Chapter 419
Chapter 419
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 419
Chapter Title: 2-42. Fugitive (6)
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#42
Zaifa swung down his guandao.
I reflexively twisted my shoulders.
Kwajik!
The vertically falling blade slammed into the ground at my feet.
"Fuck."
The guandao's blade had completely buried itself into the earth.
If it had hit me dead-on, I'd be Ronan sashimi by now.
Zaifa flicked his tail as if intrigued.
"Lucky bastard. Dodging that."
"...Long time no see, old timer."
To meet his eyes, I had to crane my neck all the way back.
There, atop his armor, was a tiger's face—familiar in a way, but far more savage and haggard than I remembered.
This old man seemed to have been through some shit I didn't know about.
Zaifa tilted his head.
"You know me?"
"Of course. You're Zaifa Turgen, the Empire's Sword Saint. Never thought we'd meet like this."
"Talking nonsense... Sword Saint? That's ancient history."
"Huh? If not you, then who?"
"No reason to answer a dead man walking. Is the traitor Schlieffen inside?"
His voice was dry, like he was carrying out official business.
Suddenly, the emblem etched on his armor caught my eye.
An inverted longsword—the symbol of the Imperial Army's special forces unit.
The ones specializing in assassinations and espionage.
Putting it together, I twisted my lips.
'Damn it, he really did betray them in the end.'
A letter I'd seen in Barka’s hideout flashed through my mind.
Zaifa was originally supposed to turn his back on the Empire.
I got it.
He'd lost his wife and kids to the Empire, his rebellion had failed, and in exchange for saving his beastkin kin, he'd signed a slave contract with the Emperor.
In the original world, I'd somehow managed to sway him, but unfortunately, in this world, I had no prior connection with him.
With Barka's plan succeeding, he'd naturally risen to a key position, living on oblivious to being used.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and smirked.
"No reason for me to answer that either."
"Fair point."
Zaifa nodded.
I'd hoped my logical stance might make him back off, but no such luck.
Gripping the guandao's shaft, he continued.
"For the crime of murdering Imperial soldiers, I hereby execute you."
The guandao whipped out in an instant, slashing down again.
This diagonal strike from upper right was way faster than before.
I sighed and drew my sword hilt.
"This is why you sword-swinging bastards are a problem."
They think conversations happen with blades, not tongues.
Even in the original world, the old coot was brutally direct.
The massive blade was about to rip me apart.
Kaaang!
My holy sword shot out like an interception, smashing into the guandao.
"Damn, all brute strength. A weretiger pulling this on a human?"
"Hah."
I stuck out my tongue and grumbled.
Zaifa chuckled.
The guandao was locked with my sword, hovering in midair.
Heavy, sure, but compared to Bald King's punches or Akasha's shockwaves, manageable.
Then, from the half-open door, Schlieffen's voice rang out.
"Zaifa...!"
"Ro, Ronan? Who's there? What was that noise?"
My sister's terrified voice came too.
The faint whoosh of wind suggested Schlieffen was prepping a technique.
I stared at Zaifa and shook my head.
"Don't come out. Schlieffen. And no unnecessary moves."
"But."
"You protect sis. I'll handle the old timer."
"......Understood."
The wind died down.
He obeyed surprisingly well.
Zaifa looked down at me in disbelief.
"Fine. If you won't answer, something else then."
I couldn't treat this Zaifa as the same as the original world's.
I spat on the ground and shot back.
"How'd a majestic tiger like you end up as a dog wiping his little brother's ass?"
"...What?"
"Can't catch it all at once? Ears clogged too? Get your filthy paws off our doorstep first."
It'd been bugging me.
Sis's handmade straw mat was crushed under his massive, fluffy paws.
The locked swords separated.
I unleashed a barrage of slashes.
Dozens of sword paths, imperceptible to most, wove through the air.
"...!!!"
Zaifa's fur bristled.
He hastily raised his guandao to counter.
Sparks flew with every clash.
He blocked nearly all, but the sheer volume pushed even his weretiger bulk back.
Every tenth strike slipped through, carving wounds atop his body.
Kaaang!
A spinning slash slammed into the guandao.
"Grk!"
Zaifa gritted his teeth.
I halted my torrent of strikes.
We'd moved over twenty paces from the cabin.
His blood trail from the door scattered like rose petals.
Catching his breath, he smirked.
"...Impressive. Where've you been hiding a skill like that?"
"Parallel world. Similar but different. There, you're one of the heroes who saved it. Even made up with my girlfriend... er, former Grand General."
"Some trendy kid joke?"
"No joke. Anyway, this side's you seems weaker. Disappointing."
"What?"
"Guessed from the dumb armor, but truth time, old timer. Listen up—we got no reason to fight. Killing a few fake soldiers ain't the point."
Thankfully, he didn't lash out calling bullshit.
Blood loss must've cooled his head.
'Not brainwashed like those Imperial Guard goons.'
Honestly, I didn't want to fight Zaifa.
Stubborn primitive who valued brawn over brains, but good at heart.
We were drinking buddies in the original world, after all.
Spinning my sword, I spoke.
"You're Barka's puppet. That bastard sees you as a convenient tool, not a brother. Your son Aradan Turgen proves it."
"How do you know that name...!"
Zaifa's brow furrowed.
Pupils narrowing vertically, killing intent surged over his shoulders.
Sensitive about his son, as always.
"You know Barka majors in black magic. Necromancy especially. Hate to say it, but he's revived poor Aradan's corpse as his dagger."
"What proof you got spouting that crap?"
"It happened in my world. Probably same here. Want credible? Lived in the northern village of... "
I recited details from his letter.
His old village, wife's name, emotions on deciding the Night of Fangs.
Zaifa's calm face grew bewildered.
"So... you're saying Barka's the bishop of some cult called Nebula Klazi?"
"Spot on. North's messed up, right? Freak births everywhere. All that bastard's doing."
"Jaeger ruined the north."
"Dense. Your 'brother' puppeted Jaeger. Still not buying?"
"......Shut it."
Zaifa growled.
Acting unfazed, but shaken.
Time to plant the doubt deep.
Ignoring him, I pressed on.
"Don't believe? Go to Barka now. Your son's corpse somewhere in the palace. Mine hid it in his cloak; who knows now."
"Shut your trap, whelp! I'll rip your mouth off!"
Then it happened.
Zaifa roared and charged.
Shadowy black aura wrapped his guandao blade.
"Knew you'd snap."
Zaifa's aura.
I calmly countered.
Never expected words alone to work.
The space-slicing strike clashed with my sword.
Kaaaaang!!
A savage shockwave tore the air.
Birds fled the forest canopy.
Cabin windows shattered in unison.
"Kyaaak!"
"Sis?!"
Suddenly, sis's scream from inside.
I whipped around.
Sis huddled, clutching her head by the broken window; Schlieffen shielding her.
Debris must've got through—blood poured from his forehead.
"Miss Iril, are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine. Your forehead's bleeding...!"
"This is nothing. Glad you're safe."
Schlieffen smiled softly.
Ignoring Zaifa entirely—trust in me shone through.
Sis teared up, checking his wound.
Seeing that boiled my blood.
Zaifa's voice boomed behind.
"Eyes wandering?!"
His red eyes blazed with rage.
Leaping sky-high, he swung the guandao two-handed.
Instead of blocking, I arched back.
The black horizon sliced across the sky.
A distant hill cleaved in two.
Kwaaaang!!
Thunderous boom, then villagers' screams.
No casualties, luckily.
Staring skyward, I muttered.
"......Because of you."
"Die!"
Zaifa landed.
The black fierce tiger gave no quarter, charging.
Aura-wrapped slash aimed at my neck.
Kaang!
I snapped upright, deflecting.
"What...!"
"You nearly hurt my sis, you charred shit-cat!"
Head hot now.
I gripped my hilt tight.
Blade glowed red, sharpness surging.
Power surged; red edge sliced into the locked guandao.
"What."
Zaifa's eyes widened.
Before he reacted.
My sword severed the guandao, arcing toward him.
Red line scored his armor.
Chwaaak!
Blood geysered from the split gelor.
"Keurk!"
Zaifa spewed blood.
But I didn't stop.
Letting him gain momentum nearly hurt sis.
Sword sheathed, fists clenched.
Switching power source, heart pounded erratically.
Paaaa...
Golden glow enveloped my right arm.
Muscle density exploded; arm grew heavy.
Professor Baren's—my eternal mentor and friend—aurora.
"Wait...!"
Staggering, Zaifa gasped.
Instinct sensing doom.
He hurled the wrecked guandao.
Crossed arms in guard.
Weretiger cheats.
Just forearms crossed like a black iron shield.
"Blocking with your own body?!"
No matter.
Torso twist for torque, fist smashed his guard.
Clear crunch of breaking bone.
Guard broke.
Straight punch nailed solar plexus.
Kwaaaang!
Golden trail; Zaifa's body cratered into a massive nettle tree.
"Keurk!"
Deep-rooted giant didn't snap.
Zaifa vomited more blood.
Golden glow faded from my arm like melting snow.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Long unused; out of breath.
I approached Zaifa slowly.
Left arm broken, twisted wrong.
Bloody spittle dripped from gaping maw.
Slumped against the tree, head bowed—like sleeping.
"...Cool your head. We'll talk later."
Swept back sweat-matted hair.
Tough bastard; two days max to recover.
Suddenly, Schlieffen from behind.
"The Empire's Greatest Swordsman...!"
"Yeah. You here?"
Turning, stunned sis and Schlieffen.
His forehead wrapped in her apron as bandage.
Couldn't help chuckling.
Things moving faster here?
Grinning, I said.
"Alright. Decided."
"On what?"
"Our next move. Fighting Zaifa made it clear."
Zaifa struck like lightning.
Without uprooting the source, more hunters would come.
I plugged sis's ears with both hands.
"Gotta destroy the Empire first."
"......What?"
"Huh? Ronan, what'd you say?"
Schlieffen frowned.
Sis clueless, tilting head.
Truth was, since my face sold out at Phileon Academy, it was set.
Turning toward the palace, I continued.
"Wipe 'em before more hassle. Won't take long."