39 – Sanctuary of Hybras (6)
Noon the next day.
The promised time has come.
I warmed up in advance and waited, and the guardian arrived just in time.
It was an example of instantaneous movement. A power that you can never get used to no matter how you look at it. If such power had been used from outside, the situation in the empire would have been reorganized around the Hybrasian Church.
It seemed like there would be no solution if the Sword Master cut down the enemy commander with that power.
That man looked at me with a subtle expression.
“What happened with the saint yesterday?”
“Yes? “Isn’t this too unexpected?”
“He was in a bit of a strange state. “It looks like you couldn’t sleep.”
“Ah…… Well, it’s no big deal.”
The guardian’s eyes twitched.
He seemed suspicious, but it was difficult to elaborate.
After being asked a question by a little boy named Luan yesterday, Sirien was creaky all day.
He seemed a little angry, so I couldn’t talk to him easily.
No matter what, is it enough to make you angry? At that time, I couldn’t understand the girl’s feelings.
Although it was a little bit, it seemed like it reminded me of bad memories from modern times.
Don’t make a passerby your friend or boyfriend.
Because you’re both hurt, you spoiled b*tches… ….
“It’s really no big deal. “It wasn’t really a fight.”
“Yes. I get it. “It won’t matter as long as it doesn’t interfere with consciousness.”
“Is that ritual that difficult?”
“It can be more painful than difficult. “I can’t tell you in detail.”
Seeing it come out like that, I felt like no matter how much I asked, there would be no answer.
I am a person who hates annoying arguments. It would be better to change the approach entirely.
“Then what should I say?”
“There is nothing you can do. Just stay with me until the ceremony. “Please support me.”
“Yeah, well. “Let’s do that.”
“Just pick a sword. “Let’s check your skills first.”
On the appointed day, the guardian brought several swords.
Although none of them had sharp edges for training purposes, they were all true swords with blades made of steel.
“Can’t I just use my sword? “I brought it with me.”
“No. “It’s too familiar.”
“It’s not a sword that’s been used that long.”
“If you have to choose, just choose.”
“Yes.”
My main weapon was a sword with a blade slightly less than 1m long.
It was a size that was easy to hold with one hand. Until now, there were many cases where it was advantageous to leave one hand empty.
Depending on the situation, a shield was raised, a dagger was pulled out, or it was used to capture an opponent.
I handled them one by one and chose the one with the most familiar length and center of gravity.
The lightly held sword stuck to my hand.
“But this has been something that has bothered me for a long time. What should I call that? “You can’t keep calling me ‘you’ or ‘that’.”
“It doesn’t matter if you call me that.”
“It’s because I’m uncomfortable.”
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“Just call it whatever you want.”
“Are you really calling it what you want?”
“Yes.”
Just tell me your name.
He was a person who was secretly tired.
But it was wrong.
Because I knew well how to deal with people like that.
How dare you hold your weight in front of me, a nation of humor. The next three letters were enough to hear his name.
“Hey.”
“Hey?”
“You bastard.”
Kek. Immediately a strong shock occurred to my head.
He used the sheath of his sword as a club to hit the top of my head.
It was ridiculously fast. I felt like I was going to be punished, so I prepared, but I couldn’t react.
“What? “They said you can call me whatever you want.”
“I told you to call me whatever you wanted, but I never behaved rudely.”
“So just tell me your name. “What is such an expensive name?”
“Tsk. Call me Edwin. “You don’t need to treat him with respect, but you should show him a minimum of respect.”
“Yes, of course.”
Anyway, I succeeded in hearing the name.
I was satisfied with that and kept a reasonable distance from Edwin.
I slowly analyzed my surroundings.
First of all, this vacant lot was quite large.
Although it wasn’t covered with sand like the parade ground, it was enough to swing the sword to your heart’s content.
Naturally, I couldn’t see anything that needed special use or caution. If I had to choose, would it be Edwin’s collar or hair?
Assuming it was an actual battle, you would be wearing armor or a helmet, so it was an area that was not often touched in sparring.
I often used it when working with Therion. It might be a bit difficult this time.
Edwin’s sword was similar in size to mine.
At first glance, it seemed like he preferred outfighting. Since he was taller than me, I felt like I would be at a slight disadvantage in terms of distance.
It doesn’t seem like he’s the type to fight with force, but you’ll have to wait and see.
I did not think optimistically.
“Do you use swords as well?”
“Use it to your heart’s content. “I will only spend as much as I need.”
“I guess you are confident.”
“Well. “Anyway, at your level, you won’t even be able to graze my collar.”
I’ve heard this a lot before.
I really wanted to scratch that confidence.
“Really? Would you like to make a bet?”
“I don’t like it.”
“If you’re not confident, you can just be honest. “Ah, maybe I should make fun of something like that.”
“If you accept it, aren’t you going to take a gamble just to rip off my collar? There is no reason to ruin my perfectly fine clothes. “What I want to see is your skills, not how crazy you are.”
I have nothing to say.
“If you’re done with the small talk, let’s begin now.”
* * *
My opponent is a sword master who is sure to be stronger than me.
There is no need to look at the liver. From the beginning, I drew out my sword energy and rushed at him.
Pajijik. Red sparks erupted before my eyes.
Perhaps thanks to his improved physical condition, a much stronger light appeared than last time.
The black sword slashed the air several times. Although Edwin did not use teleportation, he still moved quickly.
Slowly pressurizes the space so that it cannot be dealt with by evasion alone.
In the end, the time came for him to move his sword.
The moment the two blades met, each side retreated with a strong impact.
For the first time, the corners of Edwin’s mouth rose.
“Good. “If you do this, you’re born to be an outsider.”
“Is this really a compliment?”
“About half. “It would have been much better to become an ordinary sword master.”
“Well, I can do whatever I want.”
Edwin’s sword was a gloomy gray color.
The gray energy wrapped around the blade thicker than before.
It must mean that it is a burden to extract the sword energy thinly.
It was definitely a good sign.
Every time the two energies collided, a powerful shock occurred.
My arms felt tingly at first, but my body soon adapted.
Rather than this shock, the overload caused by my sword energy was more painful.
“In principle, when a fight breaks out between sword masters, it is difficult to clash blades. This is because the two energies repel each other.”
It was a helpful teaching, but it didn’t seem necessary to answer each question individually.
Edwin didn’t expect my answer either.
Instead, we decided to show it through action.
Take a more active offensive. Using the back foot as a driving force, throw a big blow with your body weight.
A mid-cut that is difficult to avoid simply by moving the body. As soon as the sword bounces away due to the repulsion between the sword energy, it uses this to re-enter.
Like that five times. They attacked recklessly, like a battering ram knocking on a castle gate.
“I have one more dagger. Can I take it out?”
“Try it.”
“It’s sharp.”
“You have a lot to worry about.”
The dagger in his hand was also overlaid with black energy.
Black fog. Or an energy like ink that is painted in the air.
Insert the dagger one time faster than the swords collide.
If sword energy repulses each other, it is enough to use that repulsion.
Edwin’s sword was pushed away with the dagger. The blade that was forcibly moved lost its meaning as a barrier.
If we kept going like this, we could definitely gain momentum.
My sword has lost its strength.
“The principle is only the principle. Just because strength rebels doesn’t mean the battle of technique disappears. Instead, it gets more complicated.”
The gray sword energy encroached on my blade.
The lightning that seemed like it would tear apart everything it touched lost its power, and the black fog disappeared.
I had to quickly escape before the sword was further controlled.
“Clumsy swordsmen talk as if they can cut down anything if they can handle the sword. Because they only look at the Sword Master’s sword.”
It is true that the power of sword energy is attractive.
The power to cut down even magic or divinity if it is not of the same level. How could one not be coveted as a prosecutor?
However, sword skills are not everything for a sword master.
“This is a fundamentally wrong perspective. A sword master is a realm that can only be reached by seeing the extremes of the sword. When I reached that point, I ended up becoming nothing more than a machine for drawing sword energy. “Is that possible?”
In fact, you don’t have to be a sword master to cut down the weak with a single swing of your sword.
If you use a sword enchanted with very powerful magic, even an ordinary swordsman can do something similar.
Using a sharp sword does not require any complicated techniques.
Therefore, the significance of the Sword Master is the use of a new energy called sword energy. It was in itself.
In the decisive battle between sword masters, all the techniques learned so far had to be utilized in a variety of ways, including sword techniques.
“The sword is just a tool. Just as you have been paying attention to your opponent’s movements and breathing, from now on you must also pay attention to your sword skills. Sword Master is not the end of the road. “It’s a new beginning.”
Sword and energy basically repel each other. However, depending on their use, they could be made to eat each other.
If your sword energy is consumed, you lose control. Even though it was my knife, it became difficult to handle. It felt like my sword and body were swinging together as Edwin swung.
My defenses were wide open as the blade was forced to point outward.
Edwin’s sword reached the front of my neck.
It was a complete defeat without any unnecessary details.
“I will completely teach you from the basics. “Do you have any objections?”
“…… Doesn’t exist.”