People often say…
An elf’s weapon is their long lifespan.
Usually, it’s a figurative expression, implying they can accomplish many things over a long life.
But there are some lunatics who use their lifespan as a weapon, quite literally.
And that lunatic stands right in front of me.
In the dark chamber, a red light begins to spread.
The light flares up as Rex burns through his lifespan, radiating outwards.
The hue of that light gradually shifts to orange.
It’s evidence that his lifespan is decreasing in real time.
When the last cold blue flame flickers and goes out, that’s when Rex will die.
“I’ve staked everything on my revenge! What have you staked?!”
Rex literally put everything on the line.
He’s gambling with his life and lifespan to complete his revenge.
But it’s one thing if it’s directed solely at Transylvania.
It’s a problem when he’s throwing a fit at random people.
“I’ll say it again! If you’re not prepared to face death, forfeit!”
“What the hell, why so dramatic about preparation…?”
This is truly hopeless.
The technique that burns lifespan to translate it into power is certainly considered taboo.
But it’s not outright illegal.
“Oh…”
Glancing at Mia, she too seems flustered.
There’s no violation of duel rules,
and if it’s not breaking Elvenguard laws, the judge has no grounds to stop this duel.
Ultimately, this duel must continue as it is.
That guy will quickly defeat me.
And immediately summon Transylvania to take revenge.
Next will be Yulia.
That damn bastard will surely burn his lifespan and kill Yulia too.
Rex is clearly losing his reason and going berserk.
He’s committing crimes while dangerously walking the line of legality.
I must stop him.
I have to be the one to stop Rex here.
The first method that comes to mind is, of course, stalling for time.
I need to buy time until Rex’s flames turn blue.
I just have to endure until his lifespan runs out.
But even a simple plan like that, Rex would surely think of too.
“You little rat! Do you think I can’t see your scheme?!”
Ugh…!
Bang!
As Rex stomps the ground, soil flies everywhere.
Covered in flames, Rex charges at me.
I abandon any thought of clashing swords and dodge to the side.
But then, the blade quickly switches direction and chases after me.
With my stance disrupted and looking foolish while fleeing, I just barely managed to escape from his blade’s reach.
“How long do you think you can keep running?!”
But that’s just a temporary effect.
The cost of breaking my stance hit me hard the moment Rex lunged at me again.
I keep running and running, and running again.
But this trick will hit its limit soon enough.
Ultimately, Rex has the advantage in speed and power.
I’m only elongating my life by sacrificing stamina.
As my stamina wanes, my retreats grow slower.
My body is accumulating minor injuries.
One more mistake here, and those minor injuries could turn into a deadly blow to my abdomen.
In an instant, my breath is caught in my throat.
Moreover, I’ve already been cornered against the wall.
I have no place to run, no energy left.
Now, I must face him.
To escape the corner, I have to confront him with swords drawn.
And I absolutely refuse to engage him in a fair showdown.
“What?!”
Feigning to show my back,
I deliver a spinning kick that deflects Rex’s blade with the sole of my shoe, and at the same time, I aim low with a horizontal slash at his waist.
“I’ve already figured out that you use two types of swordsmanship!”
But it seems he anticipated that as well; Rex, calculating the distance, dodges backward and counters.
I try to parry the incoming blade with a sturdy ring but am quickly countered again.
Attempting to create confusion by mixing Dakia-style and Frost-style swordsmanship, Rex simply responds calmly and blocks everything.
Now’s my chance.
But that leaves an opening.
Dakia-style and Frost-style.
They emphasize offense and defense respectively, serving as opposites to each other.
Therefore, guarding against both styles simultaneously means being utterly defenseless against an entirely different sword style.
“Huh?!”
My last joker card.
I draw out the Merida-style, swinging my sword to pierce through.
A stark contrast to the previous big swings or thrusts.
Unlike the Dakia style that aimed for a direct hit, this focuses on seamlessly penetrating the defenses.
As the wrist of a human can’t bend at impossible angles, the blade glides along the curve of the sword.
Rex’s eyes widen as my sword approaches his skull.
I’ve got him.
Graaah!!!
“…?!”
At that moment, something unbelievable happens.
The tip of my sword touches his forehead.
I feel the satisfying feedback of slicing through skin and piercing inward.
Yet, the sensation I soon feel isn’t the crunch of his skull breaking but rather a scraping sensation as my blade skims past it.
I hit him in the head but didn’t kill him.
Haa… Haa… Using Merida-style of all things… What a petty little thief…!
“How am I supposed to catch him with this?!”
Stepping back, Rex clutches his bleeding head and gasps for air.
I pierced his opening perfectly.
The only problem was Rex was just absurdly tough.
What he gained from burning his lifespan isn’t just power.
His endurance must’ve been beefed up as well.
A shallow cut isn’t enough for a fatal blow.
That means I’d have to land a solid finishing strike to break Rex’s skull…
But that’s impossible.
I just barely managed to slip through once.
Against someone superior in strength, speed, and technique, there’s no way such a large motion would work.
I’m in big trouble.
I no longer have any joker cards left to show.
The Dakia-style, Frost-style, and now Merida-style have all been unveiled.
From now on, Rex will approach me much more cautiously and carefully.
If only he had completely lost his reason and gone insane…
Calmly going insane while possessing overwhelming physicality and fighting intelligently leaves me with no means to combat this.
“An elf risking his life, how annoyingly strong… Why don’t you just organize a suicide squad? You could probably conquer the world.”
“There’s no elf who would waste the longevity granted by the World Tree like that! Not unless they’re fully committed to revenge like me!”
With blood streaming down from his forehead, one of Rex’s eyes has turned red.
Regaining his breath, he lifts his curved blade and takes a stance.
Before I realize it, the light surrounding his body has begun to change from yellow to blue.
In response, I also adjust my wrist and grip my sword.
My stamina is already at its limit, and the tip of my sword trembles.
Yet, I cannot retreat.
“Why aren’t you forfeiting? Your sneak attack came to nothing! Stop your pointless resistance and give up! I’m risking my life here! A half-hearted person should stop draining others’ lifespans and just bow out!”
“My life is on the line too!”
Rex, fueled by anger, shouts.
But my determination is just as strong.
I’ve rolled for a whole 12 years.
This is my final chance after 12 years of hardship.
I can’t allow someone who announces their intention to mess things up in this last round to escape.
I must never let the tip of my sword point at Yulia.
“I can’t understand! Are you in love with the witch? What kind of being is she to you, an outcast feared by everyone even in Elvenguard?!”
“In love…?”
That’s absurd.
Am I in love with Yulia?
This ultimately draws out a hollow laugh.
“Heh. No.”
Not at all.
It’s more than just a simple feeling.
It’s not just a matter of liking or hating.
“It’s beyond that.”
Soon, the trembling of the sword stops.
Power begins to surge throughout my body.
My stamina has already exceeded its limits, but my concentration reaches its peak.
The mana control refined through the mana stone is more perfect than ever.
No need to say more.
I’m stronger now than at any point before.
Yet still, I can’t match the elf who’s burning a thousand years of lifespan.
For the next five minutes, Rex is bound to unleash his ultimate strength.
In the face of overwhelming power, the gap in combat experience and technique becomes meaningless.
He blocked my critical strike with a solid skull.
It’s likely that no technique will work against him anymore.
Hah…
Watching Rex take his stance brings forth feelings.
As if I’m facing a massive wall.
It’s just a wall I can turn back from, but trying to push beyond it feels impossible.
To break Rex’s bones and deal a fatal blow, I need to land a precise hit.
Which means I’ll have to move close with a large motion.
If I do that, my body will be torn apart before my blade even reaches him.
I need to land a hit on Rex and survive.
The blade must reach places it shouldn’t.
Overcoming the limits of the sword by any means necessary…
“Oh.”
Finally,
I think I understand the meaning of those perplexing, riddle-like words.
It’s not just about a simple distant strike.
I think I grasp the meaning behind it now.
The secret arts of the Dakia style were never meant to battle distant enemies.
Only when pure offense is blocked and progress becomes impossible,
to slice in places where the sword cannot reach.
To cut into the impenetrable.
Created to break the limits of the sword.
Literally, an ultimate secret technique.
The quintessence of attack.
“Huh? Why the sword…?”
Dropping my battered double-edged sword,
I grip the wooden scabbard at my waist.
With my other hand, I clutch the carefully wrapped hilt.
The first time I’ve touched a daito.
It feels strange, and the grip is uncomfortable.
Without the mana stone supporting my mana flow, it’s quickly becoming a mess.
But the sensation at my fingertips grows more refined.
The resonance of the blade and the twitch of my muscles respond to one another.
I’m ready to draw the blade.
“Don’t do anything stupid…!”
Rex’s face turns pale, and he charges at me head-on.
At that moment, the sword is drawn from its scabbard.
With a strange sensation, a system window pops up before my eyes.
[Trait ‘Dakia Style’ has leveled up.]
[Trait: Dakia Style (lv.11)]
