Chapter 223: Two Sword Masters

The Emperor was already past fifty.

And Anna, his eldest daughter, was only in her early twenties.

It was a noticeable gap—unusual, even, for someone in his position. But I hadn’t thought much of it before. I’d simply assumed she’d been born late.

But now...

An older brother?

And worse—an illegitimate one?

My thoughts stalled for a moment as the weight of that revelation sank in.

"You scoundrel!"

Signut’s voice exploded through the room, sharp with fury. His face was flushed red, veins bulging at his temple as he stepped forward, hand already hovering near the hilt of his sword.

"How dare you spout such nonsense! Do you have a death wish?!"

The tension spiked instantly. It felt like the slightest spark would set everything ablaze.

But before he could draw his weapon, Anna raised her hand.

"Stand down, Sir Signut."

Her voice wasn’t loud—but it didn’t need to be.

Signut froze mid-motion, his jaw clenched tightly. For a moment, it looked like he might ignore her order. But then, with visible reluctance, he stepped back, though his glare never left the man before us.

Anna turned her attention back to him, her expression calm, composed—yet far colder than before.

"What about proof?" she asked evenly. "Do you have any evidence to support your claim that you are His Majesty’s illegitimate child?"

The man—Leonardo—didn’t hesitate.

"I do," he said, almost casually. "Look at my hair."

I narrowed my eyes.

Despite the strange, unnatural darkness that seemed to cling to his body—like a shadow swallowing his very presence—his hair remained untouched.

A deep, rich purple.

Not quite the same as Anna’s lighter shade, but undeniably similar.

Close enough to raise suspicion.

Anna, however, didn’t react. Not even slightly.

"You’re aware that isn’t sufficient," she replied calmly.

And she was right.

Purple hair wasn’t unique within the Empire. Rare, perhaps—but not rare enough to prove royal blood. There were noble families, even a few commoners, who shared similar traits.

Leonardo smiled faintly, as if he had expected that reaction all along.

"Of course," he said lightly. "I didn’t think Her Highness would be convinced so easily."

His tone was casual—almost playful—but there was something beneath it. Something that made the air feel just a little heavier.

Anna didn’t react to it. Her gaze remained steady, sharp.

"Then show me something more concrete," she said.

There was no hesitation in her voice.

Leonardo let out a quiet chuckle. "Of course."

Then, without another word, he reached up and pulled aside the fabric near his shoulder.

"...Then perhaps this will be enough."

For a moment, I didn’t understand what I was looking at.

His skin—no, not skin anymore. Ever since he revealed his form, his entire body had taken on that unnatural black hue, like something charred yet still alive.

But even through that... there was a mark.

A faint, dark pattern etched into his shoulder.

It wasn’t just a stain or scar.

It pulsed.

Subtly, almost imperceptibly—but it was there. Like something breathing beneath the surface.

"What... is that?" I muttered before I could stop myself.

A tattoo?

No... it didn’t feel like something artificial.

Then—

Anna’s breath caught.

"...The birthmark...?"

Her voice, which had remained composed until now, wavered slightly.

For the first time since this whole exchange began, her expression cracked.

"Then you really are...!"

She didn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to.

I glanced around. It wasn’t just me—everyone present looked equally confused, exchanging uncertain looks. None of us understood what we were seeing.

But Anna did.

And that alone was enough to change everything.

"What is that, Your Highness?" I asked, my voice lower this time.

She didn’t answer immediately.

Her gaze remained fixed on the mark, her eyes darkening as if old memories were resurfacing—memories she’d rather forget.

"...It’s something only those of imperial blood possess," she said at last, her voice quiet but firm.

Imperial blood.

That single phrase carried weight—far more than any title.

I turned back to Leonardo, my eyes narrowing slightly.

"So you’re saying..."

He straightened, letting the fabric fall back into place, as if what he’d just revealed was nothing more than a minor detail.

"I am what I claimed to be," he said calmly. "A rightful bearer of the Emperor’s blood."

His gaze shifted to Anna, a faint smile lingering on his lips.

"Which means, Your Highness... you should understand what that implies."

Anna didn’t respond right away.

Her expression had returned to its usual composure, but the tension in her shoulders hadn’t faded.

If anything, it had grown heavier.

Now I understood.

So that’s why he planted a bomb in the Emperor’s bedroom.

From the very beginning... his target had been the Emperor himself.

"Even if my plan failed," the man said calmly, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "there’s still a chance. If I obtain the true devil’s power... I can gain strength far beyond what I have now."

My gaze hardened.

And his eyes—those cold, unwavering eyes—shifted toward a single person behind us.

Lisa.

So that was it.

He wanted to steal the power within her... and then return to finish what he started. To take the Emperor’s head with his own hands.

"...So hand over the pink-haired woman," he continued, his tone almost polite. "She is my only target. If you surrender her quietly, I’ll withdraw without further bloodshed."

Silence fell over the area.

Leonardo.

A Sword Master.

Just his presence alone was enough to make the air feel heavy. Oppressive.

But—

We weren’t defenseless.

We had a Sword Master on our side too.

There was no way he could just break through all of us alone.

Which meant this—this calm negotiation, this composed tone—was nothing more than a tactic.

He was trying to shake us. To plant doubt. To make someone hesitate.

"Cut the crap."

The words left my mouth before anyone else could respond.

Leonardo’s gaze snapped toward me.

"...Who are you?" he asked, his voice low, almost curious.

I ignored the question and stepped forward, placing myself slightly ahead of the others.

At this rate, someone might actually waver.

And that was exactly what he wanted.

"What do you plan to do if we hand Lisa over?" I asked, meeting his eyes directly.

A faint smirk returned to his face. "Isn’t it obvious? I’ll take her power."

"And then?"

"...And then—"

He stopped.

Just for a moment.

But it was enough.

His expression tightened ever so slightly, as if he’d realized he’d said too much.

"You’re trying to kill His Majesty the Emperor, aren’t you?"

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

Leonardo had already said it himself—his target was the Emperor. There was no room for doubt anymore.

Which meant one thing.

Handing Lisa over to him... would be no different from aiding in the Emperor’s assassination.

"...You’re quite sharp," Leonardo said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

That single response was enough.

Any lingering hesitation in the room vanished instantly. The people who had been wavering just moments ago now had no choice but to stand their ground.

No one could afford to let Lisa fall into his hands.

Beside me, Anna stood frozen, her face pale.

Without thinking, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "Stay behind me."

At the same time—

"Fireball!"

"Wind Cutter!"

Spells erupted from every direction. Flames roared to life, blades of wind shrieked through the air, and in the next instant—

BOOM!!

A massive explosion swallowed Leonardo whole, the shockwave rattling the walls and sending debris scattering across the floor.

Smoke filled the air, thick and suffocating.

But I didn’t relax.

Someone like him wouldn’t go down that easily.

And sure enough—

A figure burst through the smoke.

"Hyaaaah!"

Signut charged forward, his sword blazing with a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the very air around it. His strike cut cleanly through the haze, aimed straight for Leonardo’s neck.

For a moment, it looked unstoppable.

"...How foolish."

Leonardo’s voice echoed calmly through the chaos.

Then—

Clang!

The two blades met.

The impact rang out like thunder.

Leonardo stood there, completely unharmed, as if the explosion had been nothing more than a passing breeze. With one hand, he had blocked Signut’s strike effortlessly.

Then he raised his other hand—darkened, almost unnatural.

"Bind."

"...He’s using magic?!" someone shouted.

The floor beneath Signut twisted.

From the shadows, black hands burst forth, writhing like living creatures. They shot up and grabbed onto his legs, tightening with unnatural strength.

For a split second, his movement halted.

But only for a second.

"Tch!"

With a surge of aura, Signut tore free, the shadowy hands shattering into fragments of darkness.

The two of them closed the distance in an instant.

No hesitation. No wasted motion.

Two Sword Masters—standing face to face.

And then—

They struck.

Steel collided with steel, sparks erupting with every clash. The sheer force of their blows sent shockwaves rippling through the room, cracking the floor beneath their feet.

They moved too fast to follow.

One moment Leonardo was on the offensive, his blade cutting through the air with deadly precision—the next, Signut pushed him back with overwhelming force, his aura flaring like a storm.

Each swing carried enough power to kill.

Each exchange could decide the battle.

I tightened my grip on my sword, my heart pounding as I watched the clash unfold.

This wasn’t a fight we could interfere with lightly.

At this level... one wrong move, and we’d be dead before we even realized it.

Still—

If things continued like this...

"...We might actually stand a chance," I muttered under my breath.

But even as I said it, a faint unease crept up my spine.

Leonardo... still hadn’t shown everything.

And somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling—

That this fight was far from over.