113 – Bellator. (3)
Bellator gazed at the strike he had unleashed, enveloped in a strange emotion.
Cleaving the heavens. It had truly been a long time since he had unleashed a strike.
It was the ultimate strike he had completed by surpassing the limits of the flesh through being trampled by angels and demons, and fighting, without hesitation. There was no particular reason he had named it “cleaving the heavens”.
It was simply a strike created to kill the angels and demons who fought and trampled humans like insects from the sky, so he named it “cleaving the heavens”.
To him, the heavens were nothing but a space filled with unparalleled hatred.
Bellator had never once faced the blue sky in his entire life. The sky he had seen while alive had burst into flames, and dark ash had fluttered, covering the world.
Filled with rage for such a world, to cast down those who mocked humans from the sky, the most powerful strike he unleashed was none other than cleaving the heavens.
It was a form of respect. He never dreamt that he, weakened by the restraints of the sword, would end up using cleaving the heavens on a mere boy.
That was how strong Frah was.
From the moment Frah began to use his true power, he started to become unbelievably strong. It was probably due to the laws unique to this space that granted him strength.
It was not the power of others he had casually used, but the strength and mental fortitude accumulated by the existence known as Frah Ransel. What could such a young boy have experienced to possess such strength and spirit?
It was unknown. However, that alone was enough reason for him to use cleaving the heavens. He was strong.
Where. Can I handle this too?
Bella Torre asked him with a somewhat cheerful smile.
* * *
It’s coming. A relentless attack is coming. As I faced Bella Torre’s swift sword strike, I felt every fiber of my being tremble.
I knew all too well what that approaching strike, tearing through everything in its path towards me, was.
The character of Bella Torre was created during a time when I was deeply enamored with the romanticism of a valiant hero who could split the sky. That’s why I gave that strike a name.
Sky Splitter.
Damn it. Why is it aimed at me, running on the ground, when it’s supposed to be a Sky Splitter….
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I gritted my teeth and raised my sword. Can I do this?
Suddenly, doubt crept in. Could I, just me, handle the swordsmanship perfected by the greatest swordsman of an era, one that consumed his life?
Even if Bella Torre had weakened, and even if my strength in this space far surpassed that of reality, could I really handle it?
I don’t know.
But even so, is there a way for me to escape this situation?
There isn’t.
Then, I only had one choice left.
To break through that strike and crush it.
With every step I took, I raised my sword. I recalled the basics I learned from Edan Crassus. In the end, all swordsmanship boiled down to nothing more than vertical cuts, horizontal cuts, and diagonal cuts.
What I needed now was not some flashy swordsmanship. The dazzling sword techniques I had seen in this world were useless now.
What I needed now was only one thing.
To stand against that overwhelming strength with my own.
I grab the hilt of the longsword with both hands. Without slowing down the running speed, I brace myself. Just like Bellator showed me earlier.
It only occurs to me now, but it felt like he suddenly showed me my swordsmanship for a reason.
In short, it was to test my resolve.
Alright. If that’s what you want, then I have to meet that expectation. Only then, you might acknowledge me…!
There’s no option to retreat. Only forward. Moving ahead, I strike down the swordplay originated from that enormous greatsword.
That’s the only path permitted to me.
I pour all my strength into the longsword. A clash between a longsword and a greatsword. Normally, the longsword should shatter to be normal, and while the longsword shatters, my body should also be overwhelmed by the heavy greatsword, and split apart to be normal.
But this is not the era he lived in, and he doesn’t possess the qualities of a hero. His physical body has weakened, and his abilities have plummeted accordingly.
Even if enlightenment remains, without being able to manifest a perfected swordplay, it’s not enough.
In that case, it’s worth a try.
I swung the longsword with all my might.
The moment the longsword and the greatsword collided.
Crack―――!
For a moment, it felt like my eardrums burst. All I could hear was a booming sound. Then, I felt blood flowing from my ears.
I couldn’t hear anything, but the pressure I felt in my body was vividly overwhelming.
The pressure from the swordplay, as if it could cut through my body, break my bones, and pierce my heart, transcended my imagination.
This is weakened power. Indeed, he’s not just the strongest warrior in the human world.
I gritted my teeth. I bit down hard enough to draw blood from my gums, and put more strength into the hand gripping the sword.
Groan――!
Undesirable sounds accompanied the gradual pushback of the longsword against the greatsword’s strike. I have to succeed.
I bit my lip, determined to obtain the Sword of Restraint, to fulfill my responsibility. I was the one who created this world, after all.
Therefore, I had an obligation to prevent this world from falling into ruin. I had no intention of being an irresponsible creator.
So, I couldn’t just falter in a mere trial like this.
Let’s go. Forward.
At that moment, my eyes began to capture a world different from the one I had seen before.
What is this?
—
People often express that when their mental power surpasses a certain threshold, they gain enlightenment.
It was the same for Prahl. The space formed by the Sword of Restraint had a greater influence on the mind than any other space in this world.
And because Prahl already possessed overwhelming mental power, the space responded to his will as he sought to advance into a new world.
The usual Prahl would never have been able to reach such a space, but his mind now set foot in it.
The flow of the sword, the flow of the world, overwhelmed his entire being. In that overwhelming sensation, Prahl’s mind was momentarily subdued.
How to shatter the sky, it began to appear in his eyes.
A gap that wouldn’t have been revealed if Bellator hadn’t weakened. That gap appeared in his eyes.
“Here.”
Resisting the overwhelming sensation, Prahl pushed the longsword into that gap. Would it work or not?
He didn’t know. But he felt like he could do it.
The pressure in his hand gradually lightened, and he felt the longsword passing through the wall.
He took one more step forward.
Kwoong—!
The force he exerted with his foot was so strong that the ground beneath him was rocky and scattered. The longsword gradually began to push back the greatsword.
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Vellator burst into laughter at Frakh’s appearance. He had only shown a part of his swordsmanship. Yet the young boy before him displayed more than that.
No matter how weakened he was, could anyone really push aside his sky-splitting strike and move forward? He felt a sense of wonder as he looked at Frakh.
As if not hearing Vellator’s laughter, Frakh took another step forward with a slightly dazed expression. Vellator’s greatsword wavered, and gradually his stance crumbled.
And another step.
After the third clash, the force of the strike that once split the sky was completely lost.
And finally.
Crack!
A crack began to form on Vellator’s greatsword. It spread from the center of the blade and extended throughout the entire sword.
And at last.
Clang!
With a sharp sound, Vellator’s greatsword shattered.
* * *
What was that feeling I just had?
It felt like I was dreaming. I was looking at the spectacle I had created. Vellator’s greatsword completely shattered into debris. And the ground beneath my feet shattered from the impact.
Everything was so unreal.
I had achieved it, but it was truly unbelievable.
I pondered the feeling I had just experienced. The flow of the world slowed down, and within it, I saw a ‘path’ as if telling me that I had to go there.
I took steps toward that path, and before I knew it, I had shattered my black Bellator sword.
I couldn’t clearly define what kind of sensation this was, but perhaps I had just crossed a wall.
“hahahahaha! Astonishing.”
Bellator chuckled and said so.
“…Indeed.”
I also agreed with his opinion. I never believed I could achieve something so extraordinary.
I looked at Bellator while still catching my breath and smiled.
“Hey, Bellator. Did you do it on purpose?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Showing me your swordsmanship. And… intentionally giving me time.”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
He chuckled and shrugged.
I see.
I also smiled as I looked at him. It seemed like he didn’t want to take credit for what I had accomplished. Even if he gave me an opportunity, in the end, it was me who executed it and overcame it.
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“Whatever the case, I won.”
“I agree. It’s an astounding achievement. I never expected that the sky-splitting strike would shatter against a young boy like you. I acknowledge you, Frach.”
“…Yes.”
In an instant, his body gradually turned into ashes, scattering away. He would return to being a specter again.
“I’ll be waiting first. I hope you complete the test till the end.”
“I will definitely make it happen.”
I stood there, watching as the scenery around me changed.