𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 『𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭』
I gather strength in my legs.
At the same time, a gust of wind emanates from the leg armor equipped on my legs.
Converting the step and gust into perfect propulsion, I charge forward at a speed that even rivals heroes with divine protection.
ㅤ
“Fast. . . . . .?! A magic item?”
“Correct.”
ㅤ
I obtained this leg armor in a labyrinth shaped like a mountain range where violent winds blow.
Like the darkness of Kurotenmaru, it’s a magic item that generates wind at will.
It’s pretty difficult to control, but if mastered, it has incredible power and versatility.
It’s one of the equipment series I used in my dreams.
ㅤ
Yet even using that, I can’t possibly match the speed of the veteran knight.
I can’t surpass his reaction speed.
Of course not.
A Holy Warrior isn’t so easily bested by a single magic item.
The old knight is surprised by my unexpected speed but still counterattacks calmly.
ㅤ
“『Flying Sword!』”
ㅤ
The old knight swings his sword down straight from above his head, releasing a flying slash that is synonymous with those possessing divine protection.
Seems he’s not holding back; this slash is stronger, faster, larger, and sharper than any previous attack by the Sword Saint Skeleton using the power of Kurotenmaru.
A direct hit equals death for my frail body.
Even a slight graze would obliterate the area it touched.
ㅤ
The old me had only two options against long-range attacks: block or dodge.
I couldn’t counterattack at all.
I do have a long-range attack called Dark Moon, but its weakened power due to distance is far too ineffective against a Holy Warrior class.
It would be a feat if it could even cut through a piece of paper.
It’s only useful for distraction or feinting.
ㅤ
But the current me is different.
I’ve properly acquired a technique to counter long-range attacks.
ㅤ
“Fifth Strike━.”
ㅤ
I preemptively read the veteran knight’s movements, and just before the flying slash is released, I take a slight step diagonally forward to the right.
From that position, I match Kurotenmaru to the flying slash, parrying it while using the slash’s momentum to spin my body on my right leg.
I entangle the slash in my spin, altering its course by 180 degrees, and redirect it right back at him.
This technique is a form of Flowing Blade that has adapted to counter long-range attacks through the amalgamation of distortion techniques.
Its name is. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Calamity Return!”
“What?!”
ㅤ
The deadly strike unleashed by the old knight is reflected back at him.
However, when I say “deadly,” I’m speaking from my own perspective.
For the old knight, it’s something he can easily counter.
Even a direct hit is unlikely to kill him.
There’s no way such a modest attack could be a finishing blow, and the old knight, with precise countermeasures, nullified his own slash with a single swing of his sword.
The flying sword is struck down midway by the old knight’s sword and dissipates into mist.
ㅤ
Still, the fact remains that I thwarted the old knight’s original goal of long-range pressure against me.
The time he used to release the flying slash, and the time he spent intercepting it as it returned.
While the wasted time is merely a few seconds, that’s enough for the current me to close the gap and enter his range.
ㅤ
I aim a slash enveloped in the darkness of Kurozuki at the old knight, who had just swung his sword.
My target is both of his arms.
With my current swordsmanship and the destructive power of Kurotenmaru, I can cut off his arms without leveraging his strength.
My intent was to deprive the Sword Saint of his arms with this single swing.
ㅤ
“What the?!”
ㅤ
But the old knight is not one to be easily defeated.
Using technique and strength, the old knight forcefully parried Kurozuki’s attack, which had been aimed at him with a swung sword.
Kurotenmaru’s blade clashed with the old knight’s sword, creating a brief stalemate.
Normally, the old knight would blow me away with sheer force, a desirable outcome for me. But he knows that my swordsmanship exploits the opponent’s power.
He understands that putting too much force recklessly is dangerous.
ㅤ
Perhaps because my swordsmanship deviates significantly from the norm, it’s surprisingly effective against swordsmen who face it for the first time.
However, that advantage is nullified when facing the old knight, who’s no stranger to my tactics.
But that’s fine.
I never intended to rely on such tricks to win.
Today, I’ll overpower him with sheer skill.
ㅤ
Feeling that the old knight won’t make the first move, I decide to end the momentary stalemate myself.
Rather than using the opponent’s force, I use my own thrusting power, pushing against the old knight’s sword while rotating and obtaining repulsive energy.
I slide my blade sideways to shave off his sword, rotating around to his right side and taking his back.
ㅤ
“Ha!”
“Hmph!”
ㅤ
I was about to slash his back, but the old knight countered without even looking back.
Impressive.
ㅤ
“Hn!”
ㅤ
The old knight forcefully stomped the ground, simultaneously breaking it.
Not only the area around where he stomped but even my footing crumbled, creating a small crater.
He’s willing to destroy even the front of the church…
His purpose is to break my stance.
He understands that if he swings his sword recklessly, everything will be parried and countered.
Being this wary of me is quite an honor.
ㅤ
“Ha!”
ㅤ
With my stance broken, the old knight unleashes a flying slash at me.
However, if he thinks this will seal my techniques, he’s mistaken.
I’ll repel it with Calamity Return. . . . . .No.
ㅤ
“I see.”
“Wonderful! Let’s see how you deal with this!”
ㅤ
I switch my technique from Calamity Return to Distortion in an instant, deflecting the flying slash diagonally backwards.
Towards the old knight, who is coming from that angle.
Using the flying slash as a diversion, I overtake it at high speed and launch a surprise attack from behind.
Considering the footing collapse just before, it’s a triple-layered tactic.
None of these could be executed without the Sword Saint’s physical abilities.
ㅤ
Exposed to my attack again, the old knight easily parries the second slash and charges towards me.
Though both of us have just dodged each other’s attacks, neither of us has a dulled blade.
Close-range readings occur.
I’m exclusively aiming for a counter, while the old knight plans to deceive me with multiple feints.
Reading his high-speed attacks on reaction alone is not enough.
I need to precisely read his attacks.
ㅤ
The old knight is charging with his sword in a low stance.
It’s unlikely that he’ll swing it straightforwardly.
Evidence: His leading left leg has more force than necessary.
Is he planning a kick with his right leg using his left leg as a pivot?
Or perhaps a body blow with a step-in from his left foot?
No, force is also applied to the arm gripping the sword.
He might use other options as feints and actually use his sword.
ㅤ
None of these was the old knight’s choice.
Using the power in his left leg, the old knight stepped back a pace.
A backstep.
Then, he instantly moved forward again.
Skilled.
Using all attacking motions as a feint, he purposefully stepped back to throw off my timing.
This isn’t just sword skill enhanced by divine protection.
This is tactical expertise honed through countless battles by the old knight.
I should genuinely commend him.
ㅤ
But it was I who read your moves.
ㅤ
“What?!”
ㅤ
With impeccable timing and angle, I parried the sword that the old knight had swung upward from a low position using Kurotenmaru.
I converted the force of his blade into rotational energy through my fluid blade technique.
I moved forward in a rightward spin to redirect the attack that had been swung up at me from my lower right.
Just like before, I bypassed the old knight’s right side and swung my sword at his back.
However, what was different this time was that this strike held both the speed and power comparable to a blow from a Holy Warrior, thanks to my fluid blade technique.
ㅤ
“Whoa!”
ㅤ
Nevertheless, the old knight blocked it.
In a moment, he twisted around with incredible reflex speed and neutralized my attack with his own.
The moment our swords clashed again, I slid Kurotenmaru over his blade.
This was the preparatory movement for First Strike Deformation 『Flowing Wheel』.
Using the opponent’s sword as a pivot, I somersaulted in the air while rotating vertically, launching a second Flowing Blade strike from above, bypassing the enemy’s guard.
It was the technique that had once been the only one to injure the old knight.
ㅤ
The old knight, who felt the same sensation as before, instinctively braced for the Flowing Wheel and deflected the blade.
That was exactly my aim.
The Flowing Wheel isn’t the only technique that can deliver a second strike with Flowing Blade.
Rather than jumping, I firmly plant my feet on the ground, leap into the old knight’s inner circle, and push my deflected blade forward while lowering my hips.
A variant of Flowing Wheel that slips through the guard instead of breaking it.
Another Flowing Blade that I once unleashed on Sword Saint Skeleton.
ㅤ
“First Strike Deformation━━『Stream Flow』!”
“What?!”
ㅤ
This finally carves a clear wound on the old knight’s body.
Severing half of the thigh on his left leg, the damage is by no means minor.
His mobility has dropped significantly, even bracing himself on his left leg must now be difficult.
However, that’s all it was.
The old knight had read my movements just before and twisted his body to minimize the damage.
And since I had already swung my blade, the old knight’s sword was still poised due to being deceived by the feint of Flowing Wheel.
A misfortune turned into an opportunity.
He’s not the kind of old knight to miss such a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
ㅤ
“Haaah!”
ㅤ
The old knight’s sword descends.
Aiming to cleave me in half from my left shoulder.
Probably, he intends to halt the blade before it reaches my heart, but if so, I lose this duel.
Kurotenmaru is not usable as I’ve already swung it.
No time to draw Onryomaru at my waist.
To any observer, I’m in a dire situation.
ㅤ
However, this is also according to my calculations.
ㅤ
“Huh?!”
ㅤ
I release my left hand from Kurotenmaru and use the gauntlet to block the old knight’s sword.
This gauntlet is made from Mithril, said to be the strongest and lightest magical metal in this world.
Mithril is a metal only found in the depths of deep labyrinths.
I acquired it from the bottomless depths of such a labyrinth and had it crafted into a set of Mithril armor by a Dwarf I know.
Though it’s just a gauntlet and a breastplate.
The leg armor is a wind Magic item.
Even so, the quality of the armor can only be described as top-notch.
Light and unrestrictive, its toughness could even withstand a direct hit from the old knight if combined with the kimono of the Sword Saint Skeleton.
ㅤ
It’s precisely because of such a Mithril gauntlet that I could block the old knight’s strike.
No, to be precise, this alone wouldn’t have been enough.
If it was just used as a shield, I would have been sliced in half before the Sword Saint’s strike.
That’s why I skillfully parried it using a variation of the Flowing Blade.
I catch the blade descending from the upper left with my left-hand gauntlet and spin to the left.
I can’t swing my sword from its awkward position, but I have something else to strike with.
ㅤ
I lift my right leg in accordance with my body’s rotation, and after further acceleration from the wind, I slam a spinning back kick into the old knight’s temple.
ㅤ
“First Strike Deformation━━『Flowing Blade: No Sword』!”
“Wha?!”
ㅤ
I felt it, no, I felt it in my leg.
I was certain that for the first time since this duel began, I’d landed a critical hit.
The kick, driven by the full might of the Sword Saint, sent the old knight flying and likely shook his brain, causing his posture to crumble significantly.
There must be a crack in his skull by now.
Still, without letting my guard down, advancing towards the old knight to finish this.
And then. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Oh… Uwooooooooo!”
“As I thought.”
ㅤ
There was no way you’d go down that easily.
I knew it.
But the fact remains that the old knight no longer has the luxury of time.
Most likely, the next exchange will be our last.
Convinced of this, I concentrated all of my awareness for the final blow.
ㅤ
The old knight, too, musters his last bit of strength and releases a grand technique.
A finishing move befitting the end of this battle, one that embodies the very soul of a Sword Saint.
ㅤ
“『Heavenly Sword』!”
ㅤ
It was a beautiful strike.
The gist of the technique is simple: just a swing upwards followed by a swing downwards.
But the move is devoid of any waste.
No wasted kinetic energy, not even a slight deviation in its trajectory, no distortion down to the millimeter.
Even warping wouldn’t distort this strike.
ㅤ
This technique is the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
It’s the supreme cut one can only release after honing their talent as a Sword Saint to the extreme.
Truly, a sword technique only wieldable by those who have perfected the gifts bestowed upon them by heaven.
A height I could never reach even if I staked my life on it.
ㅤ
That’s precisely why it’s worth defeating.
I deliberately faced it head-on, challenging the ultimate sword technique.
ㅤ
Remember.
What is my swordsmanship?
The strongest sword technique?
No, it’s different.
My swordsmanship is the Ultimate Killing Sword.
A sword for killing the strongest.
No need to surpass.
Just need to win.
ㅤ
“Sixth Strike━━.”
ㅤ
In a way, this move might be the one closest to the essence of my sword.
Aside from the final secret technique designed for the Demon King, this is the ultimate move among my seven finishing moves.
Collide and the stronger one will prevail.
A technique to overturn this absolute law dictated by heaven.
A technique to rebel against the heavens.
Therefore, the name of this technique is. . . . . .
ㅤ
“『Sky Rebellion』!”
ㅤ
My blade clashed head-on with the old knight’s sword.
And then━a sound of cracking resonated, a large fissure forming on the old knight’s sword.
ㅤ
“What. . . . . .is this?!”
ㅤ
The old knight uttered a voice of astonishment.
Sixth Strike 『Sky Rebellion』.
A technique that counters the opponent’s attack energy with one’s own, causing it to explode and break from the inside.
A technique that delivers the most destructive impact to the weakest point while pinning the opponent between their own attack energy at its strongest and destroys it.
A technique requiring an incredibly precise and accurate skill.
In return, innate physical strength or speed isn’t all that necessary.
The bare minimum is required, but that’s it.
ㅤ
What is demanded is only skill.
And among all things called talent, only skill has no limit.
Human combat abilities like strength, defense, speed, and magic all have limits, ceilings if you will.
Compared to those with divine protection, my limits are woefully low, and there’s no competing with them.
But skill is different.
The more you hone it, the higher it goes.
That’s why, even against those with divine protection, I can catch up through skill.
With skill, I can overturn the disparity in our abilities.
ㅤ
Of course, it’s not that simple.
Those with divine protection have an incredible rate of growth in their skills, so much so that an ordinary person can’t catch up even with ten times the effort.
To even come close, you’d need to put in an extraordinary effort, hundreds or thousands of times more than normal.
You have to constantly push yourself to the brink of death, crossing countless lines between life and death to hone your skills.
ㅤ
Even after all that, it’s still not enough.
To defeat an overwhelmingly stronger opponent, you have to invent techniques that can break through their superior skills.
That’s how I, in my dreams, after much agony, created the Ultimate Killing Sword, specialized for defeating stronger opponents.
I win by thoroughly utilizing the enemy’s power.
The stronger the opponent, the stronger my attack becomes.
ㅤ
Combat has something called compatibility.
A fire magic user is weak against a water magic user, and a wizard who allows close combat is weak against a swordsman.
Similarly, I aimed to become an entity that’s incompatible with all strong opponents.
I am weak. Hopelessly weak.
But, I am a weakling who is incompatible with all the strong ones.
A weakling who can kill the strong.
ㅤ
My efforts aiming for this have now reached at least the strong person known as Sword Saint.
ㅤ
“Aaaaaaah!”
ㅤ
I channel power into my sword.
To bisect the cracked blade.
My technique, Sky Rebellion, was originally designed to break through durable armor or scales that other techniques can’t penetrate.
I created it to shatter the bones inside.
It’s not a technique meant to break a sword that moves in complex trajectories with great skill, but this time I made it work by repeatedly targeting the same spot on the old knight’s sword to weaken it.
I aimed for the middle of the old knight’s blade.
It’s been my target since the first time I defended against my own attack with Calamity Return.
ㅤ
This too is one of my efforts.
And finally, it bore fruit. . . . . .I cut the old knight’s sword in half.
ㅤ
“What the. . . . . .?!”
“Oooooooh!”
ㅤ
My blade, Kurotenmaru, continues to advance.
It breaks the sword, tears through the armor, and finally etches a diagonal slash across the old knight’s body.
ㅤ
ㅤ
“Young man, let me say it again. ━━ Well done.”
ㅤ
ㅤ
With those final words, the old knight falls to his knees.
There is no sign of him getting up or wielding his sword again.
ㅤ
“I lost.”
ㅤ
And so, the Sword Saint declared his defeat.
ㅤ
“Did I. . . . . .win?”
“””Ruberto-sama!”””
ㅤ
As I still can’t grasp the reality of my victory, the knights who were building barricades hurriedly approach the old knight.
ㅤ
“Don’t fuss. The wound is shallow.. . . . . .it seems he held back on delivering the final blow.”
“. . . . . .Yes, I couldn’t let a Holy Warrior die.”
“Heh. Meanwhile, I couldn’t even land a single blow on you. . . . . .Complete defeat.”
ㅤ
The old knight says this with a look of frustration, but also a somewhat relieved expression.
Healers flock around him, casting Healing Magic in a concerted effort.
He should fully recover very soon at this rate.
ㅤ
“Now, this duel is your win.
I gave it my all and was defeated.
It’s your complete and utter victory, no doubt about it.
━━So, you must have a place to go.
You’ve been working hard for this.”
“. . . . . .Yes, Ruberto-san, thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks.
Go, 『Sword Demon』 Allan.
Despite being untalented, you defeated a 『Sword Saint』.
You are a young man worthy of respect.”
ㅤ
With kind eyes, the old knight looked at me as I bowed deeply, and I looked up at the church balcony.
. . . . . . Finally.
Finally, I can go to meet them with pride.
ㅤ
With a flood of emotions in my heart, I walked toward the place where my cherished childhood friend was.
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