Chapter 269: Flash (3)
Chapter 269: Flash (3)
Translation: Godtl
The Minotaur turned its body away from the barrier and looked at Aster.
At that moment, their attention completely shifted away from the barrier.
It was only natural. Left unchecked, no one could tell who would be split in half next.
Boom! Thud!
The bulls' weapons surged from above while their hooves came crashing down. They moved relentlessly to eliminate the sudden threat that was Aster.
Despite their massive bodies, their movements were agile. Each stomp shook the ground, and the weapons they swung left deep cracks where they struck.
Whoosh!
Aster dodged between their legs and swung his sword.
The blade clearly dealt more meaningful damage than mere scratches, but unlike his previous technique, it didn't sever the bulls' legs.
The bulls realized it.
He can't unleash that much power without proper footing!
Prevent him from setting his stance!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Minotaur's attacks came in an unrelenting onslaught.
"Huff, ugh!"
Aster struggled to maintain his balance as he dodged the barrage of attacks, yet he still managed to move his body and swing his blade. Instead of creating distance, he thrashed about within their range.
Thud! Slash!
Even if it wasn't a proper technique, each time Aster's aura-infused blade struck them, deep gashes formed.
These were by no means light wounds, and unbearable pain seared through them. Yet, the Minotaurs only grew more frenzied, their eyes blazing as they tried to seize Aster.
The Minotaurs, too, were desperate to kill a single human.
"Haa, haa, hah!"
His ragged breathing, the murderous intent scattered in all directions, the rising dust.
The surroundings were chaotic, the ground trembling, and in the midst of his lost balance, he sought an even more precarious equilibrium to move forward.
Uwooooh!!
Suddenly, one of the bulls let out a roar.
The first cry the bulls had uttered since being spotted by humans.
In that instant, the bull's hoof rose high,
Kwaaaaang!!
The powerful stomp that struck the ground sent out a shockwave of aura, pushing everything in its path like a tidal wave.
"......!"
If hit by that, his movements would be sealed. Knowing this, Aster leaped into the air.
The bulls' eyes gleamed. While he was hard to catch on the ground, now that he was airborne, he'd be much easier to grab.
Aster had thrown himself into greater danger to avoid a momentary threat. Fool—now he'd be smashed into the ground like a fly, splat.
Just as the bulls, moving faster than expected, each raised their weapons toward the sky, Aster unfolded his stance midair.
Single Flash.
Swipe—
Aster passed through their ranks once more,
Thud!
And another one of them was driven into the ground.
"?!"
The bulls, startled, looked at the corpse that had been standing beside them moments ago.
Aster landed quietly on the ground and looked at them again.
"This technique was learned from the greatest swordsmanship genius on the continent."
Aster's Single Flash was a modified version of Elin's Single Thread, adapted to his own style.
A technique that extended in a straight line from any position—naturally, it could be used even in midair.
"You think such clumsy tricks will work?"
In the brief moment the bulls froze, Aster assumed his mid-stance again.
This time, understanding his intent, the Minotaurs raised their weapons above their heads. Instinctively, they prepared their aura to block the downward slash.
"Too slow."
Swipe—
Once again, Aster passed through them, and this time, one of them was split vertically in half.
"If there's a vertical slash, of course there's a horizontal one too."
The Single Flash begins from Aster's basic mid-stance. The countless movements stemming from it could, in theory, all be adapted into the Single Flash.
......Of course, this was only in theory.
For now, Aster could only perform the vertical and horizontal slashes with the Single Flash.
Though just these two variations were threatening enough, the fear that Aster might have even more techniques up his sleeve was highly effective against the Minotaurs.
'Since I've never tried bluffing before, I'm not sure if it's working.'
Aster watched the bulls hastily charging to intercept his next attack and briefly pondered.
Single Flash was no simple technique. Elin, who originated its precursor 'Single Thread,' only used it once or twice per battle.
This was partly due to Elin's limited aura reserves, but even for others, the energy expenditure was undeniably burdensome.
Aster tightened his grip on his sword. If he didn't, his hands might start shaking.
When he'd seen his dark-haired comrade putting on such bravado, he'd simply found it fascinating.
But now that he was attempting it himself, it was absolutely excruciating.
While Aster was locked in bloody combat with the minotaurs,
Notker, who had retreated back into the forest, observed the situation at the Barrier.
"......"
Notker found himself utterly captivated by Aster's battle. Forgetting they were enemies, he watched Aster's movements as if entranced.
Even from this distance, Aster's techniques moved too fast for the eye to follow.
When he'd first witnessed them, he'd immediately considered: Could he himself block that? React to it in time?
If forewarned, perhaps—he might have interfered to prevent its execution. If too slow and the technique activated, with luck his weapon and aura might have withstood it.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Notker came to a realization.
'I can't win.'
Original techniques cannot be separated from their creator's strength.
The technique exists because that power manifests.
Throughout his fight with Aster, he'd felt unbearable humiliation. The persistent sense that Aster was holding back, adjusting to his level, never left him during their duel.
Aster claimed it was because he remained wary of Notker's full capabilities.
But no. His instincts had been correct.
Regardless of Aster's personal convictions, there existed an insurmountable gap between Notker and Aster.
"Lord Notker."
A voice then shattered his reverie.
Battalion Commander Berenga addressed him.
"This is our chance."
"Chance?"
"Look at those atop the Barrier."
Notker raised his head.
Just as he had been, the soldiers on the Barrier were completely distracted by Aster's bloody struggle.
Their gazes fixed on him with the awe of witnessing a Hero, the Barrier's forces stared blankly, forgetting the gravity of their situation.
"We can breach the Barrier now."
"......"
For a moment, Notker hesitated at Berenga's words.
Berenga's judgment was impeccable. The monsters from the Outside had temporarily withdrawn to avoid being caught in the minotaurs' movements.
If Aster's battle with the minotaurs dragged on, they would swarm the Barrier again. Moreover, the Barrier had already sustained damage from the earlier pile of minotaur corpses thrown against it, and casualties had thrown their ranks into disarray.
If Manggot joined the monsters' assault to scale the Barrier, though there would be some bloodshed, success was entirely possible.
Most importantly, if they missed this opportunity, there was the slightest chance—should Aster slay the minotaurs—that it would become far more difficult.
'......Grr.'
Yet Notker wavered.
His warrior's pride anchored his feet. If they executed this plan now, regardless of the outcome, he might never get to fight Aster again. He would carry this humiliation on his back until his dying day.
But he was neither a mercenary nor a warrior.
"......Fine, let's move!"
He was a Shepherd.
A Shepherd leading his flock into the pit.
Notker's shout reached the Manggot members, who then concealed themselves even more meticulously within the forest. Those who lived in the perilous regions beyond the Barrier all possessed exceptional stealth abilities.
"Once we leave this forest, the day we meet again will never come."
At his words, they nodded with resolute expressions.
Manggot had not come to win this war. They would perish together with the Empire.
"Good, without hesitation—charge for the Barrier,"
Notker tried to charge ahead of everyone as he spoke, but—
"What the—?"
His foot wouldn't leave the ground.
This wasn't some metaphorical expression of hesitation or anxiety. His foot was literally bound.
He looked down at his leg.
A vine-like thing had coiled around his ankle.
"What is this? Since when—!"
"Notker, sir! Your foot is trapped!"
"It's the enemy's trap!"
And it wasn't just him. Every single member of Manggot hiding in the forest had their feet bound.
'A trap? Who the hell set this up?!'
Did those bastards on the Barrier predict we'd ambush them here?
No, it's impossible for them to know our exact path through this vast forest outside the Barrier.
Most importantly, wasn't Hecto himself caught off guard when Notker appeared before the Barrier? The shocked expressions of the soldiers up there couldn't have been faked.
Then—
Flutter.
A single butterfly passed through the ranks of Manggot.
A blue butterfly with beautifully etched black patterns flitted around them with peculiar wingbeats.
Notker stared at it for a moment.
An eerie silence fell. For some reason, everyone's attention was stolen by this insignificant butterfly.
Soon, Notker understood why.
'......Has there ever been a butterfly like that?'
Manggot, familiar with life outside the Barrier, had every detail of the natural environment memorized.
Yet this beautiful butterfly passing by them—with patterns too striking to forget—
was utterly unfamiliar.
"......!"
In an instant, Notker scanned his surroundings.
Somehow, somewhere along the way, the shape of this forest had subtly changed.
'What the hell is that tree? This blade of grass? And those flowers over there! I don't recognize a single one!'
A nature stranger than the unknown—too meticulously arranged.
They had unknowingly stepped into a fairy-tale landscape, more vividly colored than any real forest.
[Now isn't the time to step forward.]
A voice reached them then.
Manggot looked around in confusion.
Whether he had been there from the start or arrived the moment they noticed him—
an old man emerged from behind a tree.
"W-what the hell?!"
"Who are you?!"
Manggot barked threateningly, but their feet still wouldn't budge.
[An old man like me has no name worth revealing.]
The elderly man waved a hand.
[But I can't very well leave you be.]
Creeeak—
Tree trunks grew further, binding Manggot's members entirely.
[I can't let you tarnish the moment a Hero is born.]
No matter how skilled Manggot was at concealment.
They couldn't hide in this forest.
For this was already his domain.
His dream.
Aster had assumed this battle would ultimately come down to stamina.
To be more precise, he would lose the moment his energy ran dry.
Even if he couldn't use Single Flash freely, hoarding it would only leave him battered by the bulls' attacks.
Just as Aster could kill them in an instant, a single hit from them would mean his end.
So his only path to survival was to kill them all before his Aura and stamina ran out—without taking a single hit.
But then—
Clang!
A variable emerged from elsewhere.
"......!"
Aster's sword shattered.
His strength and skill were enough to slice through the Minotaurs' tough hides and hardened flesh, but his sword wasn't.
Though he wielded flawless swordsmanship to minimize strain on the blade, it only delayed the inevitable.
Moooooo!
The bulls bellowed once more.
Aster poured everything into dodging the attacks raining down from above.
Now that his weapon was broken, the bulls attacked without hesitation. Under the indiscriminate bombardment, Aster ran, nearly tumbling.
Whirr—
Aster's aura flared up once more. Like filling the void left by his broken sword, the aura condensed.
Aster attempted to slash through the Minotaurs' tough hides with it, but—
Sshhk—
Though the slash connected, it failed to inflict any meaningful wound.
"Ugh!"
The moment Aster realized this, he immediately bolted. A blade-less aura couldn't deal significant damage—and he wasn't the only one who understood that. So he moved without hesitation.
BOOM! CRASH!
The Minotaurs, now exhilarated, rampaged wildly. The feeble attacks of the tiny human had become utterly insignificant. Though not quite ticklish, the once-threatening blade was now gone.
They could kill him soon. That fact burned in their eyes as they gleamed crimson.
"Ghk!"
Aster, who had been scrambling to escape, lost his balance from the tremors the Minotaurs created. Their massive hands reached for him.
He rolled across the ground, narrowly avoiding their grasp—
CRACK!
—then drove the broken sword into the earth, using it as a lever to fling himself backward.
Aster soared through the air, barely managing to put distance between himself and the monsters—but now, he had lost even his broken sword, left completely unarmed.
"Huu..."
Aster rose to his feet again.
No sword. Without a blade, his aura alone couldn't kill them.
The Barrier's defenders couldn't deal more damage to the Minotaurs than Aster could, and he had no other options left.
Death drew near. Taking form, sharpening into a blade, it strode toward him step by step.
Aster stared straight at it, his expression unchanging, as if resigned.
"I haven't fallen yet."
He spoke to the monsters.
"You'd have to knock me down first to make me fall."
This time, it was an outright, almost laughable provocation. The Minotaurs closed in on him, their leisurely demeanor now completely gone.
Aster's entire body became enveloped in aura.
How many seconds could he last? Had the Barrier's defenders even noticed this situation?
If they abandoned Tyburn and retreated to defensive positions, they might save a few more lives—
Water Magic, Third Form
Growth, Rejection, Summoning of the Spirits
Wave
At that moment—
A faint sound echoed at Aster's feet.
"......?"
At first, he couldn't identify what it was—but soon, he recognized it as the sound of a droplet falling.
That droplet rolled forward from his feet, as if drawn toward the Minotaurs.
Then, in an instant, it swelled—
First into a stream, then a lake, then a river—
And soon, into a towering wave, vast as the sea itself.
"Swallow them."
As if obeying a soft, distant voice—
The wave, taller than the Minotaurs themselves, crashed down upon them.
"Sigh, honestly."
A voice, tinged with dissatisfaction, spoke from somewhere. Aster turned toward it.
"You were supposed to come to the Sacred Forest, but you made me come all the way here instead."
"Prophecies, no matter who makes them, are never reliable," the woman grumbled.
Of course, Aster had no idea who she was, so he could only tilt his head in confusion.
"So you're the one?"
"......Who am I supposed to be?"
"The one who was supposed to visit the Sacred Forest someday. The man said you'd suit it better than he did."
"......Man?"
"Did you not hear anything from Frondier?"
At those words, Aster froze momentarily.
He racked his brain, trying to make sense of the situation.
"......That bastard."
Soon, he let out a hollow laugh, an indescribable emotion surging within him as he smiled.
"You know, a wave won't defeat them. It'll only stop them for a moment."
"Then what should I do?"
"......You really didn't hear anything at all, did you? No intuition, no ability to read the mood."
Aster pressed his lips together.
For someone he'd just met, she was remarkably rude—but it was an assessment he'd heard too often from others to argue.
"Here."
With that, the woman pulled something out from behind her back—something she had kept hidden until now.
"The time has come to fulfill the promise."
What she held out was a sword.
"It's time for the Hero to appear."
The second Excalibur—
The one Frondier had entrusted to them.