The Executed Sage Reincarnates as a Lich and Begins a War of Aggression

As I rushed silently, I swung my sword sideways.

She braced her sword against the incoming blade by scooping it from below to parry it.

Sparks scattered along with the high-pitched screech of metal on metal.

The full powered attack cut through the air at once.

“It’s a perfect imitation. As expected of you.”

With that said, she accelerated and moved to stab after stepping closer.

I parried the attack before it reached my forehead.

I flipped backwards as I blocked, using the impact to make some distance.

I glanced at my sword the moment I landed.

There was a big crack running in the place where it was stabbed.

I made it to be quite sturdy, but it didn’t seem to mean anything before the sword of the hero.

I poured in miasma to repair the damage.

…This is bad.

Some time had passed since the battle began.

I had no choice but to admit I was on the losing end.

The previous hero was tremendously strong.

There were many cases where the speed of her sword was beyond what I could react to.

It took me my all to defend and I couldn’t even fight back satisfactorily.

I didn’t even have the leisure to use any magic.

If I tried to focus on my spells, my focus on my swordsmanship would be lesser.

It was a miniscule difference that wasn’t normally noticeable, but in a battle against her, that little gap was fatal.

I’ve experienced being almost cut off by her many times because of it.

She wouldn’t even allow me to take distance properly.

I couldn’t widen the gap enough since she always moved to make sure I was within her sword’s range.

When she detected I was about to transfer away, she would either interfere with the activation or move immediately to the destination.

Even if I somehow managed to escape into the air and casted magic repeatedly towards her, all of them were deflected by her sword.

She was growing stronger with every slash she made.

Even as I did my best, she grew a proportional amount of power.

She was truly the embodiment of absurd justice.

She didn’t contain the Will of the World within her for nothing.

I couldn’t find any openings. What should I do?

Just as I asked myself, I searched desperately for a solution.

During that time, I kept gripping my sword and frantically used my magic.

I managed to do both by concentrating beyond my limits.

“If you won’t come to me, I’ll go to you instead.”

She said so and appeared in front of me in an instant.

It seemed to be a transfer at first glance, but it was actually just a very quick sprint.

That high speed approach was a pure product of physical ability.

She was about to swing her sword up from a crouching position.

I wouldn’t be able to evade in time.

Realizing that, I immediately activated the defensive forbidden spell.

A shield of thorns began emerging, but it was torn through like paper.

Since it was cut before it even fully manifested, I couldn’t show its supposed fortitude.

It was a phenomenon that was impossible in terms of common sense.

The slash that broke past the thorn shield aimed at me as if stretching.

I blocked it with my sword as it almost struck me.

My sword creaked dangerously from the impact.

A crack had been created once again and it was about to break into half.

Realizing the moment it clashed, I shrouded miasma around my body like a mist.

She knocked my sword away using anomalous movements at close range.

Then, she cut into the miasma with a slash of her sword.

“—What?” 

I was shocked to see the series of attacks that unfolded for a short while.

She attacked mercilessly.

And I was forced to close my mouth.