The Heibrun Subjugation (3)
Flutter!
Tristan's Cloak whipped through the air.
As the translucent fabric obscured Jacques's vision, Adelia thrust her sword forward like a bolt of lightning.
"Urgh!"
Clang!
Jacques hastily twisted his executioner's sword to block the strike.
But the moment he attempted to counterattack, Adelia had already pulled the cloak over herself and vanished into thin air.
Wow...
I thought to myself as I watched the spectacle.
...She really fights like a dirty bastard.
It was an evaluation that was practically the highest form of praise for an opponent.
As if sharing my exact sentiment, Jacques spat out a curse.
"Damn it...!"
Dealing with an invisible enemy was an excruciatingly difficult task.
Even when he tried to strike by tracking her presence, Adelia cleverly concealed her aura using the cloak's properties.
Flutter!
Clang!
Another blow flew in. This time, from the flank.
As Jacques defended against the attack, the cloak fluttered once more, briefly revealing Adelia's figure before she vanished again.
"This is..."
Pokryong couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
"...truly a genius combat sense."
Adelia wasn't using Tristan's Cloak as a simple tool for stealth.
She exquisitely combined the 'moments of visibility' and 'moments of invisibility' to intentionally create blind spots in her opponent's field of vision.
A surprise attack aimed at the exact moment the fluttering cloak blocked his sight. Then, shutting down any counterattack with invisibility, followed by launching another assault from a completely different angle.
All of these movements flowed as naturally as running water.
And what's more...
What was even more astonishing was that Adelia's attacks were becoming increasingly precise as the battle progressed.
While she had initially relied on the cloak's functions, she was now calculating the external environment to seize the perfect timing.
The elevation of the ground. The temporary glare of reflected light. And even the direction of her opponent's gaze.
Clack-clack-clang!
Jacques's expression distorted further with each successive ambush.
Although none of the individual attacks were fatal, being toyed with by an opponent he considered far beneath him was an unbearable humiliation.
Moreover, he was currently in a situation where he needed to flee as quickly as possible. Having his feet tied down under such circumstances poured oil onto the fire of his rage.
"You annoying little...!"
Actually, this was more than enough.
I hadn't expected her to completely subdue Jacques in the first place.
Adelia had only one mission: to tie Jacques down until we arrived.
So why weren't we intervening in the battle even though she had already fulfilled her role?
"Let us watch a little longer," I said.
"Agreed," Pokryong replied.
Well, because I wanted to watch Adelia fight a bit more.
But above all...
...her presence is the catalyst that will accelerate Jacques's definitive corruption.
Flutter!
The cloak whipped again.
At that moment, I suddenly realized something.
A new realm was blossoming within Adelia's swordsmanship.
Oh.
A sword style that freely crossed the boundary between the visible and the invisible.
A technique that pierced the blind spots of perception to create openings.
Whoosh!
Weapon Mastery
Sword: Lv. MAX
I can see it.
Yes.
I could see it crystal clear.
To my eyes, blessed with overwhelming talent in swordsmanship, every single one of Adelia's intentions was laid bare.
Adelia's 'sword' was not merely a weapon swung with brute force.
It was a sword that read the opponent's movements and psychology one by one, guiding the flow accordingly. A realm where she designed not only her own attacks but also the opponent's reactions.
Right now, Adelia was stepping into that very stage.
Even though there's a level difference of over ten levels between her and Jacques...
Rendering that gap meaningless, Adelia was fighting Jacques on equal terms.
She was indeed proving herself to be a true irregular of Lost Elder.
Seriously...
I let out a dry chuckle.
The moment I saw her level rise once again, a smirk escaped my lips.
...Adelia, having acquired Reflection's Water Surface, is definitely a broken character.
"...!"
Adelia flinched.
Mid-swing, her eyes widened.
This was because another new realization had flashed through her mind.
If I swing the sword like this...
Clang!
Adelia's sword aimed for Jacques's opening.
This time, it was a movement that did not rely on the cloak, yet her opponent failed to anticipate the attack.
Through repeatedly deceiving his eyes with Tristan's Cloak, she had now mastered how to create blind spots even without it.
Witnessing Jacques frantically parrying her blade, Adelia smiled, realizing her strategy was working.
Ah...
A thrilling shiver ran down her spine.
...All of this was Sir Gaon's intention.
At first, even she had thought facing Jacques von Heibrun would be too difficult.
No matter how much she utilized Tristan's Cloak, she believed holding him back was close to impossible.
After all, her opponent was a giant of Midtemple.
He was a swordsman whose realm was second only to a Sword Master.
But...
In contrast, Gaon had known from the very beginning.
He knew that Adelia could handle Jacques.
And he knew that, through Tristan's Cloak, she would eventually reach this realization.
Jacques von Heibrun gritted his teeth.
He could feel Adelia's strikes growing sharper by the second.
Damn it...!
The difference in raw skill was definitely in Jacques's favor.
Adelia's realm was still far below his.
Yet, the reason Adelia was able to hold him back...
...was not just because of Tristan's Cloak.
Indeed.
It was pure talent.
That damn talent was bridging the gap between Adelia and Jacques von Heibrun.
A monstrous ability that grew continuously even in the midst of combat.
A natural gift to absorb new realizations at every moment, decipher the opponent's patterns, and perfect her own swordsmanship.
—This is truly astonishing.
Jacques suddenly recalled the admiration Pokryong had voiced while watching Adelia.
—No matter if she possesses the bloodline of a Holy Family, for a mere human to grow strong this quickly...
A surge of inferiority suddenly welled up in Jacques's chest.
Just a few weeks ago, Adelia couldn't even compare to the dirt on his boots.
Now, that greenhorn was piercing through his openings.
The trajectory of her swings. The threat he felt. The focus in her eyes. All of it proved she was a completely different entity from the Adelia of the past.
Unlike himself, who had been stagnant for decades, that young brat had reached this realm in a matter of months.
"Aaaargh...!"
His rage exploded.
Jacques swung his executioner's sword even more violently.
Yet, the more he did, the more Adelia learned.
Clang!
Sparks flew as sword clashed against sword.
The recoil pushed both blades apart, bringing a brief moment of stillness.
In that fleeting second to catch their breath, a tense silence hovered between the two combatants.
It was then that Adelia spoke, a relaxed smile playing on her lips.
"Your mind seems cluttered, Lord Heibrun."
"Shut your mouth!" Jacques roared.
Adelia's words had struck a raw nerve.
Though his grip on his sword was firm, his mind was anything but.
The words Pean had thrown at him kept ringing in his ears. The truth he didn't want to believe—that he had already made a contract with an evil god.
Layers of conflicting emotions began to pile on top of that chaos.
The fact that Adelia, whom he had deemed insignificant not long ago, was now threatening him.
And the Sword Masters looking down at this spectacle in silence from the hill.
The pressure of those transcendent beings, whose strength he couldn't even measure, watching him from afar choked the breath out of him.
All sorts of stray thoughts cluttered his mind.
Everything tangled together, weighing heavily on Jacques's head.
"...Shut up!" Jacques muttered, gritting his teeth.
Yet, the evil god did not stop its tempting whispers.
"No...!" Jacques screamed.
"I am... I am a giant of Midtemple! If not for this situation, a young greenhorn like her would never...!"
"Lord Heibrun," Adelia's voice cut through his muttering.
"Do you know what the first lesson Sir Gaon taught me was?"
Flutter!
The cloak whipped again, and Adelia vanished.
"...!"
Jacques looked around frantically, raising his guard.
Whoosh!
But the attack came from a completely unexpected angle.
Swish, slash!
"Urgh!"
Though he managed to dodge the blow by twisting his body at the last second, a shallow cut opened on Jacques's shoulder.
"A strike born from a cluttered mind can never be clean."
"Huff, huff..."
"So, at least when you hold a sword, forget your worries and focus solely on that moment."
"How dare you!"
Veins began to bulge on Jacques's neck.
"A mere brat like you dares to lecture me?!"
Jacques's eyes began to bloodshot.
A mixture of rage, humiliation, and despair eroded his sanity.
The voice of the evil god grew clearer, as if drawing strength from Jacques's rage.
"..."
"..."
The evil god offered its final temptation.
"I..."
Jacques's voice trembled.
The last spark of reason died out in his eyes.
"...Fine. So be it."
With an expression of final resolve, Jacques declared:
"I accept the contract."
Boom!
In the next instant, a massive roar echoed as if the sky itself were collapsing.
A dark red energy began to envelop Jacques's body, and an abyss-like darkness spread from his eyes.
Corruption.
It was the moment a giant of Midtemple completely crossed over to the side of the evil god.
Tring!
A portion of the hidden message is revealed.
...
Causality is distorted.
Jacques von Heibrun's corruption has been accelerated.
The message floated before my eyes.
At the same time, static began to glitch over the level hovering above Jacques's head.
Bzzzzzt!
Seeing this, my eyes grew calm and cold.
It's a success.
I had successfully induced Jacques's complete corruption, just as planned.
I had brought forward the battle with the very culprit who would one day lead the Holy City to ruin.
With this, Adelia had done her part.
Which means...
It was now time for the Sword Masters to step in.