Chapter 464: Proof of Existence (52)
Chapter 464: Proof of Existence (52)
My breath was ragged, and my vision was blurred.
My physical strength had already reached its limit. I had spent the last few days sprinting with nothing but emergency first aid to sustain me.
Since I hadn't even been able to rest properly, it was no wonder my sword arm was beginning to tremble.
Yuren had gone to find the Saintess.
From the moment I heard that news, my mind had been consumed by worry for her. Yuren was a member of the Dark Cult, a master of acting, and above all, a close confidant who held the Saintess’s trust.
No matter how clever the Saintess was, there was no way she wouldn't be deceived.
Furthermore, the Dark Cult was an organization that knew better than anyone how to manipulate an innocent sacrificial lamb.
I couldn't even begin to guess what they might do to her. That was why I had spent the last few days in a desperate, non-stop sprint.
The only saving grace was that I knew the Saintess’s exact location.
If I hadn't known the destination, I would have found her much later. It was a relief that I managed to arrive just in time.
Pale pink eyes, brimming with tears, were fixed on me. In front of her stood an androgynous figure with jade-colored hair.
The Saintess and Yuren.
As my blurred vision cleared, I realized that Yuren’s appearance had changed somewhat.
He looked neutral.
His face had always possessed feminine qualities, but in just a few days, his features had thinned to the point where it was ambiguous whether he was even a man. Even the curves of his body seemed more delicate.
I swallowed a hollow laugh and retrieved the hand axe I had thrown.
Clack. As if drawn by a magnet, the handle of the axe flew back into my hand. I naturally hooked the hand axe back onto my waist.
I had taken off one of his arms with the surprise attack, but that wasn't a significant advantage if the opponent was a Fiend.
Already, frothing blood was bubbling up from the stump of his arm.
It was the regenerative power unique to Fiends. In a few minutes, Yuren would likely have two whole arms again.
That was why Yuren remained so composed despite suffering an amputation.
I suppressed a smirk and jeered at him.
"Did your gender identity change in the meantime, Yuren? Put a skirt on you now, and you'd pass for a girl without question."
"I was like this even before I met you, Ian. I was just hiding it... More importantly, how did you find us?"
While we exchanged greetings, Yuren’s severed right arm twitched once. Soon, a small, blunt hand began to sprout. It looked as if a sapling had been grafted onto the stump of a giant tree.
Regardless, Yuren simply moved his remaining hand to his waist and looked around nonchalantly.
"I moved while intentionally erasing my tracks, and I'm the only one who knows the location of this hideout. I thought I’d hidden myself quite well..."
"Did you forget how we tracked the Shylock Merchant Guild?"
There was no answer from Yuren.
His brow furrowed slightly, then he shook his head, swallowing a hollow laugh.
"The Imperial Intelligence Agency's tracking magic? But when did you have the chance to cast it...?"
Yuren’s gaze, which had been darting around, suddenly stopped at a certain point.
It was the silver rosary rolling on the ground.
His blank stare shifted toward the Saintess, who was still dazed, and then Yuren’s face contorted in disgust.
"You gloomy bastard, you put location tracking magic on a gift for a woman?!"
"I didn't have a choice."
I struggled to steady my breathing while tossing out whatever excuse came to mind.
I needed more time to rest. Mana circulated through my body, revitalizing my frame.
"What if the Dark Cult attacked while I wasn't around?"
"What kind of crazy talk is—"
Yuren’s lips clamped shut before he could finish his rebuttal.
It was because my eyes were glaring at him intently. If he had even a shred of a conscience, he couldn't possibly find fault with my logic.
When Yuren slightly averted his gaze, I decided to deliver the finishing blow.
"Besides, I bet the person who received the gift likes it."
"Does that make any sense? Who would like having their every move moni—"
Yuren, who had been turning his head with a scoff, froze mid-sentence.
The Saintess’s face had turned beet red. With a faint blush, her eyes, which hurriedly looked away, seemed somewhat dazed.
Yuren’s expression became even more wretched.
"...Fine, Ian. You die by my hand today. I think that's for the best."
"A traitor sure has a long tongue."
I let out a shallow laugh and pointed my sword at Yuren.
Since there was no worry of Yuren harming the Saintess, I didn't need to worry about a hostage situation.
As a silver shimmer began to gather on my blade, Yuren sighed and drew his sword from its sheath.
It was a thin, flexible blade. It was a weapon I had rarely seen.
Usually, Yuren never showed his true self. He was one of those who most strictly followed the principle of hiding thirty percent of one's strength, and as part of that, he used several different weapons in rotation.
That sword was one of them.
"A rapier? You've changed not just your looks, but your tastes too."
"Try and block it if you can."
It happened right after.
A bolt of white lightning surged forward, and I moved my sword purely by instinct.
Skreeee. The sound of the sword points grinding against each other echoed. It was the most precise thrust I had ever encountered in my life.
My eyes, filled with shock, scanned the front.
There, a deep green eye-glow flickered like a will-o'-the-wisp.
It was a speed invisible to the eye. I knew Yuren’s swift sword was fast, but his current speed was on a different level entirely.
I couldn't even react properly.
Before a cold sweat could even break out at that realization, another barrage of light was unleashed.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
It was instantaneous. In a span of time split into fractions of a second, countless sparks flew, blurring my vision.
I had no choice but to move my sword frantically to parry. If I had more leeway, I would have gathered my Aura, but the speed at which Yuren thrust his sword was too fast.
In the end, the conclusion was reached shortly after.
Rip. A shallow laceration was carved into my arm, tearing through my clothes. My posture, as I tried to evade the sword, naturally crumbled, and Yuren seemed intent on finishing it right then and there.
That is, if my hand, which had let go of the sword, hadn't reached for my waist again.
To break my posture, Yuren had attempted a deep thrust, even taking a step forward. No matter how lightning-fast his Swift Sword Technique was, it was impossible to retract the sword immediately.
The axe split the interval of time and struck down.
Thud. The sound of the hand axe embedding itself into the ground rang out. Yuren had already retreated like a ghost, stepping backward.
It was close, but he had only landed one effective hit.
Yuren’s sword was fast, but it lacked power. If I looked for an opportunity to meet him strength-to-strength, I could seize the upper hand in an instant.
The opponent wasn't unaware of that fact either.
Nevertheless, the reason Yuren maintained such a relaxed attitude was entirely due to the gray Aura he possessed.
A faint groan began to leak through my clenched teeth.
Seeing this, Yuren delivered a nonchalant sentence.
"That arm won't even move in a few minutes."
"You've become quite underhanded, Mr. Holy Knight. It's not just your looks that have become delicate."
"I'll say it again, I've always been like this."
It was a low confession.
In a space where the lighting was clearly limited, Yuren’s deep green eyes boasted a particularly sinister beauty. The curve of his jaw, which blurred the line between man and woman, was devastatingly attractive.
Panting, I fumbled at the spot where Yuren’s sword had grazed me.
There was no sensation. Furthermore, this lesion was spreading along with a heavy feeling. Just as he said, I might not be able to move it in a few minutes.
Yuren’s goal was clear.
Since a head-on confrontation wouldn't work anyway, he would repeat hit-and-run tactics. Once my body was completely frozen, it would be over.
My heart would be pierced like meat on a skewer.
It was then that Yuren’s body began to undergo a transformation with a sickening crack.
"To make a 'contract' with the Dark Cult, a price is required. Back then, I had nothing. I had nothing but the single-minded desire to protect my sister."
"...What did you sacrifice?"
"My reproductive function."
Swish. A beast's tail appeared behind Yuren’s back.
His body was changing with audible cracks. It wasn't a drastic transformation, but his jawline became even thinner and his hips widened. It was a physique that felt beyond androgynous, even feminine.
Yuren let out a laugh.
"I am neither man nor woman. I can move freely between the two genders."
"Just like your personality."
To somehow find an opening in Yuren’s defense, I spoke with a cautious gaze.
If I didn't settle the fight quickly, I had no chance of victory.
Strength naturally flowed into the hand gripping my sword. The silver Aura that had been faintly gathered flared up like a wildfire.
"Sticking to one side and then betraying them whenever you feel like it... right down to that nasty habit of yours!"
And with a thud, my body, having kicked off the ground, was launched like a cannonball.
Yuren slid across the ground as if he had already expected it. He was measuring the distance, looking for an effective hit.
It didn't matter.
As long as I was given time, I was the one who held the initiative, no matter what he did.
Unbind (解).
A silver mist scattered like the Milky Way.
Yuren’s brow twitched for a moment. He must have seen it a few times, but his response was bound to be uncertain.
Because I had never revealed its principle.
His hesitation was brief.
A flash of sword light exploded from Yuren’s hand. In the blink of an eye, dozens of sword trajectories were drawn, battering the silver mist.
It was in vain.
Skreeee. The light vanished from Yuren’s sword as it slid through the silver Aura.
It was the first time a crack appeared in Yuren’s composure.
"What...!"
Without Aura, there weren't many reasons to fear Yuren’s sword.
The scattered mist began to contract once more. Soon, the silver Aura was firmly condensed on my blade like a crystal.
Yuren hurriedly thrust his sword to respond.
Clang!
But the tide of the battle had already shifted. The Aura, firmly concentrated by Binding (結), multiplied the power contained in my sword, and it was practically impossible to parry it without Aura.
As proof, Yuren’s sword, which had collided with mine, was flung high into the air.
And another step.
Clang, clang!
Yuren tried his best to escape my sword strikes by stepping backward. But I didn't stop my advance to match him, and after a few seconds, Yuren’s retreat reached its limit.
Tang!
When I struck Yuren’s sword with all my might, his palm, unable to withstand it, tore and sprayed blood. It was inevitable for Yuren, whose one arm hadn't fully healed.
Now was the chance, while Yuren’s sword was spinning in the air.
My downward-swinging sword collided with the ground, creating a sharp clang. It was because Yuren had spun his body in a final act of desperation.
But this was the limit.
I moved to swing my sword horizontally without hesitation. As long as one was human, it was difficult to evade the next strike.
Yes, if they were human.
Grab. A soft sensation wrapped around my arm as I tried to swing my sword. My eyes blankly looked down.
It was a tail.
A fox's tail with fluffy fur was holding my arm.