Chapter 51: The Banquet (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: The Banquet (6)
Sharp, hard ice crystals coated Siris’s blade.
Though it was a power meant for killing, the sight of her manifesting the unique ability of the Endorma bloodline was breathtaking. Every time she thrust her sword, tiny crystals shattered, scattering light in a dazzling display.
The web of frost spread out in a dense lattice, sparkling so brilliantly that one might feel tempted to reach out and touch it. In truth, it was a lethal weapon designed to tear a person apart.
Crack!
The sound of crushing ice rang out as their two blades collided. Had Jin not reflexively wrapped his blade in Aura, it would have shattered into pieces.
So this is the famed Ten Thousand Ice Sword.
Normally, encountering such a rare power so unexpectedly would cause a panic, but Jin’s expression remained unchanged.
“It’s too early to be surprised, Jin Runcandel!” Siris shouted.
I’m not surprised, though… Jin thought, but her expression was far too triumphant for him to say it aloud.
Instead of replying, he calmly shifted his footwork to evade her strike. To Siris, it looked like a narrow escape; to Jin, it was a casual dodge.
A smile spread across Siris’s lips as Jin retreated to adjust the distance.
“You’re going to tell me everything that happened that day,” she declared.
“Is that so? I could have cut you just now if I’d wanted to.”
It wasn't a lie. Had he been able to use Spirit Energy, it would have been well within his power.
“It seems you’ve reached the 5-star rank in bluffing as well as swordsmanship.”
Siris thrust her sword again with renewed vigor.
Even in a duel of pure swordsmanship, it wasn't unheard of for a 4-star to defeat a 5-star. Furthermore, Siris was confident that with the Ten Thousand Ice Sword at her disposal, she couldn't possibly lose—especially since she believed she held the advantage in real combat experience.
Zzt! Crackle!
The very air seemed to freeze wherever her sword passed.
It was a dangerous power. The rumors that the Ten Thousand Ice Sword could freeze the ocean at its peak were clearly not without merit.
“I didn’t expect you to pull out a secret technique right from the start, Siris. What is a youngest son like me, who hasn’t even been taught his family’s secret techniques, supposed to do?”
“Like I care!”
As Jin focused solely on defense without launching any significant counterattacks, Siris became convinced that victory was within her grasp.
A straight line. A downward cut, then a diagonal slash.
Her sword traced fierce yet fluid trajectories while Jin seemed to simply throw himself about, swinging his own blade to parry her strikes.
Though he appeared to be on the defensive, it was a calculated effort to find an opening. The fact that he was perfectly blocking or parrying every single attack was, in itself, proof that Jin was the superior combatant.
After a moment, Siris also realized her opponent was far more composed than she had thought.
A 5-star is a 5-star, after all. He seemed desperate at first, but as we continue, his true skill is showing.
Genius recognized genius.
Siris admitted to herself that she had underestimated Jin. His swordsmanship was clearly on a higher level than her own.
But that’s as far as it goes. Once I unleash the Ten Thousand Ice Sword 3rd Form, a gap of this size will be meaningless.
Ten Thousand Ice Sword 3rd Form. Siris could only use the technique the Endorma bloodline called ‘Avalanche’ once. It was a move she reserved for the decisive moment, as it consumed an immense amount of Aura and cold energy.
I’m losing in stamina and physical strength, so there’s no need to drag this out. The moment he reads my pattern and starts to counter, I’ll end it!
Clang! Clang! Shhh!
The frantic exchange gradually became more orderly as they grew accustomed to each other’s blades.
There was no need to drag this out.
That wasn't just Siris’s plan. Jin, who had begun to advance with aggressive footwork, felt the same way.
She’s probably recognized the gap by now and is preparing a single, decisive blow. She’ll use a secret technique, but I’m not sure how powerful it will be.
Since this was his first time clashing with the Ten Thousand Ice Sword, he couldn't gauge its power accurately.
Therefore, Jin decided to choose the strongest of the ‘secret techniques’ he possessed. He hadn't read those dozens of secret manuals in Storm Castle for fun. Of course, Siris had no idea he possessed any secret techniques at all.
Just as Jin decided on his counter, Siris boldly lunged into his space. As he sidestepped, her vertical slash aimed at his shoulder missed, cutting away a few strands of her own long, silver hair.
“It’s over, Jin!”
Whoosh!
A small blizzard formed, centered on Siris in the middle of the arena. Unlike a natural storm, the sharp winds drew blood from Jin’s forehead the moment they touched him, the sheer cutting power contained within the air slicing his skin. At the same time, a chill seeped through his shirt, making his neck go stiff.
Ten Thousand Ice Sword 3rd Form: Avalanche!
As Siris completed the technique, the raging blizzard turned a brilliant white. With heavy thuds, the ice crystals exploded, and the pure white Aura condensed within them rained down like snow.
Suddenly, the arena was transformed into a winter mountain peak. The snow-like Aura burst forth, obscuring Jin’s vision, and a surging wave of white energy stole his breath.
Through the chaos, for a fleeting second, he saw Siris’s flushed face, radiant with the certainty of victory.
And then, Siris saw Jin, who wore a similar expression—the exhilarated face of a man equally certain he had already won.
What?
Avalanche was already unleashed. No matter how much of a genius he was to reach the 5-star rank at fifteen, he shouldn't be able to break a secret technique of the Secret Palace.
An ominous feeling flickered through her mind, but she dismissed the possibility of an upset. This power was the very reason the Runcandels and Zipples, who looked down on the rest of the world, had never been able to conquer the Secret Palace.
Stagger.
Having poured all her strength into the attack, Siris’s knees buckled. She had aimed away from his vitals, so he wouldn't die, but at the very least, the youngest Runcandel would learn to fear her after today.
However, she was not allowed to savor the joy of victory.
Piercing through the white-out that blinded them, a single sword lunged forward like an awl.
What? How?!
Siris hurriedly tried to right her collapsed posture, but willpower alone could not overcome the exhaustion that followed a secret technique. Unbalanced, she could only wait for the uncertain fate about to befall her.
Swish!
A single flash of sword light tore through the Avalanche.
It was not a sword borrowing the power of a god like hers. It didn't even have Aura cloaking its surface, the most common power used by any knight.
It was just an ordinary steel sword.
Siris couldn't believe such a thing was currently ripping her Avalanche to shreds.
“False—”
The rest of the word never left his lips.
The steel sword Jin held, now at point-blank range, was about to explode.
Creak! Crack! The sight of the blade warping and expanding was as vivid as a slow-motion film. Before she could even process what was happening, a voice cut through the chaos.
“Get down!”
It was the voice of the man she had been fighting just a moment ago.
Siris had no intention of complying. She would rather die or be gravely injured; escaping harm by relying on an opponent’s mercy was a humiliation worse than defeat.
Boom—!
Jin’s steel sword, its energy compressed to its absolute limit, exploded.
The blade shattered into thousands of pieces, shooting forward like shrapnel from a fallen glass pane. Every single shard glowed with Aura.
The steel sword that had first torn through the Avalanche had been packed with Aura on the inside, even if it hadn't been coated on the outside.
It was a technique called Blade Storm, the decisive move of the Atilla family, a martial house famous in the distant past. Now that the Atilla family had been destroyed by the Runcandels, it was a lost art—a true secret technique with no surviving records.
It was the most powerful of the secret techniques from the Storm Castle basement that Jin had mastered. Even with her Ten Thousand Ice Sword, Siris, who was still a 4-star, could never handle this level of destructive power.
Oh no!
Had he overestimated her Ten Thousand Ice Sword, or was the Atilla secret technique simply that exceptional?
Jin was already regretting unleashing Blade Storm. If she couldn’t dodge it, the power was enough to kill or cripple her.
A cold dread filled him at the thought that Siris might die.
Siris gritted her teeth, suppressing the instinct that screamed for her to accept his mercy and survive.
A second passed.
Ah!
Ah…
As soon as the Blade Storm subsided, they both cried out internally.
One was a silent sigh of relief, the other a gasp of humiliation.
Siris had followed Jin’s words and ducked.
“Are you alright?”
Jin threw the hilt of his shattered sword to the floor and grabbed Siris’s shoulders. Her eyes were vacant, as if she were in deep shock.
It was the first defeat of her life.
I… because I valued my life, because I was afraid of getting hurt… I ducked? Me, Siris Endorma?
The moment her certainty of victory had turned into a certainty of defeat, she had resolved not to dodge the Blade Storm. She was not some weakling who would rely on an enemy’s mercy.
However, no matter how strong her pride, no matter how much she valued honor, she was still only fifteen. She was too young to suppress the instinctive desire for survival.
“Phew, I almost killed you. I’m sorry,” Jin said, breathing a sigh of relief after confirming she was unharmed.
He could see the turmoil in her heart as she remained silent. She was consumed by a sense of defeat that no words could remedy.
Good grief, she’s just a kid. Maybe I should have just lost gracefully.
In terms of the years he had lived, he was already over forty. The thought that he might have killed a brash young girl made his head spin. Besides, couldn't she become a great rival or ally in the future?
Jin looked at her for a moment, organizing his thoughts. It didn't take long.
“If I were in your shoes, I would have ducked too. And you would have shouted for me to get down. So, I won’t say anything more about it.”
He knew it wouldn't be much of a comfort. And it wasn't his place to console her.
Having settled on that, Jin turned to walk away. In times like this, it was better to leave her alone.
“Jin Runcandel.”
Siris, the light having returned to her eyes, stared at Jin. Her gaze was deep, as if she had undergone a great internal change in that short time.
“You’re still bleeding from your forehead where I cut you.”
She took a few steps closer and pulled a small handkerchief from her pocket. She silently wiped his forehead and applied healing resin to the cut. It was the same resin she had used on his shin back in Mamit.
“Consider this payment for saving my life.”
“Don’t you think you’re valuing your life a bit cheaply? Surely the sole heir to the Secret Palace is worth more than a bit of healing resin.”
“Since it was a life I received as charity, I’d say the healing resin is a fair price. I’ll become a valuable person again starting now. Then, I hope I get the chance to save your life.”
As they stepped out of the arena doors together, Siris added one more thing.
“Oh, and as of today, we’ve just met for the first time.”
“In any case, I won the bet. See you tomorrow.”