I Can See the Sword’s Memories

Chapter 39: The Emperor’s Sword (3)

Whoosh!

The aura radiating from the middle-aged man was overwhelming. It dominated the space, wrapping the surroundings in an oppressive force that felt like sharp blades constricting my entire body.

Carefully, I drew my sword. Despite the presence of four Azure Wings members standing against him, Baron’s expression remained unchanged.

How many moves could we hold out against him?

Even with our numerical advantage, we couldn’t guarantee victory. The unease on everyone’s faces reflected this shared thought.

“This is insane…”

Andrew’s words were painfully accurate, and I silently agreed. Reincarnators grow exponentially stronger with time. 

Since they only need to replicate the achievements from their previous world, their longevity directly correlates with their strength.

Baron had admitted to living as himself for a long time. Although we didn’t know exactly how long, the fact that he could suppress four Azure Wings members without even drawing a sword spoke volumes.

He was at least as strong as a sub-captain level.

“You face an enemy and still allow your thoughts to wander. That attitude must be corrected before you can teach your children.”

It happened in an instant. By the time I registered his voice, Baron was already in front of me.

My body reacted instinctively, surging forward to close the gap. I activated my mana explosively, channeling it as the faint form of the White Dragon began to take shape at the tip of my sword.

Before I could fully gather my energy, I was flung backward.

Thud!

My vision blurred as a strange force coursed through my body. A distinct, oppressive energy spread through my meridians, forcefully blocking the flow of mana.

“Urgh…!”

As I hit the ground, I coughed up blood. Each attempt to use my mana brought excruciating pain.

Struggling to my feet, I glared at my opponent. Baron had managed to avoid the Empire’s watchful eyes for a long time. 

His aura flowed naturally, an immense force likely born from absorbing vast amounts of natural energy over decades.

“Stay there quietly. After dealing with these three, I’ll see to your condition myself.”

Even while fending off the combined attacks of Theo, Flora, and Andrew, Baron spoke to me casually, his tone disturbingly calm. Gritting my teeth, I clutched my chest and gasped for breath.

At that moment, figures began approaching from all directions: soldiers of the Silverhill family and estate staff.

Seizing the opportunity, I shouted, “I am Saeorin of the Azure Wings Knights of the Karma Empire! I am here to subjugate the reincarnator, Baron Silverhill! I formally request your assistance—”

I brandished my knight’s badge as I spoke but froze mid-sentence. The expressions of the gathered people were hostile—not toward Baron, but toward me and the other Azure Wings members.

Why…?

I couldn’t understand. Why were they pointing their swords at us? Why were they looking at us with hostility, when it should be aimed at the reincarnator?

“What… Did you already know?”

That was the only explanation for their behavior. I staggered back, struggling to steady my breath.

Even now, the White Dragon Mind Technique circulated within me, its faint mana spinning rapidly to combat the oppressive force blocking my energy flow. But regaining full use of my mana would take time.

Drawing my sword once more, I aimed it at the soldiers.

“Do not touch that girl! She will bear the family’s heir!”

Baron’s command made the soldiers lower their weapons, and their hostile gazes dissipated. It was a small relief. Scanning my surroundings quickly, I exhaled, trying to regroup.

Clang! Clang!

Theo’s frustration was evident as his expression twisted with every failed attempt. Even with the Empire’s Radiance of Dawn enhancing his attacks, he couldn’t land a decisive blow.

Their opponent was unarmed while they wielded swords. Yet Baron was unfazed, as if toying with them. 

Even though he was a trained swordsman, he hadn’t drawn a blade—an act of sheer confidence.

Theo’s thoughts burned with unease. What would happen if he did wield a sword?

He glanced at the faint threads visible only to him and reached out to pull one.

Baron’s voice interrupted him.

“Hm… It seems this is all of you. No more reinforcements are coming.”

Bang!

A powerful shockwave erupted from Baron’s hands, forcing the three attackers back. Taking light steps to widen the distance, Baron gave a single command.

“The sword.”

His voice, low and deliberate, summoned a response. Rowan emerged hesitantly, looking around nervously. His eyes found me, a small figure clutching a sword.

“Rowan. Bring me the sword,” Baron ordered sharply.

“Father…”

At that moment, I approached Rowan, my breath ragged. I dropped my sword to the ground and extended my hands in surrender.

Baron’s grin widened as he observed me. He must have thought I had finally resigned myself to becoming the chosen partner for his son.

As I gently leaned into Rowan’s arms, the worn sword he was holding was quietly passed into my hands.

In that moment, through the sword, I saw the sky—a vast expanse where the blade roamed freely.

Memories of the sword, engraved across dimensions, flowed into me. Faint and fragmented at first, they grew clearer. 

The arrogant formula of the Emperor’s Swordsmanship began to overwrite the White Dragon Mind Technique within me.

There’s no time. I’ll have to use these raw memories as they are.

There wasn’t enough time to adapt the inner force techniques into mana. Just absorbing the memories flooding into my mind was overwhelming.

I can’t hide any longer. I must use everything I have.

I needed to leverage all my assets—my appearance, my natural blessings, and my abilities.

With one step, my breathing technique was completed. With two, I drew the sword. On the third step, the invasive inner force coursing through my body dissolved into my own.

It was a harmonious energy, resonating with my natural flow. I allowed the force seeping into my meridians to expand outward, creating an aura that enveloped me entirely.

Whoosh!

A cold wind arose, emanating from me and disturbing the air around us. Beneath the sky, another sky seemed to unfold.

“That’s…?”

Baron’s face twisted in shock. He couldn’t fail to recognize a martial art of the same lineage as his own. His astonishment turned to curiosity, then exhilaration, and finally into faint anticipation.

I leveled my sword at him.

The Emperor is arrogant, permitting no one else to stand beside them. Beneath the gaze of the sky’s tyrant, only those who bow their heads are allowed to exist.

Thus is the essence of Emperor’s Swordsmanship.

The resonance of two Emperor-like auras caused the space around us to distort as the skies split and then merged again. Confidently, I stepped forward.

“You can’t mean—!”

Whoosh!

I didn’t wait for him to finish. My blade swung in a wide arc, pressing down on the air itself with overwhelming force. 

Though it came from a small girl’s hand, the blow carried a gravity that couldn’t be ignored.

For a moment, Baron saw himself in the figure before him. The girl’s appearance was unfamiliar, but her martial art was not. The technique, brought from another dimension, was now wielded by this small child.

Even her stance and grip mirrored his own. Though others could learn the same technique, subtle differences should have existed.

Is she imitating me?

No, this wasn’t mere imitation. Surface-level mimicry was possible, but to truly manifest the essence of the technique required knowledge of its formulas.

Baron froze momentarily, his limbs feeling the oppressive weight of the Emperor’s aura. 

Without a sword, his execution of the technique was incomplete. Grimacing, he began gathering his inner force.

I signaled the others with a glance and pivoted sharply. The Emperor’s Swordsmanship could only dominate the space for a fleeting moment—once the inner force infused within me was depleted, the formula would collapse, and the sky’s oppressive aura would vanish.

Now, while the overwhelming energy pinned down everything around us, was our only chance to escape.

The moment I moved, Theo, Flora, and Andrew followed suit.

Baron’s reaction came a beat too late. Caught off guard, his delay allowed us a narrow window.

“Catch them! Capture them immediately!” he roared.

Leaping forward, Baron spun midair. A nearby sword flew into his hand as if summoned. Vaulting over the estate’s walls, he chased us, while Silverhill soldiers poured out of the mansion.

The four of us raced through the city, not pausing even to retrieve our belongings from the inn. Leaping across rooftops and sprinting along thin laundry lines, we pressed on relentlessly.

Behind us, Baron’s tyrannical energy shredded everything in its path, obliterating obstacles with brutal precision.

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed as his force consumed another barrier in his pursuit.