Chapter 550: Jealousy is My Power (50)
Chapter 550: Jealousy is My Power (50)
I couldn't open my mouth for a long while.
This was despite having heard rumors about the 'Sword Duke' until my ears were sore.
The continent's greatest swordsman.
A person whose skill with a blade had been ghostly since childhood, earning the title 'Sword Dragon' before even reaching adulthood. As the eldest son of the Imperial family and a man of such peerless martial might, no one doubted that he would one day sit upon the throne.
But was it a whim of the gods?
Despite possessing everything, the man loved the sword too much. One day, he suddenly vanished, casting everything aside to wander the world.
Of course, his subsequent exploits were famous as well. So famous, in fact, that there were books dedicated solely to his adventures.
It was several years later when he finally returned to the Imperial Palace.
It was the day of the coronation, after the previous Emperor had passed away and his younger brother was ascending to the throne.
It was a story I had heard countless times. Along with the tales of his extraordinary talent for the sword—a talent that eventually forced everyone to accept his eccentric path.
According to rumor, he had once split the sky with a single blade.
Naturally, I had assumed it was an exaggeration, as heroic tales often are. Had I not witnessed it with my own eyes, I would have continued to believe so.
To think it was the truth, without a single shred of falsehood.
As I stood there gasping for breath, lost for words, the Sword Duke let out a small smirk.
"Are you surprised?"
"H-how... cough!"
How was that even possible?
I desperately wanted to ask, but the blood welling up in my throat blocked my airway, preventing the words from coming out. Seeing me like that, the Sword Duke merely clicked her tongue.
"Enough, enough... Tsk, your body is a complete mess. Consider yourself lucky to be alive just because you're a High Expert."
With that, the Sword Duke rummaged through her clothes.
Soon, a bottle was tossed toward me, rolling across the ground until it stopped at my feet. It looked like a type of healing potion, but even a glance at its brilliant, translucent color suggested it was no ordinary brew.
"Drink it. It should at least settle your internal injuries."
If it was capable of treating my mangled body, it certainly wasn't a common item.
It would be a lie to say I didn't hesitate for a moment.
But the hesitation was brief. I couldn't live as the second son of a rural viscount forever.
I had surely reached a position where I deserved this kind of treatment by now.
Just as I settled my mind and squeezed out the last of my strength to reach for the vial—
The Sword Duke’s body suddenly stiffened.
No, it wasn't just her. It was a sensation as if the entire world had suddenly been pulled taut.
Even I, in desperate need of immediate treatment, found myself blankly shifting my gaze.
The girl’s hollow gaze was fixed behind her.
"Puhu, huhuhuhuhu...!"
A shadow staggered to its feet.
The space that had been sliced in half was slowly mending. Because the cut had been so impossibly clean, the vampire, having regained her form, looked perfectly fine.
Her lips curled into a decadent, mocking arc.
"Aha, ahahahaha! I wondered who it was...!"
The woman's eyes held a venomous light.
Her pupils, shimmering with murderous intent, hostility, and jealousy, burned like fire.
Watching that ghastly sight, the girl let out a deep sigh.
"...A monster is a monster, indeed."
It was a statement I couldn't help but agree with completely.
Only then did I snap back to my senses and hurriedly grab the potion. If the battle wasn't over, I wanted to at least avoid being a burden.
Of course, a monster wouldn't care about being called a 'monster.'
The vampire began to laugh even louder.
"Puhu, kiki... 'Sword Duke,' so it was you? I never imagined you'd voluntarily crawl into such a lovely prosthetic body."
"I didn't do it voluntarily."
Her tone was blunt, but a faint hint of wariness was etched onto her face.
The Sword Duke’s hand moving toward her waist further emphasized this.
The girl rarely drew her sword. That was because, usually, there was no need to.
As the saying went, wasn't the entire world her blade?
Yet, there was only one reason the Sword Duke would reach for her hilt.
It was when she had to get serious.
Even when she performed the so-called 'Sky Slash,' the girl had drawn her sword. It had simply happened so fast it was invisible to the eye.
This meant she would have to perform such miracles multiple times to kill that monster.
Even facing the continent's greatest swordsman, the vampire remained composed.
"Not voluntarily? Someone of your caliber could tear your way out of a prosthetic body whenever you liked... Or is it that? Are you trying to use that body to seduce our nephew-in-law?"
She was indeed the Great Witch's sister; they even shared a similar way of teasing.
The only difference was that the vampire was far more rude.
It was a blatant provocation and mockery. The Sword Duke couldn't respond playfully as she had with the Great Witch.
A cold voice immediately bypassed the girl's vocal cords.
"Do you take me for a harlot like yourself?"
"Yes, yes. Our nephew-in-law is quite charming... Ah, this is trouble. When so many people are after him, it makes me want him even more, strangely enough..."
She at least used polite speech, acknowledging her opponent's status.
But that was the extent of the courtesy the Sword Duke would show the vampire. With a clink, the sound of the girl pushing the crossguard with her thumb echoed, and a silver blade slightly revealed itself to the world.
Even its chilly luster made it clear it was a masterpiece.
The battle was about to begin.
Sensing this, I forced myself to swallow the blood welling up in my throat. I had no choice if I wanted to down the potion.
Fortunately, my roiling internals settled quickly. The potion's efficacy was truly remarkable.
It was just as I was urgently trying to stand up.
"Don't try to fight."
Blue eyes, sunken with a grave light, flickered toward me.
An indescribable pressure seemed to weigh me down. I let out a faint groan at the doubled gravity but wore a look of incomprehension.
The girl pushed her judgment forward in a low voice.
"That monster can't kill you anyway. Since you said you form the core of the barrier... stay down and look for an exit."
"I have to find the exit too?"
"Yes, something... this barrier is dangerous."
In the end, I could only nod in silence.
If the Sword Duke said so, it was best to follow without complaint. Since control over the blood had passed to the vampire, the probability of me contributing significantly to the battle was extremely low.
It would be better to find a new way out in the meantime.
As I stood up following this decision, the vampire's viscous laughter caught my ankles.
"Fufu... Nephew-in-law, where are you going? Surely you aren't thinking of leaving your elder behind?"
"I'm sorry, Auntie, but I have quite a few women I've left behind..."
It was a retort I threw out without much thought, but it was surprisingly effective.
The vampire's relaxed posture froze instantly. After several seconds of silence, she shivered with a sense of betrayal and shrieked.
"...What?! You really are trash!"
You're just realizing this now?
She was surprisingly naive in some ways. Had she really not had any experience with men for hundreds of years?
Judging by her clothes alone, she looked like she had devoured dozens of men already.
As I turned my back, the person who stepped in to block the vampire was the Sword Duke.
The vampire gnashed her teeth, but she didn't dare chase after me.
No matter how much she ruled this domain, her opponent was one of only three Masters on the continent. If she let her guard down for even a second, she risked losing her life in the blink of an eye.
That was why she couldn't act recklessly.
Knowing this well, the Sword Duke's voice remained calm.
"It seems you have something to rely on. Seeing as you still have a tongue left to wag after being sliced in half."
Only after hearing that level tone did the vampire regain her composure.
Of course, the face wearing a fierce smile was still ominous.
"The Empire's 'Sword Duke'... I have heard much of that reputation. But even you cannot kill me."
"Are you relying on the barrier? If so, I shall simply cleave through space itself."
"It's not space, Sword Duke... I am the one who governs the causality of this place."
Lightly covering her mouth, the vampire mimicked an alluring tone.
"Shall I show you?"
"Hmph, go ahead and—"
It was before the girl could even finish her sentence.
With a crunch, the girl's right shoulder area was torn away. Although no wound appeared on her flesh, the shredded fabric could no longer serve its purpose and began to slide down.
The girl's face turned grim as her snow-white shoulder was exposed. It was a natural reaction.
"...Son of a bitch."
"As expected of a Master... I heard you could twist the laws of reality with your mental imagery alone, but it didn't even touch your skin, did it?"
Seeing the vampire chuckle, the Sword Duke couldn't hide her irritation.
The declaration that leaked through her clenched teeth was now steeped in rage.
"Do you know? I'm the type who can't stand not paying back exactly what I've received... I'll be shredding those thin rags of yours into pieces very soon."
"Oh my, I'm looking forward to it. I wonder whose clothes will be torn first?"
It was truly a fascinating match-up.
So much so that it was lamentable I didn't have the luxury to watch. Soon, space began to tear apart, and fierce shockwaves indiscriminately clawed at the ground.
The mere aftermath of their clash was a collision that bordered on pure violence.
The sight of two beings, akin to natural disasters, clashing was almost impossible to watch with open eyes. When the vampire distorted space, the Sword Duke naturally tore through it, stepping onto the void as she charged forward.
It was, so to speak, a storm made of blood and slashes.
My body hadn't fully recovered yet. For now, fleeing was the best option. Besides, I had a mission assigned to me.
To find the exit.
No matter how legendary a fiend the vampire was, she couldn't face a Master one-on-one without her main body. The current struggle was likely thanks to a temporary power boost borrowed from this barrier.
If so, all problems would be resolved the moment we left this barrier.
The only problem was the riddle of how to escape this bottomless, endless barrier.
It was while I was running blindly like that.
Suddenly, a groan brushed past my ears.
"Ugh, uuu..."
It was a voice I had heard somewhere before.