Chapter 49 – Refraction

000

A polluted land under a black sky.

Everywhere is devastated by fierce battles.

Like the trail of a giant monster

Here and there, you can see the scars of the earth hollowed out by the sword.

Talcheck flashes his eyes while holding the holy sword.

For a while, Rubera and Cleon talked about something.

Before long, Cleon’s body sags.

“What is it? Did he… Pass out?`

Talcheq spoke with one eye half-closed as if steam was running out.

However, he did not lose his strength from the sword he held.

Rather, where should he cut down Ruba, which is blocking the gap between him and Cleon?

He seemed to be watching closely.

“Yes, well. Something like that.”

Opposing Rubera returned the sword to its scabbard, with his right hand resting on the hilt.

If a check is coming, how should I respond?

I was thinking of that as my only power.

The power of the Sword Saint that Cleon and the two of them worked together to block.

Will I be able to take it on my own?

Sneaking, I turn my gaze to this heartless man’s face.

Is it because consciousness is completely out of the body?

That face that quietly closed its eyes and looked down.

Somehow it looks a bit silly.

I smile without even realizing it.

“I was swept away by the atmosphere and even made an unreasonable promise.”

Then, he glared at Talcheck and lowered his waist.

The posture of Iajutsu.

“Did they say Ruba? It’s an unusual swordsmanship. Where did you learn it?”

Talcheck implicitly asks Rubera if she is interested in her swordsmanship.

Ruba was silent for a while before speaking.

“The Marquis Hughes, in case there was ever a chance to get rid of his political enemies, he called the master of the assassination sword and taught me.”

“Ha. You wouldn’t have thought that it would kill you.”

Talcheck said it was fun and then continued talking.

“I had a fight with a guy who used swordsmanship like that in the Empire before. It was a woman wearing a mask.”

“Ohh… That’s a coincidence. My swordsmanship teacher also wore a mask.”

A moment of silence followed.

And Talchek quickly dug into Rubera’s gap and swung the holy sword with his right hand with supernatural power.

Ruba pulled out the sword in an instant as if she had predicted it.

‘Shadow entanglement.’

Iajutsu that emits magical energy from within the scabbard and is pulled out at high speed.

No matter how much he unchecked the sword castle, he would not be able to avoid this sword.

In fact, Talchek was unaware that Rubera’s sword was being drawn.

He just swung his sword.

However.

“What…!”

Ruba is shocked.

His own sword was blocked.

However, it was not a holy sword.

A red sword that Talchek originally had that hadn’t been drawn from its scabbard.

Without looking at Rubera’s attack with ‘eyes’.

Only the `body` reacted and moved instinctively.

In the next moment, the holy sword cuts through Rubera’s body.

Tal Chek’s movement did not stop now that his own attack was blocked.

From the left shoulder to the right flank.

A deep wound opens.

“Keugh…!”

Blood that spurts out in an instant.

If she hadn’t pulled her body back in an instant, she would have cut her heart.

It didn’t result in instant death, but it was enough to be called a fatal wound.

Talchek swung the holy sword and wiped the blood from the blade.

He looked at the sword he was holding in his left hand and raised the corner of his mouth.

“It’s the same as back then. However, at that time, the masked woman collapsed.”

Rubera clicked her tongue and poured her potion she had been keeping to stop her bleeding.

If you think about it, it was natural.

Her own and her master’s black assassination sword.

Only one. It is a specialized swordsmanship for killing people.

Facing such a master, that man survived.

It is said that the man defeated the master.

When the amount of blood flowing out increases, the mind becomes dizzy.

Decreased strength in the legs or arms.

The contaminated black earth looks like a soft bed in the count’s room.

The revenge against Marquis Hughes is complete.

Eustes isn’t even worth killing.

If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be okay to collapse and fall asleep like this?

A sweet temptation wraps the wounded body.

Haha! There’s no time to be lost!”

But that gorilla won’t allow that.

Completely looking at Rubera under himself.

He came closer with a leisurely gait and casually swung his sword.

A disorganized trajectory, such as Eustes wielding his sword ridiculously.

However, if doing that is unchecking the Sword Saint.

Even an unformed slash, every one of them threatens their lives.

Ruba bit her lower lip and raised her sword.

She already knew

Talchek can decapitate himself or Cleon at any time.

But what wasn’t was simple.

This man likes the act of clashing swords itself.

That is why, instead of immediately killing Cleon, who has stopped moving like a marionette with a thread cut off, he tramples on Ruba.

However, even if Rubera puts down the sword as it is, this man cannot show his mercy.

The moment he dies or gives up.

Cleon himself would cut down without hesitation.

The deafening sound of the sword echoed again and again.

At that time, the muscles in Rubera’s arm are damaged, and the sound of cracking his bones resonates.

“I’m proud of you. To come out with a body like that and continue the fight.”

“…I really want to quit right now, but…”

Unstoppable sword and arm.

The lack of speed and power is supplemented with magic power.

Although it is said to reduce the burden on the arm as much as possible.

Even that lila showed that magic has an end.

Rubera also felt that the magic power to use to strengthen his body was slowly running out.

Talcheck also, seeing that the resistance gets weaker every time you face the sword.

The smile disappears from your face.

The corners of the mouth point downward, and the expression looks like it’s not fun.

“What is it? Magical power depletion. This is why the magic swordsmen…”

Tal Chek sighs, but that doesn’t slow him down.

“I know how to use magic, and I have a famous sword called a magic sword. But it’s halfway there.”

Of course, the same goes for warriors.

The fact that multiple roles are possible, on the other hand, means that you cannot develop your full skills just by focusing on one role like Talcheck or RYLA.

Cleon falls behind Layla in magic.

Rubera falls behind Talchek in her swordsmanship.

Of course, this also means that the two being compared are experts in the field, one of the best on the continent.

A supreme realm built up over many years.

If you accidentally try to acquire both magic and swordsmanship, you run into someone with this realm.

It is difficult to win unless you have a trick to neutralize your opponent.

The only reason Cleon was able to defeat Layla was because he had the information he had obtained from observing Layla for a year.

Rubera’s head is getting more and more empty.

Little by little I don’t understand what this gorilla is talking about.

Did the shock she felt from her arm reach her head?

[Lubera…]

But the voice was as clear as it was.

Girl’s voice.

The deafening sound of swords.

In the end, the feeling of blood flowing from the palm beyond the limit.

And the voice of Talchek constantly provoking and ignoring himself.

The voice that clears all of this.

She felt herself in the sword she held in her hand.

[Lubera.]

The demonic sword calling his name once again.

Ruba was quiet for a moment, then opened her mouth.

“Don’t call names, do what you can.”

It was too heartless to say to a partner who has been with her all her life, and who will be with her for the rest of her life from now on.

Talchek stopped her sword momentarily as she saw Rubera suddenly speaking incomprehensible words.

[You are too much… ! I just woke up!]

“If you don’t want to go back to sleep. You do.”

When Rubera ordered that, her sword moved by itself.

“Have you awakened! Now, in this situation!”

Talcheck laughed and swung his sword as if it were fun.

After Barisada, who moved herself, deflected Talchek’s sword.

The sword, which returned to its original position at some point, moved as if drawing along the trajectory it had once moved.

This time, he cut off Talchek’s right arm.

Blood gushed out, and a sword scar was engraved on Talchek’s arm.

“Keuuuuu! Did you strengthen your arms with magic power and move them in an instant…! You don’t even have magic power, but you’re good at creating something like that…!”

“It’s not accelerating.”

“What…?”

The next moment, Talchek distorted Rubera’s appearance in front of him.

She saw what appeared above her own head.

If you quickly turn around and try to defend the stomach.

His body twisted once more, and this time he was back where he had been standing just before.

“Wind Pond.”

This time, the attack aimed precisely at the defenseless neck.

Originally, the magical sword blade that occurred with a little time lag

This time, they aim for Talchek’s neck at the same time.

Talchek quickly ducks his body backwards to dodge the attack.

Lubera’s subsequent kick had no choice but to step back.

“I see. Certainly, it’s not acceleration.”

There is a preliminary action to the explosive acceleration.

Each time her Lubera’s her form shifted, Tal Chek felt no such harbinger of acceleration from her.

Ruba quietly raised her sword.

The mana that Barisada had accumulated for 18 years returned to his body, which is almost depleted of mana.

Little by little, my mind was clearing.

Ruba thought her Cleon’s ability was a little strange.

Of course, it is possible for a magic swordsman to dominate others.

Even an awakened Ruba could do the same for others.

However, to draw power from the imprint of the subject he dominated and use it.

As far as she knew, no one had ever wielded such power before.

In other words. That ability is unique to Cleon.

As Barisada awakened, Ruba knew how to use this sword properly.

It was an ability that suited his twisted personality.

[Refraction]

Let’s stare at the Talcheck that rushes at us.

Barisada uses her abilities naturally.

What this sword twists is not light or anything like that.

It is to observe and twist the events related to Ruba.

In an instant, Rubera’s body moved into the air just like before.

Refract the current situation that Ruba is on the ground.

It changed reality with the idea that Ruba was in the air.

“Above your head again!”

Talchek thrusts his sword upward as if he knew.

Then, Ruba refracts the relationship between her Talcheck and her own position this time.

Ruba is on top of her ride check.

Ruba is under her ride check.

Rubera, who moved under the Talcheck in an instant, cut her sword upward.

This time, Talchek was also attacked in her stomach or chest, causing her to squirt blood.

“Kuh, ha ha…!”

Of course, Ruba was not without risks.

Although it is an ability that seems to be invincible in close combat.

The consumption of her magical power is large, and the only things that can interfere are related to Rubera and Barisada’s body.

In addition, the range of effect is narrow, so it is impossible to use it as if teleporting a long distance in an instant.

[Gwa, are you okay!?]

Ruba nodded her head at her voice, which sounded like she was worried about herself.

“Yes. Thanks to you… But it’s really hard to use. If the timing is off even a little, it seems that the mana will evaporate.”

[Sorry…]

“Cheuk, kuk, kuk…”

If divine magic spreads through Talchek’s body, which has retreated,

The wounds on his body begin to heal again.

“It’s fun…! It should come out like this! You magic swordsmen always have to be driven to the edge of the cliff to become guys that are a little bit tasty to deal with!”

“Hmm… The villain has completely settled down.”

What is in front of you is a hero.

He is also the man who defeated the demonic sword emperor, who was tyrannical and evil, along with the hero.

However, if you look closely.

The dark horse clan is the remnant of the empire ruled by the demonic sword emperor and is of the same bloodline.

Like Cleon, and Ruba too.

Lesia and this man also had a share in their life’s twist.

But they didn’t feel vengeful.

In fact, it seems that the Empire was planning to destroy the world.

They were beings that could not be left as they were.

Just.

Right now, Ruba has two feelings.

The first is the heroic spirit of a warrior who wants to defeat this monstrous gorilla man.

And the second one.

A responsibility to keep the promise with Cleon, who went to save Iona, entrusting this ignorant human to himself.

Because no one around her tried to keep her promise.

It was Ruba’s feeling that she didn’t want to be that kind of person.

“Come on. Sword Saint. Let me tell you that I am different from my teacher.”

“I’m looking forward to that…!”

Once again, the two swords collided violently.

001

“Maxwell…!”

A breathless voice called the man’s name.

Although the man’s arms and legs had already completely turned to wood.

As for the face, it was still barely human in shape.

“Heh heh… I can’t believe it. I never thought Master Eustes would come all the way here.”

Maxwell turned to the owner of the voice with a friendly face.

There, though, my legs tremble little by little with fear.

Still, he stayed there with the determination not to run away.

He looked like a foolish young man.

Eustace’s gaze naturally focused on the blue-haired priest next to Maxwell.

Transferred to Tio.

“You… Tio?! You were a regressor too!”

The woman who saved his life could not have been a member of the terrorists.

Eustes clenched his fists in anger.

“I was sent by my side to keep an eye on you. Of course, it was also my job to keep you from dying.”

“…”

Tio avoided Eustes’ gaze and clasped his hands tightly.

“But why are you here? There’s nothing you can do here.”

“Father and I came to stop what you are trying to do… If you do something like that, a lot of people will be sacrificed as well as the city!”

Eustes raises his fingers and points to Maxwell.

Then, as if Maxwell couldn’t contain it, he burst into laughter.

Haha! People’s sacrifice. It’s amazing. I never thought those words would come out of your mouth!”

“What, what’s funny!”

Maxwell smiled enough to realize that tears were not coming out of his body.

“That’s right. A human being who has lived happily with the things your father acquired at the expense of others until now. What enlightenment do you mean?”

At the exact point, Eustes replied, ‘Kuh…’ I felt resentment while making a sound.

“What you’re saying is great. You really sound like a candidate for a champion. But admit it. You couldn’t have come here on the basis of such a philosophical ideology.”

“What…?”

Eustes is shaken by Maxwell’s words.

The sound of the heartbeat is getting faster.

“There’s no way humans can change that easily just because they suffered for two days.”

“I…!”

“To the extent that you don’t even notice. You’re just intoxicated with that role. You don’t feel any sense of responsibility, courage, or thoughtfulness. You just act on impulse.”

Maxwell’s eyes curved like crescents.

“You pretend to have enlightenment, but how shallow is it? You get the illusion that you’ve become through training with the swordsman. If you pretend to be angry at your father’s misdeeds, which he’s usually dissatisfied with, other people will also pay attention to you.”

“Poem, noisy!”

Eustes’ face goes pale.

He too felt that every word Maxwell said was never wrong.

“In the end, even one’s own life is thrown away. Human beings who waste their lives falling into such an illusion.”

“Kuh… Maxwell!!!”

Finally.

Unable to hold back his anger, Eustes rushes at him.

Although he carried a one-handed sword and wore greaves, his posture was a little better than before.

The experience, skills, and basic abilities that are still so lacking.

Somehow fortunately, he manages to avoid Maxwell swinging his arm by ducking close to him.

However, the stem of the other arm his, which was trying to pierce the abdomen as it struck right into it, dug in in a direction he could not avoid.

I regretted improving my torso vision, albeit very slightly, in training with Talcheq.

I should have watched the scene where his own stomach was pierced.

“Damn it…!”

Next moment.

Blood splattered on Eustes’ face.

However, it was not his own blood.

“Oh… What are you doing?”

“Ugh…”

Dark red blood spurted out with a ‘cool’ sound.

“Mu, what is it. Why again…”

Eustes, too, with his face pale.

A woman who was attacked in her place in her in front of her eyes.

She looked at Tio.

When Maxwell’s thorns were pulled out, Tio stretched out her hand and suddenly unleashed a shockwave of divine magic toward Maxwell.

Then, in pain, Maxwell wrapped himself in a tree trunk to protect it and freeze.

“It’s so dark…”

When the body was activated due to the use of magical power, the amount of blood loss naturally increased.

Although Eustes looks like she doesn’t know what to do with her Tio her.

She then took her potion from her bag and poured it into the wound.

Although her guts are already broken, it is visible through her wound hole in her.

“You, you saved me on Maxwell’s orders…”

“That’s right… But that wasn’t the only reason to save him.”

Tio, whose blood would n’t stop, looked at Eustes’ face her.

She laughed hard.

And she quietly put the reason in her mouth her.