6. Proof of Existence (52)
I was short of breath and my vision was blurry.
His stamina was already at its limit. It was only a few days of first aid and running.
Since he couldn’t even take a break, it was not unreasonable for his arm holding the sword to tremble.
Yuren visited the saintess.
From the moment I heard the news, my mind was filled with worries about the saintess. Yuren was a member of the Dark Church, was good at acting, and above all, was the saintess’ most trusted friend.
No matter how clever a saint was, there was no way she wouldn’t be fooled.
And the Dark Church was an organization that knew better than anyone how to cook an innocent scapegoat.
He couldn’t even guess what he would do to the saintess. So I sprinted down for several days with even more nervousness.
Fortunately, I had been able to pinpoint the location of the saintess.
If they didn’t even know the destination, the discovery would have been delayed. It was fortunate that I somehow managed to arrive on time.
Her pale pink eyes, filled with tears, were looking at me. An androgynous figure with jade-colored hair stood in front of him.
It was the saintess and Yuren.
As my blurred vision subsided, I realized that Yuren’s impression had changed somewhat.
was neutral.
It was a face that still had a feminine side, but in just a few days, the lines had become so thin that it was not even clear whether it was a man. Even the curves of the body were more delicate.
I swallowed a laugh and retrieved the hatchet I had thrown.
With a thump, the ax handle was sucked into my hand as if it were attracted by a magnet. I naturally hung the hatchet back from my waist.
Although he lost an arm in a surprise attack, if the opponent was a demon, it wouldn’t be a huge advantage.
Aren’t bubbles of blood already bubbling up from the amputated surface of the arm?
It was Mine’s unique regenerative power. Perhaps within a few minutes Yuren will have full arms again.
It was the reason why Yuren remained calm even after suffering an amputation injury.
I swallowed a laugh and sighed at him.
“Has your gender identity changed in that time, Yuren? Now, if you put on a skirt, you will definitely look like a girl.”
“I was like this before I met you, Ian. I’ve been hiding it for so long… Rather, how did you find it?”
As we exchanged greetings, Yuren’s severed right arm wriggled once. And the small, stubby hands that soon grow. It was as if a sapling had been grafted onto the stump of a giant tree.
Regardless, Yuren just looked around indifferently, putting his remaining hand on his waist.
“I deliberately moved while erasing traces, and I am the only one who knows the location of this hideout. I thought I was hiding something, but… … .”
“Did you forget how we went after Shylock and Co.?”
There was no reply from Yuren.
His brows narrowed slightly, and he shook his head, swallowing a weak laugh.
“The tracking magic of the Imperial Secret Service? But the opportunity to grant it… … .”
Yuren’s gaze, which was moving around like that, stopped at some point.
It was a silver rosario rolling on the ground.
Her blank eyes turned to the saintess, who was still mesmerized, and soon Yuren’s face crumpled.
“You shady bastard, put a location tracking spell on a gift for a girl?!”
“It can’t be helped.”
I took a deep breath and tried to pick up any excuse.
I needed some more time to rest. Magic energy circulated throughout the body, energizing my body.
“What if the Dark Church attacks while I’m gone?”
“What crazy sounds… … .”
Yuren, who was about to retort, closed his lips.
It was because my eyes were staring intently at him. If he had a conscience, he would not be able to find fault with him.
When Yuren slightly averted his gaze, I decided to deliver the final blow.
“And the person who received the gift will like it?”
“Does that make sense? Who likes to be watched every step of the way… … .”
Yuren’s expression hardened as he swallowed a laugh and turned his head.
It was because the saintess’ face was heating up. Those eyes that hurriedly averted her gaze, with a faint blush, were somewhat hazy.
Yuren’s expression became even more miserable.
“… … Alright, Ian. you die by my hand today I guess that’s right.”
“The traitor has a pretty long tongue.”
I swallowed a shallow laugh and pointed the sword at Yuren.
He didn’t have to worry about Yuren touching the saintess, so he didn’t have to worry about the hostages.
As a silver halo began to form on my sword body, Yuren sighed and drew the sword from the scabbard.
It was a thin sword that swayed loudly. It was something I hadn’t seen before.
Usually, Yuren never showed his sincerity. He was one of the people who best adhered to the principle of hiding the three parts of his skills, and perhaps as part of that, Yuren would take turns using several armaments.
One of them was that sword.
“Sword? You, not only your appearance but also your tastes have changed.”
“Wherever you try to block it.”
It was right after that.
A white bolt of lightning rushed in, and I moved my sword only by instinct.
Kagak, and the sound of swordplay rubbing against the blade echoed. It was the first time in my life that I had been stabbed with such precision.
My eyes, filled with astonishment, scanned the front.
Dark green eyes glowed there, like wisps of fire.
It was an invisible speed. I knew that Yuren’s quicksword was fast, but now his speed had changed.
I can’t even react properly.
It was before I broke out in a cold sweat at this judgment.
Again, the beam of light flashes.
Kang, Kang, Kang, Kang!
It was an instant. In the time when seconds were divided into seconds, sparks flew unpredictable, disturbing the field of vision.
I had no choice but to hurriedly move my sword to block it. If I had more time, I would try to collect auras, but the speed at which Yuren threw his sword was too fast.
In the end, the conclusion came shortly after.
Pak, he tore his clothes, leaving a slight cut on his arm. My posture to avoid the sword naturally collapsed, and Yuren seemed to be trying to put an end to this gap.
If it hadn’t been for my hand, which had lost the sword, to grope my waist again.
To break my stance, Yuren took a step forward and attempted a deep thrust. It was impossible to retrieve the sword straight away, no matter how fast the sword was like lightning.
The ax splits the parallax and lands.
A cackle, and the sound of the hatchet slamming into the ground resounded. Yuren took a step back and retreated like a ghost.
It was close, but there was only one effective hit.
Yuren’s sword was not as powerful as it was fast. It was to the point where I could gain the upper hand at once if I took the opportunity and confronted it with a strong force.
The other party didn’t even know about it.
Even so, the reason why Yuren was showing a relaxed attitude was entirely due to his gray aura.
A soft moan began to leak through my clenched teeth.
Seeing this, Yuren’s indifferent sentence continued.
“That arm won’t even move in a few minutes.”
“Your behavior has become very mean, paladin man? It’s not just the appearance that makes you look thinner.”
“Again, I’ve been like this before.”
It was a soft confession.
In a space where the limits of lighting were clear, Yuren’s dark green eyes were showing off a particularly magical beauty. The curve of the chin that crossed the boundary between male and female was terribly attractive.
Panting, I groped for the spot where Yuren’s sword had grazed.
There was no feeling. Even this lesion was spreading with a heavy sensation. True to his word, he might stop moving after a few minutes.
What Yuren was aiming for was clear.
It’s not going to be a head-to-head match anyway, so hit and run again. Then, when my body hardens completely, it’s over.
My heart will be pierced like meat on a spit.
It was at that time that Yuren’s body began to change with a groan.
“It takes a price to make a ‘contract’ with the Dark Church. Back then I had nothing. It was just the thought of protecting my sister.”
“… … What did you give?”
“Reproductive function.”
With a rustle, a beast’s tail appeared behind Yuren’s back.
His body shuddered and changed its shape. It wasn’t a dramatic change, but his jawline got thinner and his hips widened. It was a body type that even gave off a feeling of being feminine beyond neutral.
Yuren burst into laughter.
“I am neither a man nor a woman. You can come and go between the two genders freely.”
“It’s similar to yours.”
In order to somehow penetrate Yuren’s gaps, I said with a cautious look.
There was no chance for me if I did not see a game in a short period of time.
Power went into the hand holding the sword. The silvery aura that had been forming softly soared like wildfire.
“The one who clings to either side, betrays when he feels like it… Even that bad habit!”
Then, with a thump, my body hit the ground and was shot like a cannon.
Yuren slid across the ground as if he had already expected it. It looked like it was aiming for an effective hit while measuring the interval.
It didn’t matter.
As long as I was given time, I was the one who took the initiative no matter what.
Hae (解).
Silvery mist spreads like the Milky Way.
Yuren’s eyebrows twitched for an instant. You may have seen it a few times, but the way to respond was inevitably ambiguous.
Because it didn’t even reveal the principle.
The hesitation was brief.
The sword light exploded in Yuren’s hand. In the blink of an eye, the trail of dozens of swords was drawn, hitting the silver fog.
It was in vain.
The light disappears from Yuren’s sword, which slides between silver auras.
It was the first crack in Yuren’s face.
“what… … !”
Without the Aura, there wasn’t much reason to be afraid of Yuren’s sword.
The dispersed fog began to shrink again. Before I knew it, a silver aura was firmly formed on my sword body like crystal.
Yuren hurriedly drew his sword and responded.
Kang!
However, the aspect of the battle had already changed. The aura that was tightly cohesive due to the texture multiplied the power of my sword, and it was almost impossible to beat it without the aura.
As proof of that, Yuren’s sword, which collided with mine, was rising high.
And one more step.
Kang, Kang!
Yuren tried to get away from my sword attack by backing away as much as possible. However, I did not stop moving forward accordingly, and within a few seconds, Yuren’s escape reached its limit.
Empty!
As I threw Yuren’s sword with all my might, my grip, which could not stand it, was torn and blood splattered. It was inevitable for Yuren, whose arm was not healed.
Now, with Yuren’s sword spinning in the air, was an opportunity.
My sword, which was lowered, collided with the ground, making a sharp noise. It was because Yuren rotated his body as if it were his last step.
But now it’s the limit.
I tried to draw the sword horizontally without hesitation. It was difficult for anyone to avoid the next blow as long as they were human.
Yes, if you are human.
Tak, I was about to swing the sword, and a soft touch wrapped around my arm. My eyes stared blankly down.
It was a tail.
The fluffy fox’s tail was holding my arm.