Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Ricardo Subjugation Battle (4)
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My breath burned hot.
My mind was hazy.
{──! ───! ────!}
A ringing filled my ears.
Who was it? Was it Haiho chattering away?
What the hell was I even doing right now...?
That was when a sharp spear thrust toward me from the front.
"──!!"
"Ho, you dodged that nicely!"
Right. I'd been fighting this demon up until just now.
My pounding heart told me the battle wasn't over yet.
My senses sharpened in an instant. I gripped my sword tight and swallowed hard.
{Snap out of it-ho! Don't lose to a punk like that-ho!}
Haiho's chirping voice.
Yeah, she'd been talking to me nonstop.
Sending her a silent word of thanks, I spat out a short reply.
"Haiho."
{Ho?}
"Shut up."
{H-Hot?!}
Gratitude was one thing—this was getting in the way of the fight.
Ignoring Haiho's whimpering voice, I blocked the demon's flying spear with my gauntlet and swung my sword.
The demon retreated far back, stepping through flashy footwork.
"Where do you think you're going!"
I chased after him desperately, closing the distance to deny him room for his spear swings.
"Hah...!"
"Tch!"
A spear was a weapon made for distance.
If I could just close the gap, I'd get my chance to turn the tables.
"Hmph! Showy tricks!"
At the same time, the demon's attacks began speeding up.
His speed ramped up gradually, like shifting gears.
Blocking his strikes was starting to wear me down.
"Ngh!"
"Ha ha!"
Soon enough, scratches began appearing all over my armor.
Kwagak—! Kwaddddduk──!
"Grrgh!"
Just then, the protective spell Haiho had cast shattered, sending polygon shards flying everywhere.
And the buffs enveloping my body vanished at the same time.
{Wai──! Right away──!!}
Haiho's frantic voice rang in my ears.
'Shut up.'
Don't get distracted by anything around me.
I had to pour everything into matching his speed.
"Hahaha! Your tricks are done!"
Right after, his spear strikes grew even fiercer.
"──!"
Stick with it.
Fall behind, and I'm dead.
I honed my focus to the limit.
No need to force an attack.
The best offense was the perfect defense.
Bide my time, holding my breath.
"Hm...?!"
I steadily deflected his assaults, sticking to defensive swordplay.
──Haa.
My breath burned hot.
My vision blurred with sweat and dust.
It was a distraction.
No time to wipe it away leisurely.
Better to close my eyes and feel with all my senses.
Sharper.
Keener.
This flimsy swordplay wouldn't cut it.
I needed something higher, something supreme.
──Haa.
"......"
Then, another image formed in my mind.
A cheerful, handsome man with striking golden hair.
His battle-hardened muscles gave off a chilling aura as he gripped his sword, making my body tremble.
My one and only teacher, my sole master.
Alex Premier.
It was only a month-long mentor-disciple bond, but he was still my one and only teacher.
Just one month of training.
And seventeen years of observation.
That experience let me mimic Dad's swordsmanship.
But until now, it had only been the form.
I couldn't replicate that radiant energy of his.
'But not anymore.'
──Haa.
His stance, his breathing, his habits.
I poured it all into my sword.
──Haa.
At the same time, time seemed to flow again.
"......"
I raised my sword.
I opened my eyes.
Pazik—
What I manifested was armor of aura enveloping my whole body.
And golden aura dwelling in my blade.
──Suu.
Right after, aura infused my breath.
Not the golden aura I'd used before, but platinum aura flowing from my body.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have unlocked your unique aura! Your aura has greatly increased! The color of your aura is 'Platinum'! 'Platinum' aura symbolizes purity and miracles! Divinity has increased by 100! You have acquired the achievement 'The One Who Awakened Unique Aura'! Fame has increased by 1000! Your aura has increased by 500! Focus your mind.
Weave the aura like a suit of armor.
"Nngooooh...!"
"Guh!"
The demon's attacks were ferocious.
'Can I block his spear and still do this?'
"Heh heh!"
"Y-You're laughing?"
What an idiot.
Since when did I worry about whether it was possible?
"This is the best way to take you down!"
"Wha...?!"
At the same time, densely woven aura formed into armor around my body.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have acquired the Arts Skill 『Holy Light Battle Aura』! Skill proficiency is low! Duration is reduced! Ignore the noise.
Keep your eyes locked on the enemy.
"Th-That’s...!"
"Haat!"
Watch the direction of his spear.
Read his mind.
Where will the next attack come from? What's the intent behind targeting that spot?
Don't stop thinking.
Battle is a chain of thoughts.
Especially against a superior foe!
"Chaat!"
"Gr, grrgh...!"
My sword, which had been on the defensive, suddenly went on the offensive.
As my blade whipped through the air trailing platinum aura, the demon kept retreating.
Desperation mixed into his expression as the tide turned.
"D-Damn it!"
And then, the moment his spear wavered ever so slightly.
I raised my sword high overhead and closed in on him.
"Wha...!"
I twisted my body to dodge his reflexive thrust, enduring the follow-up mana bolt with my aura-clad form.
"Haaat!"
"Grraaagh!"
Right after, my downward slash toward his head cleaved through the spear blocking its path.
At the same time, the demon erupted with demonic energy, repelling my sword.
A new spear formed and shot toward me as he bellowed.
"Don't get cocky!"
Tadat—!
The spear sliced through the air with a sharp whoosh, grazing the ground and leaving thick frost in its wake.
'Demonic energy!'
Now he was unleashing it in earnest—blue-black demonic energy poured endlessly from his body.
Just like my aura, he cloaked himself head to toe in it.
And it looked even tougher and denser than mine, a clear sign his mastery was on another level.
"......"
"......"
We pulled back distance without a word, entering a standoff.
I carefully regulated my breathing, slowly eyeing him.
As I wiped the sweat-and-dust haze from my vision and stared him down, I felt just how outclassed I was.
'He’s superior in every way.'
Strength, endurance, mana, agility, stamina, technique.
Not a single area where I had the edge.
Until now, I'd barely kept up on grit alone.
At this rate, I wouldn't be able to follow his attacks much longer.
So I thought.
'I need a finisher.'
A trump card to put him down for good.
I had Brave Sword for something similar, but it wasn't enough.
I needed a skill with even more destructive power.
'And I can’t keep up with his speed, so single-target won’t work. An AoE if possible—one with massive power...'
On top of that, he was using demonic energy to create frost now.
Frost was spreading around him under the demonic energy’s influence, which would surely restrict my movements too.
In this situation, an AoE was essential to break through and hit him.
'If only Dad had taught me early on...'
But Dad hated me wielding a sword.
If I hadn’t entered Academy City, he never would’ve taught me swordsmanship at all.
No way he’d teach me an AoE.
'Hm.'
I’d seen Dad’s AoE before, but it was too hard to imitate.
Just a hunch, but I couldn’t pull it off properly right now.
"Heh heh heh."
"......!"
It was then.
The demon, who’d been still, let out a sleazy chuckle.
"Looks like you’ve hit your limit, huh?"
"...Don’t make me laugh. I could go all day."
"Heh heh, you’re a lousy liar. Your hands are already trembling pitifully."
I glanced down at my sword hand like he said, and sure enough, it was shaking faintly.
The fatigue from the fight so far was starting to show.
"Hmph! You’re imagining things!"
I gripped my sword tighter to hide the tremor.
For some reason, the demon—who’d been smirking—nodded slowly and continued.
"Sure, let’s say that. Anyway, Noah, at this rate, you’re going to die."
"...!"
Regaining his leisure, he donned his professor guise again and looked down at me.
"As you know, the gap between us won’t close easily. No matter how explosively you’ve grown, wounding me will be tough."
"...What’s your point?"
"Let’s make a deal."
With that preamble, he erupted cold energy from his body, fogging up the area.
"At this rate, you die. I need to kill you to escape."
"......"
"But you don’t want to die either, right?"
What the hell was he getting at?
Maybe my confusion showed on my face.
Soon, he got to the point.
"So be my hostage."
"...What?"
"Be my ticket out of here. I’ll spare your life in exchange."
That was when I finally understood his intent.
With all these people around, he’d take me hostage and make his getaway.
That’s what he was saying.
I shot back coldly.
"Pass. I’d rather die than be a demon’s hostage."
"...You mean that? You’ll die at this rate."
"Aren’t you getting too cocky? What if I back you into a corner?"
"Hahaha! What a joke! You’re impressive, sure, but you can’t touch me. The very level of our existence is—...different?"
That instant.
Ricardo looked up at the sky in shock.
Beyond the fog thick with chill.
A massive sword of light hung in the heavens.
Shining brilliant platinum, it radiated immense mana on its own.
"Wh-What the...?!"
"Thanks for buying time. Let me finish casting the skill."
I glanced at the system messages blinking in the corner of my vision.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have completed the emergency quest! You have acquired a large amount of experience as a reward! Your level has risen! Your level has risen! Your level has risen! Your level has risen! ... You have acquired the mana skill 'Judgment of the Heavens'! A quest to endure against the demon for a set time.
The earlier clash had satisfied the conditions.
And upon hitting a certain level, I’d acquired a new skill.
Coincidentally, it was a powerful AoE with massive destructive force.
"Its only flaw was the cast time."
Thanks to this idiot dragging things out, I’d finished casting safely.
I’d also amped up my aura output to hide the mana flow, so he hadn’t noticed anything off.
"See ya!"
I flashed a big grin at the frozen demon and swung my hand down.
"Y-You idiot, that’s──!!"
At the same time, the giant sword plunged toward the earth.