Ch.295Chapter 295 – Dragon Slayer (1)

“You meet your enemy on a narrow bridge,” they say.

Of course, this wasn’t exactly a narrow bridge, but that meaningless thought was the first thing that came to mind at Idea’s sudden appearance.

‘This is bad.’

The plan had fallen apart.

Judging by how swiftly he had slaughtered the soldiers in front of me, I had a feeling that if I tried to retreat with Domestica now, we’d be dead in an instant.

I couldn’t retreat like this.

‘Should I charge in first?’

The opponent’s weapon was a large sword, almost the size of a greatsword.

It was a sword of an awkward length that could be wielded with either one or two hands.

Though it didn’t look ordinary, a sword was still a sword. Since my weapon could transform freely, I just needed to attack first with a weapon longer than the reach of his sword.

Apart from wearing light armor with a partial metal breastplate and a cape, there didn’t seem to be anything special about his defensive gear, nor did he appear to have any other weapons.

So the initiative was mine.

Just as I thought this, Idea held his sword horizontally and said:

“Let me clear the surroundings first.”

A chilling feeling ran through me, and I reflexively forced Domestica to lie down just as the sword cut through the air.

-Woong

The sword made an almost pathetic sound as it sliced through the air.

And the next moment.

From behind came the sound of bodies falling and metal clanging all at once.

The previously noisy bridge fell silent.

“My God…”

I could see Domestica, who had barely survived thanks to my making her lie down, looking behind in shock.

It had been a single strike.

With that one strike, everyone standing on the bridge had been cut in two and was now soaking in pools of their own blood.

Most wore expressions of incomprehension, unable to understand what had happened to them.

“Aaaaahhh!!”

Whether they were lucky enough to have been lying down or had been crouching due to an injured leg, a few resistance fighters who had miraculously survived screamed and began fleeing the bridge.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Idea ignored them, and no one tried to stop them.

The reason no one stopped them was simple.

The Emiris Order’s holy knights who had been fighting the resistance were also victims of Idea’s single strike.

‘My companions…’

“This is no time to look away.”

Idea was suddenly standing in front of me.

Despite the considerable distance between us, he had closed the gap in an instant. Surprised, I blocked his greatsword with my halberd.

I felt a terrifyingly powerful force in my arms, and my legs seemed to be pushed back slightly.

‘This isn’t good.’

There was no time to check on my companions.

Realizing I needed to focus all my attention on this man, I twisted my halberd with all my might to deflect his sword and swung it at him.

Idea ducked slightly and stepped back, and I taunted him:

“I don’t know what you just did, but it looks like you killed your own allies too. Are you okay with that?”

“It doesn’t matter. They will accept it as well.”

Idea replied emotionlessly.

“Cut away the unnecessary to approach perfection. That is the teaching of the god Emiris.”

Idea’s empty eyes looked at me as he continued:

“So they too would have accepted it.”

“Are you serious?”

I was dumbfounded that he would call his own comrades and subordinates “unnecessary.”

And to even declare that they would accept it was astounding.

But unfortunately, I didn’t have time to evaluate my opponent or his doctrine.

Idea swung his sword again, indicating he had nothing more to say.

-Clang!!

I changed my halberd into a sword to block his attack.

One exchange, two exchanges, I kept blocking his sword while retreating.

After a few more exchanges, I pushed him back slightly and noticed Domestica carefully retreating, seemingly aware she would be a hindrance to me here.

Though it hadn’t been a long time, I could feel my arms aching as I took my stance again.

‘He’s strong.’

His swordsmanship was faster and more precise than mine.

The only comparable skill I’d faced was perhaps the Demon King I’d fought before.

Against such swordsmanship, all I could do was endure.

If I hadn’t improved my skills fighting the Demon King in my memories at Ferrarius, I wouldn’t even be able to hold out now.

“…You’ve faced many opponents above your level.”

Idea muttered, seemingly surprised.

Impressed that he could see through me so well, I quickly prepared my next move.

‘At this rate, I’ll eventually be cut.’

That was the conclusion I reached after exchanging blows more than thirty times.

I knew that if I kept only defending, I would definitely lose.

Having fought against a sword of his caliber before, this feeling couldn’t be wrong.

So, there was only one answer.

‘I have to struggle.’

I had to somehow endure, block, and create an opening.

With that in mind, I began exchanging blows with Idea again.

Narrowly deflecting and parrying his sword, I desperately looked for and targeted any potential opening.

‘There.’

I noticed that there was a moment when Idea created a gap while retrieving his sword, as if to catch his breath.

Aiming for that gap, I threw my sword.

Faced with a sudden throw at close range, Idea quickly swung his arm to deflect the sword.

He abandoned his retrieving motion to defend.

In that moment, I swung my fist.

-Kwang!

Idea, already prepared, blocked my fist with the side of his sword.

Then, with an indifferent face, he deflected my fist with his sword and tried to slash at my waist.

‘Got him.’

I threw myself backward to avoid the sword.

And while falling, I materialized another sword in my hand and thrust it toward Idea’s face.

Idea’s sword cut through the air, and my sword grazed his face.

The attack failed partly due to my poor posture, but mainly because Idea quickly turned his head upon seeing my sword.

Clicking my tongue at the situation, I used the momentum of my fall to jump backward and regain my stance.

And Idea, gripping his sword again, quietly said:

“Your skills have improved.”

Blood began to flow faintly from Idea’s cheek.

Soon, Idea slowly moved his hand to touch his cheek, and looked at the blood on his hand.

Then, with an emotionless face, he spoke again:

“In these past few years, I don’t recall allowing even a wound.”

“That barely counts as a wound, though?”

I quietly retorted to his indifferent words, and Idea looked at me.

Then, pointing his sword at me, he said:

“When I was subjugating the Black Dragon, my feeling wasn’t wrong.”

Idea, still pointing his sword, quietly continued:

“I should have killed you then.”

“Try it if you can.”

I glared at him quietly in response to his declaration.

I changed my weapon back to a halberd.

And as I tensed my hands…

Once again, Idea’s figure suddenly disappeared.

Instinctively sensing he had appeared behind me, I quickly swung my halberd backward.

The sound of metal clashing rang out, and once again Idea’s sword came flying at me.

We continued exchanging blows, and I gradually began to be pushed back again.

I kept changing weapons to counter him, and when I swung my weapon wide to target a momentary gap, Idea suddenly jumped backward to avoid the attack.

And as he thrust his sword at me from mid-air…

“‘Protect the lamb!'”

With Chris’s clear voice, a golden shield deployed in front of me.

Idea’s thrust immediately failed, and as he touched the ground…

“Now, Sera!”

“Yes!”

Suddenly, a stone hand emerged from the water’s surface and grabbed Idea’s ankle.

And with the wind, Sia jumped in front of me and swung her sword at Idea.

-Clang!!

“So you’re all alive.”

“Huh, you blocked this too?”

Idea’s emotionless voice and Sia’s slightly disappointed voice were heard.

Immediately, Sia and Idea began exchanging sword blows.

Sia repeatedly blocked Idea’s sword and counterattacked at intervals, and her sword was clearly a threat as Idea also began to focus on blocking her attacks.

During this, Sia’s expression slightly contorted.

“Ugh…!”

It was an expression of someone enduring pain.

Soon she forcefully swung her sword, and Idea blocked Sia’s desperate swing.

Then the two separated again and faced each other.

“…That sword strike earlier was also extraordinary…”

“Unexpected. I didn’t think there would be a swordsman of this caliber.”

Idea said as he blocked Sia’s counterattacks.

And gradually, the number of times Idea’s sword attacked Sia increased.

“Tch!”

Once again, Sia’s expression contorted.

And Idea, with an expressionless face, said:

“I see no visible wounds. Internal injuries perhaps?”

“……”

Sia didn’t respond and continued to block Idea’s sword.

Looking at her slightly faltering, Idea said:

“With internal injuries, you won’t last many more exchanges.”

“That’s certainly true!”

Sia shouted as she blocked Idea’s sword.

And then she continued:

“That’s why I’ll borrow someone else’s hand!”

At that signal, I jumped up from behind Sia with a halberd.

I thrust the halberd at Idea, and he raised his sword to block the attack.

Soon after, Sia also rose and swung her sword at Idea, and soon the two of us began fighting Idea alternately.

And although there were several dangerous attacks…

“Christina!”

“‘Protect the lamb!'”

Each time, with Eve’s command, Sera and Chris provided appropriate support.

Eve also possessed excellent swordsmanship, but knowing she wouldn’t last many exchanges against Idea, she had retreated.

And with her ability-based instructions, she was repeatedly saving Sia and me from crisis.

With Sia and me taking the front line and Sera and Chris providing support based on Eve’s instructions, Idea began to retreat with an indifferent expression.

And looking at us, Idea quietly said:

“Strong.”

A voice that seemed to hold a faint expectation rang out.

To those words, I pointed my halberd and said:

“Will you surrender?”

“Not at all.”

Idea answered in an emotionless voice.

Soon, he pointed at me and then at Chris, saying:

“There are those here who must be eliminated.”

“…Me?”

Chris asked with a slightly tense voice.

However, Idea didn’t answer Chris and pointed at Sera, saying:

“And there are those who are needed.”

“The Philosopher’s Stone, right?”

Sera said with a tense voice.

It was natural that the Emiris Order was targeting Sera because of the Philosopher’s Stone.

Idea, with an indifferent face, spoke again:

“There are so many targets.”

“What are you trying to say?”

I pointed my weapon at Idea.

And Idea, with an unreadable expression, said:

“Let me give you one piece of advice.”

Idea quietly declared:

“If you abandon them, you might be able to take my head.”

“Nonsense…!”

The next moment, Idea disappeared.

Sia immediately stepped forward and blocked Idea’s sword strike.

And as I swung my halberd to continue the attack…

Idea suddenly jumped up, stepping on Sia’s sword.

“…You bastard!”

Realizing Idea’s intention, I rushed backward at full speed.

And Eve immediately swung her sword.

-Clang!!

Eve barely managed to block Idea’s sword.

Eve’s sword was much slower than Idea’s, but she seemed to have succeeded in blocking it because she knew exactly where the attack would come from.

And Idea, looking down at Eve calmly, said:

“Good eyes.”

That was all.

Idea immediately pushed his sword to knock Eve down.

Then, he looked at Chris who was beside Eve.

“‘Protect the lamb!'”

Without hesitation, Chris immediately deployed a shield in front of herself.

Chris’s shield narrowly blocked Idea’s sword.

“Hard to penetrate.”

Idea said, as if the hardness was beyond his expectation.

Chris sighed slightly in relief, and Eve raised her sword to stab Idea.

But the next moment.

As if teleporting, Idea appeared right behind Chris.

“Ah…!”

Chris tried to retreat, but couldn’t.

The shield she had summoned was now blocking her retreat.

Chris raised her stone tablet as if in desperation, and once again Idea’s sword swung down at her.

-Clang!!

“Kyaak!”

A terrifying metallic sound was accompanied by Chris’s scream.

Having rarely directly blocked attacks before, she seemed startled despite successfully blocking it.

However, the impact remained, and Chris’s body wobbled slightly. Immediately, Idea lifted her up and threw her at Eve who was approaching to help.

The two became entangled on the bridge.

“So that stone tablet is also a holy relic.”

“What are you doing!”

I finally arrived and swung my weapon at Idea.

In fact, the time and distance from my previous position to the rear line wasn’t that long.

In terms of time, it was just a matter of seconds.

In that short time, Idea had disrupted the rear line.

“Are you cowardly enough to target the back?”

Sia swung her sword in anger, and Idea blocked it.

“Is this what a holy knight is? Without even a sense of chivalry?”

“I just discard what’s unnecessary.”

Idea replied in an indifferent voice.

And pushing away Sia’s sword, he continued:

“I don’t understand why that would be necessary.”

As Sia continued to swing her sword, Idea retreated slightly, perhaps because his posture wasn’t good at the moment.

Then he got up nonchalantly and pointed his sword at me.

“Let me tell you again.”

Idea quietly said:

“If you abandon them, you might be able to take my head.”

“Nonsense…!”

And Idea deflected Sia’s sword again, and then evaded my attack as I rushed in.

Then, ignoring Sia and me, he continued to target the rear personnel.

This time, he rushed toward Sera, or rather, toward everyone guarding the rear.

It was a moment when the three were clustered together, as Sera had hurriedly gone to check on Chris and Eve’s condition.

Idea’s eyes, which didn’t reveal who he was aiming his sword at.

And a slightly louder mutter, as if meant to be heard, pierced my ears:

“The Philosopher’s Stone, the Goddess’s neck, the troublesome commander. So many targets.”

By then, I understood why Idea had said earlier that there were many targets.

It didn’t matter who it was.

His main objectives were probably my life, Chris’s life, and capturing Sera.

Or at the very least, weakening our forces.

Idea’s attitude suggested that he only needed to achieve one of these goals.

That’s why he fought with me, then exploited a momentary gap to target Chris’s life, and now seemed to be aiming to capture Sera.

Alternatively, he could target Eve’s life, which would hinder the achievement of his three goals, or Sia’s neck, who could stand against him.

“That damn bastard…!”

When we had pushed Idea back with our combined strength, he instead actively targeted the rear line.

By doing so, he turned the battlefield into chaos, creating a situation where he could achieve any of his objectives.

I threw my halberd at him as he quickly approached Sera, barely pushing him away, and Sia blocked his sword as he swung it at Chris.

Then I retrieved my halberd and swung it at him.

“If you want to fight, fight me!”

“Have you decided what to abandon yet?”

Idea indifferently said again:

“Which will you abandon to take my head?”

“Shut up!”

I shouted at Idea:

“Do you think I’d do such a thing!”

Indeed, when Idea targeted the rear line, he inevitably created openings.

What Idea was saying was that if I targeted him when he was aiming for someone other than me, there might be a chance to kill him.

If I sacrificed an ally, I could catch him.

But obviously, such a choice wasn’t even worth considering.

I had no intention of giving up anyone’s life because of him.

“Don’t try to drag me down to your level!”

I pointed my halberd at Idea with even more force.

“Will you continue to carry the unnecessary?”

Idea quietly said.

And as Idea lowered his stance slightly, he said:

“Then pay the price.”

With that, Idea rushed at me.

It was a thrusting stance with all his might.

Along with it, his lips moved slightly.

“Awaken.”

With those words, something like black lightning began to gather on Idea’s sword.

Whatever it was, it meant his sword wasn’t ordinary either.

Preparing for it, I changed my weapon to a sword and raised it, focusing my mind.

‘When he thrusts, I’ll cut.’

I’ll narrowly parry the attack and then cut him.

I prepared to summon the Dragon Armor, focusing my mind.

It would shorten my lifespan, but Idea was an important figure in the Order.

If I could definitely deal with him here by giving up some of my lifespan, it would be worth it.

Actually, I didn’t care about that.

‘…How dare he target them.’

I thought with a half-blood-rushed head.

I was willing to pay with my lifespan.

With the thought of making him pay for touching my companions, I prepared to use the Dragon Armor to deflect his attack and cut him down.

As the magical power was gathering to form the armor and he was almost upon me…

An alarm rang in my head.

[Don’t summon the armor!]

[Dodge, don’t get hit!]

Urgent voices.

The dragons’ voices telling me to dodge with all my might.

Responding to the voices, my body stopped all actions I was about to take before I could even think, and concentrated all strength in my legs.

As I quickly jumped diagonally backward, Idea’s sword grazed my chest area shallowly.

Clearly, it just grazed me.

“Kuhuk!”

I felt a sensation as if something maintaining my life was being greatly cut away, along with intense pain.