Capítulo 62: Sword Bestowment Ceremony (5)

[Yue's POV]

Finally… It's finally time for Amon to take the stage.

After all this time, it's finally here. Of all the events I wanted to witness with my own eyes, this was easily in the top five. When I first met Amon in my past life, he was already an accomplished hero with countless legendary tales.

Single-handedly defeating a Demon Cult branch all on his own, decimating more Greater Demons than anyone in modern history, and achieving powers far exceeding the Hero of the current age.

The tales of Amon the Great were innumerable, and each more impressive than the last. They were all so unbelievable that if I hadn't witnessed his later years with my own eyes, I would have doubted the stories as tall myths or exaggerated accounts.

However, every story has its beginning. And for Amon, the start of his story began here. At the Sword Bestowment Ceremony.

Many people believed that Leon pulling Ascalon would be the ceremony's highlight. After all, history's greatest heroes only wielded the Holy Sword. But, little did they know that the true climax of this event had yet to come.

My breathing paused, and my eyes focused on the suave Solaris Knight standing on the altar. Most of the audience's attention had been captivated by Leon's sanctified appearance as he coddled Ascalon with two hands, and no one was paying attention to the young man on the platform.

Even Alrock Solaris, the Lord of the Solaris House and the Custodian, the guardian deity of Sword Garden, were barely paying attention to Amon. If I could read their minds, I bet they were thinking of getting the Sword Bestowment Ceremony over and done with so they could tend to Amon.

But not me.

I focused all my attention on the young man standing lazily while waiting for his cue. My recording crystals were pumped with magic, many floating around me to get all the angles possible. This was a scene I had to record and replay many times in the future. I had to get it perfect.

Whenever Amon asked what sword he would get, I played it cool. He wouldn't show that relaxed expression if he knew what sword he would get. I couldn't wait to see the shock and awe as he summoned the only sword that suited him in the universe.

On top of the grand stone platform, Amon's broad chest expanded as he inhaled a deep breath. Bathed in golden light caused by Ascalon's afterglow, Amon looked like an immaculate deity that had descended from the heavens to anoint a champion of war.

His hair was a cascade of sleek, raven-black strands, falling just short of his shoulders. Reflecting the golden shine, Amon unveiled his otherworldly, ethereal looks as he stepped into the magic circle.

The whole world calls me a beauty and an untouchable flower… However, they weren't aware of the criminally good looks Amon possessed. Call me biased, but no one could match Amon's handsome and wild appearance. Especially his molten gold eyes, which seemed to melt anything he laid his gaze on.

It was troubling to have a handsome fiancé… Like the sweetest honey, his looks alone were enough to attract lustful bees.

But I digress…

My legs turned to jelly as I watched his resolved expression. As they say, a man's eyes were the most enchanting when resolved. Without a moment's hesitation, Amon poured his thick mana into the magic circle. The magic circle trembled wildly, unable to withstand the full force of Amon's power.

That was to be expected. The whole world believed that Amon was only a Three Suns Solaris Knight, but the truth was, the man had Six Suns condensed. Also, he was blessed by Sister Yval, the Golden Dragon Progenitor lost to history. And the cherry on top, he possessed Lunar mana from his previous life as a Transcendent.

There was no way the magic circle meant to draw out the latent potential of young talents could withstand Amon's overwhelming powers.

Nevertheless, Amon's mana resonated with Sword Garden and manifested into a dense golden fog covering the entire mystical realm. All the precious artefacts in the realm were trembling, and it seemed like a repeat of Leon's bestowment.

However, while the swords resonated with Leon, yearning to be owned by him, the valuable weapons of Sword Garden were now shaking leaves in an Autumn breeze with absolute fear. They were edging away from the platform, afraid of the ominous power hidden within Amon's soul.

The peculiar scene confused the audience, the Custodian and Alrock especially.

Never had such an event occurred in the history of the Sword Garden, and the fact that it occurred right after Ascalon was summoned baffled the knowledgeable elders. Unfortunately, it was far too late to do anything.

A golden pillar of light erected itself into the bright sky, splitting the heavens and breaking the illusory dimensional ceiling. The Gates of Sword Heaven revealed themselves once more, not to grant Amon with a new sword from its vault, but in absolute horror as the dimension glass shattered.

Sword Garden was turned upside down as reality and illusion mixed. Breaking the barrier caused a minor calamity to ravage the serene fields that had been untouched for centuries. Interdimensional winds imploded from the faux skies, forcing the audience to brace for impact.

The Custodian was the first to act, and with one wave of its hand, the audience and artefacts were protected by golden, unbreakable barriers. Its googly eyes were calm, but I could tell the ancient Spirit was deeply shaken.

For aeons, the Custodian had controlled Sword Garden with an Iron Fist. Even the Solaris Lord could only bow his head in obedience whenever the Custodian remained in its realm. Yet, at this very moment, the ancient Spirit had lost all control over its realm.

The only thing it could do was wait patiently for Amon's bestowment ceremony to end.

The golden pillar of light continued to target the constellations above as if searching the entire universe for a worthy target. But no matter how much the pillar called for it, nothing answered its call.

And it was then… Amon's soul changed.

The golden colour, which was synonymous with the Solaris House, was eclipsed by a silvery light. A black mist corroded the platform beneath Amon's feet while numerous golden Suns orbited around him all while a massive silver pillar reached for the stars, scouring the dimensions for a suitable partner.

In a trance, Amon unknowingly reached his right hand out to the sky and poured even more mana out from his soul.

Until finally…

The Sun that the Sword Garden created turned black.

The dimensional winds stopped, creating an eerie silence that was completely unfathomable.

From the darkened sky, the audience could see multiple stars and galaxies, all in great detail beyond anything they could see with their naked eyes. The Eclipse created an otherworldly effect and a presence that intimidated all who yielded their eyes against it.

Everyone present had differing feelings about what they were witnessing.

Many felt fear. Some felt reverence. Others… anxiety.

But there was one thing on everyone's mind as they watched the ring of fire covering the heavens…

Something big was coming.

From the epicentre of the Eclipse, a single glimmer lit up the black sky. A star that twinkled gently at first, but it wasn't long until it descended violently like a falling comet. Silvery-black light fell from the heavens like a star losing its place among the constellations.

And it was aiming right at Amon.

Alrock moved to protect Amon, but the Custodian stopped him. As expected from the ancient Spirit, even before knowing its identity, the Custodian knew that the falling object would not harm Amon.

How could it?

After all, it was Amon's most trusted ally.

In my past life, even when humanity fell and Demons took over Hyades, the mystical object never broke and stayed by Amon's side until the end. Even when Amon passed on, the sword disappeared through the dimensions, refusing to fall into the hands of another owner.

The falling light stopped before Amon, and a gentle explosion graced the Sword Garden.

All its inhabitants revelled at the sight of the newcomer, and even the most invincible swords reacted to its immense presence.

Even Ascalon, the only Heroic-grade blade in the world, was shaking as it felt the foreign sword's power.

The audience was frozen, not knowing what to do in this incomprehensible situation. Alrock was deeply concerned about what Amon had just done. The Custodian's eyes were cold, analysing every passing second not to miss a single thing.

Only two people present had the presence of mind to move their bodies.

I was still desperately channelling my mana into the recording crystals, hoping to capture every moment I could.

As for Amon…

He reached out to the levitating sword with mixed emotions hidden in his eyes.

There was no way he wouldn't recognise this sword.

The black blade was shrouded at night, making it the perfect weapon to execute unsuspecting enemies. The unique guard that prevented blood from spilling onto the hilt to avoid any loss of grip. And finally, the resonating aether that only Transcendents from his past life used.

This was the sword Amon used when he was Number 23.

The sword that he used to cut down every enemy in his path, earning countless fables on his road to becoming the greatest Transcendent of all time. The sword that became a legend, synonymous with his fighting style as the Lunar Blade. The sword that became myth, as he slayed a thousand Transcendents all on his own. And finally, the sword that broke all logic by breaking through dimensions in search of its master.

There was no better sword for Amon, and he knew it better than anyone.

Grabbing a hold on its hilt, Amon let out a rare smile. Perhaps he felt grateful for seeing his partner again after so many years. And the sword released a resonant cry as if feeling the same thing. As he swung the precious sword once, I saw glimpses of the Great Hero who saved humanity time and time again.

My heart was beating rapidly. I was glad to have finally captured the SSS-Ranked event with my crystals and my own eyes.

With his sword returned to him, Amon was whole again, and with it…

The tale of Amon the Great will finally begin.

END OF VOLUME 2