I Was The Hero, But I Woke Up as a Phoenix Princess! – Chapter 275

Chapter 275
As before, the swordsman’s body was encased in ice, his form shrouded in darkness, his eyes cast down upon the ancient greatsword in his hand.
The pitch-black swordsman spoke, his voice tinged with remembrance, “The greatsword of Fran, I never imagined I would have the chance to draw you once more.”
“This sword!”
In the distance, Dofiraia’s crystalline eyes flickered with disbelief. Her jade hands covered her lips as she uttered with utter shock,
“That is a sword of the Fran Legion… Could this person be from the Fran Fortress on the Abyssal front!?”
Igerth, who had been filled with doubt, understood instantly upon hearing Dofiraia’s words. He too raised his astonished eyes, looking at the tall swordsman who held the sword of the Fran Legion but was shrouded in heavy darkness.
Although the threat of the abyss was unknown, the barren plains of the southern Empire, on the edge of the Sea of Death, had been corrupted by the power of the abyss. The fortresses built on the very front line of the abyss had long stood with the wolf-head sword banner, red with black markings.
It was said that the first swordsman to stand before the fortress was Geon, the creator of the Sword Tower, a swordsman who had once slain the Demon King under the name “Sword Saint.” He had personally manned the front of the abyss with his sword for forty years.
Thirty years ago, during an almost continent-shattering abyssal riot, “Sword Saint” Geon single-handedly plunged into the abyss, suppressing calamities, and was never seen again.
Therefore, even within the Empire, the Fran Legion held a transcendent position, unparalleled by any other power, including Haranketon, the Monarch of Magic, except for the Church of Light. Even the Emperor of the Empire could not interfere in the legion’s daily affairs.
Every Fran warrior was an honored knight personally enfeoffed by the Emperor. They swore by their shared wolf blood and held their swords as a tenacious long wall against the abyss at the very front… However, the pitch-black swordsman before them surged with what appeared to be abyssal dark matter!
“Bang!”
Beneath the radiant golden sword, the sparsely distributed demonic power on the pitch-black swordsman’s body suddenly surged again. The frost, frozen by the dragon’s breath, shattered into fragments with a “boom.” The Fran greatsword, as tall as a man, felt as light as nothing in the swordsman’s hands. He swung it in a perfect arc, his rampant sword momentum tearing through the flames and cleaving the night sky!
“Young Lady!”
A young man’s anxious cry sounded by his ear. As the greatsword pressed down, Verafia let out a pained hum and took a step back. Her lotus-like feet, clad in exquisite small leather boots, sank into the ground. The sword edge of the radiant sun in her hand cracked into fiery fragments, falling like sparks into the deep night.
The black swordsman swung his greatsword downwards, his heavy steps pounding the ground. The dark matter overflowing from his body dripped onto the ground, forming a swamp-like dark domain. Within it, viscous, pitch-black demonic power surged from behind the swordsman, like the gaping maw of a ferocious beast, engulfing the entire ground!
“Verafia!”
“Sister!”
Two anxious maiden voices emerged amidst the intense magical fluctuations. Verafia raised her small face, her golden radiant hair stirred by the sword wind. Before her, the abyssal domain of surging pitch-black demonic power churned from the swordsman’s side, about to close.
Without a shred of hesitation, Verafia grasped a slender, exquisite feather sword. It was like a clear phoenix cry echoing in the night sky, and the golden flame sword light devoured half of the pitch-black night sky.
“Phoenix Feather Heavenly Flame Sword!”
With a single sword strike amidst the flowing flames, and simultaneously, above the scorching, dazzling fiery brilliance, the dark barrier completely enveloped both the maiden and the swordsman!
“Boom!”
All of this happened in just one second. At this moment, Ophi, transformed into a dragon, and Flarn’s full-powered attacks had just impacted the closing pitch-black barrier. The powerful attacks of ice and blood poured forth, but they were all devoured by the dark matter, without even the slightest ripple.
“Young Lady!”
Igerth, who had rushed over holding his sword, vigorously slashed at it, but after more than ten strikes, not only did he fail to leave any trace, but the impact sent fresh blood flowing from his palms.
Suddenly, Igerth felt his sword-wielding arm being grasped by a small hand that was delicate and soft, yet possessed great strength. He faintly felt an ice-cold touch by his ear, followed by the anxious voice of Ophi, who had transformed back into human form.
“Igerth! Doing this won’t help Verafia at all! This way… it’s better to believe she’ll be alright!”
Blood flowed down his palm, cooled by the night wind. Drip by drip, it fell onto the ground along the metallic sword hilt. Igerth clenched his fist tightly. Of course, he knew his limitations. If even Ophi and Flarn couldn’t break the barrier, what could he do with his strength?
But, I can’t help her with anything…
Ophi’s words, spoken in a moment of urgency, echoed in Igerth’s mind. He gripped the sword in his hand even tighter, the torn wound being further abraded by the metal, causing more pain.
Igerth couldn’t help but recall the moments he had spent with Verafia since they met: in the Setting Sun Forest, throwing away the crying fire sword and embracing the weak, slender maiden, and in the blood domain, walking through golden flames as the girl looked back…
It seemed that he had already mustered his courage, drawing his sword to face her enemy. However, whether in the Setting Sun Forest or even now, the maiden refused to say who the enemy was that she encountered before being injured, or in the flame domain where she fell into a deeper realm, it was Verafia alone, facing more dangerous matters by herself.
“Miss Verafia.”
Igerth raised his eyes. Before him stood the surging pitch-black demonic power, possessing the strength to easily blow him to smithereens, yet fully contained. The black light rays, like sharp swords, pierced into his face.
Igerth found it hard to describe the feelings in his heart for this girl who had entered his life like the dawn’s first light, perhaps admiration, trepidation, or the lingering, indelible fear. However, at this moment, what surged in his heart was an intensely unbearable emotion.
This feeling was identical to the emotion he felt when he single-handedly drew the End and severed the Sea of Death in the Dead Sea.
The black-haired youth’s gaze fell upon the sword he was pressing down with force. A few strands of crimson blood dripped down the ancient sword blade, washed clean by the frost moon’s radiance and the lingering light of the surrounding demonic power.
This was Lottelsel’s sword.
Ignoring the pull of the Ice Dragon Girl beside him, Igerth raised the sword blade high and slashed down with all his might!
“Boom!”
It wasn’t like the world-destroying sword energy in the Sea of Death. The sharp edge of the blade struck the demonic power and then bounced off.
“If only… I could stand by her side…”
Igerth pressed his fist against the sword blade. The cracked wound reopened, dripping blood onto the ground. The youth’s words echoed in his mind once more, but the emotion this time was far stronger than before!
The sound of the metal sword clashing reverberated in mid-air. For some reason, Igerth faintly heard a hoarse and obscure voice.
“Boy… do you… yearn for power?”
————
This should have been written earlier, but I forgot… so I moved it here (mistake).
Regarding the emotional aspect, I’ve actually been preparing for it, but Veer certainly won’t be proactive, so… this volume will likely focus mostly on the male protagonist’s emotions.
Well, go for it, Igerth.