78 – Agerem (13)
“Hmm? Come to think of it, I don’t see a weapon. You don’t seem like the type to go without one….”
Hamell, holding the spear out to Wade, had a puzzled look in his eyes.
Indeed, Wade was empty-handed. Nowhere could a weapon be seen.
“Did you forget it somewhere? If that’s the case, I might not be so patient.”
At Hamell’s remark.
“No, I do have a weapon.”
Wade began to walk with purpose in his steps.
He stopped at a corner of the training ground.
Amidst the array of training weapons, Wade picked up a sword.
Observing this, Hamell’s eyebrows twitched.
“…Hm. Quite audacious. I’m a generous person, that’s why I’m saying this. Even now, if you ask nicely, I might lend you a famous sword without shedding a drop of blood, but.”
He said it with a smile, but his displeasure was evident.
It was only natural.
No matter how skilled a swordsman was, without a weapon, they couldn’t fully demonstrate their abilities.
Even in battles between swordsmen of similar skill, the quality difference of weapons had a significant impact on the outcome.
That’s why all swordsmen had an obsession with exceptional weapons.
In that sense, Hamel was no different from other swordsmen.
His favorite weapon, the Mokchang, was an exceptional spear that could be counted among the best on the continent, possessing performance that matched its reputation.
Hamel was particularly fond of his Mokchang, to the point where he wouldn’t draw it unless facing a formidable opponent.
Yet, when he finally drew his Mokchang.
His opponent didn’t have a proper weapon; instead, they picked up a practice sword lying in the training ground and treated it as a weapon.
His prideful spirit was far from at ease.
His offer to lend a sword was not a lie.
He was confident.
Confident that even in a battle of full strength, he wouldn’t be defeated.
However, Wade rejected Hamel’s proposal in a single stroke.
“…There’s no need to be so polite. Worried I might hand over a defective item? No need for such concerns. Even as a swordsman, there’s no need to go that far. So rest assured─”
“No. There’s no need for doubts or anything like that.”
Wade casually shook his head.
“There’s no need for a famous sword when dealing with someone like you. This should be sufficient.”
Hamel’s face contorted.
“…Pressing for a name, I see.”
And then, the spear in Hamel’s hand swung down.
***
The sun had completely disappeared, leaving the sky painted pitch black.
Even though it was a time fitting for the dead of night, the lights of the pleasure district in Agirem showed no signs of dimming.
Rather, one could say that this was the time when the pleasure district truly ignited.
The streets where alcohol, gambling, and lust converged overflowed with hot fervor as night fell.
Despite the thick clouds obscuring the moon, they paid no mind.
The numerous lights of the pleasure district, fueled by human desires burning like firewood, illuminated the dark night brightly.
However.
The atmosphere of the lively and bustling streets was shattered in an instant.
Boom!
With a sudden explosion.
“What, what’s happening!”
“The building…!”
The origin of the explosion was clear.
There was a building undergoing such a drastic change that it was unmistakable at a glance.
Kwaaang!
With each deafening roar, the building shook violently.
And after a few more reverberations.
Kwaaang!
The top part of the building collapsed straight down.
“aaah!”
Some of the passersby on the street screamed and scrambled to safety.
However, they were only a few, while the rest remained in place, gazing at two men leaping out of the building with its ceiling wide open.
One man, shining in a somber attire, holding a gleaming dark window in his hand.
And another young man, dressed modestly in stark contrast to the flamboyant surroundings, wielding a plain sword.
The two men, with their strikingly different appearances, stood facing each other at a certain distance.
“Indeed, you’ve reached a level of determination. It bothers me that you look so young for that… Did you get a treatment at the tower or something?”
“Not really. My age is as it seems.”
“You’re quite the braggart. Even though this world is full of extraordinary things, that joke is a bit much.”
The man in flamboyant attire, Hamel, chuckled sharply.
“Well, regardless of your age, it’s not an important issue.”
Vroom—
His window emitted a hum, and the dark magic resembling the window began to overflow through it.
“You, you will die here.”
With those words, Hamel’s magic spear shot towards the young man, Wade, in front of him.
Although the spear, infused with determination, was strong enough to demolish a building with a single swing.
Thud!
It was directly blocked by the plain sword.
Even though his attack was easily thwarted, Hamel’s expression did not darken.
“Not bad. But… how long can you hold on?”
Eventually, Hamel’s spear danced.
In an instant, a flurry of strikes, enough to easily number in the dozens, poured towards Wade.
Kwakwang!
Wade easily defended against the strikes, but his expression remained grim.
***
“…It’s not an ordinary spear.”
At a glance, it was evident that it was no ordinary spear, and its power was extraordinary as well.
The spear was further intensifying the already fierce magic of Hamel.
As a result, the damage accumulating on the sword surpassed the usual levels.
Although he was somehow managing to counter with determination-infused magic and evasive maneuvers, he wouldn’t be able to last long.
Thud!
In a fight where a moment of distraction could cost him his life, I began to ponder.
Mukchang Hamel Enderk.
I was familiar with his name.
The fact that he had defeated numerous strong opponents and that he was staying in Agerem.
However.
“I can’t believe he’s involved with Bell.”
I had never expected any connection between him and Bell.
Or that I would end up fighting against him.
Chasing after Bell was purely impulsive.
It was a combination of Bell’s recent attitude, his words about wrapping up everything he had done, and the uneasy intuition that had forcefully emerged at the end.
All these factors combined to set my feet in motion.
When I left the house, I felt a slight unease.
As time passed, there was a temporary perception that I had died, and I even changed my eye and hair color with magic, but there was still a possibility that someone might recognize me.
However, I couldn’t ignore the sticky unease, so I eventually followed Bell’s trail.
I covered my face with a robe just in case of any unforeseen events.
I was a bit taken aback when she entered a secluded place, but it wasn’t difficult to slip in once all the guards at the entrance had vacated their posts.
Inside, I listened intently, suppressing any movement, and found out the truth.
Why Bell was so busy.
Why he was so anxious.
And when I heard what had happened afterward, I couldn’t stand by without intervening.
Because I couldn’t accept her life going as Hamel wished.
Because I couldn’t just let Hamel, who had ruined Bell’s life, go unpunished.
So, I stepped forward, leading to this situation.
The firsthand experience of facing Hamel.
I truly felt the presence of the Ten Swords.
The fierce and brutal spear techniques displayed in his Indomitable Dark Weapon, Mokchang, were so powerful that a moment of carelessness could result in a merciless piercing of the body.
Of course, it wasn’t unstoppable.
But.
“If this continues, I won’t last long.”
The issue was the weapon.
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Perhaps because it was an item from the training ground, the quality of the sword was not exceptional.
Still, it seemed to be an average item, but in a fight of this level, an average sword was no different from a toy.
On the other hand, the opponent wielded an outstanding weapon that was difficult to assess its value, unleashing destructive attacks.
If things continued like this, my sword would undoubtedly break.
And it wouldn’t take long.
There is a way to overcome this situation.
I possess a technique that can resolve this situation in one go.
That is the Sword Strength.
If I use the Sword Strength alone, I could easily shatter that Mokchang instead of worrying about my weapon.
It might withstand to a certain extent, but not for long.
However.
At this moment, I found it difficult to make that choice.
I had improved a lot, but not all of my wounds had fully healed yet.
I could move my body reasonably well, but the technique of swordsmanship required using all one’s strength even when the body was in perfect condition.
Using it in my current state would undoubtedly worsen my condition.
And that’s not the end of it.
There was a problem with the sword.
As much as the power it possessed was remarkable, the burden it imposed on the weapon was immense.
Even if it wasn’t a renowned sword in the world, an ordinary weapon couldn’t withstand it.
There were ways to deal with it, but they required a great deal of magical power and determination.
It was not impossible, but at this moment, swordsmanship was not a favorable option for me.
However, I couldn’t afford to delay.
As mentioned earlier, the sword would eventually break, and the longer I delayed, the greater the risk of exposure.
It was a predicament, to say the least.
But.
I did not despair.
Despite the unfavorable circumstances.
For some reason, I didn’t feel like I was going to lose.