episode_0044

“Wait a moment─”

‘crazy… … !’

Without speaking, I hurriedly escaped.

And almost at the same time I move my body.

bang!

The place where I was standing just a moment ago exploded.

Yes, there was literally an explosion.

By a sword wielded by a man.

“You can also quickly cum… !”

Ethan, the one who caused the phenomenon, shouted.

There was no regret in that voice.

There was only excitement and joy.

“Tugwi, please stop for a moment! If you fight in a place like this─”

“Let’s see if we can avoid this too!”

I tried to stop Ethan, but Ethan didn’t even listen to me and rushed at me again.

‘… shit.’

I wonder if he can’t hear the sound due to the excitement of battle, or if he can hear it but has no intention of reacting.

… No, this is clear without any need to think about it.

There is no way a warrior who has reached that level would be so excited that he would lose his temper in a situation like this.

‘I thought he was a more communicative person than I thought… … .’

Compared to the rumors surrounding him, he was a more normal person than you might think.

Of course, considering that he tried to kill me and used his companions to catch me, it’s hard to say that he was completely normal, but compared to his notoriety, he seemed like someone who at least knew the extent of it.

For example, the fact that he did not pose a direct threat to the party, and the fact that he first suggested that it would be better to change seats is also the same.

When I saw those scenes, I thought that Ethan Bertrand might be a more communicative person than I thought.

However, that was a big mistake.

At least the Ethan in front of me right now was not someone I could communicate with.

‘It’s difficult… … .’

If the noise is this loud, everyone around you will hear it.

Fortunately, this is an area lined with villas, so the density is relatively low, but it was obvious that if this kind of commotion continued, people would flock in at some point.

That’s difficult.

Getting them involved is a problem, and having my face known is also a problem.

‘So for now… .’

move location

After organizing my thoughts like that, I immediately turned my back on Ethan and started running away.

“Stand there!”

And then I felt Ethan following me with his eyes shining.

But the speed was unusual.

So much so that if you run with moderate effort, you can catch up in an instant.

‘That doesn’t make sense.’

I clicked my tongue and increased my speed.

It wasn’t a very good choice in the long run, but it was an unavoidable choice in order to avoid being caught up.

Hiss!

I feel the wind passing by my ears, and I move my legs diligently.

Fortunately, my efforts paid off and the distance between me and Ethan did not narrow.

I ran for a while, using all my horsepower like that.

I finally stopped in place.

On a deserted mountainside, far from the lakeside.

If you’re in this position at this time, you don’t have to worry about unwanted people getting involved.

“Hwaap!”

Without even having time to catch my breath, I had to move my body right away.

Ethan arrived shortly after and rushed straight towards me.

I dodged his sword just like before.

Unlike before, I jumped straight towards him.

And before I knew it, a sword was drawn in my hand.

“… … !”

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

However, his eyes never wavered.

Whick!

At the same time, the sword, which had obviously missed, suddenly changed its trajectory and aimed at my back.

‘… … !’

It’s not a technique or a special technique.

It was just that the path was unreasonably twisted with overwhelming force.

Although there is no supreme magic there, it is an attack that cannot be ignored.

‘To attack like this… Can not be done.’

If I make that choice, my attack may be successful, but I will also suffer damage that cannot be ignored.

… no. I even thought that I might be harmed unilaterally.

Ethan’s eyes, seen up close, were following my sword with frightening calmness.

‘… ‘I can’t help it.’

I eventually gave up on attacking Ethan and ran to the side.

And then I swung my sword towards Ethan’s sword aiming at my back.

Quang!

There was an explosion of sound that was unimaginable as swords clashing with each other.

“Ugh… !”

I flew through the air.

The impact was completely resolved and there was no damage, but it ended up floating in the air for a considerable distance.

“… … .”

After adjusting my posture, I couldn’t help but look down.

Because Ethan was standing still without moving a single step.

“The reaction and judgment are not bad.”

“Sigh,” he laughed.

‘… ‘This is absurd.’

I even flew through the air, but Ethan didn’t even move or even stumble.

It was a scene that clearly showed the difference between my strength and his.

Also, what about that arm?

The average person… No, even an advanced martial artist would have put a lot of strain on his arm if he did something like that, but Ethan seemed to have suffered no damage.

“… What happened to your body?”

It was so absurd that I stopped asking.

“Well, it’s the power of time.”

On the other hand, Ethan’s answer was absurd.

What is the power of time?

As he gets older, he will have to be able to lift a mountain with just one arm.

… Well, leave those complaints aside for now.

‘strong.’

Should I say yes or no?

Ethan was strong.

Even though it is clearly evident that they are not giving their all, their power is already at a destructive level.

‘Is this the ten swords…? .’

‘Ten Swords’, which discusses the continent’s strongest warrior.

A monster who made his name in that brilliant position at the young age of early 30s.

That’s Ethan Bertrand.

Of course I expected it to be strong.

But its strength far exceeded my expectations.

Seeing the power of a member of the Ten Swords in person like this reminds me of something that happened not long ago.

Assassins who infiltrated the academy seeking Estelle’s life.

And the head.

The leader of the assassins at that time said so.

They say they have the power to take on even the ten swords.

But now that I look at it, I understand.

What the man said was a ridiculous overestimation.

Perhaps, if their opponent had been Ethan, they wouldn’t have been able to take the time to deal with him properly.

The power must have been torn apart before even a few minutes had passed.

The power Ethan displayed was violent to that extent.

It’s too early to draw conclusions since we haven’t fought in earnest yet.

At least when dealing with multiple warriors.

When it comes to dealing with a relatively low-level warrior, I won’t be able to beat Ethan.

With that destructive physical ability and magical power, I will tear them apart without mercy, no matter how many they number.

However.

That doesn’t mean I lose to Ethan.

“Phew… … .”

Take a breath and increase your concentration.

As a result, the flow was different from what I imagined.

The fight has already begun, and I have no intention of losing.

“It looks like you’ve finally decided to do it right.”

Looking at me like that, Ethan smiled with satisfaction.

and.

At the same time, his momentum changed once again.

Huuuung─

If he had been reminiscent of a wild beast just a moment ago, now he looked like a storm.

A violent storm that threatens to shatter everything in its path.

“I’ll show my sincerity, too, little by little.”

After saying that, Ethan leaned back with the arm holding the sword.

I am in that movement.

Creepy!

I felt goosebumps rising all over my body and did my best to leave the place.

And finally, Ethan’s sword was swung.

OK.

───!

A storm raged.

“… … .”

I managed to escape the scope of the storm and was able to see the devastation it left behind.

How should I express those traces?

explosion… The expression doesn’t fit either.

… okay. This should be called deletion.

The dirt, stones, and trees along the path disappeared without a trace, as if someone had erased them from this world.

Part of the mountain was literally carved away.

I only swung my sword once.

Looking at that ridiculous phenomenon, I noticed.

The identity of the blow Ethan showed a moment ago.

It wasn’t just a matter of swinging magical power, it contained the level that every warrior dreams of.

‘Intention.’

To put it more simply, will.

And, meaning.

What is the difference between the so-called ten swords and those who do not?

There are probably only a few people who really know the difference.

Is it simply about being stronger, faster, and better with weapons?

No, it’s not.

There is a vast gap between them that can never be bridged by anything like that.

And that is ‘idea’.

It’s not just about will.

Everyone has a simple will.

Moreover, even the hand gestures of a child contain will.

Meaning of what to do. Because that is the will.

However, ordinary will exists only within a person.

It never gets out and affects the world.

but.

The story changes when you hone your martial arts skills and reach the ultimate level.

An unmanned person who has reached the pinnacle of nothingness is finally able to bring out his will, a will that should have remained within him, out into the world.

The will, the intention, that was revealed to the outside like that.

It causes miracles.

A body made of blood and flesh, imbued with intention, blocks arrows.

A sword made of steel can be broken with a trivial tree branch.

This is the state where one’s inner will is brought out into the world through the body.

A state where one’s will is engraved on the world by wielding one’s thoughts.

That would be the state of the ‘Ten Swords’.

What Ethan showed me just now was like proof of that.

“character.”

The superhuman, who performed a miracle that would never have been possible with a human body, spoke with a smile, as if it was not that big of a deal, and yet was somewhat amused.

“Let’s start playing in earnest.”