Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: 12. It’s Not Over Until It’s Over (10)
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“Hit them like you’re trying to kill them!”
With the princess’s shout, the knights swung their swords.
Five Swordmasters, called the end and beginning of the sword.
That many Swordmasters was enough force to raid and topple the capital of a small kingdom.
But.
“Gaaargh!”
One knight, struck from wrist to shoulder to side, screamed and tumbled over.
Even wielding the self-proclaimed strongest, others-proclaimed worst weapon—an iron bat—the reason Swordmasters were fearsome was their mana, enough to unleash sword auras.
And the boost to physical abilities from that mana.
Sword aura?
Honestly, with the iron bat in hand, even sword auras could be endured, so they weren’t that scary.
Without mana anyway, getting hit by sword aura, sword energy, or a plain sword thrust all meant death regardless.
But boosting physical prowess? There was nothing I could do about that.
People thought Swordmasters were called superhumans who transcended human limits because they could use sword auras, but really, they were superhumans because they possessed physical abilities that surpassed human limits.
Even without sword auras, they had the strength to slice boulders.
Speeds faster than magic, if they wished.
And reaction times that wielded those speeds freely.
No matter how versatile the iron bat was, the one swinging it wasn’t.
Speeds that dodged all my attacks, reflexes, and monstrous strength that’d make me drop the weapon on impact.
Even with the iron bat, if our base specs differed, they’d dodge everything and I’d just get hit.
But without mana?
“Everyone’s equal before the carrot iron bat. Shiba!”
“What are you even saying in a situation like this!”
What do you mean? It means I can bash them all with the iron bat!
“Sloppy.”
“Grahhh!”
Sloppy. Their forms, their movements—all so sluggish. Who’d believe these were Swordmasters? But there was no helping it.
Swordmasters perfectly harmonized body, mind, and mana. Now one was missing.
The mind wills it, mana makes the body act.
For those used to it effortlessly, what if the mana vanished?
First, without mana, physical abilities drop.
But the mind still demands the same actions.
Without mana, though, the body can’t follow the mind’s commands.
They’d reached such heights that even one flaw caused them to crumble without adapting.
In contrast.
-But I’m a flawless goddess unaffected by petty mana! Praise me quick, Master!
Right, long live the iron bat!
This divine weapon immune even to devices freezing ambient mana!
If you asked whose god, it’d be the Weapon of the Evil God, judging by others’ opinions!
“Haaaah!”
“Ooh!”
The knight who’d helped me greatly leaped into the air and brought her sword down.
Probably a desperate gamble, since failing to grab me meant certain death from the princess.
“Desperate is still desperate!”
An overhead strike from midair packs power, but unless the skill gap is huge, it won’t land.
Of course, the goal was likely to create an opening for the two knights following behind.
As if I’d fall for th—
Swoosh!
“What?”
I’d predicted the attack’s path, landing spot, and the two knights’ strikes, preparing to take out another, when instinct screamed something incoming.
Thanks to that, I barely saved my leg and could only gawk at the princess, eyes wide.
No way...
“Mana use prohibited, right? Tch.”
“Eek!”
Mid-sentence to the princess, knightly honor apparently sold off, as I swung the iron bat at the knight attacking from behind.
“The power of love.”
The princess blandly spoke, her sword cloaked in imperfect sword energy.
Mana in a space with a mana-suppression device freezing ambient mana? Impossible unless you were a mana-born dragon.
Yet...
“You’re firing sword energy like it’s nothing?!”
Unstable sword energy flew toward my ankle, tracing the sword’s path through the air.
“Grab him.”
She swung sword energy indifferently, ignoring the fallen knights around her—nightmare fuel!
“You rabble, scram!”
I swung the iron bat at the knights charging from behind on her orders, but they barely dodged.
Damn. Not even minutes in, and they were adapting to mana-less bodies. No wonder they were her subordinates.
“But I need to live too, y’know?”
Seeing her, getting caught meant my legs were definitely getting chopped.
Most sword energies targeted the lower body—mess up, and it’d hit somewhere very bad.
-Castrated? My master’s getting castrated?
-Not yet!
“Please... just get captured, Sir Ast!”
With the knight’s plea, I blocked the incoming sword strike with the bat.
“Guh!”
The clang of sword and bat, her groan as she crumpled—I didn’t miss, bashing her with the bat.
“Gaaaah!”
“Damn it, Peshel!”
“Abandon her—charge now!”
Two knights rushed me, ignoring their screaming comrade enduring bat agony.
No camaraderie, huh.
-Master. Did you ever teach these kids about camaraderie?
-Life’s a solo game.
-And yet you seek camaraderie!
Thinking back, I was the one who’d purged pointless camaraderie under the princess.
[Combat’s solo—individual fights!] I’d drilled that into soldiers, and now knights too!
“This body for Her Highness!”
“What are you, a zealot!”
Knowing death awaited, like berserkers yelling “For Aier!” into minefields, the last knight charged, fearless of the bat.
“Take this—my ultimate... sword toss!”
“Hmph! A mana-less fool with swordsmanship can’t beat m—insane? No knightly pride?!”
I dodged the charging knight’s ultimate technique in panic.
Swordmaster knights, yet all apostle-level madmen.
A knight throwing his sword?
Thus, they’d perfectly hit knighthood’s three shames: backstabbing, abandoning allies, dropping their sword!
“A knight lives to fulfill his lord’s command above his own honor!”
“Just admit Her Highness’s grudges scare you more than pride!”
Unprepared for a sword toss, dodging it and her sword energy let the knight grab my ankle.
“Let go!”
“N-Nooo!”
Even mana-boosted, trained grips from sword training? His vise-like hold endured bat beatings on my left ankle.
“Gaaargh!”
“I said let go!”
“Chance!”
He tanked one, two, three hits, buying the princess time for another sword energy blast. The last knight charged my back.
Wow. One leg grabbed, sword from behind, sword energy at my legs from front.
-Where you blocking?
-Gotta peel this leech first.
“Kyaaaah!”
Ugly screech as I unleashed the ultimate bat seven-hit combo on the leg-clinger, then leaped skyward with all my might.
Barely dodged sword energy, but the rear knight’s sword remained.
“It’s over!”
Midair, dodging impossible!
So I smashed down with the bat full force, but she slipped aside, thrusting at my bat arm.
“Truly no hesitation in dismembering!”
Her blade flew merciless—I poured strength into my right hand without hesitation.
“Hup.”
Using the grounded bat as pivot, I spun into a headbutt at her blade.
“What? Suicidal?!”
“To live!”
Luckily, to obey “capture alive,” she tried redirecting—mana-less, it faltered.
“Urgh.”
-Ouchies.
Forehead met flat of blade!
Brain-shaking impact staggered me, but I barely evaded the princess’s strike via bat.
-Tiring...
-And scary. Super scary. That princess went dead silent and predatory the instant mana suppression hit!
Her eyes hunting chances with sword energy now? Like a starving lion.
So desperately craving something—not the princess I knew.
-She wants you that bad! Spill it! What’d you do to sis without me?
-Why’s it assumed I did something?!
-Then why’s she like that if innocent? I’ll apologize.
-Sorry.
Honestly, I did.
Problem was, I didn’t know what.
Just flailed to survive; next day, emperor chat, realized “Oops, did something~.”
-Yeah yeah. This goddess forgives all. Confess. Why’s sis eyeing you like prey? Super curious!
Unlike before, like a drama cop sweet-talking a crook over soup, the bat demanded testimony.
-Roughly...
-Roughly?
-Dunno why. Said I stole something precious risked life for?
-What?
-If I knew, I’d return it—crazy to keep? Just know it’s precious to empire.
-...Hmm. See. You split ten years ago... You played imperial court... How old’s sis?
-Twenty-six now?
-Goodie. Math: Met at ten?
-Nine exactly.
-Hmm... Oho... Hmmm...
Grunting bat as she dodged bat twelve times, I evaded princess’s sword energy sevenish—then it screamed mind-shatteringly.
-Kyaaaaah! Master’s a lolicon! Pedo! Pervert of perverts, irredeemable flaming trash!
-What nonsense!
-Nonsense? Master’s a lolicon! Hot! No wonder my voice’s lolified! Tainting even this goddess with your bias!
Ridiculous misunderstanding underway.
Threat from back gone, but with quick knight and glaring princess ahead—no time!
Mana suppression lifts soon, I’m toast!
-So quick summary: I’m not a lolicon!
-Are too! Stole girl’s precious something! Her purity... pervert!
-So why’s it purity?!
-Obvious. What’s precious to a just-ten girl? Not her teddy, duh!
Princess weeping over stolen bear? Scary what?
“Kyaaah!”
Mid-deep-thought victory over bat debate, sharp scream pierced ears—I looked.
“N-No...”
“Too late!”
Body moved auto despite mind, landing a hit on the knight. Realizing, I raised hand for bat smash.
“I-I’m a woman!”
“Hey! Knights don’t discriminate gender. And it’s fine—no scars.”
“Kyaaah! Th-That’s... not—haaah! Hnng!”
One, two, three, four.
Wondering endurance till she danced shoulder-shrugs... no, till KO, bat till perfect—eleven hits, she heroically bit dust.
“Done now...”
“Done now...”
“Huh?”
Just princess left.
No Lady Rea, barely sword energy—can’t lose, I thought, when someone echoed me.
Only downed knights, me, princess here—eyes sought her.
“Crazy?”
“End.”
Words synced with silver wave: clearly sword aura.
Mana suppression defied, sword aura wave crashed at me.