Sword Master vs. The Strongest Sword
The Demon Lord Castle's plaza, once bustling with people occupied by all manner of duties, still bore traces of ruin yet overflowed with vitality. A crowd had gathered noisily around two figures at its center. These citizens had set aside their work to assemble because of the pair standing there.
"There were circumstances. We have no reason to fight."
"Then explain the reason."
"...That is..."
Nellanella's usual polite formality had long since vanished. Though she appeared calmer than when she had grabbed Crawford by the collar, it was only on the surface. Inside, her fury still burned hot. Clad in cold rage, she wore a well-maintained set of steel half armor that gleamed as white as if forged from silver. The pauldrons protecting her shoulders and the couters shielding her elbows formed a solid defensive structure. Her gauntlets were equally pristine, and the chain mail beneath the half armor showed no trace of discoloration in any link. A glimpse beneath it revealed leather armor as well, its surface polished and free of cracks, attesting to how meticulously she cared for her equipment. Though not plate armor, the ensemble was a thorough and heavy defense for light armor standards.
Her boots, however, were thick leather rather than metal sabatons, prioritizing swiftness over additional protection. Given that her shield alone could likely block most attacks, the choice did not compromise her overall defense. The massive kite shield was large enough to cover most of her two-hundred-mentol frame. One might wonder why she did not simply use a tower shield, yet the kite shield was both enormous and thick. She held it effortlessly in one hand while gripping a bastard sword in the other. The sword itself was scaled to her stature, making it comparable to a claymore for an ordinary demonian.
"You cannot explain it?"
"...No, I cannot."
Armed like a walking fortress, Nellanella radiated a lethal aura, ready to charge at any moment. Crawford, by contrast, showed no fighting spirit. He clearly wished to avoid the duel altogether, appearing frail and reluctant.
"Hey, is Lord Crawford going to be all right?"
"What are you worried about? He was Hemonigent's Sword Master a thousand years ago!"
"No, look closely! One graze from that shield and he'll go flying!"
Crawford had drawn his Cornium longsword, the signature weapon of the Black Knights, for minimal defense. Yet he had not donned his plate armor or kite shield, making his stance deliberately vulnerable. To the watching crowd, he appeared dangerously exposed.
"If you cannot speak the reason aloud, then I have no need to hear it!"
Nellanella unleashed the rage she had been suppressing with a furious roar and charged forward, kite shield leading. Her bastard sword was already threatening enough, but the crowd feared the shield far more than the blade. Crawford had no choice but to evade with everything he had.
"Kgh...!!"
"If you're a man, stop dodging and face me! Where did that cold attitude you showed Lady Lusteria go?!"
"Kgh...!! That is...!!!"
Crawford moved so fast that ordinary eyes could not even catch an afterimage. Without his usual heavy Cornium plate armor and kite shield, his speed was even greater. Yet Nellanella's charge was so swift that even he had to barely dodge it. Her shoulder nearly grazed him, and the near miss sent a chill through his spine. Her massive frame, combined with steel armor and the enormous kite shield, converted all that weight into explosive destructive power. Add to that the raw strength of a rigorously trained orc soldier, and even a glancing blow would feel like being struck by a catapult stone or cannonball.
Crawford tried to stop the duel by asserting his justification, but he bit his lip and fell silent. He clearly had something to say, yet for some reason could not voice it. Enraged as she was, Nellanella was in no state to calmly consider his inner conflict.
Kugugugugugu!!!
Nellanella launched another charge. It was so powerful that the ground trembled as though a massive siege engine were advancing. Only on this second charge did Crawford finally understand the purpose of her armor set. She had forgone plate armor for mobility, yet the thick steel half armor, chain mail, and additional pieces added both solid defense and heavy weight. The leather boots instead of sabatons were likewise chosen for rapid movement, and the kite shield had been made enormous for the same reason.
Buuuuooooong!!!
"Krrrrgh...!!!"
Crawford once again tried to sidestep the charge. This time, however, a second attack followed, hidden behind the massive shield. He had to arch his back sharply to avoid it. The bastard sword, which had been trailing right behind the kite shield, came slashing toward him. Nellanella had intended to strike anyone who evaded the shield, holding the sword horizontally during her charge. The enormous kite shield had concealed the blade completely.
'S-She's formidable... I cannot last much longer like this...!!'
"Are you only going to dodge?! Is that sword merely decoration?!"
"Forgive my rudeness...!!"
Crawford realized he had to incapacitate her somehow or the situation would worsen. He poured all his strength into a powerful slash. From the start, he had aimed to neutralize Nellanella and openly targeted her shield.
Kaaaaang!!!
No matter how long the longsword was, no matter how heavy the Cornium, the difference in size and thickness was too great. Crawford's blade could not even scratch Nellanella's shield. Yet the first strike had only been preparation. The true attack followed.
Uuuuooooong!!!
Crawford swung the longsword in a full arc like a club and struck the exact center of the kite shield. The shield rang loudly, visibly shuddered, and Nellanella's control over it wavered. It was a divine technique impossible to replicate by sight alone. The title of Hemonigent's Sword Master was no empty boast.
The instant Crawford confirmed her shield had lost momentary control, he hurled his body forward. He could not knock the massive shield aside with his sword, but with its control compromised, a full-body tackle might push it away. Once the shield was removed, he had no doubt he would win any clash of blades.
Kwagagagak!!!
Tuooong!
"Kgh!!"
Crawford's tackle was effortlessly stopped. Faced with the reality before him, he finally understood why she had insisted on the kite shield. If she merely wanted a large, heavy shield, a tower shield would have sufficed. Yet the lower edge of the kite shield was driven deep into the ground. Nellanella had planted it there to anchor herself against the impact. The shield had become an immovable iron wall rooted in the earth.
Because he had collided with the shield, Crawford was now at extremely close range. Though the shield itself could no longer move, Nellanella still had a second weapon. Her bastard sword came slashing in from the side with terrifying speed.
Shwaaaaaak!!!
Crawford realized the moment he had dreaded had arrived. He could not endure any longer. Nellanella's strike was far stronger than he had anticipated, and his awkward posture left him vulnerable to a fatal wound. A jet-black light erupted from his Cornium longsword.
Shring!
"Ugh...!!"
Nellanella watched in shock as her sword was bisected with absurd ease. Like slicing soft vegetables with a razor, the bastard sword split cleanly into two pieces without any resistance. Crawford's longsword now bore a blade of black light; anything that touched that light was severed before reaching the steel. The reflexive swing not only cut Nellanella's sword but also cleaved through her massive kite shield.
Kaaaaang!!!
"What do you think you're doing!!!!!"
A brilliant spark flashed, momentarily blinding everyone, and a woman appeared between the two combatants. Her daring black halterneck dress exposed her shoulders and part of her chest yet radiated an air of nobility. The magical garment known as Night Illusion, which proclaimed her supreme beauty, was the very symbol of the Demon Lord, goddess of Luina and ruler of Hemonigent. The one who had stopped the duel was none other than Neromeltia di Isis.
"Especially you, Crawford. Who gave you permission to wield a Mana Sword so recklessly?"
"M-My Lord...!!"
The black blade of light was now gripped in Neromeltia's bare hand. She had stopped the sword that could slice through steel without resistance using only her palm. Crawford hurriedly dispelled the Mana Sword and dropped to one knee before her.
"Are you all right? You weren't hurt?"
"...Ah... I-I'm fine, Your Majesty... Lord Crawford's sword... stopped right in front of my neck, so I would have been unharmed..."
"...So he thrust the Mana Sword right up to Nellanella's throat?"
Neromeltia fixed Crawford with a freezing, murderous glare. She had shown killing intent toward Artis during the Utopia incident, but this was on an entirely different level. The surrounding crowd began convulsing where they stood, unable even to breathe. Nellanella herself trembled under the primal terror. It was astonishing that Crawford, the direct target, could endure it at all.
"I'm not here to assign blame. What were you thinking, using that against someone who cannot even use a Mana Sword, Crawford?"
Neromeltia withdrew her killing intent. Everyone around them finally drew ragged breaths, and Nellanella managed to calm her wildly racing heart. Crawford, who had remained kneeling with his head bowed in silence, finally began to explain the situation with care.
"The truth is..."
Only then did Neromeltia and Nellanella learn the full story behind the incident. They were horrified at how badly things had become twisted. The first priority now was to find the missing Lusteria.