Chapter 449: O Dragon, O Dragon! Part 26

Rätsel (Mystic Sword).
The pinnacle of a swordsman who walked a different path from the "Swordmaster," the highest tier reached by those who solely and endlessly perfected the sword.
A magic swordsman who imbues their own sword with magic, wielding techniques where sword and magic are one—the title claimed at the end of that path is "Rätsel".

That is the lore setting up to this point. If one were to explain it in game terms, Rätsel is a class that could be described as a "magic sword user who switches the player's magic."

In ShanFro, a "magic sword" is defined as a sword that inherently has magic memorized within it, allowing the user to cast that magic the moment they grip the weapon.
However, Rätsel uses a special catalyst sword called a Ritual Spirit Sword《Ritus》 and fights by switching magics based entirely on the player's own will.
Because it uses a sword as a catalyst, there are restrictions placed on the magics that can be activated, and it undeniably falls short when compared to a magic-specialized class like "Sage." But ignoring those points, it enables a highly adaptable battle style that masters all attributes.

Balancing both sword and magic—its performance is far too strong to be dismissed as a mere jack-of-all-trades. Yet, for some reason, "Rätsel" is considered an unfortunate, underpowered class. Why is that?

"What's wrong with just one sword! 【Falcon Edge】!!"

Exactly. The existence of the overwhelmingly popular highest-tier class of the same lineage, the "Swordmaster," is the very culprit making "Rätsel" seem unfortunate.

Truth be told, the notion that "Rätsel" is inferior to "Swordmaster" has no basis in fact. The Swordmaster, which relies entirely on the specs of the sword itself, tends to dazzle with its flashy actions, but it cannot cast any magic outside of "Servant" and the special magics corresponding to the number of swords equipped.
In contrast, Rätsel has the restrictions of the 《Ritus》, but its versatility increases proportionally with the number of magics the player has learned.

But, yes. Even if that is the actual truth.

The fact that a Swordmaster (Psyger-100) exists who fights far more flashily than any "Rätsel" completely obscures that truth.
Resolving the lack of attack volume with the extremely simple logic of "just increase the number of swords," freely wielding the magic she actually learned through the "Hero" class correction, and above all, the sight of countless renowned magic swords dancing in the air—it possesses overwhelmingly more flair than Rätsel, which is easily dismissed as "basically a Sage holding a sword instead of a wand, right?"
If one actually becomes a Swordmaster, they would understand that Psyger-100's build is the result of hardcore grinding and endless accumulation, but for those aiming for the top, it goes without saying which one they would choose.

In short, due to the completely blunt reputational damage of being "plain compared to Swordmaster," the population of players aspiring for Rätsel has dropped massively compared to Swordmaster.

"Ranged physicals, aim for the upper body! Especially the horns!! Just don't overdo it, focus on landing your hits!!"

Even if the fired arrows couldn't quite be called a rain, they assailed Siegwurm in considerable numbers, while the close-range classes closed in on his lower half and slammed their respective weapons into him.

"He's tough...!!"

"What about blunt strikes?!"

"Feels like I'm punching iron, is this even working?!"

『Nuuun!!』

The golden tail swung with a twist of his body swept away the players, and for those with low durability, that alone was enough to shatter them.

『What is wrong, is that all you have!』

『Gururuooaaar!!』

"Match his timing! .........Now! Smash your magic in!!"

The moment the distance widened between the repelled Noirlind and the repelling Siegwurm, a multitude of magics that had been kneaded with perfectly timed precision rained down upon Siegwurm.
Perhaps deciding that even he couldn't take this completely unscathed, lightning-like effects crackled around the dragon's horns.

『Good, very good! Then let us see you overcome my trial! 【Jazzy-Zone】!!』

"It's a skill seal! Fight mainly with magic!! Uhh, let's prioritize firepower here... Alright, this is the one! 【Ritual Update (Set)】!"

PT Overwerke pulled that out of his inventory—a thick, dictionary-like book—tore out a single page, and slapped it onto his sword.
Despite the lack of any ignition source, the torn page, enveloped in pale blue flames, was sucked into the sword along with smoke, fire, and even the faintest ashes, changing the color of the characters engraved on the blade from blue to purple.

"Fire magic! 【Chain Explosive Bubbles (Chain Bubble)】!!"

The 《Ritus》 wielded by Rätsel is both a wand and a sword. By performing a "Ritual" using a special catalyst on the base sword, it becomes a catalyst for activating magic—strictly speaking, a "Vessel for Magic Swords"—allowing a single blade to carry numerous magics.
Therefore, instead of the sharp flying slashes from before, bubbles concealing destructive power erupted from the tip of the blade as PT Overwerke barked out orders.

"Leader! It's only skills that are unusable, right? It's not like he has complete physical immunity!"

"Hikaridori-san! If you're going to keep hitting him, do it in a way that pincers Siegwurm!"

"Okay, okay!"

Siegwurm is massive. That means his hitbox is huge, making him easy to hit but also easy to defend against.
As time passed, the number of players gathering on the battlefield where Siegwurm and Noirlind clashed continued to increase. Naturally, the number of those belonging to the faction that could be called the Crafter Alliance—who were hostile towards Noirlind—also increased. But because the top clan alliance, unified by Pencilgon's behind-the-scenes maneuvering, commanded the vast majority, they couldn't execute anything beyond mere harassment.

『The radiance of the "Individual" is fine, but the radiance of the "Swarm" is also good!』

"No good, it doesn't feel like this is working at all!!"

"What about Mad-D-san?!"

"Yeah! The support classes are going all out slapping buffs on me! Give me another twenty seconds!!"

"Please, Mad-D-san! Just, like, go KABOOM!"

"Kaboom, right? Ufufu, leave it to me."

"Huh? A misfire?"

"Idiot! You can't stack multiple of that buff!!"

"Ah, right..."

Because it's a game, because it's a raid, because they're fighting as a group. If there are those who stare straight ahead at Siegwurm, there are also those who chat with the person next to them.
There are those operating crystals to take screenshots, and there are those who don't hide their bitter expressions looking at them.

『Ooh, truly the radiance of the stars... I have no memories of the Great Ocean, but was the passion embraced by those of the past truly like this...!!』

There are those drawing Siegwurm's Aggro, those running around freely, those raising wands in the rear, and those waiting for the perfect moment with a massive, blunt greatsword—an Iron Whip—slung over their shoulders.
And, there are those fighting alongside the Black Dragon.

『───Come, then! Show me every last bit of that radiance. Know that it is the brilliant light of heroes alone that shall pierce me!!』

The gold roared, his voice dyed in sheer delight.
In the era of the past, even with a perfected civilization, they could not defeat the Genesis. His golden sworn friend had sighed and told Siegwurm the cause of their ruin, saying "it was the only way it could have ended." Siegwurm did not think so.

The reason the people of the Divine Age perished—the Golden Dragon King believed that the cause was the absence of entities worthy of being praised as "Heroes," a side effect born of technology capable of turning even a single foot soldier into an elite.
Was it because the "admiration" for the heroic tales he was told when he was much, much smaller and younger was still etched into his very soul?
Or was it the conclusion he reached precisely because, during the Divine Age, he continued to fight as the greatest counter against the Genesis forces... as a sole, solitary "Individual"?

Siegwurm was still thinking even now. And that thought would likely reach a conclusion in the not-so-distant future.

Justice is a principle, an ideology. Evil is simply another justice established by a different definition.
It is impossible for all people to unify their consciousness. If so, even if that woman were the only one who didn't change her opinion, resolving that she alone would point her blade at "that guy" was also a form of justice.
And she was not alone; she was the Master Builder leading many supporters.

"...Let's do it. This castle exists precisely for that purpose."

At this moment, the castle born of hatred and revenge... and the motivation supporting it all, bestowed its blessing upon warriors far and wide.

Hostile Target: Black Dragon Noirlind
Buff Targets: Players and NPCs in a state of combat with the Hostile Target
Buff Details:
HP and MP recovery every 15 seconds
Enhancement of all stats
Damage bonus
Recast time reduced by 20%

Author's Afterword
Rätsel requires preparing magic catalysts and involves a lot of tedious, unglamorous prep work, which is another reason it's unpopular.