Sword God in a World of Magic

Nobody said anything for a while.

Jerald put the letter to the side, and Shang summoned it back into his inner world.

"Are you telling the truth?" Jerald asked. "Will you do your best to stop the Abominations?"

Shang nodded. "The reason why Lucius failed is the God. The two of them have battled each other, and the God won."

"I don't plan to lose against the God."

"Lucius didn't know what he was up against, but I do."

Then, Shang looked towards the ceiling. "And maybe that is one of the reasons why the God has sent me here."

"There hasn't been another God in a long while, and the God probably wants someone he can fight with. He certainly didn't try to dissuade me from hating him."

"I don't know the origins of the Abominations, but I'm sure that the God knows of their origins. Yet, he didn't tell anybody, and he didn't do anything to stop them."

"In fact, he even gave me this Affinity, knowing fully well that the Abominations will become more powerful."

"Nevertheless, I want to kill the God and get rid of the Abominations. That's my goal."

Jerald didn't answer for a while.

"What if stopping the Abominations requires sacrificing your life?" Jerald asked.

"I don't know," Shang said after a couple of seconds. "When I have killed the God, I would have already reached the peak of power. By that point, there would be no more way to grow more powerful."

"I don't know what I would do then. Would my life be empty? Would I feel fulfilled?"

"One thing is clear. I am not someone that survives just because I want to survive. If there is nothing but emptiness and aimlessness in my life, I might be okay with sacrificing my life for the world."

"But first, I want to achieve my goals, and I won't entertain any thoughts for after I have reached my goals."

Jerald remained quiet for several seconds as he struggled with himself.

"How can I trust your words?" he asked.

"Jerald," Shang started, "you said that I am cold, selfish, and apathetic."

Jerald didn't answer.

"Then, tell me…"

"Why did I not flee towards the outside world during the civil war?"

"You wanted to kill the Council no matter what. You wanted revenge for Mattheo and George."

"Yet, you know very well that I view my own goals with the highest priority. Staying in the Skythunder Kingdom to fight the Council was an unnecessary risk."

"I could have simply gone towards the south, past the Storm Eagle Zone, jump down the Abyss, and enter the outside world."

"But I didn't."

"Why?" Shang asked.

Jerald looked at Shang.

now, most of his hostility had vanished,

of me," Jerald answered

want to see my only friend in the world die. I didn't

never gone against you, Jerald.

can never be completely sure of the intentions of other people, but you can see their actions, and my actions have said that I am by your side and that I will help

knowing my secret change the impact

I risked my life

Silence.

only looked to the ground with a worried

for a long

wanted to hear your side of the story

me of the Child of Calamity. For several days, I couldn't think straight. The one friend that had been by my side the longest is

couldn't understand how you can value your own power over the existence of the entire

empty? You might as well be the weakest human at that point, and it wouldn't even

a goal. It is a tool

fathom what kind of person you had to be

dead within minutes, and I would have saved maybe

with an answer as to why you were choosing yourself

wanted to hear your side

to hear your justification

was afraid

and I was afraid

happened, I would need to

the ground with eyes filled

didn't want

"So, I simply waited."

came out of training, I would confront

just

if I contacted

and eventually, I even blocked out

you would never

continued on

"I remarried."

"I had children."

"I led a Kingdom."

another encounter with you passed, and I was

my Communication Crystal

have become

arrived, and I couldn't

where I would

Shang didn't react.

Jerald sighed.

CRACK!

invisible Mana Shield around Jerald appeared, and it broke

intending to die

made myself appear weak to see your genuine

into Shang's eye, a relieved smile on his