Journey to Planar World

Finn, who had been standing in the back lines with an analytical gaze since the beginning of the battle, now focused all his attention on the radiant silver sword in Charlie’s hand.

”Charlie Avalon... Could he be the hero awaited by the gods?”

A long history flashed through his mind. Finn remembered the epic tales of chosen humans called heroes, who were able to form contracts with spirits and wield their extraordinary powers.

The scene before him reminded him of those legends, a rare phenomenon that had become extinct in the modern era.

”What a pity, he doesn’t belong to the Loki Familia.”

As someone who lived in the golden age of the Hera Familia and Zeus Familia, Finn had a unique perspective on true power. He was well aware that even the Loki Familia and Freya Familia, the two dominant forces today, still paled in comparison to the glory of those two legendary Familias.

In the past, Orario was led by unparalleled strength. Empress, the captain of the Hera Familia, was a terrifying Level 9, while Zeus, the captain of his own Familia, was a Level 8.

Their core members were filled with High-Class Adventurers consisting of Level 5, Level 6, and even Level 7. Currently, Ottar of the Freya Familia was indeed the strongest adventurer and the only one to reach Level 7, but it felt like a small achievement compared to the past.

If only the tragic expedition against the One-Eyed Black Dragon hadn’t destroyed the core strength of the Hera Familia and Zeus Familia, it wouldn’t be the Loki Familia and Freya Familia dominating Orario today. The power vacuum left by that tragedy paved the way for the rise of new factions.

Recalling the power gap that still separated them from that golden age, Finn smiled wryly.

”Even after all these years, we still haven’t been able to catch up to the two strongest Familias of the past.”

”This comparison is truly annoying.” He muttered with a bitter tone.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

”OOOOOHHHHHH—”

Sensing the deadly threat emanating from Terminus Est, the Corrupted Spirit let out an even more hysterical roar. Its danger instincts screamed loudly, and it bombarded Charlie with a more ferocious and targeted barrage of tendrils than before.

”Let’s begin, Est!” Charlie said calmly as he gripped the silver sword tightly.

”Mm.” Est replied softly, her voice now only audible in Charlie’s mind.

*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*

Charlie moved swiftly, slashing Terminus Est towards the incoming tendrils.

*PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!*

The silver light of the sword formed deadly arcs in the air. Unlike before, where his ice sword could only graze and restrain the tendrils, this time the silver blade cut through them without any resistance. The thick tendrils were cleanly severed, as if a hot knife was passing through frozen butter.

”OOOOOHHHHHH—”

The Corrupted Spirit shrieked deafeningly, feeling the terrible damage inflicted by Terminus Est. The sword’s holy aura sent waves of excruciating pain throughout its body.

Terminus Est was indeed created as a countermeasure against spirit species, and its touch brought lethal damage to them.

Driven by every creature’s primal instinct for survival, the Corrupted Spirit suddenly turned around.

*BAM!*

With a movement that was surprising for its size, it leaped away and began to climb the towering great tree that connected the 18th Floor to the 19th Floor. Its hands gripped the giant tree trunk frantically, pulling its body upwards with unexpected speed.

”Huh, trying to escape?” Charlie was stunned.

Not only was he surprised by the Corrupted Spirit’s reaction, but Tiona and the others were also shocked to see the terrifying monster fleeing after just one direct confrontation with Charlie.

Charlie didn’t rush to pursue the fleeing Corrupted Spirit.

Calmly, he channeled magical essence into the glowing blade of Terminus Est. Its silver light grew brighter as magical energy filled it.

Then, with one graceful yet deadly swing of the sword, he sent a crescent-shaped slash of energy hurtling towards the Corrupted Spirit climbing the giant tree in the distance.

*SWOOSH!*

The sword energy shot out with incredible speed, cleaving the Corrupted Spirit’s massive body in two right down the middle.

*PU-CHI!*

”OOOOOHHHHHH—”

The creature’s terrifying roar stopped abruptly. The next moment, the Corrupted Spirit’s body turned into a swirling cloud of thick black smoke before finally disappearing completely.

”That...”

To others, that sight would surely be considered the end of the battle. However, Charlie was different. His sharp Six Eyes caught the faint remnants of the Corrupted Spirit, crystal fragments that might have been its core, floating for a moment before also vanishing.

An instinct within him told him that the threat was not completely gone.

”Not good, Aiz is in danger! The others won’t make it in time to help her!”

Just as Charlie was about to launch a final attack to ensure the core was destroyed, his gaze—thanks to the ever-monitoring Six Eyes—shifted to the battle between Aiz and Revis happening not far away. He saw Aiz beginning to be pushed back, her movements no longer as agile as before, and wounds starting to appear on her body.

*WHOOSH!*

Abandoning his intention to destroy the remnants of the Corrupted Spirit, Charlie decided on his priority. Aiz was in danger.

Without saying a word to the others, he shot off at full speed towards the two women locked in fierce combat, leaving Finn, Riveria, Tiona, and Tione behind.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Aiz Wallenstein, the greatest female swordsman in Orario, also known as the Sword Princess, was now on the verge of defeat at the hands of a red-haired woman whose identity remained a mystery.

If anyone told this story to the people of Orario, they would surely laugh it off as a bad joke. Yet, this was the harsh reality unfolding before them.

Whether in terms of speed or pure power, Aiz was clearly no match for Revis. If not for her exceptional Battle IQ, her ability to read her opponent’s movements and react quickly, she might have lost long ago.

”...”

Revis narrowed her sharp green eyes a moment before her body moved with a speed that almost vanished from sight.

*SWISH!*

Evading Aiz’s overhead slash that came with tremendous wind pressure, Revis moved with speed and power enough to cleave the wind itself. Her attack was an upward cut that started low and ended extremely high, a deadly move that was difficult to anticipate.

Revis’s bare left hand pierced through Aiz’s wind armor as if it were nothing, and buried itself deep into the girl’s abdomen, launching Aiz’s slender body into the air with brutal force.

*BAM!*

”Guh!” A pained groan escaped Aiz’s lips.

The force of the blow completely threw her off balance.

Aiz tried to regain her center of gravity by manipulating the swirling air around her body, but before she could succeed, Revis stepped forward quickly, raising her sword high above her head and pulling her bloodied left hand out of the way.

*CLANG!*

A cold spark flashed across Aiz’s back as Revis’s long sword struck her hard. Her enemy’s green eyes locked onto her, the sword descending straight down, ready to end the fight.

In desperation, Aiz diverted the flow of Ariel at the last moment, forcing it to raise Desperate with incredible speed, trying to parry the deadly attack.

*CLANG!*

A loud clang echoed as the two blades collided. However, the force of Revis’s blow was too great.

*PU-CHI!*

A crescent-shaped gash appeared on Aiz’s shoulder with blinding speed. Revis’s long sword struck Desperate from the upper left, piercing through the sword and every current of air protecting her.

*WHOOSH!*

*BAM!*

The impact hit Aiz like a sledgehammer, sending her flying backward violently and landing painfully on a pile of shattered building debris.

”Ughh!” Another pained groan escaped Aiz’s lips.

Pieces of wood, stone, and crystal exploded into the air around her body from the violent impact. All the air was forced out of her lungs in an instant.

Aiz’s body went limp for a moment, refusing to listen to the commands from her pain-stricken brain. Desperate slipped from her grasp.

”Finally, it’s over.” Revis said coldly.

Her long sword had shattered into pieces from the powerful impact. She discarded the hilt and the remnants of the blade before rushing towards where Aiz had landed, ready to deliver the final blow.

Aiz forced herself to her knees, her body trembling violently. She looked up just in time to see Revis attacking, her right arm drawn back past her shoulder, ready to deliver a blow that would likely take her life.

There was no escape.

Revis could see the clear expression of fear etched on Aiz’s pale face. The muscles in her gloved fist tightened as she unleashed the deadly punch.

However—

*CLANG!*

The loud echo of clashing metal reverberated through the ruined highlands. Her fist suddenly stopped, just centimeters from Aiz’s face.

A radiant silver double-edged sword lay horizontally right in front of Aiz’s shocked and pained face.

A man stood tall before her, like a knight protecting his princess from danger, arriving just in time to be her shield.

”Charlie...” Aiz mumbled weakly, her golden eyes staring at the figure of the man standing protectively before her.

For a confusing moment, amidst the pain and confusion, she caught a fleeting glimpse of her father in the young man, an illusion that struck her with unexpected force.