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WARNING! |
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— Executioner's final words to Ijincheon. | ||
The Executioner of the Silver Forest, also known as simply the Executioner, was a legendary swordsman who was one of the strongest warriors in the world and a previous member of the Four Swordsmen when they were known as the Five Swordsmen centuries ago in the Chaotic Era. He is the creator of the One Blade - Thunderous Slash, a fierce swordsmanship technique and the former mentor of Ijincheon, the successor of his title as the Executioner of the Silver Forest and his youngest student who once known as the weakest one amongst his students with him being known as The Incompetent One, Farza who inherited Ashiyak one of his three treasured swords and would one day become known as the Demon Face, and others who inherited the last of his treasured swords.
The Executioner was first mentioned in a conversation between Ihwa, in her identity as Kasha, and Shell Knight who briefly explained his fame as a member of the Four Swordsmen at the beginning of the Nostra City Arc. He is mentioned again in Ihwa's flashback of when Yushin, the Executioner's final foe, taught her his legendary technique the One Blade - Thunderous Slash, and his legacy is shown with his successor, Ijincheon and former student, Farza.
He was formally introduced during the Assault on Castle Gray Arc, in a flashback where on the brink of his death he acknowledged Ijincheon's tenaciousness and gave him the opportunity to become strong as he sealed away his student in Sword Purgatory, a realm ruled by the spirits of swordsmen driven mad. By the time of his emergence, Executioner had already died after his final duel and bid Ijincheon one final goodbye after seeing his successor's newfound strength.
Appearance[]
The Executioner was an old man with long grayed hair and a wise aged face with wrinkles, he was one armed as he was born with a congenital limb defect. He was skinny with light brownish skin and long fingers. For clothing, he wore traditionally long grayed robes.
Personality[]
The Executioner was an ambitious man as he harbored a dream to accomplish something great with his skill during his youth.
History[]
The man known as the "Executioner" was born centuries ago during the days of the Chaotic Era. He was born with a fragile body and one arm due to a congenital limb defect despite being a Gift user. His real name is lost to history, but in his youth, he was ambitious.
Not letting his handicaps limit him as he wanted to reach the "skies" with his swordsmanship, the young swordsman became famous for slaying his enemies and opponents with just a single swing of his blade with no follow-up. Eventually, he became known as the "Executioner" due to his powerful techniques in killing his opponents instantly [1] and was well known for his three shard blades that were also famous in their own right due to their powerful abilities - a yet to be named straight guard less sword with a blue hue and color, Ashiyak, a cursed sword of great power that forced its wielder to kill otherwise it would kill the wielder [2], and another blade that has yet to be shown.[3]
Aside from his status as a famed swordsman, the Executioner started his legacy as a teacher as he took in students and taught them his swordsmanship and techniques. Amongst them was Ijincheon, a young man whom he met in his travels, who wanted to become his student to one day become a strong swordsman but was the least promising out of his pupils, Farza and others while living in the Silver Forest, a forest of silver-white bamboo.
It's unknown when but he started to be referred to as the Executioner of the Silver Forest and was counted as a member of the Five Sowrdsmen, the five most powerful sword wielders in the world in recognition of his swordsmanship.[4]
The Executioner continued teaching his students in the years to come as he aged, and they grew in both skill and power. After completing their training, Executioner passed on his three treasured swords to each one of the former students, Farza would take Ashiyak for himself and departed the forest to make a name for themselves in the world. The only one that remained was Ijincheon, who stayed behind in hopes of somehow improving his abilities but mainly assisted the Executioner in his daily tasks and took care of him with his health declining from old age and illness.
One night in the Silver Forest, the Executioner meets with Ijincheon. The old swordsman tells his student that his end is near as his body is failing him while coughing up blood. Ijincheon, with a look of sadness, tells his master not to say such a thing.
But the Executioner tells him that he knows the state of his body and knows that he doesn't have much time left. He then says that he will soon have a visitor and is asked by Ijincheon who would be with the Executioner telling him it is Yushin of Yerim. The Executioner believes that the Elder will give him a graceful departure and be a worthy last adversary to face before he dies.
The Executioner notes to his student that he harbored a dream to accomplish something great with his skill when he was a young man, but his fragile physique was the reason why he could only work on a single swordsmanship technique to gather whatever energy he could muster to unleash a single, ultimate attack to execute his enemies without the need for a follow-up attack. Ijincheon responds by saying that is how he became one of the five most reputable swordsmen to which the Executioner says that it is a name that means nothing and what he wanted was the skill to reach the skies. That he wanted to become the very best.
The Executioner, with his death near, then tells his young student that he was born with pretty much no talent to speak of. He remembers that his other students were able to cut through the cliffside as soon they picked up a sword, but that Ijincheon took a year to scrape a boulder.
He explains that if a talented young warrior is described as one in a million, then Ijincheon's lack of talent is one in a billion. However, the Executioner tells Ijincheon that he believes he is the one who will make his dreams come true despite that. But confused at his master's words, Ijincheon repeats back to his master that he is indeed talentless to an extraordinary extent as his master described him to be, and if he were at least mediocre in skill, he would have hope for more, but the Executioner asks Ijincheon even if he were to have an infinite amount of time which confuses his student further.
The Executioner then states that his other pupils have already taken his three cherished swords and that he only has one left. The old swordsman draws his blade of white energy from his walking cane and asks Ijincheon if he still wishes to become strong, like what he said on the first day that they met.
Ijincheon draws his respective sword. And the Executioner commands him, the Inept Apprentice, to take his master's sword. Ijincheon unflinchingly accepts and readies himself. The two swordsmen simultaneously attack each other, but Ijincheon fails to defend against this attack and is wounded. He sheathes his sword and closes his eyes as he slowly passes out. The Executioner gives his wounded student one final monologue:
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— {{{Source}}} | ||
The Executioner then passes on his title on to Ijincheon as he is absorbed by his master's sword. In the coming days, Yushin arrives at the Silver Forest and challenges the old swordsman to one final duel. The full extent and detail of this duel is currently unknown but Yushin would emerge as the victor. It is assumed that he was the one to have placed the Executioner's remains in its gravesite.
Upon his return to the real world, Ijincheon finds himself in the same place of the Silver Forest where he was absorbed. He sees that his master's sword is broken opposite to the Executioner's clothed skeleton. His master's skeleton immediately releases a phantom-like technique to attack him.
Though surprised, Ijincheon easily defends against the attack. The Executioner's spirit, content, offers his student one final goodbye, and his skeleton disappears into dust. Ijincheon, grateful, bows his head down before his master's final resting place.
Story[]
Nostra City Arc[]
The Executioner's legacy is mentioned and shown in Nostra, the city of Villains, and corrupt heroes. His fame as a swordsman is told by Shell Knight who explains his title as a member of the Four Swordsmen to Ihwa, who was in disguise as Kasha, who later remembered Yushin teaching her the swordsman's legendary technique in her childhood. Farza, his former pupil, also appeared in the city working as a mercenary and attempted to kill Hero Killer multiple times. The mercenary would remember his late mentor moments before his death at the hands of Paladin of the Hero Clan.
Assault on Castle Gray Arc[]
The events of the Executioner's final days are remembered by Ijincheon when he was asked on how he became so powerful despite being the Executioner's weakest student.
Battles & Events[]
Trivia[]
- Before his death, the Executioner was one of the two older members of Four Swordsmen aside from Yushin.
References[]
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 97 & Episode 147
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 109
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 107
- ↑ Hero Killer Episode 96
[]
| Four Swordsmen | |
|---|---|
| Current | The Skysword of Yerim • The Executioner of the Silver Forest • The Last Knight of Rhodos • The Knight Commander of Avaarin |
| Former Members | Yushin • The First Executioner • Previous Knight Commander of Avaarin |