Sufficiently capable of facing the opponent.
No, plenty more to spare.
The moment I grasped my father’s sword, confidence surged within me in Trie.
Still, I didn’t dare to be reckless enough to face the Traveler alone.
Yet, even so…
“The sword may be the same, but your father’s ferocity is missing.”
“Shut uuuupp!!!”
It was inevitable that we were losing ground.
Each time the Traveler nonchalantly spoke, veins pulsed on Trie’s forehead.
Even though I was coordinating with Pelaine and receiving magical support from Aintz, keeping up with the Traveler’s speed was still challenging.
‘During the institutional skirmish against the Traveler, we were definitely pushing ahead!’
That day, while it was true the situation turned when the Traveler pulled out Durandal, up until then, we had clearly overwhelmed him.
But unlike back then, why was it different now?
Even with this sword that fills me with confidence just by holding it, why am I still being pushed back?
Is it because Aintz came to support us instead of Erica as the Barrier Magician?
Of course, Aintz’s barrier was impressive, but he was originally better at burning things or smashing them, so it felt lacking compared to Erica’s barrier.
Or maybe it’s because Pelaine came instead of the head of the royal guard and Hertlocker.
‘Damn it. Our strength is too insufficient.’
Probably all of those were contributing factors.
With weakened magical support and even one frontline member short, it would be even more strange if we weren’t being pushed back.
Though Iris being here meant that critical injuries could be treated quickly, it likely wouldn’t help much in the midst of battle with a Majin who could sever heads in the blink of an eye.
Normally, the correct answer here would be to “retreat.”
If either Trie or Pelaine crumbled, even the wizard hiding to provide support in the rear would be exterminated.
But right now, there’s no option to retreat.
If we retreat, there won’t be any reserve force to hold down the Traveler.
The Traveler would make us pay dearly for our escape.
Castles would collapse, housing areas would burn, and thousands would die.
There was no way we could let that happen.
‘No more support is coming.’
That said, I couldn’t whine to the headquarters for more support either.
We’ve already gathered top-tier personnel with what we have.
Schlus, Hertlocker, Professor Ludwig, and Erica all had their own positions to fulfill.
And on top of that…
“Kiyahhhh!”
“No, what the heck! She’s trying to bite my arm off!”
“Kerang?!”
Seeing Pelaine fight with her life on the line made it impossible to even suggest retreat.
Tackled by the Traveler’s foot, Pelaine’s body was flung towards us, completely covered in bruises.
Though she immediately stood up as if nothing was wrong, her ankle and shoulder were visibly fractured.
Even though she was fighting as a pair, she overextended herself as if she were fighting alone.
Since she didn’t know how to evade strikes and took them all, there was no way her body would remain unscathed.
As she exhaled ragged breaths and prepared to charge in again, Trie pressed down on Pelaine’s swollen shoulder to stop her.
“Ugh…”
“Get out and heal, come back after. I’ll hold on alone.”
“If I do that, the Saintess’s location will be exposed. Plus, I don’t believe you can hold out alone, Trie.”
“Hah…”
Her stubbornness was remarkable.
She reminded me of someone.
Taking a deep sigh, Trie stepped back from Pelaine and prepared to charge in again.
‘Was she always this strong…?’
It was overwhelming.
So overwhelming.
The Majin felt like an insurmountable wall.
Even if I were to use ‘that’ Schlus gave me, first I need to close the gap, which is no easy feat.
‘Should I change my strategy?’
Isn’t it time to shift my objective?
Instead of taking down the Traveler, wouldn’t it be better to focus on stalling for time?
Holding out until Schlus arrives is…
‘Don’t think weak thoughts, please.’
Trie quickly shook her head and opened her eyes wide again.
I had no idea if Schlus would return.
There’s no more foolishness than fighting while waiting for someone who’s not here.
We have to finish this among ourselves.
“Trie, it feels like we’re just not in sync at all.”
“Totally agree. I’d rather team up with that bastard Hertlocker.”
“Still, I trust you. I may have never formally learned swordsmanship in my life, but I pride myself on my tactical skills. My instinct as a strategist tells me that preserving your power without injury is the path to victory, even if it means sacrificing my own body.”
“What the heck kind of instinct is that…?”
What on earth is this about?
Even if we share the injuries, it’d be better to continue fighting as a pair.
If Pelaine goes down and I’m left alone, it’d be over.
Even if my condition was fine thanks to the damage Pelaine took for me, there’s no way I could win in a one-on-one.
“How ridiculous.”
“…?!”
At that moment the Traveler spoke as if irritated, and his new model flew toward us, breaking the sound barrier.
Pelaine and Trie took defensive positions in preparation for the attack, but—
“Huh?”
“No way?!”
As the Traveler swiftly zipped past, realization hit them.
He was targeting something else.
“Have we been exposed?!”
They had pinpointed the location of the Magician.
In that moment, Trie and Pelaine rushed after the Traveler.
Pelaine was able to hold on thanks to the second-tier Magician, Aintz.
Though catching up with the Majin’s movements is tough even with two pairs, Aintz’s barriers had successfully disrupted their flow just enough to respond.
Of course, this reason only came to mind later.
I couldn’t let my friend die.
Even if I always found Aintz annoying, it felt like it would leave a huge void if he disappeared.
That was all.
“I got you.”
“Huh?!”
As the rocks shattered everywhere, the wall crumbled down.
Faced with a Traveler wielding a longsword, Aintz slumped down to the ground.
It was the very scenario he’d anticipated from the beginning.
He had been flinging barrier magic at the Majin, and in the end, it was inevitable that they’d be pinpointed.
Of course, there was a way to retreat before this situation arose.
Let my comrades handle it and escape to safety on my own…
‘Could I do that? Damn it.’
That was absolutely impossible.
Until all my magical energy was spent.
Until my limbs could no longer move.
As long as my comrades are here, there was no way I’d run away alone.
However, despite that mindset, Aintz’s body was not responding at all when faced with the Majin.
His magical energy had completely depleted and exhaustion set in.
Though he brought a dagger, his trembling hand couldn’t even grip it properly.
There was nothing left to resist.
Blood gushed from Aintz’s nose as it trickled down his philtrum.
‘Is this how I’m going to die…? Huh?’
Just as Aintz tightly shut his eyes, he felt a gentle touch enveloping his body.
When he opened his eyes in surprise, he saw the Traveler also looking perplexed, holding his sword aloft.
“Relax your body.”
“…!”
A ticklish voice flowed into his ear.
This voice. And the red hair he subtly caught a glimpse of.
That definitely belonged to Jin.
Just as he realized that, Aintz and Jin’s new models simultaneously vanished from their positions.
“Whumm!”
The Traveler’s sword sliced through emptiness, missing its target.
Even though he allowed the Magician to escape, it was still acceptable.
That guy seemed to have fully exhausted his magical energy.
The Traveler thought that to himself.
“Well then, it’s about time.”
With a thunderous crash, one side of the wall was shattered, and two shadows flew in.
The Traveler took up a counter stance, smiling at the corner of his mouth.
The second tier had completely crumbled.
In that case, toppling the first tier would be nothing more than a task.
“This is the end.”
…
…
…
“I have to go, Iris! Let go of this!”
“Aintz, listen to me.”
In a dark room without a single window.
Barely standing on trembling legs, Aintz crawled toward the door.
Despite his exhaustion, he still had enough strength to shake off Iris’s grip.
“Hey. Genius Magician. Do you know how much mana stones I used to bring you out?”
“What?”
“Teleportation Technique three times. I burned through a whopping 50 million Tyrion worth of mana stones for your retreat. I can’t do any more.”
“Who asked you to save me?”
“Even being saved is annoying…”
Jin clicked her tongue and flopped onto the bed.
After spending her savings on this support, all she got in return was resentment.
“Quickly give me the mana stones. I need mana.”
“I used it all up! I’ve gathered all the mana stones in this area, so I can’t get any more.”
“That’s right, Aintz. You’ve done enough. It’s time to rest and heal.”
“I don’t have any injuries, what are you talking about… ugh.”
Thud.
His vision blurred, and the floor rushed up to smack his head.
Iris rushed over, catching Aintz as he collapsed onto the bed.
“Your mana core is in overload. If you don’t get treatment, you might die from hypoxia.”
“Damn it… but I have to go… I have to go…”
Even with the wizard’s support, it was barely a hold-up, so what would happen if I were to leave?
Aintz felt he could see Pelaine and Trie’s future and struggled to leap out immediately.
However, contrary to his will, Aintz’s world began to narrow down as he slipped into unconsciousness.
…
…
…
“Ughhh… ugh…”
“Just rest.”
Bubbles of foam were frothing from Pelaine’s lips as her harsh breaths sounded out.
She was in pretty bad shape, but she was still alive.
After fighting like this with fractures all over her body, it was no surprise she’d end up like this.
Her eyes still burned with determination, but her body had reached its limits.
Only after confirming that Pelaine was no longer attempting to get up did Trie stop glancing back.
Her confrontation with the Traveler was still ongoing.
Of course, to ensure that he couldn’t approach the collapsed Pelaine, Trie was fixated on him with her raised sword.
“Somehow, I thought you’d become the Sword God. Was that just a boast to buy time? I’m disappointed, my disciple.”
“Shut up…”
The trembling tip of her sword was aimed at the Traveler, who was chattering with his sword slung over his shoulder.
Although he seemed full of openings, the overwhelming difference in physical specs meant she had never even grazed his flesh once.
Even when both Pelaine and Aintz were present before, there was no way she could stand a chance alone right now.
‘I’m going to die.’
The fear of death crawled up her spine.
The death she had thought she wasn’t afraid of was suddenly approaching her, and cold sweat dripped down her brow.
She was afraid.
The thought that she might never meet Schlus again frightened her.
Having someone precious now felt so troublesome.
Once upon a time, she had enjoyed the thrill of being afraid of death.
“I was expecting that I would get one more chance to face Gawayn, but… It seems I can’t even manage to reach his level. Your swordsmanship, imitating his, is nothing more than that.”
“……”
Imitating swordsmanship.
Those words frustrated her so much that she almost shouted, but her breath caught in her throat.
Maybe he had a point.
Just as she held onto this sword, the posture that naturally formed was certainly not hers.
Possessed by Judgment Day, she greedily coveted others’ techniques as if they were her own.
So it was only natural for things to go wrong.
‘Huh?’
Trie’s eyes widened.
Standing on the threshold of death, she finally realized something.
By fearing death itself, she had one epiphany.
Her past self felt incredibly foolish.
“Puhuhuh…”
Suddenly, Trie erupted into laughter.
The Traveler tilted his head, wondering if she had suddenly lost her mind.
“Imitating swordsmanship… I see now. I wasn’t my father.”
I’m not Gawayn.
Everything about me—hands, build, everything—differed greatly from my father.
I am just me.
Only now did I realize this obvious truth.
Just because I hold someone else’s sword doesn’t mean I can mimic their swordplay.
“Hoo…”
Before she knew it, Trie’s stance was shifting.
It was neither what the Traveler had taught her nor Gawayn’s.
What Trie had never experienced before—the new stance—was being formed.
Simply, it was a stance created according to her body’s movement, following the flow of her magical power.
‘This is dangerous!’
If I give her any more time, it’ll be perilous.
It felt as if she had to prevent her stance from fully completing, and a sense of urgency hammered at the Traveler.
The ease in his expression had vanished.
Trie was no longer the Trie she used to be.
Just looking into her eyes was enough to tell.
She wasn’t the kind of person with eyes filled with the will to take down the Traveler.
It was as if her eyes were trained on somewhere beyond the Traveler.
*Tang…!*
The Traveler stomped the ground, propelling himself at Trie.
The second tier had crumbled, the first tier was in ruins, yet the Traveler was more tense and uneasy than ever.
Steel clashed against steel, producing a clear sound as it resonated through the air.
Immediately after their clash, as Trie dove into him, the Traveler instinctively leaped back in shock.
This was a very different sight from how Trie had been moving defensively and only waiting for counterattacks up until now.
At first glance, it seemed like a reckless charge, much like Pelaine’s head-on attacks.
‘Fast?!’
Of course, it wasn’t that she was mindlessly charging without considering the timing.
Her movements seemed thoroughly calculated, and for a moment, the Traveler was overwhelmed to the point of believing Trie was faster than him.
Despite knowing it was impossible given human physical limits, he couldn’t shake the illusion.
Her movements felt as if she was reading the future.
Is it possible to execute this while on the offensive, too?
Just as his cheek brushed against her sword’s edge…
His longsword shattered with a dull sound and went flying.
It had held up quite well for a standard sword saved from a rural weapon shop.
“Ha… Ha…”
“I acknowledge you.”
Blood beaded and began to flow from the broken edge.
Finally managing to dive into the Traveler’s grasp, Trie’s arm was aimed right at his abdomen.
“I have reached the domain of the Sword God. As a human, I have transcended the Majin.”
However, Trie’s right arm bore no sword.
Her right hand, which was reaching out toward his abdomen, was only a severed wrist pouring blood.
The wrist that had tightly gripped Vafe was somewhere far away, rolling on the ground.
‘I almost died. I nearly died at the hands of a mere human…’
It felt like a practical defeat.
The Traveler mentally recited those words.
Trie had vaulted over the very barrier that Gawayn could not surpass.
All on her own, with her own sword technique, she had overwhelmed the Majin’s swordsmanship without any aid from anyone.
She was merely a little short when it came to surpassing human differences.
At that moment, as the person he’d first acknowledged as the Sword God was now destined to die, the Traveler felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Who here has the right to evaluate whom?”
“Huh?”
In Trie’s left hand, something was gripped.
A short, thick metallic cylinder.
A wooden handle attached below…
It was an item whose identity was impossible to surmise.
Trie’s fingertip moved, and a chilling sound began to leak from the inside.
*Cheeek!*
*Boom!*
And then came the bright flash with a deafening explosion.
The last thing the Traveler saw was small iron balls shooting toward his eyes.
*Kyaaaah!*
Flung backward and crashing to the ground, the Traveler cradled his face with his hands.
He couldn’t see a thing.
The face he touched was soaked in blood.
His eyes, nose, mouth, and ears—all were in ruins.
It was only the next moment he realized that the skin covering his entire face had been ripped away.
Trie’s voice rang dully in his ears.
“By what right do you acknowledge me? I shall ascend to the position of the Sword God in my own right. Do you understand?”
“Ah…”
A death scream echoed as he instinctively sensed his impending death.
Then came the sound of the blade slicing through the air, a blade whose origin he couldn’t determine, as it severed the Traveler’s neck.
“Uurk…!”
Looking down at the rolling head of his master, the disciple sighed tiredly and hit the ground.
He needed to help the one he loved, to save her.
Yet his body wouldn’t move as he wished.
