Ch.11Chapter 11: The Second Awakening

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The bluish energy concentrated in Laplace’s right hand was tracing a trajectory aimed directly at my head without the slightest waste of movement.

There was no fancy technique—just a straight, linear motion driven solely by the will to pierce through my head. Though brief and concise,

I could feel the killing intent behind it so clearly that it sent shivers down my spine.

I turned my head as much as I possibly could within my limited range of motion, barely managing to prevent his right hand’s trajectory from intersecting with my head.

*Swoosh*

Having narrowly avoided his knife hand, I heard a splitting sound by my ear—far too loud to be from merely swinging a hand through the air.

Then came the searing pain in my left shoulder.

“Ugh!!”

The burning sensation, as if my shoulder had been branded with fire, drained all strength from my body. Despite having just barely managed to get up, I fell to my knees again.

Even though I had picked up a practice sword from the ground to use as a makeshift cane, determined not to collapse no matter what, the violence inflicted upon me had once again reduced me to the shameful display of kneeling.

【Hmm.】

Laplace let out a deep sigh toward me.

【I didn’t think you’d dodge that one.】

He spoke in a neutral voice tinged with disappointment that, despite wounding me, he hadn’t achieved his desired outcome.

But strangely, to my ears,

That sigh of disappointment seemed to contain a hint of admiration.

【You exceed my expectations every time we clash.】

This time it felt like a short exclamation of wonder.

Apparently, the series of movements I was displaying through my injured body

Was somehow making a deep impression on him, though I couldn’t understand why.

The hazy eyes visible through his helmet gradually became clearer, revealing a brilliant gaze stirred with various emotions.

Accordingly, the energy surrounding his body continued to rise as if there were no limit.

The pressure I had felt so acutely just moments ago

Was now growing in size and density to the point where calling what came before “energy” would be embarrassing in comparison.

Though that predatory gaze was unbearably intimidating,

I noticed that it was focused solely on me, not on Shizu.

‘I can buy some time.’

I actually breathed a sigh of relief at the thought that Shizu could gain some time.

I rose from my knees, planning to draw his attention as much as possible to give Shizu time to recover and somehow face him, but

Unfortunately,

【How about this?】

He instantly closed the distance between us as I barely managed to stand, then swung his right leg like a whip.

Having depleted my strength just avoiding his earlier knife hand attack, I had no reserves left to dodge such a kick.

*Thud*

My body, struck by the whip-like kick, rolled across the training ground floor like a ball.

“Kuhak!!”

As soon as my body hit the floor, a cough brought up a small amount of bright red blood.

It seems my internal organs were somewhat damaged from the impact with the ground.

My super-regeneration ability… strangely wasn’t activating.

More precisely, healing was occurring but minimally—nowhere near the speed at which my shoulder had regenerated when it was nearly severed earlier.

Facing this situation where things weren’t going as intended, the phrase “dire straits” came to mind.

Many students and Cradle officials were present in the training ground, but time remained frozen, showing no signs of resuming. Looking at the current situation where no one could step forward to help Shizu and me, I thought just that.

Is this… the end?

Just as my spirit was slowly breaking under his overwhelming power,

“Ka…Karl!”

Shizu, who had finally broken through the storm of force Laplace had unleashed, reached where I had fallen. Seeing the scene, she called out to me in shock and rushed over with a single bound.

【To turn your back on your opponent—how careless.】

Having no intention of leaving her be, Laplace displayed a movement close to a leap from his position, instantly closing the distance with Shizu who had turned her back to him.

【Die! O Invincible Radiance! Die and leave behind the holy sword to become a cornerstone adorning the glorious order my lord will create!】

Simultaneously, he shouted words far more emotional than when facing me, and rushed at Shizu with his hand raised in a knife-edge, just as he had tried to pierce my head, attempting to bisect her body.

After the momentary flash of his knife hand,

*Squelch*

The chilling sound of flesh being torn echoed throughout the time-frozen training ground.

*Drip drip*

Followed by the sound of bright red blood falling to the floor.

It was the sound announcing that his strike, delivered with tremendous passion, had successfully cut someone’s flesh, but the brilliant eyes revealed through Laplace’s helmet were stirred with emotions entirely different from joy or a sense of achievement.

【…This is truly surprising.】

Not only his eyes, but his voice also trembled, unable to hide his confusion at an outcome completely different from what he had imagined.

No wonder.

“Kaaarl!!”

His sharp knife hand was now embedded not in Shizu, who was screaming as if she would tear apart, but

“I’m fine… ugh… damn. This hurts like hell.”

In my left shoulder—after I had somehow summoned strength I didn’t know I had to push Shizu away.

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I don’t know how I managed to find such strength.

The moment I met Laplace’s cold eyes as he seized Shizu’s defenseless back, preparing to deliver the final blow to her,

The thought that I couldn’t lose Shizu this way dominated my body and mind.

And then, power surged forth in a way that amazed even me.

And fortunately,

That power still remains within me.

Just like how it had perfectly regenerated my right shoulder earlier, the wound on my left shoulder that had nearly been split open was regenerating at an astonishing rate, except for the area where his knife hand remained.

My body, which had been so depleted of energy that even regulating my breathing was difficult, was rapidly returning to normal.

【What… is this?】

Laplace, who had frozen in place, let out a dejected voice, stunned that his supposedly fatal blow had been blocked again.

‘This is my chance!’

I sensed it instinctively.

This was my opportunity to land a blow on him somehow and give Shizu time to recover both physically and mentally.

Having assessed the situation, my course of action was clear.

*Whoosh*

Taking a light breath, I converted the mana nestled in my heart through my lungs into fighting spirit suited to my body.

Though it was very slight mana gathered through basic breathing techniques,

Compared to what I had forcibly squeezed out in the previous timeline while enduring life-shortening pain, this mana gathered much faster and more precisely.

*Whoosh*

It infused my body with energy that would temporarily make it harder than steel,

And filled my heart with courage to stand against the powerful enemy before me without retreating.

The preparations were complete.

I would only get one chance.

Having made my decision, I quickly turned my head to look at Shizu.

As if she had read my desperate gaze saying ‘I’ll create an opportunity, let’s try once more,’

Shizu composed her expression, which had been flustered from the various emotions she felt seeing me injured.

*Tap tap tap*

She quickly moved to position herself behind me, then closed her eyes and regulated her breathing.

Standing behind me was intended to keep herself out of Laplace’s line of sight as much as possible.

And regulating her breathing was a preparatory stance to deliver a strike with greater power than the Light Slash, though it would take more time.

In the previous timeline, she could have created a spectacular scene of splitting heaven and earth with just a single breath and sword strike.

But for the current Shizu, who had just taken her first steps as a hero, this was the best attack she could manage.

Rather than dwelling on regrets, I was determined to land a proper blow on him.

I raised my left shoulder, which had mostly healed, and extended my left arm.

This was to grab the wrist of his right hand, which was still stuck in my shoulder except for the regenerated parts, immobilizing him.

【Tch!】

Laplace, belatedly realizing my movement, desperately tried to pull his right hand free, but having already focused my nerves on my right shoulder and stiffened the muscles,

His right hand remained stuck at the point where it had stopped cutting into my shoulder.

*Thud*

Though the armor made his wrist somewhat heavy and thick to grasp with my left hand, a miracle born of my determination to stop his movement seemed to occur.

My left hand, tracing a clean arc, easily captured Laplace’s wrist.

*Flinch*

Laplace’s body trembled slightly, caught off guard by my unexpected move and the capture of his wrist.

【Grabbing me won’t do you any good.】

But he quickly composed himself and pressured me with a cold voice.

【Even with my right hand sealed, I still have my left hand, which is just as capable.】

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his left hand and infused it with the same bluish, blade-like energy as his right, then swung it downward from above.

【I’ll cut you down! Your entire body that stands in my way!】

His voice was filled with confidence, as if my body would be sliced dozens of times over.

‘Full of openings.’

But the knife-hand strike he executed with improper form due to his captured right wrist had so many gaps that even my eyes, enhanced by basic body strengthening techniques, could easily perceive them.

“I can see through you, bastard.”

Deliberately using harsh words to irritate him,

While maintaining my grip on his right wrist with my left hand, I lightly turned my body and easily avoided his knife-hand attack.

My movement was surprisingly nimble, a stark contrast to moments before when I had been struggling even to breathe.

【No!】

Seeing Laplace lose his balance after striking at empty air with all his weight behind the blow,

I quickly released his wrist with my left hand, further disrupting his already compromised balance.

【Eek!】

With both his footwork and body momentarily tangled, Laplace struggled mightily to regain his balance, but it didn’t seem to be working.

For someone who called himself an invincible warrior, the sight of him losing balance due to an unexpected action from someone he considered weaker

Revealed a clumsiness that his heavy armor couldn’t conceal, almost prompting a smirk.

But I kept my lips in a straight line, lightly jumped backward to create distance between us,

Then positioned the practice sword I had been using as a cane toward the stumbling Laplace.

“Even a practice sword without a sharpened edge,” I said.

*Whoosh*

“When wrapped in fighting spirit, can gain enough cutting power to slice through most things.”

As pure white energy erupted from the practice sword, I prepared to use the combat style I had favored most during my first life in the previous timeline.

Spirit Sword.

It’s the mark of a skilled practitioner who has mastered the application of fighting spirit, converting mana received in the heart through breathing techniques into energy optimized for their body.

In other words, an Aura Blade.

The more mastered it becomes, the more it approaches the pinnacle of fighting spirit application—a technique that places no limits on what it can cut.

After completing the spirit sword, which gleamed with pure white energy not quite matching the holy radiance of Lumen but close,

I closed my eyes briefly to weigh what needed to be removed from my heart and what needed to be added before using this sword.

First, I removed.

I removed the lingering resentment toward myself for not becoming a shining star in the previous timeline, and the inferiority and jealousy I had felt toward you who shone brighter than me.

Then, I added.

I added my earnest desire to protect you and make you happy—you who had wished only for happiness even in calmly accepting death.

Finally, I prayed.

I prayed that even if this strike couldn’t defeat him, it would at least create an opportunity for you, Shizu, to deliver the winning blow.

Then something amazing happened.

As if responding to my wish, the pure white energy wrapping the practice sword not only intensified but exploded with a brilliance that was almost blinding.

*Woooong*

The sword resonated with a majestic sound that seemed to fill the entire time-frozen training ground, as if responding to my will.

“…”

It was so surprising that I unconsciously opened my eyes wide.

Though I was bewildered by what had happened, there was no time for lengthy contemplation.

‘I can do this!’

This sign gave me confidence that I could inflict meaningful damage on Laplace, who was clearly stronger than me.

Without hesitation,

“Haaaaa!”

I approached Laplace with a powerful battle cry and swung the spirit sword wrapped in pure white energy.

Having just regained his balance, Laplace saw the approaching spirit sword and

【Don’t underestimate me!】

Judging it too late to dodge, he tried to block the spirit sword using the defensive power of his heavy armor.

But my sword path, drawn with a clean trajectory I had never achieved in the previous timeline, combined with the spirit sword,

*Slice*

【What… how is this…possible?!】

Displayed a cutting power that surprised even me who had completed the spirit sword, successfully cutting through Laplace’s armor and leaving a fatal wound across his upper body.

And it didn’t end with just leaving a wound.

*Thud*

Laplace’s body, covered entirely in heavy armor, fell to its knees the moment it came into contact with the trajectory of my spirit sword, then collapsed completely to the ground.

Simultaneously, the vortex of fighting spirit created by Laplace that had been surging throughout the training ground dissipated.

“…”

It was hard to believe, but I had to accept it.

With the sword strike I had delivered,

I had managed to land a blow capable of banishing to his original world a first-class vassal of the Demon God and possessor of the Bloody Pentagram, given only to the most trusted subordinates.

“You… you did it.”

The sight of Shizu watching this scene with an expression even more surprised than mine was an added bonus.