Chapter 103: The Holy Sword of Zenith Has a Twin?
“What!? A sword?”
Leon was slightly stunned to see, behind the darkness at the end of the hall of glory, a black sword lodged in the center of a fairly high altar.
“A black sword on a high altar?” Leon furrowed his brow, his confusion evident.
He had imagined that beyond the preceding darkness lay something more intriguing, perhaps the statue of Amon Crimson or even a mysterious chamber concealing a hidden 7,000-year history.
However, what greeted him was a substantial altar with a sword firmly lodged in its center.
Of course, rather than underestimating the scene, Leon found his curiosity once again reaching new heights.
“Are all the statues of the Demon Emperors behind me paying homage to the sword on the altar?” Leon blinks his eyes, his mind racing with guesses.
To confirm his suspicion, he turned his body back and indeed saw that the statues of the Demon Emperors were indeed making a respectful gesture towards the black sword lodged on the altar.
With a complex expression, he returned his gaze to the black sword.
“Do I advance toward it or retreat?” Leon pondered, his indecision weighing heavily.
He sensed that the black sword lodged on the altar before him was anything but ordinary.
Even from his distant position, far removed from the sword, he could vaguely feel the pressure of its aura.
As he teetered on the edge of deliberation, the blue butterfly that had guided him earlier suddenly reappeared, fluttering around him before darting toward the altar ahead.
Observing this, Leon, who had initially harbored doubts, gradually dispelled them from his mind.
“Could the blue butterfly’s guidance here be linked to the presence of the black sword?” With this insight, Leon determined to approach the sword on the altar without hesitation.
With cautious steps, he followed the guidance of the blue butterfly, making his way towards the altar.
Given the considerable distance between his previous position and the altar, it took Leon a little while to finally reach and ascend the first step of the altar.
Ascending one flight of stairs after another, he made his way steadily towards the highest part of the altar, where the black sword was stuck in the center.
Upon reaching the highest point of the altar, Leon could finally discern the black sword lodged in its center with greater clarity.
“The sword’s beauty is unexpectedly striking…” Leon’s eyes widened, and praise escaped his lips involuntarily.
As a sword hero and an avid enthusiast of sword weaponry, Leon possesses a profound understanding in this aspect, leading him to acknowledge the astonishing beauty of the black sword, which even faintly rivals his Holy Sword of Zenith!
“Ha? The Holy Sword of Zenith?” Leon was instantly taken aback, a sudden rush of memories flooding his mind as he gazed upon the black sword embedded in the altar.
“Why am I suddenly reminded of the Holy Sword of Zenith when I gaze upon that black sword?” Leon furrowed his brow in surprise, musing, “Could it be that my longing for my own sword has subconsciously conjured up these thoughts?”
Leon delved into contemplation, yet despite his efforts, he couldn’t unearth a definitive answer.
Instead, the familiarity of the black sword lodged before him inevitably evoked thoughts of his cherished Holy Sword of Zenith.
“Hah~ Perhaps I’ve been yearning for the Holy Sword of Zenith more than I realized,” Leon remarked with a sigh, opting not to dwell on the matter any further.
With his attention still captivated by the black sword, he resolved to draw closer.
After taking a few steps and stopping just two meters from the black sword, Leon finally gained a clear view of it, filling him with instant amazement.
The black sword bore a hue reminiscent of the darkness of night, adorned with swirling purple patterns along its blade.
Despite the dark hue of the purple pattern, it doesn’t fade into obscurity amidst the sword’s blackness; instead, it enhances its striking beauty.
Yet, as Leon gazed upon the sword with admiration, an inexplicable sensation washed over him, as though he harbored a profound familiarity with this very blade.
“Strange… What’s this sensation? Why do I sense familiarity?” Leon mused, rubbing his chin as he scrutinized the sword.
“That purple pattern bears a resemblance to the golden pattern on the Holy Sword of Zenith, doesn’t it?” His murmured observation escaped his lips, and in an instant, horror widened his eyes, prompting an involuntary step backward in surprise.
Still wearing an expression of astonishment, Leon fixed his gaze upon the purple pattern adorning the black sword, noting its striking resemblance to the golden pattern adorning the blade of the Zenith Holy Sword!
However, what set them apart were, of course, firstly the color of the patterns on each sword, and lastly, the direction in which the patterns spiraled around the blade.
The golden pattern on the Holy Sword of Zenith traced the blade in a clockwise direction, originating from the right side, while the black sword’s purple pattern began from the left, marking the complete opposite.
Furthermore, the dark, nocturnal hue of the sword seemed to embody darkness, a stark contrast to the light and purity symbolized by the Holy Sword of Zenith!
Despite this glaring disparity, the two swords bore striking similarities in other aspects!
“Damn it! No wonder I feel this sense of familiarity! This sword shares something in common with the Holy Sword of Zenith!” Leon exclaimed in disbelief, fear etched into his expression.
A sword with similarities to the Holy Sword of Zenith… Are you kidding me!?
“This… How can this be? Is this sword the twin of the Holy Sword of Zenith, or is it merely an imitation?” Leon asked in astonishment, taking a few cautious steps backward.
Recalling, he realized there were no news or records explaining this in the library of the Holy Empire of Elysium or even within the archives of the Holy Orthodox, leaving him even more clueless.
Furthermore, Leon remembered that the Holy Sword of Zenith had no twin; otherwise, wouldn’t such news have reverberated throughout the world thousands of years ago?
Just as Leon was succumbing to confusion, the black sword lodged in the center of the altar trembled slightly, emanating a black aura that enveloped the entire altar.
Witnessing this, Leon’s wariness surged, prompting him to instinctively recoil. Yet, before he could act, a voice suddenly resounded within his mind.
‘Have you finally appeared and come to me, the fated one?’
The voice, soft and gentle, rendered Leon instantly dazed.
‘7,000 years have passed, and finally, you have come to me, the fated one…’
‘I’m so happy… I’m so glad… I missed you so much… My new master, the fated one…’
Leon couldn’t grasp the voice’s meaning, yet he sensed the overwhelming happiness and profound longing behind its words.
And for some inexplicable reason, Leon felt as though he was hypnotized by the voice, causing him to instantly cease his attempts to flee.
‘My Master… I’ve waited for you for 7,000 years, and the time has finally come… Ahh, come to me…’
The voice continued to reverberate in Leon’s mind, compelling him to subconsciously advance toward its source.
One step…
Two steps…
Three steps…
After several strides, Leon came to a halt directly before the sword, extending both hands toward its hilt.
‘My Master… we can finally unite…’
As the voice resonated in his mind once more, Leon gathered his strength to extract the lodged sword.
However…
“Young man… Do not withdraw the sword, for now is not the time…”
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