NOVEL NEXT Chapter 135
The gray mana swirled violently.
“…Phew~”
Redin whistled as he watched the gray storm charging over the bowstring.
Robert’s rank among the Empire’s swords was fourth.
It’s true he was stronger than Redin, who was ranked fifth, but the aura Robert was emanating could not be described as merely fourth.
Although Redin knew he also had a hidden card up his sleeve and others did as well, he could assert:
“This is really going to be a fourth-ranked move, huh?”
That wasn’t a hidden card.
It was a single strike infused with all his might.
Literally, a power earned by betting his life.
The manifestation of a strong will suppressing the instinctive cry for survival.
Seeing that, Redin couldn’t help but clap in admiration.
“Wow. Our senior has such amazing loyalty.”
He couldn’t let go of the hand pulling the bowstring, so he kept that thought to himself.
But he was impressed, for sure.
However, he didn’t have the slightest desire to risk his life like Robert.
‘Loyalty? Now that’s something.’
After all, Redin could live a luxurious life because the Empire regarded him favorably.
So, if someone were to ask, “Does loyalty put food on the table?” he could only answer, “Seems like it does.”
But if what one did for a living threatened their life, they could easily throw away loyalty.
“Still, I should show some respect, right?”
Just to avoid being grilled by that high and mighty sage.
Hssssss…
Huh…
Redin’s breathing, which had been slowing, came to a complete stop.
His gaze, seemingly forgotten even blinking, was eerily fixated on one spot, almost like a cleverly crafted doll or a painting devoid of life.
Redin disregarded the tousled hair caused by the powerful stream of gray mana and focused on his target.
And at last, the opportunity came.
Robert’s sword glinted.
It was aimed at the girl’s shoulder.
Even with Redin’s mastery honed through shooting bows, he couldn’t tell what process led to the result.
However, even the beam-like quick strike couldn’t reach the girl.
‘-It opened.’
Redin’s eyes didn’t miss the moment the magic wrapping around the girl momentarily faded.
Before his brain could issue commands, his fingers, accustomed to numerous training sessions, moved first.
Some might say there’s no trick to nocking an arrow and shooting.
But even those would fall speechless at the arrow Redin loosed.
The light that clung to the bowstring shot forth.
Fwoosh—!!
The light dashed through the gap Robert had created with his life on the line, a gap far too close to be called a comrade.
The strike containing the might of two masters pierced through the thick fortress walls, reaching the king.
“…!”
Pshhhh!
A fairly light sound echoed.
But the result was anything but light.
The body of the girl struck by the light flew up and was launched far away.
“…! Kana!”
As if it were a signal from somewhere, Redin exhaled the breath he had been holding and released the bow.
The cost of unleashing that deadly shot was not small.
He wouldn’t be able to shoot again today, but that was fine.
The magic that had overwhelmed the surroundings was slowly dissipating, and the fallen prey struck by his arrow lay still without a twitch.
“I honestly thought gathering three of the Empire’s swords and even bringing along the sage was overkill.”
To pour such power that could easily crush a decent small nation into just one individual?’
What the heck could one possibly call that if not over-investment?
“So? What about it now that you’ve seen it for real?”
“Honestly, it feels a bit insufficient. If we were bringing three, wouldn’t it have been better to bring more?”
“Haha. We can’t break the solemn rules, can we? Losing two capable talents is quite regrettable, indeed.”
“Haha….”
Solemn rules, my foot.
If push came to shove, they could overlook those trivial rules.
Redin concealed his true feelings and forced a benevolent smile at the sage.
“I truly never expected a specter of a fallen nation to exhibit such power. But, a specter should return to where specters belong; that’s the way of the world.”
“Well, I agreed with that part.”
The sage struck the ground with the end of his staff.
“Isn’t it a bit early to relax?”
“…Huh? What do you mean—”
Swish—
“…Huh?”
Without realizing it, an incredulous voice slipped from Redin’s lips as he unconsciously gazed at the spot where the girl had fallen.
He clearly watched the arrow pierce her heart.
Even if it were a transcendent being, if the heart is pierced, there would be no survival.
That much was certain.
“…How?”
The girl, whose heart had been pierced, was getting back up unsteadily.
The mark of the arrow’s passage was distinctly evident on her chest.
While Redin was in shock, the girl had completely risen and coughed up blood.
“…That hurts.”
“…You spoke?”
“First time seeing someone talk?”
The girl, Kana, answered grumpily as she suddenly looked at the sword in her hand.
“Hmph.”
When she flicked her hand, the pitch-black sword scattered like dust.
In her now empty hands, a light red sword appeared out of nowhere.
“I almost died from the frustration.”
It was true magic was a dangerous weapon, but wielding it mindlessly would only reduce efficiency.
To handle such a powerful weapon in such a way.
The system created by some administrator or whatever was pitiful.
“Just going around piercing holes in others’ chests. …Well, thanks to that, I managed to take the initiative.”
Swish.
The sharp point of the sword now pointed at Redin.
Three colors of mana flowed down the blade.
The black mana that sent shivers down anyone’s spine just by looking at it.
The fierce red mana that seemed like it would tear everything apart.
And while not as distinctive as the other two, the pink mana that possessed a presence not inferior to the others.
“Crazy.”
Redin couldn’t help but laugh at the way the three-colored mana naturally blended without mixing or repelling each other.
Three colors, huh?
It was so unrealistic that all he could do was chuckle.
“Alright. Now it’s phase two.”
“Phase two?”
“Oh, if I put it that way, you wouldn’t understand.”
Kana muttered something incomprehensible and pulled her arm back.
The very arm that held the sword.
“…!”
Danger…!
Before he even had time to think, Redin’s body rolled on the ground.
Grrk!
A dull impact wrapped around Redin, sending shivers down his spine.
It only left him with just enough strength to move, so his body followed the sudden command while protesting against the pain.
But that pain didn’t matter.
If he hadn’t darted away, he would have become helplessly indignant from the pain.
“H-ha ha….”
A massive hole opened up behind Redin.
It looked as if a pristine mountain had been cut cleanly into a cylindrical shape.
“I was trying to make it the same.”
“Well, you dodged.”
“Make it the same?”
Redin repeated reflectively as he overheard Kana’s mutterings.
“Making it the same is nonsense. If it had hit me, it wouldn’t just end with a hole; I would have vanished without a trace.”
As if no ‘Redin’ had ever existed.
Kana, discerning the emotions hidden in Redin’s voice, merely shrugged.
“You might not die.”
“No. If I got hit by something like that, even a dragon would die.”
“That’s an exaggeration. Look at me. I got a hole in my chest, and I’m still alive.”
Cough cough.
When Kana coughed, dark red blood gushed forth from her mouth.
Simultaneously, her clothes covering her chest became vividly soaked.
Watching that, Redin couldn’t help but blurt out.
“You’re a monster.”
“The Empire folks always say that.”
“It’s only natural to call a monster a monster when you see one, isn’t it?”
“Hmm….”
Kana didn’t retort.
Arguing here wouldn’t yield any results, and they clearly weren’t nearly close enough for a friendly discussion.
Kana was far from a saint who would engage in cordial conversation with someone who just put a hole in her chest.
“Oh, it looks like you’ve come to your senses.”
“…”
“If you wrinkle your face like that, even I would get hurt.”
“Sorry. I have a snake phobia.”
“Haha, I’ll understand. Girls around your age tend to be fussy. You’re actually quite accommodating for someone of your age.”
“Really? That’s unfortunate.”
“…”
An unexpected response.
Seeing her shoot him an even colder gaze than he had anticipated, the sage stiffened.
“I’m thinking of throwing a fit once.”
“Oh dear….”
Before the words had even fully left her mouth, sword energy surged forth.
Or rather, it was no longer mere sword energy; it had become a phenomenon.
The sage hurriedly swung his staff.
The barrier once cast to imprison someone was now erected to save his own life.
Though hastily created, a barrier executed by someone who had reached the pinnacle of magic would unlikely get scratched by any ‘ordinary attack’….
However, what was coming at him was no ‘ordinary attack.’
The sword’s energy, embodying the characteristics of three mana types, struck the barrier.
Creeeak!
Crazack!
Swiich!
The sword energy clashed with the barrier, gnawing, tearing, and slicing at it.
The barrier, painstakingly created by the sage, was no more than leather of a low-level monster in the face of this.
Wasting time thinking, “If only I had done it differently” was futile.
The staff in the sage’s hand began to glow brightly.
The magic stones embedded in the staff lit up as well.
Silver threads seemed to stitch designs in the air, and a magic circle quickly took form.
Leap.
At the moment the magic circle glowed, the sage caught a glimpse of Kana’s back.
Completely unprotected, her back was wide open.
Thunk!
The delicate figure of Kana was smashed into the ground effortlessly as the shattered void came crashing down.
Boom!
A blinding flash descended.
Was it the wrath of anger at having a hole drilled into a perfect mountain?
The spear of lightning falling from the clear sky, devoid of a single cloud, was enough to evoke the image of divine fury.
High-level magic that ordinary wizards couldn’t even begin to comprehend poured down in an instant.
Why this sage was known as the Empire’s sage, it was laid bare without reservation, yet the sage’s expression was anything but cheerful.
Crackling…
The electric current flowing through the earth waned, and the shattered void mended.
From the pit deepened by the lightning’s shock, a pink eye emerged.
“Wanna call it a draw?”
“If you were going to say that, you shouldn’t have attacked in the first place. Maybe then I would’ve considered it.”
“But you attacked first. This is self-defense.”
“No way! This is excessive response! I shot once. You shot twice.”
“Hey, you can’t put it that way. I saved the life of your former subordinate, consider it a favor.”
“…I’m grateful for that.”
Because that guy was one of my lingering attachments.
Thank you for stopping me from getting rid of that attachment by my own hand.
“That’s one matter. But we’ve got lingering grudges, don’t we?”
As long as the grudge rooted deep within the innermost part of the heart didn’t disappear, peaceful resolution between them was impossible.
“I see.”
Confirming Kana’s determination, the sage nodded calmly.
He already knew there was no chance of persuasion.
He also understood Kana would come charging forward to take his life.
Yet, he remained calm.
“Sorry. I wish I could clear your anger, but I’ve got a bit too much hanging over my neck.”
After all, he was here instead of the ‘he’ that should’ve been.
He wouldn’t die, even if his heart was pierced here.
“You know it well, don’t you?”
“Quite the cowardly escape you made for someone claiming that.”
“This body still has tasks, so I can’t afford to let myself die.”
“Aha, is that so?”
Kana raised her sword again.
‘…What a futile act.’
Even knowing that it was a clone, charging forth intending to kill him, she must have completely lost her mind to even look normal.
The sage read the diminishing life force of Kana as she wildly flailed about.
If she continued to act so excited, she would meet her death soon enough.
Predicting the imminent future, the sage sketched a magic circle in preparation.
Thwack!
However,
Contrary to the sage’s thoughts, Kana’s sword did not strike where he was.
It pierced the empty air.
The red sword stood still as if it had pierced something unseen.
“What are you doing—”
Before he could express his confusion, a white, delicate hand gripped the space onto which the sword had penetrated.
“…?!”
The sage’s body was pulled, as if drawn by someone beyond the empty air.
‘…No!’
The sage’s composed eyes widened in surprise, and in front of him, the pink girl wore a broad grin.
“Aha! Finally caught you!”
“What—”
Before he could respond, Kana swung her arm.
Once again, the sage was enveloped in a rough weightlessness.
Cough!
He hit the hard ground.
“How do you feel, being dragged out of your nest?”
Looking down at the writhing ‘sage’ in pain, Kana beamed.