Kaang-! Karduk-!
The sound of swords clashing bursts forth lightly.
An empty killing intent with no traces of malice. Yet, within that emptiness lies technique that cannot be dismissed.
Sometimes flowing like water. Sometimes wrapping around like a snake. Sometimes fluttering like petals, the dance of the Great Sword changes erratically, captivating the mind and forcing the body to move.
The swift and graceful swordsmanship hardly seems believable for wielding such a massive Great Sword. A completely different style that relies on technique rather than sheer force.
Of course, it wasn’t an attack I couldn’t handle.
A while ago, I would have been knocked down immediately, but now I felt light on my feet.
Thanks to Sirin and Cartia’s training, I guess.
Kwa-dak-! Kaang-!
In any case, thanks to various experiences I’ve accumulated so far, exchanging strikes with Frey was not difficult.
No, not just not difficult—
I could end this duel with just swordsmanship anytime I wanted.
But I didn’t end it. That wasn’t my goal for this duel.
So I focused solely on depleting Frey’s stamina.
The sword swung fluidly, cutting off her rhythm.
The sword, swung like a snake wrapping around, aimed for her neck.
The blade, swinging like scattered petals, was a bit bothersome but struck with a bit more force.
Just as I had learned in Cartia’s training— rather than deflecting the opponent’s attacks, I smashed first from my side.
Once, twice. Each time our swords clashed, Frey’s stamina decreased slowly while I preserved my own.
Everything flowed just as Cartia and I had planned.
But this sight only soured Cartia’s mood.
[This is truly pathetic.]
A short, snide remark mixed with light laughter but brimming with undeniable resentment and self-loathing.
[So, what? Think you can do it?]
Whoosh-!
Her straight sword line twisted.
I took a large stride forward, diving into Frey’s range. If I wasn’t cautious, my body would be severely cut, but I didn’t stop. I trusted my instincts and moved closer within her sword dance.
‘This much…’
Seeming to sense my intentions, her twisted Great Sword began to be drawn back in haste. The broad blade entered her empty stance. The momentum I had built receded, and her breath tightened.
‘Looks possible.’
But it was too late. The sword handle that extended like a cannonball shot past the Great Sword and struck Frey in the gut. Thud-! The vivid sensation of crushing armor and bones sparked at my fingertips. Her breath escaped and brushed past my nape.
And then, something unknown clung to her soul and jolted.
[Almost there.]
Despite Frey writhing in pain from her bones crushing, she was quick to act. Her rugged fist deflected the sword handle while the Great Sword swung. It looked as if she aimed to distance herself from me. However, the energy contained in her Great Sword from that disarray was incredibly weak.
I capitalized on that.
Inserting my Great Sword into her weak swing, I gripped the sword handle backward and drove it into the ground. Kwa-dak-! The Great Sword was embedded firmly in a flourishing flowerbed. Feeling it secure, I pulled the sword handle as I threw my body forward.
Purse-! The ground beneath me exploded. Petals scattered. I quickly shot my body toward Frey once again, and as the distance between us vanished completely, I raised my knee.
Jjeo-ong-! The sound that erupted was unbelievable for a knee strike. Yet, contrary to that terrible sound, her body remained in place.
This was because, following Cartia’s earlier teachings, I had channeled force into a single point. Such overwhelming impact left Frey unable to even scream, and her body began to sway violently.
To not let that go to waste, I quickly stepped forward. At the same time, using the recoil, I pulled my Great Sword up.
In an instant, my freed arm reappeared.
The Great Sword was not swung.
For Cartia’s anger, for the sake of dealing with the being that was gnawing on Frey’s soul, I couldn’t finish her off easily. Hence, instead of the sharply thrusting Great Sword, I raised my elbow.
If I could, I would have aimed for her temple to knock her unconscious in one go; however, my relatively small stature compared to Frey’s made that impossible.
In the end, I had no choice but to aim for her abdomen. Any lack of strength could be compensated by the rotation of my legs and hips. Even still, if that wasn’t enough, I would strike her again and again until her consciousness faded.
Thinking that way, I attacked with all my strength.
But I couldn’t land a blow.
Frey displayed an entirely different movement than before and widened the distance between us.
Seeing Frey change in an instant, Cartia gasped. And then, emotions mixed with weak joy and despair spilled from her lips.
[The color… has faded?]
Indeed, as Cartia said, the entity gnawing on Frey’s soul had lost its vibrancy.
And then—
“Uhh-?!”
Tu-—Kwaang—!
The Great Sword Frey threw at incredible speed deflected my Great Sword. As a result, her lifted arm revealed her body. The punch from Frey, who had closed in on me, shot toward me. That hand, that tightly clenched fist, was full of dark intent to kill.
There was no way to block it. I couldn’t deflect it.
I had to evade.
Gritting my teeth, I unleashed my blood aura. Puhwaak-! With a shocking blow that made me feel dizzy, my defenseless body rolled across the floor. Amid the massive impact that left me gasping, Frey’s fist surged again. Yet this time, that punch lacked the same murderous intent.
It was without the speed from before. It had no power.
I staggered.
Because of that, I unleashed my blood aura again, getting back on my feet. I widened the distance between me and Frey.
Kwa-gak-! As I rolled on the ground, I dragged my Great Sword across it to slow my speed. I applied Tylant’s magical power on my tear to staunch the bleeding.
Then, I quickly rose from my position and regained my breath. I steadied my disordered mind.
Gradually, through the clearing senses, I checked Frey’s status.
[Strange…]
It was evident; the shadow that had draped over her soul was fading.
For an entity that hadn’t easily fallen despite relentless attacks to drop so easily—
Could it be that Frey’s consciousness had returned?
[No, it’s too ambiguous to say her consciousness has returned… If it had—]
Carefully selecting her words, Cartia finally spoke.
[What you just did was at least a serious injury.]
…As much as I didn’t want to admit it, her words were right.
If the same attack as the first had continued— without Rubia, I would have been badly hurt.
Or perhaps, I would have even died.
So why hesitate?
Why had she held back?
I couldn’t understand, but what I needed to do hadn’t changed. I shook my head and gripped the sword handle.
Sharpening my senses, I sketched Frey’s silhouette. The entity that continued to gnaw at her still loomed, albeit more faintly now.
I laid out the gradually intensifying imagery of Frey’s soul.
[It’s coming.]
I heard Cartia’s voice and lifted my Great Sword. Jjeo-ong-! The elegant swordsmanship was coupled with overwhelming power, and the attack was now difficult to deflect.
But it wasn’t impossible.
It was a dangerous gamble with exceedingly low odds.
I had to do it.
I pushed my extending leg a little further. I twisted my waist. As my upper body began to lean, I relaxed. Ka-gak-! Following the softly bending Great Sword, Frey’s sword slid down.
By the time I crossed the middle of my Great Sword, I loosened my grip on the arm wielding it. The arm that had been braced against the void fell. The descending Frey’s sword plunged sharply into the ground.
Just as my Great Sword was about to touch the ground, I utilized my whole body to pull inward. The reaction that occurred gathered and lifted my body into the air.
At last, I began to spin in mid-air. Following that movement, I swung my Great Sword. The massive force imbued with Frey’s strength and mine, along with the rotational power, descended towards her sword.
In response, Frey’s sword that had previously been thrust down drew a perpendicular line with the earth. She bent her waist and coiled her legs. The movement was not for defense. Ignoring any notion of defense, it was solely a pose meant for attack. Coupled with the immense magical power behind it.
It was as if she mirrored my posture perfectly.
At this rate, floating in mid-air, with no means to deflect the force coming at me, I could only be overwhelmed.
But if I used all my strength to cut her down, both Cartia’s and my plans would be foiled.
Thus, I had to place my bet now.
The moment Frey’s sword began to extend, I traced its trajectory. Following that infinitely straight line, my Great Sword fell toward the sky.
Just as Frey’s and my Great Sword were about to meet.
I let go of the sword handle.
The Great Sword that had borne all the weight floated in the air.
As a result, Frey’s sword that had surged with confidence slashed at the void.
In an instant, in the landscape being erased.
I clenched my fist so hard my nails almost shattered.
And then—
I lunged toward where Frey would stand.
