Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: Reincarnated as the Plum Blossom Sword Guard in a Count's Family
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The man floating in the sky extended his palm toward me.
"Fire Ball."
A fireball formed in front of his palm and flew toward me.
'Damn. Can't dodge...'
Behind my back was the flag representing our base. According to the match rules, destroying this flag meant losing the base, so I had to protect it no matter what.
I gripped my sword with both hands and swung the flat of the blade toward the fireball—like a baseball player smacking a pitch. My plan was to bat it away.
The instant the fireball touched the blade, I twisted my waist to its limit.
I felt a heavy thud in both hands, and right then, I sensed the fireball rocketing back toward the man.
Boom!
The fireball exploded.
"Urk!"
He staggered back, shaking his body wildly to snuff out the flames clinging to his left arm.
My left arm was charred black all the way up to the shoulder. The pain wasn't bad.
'Left arm's out of commission.'
It wasn't totally crippled. Just for this match.
The arena was enclosed by a match barrier that blackened and immobilized any injured body parts. Once the game ended, they'd return to normal. Think of it as a safety feature.
"Trying to swat a Fire Ball? How foolish."
The man hovering in the sky sneered down at me.
'I figured it was doable since Kyle pulled that off in the original story the same way... maybe there's some special trick. Or because I didn't use aura.'
"Those monsters have probably reached our base by now. No time to waste—let's wrap this up. Fire Ball."
Another fireball materialized in front of his hand.
I hurled my sword straight at him. Boosted by the 'Shooting' trait, it rocketed precisely toward his head.
"Gah!"
The man ducked in panic to evade it. I seized the opening, channeling mana explosively into my legs and leaping. I cocked back my right fist, ready to smash his skull.
"Fi-Fire Ball!"
A fireball hurtled toward me from point-blank range.
I didn't waver in the slightest. I'd planned to tank it from the start. Pain was negligible anyway, and I'd be good as new after the match.
Bang!
The fireball detonated, flames engulfing my body. My fist crashed into his head with brutal force.
We tumbled together to the ground in a tangle.
As the flames died down, my body turned pitch-black and went limp. His did the same from the impact of the fall.
In the end, we were both out of commission—nice and cozy.
"Ugh... you ridiculous bastard..."
"All part of the strategy."
I didn't know how he'd flown in, but I'd held the base. With no other attackers on our side, the game was over. No way to stop Kyle and Sharnel from overrunning theirs.
Two minutes later.
The blackened parts of my body reverted to normal. No injuries, not even scorch marks on my clothes.
The man who'd been sprawled on the ground let out a sigh and rose to his feet.
"Damn... how the hell were we supposed to stop those two..."
He grumbled as he trudged back to his base. I got it. If I'd been in his shoes, I'd have thought the same.
'Finals are best of three. Second round's on the maze field, so they won't be able to pull that aerial assault again.'
Not long after, the second match began. Ruby erected a barrier around our flag, and I stood watch, eyes fixed on the maze entrance.
"What do you think? Will they come at us like before?"
Ruby asked me. I shook my head.
"This is the maze field. They can only approach head-on, so that sneaky flanking tactic from earlier won't work."
All we had to do was wait. Kyle and Sharnel would claim the enemy base on their own.
The maze walls around us melted into mud and crumbled into the earth, flattening into open ground.
'They've dropped the barrier.'
Ahead, Kyle and Sharnel strode forward confidently. No academy student could stand against them. Melissa might have had a shot, at best.
"Kyle! Sharnel! Good wor—"
I grabbed Ruby's shoulder as she bolted forward. She turned to me with puzzled eyes.
"Yu-jin...?"
"......"
I had no time to reply to Ruby. My gaze was locked on the sky, my expression grim.
"Wh-what the hell is that? A black stone...?"
A diamond-shaped black stone hovered in the sky. Roughly three meters across, it radiated pitch-black energy.
Demon Stone Gate.
Also known as the Demon's Gate, it possessed the power to summon creatures from the demon realm and corrupt the surrounding area, gradually reshaping it into a demon-like environment.
'It's showing up now?'
The Demon Stone Gate was a devil-related artifact from the late stages of the original story.
'I knew the plot had gone off the rails... but not by this much. Must be a demon lurking in the academy that activated it.'
The space around the Demon Stone Gate rippled, and countless black, eight-armed monkey monsters poured out. One of the demon realm's beasts: the Eight-Armed Monkey.
You needed at least Aura Expert level to handle them without overexerting yourself.
For now, only Eight-Armed Monkeys were spawning, but as time passed, far more powerful demon beasts would emerge.
Eight-Armed Monkeys—demon realm beasts—continued emerging from the Demon Stone Gate. The silver lining: no devils in sight. If a devil had appeared, things would've spiraled out of control. As it was, the professors could contain it.
'Actually... if a devil showed, Priscilla would've stepped in. ...So where the hell is Priscilla?'
I spotted her right away. She was in the professors' seating area, arms crossed, glaring daggers at the Demon Stone Gate.
'Damn woman. Not making a move? And how did the hidden devil slip past her eyes to deploy and activate the gate?'
Nothing made sense. Too little intel.
"Yu-jin, Ruby!"
Kyle and Sharnel hurried over. Their faces were grim too.
"K-Kyle... Wh-what do we do?"
Ruby stammered in a panic. Kyle glowered at the gate and the monkeys before speaking.
"We can't just stand around. Even if the professors act, the casualties will pile up. We need to help."
Sharnel nodded.
"Kyle's right. Those are Eight-Armed Monkeys—among the most vicious demon beasts. Their real danger is swarming in packs. We thin their numbers before they group up."
"B-but... the professors said prioritize defense and survival... Wouldn't it be better to stay put? We've got the barrier here..."
For safety's sake, staying was best. The match barrier was rock-solid—only an Aura Master could breach it. Even Eight-Armed Monkeys couldn't enter except through the designated gate.
"Hah. That's where you and Kyle make a difference. We step up, we end this faster. You and Yu-jin, hole up in a corner."
Sharnel's cocky attitude held firm even in crisis. Made me want to deck him.
Kyle eyed the gate spewing demon beasts and asked Sharnel,
"Sharnel. That thing seems like the source... any idea what it is?"
"No clue. Never heard of it. My master might know..."
Priscilla wouldn't. The Demon Stone Gate was a recent invention from the demon realm.
"Yu-jin. Yuria... where are the maids?"
Kyle asked me. He was worried about Yuria.
"I'm leaving soon, right? The maids went into the city to prepare."
"As long as that thing didn't show up there... the maids are safe."
Kyle's expression lightened slightly.
Truth was, Rizel and Kelly were in the city, but Yuria was currently in the academy library.
'Yuria predicted this attack.'
She'd said there was no better day for demons to strike. Their goal was the forbidden magic tome in the library, and the tournament was perfect cover—drawing all eyes.
'I thought the odds of an attack were low.'
Rumors of a devil were quietly circulating at the academy. Awkward position for any demon to act openly.
'But one did anyway. Target's obviously the magic tome.'
I was worried about Yuria. Even she couldn't take on a devil solo.
"Yu-jin, Ruby. We're heading to the professors. You two stay here."
"Kyle's right. You'd be zero help at your level. Stay put."
With that, Kyle and Sharnel rushed toward the waiting room, aiming for the emergency exit to slip past the barrier.
A few dozen seconds after they left, I turned to Ruby.
"Ruby. I just remembered an errand. You stay here. If you're alone, head to the blue team's side."
"Y-yes? Where are you going in this mess?! Nowhere's safer than here!"
"Told you, it's important!"
I brushed off Ruby's attempt to stop me and bolted. Destination: the library, obviously.
"Kik, kiik?! Keke kek!"
On the way to the library, I ran into a single black, eight-armed monkey—an Eight-Armed Monkey.
The thing towered over two meters. It tilted its head at me, then broke into a sinister grin.
"Mocking me, you little monkey shit."
I pulled the Flame Lotus Blade from my inventory and gripped it.
The Eight-Armed Monkey quit laughing and stared at the crimson sword in my hand. Greed flickered in its blood-red eyes.
"Kiik! Keke!"
It pointed at my sword with the index fingers of its four right hands. Roughly translated: hand it over.
I smirked and flipped it off with my left middle finger.
"Kiik?"
The monkey rolled its eyes, then hopped mad, foaming with rage. It'd caught the insult.
"Kiiiiik!"
Claws gleaming, the Eight-Armed Monkey charged me.
'No need for Moment.'
Crackle.
Red lightning danced along the blade.
I sidestepped to its left, slicing off two arms and gashing its side as I passed.
"Kkikik??"
The Eight-Armed Monkey shrieked in agony. It lunged at me again.
Crackle.
It flinched as red thunder sparked from the blade. It feared the Red Lightning.
'Monster or not, that brain's pure beast.'
I didn't waste the opening. Dived into its guard and plunged the blade deep into its chest. The enhanced Flame Lotus Blade carved through its tough hide like butter.
Zzzzzap!
The Red Lightning writhed across its body. I yanked the blade free, and it crumpled to the ground. The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
"Haha."
A laugh escaped me.
Pure physical stats? The Eight-Armed Monkey had me beat.
But in experience, I dominated.
A demon realm dweller like that had never faced anyone like me. Me? I'd honed myself hunting monsters as a hunter and racked up real combat hours against the ancient warrior training hall's puppets.
I pressed on toward the library.
"Kiik?!"
"Kiiik!"
"Kk. Ikk!"
More than five black monkeys glared at me with crimson eyes. They'd scented their comrade's blood on me and radiated killing intent.
"Just five? I'll slaughter the lot."
I reversed my grip on the sword, crouched low, and charged.
"Kiiiiiik!"
They roared and rushed en masse. Two straight on, three flanking from the sides.
"Sip."
I drew a deep breath, muscles coiling tight. I dropped into a near-prone stance and swung the blade in a wide semicircle.