Chapter 99: What Have You Been Doing Until Now?! (5)
Levidian, unfazed, blocked the blow. It was a natural movement, as if she had known it was coming.
Pakang!
The crystal ball transmitted the sound. In the small cavity, the sound echoed tremendously loud.
Aila continued to swing the short sword, held in a reverse grip. From bottom to top, top to side, side to the opposite side. The short sword left a flashing trajectory as it surged towards Levidian.
Kang! Ka-gang! Cha-ang-!
Levidian never yielded. She calmly blocked the sword swings that seemed to throw the whole body into them.
Blocking, deflecting, and dodging are basic techniques learned in all martial arts. However, when one reaches a certain level, the basics expand further.
Levidian was performing ‘Dispersion,’ a technique said to be possible only when one reaches the highest level of swordsmanship.
The short sword thrusts in with powerful momentum. The longsword approaches and lightly taps it, as if teasingly. Then, at some point, the momentum of the thrust weakens.
This is not a technique that can be done haphazardly.
It is a technique that reads the opponent’s posture and the trajectory of the incoming attack, identifies the point where power is concentrated, and then redirects the flow of power to disperse its force.
If it misses even slightly, one must surrender their body to the attack. However, Levidian, without fear or hesitation, dispersed Aila’s attack power.
Ka-ang! Ku-ung!
Aila doesn’t just attack with her short sword.
When she stomps the ground hard, a heavy sound reverberates like a bass drum. She channels the power generated from the stomp into her sword.
Al spoke in a low voice.
“That girl, she’s amazing. She’s pouring all the power she gains into her sword. With that much power…… she could kill a bull in one blow.”
“The Sword King who disperses that power is also amazing. If a person, or anything for that matter, got between them, it would become a butcher shop in an instant.”
Lucy also seemed to understand how strong the blows and how precise the techniques being exchanged were, just from the sounds and visuals.
Ka-ang! Pa-ang!
The two swords clashed, and Aila’s arm was flung upwards. Levidian had used the Dispersion technique and added her own power to counterattack.
With her arm still raised, Aila staggered back, and before Levidian’s sword could reach her, she kicked off the ground and leaped into the air. No, she flew up.
Soaring nearly 3 meters from her spot, Aila flipped her body and plunged headfirst. More precisely, she swung her sword down towards Levidian.
Cha-ra-ra-rang-!
A sound like clashing chains rang out.
Aila clashed swords with Levidian while suspended in mid-air, and the force kept her afloat.
Good heavens! Is that even humanly possible?
Countless sparks erupted everywhere. The flames exploded repeatedly, enough to cause burns all over the body if one were inside.
“Fight on the ground!”
Ka-ang!
Levidian’s voice echoed, and Aila fell to the ground with a powerful blow.
The moment she landed, Aila assumed a cat-like posture to cushion the impact. When she raised her head, Levidian, with her sword sheathed behind her, darted forward and swung her sword in front of Aila’s eyes.
From the lower right to the upper left, the diagonally swung sword was so fast that the dirt on the ground was sucked into its trajectory.
Shwiiik!
Even through the crystal ball, the sound of the sword cutting through the air was clearly audible. If struck by that blow, even a log would be severed.
Aila lifted her body and narrowly dodged the strike.
However, the sword’s movement didn’t end there.
Changing direction in mid-air, the sword came down, cutting from the upper left to the lower right. Levidian leaned forward. But Aila’s body was already in the sword’s path.
If this continues, Aila’s body will be cut!
“Emergency Dodge!”
With that cry, Aila’s body, still in a standing posture, moved backward as if being pulled. It was as if she had grabbed the ground and pulled herself along with it.
Having moved about 3 meters away, she dusted herself off and said,
“Whew, I thought you wouldn’t be an easy opponent, but this is really tough.”
“What kind of trick was that?”
“This? Hmm, it’s hard to explain, so let’s just call it a ‘technique.’ My dad taught me.”
“Baron Dakard? I’d like to meet him sometime.”
“You’re saying the same thing as Risel.”
“His story seems unnecessary in this situation, doesn’t it?”
Levidian’s voice wavered at the beginning. Aila was silent for a moment.
I’m certain Aila is wearing that cat-like smile she shows when she’s plotting something.
“Risel said something, you know? About your disappearance.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“Oh, really? That’s a shame. Then I’ll just talk to myself. Risel said he was more dumbfounded than angry, so he didn’t even have a chance to get mad. He said he’d decide whether to be angry or not after hearing your explanation properly when you meet. Accepting the ring and disappearing, it’s not like you were playing with his feelings or anything. But Risel is really lenient when it comes to you. Sigh. If I knew this would happen, I should have just taken him for myself instead of trying to reconcile you two. I’m suffering needlessly because I fell for the wrong person. Don’t you feel sorry for Risel? Is it fun toying with him like that?”
The story was long-winded, but ultimately it was meant to shake Levidian. However, I don’t think Levidian is someone who would be swayed by something like this.
“I, I never played with him, not even a little. I always treated him sincerely. He rarely noticed, but I was happy when he did, occasionally!”
Ah, she’s shaken.
I felt dumbfounded and had to cover my face with one hand. Because Al and Lucy’s gazes were piercing through me, directed at my flushed face.
Lucy put his arm around my shoulder, squeezing it tightly, and said,
“Hey, buddy, I’ll need the details later.”
“I’d like to hear it too.”
Sorry, but we broke up before anything even started, so there’s nothing to tell. There’s nothing to brag about either.
Aila’s triumphant voice flowed from the crystal ball.
“Oh, is that so? That’s a good reason. So? Risel, you see, he threw away everything he had to do. Just when that stoic Duke was about to acknowledge him, he threw himself into the abyss of demotion. Sister, put your hand on your heart and think about it. Do you think you’re worth that much? I’m not saying this because I’m your friend, but people like Risel are rare in this world. He has so much to do. He’ll probably lose a lot of opportunities because of this.”
“I, I…… D-Don’t say it like that! I was also having a hard time!”
“I’m also a victim. Don’t try to justify it like that. You can hear that kind of talk in court all the time. Mostly from criminals and their lawyers. They had a hard time, they’re vulnerable, they’re victims of society. But is being weak really a crime? If you make others suffer because you had a hard time, from that moment on, you become a very excellent perpetrator, just like you, sister.”
“Ah, Aila! You……!”
“Let me hear your reason. Why on earth did you become the master of the Black Moon? No, what were you thinking? Honestly, I don’t understand. I’m the master of Mangya, but the leader of an assassination group? It’s a depressing job with no reward, not even enough to use as firewood.”
Aila changed her voice to a thin, annoyed tone.
Her voice truly sounded weary of life. It’s a wonder a nineteen-year-old can sound like that.
Lucy said with a dumbfounded expression,
“She really seems to hate it, doesn’t she?”
“No. She’s just trying to probe Levidian.”
I firmly dismissed his words.
The question is whether Levidian will perceive this as a conversation or a ploy.
Although she’s as straightforward and resolute as a sword, she tends to be a bit lacking in common sense when it comes to ordinary conversations. Maybe she’ll even confess.
“Didn’t you say you’d answer after you beat me? Are you going to stop with those heartbreaking provocations now? Do I look comfortable being here?”
“You don’t look like it.”
“That’s right. I want to go back to the Herduke family mansion right now, teach Lea, and enjoy the daily life I had with Risel. But this is a duty imposed on me. It will never disappear. Unless, perhaps, I bring the ‘Shadow Stone’ from the Gray Forest.”
Her voice was filled with self-deprecation. She knew better than anyone that it was impossible. Aila didn’t say anything. No, she probably couldn’t.
Levidian said,
“Go back? Now the only place I can return to is here, the position of the master of the Black New Moon. I can’t escape it no matter what I do. In a place where no one calls me Ibi anymore, surrounded by shadows imbued with pitch-black darkness! So I didn’t want to meet him. Even now…… I’m secretly glad you didn’t bring him.”
“Whew, alright. Then I won’t say anything more. However, it seems I have no choice but to defeat you and incorporate the Black New Moon into Mangya.”
Aila silently nodded.
“I won’t hold back anymore.”
“Me neither.”
Light began to gather around Aila’s body. Why does Aila hide so much? What, and how much, is she hiding?
She created a barrier of white light around her body.
“This is only a fraction of it, but this much should be enough for you, sister.”
“I don’t know what it is, but aren’t you underestimating me too much?”
“No. I’m not underestimating you. That’s why I’m using this technique. Look.”
Aila casually tossed a handful of light from her body behind her. With a simple motion like throwing away trash, the handful of light in her hand flew back and fell.
Koooong-!
The moment the light touched the ground, a mark about 5 meters in diameter appeared, as if a giant from the sky had slammed its fist into the earth.
The vibration traveled through the ground and reached where we were. Me, Lucy, and Al stared at the falling dust from the ceiling with dumbfounded expressions.
“Wh-What is this?”
“What kind of technique is that? Good heavens, is the age of mages over now?”
“If you get hit by that, your flesh and bones will literally separate.”
I almost unconsciously agreed with Al’s words. Why would I agree with a joke?
“I see. I’ll die if I get hit wrong. Hehe.”
Levidian laughed.
It was the laughter of a strong person facing a strong opponent. It’s the laughter that naturally comes out when you’re excited thinking about how you’ll face them.
Aila, with white light surrounding her body, with an absurd amount of power considering its might, said triumphantly,
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to kill you.”
“Who? Who are you talking about? You’re quite confident, aren’t you?”
The two closed their mouths and faced each other.
Aila, clad in white light, and Levidian, holding her sword and emitting invisible energy.
Like two figures from a legend, they neither approached nor retreated, revealing invisible hostility towards each other.
I swallowed my nervousness, my mouth shut.
Conflict arose like thirst.
Shouldn’t I stop them? If I go out now, can I stop them? Maybe we can resolve this through dialogue. They might not have to go through something dangerous like this……
There were many thoughts. Among them, the thought that I should rush out now was overwhelming.
I don’t care if all the assassins and assassin candidates behind them die and collapse. I don’t want to see either of them get hurt.
I didn’t want to see Aila, who had hurt me while crying, get hurt, and even more so, I didn’t want to see Levidian get hurt.
“Th-……! Ah……!”
Words lingered in my mouth.
As if an invisible hand was suppressing the words trying to escape, my voice wouldn’t come out.
What is it? Why is it blocking my words?
While watching them, I realized.
This was their fight.
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