episode_0084

Clang! Clang!

Clatter! Clang!

A blue light with a heavy and sharp sensation, and a somewhat rough red light.

The two lights collided, ringing with metallic sounds.

The blue light, close to silver, was the light of the long pole Check swung.

The slender pole, or staff, made entirely of a single piece of iron from top to bottom, now glowed with a rather mysterious aura, imbued with magic by Check, making it more than simple iron.

Their weapons crossed. A deafening sound echoed.

The tempered iron and the special alloy body, created specifically with magic, collided, leaving behind dazzling sparks and an impact that seemed to shake the very air.

As they swung and collided with weapons imbued with powerful magic, noisy sparks and effects burst forth with every contact, as if small firecrackers were exploding.

‘…What is this one?’

‘They’re keeping up.’

Following a wide swing of the pole, Check delivered a fatal thrust aiming for Spade’s vital point without delay.

It was a high-speed blow that allowed no time to block, yet Spade, though struggling, responded smoothly, evading the vital spot and parrying with the short staff in her hand. Not falling behind, she delivered a counter-kick towards Check’s vital point.

Check skillfully manipulated her long pole, knocking that foot away, and swung her weapon again, this time aiming for Spade’s arm.

The silver pole, shining brightly with magic, and the dark short staff imbued with red magic, collided once more, tracing trajectories of magical light.

Shrieking clang!!

Clatter! Clatter clatter clatter!

What followed was a relentless exchange of blows with no time to breathe. Check assailed like a storm, using the long pole as if it were an extension of her limbs, while Spade responded by utilizing both the short staff and her flexible limbs.

In the super-high-speed battle unfolding between the two, the surrounding ground was gouged, and terrifying sounds incessantly echoed.

‘I thought her movements were fast enough and decent even a moment ago.’

‘She got faster. Stronger. The magic in her weapon is also denser.’

It wasn’t simply because two weapons became one… No.

The reason was unknown. But everything about Spade had improved compared to a moment ago. She had become much stronger than before.

As Spade’s teacher, she knew it well.

Spade was an Awakened with excellent skill, but she lacked experience and the scope of her abilities was narrow.

She still had much to learn.

Yet, Check knew clearly that if Spade accumulated enough experience and realized each of the possibilities given to her, she would undoubtedly reach a level beyond her current one.

That’s why she accepted her as a disciple, and why Check diligently taught her.

However, the Spade she knew was still a long way from her goal, at best, an awkward fledgling disciple who had barely broken out of her shell.

‘She’s keeping up.’

‘…She’s keeping up!’

If it weren’t for this situation, she would have undoubtedly rejoiced with a heart full of emotion.

Feeling regretful only about that fact, Check continued her offensive.

“Ah, hahaha! Take this, Spade!!”

With Check’s joyful shout, the next moment, a thunderous rumble echoed from her arm.

Check explosively released her magic, thrusting the pole at Spade at a speed exceeding the speed of sound.

“…Oh?!”

But Spade blocked it. She skillfully parried it and countered instead.

From the short staff’s renewed thrust, Check stumbled back. A wound appeared on her cheek. Because she got carried away and used a big attack, the opening became larger.

There was no time to stop. This level of injury was no injury at all. Check moved again. As if a switch had been flipped by that, she circulated even more magic throughout her entire body, increasing her speed further.

The tempo quickened. The offensive, which had already been relentless and breathless, now became even faster and more numerous, as if she had four arms.

But Spade kept up. Matching Check, she too pushed beyond her limits and increased her speed.

The red magic surrounding her burned even more fiercely and menacingly.

She’s keeping up. She’s keeping up. She’s keeping up.

Two hands, two feet, the short staff held in hand.

Eyes wide open to their limits, scattered sweat drops.

In a frantic situation where even blinking for a moment could lead to the boundary of life and death, Spade still desperately put in her best effort to keep up.

* * *

Hero ranks are divided into 9 levels. They range from the lowest H-rank to S-rank, and among these, the two ranks below F-rank are mere office workers who aren’t even Awakened.

F and E-ranks are heroes close to apprentices. Given enough time, they will somehow be promoted.

Following them are D-rank to A-rank. These, evaluated as full-fledged personnel, are assessed on comprehensive aspects such as performance and utility of their abilities, and their rank rises.

And beyond that, S-rank, also known as commander-class.

They are mostly heroes who contributed greatly during the past Great Calamity.

And S-ranks after the Great Calamity can only barely reach it with the approval of three or more existing S-rank heroes, in addition to performance and ability.

A-rank and S-rank seem like one rank apart, but it’s just that there are no separate ranks divided between them; the difference is like night and day.

As a joke, if an A-rank hero can barely cause an incident on the level of a human-caused disaster.

An S-rank hero can easily, if they set their mind to it, cause a disaster on the level of a natural calamity.

Check is an A-rank hero slated for promotion to S-rank. She is not an A-rank like Spade.

There is a gap that can never be bridged between her, who is already at the level of a monster or disaster, and Spade, who, no matter how excellent her potential, is still at a human level.

A gap, there should be.

Gasp, gasp, gasp!

Haa… Ah…!!

‘I’m keeping up.’

‘I’m catching up to Check-nim…!!’

A continuing exchange of blows without a moment to catch her breath.

The myriad attacks extending from all directions, and the blue-light-imbued iron pole that continuously extends and rushes forward as if declaring it will incapacitate her.

Spade endures and blocks them with her magic-reinforced body, and with her short staff reinforced to its limits.

With only these two arms and two legs, with her still intact limbs, she endures.

The minor injuries that occasionally appeared hardly increased from a certain point.

—Her speed was increasing further.

—Her screaming heart, however, pleaded with Spade that it could still endure.

‘Honestly, I don’t know. Why I’m doing this.’

‘I don’t even know why I’m trying to protect that man.’

But she heard his plea for help.

Then she had no choice but to help.

He is weak, and protecting the weak is what a hero does.

She knew that confronting Check was foolish.

However, Number 13 had told Spade.

Stroking her back, breathing his peculiar magic into Spade, he had told her:

『Spade, I’ll give you a piece of advice.』

『If you ever encounter an opponent you absolutely cannot defeat, if it feels like a storm or wave that you simply cannot overcome with your current strength is about to engulf you.』

『At that time, recall the heart of a giant tree. It is very, very large, with roots that delve deep into this earth, a giant tree that can never be shaken.』

Number 13 said that too many possibilities still lay dormant within Spade.

Number 13 said that Spade would be able to contend with Check.

『Many possibilities lie dormant within you. At least among all the Awakened I’ve seen, your power is the most outstanding. I’ve never seen an Awakened like you.』

『With time, you will surely become stronger than anyone.』

『I can only help you open that door just a little, for now.』

『But surely, someday…』

Her arms moved faster.

The surging torrent of magic in her body intensified.

She should be squeezing out magic beyond her limits, yet, far from decreasing, Spade’s speed was getting faster and faster as time passed.

Her strength increased.

Her intensity and momentum grew.

“Ah, ah, ah…!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

She let out a beast-like roar.

In response to Check’s fatal blow aimed at her, she too repaid it with a series of blows like a beast’s fangs, aiming for the opponent’s vital point.

She responded, responded, responded.

Her heart thundered and her blood boiled.

What she recalled was the feeling of a giant tree deeply rooted in the ground, in this very star.

No matter how much magic was poured into and reinforced the iron pole, no matter how storm-like the continuous attacks were.

This tree alone cannot be pierced.

This tree alone will never collapse.

Because the root of this tree is the star itself.

Unless it’s a blow that can shatter a star, there is no way Spade will break, no way she won’t keep up.

“Ah, haha, hahahahaha!”

Their weapons crossed, and as the battle, which should have originally ended in just two exchanges, continued, Check burst into laughter, forgetting the situation, at the sight of Spade clinging on like a beast, not merely blocking, but trying to bite and tear at her neck.

What’s so funny?

I’m fighting so desperately.

Aaaaaaaaaah!!

She roared again.

Her throat felt parched and dry. From the unfamiliar level of movement, her joints felt creaking.

But Spade continued to charge.

She swung her short staff, evading the lithe leg that flew in to shake her center.

She parried the iron pole that once again sought to strike her away with a single blow, clinging tightly to her creaking body and heart, which screamed their limits, and continued the battle.

Spade’s resolve did not waver. Her will and soul burned brighter than ever before.

…But whatever Spade’s heart felt.

Her body’s limits were approaching.