Chapter 184: Heritage Site of the Spirit Sword (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: Heritage Site of the Spirit Sword (7)
Whoosh!
Swish…!
Linpa’s greatsword cut through the air, undulating like a wave. Wrapped in Spirit Energy, the blade was a moving pillar of pure darkness.
Left, right, down, up. Every time the black greatsword moved, particles of Spirit Energy fluttered in its wake.
Though it carried the dignity of a master who had reached a high realm, it looked like a simple sword dance at first glance. But a closer look revealed the truth.
There wasn't just one greatsword cutting through the air; there were two.
The second blade was obscured by a cascade of black particles, and since Jin had never witnessed such a thing, he didn't recognize it at first.
‘Every time Linpa swings her sword, an identical blade emerges from the opposite side of the trajectory, as if reflected in a mirror…’
When she swung to the left, a greatsword made of Spirit Energy appeared from the right. The same happened when she swung to the right, and the same for downward, upward, and diagonal strikes.
An identical blade always materialized on the opposite side of her greatsword’s arc. A blade made of Spirit Energy, exactly like Linpa’s own. The two swords constantly interlocked like the pages of a closing book.
‘So this is the true Spirit Sword 2nd Form. Until yesterday, she only showed me how to swing a greatsword enveloped in Spirit Energy.’
The sword dance reached its climax. Beads of sweat formed on Linpa’s forehead as the greatsword left a growing web of afterimages in the air. Jin watched, mesmerized.
He had never considered the possibility of cutting left and right simultaneously with a single sword. What Linpa was demonstrating was a feat normally possible only for dual-wielders.
Thud…!
Finishing her dance, Linpa let her greatsword rest against the floor. As Garmund and Boras began to applaud, Jin followed suit, his eyes filled with genuine admiration.
It was a performance well worth the praise.
“How was it?”
“That was magnificent. So you were holding back on me until now.”
Were you waiting for me to show interest first?
He almost added those words but managed to hold his tongue.
“Is… is it alright to break your Vow of Silence, Brother Linpa?”
Garmund and Boras looked as if they couldn't believe their eyes, even though they had just seen Linpa speak.
“It is fine, brothers. There is no need for such a fuss.”
“We must inform the other brothers of this!”
“Indeed! That way, they can all speak with Brother Linpa before the successor leaves. They couldn't share a single word back when Temar was here…!”
The two Fighting Kings hurried out of the training ground. Left alone with Linpa in the sudden silence, Jin could only offer an awkward smile.
“Scissors.”
“Pardon?”
“That is the name of the Spirit Sword 2nd Form you just saw, successor.”
“A fitting name. The blade made of Spirit Energy interlocks just like a pair of scissors.”
“Can you replicate it?”
“It’s not a simple enough technique to replicate so easily, is it? Besides, this sword is still an issue.”
Jin pointed to the Spirit-Absorbing Sword at his waist. It was still relentlessly draining every drop of his Spirit Energy.
“Think of the Spirit-Absorbing Sword as a scabbard. Just as you draw a blade, you must draw your Spirit Energy from within it.”
“Yes, I’ve realized that recently. It doesn't just suck energy away; it also refines and organizes it.”
Jin shrugged.
“By the way, why were you keeping a Vow of Silence?”
“No one would listen.”
“To what?”
“To my warnings against challenging the gods. I considered it a punishment for my failure to stop our brothers. It was more of a penance than training.”
Linpa seemed to believe that the downfall of the Pluto Tribe was her responsibility. Jin could vaguely sense her feelings, but he didn't bother saying, "It wasn't your fault."
Those weren't the words she wanted to hear.
“Thanks to you, my penance has ended. Quite easily, almost anticlimactically. Since I can finally speak after twenty years, I shall teach you everything I know in great detail.”
Just as Linpa was about to explain the 2nd Form, Garmund and Boras returned. They were accompanied by dozens of Pluto Tribe members who had heard that Linpa’s vow had ended.
“It seems I will have to teach you starting tomorrow, Jin Runcandel.”
“Brother Linpa!”
“4th Fighting King! You’ve finally ended your silence!”
The Pluto Tribe members surrounded Linpa, bombarding her with congratulations and questions. Some of them asked Jin for the full story, but he only gave vague answers. It seemed the other tribe members were unaware of why Linpa had taken the vow in the first place.
‘I thought she was just eccentric and a bit crazy, but she’s actually the most delicate and sensitive of the Pluto Tribe.’
As Jin tried to slip out of the training hall to give them space, Boras caught him.
“I’ll take credit for your second achievement.”
“I haven't done anything yet, have I?”
“You made Brother Linpa open her mouth. Hehe, I should be the first one to taste this air.”
Watching Boras open and close his mouth as if swallowing the air made Jin let out a hollow laugh. It was like watching a puppy running around trying to eat falling snowflakes.
They were an incomprehensible race. It was hard to believe they were the first group of mortals to challenge the gods five thousand years ago.
* * *
Linpa turned out to be so talented at explaining things that it felt like a waste she had remained silent for so long.
Thanks to her, Jin learned both how to overcome the Spirit-Absorbing Sword and how to execute the Spirit Sword 2nd Form. He managed to grasp the principles of the techniques in less than two weeks after she ended her vow.
Of course, he had only learned the methods, not mastered them. However, since he was more than accustomed to repetitive training, mastery was merely a matter of time.
Around the middle of February 1797, Fighting God Ban personally visited the training hall to reclaim the Spirit-Absorbing Sword, having judged that Jin had done enough with it.
“You are doing well.”
She said only that, but with those words, Ban was gradually starting to see Jin for himself, no longer just as Temar’s shadow. Jin, unaware of this fact, couldn't quite gauge how much of a compliment "doing well" actually was.
Tantel, who had followed Ban, returned Bradamante to him.
“I thought I wasn't supposed to use this because it amplifies my Spirit Energy?”
“You have to use it starting today. I told you that once your training with the 4th Fighting King was over, the duels would begin.”
This was the moment Jin had been waiting for.
‘Ever since the day I first arrived in Laprarosa, I’ve wanted to properly clash with the Pluto Tribe.’
The martial prowess of the Fighting God and the Fighting Kings was a realm Jin couldn't even dream of reaching yet. He could tell that much without even crossing blades.
‘The Fighting Kings are all at least 9-star by human standards. They might even be at the 10-star level.’
Fighting God Ban’s power was beyond measure. He only had a vague sense that she was on a similar level to Temar or Cyron.
‘I’m not sure where the regular warriors stand, though.’
They would certainly be far stronger than the average warrior of the White Wolf or Red Tiger tribes.
“The 1st Fighting King will choose your first opponent by this afternoon. Honestly, I think it’s still far too early…”
“You speak as if I’m guaranteed to lose.”
Tantel nodded.
“Exactly. A seventeen-year-old human fighting a Pluto warrior was something unimaginable in our era. And the 1st Fighting King doesn't like you.”
“Why?”
“Gwahaha! You acted so arrogant in the main hall on your first day, isn't it obvious? The 4th, 5th, and 8th Fighting Kings were just being generous.”
Tantel then wiped the laughter from his face and met Jin’s eyes.
“However, if you put on a good show, you could instantly change the minds of the 1st Fighting King and the others who dislike you. I’ll be rooting for you. I assume you’ve followed my advice?”
The advice to see the Pluto Sword at least once. Though he hadn't seen it in person, his memories were full of it.
After Ban and Tantel left the training hall, Garmund shook his head.
“Hmm… You're strong. No, you're incredible—unbelievably so for a human boy. So don't lose heart. It'll be alright.”
“Tantel speaks as if I’m going to lose, and now you speak as if I’ve already lost, Garmund. And I’ve never lost heart.”
Boras and Linpa also avoided Jin’s gaze, seemingly sharing the same sentiment.
“Hoho, it is a concern. Jin seems like the type whose spirit would be crushed by a major failure.”
“I agree. Those who have only ever known success tend to be that way.”
The Fighting Kings’ faces were full of concern.
“But Jin, you must also learn how to rise after failure.”
“I concur. Defeat is what forges a warrior. Haha, even Temar, who never lost in the outside world, suffered a long losing streak when he first came to Laprarosa.”
That was an interesting story.
“Garmund, in your opinion, how strong was Temar when he had his first duel in Laprarosa?”
“He was stronger than you are now. By a step or two.”
“I see. A step or two.”
“And yet, he couldn't defeat a regular warrior for quite some time.”
“Now you understand why the three of us are so worried, right? After his first duel with our brothers, Temar refused to eat or drink for a while. We thought you might be similar to him in that regard.”
Garmund, Boras, and Linpa were completely mistaken.
‘Losing once isn't a big deal, yet they worry so much. I experienced over a hundred defeats while training with Lady Alisa.’
Unlike Temar, who had never tasted defeat before Laprarosa, Jin was more familiar with failure than anyone.
And he was even more familiar with eventually seizing victory.
* * *
The name of the warrior chosen by the 1st Fighting King was Shaku.
He was a martial artist who used a longsword, and it was said that before the Pluto Tribe’s time stopped, he was known by the epithet ‘Shaku of the Lightning.’
All seventy-seven members of the Pluto Tribe gathered at the training hall to watch the duel.
The atmosphere among the other tribe members was no different from that of Garmund, Boras, or Linpa. Most were placing bets on how many moves it would take for Shaku to finish Jin.
Over thirty tribe members chose ‘within ten moves,’ and the rest predicted even fewer.
The only ones thinking differently were Fighting God Ban and Jin.
“Successor, are you prepared?” Shaku asked, his heart glowing. The light reflected off his sword as it was drawn with a smooth shring.
“I’d prefer it if you came at me with the intent to kill me.”
“What?”
“If I think it’s just a duel and there’s no risk of dying, my senses get dull.”
“Hmph, I have to admit, you’ve got guts. But it’s excessive. There are few things more unpleasant in this world than a human who lacks humility.”
Jin smiled softly.
“You’ll soon have to admit other things as well.”
A blazing Triangular Light manifested on Jin’s chest. It looked almost identical to the true Pluto heart shining in Shaku’s.
As the Aura spreading from the Triangular Light coated Bradamante, killing intent flickered in Shaku’s eyes—an instinctive rejection of a human using the Pluto Sword.
“The Pluto Sword…!? Don't tell me the Fighting Kings taught you?”
“That’s none of your business. It’s an impressive technique, isn't it?”
The one who made the first move was Jin.
