51. You Can't Die!!
51. You Can't Die!!
"What business brings the busy Knight Commander all the way to the academy?"
Linda paused for a moment.
She had come to the academy for an unannounced inspection because of Atlas.
He was the Empire's third Master, a Shadow of the Empire, who had tossed them a single letter and vanished for years. Because she had finally found a lead on his whereabouts, she had come in secret, without telling anyone.
She had been privately worried.
Unlike Wendy, Atlas was obedient—for a Master—and had a sense of responsibility.
The timing of his departure from the Knights was also exquisitely precise.
As soon as the urgent incidents were wrapped up and his workload dramatically decreased, he had left as if he had been waiting for it.
Until then, Atlas's entire life... could be summed up in just two places: Titan and the Knights.
His life—born in Titan, trained there, and eventually joining the Imperial Knights because of family discord—was incredibly short and lacking in life experience.
She had been uneasy, worrying that he might go out and get himself hooked by some bad person.
After all, there was that time he went out on a mission and came back having picked up a little kid.
Since he was fundamentally good-natured, she was worried he might get ensnared by some wicked women trying to exploit that.
'...Has he already been hooked?'
Watching him live at the academy, where all the friends he was close to were women, she had wondered if that was the case... but fortunately, there was no sign of it.
He looked healthy, his interpersonal relationships didn't seem to have any major issues, he hadn't gone abroad or anything, and he wasn't just playing around.
"I was curious because I heard the quality of this year's new students is exceptionally high."
"I had no idea you were paying that much attention to the academy..."
"How could I not be? Someone like me, another Master, could emerge from among them."
At Linda's confident remark—she herself had been admitted to the academy on a trial basis—Edward frowned but then grinned slyly again.
"Indeed... I see a Master myself."
"Ho-oh...?"
At Edward's words, Linda's eyes narrowed.
'Did he figure out that Atlas is a 'Shadow'? Uncharacteristically sharp of him.'
She had suspected he might have noticed Atlas was a Master, but he said something completely different.
'...So he was just bragging about his son.'
She felt the wind go out of her sails.
"In that case, he'll naturally win this duel, won't he?"
"Of course..! I'll take care of some brat like that, who doesn't even know where he rolled in from, in a single exchange...!
Edgar is already eyeing the Upper Rank. He's far stronger than I was at his age... Yes, unlike me, he will definitely become a Master."
Linda already knew that Edgar had lost once to that very brat.
There was no way Edward wouldn't know that... But seeing him deliberately not mention it and insist he wouldn't lose made her laugh.
"I certainly hope so."
"Why are you laughing...!"
"No... It's just a bit amusing, seeing how tremendous your love for your son is."
Edgar Lemnos was going to lose.
His opponent was a Master, and she had told him not to even think about losing on purpose, so he would win without fail.
What kind of expression would Edward make when his son, whom he boasted about, was defeated in front of everyone?
Would he be able to brag so smugly like he was now?
Either way, Linda was looking forward to that moment.
"You'll understand once you have a child of your own... My apologies.. You're still unmarried, aren't you..?"
Edward laughed triumphantly.
That Linda was still unmarried was a well-known fact.
He seemed to think he had landed a blow, but it had no effect on Linda at all.
"Right, 'Masters' are busy, you see. Not that you'd know."
"Th...this...ack...!"
When she turned it around, telling him not to get cocky when he wasn't even a Master, Edward's face turned beet red again.
Separately, the mention of her marital situation did bother her a little.
At this age, among her peers, only she and her junior were the ones who hadn't married or dated... Both were Masters, so they didn't age easily, meaning there was no physical issue.
As a Master, she didn't care about other people's opinions, either.
Dating or marriage... it was simply because she hadn't found a man who caught her eye.
It was also true that work kept her busy...
She did have a rough idea of the kind of man she had in mind.
He should be obedient, and his skills had to be good.
At least a top-tier Expert... or a Master?
She didn't necessarily want a man stronger than herself, but Masters tended to have a different mindset from ordinary people, so communication between fellow Masters was easier.
She'd prefer him not to be a hassle, and it would be even better if he were cute.
Large men were all uniformly full of pride and never listened properly.
'...No, no, this is just being foolish.'
Someone had flashed through her mind, but she quickly shook it off.
Wendy always hung around that person, treating him like a little brother, so for her to be thinking this was ridiculous. Linda neatly tidied away the thought.
"You fools..! How dare you keep bickering without even paying attention, even though I'm right here with you!!"
And as the argument between the two intensified, the Headmaster, stuck between them, finally exploded in anger.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
In my heart, I wanted to end it quickly, but the duel was taking longer than expected.
The reason was simple.
My physical condition had rapidly deteriorated, draining my strength uncontrollably, but if I used too much power, Edgar could die.
I had to hold back my strength, yet my strength was also draining away, so finding the right middle ground was incredibly difficult.
Also, it was true that Edgar's skills had improved considerably.
He had successfully dodged the attacks I had intended to finish him with about twice.
My failure to regulate my strength was a huge factor, but if Edgar hadn't improved at all, it would have already been over.
His form had gotten quite good in a short time.
"How's that! My sword!!"
He no longer flaunted an Aura Blade boosted by his treasured sword's power the way he had before.
Knowing that I wasn't using an Aura Blade anyway, he was maintaining an appropriate output on his own Aura Blade, controlling his power, and measuring his distance carefully.
He was attacking cautiously, paying attention to both my range and his own, rather than trusting in an unstoppable blow and pushing through with force.
Was this always Edgar's true ability, or had he really grown in that short span of time?
"The fact that I lost to you... I'm taking it positively. Yes, that's right... I had been resting on my laurels.
There was no one among my peers who could compete with me... There are so many people stronger than me above, yet I believed I was the best at my level."
Edgar was delighted by how the duel had improved compared to before.
In the first duel, he had been unilaterally beaten, but now he hadn't been hit even once.
Though none of Edgar's attacks had landed either, what mattered to him was that he hadn't been hit.
He had definitely improved since then.
"I will surpass you..!! And I will once again prove that the sword of Lemnos is the greatest in the Empire!!"
Edgar's sword grazed my chest.
It didn't touch me, but the scorching heat radiating from his Aura Blade burned a hole through the top it had swept past.
His attacks had become more crisp and lively.
Having realized he wouldn't die, he decided to come at me more boldly.
I dodged Lemnos's attack and spoke.
"...Lemnos, don't you smell something weird?"
"It's a volcano, so you probably just smelled sulfur."
It was a different smell from the rotten-egg-like sulfur.
I realized it.
A layer of gas heavier than air had settled near the ground.
Seeing how hard it was to move my body, it seemed to have a paralyzing effect.
I hadn't noticed it when I was just standing still, but I had been inhaling the gas little by little every time I moved.
The layer had formed roughly around the height of my chest... In terms of height, about 130cm.
The gas must be quite heavy, because no matter how much I moved, its influence only reached up to just below 150cm, and it seemed almost unable to rise above that.
Lemnos, who exceeded 180cm in height, would have almost no chance to smell the gas unless he ducked his head down to ground level or I somehow gathered the gas and threw it at him.
I didn't know if this was man-made or just a natural occurrence from being in a volcanic zone, but it was extremely unpleasant.
'So if you're at least 160cm tall, you'd absolutely never notice this...?'
Anyone under 150cm was essentially forced to walk right into this trap.
Sudden fury surged up inside me.
It was an environment that could have affected both of us equally, but I was at a disadvantage purely because I was short?
And Edgar was standing there in front of me, triumphant and oblivious?
'...This actually pisses me off.'
Strength flooded into the hand gripping my sword.
"Take this...!! "
Flames blazed to life along Edgar's blade.
Wielding a Flame Aura Blade more dazzling than I had seen in our previous duel, Lemnos charged at me.
His body shimmered like a mirage before splitting into six afterimages, surrounding me.
I remembered that technique.
It was Lemnos's secret swordsmanship—attacking simultaneously with clones made of blazing Aura that looked like illusions.
Lemnos's secret technique, attacking with a single fatal Aura Blade from six directions at once.
"Haze!!!"
Six blazing Aura Blades swung at me in unison.
Evasion was impossible. I couldn't see the audience's reaction, but they were all likely thinking of my defeat.
Facing the flaming Aura Blades flying at me from all sides, I raised my long sword—not even imbued with Aura—to the side.
And then I swung it with all my might.
I didn't hold back my strength.
Because I wanted to end this duel right now, I swung with everything I had.
-Wajangchang!!!
"Kuaaaaaaack!!!!"
The effect was tremendous.
With a single, unrestrained swing, every single clone was blown apart simultaneously.
Though I hadn't clad my sword in Aura, the sword wind generated by the swing had ripped all the clones to shreds.
Edgar, the real body mixed in among the clones, was also sent flying as the clones vanished.
All the defensive gear he had worn on his body was shattered by that single blow.
"H...Haze... how did you break through this secret technique..!"
Rolling on the hot volcanic floor, Edgar asked with great difficulty.
But unfortunately, my head was currently filled with completely different thoughts.
'Who the hell made this subspace?'
I needed to wreck the bastard who created this goddamn subspace, where a trap that only triggered for people under 150cm was installed.
Edgar had clearly fallen, but the subspace still hadn't disappeared, so I shouted out.
"I knocked him down, so the duel is over! Close this subspace, now! He's going to die at this rate!!"
"What are...."
Edgar, who hadn't understood what I meant, quickly grasped the meaning.
"Keheok??!!!"
Having collapsed, Lemnos inhaled the gas thickly settled on the ground, and his complexion rapidly turned purple.
He didn't vomit blood, but his breathing slowed, and foam bubbled from his mouth.
I knew it had that kind of effect, but Edgar was at least a mid-tier Expert; the reaction was extremely violent.
".........."
Edgar's labored breathing gradually slowed until he collapsed completely, without moving.
"...?"
No way, right?
There's no way he'd die from inhaling that for just a few seconds.
"Hey, get up, quick. You'll actually die at this rate?"
I cautiously crept closer and poked the collapsed Edgar.
Edgar didn't even twitch.
Just like he was dead.
.
.
.
.
.
"Hey.! Hey hey hey!! Get up!! I said get up!! If you don't wanna die!!"
In a panic, I hoisted Edgar up so he would stop inhaling the gas.
If you die right now, it'll look like I killed you!!!