episode_0074

A brightly lit open space. There, two people were clashing swords.

The sword the boy was holding was a simple straight sword. It was an arming sword with a shape that looked like the tip of a cross had been extended. However, what was unique about it was that the handle and the cross guard were pure black, with no sign of gloss.

In contrast, the sword held by the woman standing on the other side was quite flashy and gave off a strong feeling of luxury.

The handle was held in my hand so I couldn’t see any decorations, but I could tell it was pure white. And there was a blue wave pattern engraved on the blade.

Unlike the swords used in conventional training, this sword was custom-made for the user. It didn’t seem to go well with the title of Knight Commander and a Japanese katana…

When I first came here, the background introduction was a game, and considering that it was a different world, what else could I expect? And since Meihen can tear steel with her grip strength, the thickness or length of the sword doesn’t really matter. Since she brought it as her own sword, I just assumed she would use it the best.

And it actually felt like it was a little bit more difficult to deal with.

Bang-!

As the woman in the maid outfit steps forward and slashes her sword vertically, the winged boy swings his sword diagonally again.

And the moment the swords met, the sword swung vertically slowed down, but did not stop.

Battles are about putting your strengths first and attacking your opponent’s weak points. What Meihen brings out is a strong sword and a quick sword. If you let it slide half-heartedly, you’ll only end up in a more disadvantageous position in the next fight.

And of course, they knew each other’s strengths well from countless encounters. So rather than confront the sword, Hyunho decided to go with the flow of power.

He pivoted on his wings in the air and used the descending sword as a driving force to spin around. Hyunho spun around and kicked her in the face.

With a bang, Mayhen was pushed away. Of course, he had no intention of waiting for her to get into position. Hyunho extended his left hand in the air.

A small barrier appeared under his feet and hands. Hyunho used them as a stepping stone and charged forward, kicking the air.

I felt a strong wind. The good thing about having wings is that I can accelerate once more in the air.

As soon as he shot the sword, a light flashed from Mayhen’s hand, and a cool sensation was felt on his cheek.

After their positions were switched, a few blue hairs were fluttering and falling in the air.

All he got was a few black marks on the ground and a few strands of hair. It was a very small reward considering the long bloodline drawn on his cheek.

The two of them started to measure the distance by stepping on the ground with each other.

“Kuzunoha, please.”

Mayhen said, holding the sword in both hands.

Kuzunoha, who was watching from outside, near the stands, nodded and put her hand into her sleeve.

What came out was a bunch of leaves.

As Kuzunoha blew the wind over it, the green leaves soared high into the sky on the air current.

And after a few seconds, the sword Mayhen was holding began to hum and make a dangerous noise.

“I’m going.”

Mayhen lowered his posture and took a charging stance. Then, suddenly, an octagonal pillar began to fall from the sky. It was barely thick enough for a grown man to hold in his arms.

*

No, can you win this?

That was the thought that came to my mind as soon as I saw the iron stake falling from the sky.

Even if you fight Meihen 1-on-1, you’ll only win 3 out of 10 times. But if Kuzunoha joins the fight, isn’t it obvious that you won’t be able to win?

I held onto the handle tightly, grimacing at the pain I felt on my cheek. Yeah, well… in real combat, the enemy won’t match my level.

‘One in the back, and one on the right.’

I roughly thought about where the pillars would fall and took a step.

In the blink of an eye, the person disappeared from sight, leaving only the flashing light of a sword.

Whether it was a sword that was swung with determination or one that was prepared, it was impossible to strike perfectly.

Every time a spark flew between the two swords, the clothes on his thighs, shoulders, and chest turned red. In the past, they would have all been cut off, but now his body is quite strong.

While fighting Helia, I realized that although my attack power was not good, my body’s durability was too weak. So I created a barrier over my skin to protect myself as well.

Thanks to this, the crazy thing of taking a blade with your fist actually became possible. The blade was only pushed back after being inserted one finger joint deep.

And now it was my turn again. Just as I was about to swing my sword, my right leg was suddenly crushed and I lost my balance.

Still!

“Ugh…!”

“It’s the end.”

The pillar that was falling from the sky suddenly changed its course. In this situation, if I lose my posture, it means death. As if to let him know, a thin line was drawn around my neck.

.

.

.

“Ah, ouch!!”

“Don’t worry, I hit you with the back of the sword.”

But it still hurts. If it seems like the match is over, wouldn’t it be okay to end it by putting a knife to the neck? Meihen always ends it by hitting him.

“Are you okay, sir?”

pop!

As Kuzunoha approached without realizing it, she waved her hand, and the once heavy pillar turned into a leaf blown away by the wind.

“Ahhh… So you can control multiple of those at once?”

I’ve seen pillars fall before, but they were only one at a time. This is the first time I’ve seen two or three of them flying towards me in a curved orbit.

“You can move four to five at a time.”

Kuzunoha said that he increased the difficulty level because he fought better than last time.

…I thought the training was finally over, but there was still a long way to go. I suddenly felt depressed.

If you ask why I am playing 2-on-1 with such tough opponents, you have to go back in time.

It was when we found and brought back Nacha, who had escaped from the casino while practicing flying. After confirming that Nacha and her bag were safe, we took a short break and discussed our next destination.

***

When Lina, Mayhen, Kuzunoha, and I were putting our heads together to think about what to do next, Lina was the first to speak.

“It would be better to leave right away.”

Her explanation is summarized as follows:

If the horn we got from the casino works properly, we will have a means to cross the ocean in a straight line.

This story is based on the premise that you can ride the ghost ship, but… it’s not impossible to go straight to the Demon King’s Castle.

“I agree with you too. My husband has become strong enough…”

Kuzunoha also seemed to agree. It felt strange that she kept glancing at my lower body, but she had a good reason.

“First of all, I think you’re starting to notice it now.”

“That’s definitely true.”

It’s obvious that the Demon King’s army has become aware of my existence because I played a game with Helia at the casino.

This story started when they heard that Bartholin had joined the Four Heavenly Kings. They thought that the identity of the warrior might have been revealed through her, so they decided to attack first.

That’s the story of when one person, no, one slime, witnessed my death. Now, all the demons in the casino saw my death. The scene where the body disappeared without leaving a trace. They must have thought something was strange.

They’re probably investigating it now, so it’s a really good idea to think they can keep hiding it.

So now. This means now is the time to attack. Now that we have a means to reach the Demon King’s castle, let’s go kill the Demon King quickly before the castle’s defenses get thicker.

Since you can never win in an all-out war where troops clash with troops, it also fits in with the original plan of raising warriors and sending them out as assassins.

At first glance, it seems like a good plan. But…

“No, the warrior was like an assassin?”

Hyunho asked with wide eyes. It seemed more like he was asking for confirmation rather than curiosity.

Hyunho’s thoughts became a little complicated even after he said the words himself.

Really? No, if you think about it for a moment, you can’t fight an army alone, so…

Resurrect and charge, resurrect and charge. Isn’t this handling too bad… And then I remembered that he actually accepted death in order to stab Helia, and I felt complicated.

Hyunho, who had a mysterious expression on his face, felt a heavy object on the back of his head.

“Huh? I think there’s something wrong.”

The object that touched my head was Mayhen’s chest. My sister hugged me as if to reassure me.

“There’s no way I’d send my cute little brother alone. We’re all going together. It’s an all-out war.”

“All together? Aren’t you unable to go out because of the barrier?”

“That’s right. So, the barrier will be lifted.”

While I was out, Lina and Kuzunoha weren’t playing around. As a result of Lina’s investigations inside the barrier and Kuzunoha’s experience and skills, the two of them found a way to break the barrier.

“Yes? Is that okay?”

Wasn’t it because of this barrier that people could live safely?

Lina nodded as if she understood my surprised reaction and continued the rest of her explanation.

“…We can’t go there fully prepared. We’re at a disadvantage.”

No matter how efficiently we use our vision, eventually, the moment I go outside, time begins to pass on that side as well.

And the overall force is much more there. If we prepare to attack a little more, the defense there will be stronger. If we go out with 50 forces to 100, the enemy’s force will go from 1000 to 10000.

Their argument was that if one must fight an unfavorable battle, one should do so when the odds are at least a little less favorable.

“Yes. If you fail, you can be sure that there will be no next chance. So-”

“So you’re going to attack the main base right away?”

Hyunho heard the sound of “yes” and was lost in thought for a moment.

“Then, I think it would be better to do a full checkup, thinking it is the last one.”

***

Hyunho recalled all his past memories.

Well, it was your own fault. After that, you said you wanted to see how much stronger you had become… There are no excuses.

I borrowed Kuzunoha’s hands to set broken bones, and used her abilities to hasten natural healing.

“Hey, okay. This is probably the last one, so let’s keep going.”

The skills and experiences embedded in the crystal are already in my body. It took a lot of energy to acquire those skills because of my body. Now that my body has been refined to be able to fully use the skills, a small amount of energy is enough.

Having acquired the representative skills of over 100 knights, I should have been a walking killer tank…

“Ah, I lost again…”

“Should I stop?”

Before I knew it, I was lying on the floor again, and Meihen was bending down to look down at me. This time, while Kuzunoha was briefly blocking my vision with her will-o’-the-wisps, I was cut in two by the sword and defeated.

…But I felt like I was gradually moving forward. Otherwise, I would have quit a long time ago.

“Yeah… I’ll keep trying.”

“Then how long do you plan on doing it?”

Hyunho seemed to think for a moment, then answered in a firm voice.

“Until we win!”