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Chapter 122 - CHAPTER 122: THE SEVENTH BLADE:KUROTSUKI

Chapter 122

Feron pushed himself up, trembling—but still standing.

Feron's attacks were relentless now.

His sword shifted with every strike—summoning fire dragons, phoenix arcs, and exploding waves of flame.

Kaien moved through it all. Effortless. Calm.

He ducked beneath a fire swipe and countered with a thrust of compressed lightning that sliced the air like a scalpel.

Kaien's movements were precise—sharp, elegant.

He blinked short distances like a flickering light, dancing between pillars of fire, never stopping, never caught.

But Feron wasn't finished.

He activated his trump card:

"Fire Magic: Volcanic Zone!"

The ground ignited in a perfect ring around Kaien—heat surged upward, distorting the air into a rippling mirage.

Magma cracked through the soil. The temperature spiked.

Feron sneered:

"Let's see you move now."

Kaien didn't flinch.

He calmly closed his eyes—then stepped forward.

From behind, Zeth dashed in, sword wrapped in jagged electricity.

Zeth: "Try dodging this! Lightning Magic: Raijin Cross!"

Two arcs of lightning formed an X midair—crossing Kaien from opposite angles.

Kaien's eyes snapped open.

He spun, blades out, lightning surging through steel—

CLASH!

He split the X-slash apart with absolute control. Sparks flew, harmlessly.

Kaien darted left, elbowed Zeth in the gut with the hilt—

Then spun and slashed across his leg.

Not deep. Just enough to end his momentum.

________________________________________

Liya moved in. Her sword glowed deep blue.

"Water Magic: Leviathan Fang!"

A spiraling lance of water launched from her blade—fast, honed, precise.

Kaien sliced downward with light, parting it clean—

But she had already closed the distance, her blade driving for his ribs.

He shifted only slightly—

And her sword found nothing but air.

Kaien twisted, planted a boot into her abdomen, and launched her backward.

She tumbled, landing hard into a puddle of her own scattered magic.

________________________________________

Sora struck next—almost invisible.

Wind cloaked his movement. Three angles at once.

Sword. Sword. Sword. The pressure bent reality.

Kaien whispered:

"Light Magic: Afterglow."

He left an illusion in place—Sora struck it dead center.

The moment shattered like glass.

From behind—

"Pulse."

Kaien pressed a glowing palm to Sora's back.

Wind scattered. Magic collapsed.

Sora gasped and fell, unconscious.

________________________________________

Duron roared.

His body was now entirely encased in jagged stone.

"Earth Magic: Titan Drive!"

He charged like a living avalanche.

Kaien waited—

Then dropped low, sliding beneath him.

SLASH. SLASH.

Lightning traced two perfect lines across Duron's ankles.

The titan stumbled.

And fell face-first into the broken earth.

________________________________________

Now—only Feron remained.

He stood in the center of the molten ring, the Volcanic Zone still glowing beneath his feet.

His flame blade now resembled the sun itself—radiating destruction.

Kaien walked toward him.

Slowly. Calmly.

His cloak burned at the edges, but he paid it no mind.

Light surged along one blade.

Lightning crackled along the other.

Feron roared:

"Inferno Sword Art: Final Horizon!"

He lunged—

A massive arc of flame, execution-style, meant to end it.

Kaien didn't move.

Not until the very last instant.

He vanished.

And reappeared—above Feron.

Blades crossed.

"Thunderlight Descent."

He spun midair, forming a radiant wheel—one blade glowing with light, the other with lightning.

Then he came down.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire battlefield erupted.

The flame zone was extinguished in an instant—overwhelmed by the thunderstorm of magic.

Ash scattered into the wind. Sparks floated like stars.

Feron hit the ground.

His blade—snapped in two.

His magic—gone.

________________________________________

One by one, the other BladeHex elites lay across the battlefield.

Burned. Bruised. Defeated.

But alive.

The land itself glowed with residual energy—scorch marks, charred soil, lightning still humming in the cracks.

Light shimmered beneath Kaien's boots.

The air pulsed with tension, even though the battle had ended.

Kaien stood still, breathing steadily.

Not winded.

Not rattled.

Just… finished.

He sheathed both blades in a single motion.

His cloak, frayed and scorched, fluttered in the breeze.

Then Kaien said—quietly:

"This is the best you can do?"

And he turned.

He walked away.

Kaien stood alone.

All five BladeHex elites—fallen behind him.

The outer gates of the BladeHex HQ flickered in the distance—dim, uncertain.

No one dared step out.

Kaien paused only once.

Glanced back, eyes unreadable.

And yet, even after proving his unmatched strength, Kaien remained true to his word.

He didn't claim victory with arrogance. He waited patiently, allowing Elena—the Blade of Light at the time—to observe Ari over time.

When she, too, was convinced of Ari's potential, she made the decision:

Ari would be the next BladeHex member.

That incident—Kaien's battle, Elena's decision—became part of Ari's initiation ceremony into BladeHex.

And on that day, Kaien fulfilled both his and his mother Sovia's promise—by delivering the Light Blade to Ari.

________________________________________

Later that evening, as the group sat together, the story lingered in their minds.

"He told you this story himself?" someone asked Ari.

Ari shook her head.

"No… he never did."

Aden chuckled. "So that's why you're this strong. Maybe if all of us trained under Master Kaien too, we'd be strong enough to take down Imperial together, huh?"

Ari looked at him seriously.

"Imperial is also one of Master Kaien's students."

The room went still.

Those who didn't know were visibly shocked.

Ari continued,

"And not just that… he trained under him for two years.

I've only trained for six months.

So stop thinking about defeating him.

That's my job.

I'll be the one to find out why he did what he did."

Alex, quiet until now, spoke up.

"Ari… if you don't mind, can I ask something about that Imperial boy?"

"Yes, Master," Ari replied.

"Do you know the name of the blade he wields? Or… anything about it?"

Ari hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"…Yes. His blade is called Raiktsu."

Alex narrowed his eyes.

"Just as I feared… that's the original Blade of Lightning."

Mich blinked. "Wait—what do you mean by original? Doesn't Sana have the Blade of Lightning? So… is hers a replica?"

Sana now looked toward Alex as well, confused and curious.

Alex explained,

"What Sana has isn't a replica—it's more like a fragment.

Think of it like this: Sana's blade, Raiko, is like a son.

But Raiktsu—the blade Imperial wields—is the parent.

All the elemental blades BladeHex holds are actually fragments of their original forms...

All except one."

Everyone leaned in.

Alex continued:

"Hikari.

That's the only original blade that BladeHex possesses.

And it is the second strongest blade known to exist."

Ari's voice broke the silence.

"But… you told us there are seven legendary blades, not six. So what about the seventh one? Why doesn't our empire have it? Or if it does, why isn't it in BladeHex?"

Alex grew quiet for a moment.

Then he answered, his tone lower.

"The seventh blade is called Kurotsuki.

Also known as the Blood Moon Blade."

The name alone sent a chill through the room.

"According to legend," Alex said, "when the Creator formed this world, they forged Kurotsuki for a purpose.

A blade that could command the power of destruction itself."

"But the Creator knew that balance was essential.

To counter the overwhelming force of Kurotsuki, the Creator forged Hikari—a blade of equal but opposing power.

And to further stabilize the world, they created five more original blades:

The Blade of Lightning, Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth."

"I'm not talking about the fragments BladeHex owns.

I'm talking about the true forms of these weapons—blades that could shake nations."

Then he looked each of them in the eye and added,

"All of this… all these blades…

were created for one reason:

To keep Kurotsuki in check."

Ari whispered,

"So what does the legend say about it?"

Alex finally spoke the ancient words passed down through generations:

"THE CURSE OF THE BLACK MOON… KUROTSUKI.

A blade not meant for kings.

A blade not meant for heroes.

But for the one who walks the path of ruin and rebirth.

When drawn under the blood moon, it will either

end the world… or save it in its dying breath."

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