Chapter 32: The Academy Exchange Meeting – Beginning (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32: The Academy Exchange Meeting – Beginning (4)
Three face one.
– A maxim of Gehenna
* * *
Kwaaaaaah!
The shockwave of clashing swords swept in all directions. The surroundings churned as if a biting winter wind were howling. Dust blew away beneath the feet of the White and Black Knights, forming concentric circles on the ground.
Rumble! Crash! Boom!!
It was a simple collision. Yet the sound echoing forth was far too ominous for a mere exchange of sword strikes.
Wasn't it announced before the match that all events in this exchange would use 'simplified armaments only'? If I didn't mishear, that was definitely the rule...
This sheer force easily equaled A-rank or higher.
“Khh...!”
On the opposing side, the desperate struggle of the Parsi second-year female student practically burst through the screen. She barely managed to block Chae Lina's attack.
Barely being the keyword.
Along with that desperate expression on her face, the ground beneath her feet caved in. Advantage and disadvantage were crystal clear between the two girls. It almost looked as though the Parsi student was flailing in desperation.
I hadn't paid attention so I didn't know, but Abel mentioned just moments ago that the Parsi second-year was also royalty. She shared zero resemblance with Princess Victoria, so I hadn't even suspected it.
‘Maternal or paternal, royalty is royalty.’
The Victoria Dynasty possessed formidable power even among the constellation of noble families. And that power stemmed from raw military might—in other words, blessings.
The only family rated higher than the Victoria royal line in terms of blessings was the Nibelung family, the root from which Abel and the Sword Emperor hailed. Even the Archery Saint Family and Spear Saint Family conceded ground to Victoria royalty.
‘The Archery Saint and Spear Saint were strong simply because those individuals themselves were strong.’
Taking an overall average, the Victoria royal line came right behind the Nibelung family. Hardly anyone disputed this.
The Victoria royal family did not participate in the 2nd Human-Demon War. Yet the public did not condemn them. It was proof of how solidly cemented their status was in this world.
‘Criticizing royalty is practically blasphemy.’
Of course, I felt the same way.
Anyway.
“Hmph... You arrogant—!”
That lofty member of royalty was fighting while shouting battle cries. She must have seen it by now.
The Joaquin nameplate Chae Lina wore. The color proving she was a ‘Special Admission Student.’
After that, attacks were exchanged again and again. Disregarding defense, they swung, thrust, and brought their swords crashing down.
High and low clashes continued, making it seem as though a silver protective barrier was forming between the two Knights. Truly, it was an exchange fitting for representatives of their respective academies. Neither backed down even an inch.
The resonance between their swords was both burning hot and chillingly cold. Since it was a contest of raw force rather than subtle tactics, it would surely imprint itself vividly in the viewers' eyes. Pure, raw combat makes a person's blood boil.
My eyes remained fixed on just one person.
‘Chae Lina.’
Goosebumps rushed down my skin. It was because the dual-sword technique Chae Lina was executing was identical to the techniques I used.
After discussing it with Yoo Se-in, I decided to quietly observe Chae Lina for the time being, letting her be.
Passive observation, not complete neglect.
The two phrases had strictly different meanings. Neglect meant not giving even a passing glance. Passive observation meant keeping a close eye on her while acting unconcerned.
Therefore, I tried to keep a watchful eye on Chae Lina through this opportunity while minimizing my active involvement.
‘I don't think I can do that.’
The correlation between Chae Lina and me seemed much deeper than I thought. To simply sit back and watch was impossible; we were strikingly similar.
Clang! Clang! Cl-clang—!
While I grunted in thought, the battle rushed toward its climax.
Forcing my thoughts aside, I shifted my eyes back to the screen. Parsi was initiating a full-scale counterattack.
* * *
The Black Knight soon roared like a lion.
“...You lowborn wench...!”
She was being unilaterally overwhelmed by an opponent she always looked down upon as a commoner. Her lips trembled with shame.
Grind.
As her teeth ground together, her blade scraped against her opponent's. Sparks erupted endlessly.
Through the gap between the crossing blades, the two girls' gazes crashed together intensely. Compared to the raging inferno in their eyes, the sparks from their swords were nothing more than matchsticks.
“Y-Your Highness!”
Seeing the unexpectedly intense stalemate, the Parsi first-year Pawn fidgeted in anxiety.
Parsi's original strategy was to quickly claim the Black Island and engage in a 2-on-2 melee. If the Queen or Knight were incapacitated in the process, the Pawn would use up a Bifröst use to revive them—a textbook maneuver.
However.
“How! How can a mere Special Admission Student be on equal footing with Your Highness...!”
Calling it equal footing was putting it nicely. Strictly speaking, the Black Knight was at a disadvantage. At first glance, they seemed locked in a stalemate without backing down, but their expressions revealed a stark contrast.
Chae Lina was so relaxed that it made the Black Knight's desperation look pathetic. To be exact, she was entirely impassive.
‘To exert such physical strength with just two daggers!’
The Black Pawn turned his head toward the Black Queen, Edward.
Clench.
Edward was biting his lip. Clearly, he too was astonished by this unexpected situation.
“Your Highness. Should I go and help?”
“...No.”
Edward hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. Then he narrowed his eyes and glared off into the distance.
Victoria was reading the battlefield, her hands folded over the pommel of her sword, which was stuck upside down into the ground. Despite Edward's intense stare, she did not react at all.
Edward clenched his fist tightly. Armor rattled.
‘You bitch, you're always like this.’
Victoria was intentionally pushing for an all-out war. She had no intention from the beginning of winning honestly by planting a flag on the flagpole.
An all-out battle.
She intended to stage an all-out war that would thrill the world. Though the question remained why she had volunteered to be the Pawn herself...
‘Desperately flailing, aren't you?’
He could feel her clear intention to somehow grab His Majesty's attention. It was surely a shallow trick to create a plot twist and shock the audience.
‘Calm down. If you get dragged into her pace, you lose. Stick to the plan. As long as we stick to the plan, this game is impossible to lose.’
Victoria had always been that kind of bitch.
She wouldn't hesitate to engage in a war of attrition if it meant gaining His Majesty's interest. She was a goal-obsessed hypocrite. Enrolling in Joaquin Academy instead of Parsi proved Victoria's warped personality.
Edward glanced down. Another black-haired individual was there.
‘The Heavenly Sword.’
From a certain point onward, Victoria had become obsessed with the Heavenly Sword.
‘She probably thinks finding a flaw in the Heavenly Sword and offering it up will buy His Majesty's favor.’
A worthless struggle.
Nothing more than a childish tantrum.
‘I will crush that arrogance of yours right here.’
He also planned to overturn the succession race. He would give her a taste of thorough powerlessness, and engrave it clearly into the minds of the foolish populace:
Victoria is incompetent.
‘I, Edward, am the one fit for the throne.’
He finished his rambling thoughts that had consumed precious time.
“The Pawn's Bifröst count is one. Using it for movement is a waste...”
Edward, whose eyes had remained on the battlefield, couldn't finish his sentence. The situation had suddenly shifted.
Swish.
The Black Knight snapped her wrists around, aiming to force down Chae Lina's twin daggers, which were pressing from above.
It worked.
Chae Lina's body lurched momentarily. Losing her center of gravity, her upper body dropped abruptly.
The greater the force, the more time and power required to regain balance. The Black Knight targeted that exact vulnerability. Redirecting force was her specialty.
“An opening!”
The Black Knight raised her straight sword high in both hands. She even shouted a shout of determination as if delivering a decisive blow. The straight blade seemed ready to split Chae Lina's skull along with the air itself.
“St-op—!”
By the time Edward reached out his hand, it was already too late.
Whoosh!
Chae Lina, who seemed ready to crash into the ground, spun low on her right leg as a pivot. Simultaneously, her left leg swept in a wide arc like an opening fan.
Thud.
Her toes brushed the chin like a breeze. The second-year's eyes went blank like a puppet on cut strings. The path of her descending sword snapped sharply in a zigzag like lightning.
It missed its target.
Chae Lina instantly readjusted her stance. Squeezing out the last remnants of her sanity, the Black Knight tried to locate her target.
‘She's gone.’
She wasn't there.
Nowhere to be seen.
Where did she go? Where is she?
Just then, a cold sweat gripped the back of her neck. Static electricity shot up her spine. Rolling her eyes diagonally, she saw black hair and black eyes. A sharp sensation pricked the back of her thigh.
Having slipped behind her back in an instant, Chae Lina slashed her dagger in a single movement. The blade bit into flesh. A pain-crazed scream ripped through the girl's throat.
“Aaaaaghhhh!”
Slashed cleanly behind the knees, the Black Knight's knees smashed into the ground.
Whoosh!
A shadow fell across the Black Knight's face. Chae Lina grabbed her by the hair as she collapsed and yanked her head back viciously.
“Words hold power.”
Chae Lina spoke with bone-dry, hollow eyes. The hand not clutching her hair was empty, having sheathed or set aside her blade at some point.
“I hate people who say bad words. It makes me the bad person for listening.”
“What... are you talking about... you fucking commoner bitch.”
“I'llgiveyouachancetoapologizeifyoutakeitbackIwon'thavetobebadIdon'tcareaboutothersbutIneverwanttobebadinfrontoftheSwordDemonsodontmakemethatkindofpersonifyouapologizeIcanbeagoodpersontoKangGeomma...”
The Black Knight's mind completely went blank with pure terror. And so, she blurted out an insult she didn't even mean.
“Kill me! Just kill me, you crazy, lowborn bitch—!”
“Bad, mean words.”
Crack!
“Keugh!”
Bloody teeth fragments splattered against Chae Lina's cheek. Wiping it off mindlessly with the back of her hand, she asked again.
“Why do you call me lowborn?”
“Ggah...”
Crack!
“Answer me.”
Crunch—!
“I said answer me.”
Crack! Crack!
“Why are you telling me to die?”
Chae Lina beat her.
A barrage of fists crushed her face. It would have been better to slice her up with daggers, but that was forbidden by the rules.
Chae Lina's ruthless brutality was appalling. Even Ji Chang-hyuk, who had been repeatedly using Bifröst to warp toward the Central Island, froze in his tracks. The wet crunching sounds grew louder, and fear spread through the arena like wildfire.
“Save... save... me...”
“You.”
A thud like a beating drum echoed.
“You told me to die.”
The punches fell relentlessly like drumsticks bashing a leather drumhead.
“Why do you expect to live?”
The Black Knight's head bobbed up and down like a rubber ball on a string. Her face turned into a grotesque, bloody mess.
At this, Edward reached his limit. Unable to watch any longer, he yelled urgently to the first-year.
“We end this fast! Warp to that island with me and finish off that first-year. I'll go straight to the Black Island to plant the flag, got it?!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
The two immediately activated Bifröst. Rushing like an arrow toward the scene of the incident, Edward groaned in dismay.
The stench of blood.
A sticky metallic stench seeped into his nostrils, dampening his lungs with discomfort. As Chae Lina tilted her neck slightly, the Black Pawn leveled his spear and aimed it at her.
Just as Edward exercised superhuman patience, preparing to brush past Chae Lina's shoulder:
“Unless it's three against one, you can't beat me.”
Chae Lina murmured as he passed.
“...”
Edward seemed to freeze for a moment before kicking off the ground and gliding forward. If he twisted the modified plan yet again, it would be over completely.
“I'll let you off in this first event.”
As they crossed paths, Edward warned:
“I will kill you in the remaining matches.”
“...”
In truth, Edward wasn't just going to plant a flag. He wouldn't be satisfied until he beat the opposing Queen into pulp on the Central Island, and pulverized Victoria as well. Finally, he would hack this insolent bitch to pieces for the grand finish.
Boom!
Edward leapt over Chae Lina and landed. Mid-air, he had wanted nothing more than to smash her crown into the dirt, but...
‘If I do that, Adriana will be caught in it.’
The Black Knight, the second-year student, was his younger sister, Adriana.
Even if it was a pseudo-subspace so there were no lasting physical injuries, he couldn't crush his younger sister alongside the enemy.
He dashed toward the Central Island. Snapping back to his senses, Ji Chang-hyuk also lunged toward the flagpole. The battle between the two Queens was imminent.
The Black Pawn thrust his spear long, lunging toward Chae Lina. The tip of the spear, once a mere dot, enlarged until it filled her pupils.
Swoooooosh!
The scene that followed was known only to those directly involved. It was because the earth shattered into pieces, hurling debris in every direction. Between the floating fragments, a flash of sword light flickered and vanished. Over the limp body of the Black Knight, eerie strands of light clawed through the air, sketching the traces of battle in the void.
In contrast, Princess Victoria maintained her position just as she had when the match began. The moment she had been quietly waiting for was approaching.
With calm eyes, she sent her gaze down below to 'him,' who would be watching her.
“...Please watch me.”
And, just as she had been taught, she assumed a combat stance.
* * *
At the same time.
Chill.
A crow perched on a tree branch fluttered its wings and flew away. Leaving only black feathers floating gently behind, the glass window gleamed where it had just been.
Beyond it was a bloodbath. The pool of blood slowly soaking into the floor turned into a crimson mirror. Corpses now sat in the room that had belonged to the living until moments ago.
Step, step.
Each time the man and woman took a step, ripples formed in the bloody puddle, distorting the reflections of the dead.
“It's mostly done,” Nox Auditore said, pulling down his mask.
“...”
“...Is something wrong, Chloe?”
“...I don't know.” Chloe replied, staring only at her feet. “I feel sick.”
“Is it because you haven't been on a mission in a while?”
“No..., it's not that.”
She didn't know why.
Her senses were simply revolting. And whenever she felt like this, leeches without fail clung to Kang Geomma. Every time this happened, her own standing would be shaken, and missing those critical moments had pulled her away from 'him.'
‘I was the first one.’
Now she was approaching him as a latecomer.
“Brother.” Raising her head, she spoke. “I... need to go.”
“...Suddenly? Wasn't this assignment something you planned yourself?”
“Sorry. I'll leave the cleanup to you.”
Chloe clamped the blade inside the crook of her elbow and pulled it clean. While the inside of her elbow soaked with blood, the blade turned spotless.
Caw, caw, caw.
The clear blade reflected the sloping ridge bathed in dusk and the receding figure of the crow disappearing into it.
– The Academy Exchange Meeting – Beginning. End.