Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: The Top Floor, 'Ancient Swordsman ■■■' (2)
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*Swish! Clang!*
*Thud.*
After one clash, Melissa forcefully pushed my sword away to create distance, then lowered her stance.
Flash.
The moment I felt a chill run down my spine, I immediately executed a backstep.
*Fwoosh! Whoosh! Clang!*
I wanted to aim for the delay after her Flash, but I had no time to change direction. Melissa's Flash was impossible to see with the naked eye. An explosive release of power originating from her firmly planted feet, and with it, a blue streak of light shooting forward. You can't see a bullet and dodge it. Melissa's Flash was the same. I had to react just by seeing her initial stance.
The blue flash instantly filled my vision. The moment my backstep's invincibility frames ended, I met it with my sword. If I hadn't dodged through another space, my body would have been sliced into dozens of pieces.
Honestly, I'd feel more at ease fighting the 'Ancient Hero' or a Corps Commander.
*Swish!*
A powerful thrust from Melissa, filled with ferocious energy, passed by my armpit. I couldn't block everything. Even if the system's 'Block' command intercepted all frontal attacks, at least half of Melissa's were unguardable. If my motion to twist my body to the right had been even slightly delayed, what would have been pierced wouldn't have been the empty air beside my armpit, but the little heart pounding away inside my small frame.
I shook off the sword aura, matching my blade to the grain of the aura that was now streaming from her blue sword, and complained to myself for a moment.
Every single collision with that blue light was like walking on thin ice. The blocking that had protected my body from all attacks until now was useless. We used the same swordsmanship, but hers was on another level. I was different from my past self, who had at least been in a higher weight class thanks to the mana from the Holy Sword. At this point, I was even outmatched in sheer power.
Attacking during her recovery frames was not an option. All of Melissa's movements flowed together like water. Even my sword, swung with the determination for mutual destruction, as if I was willing to give up an organ to counter her lightning-fast blue thrust, was blocked.
At least when I fought the 'Ancient Hero', there were openings. The battle dynamic was different from the 'Ancient Hero', who had straightforwardly mixed in large attacks, trusting in her protective energy and her rebounding sword aura.
Just how am I supposed to beat her?
*Spin.*
A blade of light erupted from Melissa's waist, drawing an arc. Its blue trajectory was aimed at my neck. It was fast. Powerful. Unblockable.
*Tap-tap!*
*Swoosh!*
Gritting my teeth, I used Backstep. I wasn't too late. But as soon as the distance opened, a blue sword aura shot from Melissa's sword, aiming for my entire body.
Should I cancel it with Starlight Sword Aura? It was on cooldown. Should I use the cooldown reset? No.
*Tat-tat-tat!*
*Cra-cra-crack!*
A storm of sword aura swept through the spot where I had just been. I had become a nimble deer darting across the battlefield, moving in a zigzag pattern, carefully but quickly maneuvering my body to avoid being caught in the aftermath of the sword aura.
If this world wasn't a game, there would be no way for the current me to defeat Melissa.
But this world *is* a game.
With the 'system', there had to be a way to land an attack.
Just like when I defeated Eleonora, I had to send my body beyond space and create a situation where 'only I can attack'.
In that case, first, I close the distance again.
*Whoosh!*
Taking advantage of a lull in the sword aura, I used a charge skill to approach Melissa and immediately blocked the sword swinging toward my waist. *Clang!* A blade shrouded in blue sword aura—if I didn't block it properly, I'd be dismembered. Barely managing to steady my forward-leaning body to block the sword, I immediately activated a 'skill'.
*Shhh.*
Backtrack. A skill that takes the opponent's rear. While moving, my body is located beyond space. After the normalization patch, Backtrack now had about 0.5 seconds of invincibility.
0.5 seconds—in a fight like this, that was an eternity.
In this state, I attack.
*Swish-swish-swish!*
Ignoring Melissa's sword as it grazed past me left and right, I too swung my blade. *Clang!* But, as expected, it wasn't easy. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Melissa flawlessly blocked the sword coming from behind her, from beyond space.
If once isn't enough, then twice.
Again, Left Backtrack, then Right Backtrack. *Clang!* I gave her no time to lock onto me. Astaroth's cooldown reset activated. Immediately, Backstep followed by Charge. A seamless chain of skills to gain nothing but invincibility frames while staying in place. *Swish! Clang!* Blocked. One more time, Left Backtrack. Then Right Backtrack. If this doesn't hit, I'll even activate the bracelet's cooldown reset.
*Schwing!*
I felt it. The Flash I used along with the final Right Backtrack had definitely cut across Melissa's waist. I gritted my teeth and twisted my body to avoid being caught in the Flash's recovery frames.
Melissa's movements ceased. A blue protective aura swirled around her waist where I had cut her.
But, it seemed the conditions for a successful strike were met.
*Thud.*
I lowered my stance and raised my sword.
Finally, phase two. What will she do?
*Shhh.*
Melissa's blue form blurred.
And vanished.
"!"
No, she had begun moving at high speed. My eyes barely managed to follow her movements.
*Whoooosh!*
Wind blew in from all directions. A movement that brought with it a storm of mana, Melissa's afterimage began to use the entire combat area. Within the wide, circular space of the Tomb of Swords, she circled me furiously. Like a predator that had spotted its prey.
She would attack, one way or another. Either she'd charge in at that speed and slice through my body, or.
*Fwoosh!*
The first attack came from my rear flank. A ferocious roar tore through the air, carrying immense power.
Sword aura. A straight line. A thrust.
I barely managed to twist my body to dodge the sword aura that came flying at a terrifying speed.
*Fwoosh!*
Before I could even regain my posture, a second burst of sword aura. A crescent moon, a slash. I ducked my head. It passed by, cutting a few strands of my long hair.
A third. A thrust, from the front, aiming for my chest. A fourth, a thrust, from behind, aiming for my neck.
*Swish-swish-swish-swish!*
They began flying in from all directions. I couldn't dodge them all. *Vwooom!* I summoned my sword aura. Starlight shrouded my blade.
I had five chances. If I used the cooldown reset, ten?
Within that number of uses, I had to pinpoint Melissa's fast-moving form and cut her down with my sword aura. At the same time, I had to parry the blue sword aura flying in from all sides.
I complained inwardly.
*Melissa, this training difficulty is too high. Did you treat the high-ranking demons you fought like this, too? I'm your cute little sister, this is too mean.*
After indulging in a bit of childish whining that would never reach her, I immediately threw my Starlight Sword Aura at the crescent-shaped aura that had been fired at my waist from the left.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
Once, twice, three times.
The sword aura flying in from all directions didn't stop. I tried to take advantage of a brief opening to locate Melissa and send my own aura at her, but it didn't connect.
The pattern wasn't ending. All I could do was hold on, using up all my cooldown resets. This was brutal. Was she really unbeatable?
I bit my lip.
If it comes to it, I'll give up a bone. With the Hero's power, I can chase down Melissa's speeding afterimage.
*Swish!*
Facing the sword aura rushing to pierce my abdomen, I briefly stopped my evasive maneuvers.
It's going to hurt a lot.
But this is the only way.
For a moment.
Chris's worried face flashed through my mind.
*Rain.*
*How long are you going to rely on the power of the past?*
The power of the past was potent and sweet, but it came with severe pain. Rain could just log out and be done with it. The backlash of the pain would be borne by Iseulbi in the real world. The heart-wrenching sorrow would be borne by Chris.
*Rain, you're being irresponsible.*
*Didn't you decide you wouldn't get hurt today, that you wouldn't make Chris worry?*
Isn't there something I can do, even with my current strength?
* * *
In a distant memory, I was younger and much weaker than I am now.
In my memory, I was looking at my blister-covered hands with a tearful face.
"Hee, it's hard. It's too hard."
"My dear Hero, this is a technique worth trying."
"But I have my golden protective aura. It keeps my body safe."
"What will you do when faced with a power strong enough to rip that protective aura to shreds? Will you get badly hurt and cry out for Elena?"
"But..."
My spirits sank. Because what Melissa said was true.
Melissa couldn't maintain her stern expression and ended up pulling me into a hug.
"...How did a small child like you end up with such a great mission? That goddess, if she were in front of me right now, I wouldn't let her off so easily."
"..."
I silently buried my face in Melissa's embrace.
"You don't have to do it now. Hmm, but you know? I'd like you to practice the sword path once in a while. What did I tell you a sword is for?"
"Blocking, thrusting, and slashing."
"Right? You can think of this as blocking. Aura, the purest form of sword energy, is a power that cuts and pierces all things. If you use that sword aura for defense, what power in the world could ever break through it?"
Releasing me from her embrace, Melissa drew her sword.
*Spin.*
Melissa's sword painted a beautiful picture in the air.
The blue light that filled the space around Melissa was beautiful.
My mouth hung open as I watched the gorgeous sword dance in a daze.
The trajectory of the blue lines cut through the air in every direction.
The 'lines' gathered to become a 'surface'.
* * *
As the me of today, who has swung the sword from scratch all over again.
*Swish-swish-swish-swish!*
Up, down, behind, I swung my sword in all directions.
Straight trajectories, so as not to overlap the path already taken.
Densely, but as swiftly as when striking an enemy.
Starlight enveloped my body.
A seamless curtain of starlight descended around me.
[Sword Barrier]
[Invincible while casting]