Chapter 20
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 20. The Blade Flutters with the Scent of Blood
“Heh. What is that.”
Derac sneered.
What kind of cute trick will this young thing do.
Won't she perhaps fall over like a puppet with a broken string while acting cute.
A slight doubt arose, but he threw it far away.
Right. Is thinking necessary for fighting.
Clack—.
Derac lifted his sword.
A one-handed sword.
Derac is a powerhouse vying for the top rank even among the Seven Wild Monsters, but his weapon was actually simple.
However, precisely because of that, it is felt even more.
That he vies for the upper ranks of the Seven Wild Monsters despite possessing such a crude weapon.
It can be felt to what extent the power and skill he possesses are.
In front of such Derac, Elise was silent.
Hoo—. Hoo—.
Internal energy moves riding the minor vessels of the whole body.
Her senses are sharpened.
Endlessly. Endlessly. Endlessly.
Her senses becoming sharper than the tip of a needle.
Those senses face Derac.
‘He is strong.’
I can tell at a glance.
He is strong.
Kalix wasn't taken down for nothing.
The phrase 'excessive bleeding' weighs on my mind, but the Kalix I know isn't someone to be taken down easily, though….
She probably received an unexpected attack.
Her eyes become sharp like her senses.
‘I must be careful.’
I don't know what tricks he might pull.
The opponent is not an honest martial artist of the Orthodox Faction.
Rather, he is closer to the miscellaneous and evil Unorthodox Faction.
The rotten smell of those miscellaneous things emanates from Derac.
While Elise does not relax her tension, Derac speaks.
“Let's see, a bit of your skill….”
It was then.
Derac hurriedly took out a dagger from his bosom and threw it at Elise.
———!
A dagger shooting out while vomiting a sound of piercing air, perhaps loaded with mana.
Along with that.
Bang!
Derac also runs following behind the dagger and shoots an evil glare.
It's a cowardly trick, but a strategy that would work on average people.
However.
Kang!
Elise is not an average person.
Towards Elise, who struck away the flying dagger, Derac thrusts his one-handed sword in.
The sword tip aiming for her abdomen emits a chilling light.
However, Elise does not mind.
She merely operates the Seven Stars Step, chasing the traces of the seven stars.
“Ha!”
Derac spat out admiration seeing Elise dodge the sword tip with flexible movements.
‘She's quite good.’
He spits out admiration but discards yearning.
Towards Elise who moved to the side, Derac immediately swung his sword using his left foot as a support.
Kang!
After a single rupture sound erupted, the swords of the two people began to intersect rapidly.
The shout of iron erupts.
The swords of the two people scream respectively.
Countless screams overflow in this battlefield, but right at this moment, only the screams of the two swords are concentrated on.
In the center of those screams, Elise was straining the nerves of her whole body.
‘He is strong.’
He is strong.
He is definitely strong.
Was the fault of cowardice rather intended to hide his strength?
Derac's swordsmanship skill and strength, along with his basics, were outstanding.
If it wasn't for Rina received from the Northern Grand Duke, the sword might have broken already.
‘It's a relief the sword withstands Aura.’
Is it indeed a twig of the World Tree, called a Divine Tree.
Its sturdiness is beyond words.
“Is merely enduring all there is!”
Meanwhile, Derac distorted one corner of his mouth even while crossing swords.
Is this merely all there is.
Is the fragment of talent the guys of the Seven Wild Monsters babbled about merely to this extent.
Then it's nothing special.
At the moment a sense of disappointment was about to linger on Derac's face.
Bang!
Derac's sword bounced off.
Along with that, joy lingered on Derac's expression.
What is it. This?
What is the scent of this flower that is like the scent of blood brushing the tip of my nose?
Hoo—.
Having struck away Derac's sword, Elise exhaled deeply.
Recall the mental imagery.
Feel the scent of blood blooming as plum blossom petals falling from the sky brush past.
See the red plum blossoms filling the scenery taking the enemies' blood as paint.
The wind of plum blossoms brushing from the heart is manifested from the sword.
8th Form. Red Blood Flower. Plum Blossom Blood Rain.
A blade harboring a violent and fierce momentum even among the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword rises from Elise's mental imagery.
Derac realized at that moment.
That something is unusual.
“Ha!”
Derac did not hesitate and threw daggers.
The moment 5 blades headed towards Elise's head.
Her sword struck away the 5 blades all at once.
Kang!
At that moment, Derac rushed in before she knew it.
Closing the distance in an instant and flying in, he aimed for Elise's neck.
The moment Derac's sword tip tried to pierce through Elise's neck.
A Blood Flower bloomed.
Bang!
An angry roar erupted.
Elise's blade struck away Derac's sword.
Panic and admiration dwelt on Derac's expression for an instant.
What is this.
She struck that away?
‘I filled it fully with the power of stars!’
I fully blew in what the Empire bastards call Aura.
She struck away the power of stars blooming like a heat haze just like that?
With this slender body?
“The technique you possess has reached the pinnacle!”
Derac admired.
This woman.
She is more than worth killing.
The moment Derac did not hesitate and swung his sword.
The scent of the Blood Flower became dense.
Kang!
Derac hurriedly retreated and struck away Elise's sword.
However, this did not end at once.
Another blade flew in exuding a thick scent.
Kang!
Rupture sounds erupt.
Rupture sounds erupt and erupt again, spreading out as if resonating.
Just like a calmly flowing sea harboring a massive storm before one knows it, her slashes stretch out ferociously.
In that violent storm, Derac cheered like a madman.
“Kuhahahahahaha!!! The Empire has harbored a star!!!”
Derac did not hesitate.
Black energy surges from his sword.
The power of stars.
The unique mana color harbored by the barbarians beyond the wall manifested and began to whip towards Elise.
Two massive energies soar up as if exploding.
***
“Oh my god.”
Ragna.
He, who will defeat all the Seven Wild Monsters and rise to the ranks of Great Warrior in the future, ended up with his mouth wide open at the sight before his eyes.
What on earth is this.
What on earth is that…?
“What kind of crazy act is that.”
This was not just Ragna.
Even Kalix, who returned after receiving first aid after being deeply stabbed by a sword.
Even the Northern warriors who urgently came as reinforcements from other places.
Even the barbarians who came to knock on the Northern wall.
They were watching a mythological fight unfolding right before their eyes.
Plum blossoms are thick.
The scent of blood is thick.
The bloody scent of plum blossoms was fishily thick.
Between that scent and petals, Elise was swinging her sword becoming a Sword Demon with her hair disheveled.
‘I see it.’
State of Selflessness.
It's been a while.
This feeling is after a long time.
I have nothing.
The internal energy spread in the minor vessels of my whole body is crude.
The Yin energy gnawing at my whole body takes this opportunity to scream.
Even so, Elise's mind is clear.
What does that matter.
Whether the physical body screams or not, what does that matter.
Can't I just frolic like a single canvas while holding my sword.
Can't I just dance making plum blossoms my friend in that canvas.
Exactly, like right now.
Kang!
She struck away Derac's sword flying towards her face.
Even so, Derac shows no sign of stopping.
Harboring the power of stars to the fullest in the hand holding the sword, with his sleeve fluttering, he shoots his sword towards Elise's glabella.
Paaang—!
For an instant, a sound of piercing air erupts and the sharp sword tip flies right in front of Elise's eyes.
Elise cuts largely horizontally and struck the sword away again.
Aiming for the face tenaciously, huh.
Does he think I care about my face because I'm a woman.
However, Elise is already not bound by such things.
What use is that to a ghost of the sword.
With her red hair disheveled, Elise makes her eyes clear and rushes towards Derac.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each other's blades move constantly, but the two people in this place are frighteningly silent.
However, under the surface, a fierce war of nerves flowed.
Along with the sensory energy of the two people, the appearance of trying to find an opening somehow in their vision stands out.
It was then.
Puhup—.
Elise vomited blood without realizing it.
At the same time, Derac's blade flies in, but she barely strikes it away and retreats backward.
A brief lull.
Derac's expression is quite relaxed.
“You overdid it.”
Hoo—. Hoo—.
Elise had no time to answer.
It's less than last time.
I can still fight.
The spiritual medicines I've eaten so far were quite effective.
Examining the minor vessels of my whole body, they scream but I can still fight.
I can. Fight.
Clack—.
Elise raised the blade of the sword she was holding.
It's an elation felt after a long time.
Compared to the moments when I fought with full internal energy and physical body in the past, right now is a drop in the bucket.
However, precisely because it is lacking, there is also something I realize.
Because it is lacking, there is something I know.
‘Ah.’
Elise intuitively felt it.
It's the 4th Rank.
I am heading towards Transcendent Peak.
Blood gathers in my two eyes and blood flows from my lips too, but I have achieved it.
Elise disheveled like a madman.
However, she did not care.
So what. What does that matter.
I have already climbed another step.
The alias of Number One Sword Under the Heavens soon means the Number One Sword Demon Under the Heavens as well.
It means the craziest bastard about swords.
Elise could not escape from that concept.
Meanwhile, Derac captured such Elise entirely in his two eyes.
Precarious.
Her precarious appearance is clear to the eyes.
However, Derac knew.
That state is the most dangerous.
He saw many people die to wounded beasts.
Because it is wounded, it is even more ferocious.
That is not something to touch.
Above all.
“I am curious about your end.”
Derac sneered.
Where will she eventually head.
She seems precarious.
Where will that young thing advancing while walking on a sharp blade head to.
He became pointlessly curious.
“I will stop here for today.”
Derac smiled fishily and lowered his blade.
And at the same time, he turned around and started walking away.
“Let's see each other occasionally. Kid.”
That moment.
Elise, who gripped the blade named ego even within the State of Selflessness, carried through her will and bounded forward.
At the same time.
‘Sword Flower. Plum Blooming Profitable Guidance.’
A sprout blooms.
A flower blooms.
A flower falls.
This is soon a lifetime.
Just as a moment is immeasurably beautiful because it is not eternal.
A plum blossom flower that bloomed brightly for an instant blooms following the sword path.
At the same time the blade harboring Sword Qi embroiders plum blossom petals in the empty air, it shoots towards the nape of Derac's neck.
That moment.
Kang—!
“Kgh!”
Ragna, whose double-edged axe was full of Aura, blocked the blade.
How intense that single strike was that Ragna tumbled on the ground.
Meanwhile, Derac walks away without even looking at such Ragna.
“You are still weak. Kid. Sort out the inside and come.”
Derac's head turned and he smiled deeply.
“Let's see each other again. Because it doesn't seem like the time to kill you right now.”
Kuhehe—.
His frivolous laughter rang like an echo riding the wind.
Watching that back, Elise frowned without realizing it.
Who's calling who a kid.
***
After the battle ended, in front of the wall.
“Could you stand guard for a moment? Young Lady?”
“Yes. Dame Kalix. Aside from that. Is your body okay? Your complexion is pale.”
“Something like this. I am sorry. Young Lady. Because Derac threw dirt during the fight.”
“…Yes?”
“Derac, that guy. He fights a bit cowardly. In the past, he even held poison in his mouth and sprayed it.”
What is this.
It seems Elise's thought that Derac is like the Unorthodox Faction hit the mark.
Why would he use all sorts of tricks like that.
A guy whose skills also look good.
“I am sorry. The Young Lady was put in danger again….”
“No. Because I also gained a clue.”
“Ah. Congratulations. Young Lady. Seeing as it is, it seems you will be able to use Aura now…. Good heavens.”
Kalix spat out admiration for an instant.
“Young Lady. Wow. Wait a moment. Coming to the North and already at the 4th Rank?”
“…Mm.”
Elise scratched the back of her head without answering.
What should I say.
In the meantime Kalix spoke.
“You practiced secretly in the Ducal House and bloomed fully in the North!”
“Uh. Mm. Yes?”
“Mhm mhm. To achieve your will even in such a situation. You are amazing. Young Lady.”
“…Mm.”
Elise just nodded.
Let's leave her to misunderstand.
She turned her face away and naturally sat in a lotus position.
Right. Shall I organize my enlightenment a bit.
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