon Plaque? And the Black Dragon Plaque has been newly issued to someone recommended by Johan Redner?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

A low groan escaped Gordon’s lips at the lieutenant’s reply.

‘That Johan considers this kid worthy of the Black Dragon Plaque?’

If it had been anyone other than Johan Redner who used the Black Dragon Plaque, or if the recommended individual hadn’t received the plaque, this matter would have been trivial.

‘But it’s Johan. The same Johan that the Sword Master himself is interested in.’

Therefore, this issue couldn’t be overlooked easily.

Pondering Johan’s face briefly, Gordon’s gaze fell on the last line of the message.

And then…

“…What?”

For the first time in a long while, a dumbfounded exclamation escaped Gordon’s lips.

“Huh?!”

“Commander, what’s the matter?”

Despite the lieutenant’s alarmed shout, Gordon kept rereading the last line of the message.

[The tenth Black Dragon Plaque holder, Yuri Holland, was observed using techniques presumed to be of the Avatar.]

‘Avatar?’

If his vision wasn’t failing him, the word “Avatar” was clearly written there.

Knowing what it meant, Gordon couldn’t dismiss it lightly.

‘I must inform the Sword Master.’

Of course, verifying the authenticity of the information was also his duty.

Gordon ordered his lieutenant.

“Locate Johan Redner and summon the squad leader who reported this.”

“Understood.”

“And this boy…”

Gordon confirmed the name written on the paper once more.

“Gather detailed information on Yuri Holland.”

“Yes, sir!”

After a brief nod, the lieutenant left the office, and Gordon pondered the name Yuri Holland.

‘Yuri Holland…’

The boy who received the Black Dragon Plaque upon Johan’s recommendation.

A being suspected of using Avatar techniques.

If all this were true…

‘The Master would be intrigued.’

The Absolute One’s interest might stir up a commotion in the Cradle.