Chapter 61. The Hundred Steps Ceremony (3)

As everyone took their sword salute, the eyes of the 50th cohort naturally turned to the special seats.

It was as if their bodies reacted because they couldn't help it.

Thanks to this, the 50th cohort could clearly see the figure entering the special spectator seats.

His wavy, snow-white medium-length hair, neatly swept-back bangs.

His slightly angular face and the white beard extending from his sideburns.

A 180cm tall body that, despite being an old man's face, looked robust like a young man's.

And his deep, dark eyes.

Even from a considerable distance, his form was clearly visible in their sight.

His appearance stole the gaze of not only Yurie but the entire 50th cohort.

No, it was more accurate to say that they couldn't tear their eyes away from him.

As if their souls were captured.

As if something terrible would happen if they looked away.

They couldn't even move a muscle.

Thud, thud—

With each step he took, the sounds disappeared.

Voices.

Breathing.

Even the slightest sound of movement.

All the sounds in the world vanished.

In the suffocating silence,

the old man finally took his seat, observed by tens of thousands of eyes.

He sat on the throne, lazily accepting the sword salutes from the tens of thousands of black sword soldiers.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Swoosh— Thud.

The man, who lightly cupped his chin, looked down at the arena.

No one had told them who he was, but no one failed to realize who he was, what kind of being he was.

Because their instincts told them.

Someone muttered his name as if entranced.

"The Sword Master... Luke Ryder."

It was a very small voice, but it was enough to snap people out of their daze.

People with dreamy faces, as if they had just woken from a dream.

Although the suffocating silence continued, a bit of ease returned.

Then, someone else whispered.

"Is that the Sword Master? He looks... pretty ordinary?"

Those born in the era of competition grew up listening to stories about the Sword Master from a young age.

The absolute ruler.

The man called the master of this world.

The unparalleled swordsman who cut through the world alone.

Children would often imagine the Sword Master in a terrifying and exaggerated way.

Like a legendary demon king with a rough and scary appearance.

Or someone with a couple more arms than others.

Or a giant over 3 meters tall.

Children who grew up with such absurd imaginations still harbored the prejudice that the Sword Master would be special.

Therefore, they were somewhat disappointed by the Sword Master's ordinary appearance, which was quite different from their long-held preconceptions.

On the other hand, a few people reacted with disbelief to such murmurs.

Aerin, Poppi, Nelly Blanc, Clarice Van... and a few heirs of prestigious families, including Gunther Irons.

They stared at the Sword Master, holding their breath.

The reason for their reaction was simple.

They saw as much as they knew.

Those who felt nothing saw the Sword Master as ordinary.

In proportion to their own abilities, those who sensed something couldn't take their eyes off the Sword Master.

And Yurie.

He, who had early on mastered the manipulation of spirit blood, was in a more severe state than others.

Since the moment the Sword Master appeared, Yurie hadn't blinked.

His wide-open eyes were filled with shock.

'Ordinary? Ordinary...? Him?'

What part of him?

Did that kid really see the same thing as me?

Whoosh—

Look at that red aura surrounding the Sword Master, even extending into the sky!

It surged up the moment he sat on the throne, dyeing the sky red.

An overwhelming aura that made one feel dizzy just by looking at it.

A fierce and brutal aura that seemed ready to devour anyone who let their guard down.

To resist it, Yurie clenched his fists tightly.

On the other hand, he laughed in exasperation.

'Is he a monster?'

Johan called the Sword Master a monster.

But Yurie, who had directly faced the Sword Master, shook his head.

'He's... not just a monster.'

A long time ago, Yurie, who wandered the world, had seen a massive tornado that could swallow everything.

A wind column so large and powerful that it connected the ground to the sky.

A natural disaster so vast and strong that humans seemed like mere insects.

The Sword Master was such an existence.

The Sword Master... he wasn't just a monster.

He was...

"Disaster."

An unstoppable natural disaster and a disaster.

Yurie, who finally saw the Sword Master's true form, was speechless.

'This old man... you fought that thing and planned to fight it again?'

He challenged him twice.

Even after losing twice.

Johan was preparing for a third challenge.

Only then did Yurie understand why the world called Johan "The Unyielding Sword."

Just the fact that he survived a fight with such an absurd being was enough to earn respect.

Moreover, Johan, who didn't back down and prepared for another challenge, was truly worthy of the title "The Unyielding Sword."

Yurie, who was speechless, recalled what he had said to Johan before and laughed.

[It's simple, which is good. So, you're saying that if I take down the strongest one, the whole world will be mine?]

How ridiculous must it have sounded to Johan?

How much must he have laughed inwardly?

Even now, thinking about it, it seems absurd.

'Can anyone beat him?'

No, can anyone even survive the fight?

If they survive, can they, like Johan, not break and prepare for another challenge?

Such doubts blossomed in Yurie's heart.

And soon, an opportunity to resolve those doubts arrived.

Thud—

The sound of footsteps echoed again.

Durand, who had captured everyone's attention, bared his teeth and said,

"From now on, we will hold the Hundred Steps Ceremony!"

Thud—

The sound of Durand's footsteps signaled the start.

"?! "

The red aura that had soared to the sky plunged into the arena.

* * *

The crowd in black robes filled the circular arena's spectator seats.

Most of them were black sword soldiers, but among them were also the leaders of the cradle.

Including the 49th cohort, who had recently returned.

The 46th cohort, who were in their fifth year and rarely seen due to their training.

And the 47th and 48th cohorts, who had become the de facto leaders of the cradle in place of the 46th.

All the leaders of the cradle were gathered without a single person missing.

They were seated in designated areas by cohort.

Their eyes were filled with curiosity.

Who came in this year?

Are there any talented ones?

And so on.

As they watched with various curiosities, the 50th cohort leaders finally entered the arena.

This caused a slight murmur among the crowd.

"This year's 50th cohort is quite numerous? Probably twice as many as when we were here?"

"Even so, most of them are weaklings."

A few leaders commented as they watched the 50th cohort enter the arena.

There were small murmurs afterward, but they subsided with the sound of Durand's footsteps.

The subsequent writing of wills.

The sword salutes that followed and the appearance of the Sword Master.

'He's here.'

'As expected, he's here again this year!'

Many people swallowed hard at the appearance of the Sword Master.

Gulp—

The Dragon's Cradle was the Sword Master's domain, but the opportunities for those in the cradle to see him were surprisingly few.

Unless there was a special event, the Sword Master usually secluded himself and didn't show his face.

However, once a year,

for the past 41 years, the Sword Master had appeared publicly without fail.

That day was when new leaders entered and underwent the Hundred Steps Ceremony.

'This... even though it happens every year, I still can't get used to it.'

From the 46th to the 49th cohorts, all of them were the ones who had undergone the Hundred Steps Ceremony.

Therefore, they knew very well what was about to happen.

Boom—

The sound of a foot stomping on the ground.

"From now on, we will hold the Hundred Steps Ceremony."

Durand's voice made the leaders' eyes gleam.

'It's starting.'

'It's starting!'

The veterans quickly manipulated their mana to protect their bodies and minds.

Then, a powerful aura swept through the arena.

Thud—

People began to fall like rotten rice stalks, powerless.

Thud— Thud— Thud—

As the number of fallen people increased exponentially, the leaders' eyes moved rapidly.

'How many?'

'How many are still standing?'

Finally,

Thud—

After another person fell, someone counted the remaining ones.

"52... not bad."

The 37th cohort had the highest number of survivors, 65, right from the start.

So, 52 was quite a decent number.

But no one was unaware that this wasn't the important part.

The real test was about to begin.

* * *

Phew!

Yurie exhaled roughly.

The intense heartbeat from the deep breaths calmed down a bit.

'What was that just now...?'

When the red aura plunged into the arena, Yurie felt as if the whole world was splitting apart.

The red aura emitted by the Sword Master was that terrifying.

Moreover, the aura didn't disappear but lingered, pressing down on Yurie's body.

"Huff..."

Yurie's eyes, which had been slightly furrowed as he took a deep breath, turned to the special seats where the Sword Master was.

The area around him seemed to warp and ripple due to the aura he emitted.

Seeing this, Yurie was speechless.

'If this is the pressure at this distance, how many could have withstood it directly?'

Yurie's prediction was spot on.

Of the 300 who were standing just a moment ago, most were now sprawled on the ground.

No, it was fortunate that they just fainted.

Kehack—

Someone foaming at the mouth, their limbs trembling.

Gurgle—

Someone face-down in their own vomit.

And,

'This is... serious.'

Someone who had soiled themselves and fallen.

Thus, the 50th cohort was divided into those who fainted and those who didn't.

Moreover, those who didn't faint were further divided into those who were standing and those who were crawling on the ground.

It seemed that those crawling on the ground would soon join the fainted ones.

Among those standing, only a few, including Yurie, were in good condition.

As Yurie looked around, Durand's voice echoed again.

"The only thing you need to do in this Hundred Steps Ceremony is one."

Even though most had fainted and couldn't regain consciousness, Durand continued without a care.

As if he didn't even notice them.

He said in a calm voice,

"Walk. Toward the great master of the sword. This is the test the Sword Master gives you."

Only then did Yurie understand everything.

The 100 concentric circles drawn with the special spectator seats at the center.

And why this ceremony was called the Hundred Steps (百步).

"Huh?"

Grit—

Yurie, who lifted his head under the oppressive aura pressing down on his shoulders, saw the Sword Master's figure, lazily looking down at the world, filling his eyes from a distance.