The terror vanished from their faces, replaced by admiration.
Rin: "That such a person exists is beyond imagination; he is more than magnificent."
Darion: "Yes, you're right. In the battle I witnessed, I couldn't move an inch because of his presence—I was terrified. He was ferocious in slaying demons. I still recall his face stained with their blood, smiling as he tore them apart limb by limb."
Those present shuddered at these words, and Darion continued:
"But that's not all. There was also the Shadow of Death. Wherever this person appeared, Death's shadow was there to claim the souls lost in battle.
By nature he was neutral—he didn't kill beasts, nor did he harm humans. Yet people say they sometimes saw him preventing the deaths of children, women, and the elderly. Despite his nature, he remained human. I saw him often, for his shadows roamed the world gathering souls.
But if you ask me, I do not like him. I cannot accept him—he has the power, yet does nothing to rid the world of these creatures.
And his fate is unknown. He vanished suddenly, leaving no trace or clue, as if he had never existed.
At that time I was serving with the battalions in the Southern Forest, but fate willed that we did not witness the deeds of those five."
Leon sprang up: "What do you mean, Darion? You spoke only of two people."
Darion was lost in thought before a look of sudden realization crossed his face.
Oran spoke: "What's wrong, Darion? You look shocked. Did you remember something?"
Darion looked at Oran and said, "I remembered the White Death."
Erinor: "The White Death?"
Darion: "Yes, the White Death. That was his epithet."
Selene: "Who do you mean?"
Darion: "Zane—I mean Zane. He is the White Death. He was also counted among the greatest in history. He bore many titles: Hope of Humanity, Maker of Hope, the Genius Ahead of His Time, the Merciful Demise, the Swordsmith, the First Reason Humanity Regained Its Dominion… and many more.
Yes, it was certainly Zane."
Everyone present, including the Shadow Knights, was astonished. It seemed only Darion remembered these details.
Darion added, "I don't know what happened to him during my sealing period. It appears he accomplished many glories. But in the end, people called him the White Death because of his excessive kindness.
He even pitied the demons. He killed them, but mercifully, so they would not feel pain. Yet, from what I heard before the seal, his kindness vanished entirely, and he became one of the greatest slayers of demon blood.
I do not know why this change happened so suddenly, but what was to be expected from demonic creatures?"
Lina spoke shyly, as she did not usually join such conversations: "And who are the other two of the five you didn't mention?"
Darion: "I'm sorry about that, but you already know one of them."
Erinor: "Sky Sword, isn't it?"
Darion: "Yes—the Sky Sword was either first or second in people's rankings of his strength."
Rin: "What do you mean? Was he second or first?"
Darion: "I honestly don't know. Some say Sky Sword is the strongest, others say the Ultimate Limit is the mightiest.
Opinions vary, but from what I saw of the two, I believe the Ultimate Limit is the strongest of all."
Elric suddenly interjected: "What's wrong with you, brother? Didn't you see what Sky Sword did to the Demon, King of Monkeys? He cleaved him in half along with the mountain!"
Darion: "Yes, I still remember that. But do you recall how the Ultimate Limit obliterated the Silver Celestial Dragon by a single punch to its belly?"
The Shadow Knights' discussion turned into a competitive debate about Sky Sword and the Ultimate Limit, while the users of the demonic weapons shuddered in fear at the mention of those demon names.
The debate grew so disruptive that Oran intervened and stopped them, saying:
"We respect everyone's opinions, but let's hold a vote. Those who see Sky Sword as the stronger, raise your hand."
Oran began counting, then sighed: "It's a tie. Five out of ten raised their hands, and five did not."
Oran: "Alright, let's change the topic. Darion, when you spoke of those two demons—the Monkey Emperor and the Silver Celestial Dragon… Am I imagining it, or are these Imperial-ranked beasts?"
Darion: "Yes, they are. Why do you ask?"
As he spoke, a breeze blew by, making everyone's hair rise in terror at the mention of the Imperial rank.
Oran: "You do realize these beasts possess the power of a hundred thousand ordinary-ranked creatures?"
Darion: "Yes, absolutely. They are Imperial rank."
Oran: "So you're telling me that Sky Sword and the Ultimate Limit defeated these two demons in a single blow?"
Darion: "Yes, indeed. Didn't I tell you that these five sat upon the throne of power? They transcended ordinary humanity. They were Emperors of the world, known as the Pentad of Inos.
It is the final rank of power attainable by the strongest of the strong in the world.
An entire era passed without a single Inos ever appearing."
After Darion's words, they all realized how weak they were now; if just one of those beings appeared, the world would end and humanity would be wiped out.
But that was not all—realizing their weakness, they also grasped the magnitude of power humans could reach.
Rin: "But, despite everything, you haven't told us about the fifth Inos. Who is he?"
Darion: "Oh, I forgot to mention him. He was known as the Noble of the Sword or the Noble Swordsman, due to his just nature and pride as a swordsman. He was wise and composed, not young but middle-aged, and the one who saved more people than any of the other four.
Wherever danger threatened people, he was there to protect them, and no one was harmed under his watch. He achieved complete protection for the people.
What if I told you that from his appearance onward, not a single human died in the area where he was present?
From dawn's first light to dusk's setting sun, he stood before the gate, slaying as many of those creatures as he could. He lay in wait for them day and night to protect the entire region.
It is also said that he never left the Western Desert during the daytime.
You have heard of him before. Do you recognize him?"
They all exchanged strange looks; it seemed none of them knew or had heard of him.
Darion: "Very well, I'll give you a hint. He appears in the legends Oran just read."
Doubts and thoughts swirled in their minds, yet still they did not rec
ognize him.
He sighed in disappointment and said, "He is Raven. Raven is the Noble of the Sword—didn't you know?"