Ch.259Chapter 259: Holy Sword vs. Demon Sword

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It was Shizu who deflected the crimson energy blast that the Agent had deliberately launched to subdue me.

I was more than relieved that she had managed to block what I instinctively knew would have been difficult to avoid without taking any damage.

“Shizu…”

When I called her name with gladness in my voice,

I could see you turning your head reflexively.

You should have been tired after rushing such a long distance in one breath.

“Are you… hurt?”

That voice asking if I was alright without even catching your breath, still holding your rough breathing, was incredibly warm.

Though unlike your warm voice, the worry spread across your expression couldn’t be hidden.

Your lips expressing warmth while your face showed concern…

For some reason, the thought that I had caused her worry made guilt grow in my heart instead of happiness.

But when I considered that if a similar situation happened in reverse between us, I too would have stood before you without hesitation to protect you and then spoken words filled with concern.

So I thought it was natural for you to worry.

The guilt that had briefly accumulated was somehow transformed into gratitude.

“I’m fine.”

I felt that expressing the accumulated gratitude with just those words was too brief.

“Thank goodness…”

The way you shed your worry as soon as you heard I was fine, slightly drawing out the end of your words, gave me a sense of relief that my brief words had been well-received.

Now as before, you find joy in even the smallest things I offer.

Seeing you so happy makes me feel happy too.

But…

“How did you get here?”

I asked why you were here when you should have been guarding the Princess.

“I’m fine. I came… after receiving the Princess’s order to hurry here.”

Shizu answered my question, slightly trailing off at the end.

Hmm, if she got permission to come, she could have stated it confidently.

Why is she hesitating with her answer?

Is there something I don’t know that’s making her act this way?

Several questions filled my mind calmly, but they didn’t continue to occupy my thoughts.

Why?

Woooong-!!

Because of the storm of fighting energy that erupted not far from where Shizu and I were standing.

Perhaps thinking she might face difficult questions from me if more time passed.

“First, let’s stop that.”

Shizu suggested we eliminate the cause of the energy storm rising before our eyes.

“Let’s do that.”

The moment I agreed, since the fact that we needed to stop it remained unchanged.

Rumble-!!

The clear night sky, without a single cloud, began to be covered with dark clouds as the atmosphere started to churn.

The Agent had merely released the energy rising from her body outward.

Yet that energy was having a profound impact on the surrounding environment.

…I was clearly aware that the opponent had been holding back against me for quite some time.

But this difference in level was too stark.

Even with the Crimson Dragon Armor and borrowing Fafnir’s flames and energy to the fullest, I thought it would be overwhelming.

The energy emanating from the new Agent that Desire had brought overflowed with a strength of a different caliber compared to the incomplete forms of Adorator and Desire I had faced days ago.

Even though it was thoroughly mixed with perversion and distortion that upended the principles of this world.

This… she suddenly revealed her true power.

Can I win? No, before that, can I safely escape from this person’s grasp with my sister and Excel?

Even as I was nimbly mapping out in my mind how to respond while gauging the opponent’s strength.

As the Agent’s energy, stabbing at me like a sharp blade even from quite a distance, became increasingly clear.

As I judged that this wouldn’t be easy.

Gulp

I unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

But the warmth that gently enveloped my left hand and.

“It’s okay…”

Your words saying it would be alright calmed my anxious heart.

Come to think of it, the Holy Sword Wielder has summoned her holy sword and personally graced this place.

Perhaps I was worrying too much.

No matter how vigorous and powerful that energy might be.

It would shatter and lose form just by touching the light energy bound to the holy sword.

My job is simple.

I just need to carefully support Shizu from the side so as not to get in her way, and things will resolve themselves.

[…Are you not going to fight?]

‘If I intervene against an opponent with such a difference in skill, I’d only be in the way.’

[That’s not wrong, but you’re accepting reality too quickly without even trying.]

‘It’s because I know my place.’

[…I have nothing to say.]

As I was calming Fafnir who had read my thoughts and expressed disbelief.

Step

A quiet but incredibly heavy footstep was heard from a distance.

It was the sound revealing that Desire’s new Agent, who had now completely contained the energy within her body, was moving toward where Shizu and I were.

Step

With each step the Agent took, the ground was compressed by the pressure of the energy emanating from her body, so overwhelming that the word “overwhelming” lingered in my mouth.

Kuwoong-!!

Whioong-!!

The unstable atmosphere screamed with a wail similar to that of a demon sword, scattering in all directions.

The Agent who had tried to take me quietly to the Obsidian Palace, not properly revealing her power and pressuring me with pure sword skill.

The moment she manifested her will to eliminate the Holy Sword Wielder whom she considered her archenemy, it was this fierce.

But there was someone who wasn’t intimidated at all by the Agent who exuded intimidation with just her gait.

“I am Lilian Shizu Proxian.”

It was Shizu, who boldly matched the opponent’s steps while stating her name.

Unlike the Agent who scattered crimson energy like fireworks in all directions.

Pure white energy, gathered through her breathing, rose like a heat haze from Shizu’s body as she took several steps toward her.

[Even with a favorable elemental advantage, it seems a bit weak compared to the momentum the opponent is displaying.]

Fafnir expressed concern about Shizu’s energy appearing somewhat weaker than her opponent’s.

But I knew well.

No matter how much the crimson, murky, and twisted destructive energy surged with a momentum reminiscent of a storm.

The moment it touched the pure white energy rising like a heat haze from Shizu’s body.

That twisted energy created from divine power would disappear without a trace.

As if the person who raised such energy instinctively realized this fact.

“Dangerous…”

With a quiet word, she stopped her slow but intimidating footsteps.

Seeing the opponent stop like that, Shizu.

“Let’s introduce ourselves before we fight.”

She asked for the opponent’s name.

It was an act that didn’t matter whether answered or not.

I could sense that even Shizu asking this didn’t expect much.

“…My name.”

As soon as the question ended, the Agent said something very quietly, and I strained to hear.

“I abandoned it… I can never use my name here again.”

The Agent, whose voice was modulated yet overflowing with gloom, informed us that she had abandoned her original name.

“Now I am…, yes. Imperfectio. That’s my name.”

She calmly stated her current name.

A familiar name… or rather, word.

It’s a word derived from a very ancient language used in magical texts.

In current terms, it means “imperfection.”

Considering the swordsmanship that had consistently overwhelmed me since she first appeared before me.

And the amount of energy she was calmly revealing, not even showing off, before Shizu and me now.

Looking at this Agent who called herself “imperfection,” I felt a strange irony.

As if to live up to her name.

From the Agent’s mouth, in stark contrast to the ominous crimson energy flowing around her body as if about to burst.

“As my name suggests… I am imperfect.”

There was no hostility felt in her demeanor as she calmly recited her condition.

To casually release surging energy while maintaining such a peaceful voice.

Is this the imperfection she refers to, this inconsistency between words and actions?

This Agent, when I first encountered her, I suspected she might be someone innocent brought in forcibly to replace me, with divinity forcibly imposed on them.

Slash-!!

Suddenly pointing the Devastator in her hand toward Shizu.

“That’s why I need…”

Judging by the absolute zero temperature emanating from her quiet voice, making even the cold climate of this wasteland feel warm.

[Whatever it is, seems like she’s been properly duped by Desire.]

‘…That’s a very cheap expression, but I can’t argue because it’s true.’

Unlike me in the past, who was on the verge of death after completing my life before being forcibly made an Agent.

“Things that can make me complete.”

Judging by her eerie appearance as she murmured about things that could make her a perfect being in a chilling voice.

I could tell that unlike me, this person had entered Desire’s service of her own will.

….

Can I lessen the guilt of potentially killing an innocent person?

At least if it’s someone who chose to become a servant of an evil god of their own will, I can feel less guilty when confronting them.

Just as the guilt I felt when first seeing Imperfectio was beginning to fade.

“What do you need?”

When Shizu quietly asked about the opponent’s murmuring.

“…You, and him.”

Imperfectio gave a very brief but all-encompassing answer.

“So… I want it!!”

As soon as Imperfectio’s voice, pointing her sword at Shizu, became filled with strength.

Tatatat!!

She dashed toward where Shizu was with such intensity that “rampage” would be an appropriate description.

Even when she was taking quiet steps, I saw the ground around her being depressed by the pressure of her energy.

As soon as she deliberately targeted Shizu and continued her charge.

Thud-!! Thud-thud-!!

The frozen, hard surface of the wasteland was crushed beyond recognition.

The momentum felt like it could shatter a body just by touching the trajectory of her charge, even without swinging her sword.

I was worried about Shizu at the end of such a charge, thinking it would be dangerous at this rate.

“…”

Despite facing the opponent’s overflowing momentum head-on, Shizu maintained her composure.

“I don’t know what you want from me.”

Shizu, who slowly opened her mouth, pointed the holy sword that had been above her head toward the approaching Imperfectio.

“If I was going to give it to you willingly when you asked…”

Slowly observing Imperfectio rushing toward her.

“Would I have the qualification to wield a holy sword meant to face people like you?”

Along with a retort so cold it was among the coldest I’d ever heard from her.

Bwoong-!!

She slashed the holy sword horizontally.

It was a very simple motion, but.

[Ho… That young lady’s skills grow remarkably every time I see her.]

Even Fafnir, who was watching, genuinely admired it.

That sword strike was incredibly powerful.

“…!!”

Imperfectio, who had been continuing her charge without any sign of stopping, suddenly halted.

“Hyaaah!!”

She had to swing the Devastator in her hand with a shout to barely deflect the holy sword coming toward her.

She had effortlessly received the sword strike I had delivered with all my might without using any strength.

Yet when blocking Shizu’s simple slash, she had to use all her strength to block it.

I had been swinging my sword and building my body while saving on sleep time.

But it seemed I still had a long way to go to follow the path of the precious person I truly wanted to protect.

“I don’t know what you want. But don’t think you’ll get it easily.”

Shizu charged straight at Imperfectio, whose posture had been disrupted while blocking her sword strike.

“Yes…”

Imperfectio, who quietly opened her mouth while looking at Shizu, swung the Devastator in her hand forcefully to check Shizu who was trying to close the distance with her.

“That much is necessary for my transformation to be worthwhile…”

She continued to utter words that were still difficult to understand.

The battle that had originally been connected to me had now changed into a duel between the Agents of the era, wielding demon sword and holy sword.