episode_0094
by fnovelpia
Alex took his eyes off Beatrice, who was studying her appearance closely.
But it still whetted my appetite.
I have lived a long time.
She was one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in all these years. I wondered if I’d ever seen a woman like her before.
Although her appearance was different, at first glance she seemed to resemble the empress I had seen a long time ago. However, since her eye color was also different, I thought it must be a mistake.
‘The atmosphere is strangely similar…’
Alex sat alone and quietly thought of a woman.
Isabelle Green. The empress who gave Alex his freedom.
I remembered how, as soon as I gained my freedom, I tried to hug her ungratefully, but had to leave because of the urgent situation in the palace.
Isabelle knew that Alex was this kind of person, but she took a gamble to get away from the Emperor.
Her actions changed everything, and the consequences continue to this day.
Alex finally took his gaze completely away from Beatrice and looked at the knife.
“Don’t you know how to do anything but bark?”
He scolds me, as if he’s tired of petty fights.
“No matter how strong the Holy Sword is, it is only a weapon. And a weapon is… .”
“!”
Carl, who had been standing with difficulty listening to Alex, was startled because Alex had disappeared from his sight again.
“I don’t mind using a stick as long as it can kill the opponent. Isn’t that kind of weapon cumbersome?”
In an instant, he closed the distance to a point where the sword could touch him. In a perfect square that the sword could not perceive. The speed was amazing, and the attack was without any frills.
visor-!
His body reacted faster than Karl realized. His absurdly excessive talent saved his life, which was on the verge of disappearing.
Carl faced Alex, flustered but somehow adapting to his instinctive movements. Alex looked at him as if he was finally starting to feel excited.
“Heh heh, fun struggle.”
“……”
Carl had no time to sarcastically respond to Alex’s words. He was too busy concentrating on this fight. All his nerves were focused on the tip of the sword and the unconscious reactions of his body.
Shuuu-
White smoke rose from the sword’s body. The holy sword’s energy went beyond the sword and enveloped the sword’s body. It was as if it was drawing power from the holy sword.
Alex was slightly taken aback by the energy and tried to distance himself. His battle-hardened senses were telling him that now was not the time to rush in.
But it wasn’t easy to get out.
This was because the sword’s movements had become noticeably faster. If he were to show any opening, he would be fatally wounded, so Alex tried to slow down and adapt to the sword’s movements.
And then-
“!?”
The light of the holy sword grew stronger and I could feel an enormous amount of mana. The mana became waves, and the waves were about to become a powerful sword energy.
‘This street, this moment, is it dark…?’
Alex was surprised.
Even for high-level inspectors, it was difficult and dangerous to insert a sword in a close range where quick exchanges of swords were taking place.
But his senses were screaming. This was not the reckless and impulsive act of a fool. The visible holy sword, or some unknown talent, would make such an absurd attack possible.
fault-!
Action was faster than thought.
Just as he had closed the distance in an instant before, he retreated far away for a brief moment before the sword was about to shoot out its sword energy. Then he prepared to defend himself.
Immediately afterwards, the sword energy I had expected poured out. However, it was much stronger than I had expected. It was a powerful attack that I had not seen easily even during my time as a Guardian Knight.
The range was too wide to dodge. Because I had hastily increased the distance, there was nowhere else to run.
Alex gripped the sword tightly with both hands.
He raised the long sword so that it was at an angle to his body, the handle was raised above his shoulder, and the blade was extended downward. If you can’t avoid it, you have to face it.
He opened his eyes wide and looked at the pouring black energy. And he found it. The core where the light waves begin. The most vulnerable point!
Whoosh-
He swung his sword with a sharp movement. Alex’s sword technique also appeared along the horizontal trajectory of the sword.
His swordsmanship was the closest thing Beatrice, Carl, had ever seen to perfection. Such pure and flawless mana refining ability was something only the elemental magic of a great wizard could possibly achieve. But to put that on a sword and swing it… .
It was a different class of swordsmanship. For a moment, Beatrice was certain that not even Blair or the Count could use such swordsmanship.
“Knife, be careful!”
Beatrice, who had tried to keep her composure, ended up shouting. She was worried about her sword because the enemy was so ridiculously strong.
After hearing Beatrice’s beautiful shout, Karl was still focused on the fight. He was also surprised to see Alex’s swordsmanship, but it was as expected. Even Louis, who was described as so strong in the original, couldn’t easily win!
bang-!
Alex’s swordsmanship was almost artistic, but he could not completely destroy the light created by the holy sword. The ancient artifact was not a ‘mere weapon’ as Alex had disparaged it.
I tried to strike down the beams of light that were pouring down without being able to extinguish them one by one. However, I couldn’t strike down all of them, and I just let the light that wasn’t enough to cause fatal injuries pass by.
In the places where the light passed through, Alex’s clothes were torn and scratches appeared.
But it was a wound worth enduring.
If only I could block the Holy Sword’s sword energy with this much force, it would be a worthwhile deal. Alex smiled with satisfaction as he tried to counterattack by blocking the last ray of light.
A ridiculously large sword was flying at me at high speed.
The holy sword was thrown from a distance, like a sword throwing a spear. Alex was dumbfounded by the violent fighting style of throwing the sword itself, not just the sword itself.
However, it was not something that could be completely ignored, because the holy sword came flying at me with a flash of light like a thunderbolt.
Alex couldn’t dodge in time, so he blocked the thrown holy sword with the swords he was holding in both hands.
Kookung-!
It was not the sound of metal clashing, but the sound of swords clashing. It was the sound of the light of the holy sword and the mana surrounding Alex’s sword resonating.
‘Ugh…!’
A fierce struggle ensued. The power of the Holy Sword itself, now out of its master’s hands, was pushing Alex forward.
But Alex somehow held on. He drew quite a bit of mana and finally succeeded in blocking the holy sword.
WHISTLE – The holy sword was stuck in the floor.
“Are you just struggling with weapons?”
The voice of the sword was heard. The voice of what Alex thought was nothing more than a child was heard right in front of him.
visor-
Before he knew it, Karl had jumped in front of Alex and was swinging his twin swords. Alex quickly took a defensive move at the unexpected proximity.
“That’s pretty good. To be able to do this, the Holy Sword must not have a bad eye for its master!”
Alex also gave himself over to the boiling heat of the fight. The seemingly insignificant struggles of the little girl were now no longer a source of amusement to Alex, but rather a source of serious fighting.
The light sword energy using the holy sword, the physical attack by sticking the holy sword itself out, and now the dual sword charge. Alex was truly amazed by the fierce attack that did not give him a moment to catch his breath.
In addition, the skill level of handling dual swords is now.
This youngling is definitely more comfortable with a dual sword than a greatsword like the Holy Sword. The protection of the Holy Sword has not yet disappeared, and the body that is emitting pure white smoke shows a level of performance ability similar to Alex.
“But don’t back off yet.”
“… !”
Alex said, and the sword’s trajectory was disrupted by an almost artistic movement.
“You hesitate unconsciously, aiming for the vital point!”
As he said, Carl gave in to his instincts and sometimes blocked Alex’s sword and sometimes struck back. However, it was always a defensive move to protect his own life and within the shackles of hesitation to not inflict fatal damage on the opponent.
That was the limit, the limit of Kim Se-jin, who had lived as an ordinary woman for 20 years, not the real Karl Maynor.
Ching-! The two swords that were gathered diagonally soared into the sky, unable to withstand Alex’s upward swing.
“That’s the end, kid.”
That was the last thing Alex wanted to say goodbye to. It was his last greeting to the Academy fan who had lived for far less than the time he had lived.
“……”
The sword swung – Alex swung his sword lightly again, and he stared intently at it. His two golden eyes were filled with a strong concentration and determination that made it seem as if time had stopped.
And then I remembered what my teacher had said.
-Do you think dropping your sword means death?
A carefree, ash-haired man appears before my eyes.
But what is clear is that he is the strongest.
In the sword, his teachings were truth and justice.
So believe and follow.
The Master’s teachings!
“… ?”
Alex felt uneasy when he saw Carl’s face, which showed unwavering determination.
A man accepting death would never have such a face.
He smiled at the intense eyes that were like undying embers. He probably had a feeling that the girl in uniform would make him even happier than he was now.
Swish-
He dropped his sword and waved his empty hands.
For a brief moment, the sword gathered mana in both hands, like a martial artist.
Because it is theoretically possible to subdue a knight with the mana imbued into his body without a sword.
No, because there are ways to turn the tide with a little counter like Master Louis!
A counterattack or a martial art using mana.
Or the miracle of the Holy Sword.
There were many ways. Carl recalled them all in an instant, and Alex also thought of possible scenarios, vaguely realizing that this attack would not be the end.
That was when Karl was about to block Alex’s attack with his bare hands.
“Ugh!”
“?”
Carl suddenly felt as if all the strength in his body had been drained. Then, as if he was falling into an inescapable sleep, his eyes slowly closed.
dump-
Alex was also surprised to see Carl slowly fall down as if he had fainted.
The opponent who had been burning with fighting spirit and trying to block my sword just a moment ago, collapsed helplessly on the spot… I wondered what was going on.
But he didn’t put his sword away. He tried to stab the falling sword with his sword.
If it weren’t for the pitch-black curtain that separated them, Alex’s sword would have pierced through Carl’s falling body.
Phagejik-
Alex’s black eyes were blocked by the darkness that had appeared before him. It was a darkness so solid that it seemed impossible to cut through it.
“I have one question to ask.”
A woman’s voice was heard from beyond the darkness. It was a captivating and beautiful voice.
“You, are you planning to join the rebels?”
It wasn’t an unfamiliar voice.
I just heard it for the first time a few minutes ago.
Alex waited calmly for the darkness to lift.
And I stared at the end. Without letting my guard down.
Saaak-
As the darkness gradually disappeared, the owner of the voice appeared. He was approaching Alex with a thump of footsteps.
A woman in uniform with a face as beautiful as her voice.
Beatrice walked at a pace that was neither slow nor fast.
Suddenly, Carl Maynor was by her side.
A fallen Carl Maynor floats around her as he lies there.
Looking closely, I saw Beatrice reaching out and carrying the fallen sword to her side.
It was magic. And it was a very sophisticated…
Swish-
Finally, Beatrice gently laid the sword down in front of her. Then she gently brushed back the golden hair that covered her forehead.
It seemed like she was smiling. A gentle smile that didn’t match her cold impression at first glance.
But that smile soon disappeared, as he withdrew his hand from the knife and turned back to Alex. Where the smile had been, an eerie gaze had taken its place.
Alex was staring blankly at Beatrice’s eerie, yet still captivating appearance.
It was an intimidating feeling that was hard to believe considering that she was the noble lady I had just seen a few minutes ago. I had a familiar yet ominous feeling.
“He seems like a pretty cruel and self-willed man… .”
Crack, crack, crack – As Beatrice came closer, even Alex, who was not easily nervous, had no choice but to firmly hold his sword.
chuck-
While I was bewildered by such an unusual atmosphere, Beatrice arrived.
Compared to the tall Alex, she was a very small woman… but when we stood face to face, she didn’t seem small at all.
Rather, it was almost as if Alex was looking up at the woman in the uniform.
“How can the rebels and the royal family trust you?”
“……”
“Why would I trust a man like you and take him in? He’d just make empty promises.”
The woman in front of him smiled. It was a smile so captivating that it was almost creepy. Alex’s face, staring at her, turned red with shock.
“You, you…!”
It wasn’t just because Beatrice’s smiling face was so beautiful. What really startled Alex was her eyes.
The eyes, which had suddenly turned a bright blue-green, made Alex shiver.
“Tell me. I asked.”
These are the eyes of those Alex once served. Those who gave him strength and life under the name of Guardian Knight… .
But in return, it was the eyes of those who had taken away his freedom.
“Tell me why I should keep you alive.”
It was the eyes of the royal family.
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