Chapter 251: Shadows Looming Over Dmitry (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 251: Shadows Looming Over Dmitry (5)
His consciousness expanded.
The senses that had previously only captured Sven's presence and actions within a one-meter radius now delved deeper, meticulously analyzing his surroundings. Sven's breathing, the subtle twitching of his muscles, and a flood of other sensory information rushed into his mind, presenting him with the most optimal choices.
Just like right now.
Whoosh!
Craaaash!
His hair whipped in the wind.
Sven's attack grazed past by a hair's breadth, their gazes locking in midair.
In that instant.
Flash.
A blade sliced through the air.
Faced with Kevin's sudden, swift strike, Sven didn't back down. He unleashed his Aura. A direct clash of swords was a guaranteed loss for Kevin. So, just before their blades collided, Kevin pivoted and kicked off the ground.
Tap.
From the front to the left.
Sven's eyes followed the movement.
But by the time Sven looked left, Kevin had already vanished to the right like a ghost.
Craaaash!
The Ultimate Footwork.
It was the Martial Arts of the Mad Demon.
A movement so fast it deceived the eyes. Kevin didn't miss the fleeting opening Sven exposed, delivering a shallow cut to Sven's leg. It was the absolute best attack Kevin could manage. But in exchange for entering striking range, a thunderous bolt of Aura rained down upon his head.
Boom!
Craaaash!
Kevin retreated.
He absolutely refused to face the man head-on.
Even though he had entered the Stage of Encroachment, his instincts continuously warned him that Sven's attacks belonged to an untouchable realm.
[Front!]
[It's in front of you!]
They were of one mind and body.
The moment the egos that had seized his mind shrieked their warnings, Kevin unfailingly twisted his head, dodging Sven's strike. Just the shockwaves from the raging Aura felt like they would tear his skin to shreds. Sven pursued him relentlessly, unleashing a flurry of consecutive attacks, but Kevin never once took his eyes off his opponent.
It was a losing battle.
Even if he landed a hundred strikes, he would die from a single blow.
Amidst their chaotic exchange, Kevin's heightened senses refused to allow even a single head-on clash.
"Truly magnificent!"
Sven shouted in sheer amusement.
Roman Dmitry was absent.
With that dangerous variable—the only one capable of creating an unexpected turnaround—gone, Sven was certain no swordsman here could stop him. Yet, he couldn't help but admire the performance of a mere 3-Star Aura Swordsman. Overwhelmingly outmatched in Aura, Kevin strictly avoided direct confrontation. They had already exchanged dozens of blows, and Kevin was desperately buying time while thoroughly evading any clash of Aura.
He fought like a beast.
Purely instinctive movements.
Lacking any set pattern, he adapted instantly to Sven's attacks, fighting back tenaciously.
Because of this, Sven was absolutely certain.
Dmitry must never be allowed to survive.
This land.
This country.
They were dangerous.
In what was still nothing more than a weak nation, there were far too many talents like Kevin. This was no coincidence. Much like the historical figures who had once founded empires, Roman Dmitry clearly possessed a terrifying eye for talent.
As time passed, Dmitry would grow exponentially.
If they did not crush them now, there was no telling what kind of monstrosity they would face a year from today.
"It has been an entertaining time."
Craaaash!
An expansion of magic power.
Darkness erupted.
Sven's magic power seized control of the surroundings, displaying a level of strength and speed completely different from before.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sven lunged through the space.
Even though Kevin clearly perceived the enemy's presence and reacted, he couldn't avoid the sensation of Sven's sword—appearing out of nowhere—slicing through his flesh. He rapidly circulated his Mana. Though the protective Mana barely mitigated the damage, Kevin ruthlessly thrust his sword toward his opponent's vitals in retaliation.
It was a bold move.
Even in this dire situation, Kevin targeted the opening like a wild beast. But this match was never a contest to begin with.
6-Star and 3-Star.
It wasn't a simple twofold difference.
The vast gulf in their realms meant that, in truth, Kevin holding out for this long was already a miracle.
Boom!
Crash! Crash! Crash!
A massive shockwave erupted.
As their attacks clashed violently, Kevin's Aura rapidly flickered out, and blood spilled from his mouth. He was completely battered. Even with the Stage of Encroachment, the time he could buy was measured only in minutes. Yet, despite being utterly overwhelmed, Kevin never lost his sole desire: to stop his opponent.
It was madness.
His burning desire to achieve his goal at all costs drove him to exchange blows until the bitter end, even as his life force withered away.
Flash.
Blood splattered.
Having driven his opponent into a corner, Sven's sword finally slashed across Kevin's chest.
Flesh tore open.
A horrific pain flared from his deep wound, but Kevin was actually smiling as he stared at his opponent.
Sven spoke.
"Yes, you won."
Right then—
Sven immediately raised his sword to block his flank.
Boom!
Craaaash!
Sven was violently pushed back sideways.
Turning his gaze, he saw Fernando, who had pushed his Aura to its absolute limit.
* * *
Fernando was only the beginning.
Simultaneously with his arrival, figures like Henderson and McBurney appeared on the scene one after another.
...Kevin.
Fernando glanced at Kevin's condition.
The boy was sprawled on the ground like a corpse.
The blood pooling beneath him had already formed a dark puddle, and his ragged, shallow breaths showed that his life was hanging by a thread. At this rate, he would die. Against a 6-Star Aura Swordsman, Kevin had achieved the incredible feat of holding out for nearly five minutes, but Fernando felt a deep pang of sorrow looking at him.
Foolish bastard.
In truth, Duke Dmitry wasn't even here to begin with.
As soon as Kronos's attack began, they had evacuated Duke Dmitry to a secret space. But Kevin had intentionally remained behind. He had to. He believed that if a powerhouse like himself wasn't guarding Duke Dmitry's room, the Shadows might realize the Duke's absence and give chase. He was a foolishly stubborn soul. He could have compromised and stepped aside, but Kevin had risked his life to ensure not a single step was taken past him.
Grip.
He tightened his hold on his sword.
Keeping his guard up against Sven, Fernando spoke to his comrades.
"Our opponent is a 6-Star Aura Swordsman. From now on, we attack with everything we've got."
Without needing another word—
Boom!
Craaaash!
Dmitry's swordsmen, led by Fernando, lunged at Sven simultaneously.
* * *
Fernando took the lead.
He was the only one in Dmitry who could at least exchange a few blows with Sven.
Boom!
Craaaash!
They clashed head-on.
Although the impact made Fernando's stomach churn, he pushed his Aura to its absolute limit and pressured his opponent. Even before receiving Roman Dmitry's teachings, he was someone who had awakened a 4-Star Aura. Having rapidly developed his Aura after learning martial arts, his power wouldn't easily flicker out, even against a 6-Star Aura.
Right then.
As Fernando pressured him from the front, Dmitry's swordsmen rushed in from all directions.
Whoosh!
Boom!
It was Henderson.
Timing his strike perfectly with Fernando's attack, Henderson brought his sword down, aiming for Sven's head. When Henderson was blown back by a swift counterattack, McBurney slipped through the opening, targeting a vital spot.
Simultaneously, the other swordsmen targeted his back.
It was a coordinated attack as fluid as flowing water.
Dmitry's swordsmen had relentlessly trained in various group tactics during their drills with Roman Dmitry.
"Annoying pests."
Craaaash!
Sven erupted his Aura.
Blowing back the approaching enemies with the sheer shockwave, he lunged forward and unleashed a powerful strike at Fernando. It was an Aura of such immense power that it distorted the very air. Everyone knew it was impossible to block. Fernando quickly shifted his footing, twisting his body to dodge just before the collision.
"Fire Cannon!"
Boom!
Whoosh!
It was Nox.
While Felix held the city walls, Nox had appeared here to balance the coordinated assault.
Even Sven could do nothing against the intense, roaring flames. His shadow abilities were completely useless against the light and heat, forcing him to hastily raise his Aura to protect his body from the engulfing fire. At that exact moment, swordsmen like Fernando lunged back in. Through endless training for situations exactly like this, they had learned how to dismantle powerhouses like Sven.
Craaaash!
Fernando pressured him from the front,
Boom! Boom!
while the other swordsmen targeted his vitals from all sides.
It was a dizzying clash.
If Sven blocked the front, they attacked from the flanks; if he blocked the flanks, they struck from the front and back. And whenever he tried to block everything and launch a counterattack, Nox's magic would fly in and disrupt his rhythm. As time passed, Sven was steadily being pushed back. It seemed as though the five minutes Kevin had bought would ultimately drag Sven to his grave.
However...
"It seems I will have to kill you all."
Sven had not yet revealed his full strength.
The demons of the Abyss each possessed different powers.
The longer they lived as demons, the more they acquired powers forbidden in the mortal realm, placing them on an entirely different level from the Master of the Phoenix Magic Tower whom Roman Dmitry had faced. Sven and Mystic. The entities deployed for this mission had all lived for hundreds of years in the depths of the Abyss. What Kevin had shown was merely a fleeting miracle; from the very beginning, defeating Sven was a realistic impossibility.
Boom!
He stomped on the ground.
The earth shook as if an earthquake had struck, and dark mana spread out, wrapping around everyone nearby.
Shackles of Darkness.
Sven's power expanded.
Simultaneously, he cut through the space and swung his sword toward Fernando.
First, this one.
Fernando.
He was the core of the coordinated attack.
The moment he was eliminated, Dmitry's swordsmen would surely crumble.
Fernando's face contorted.
He sensed his impending death.
* * *
Witnessing this sequence of events,
Henderson's eyes widened.
He knew that if Fernando died, defeating Sven would become an absolute impossibility.
If this continues, it's over.
Suddenly,
his mind drifted to his past memories.
Born a commoner, Henderson had been captivated by Roman Dmitry and chose the path of a swordsman—a life completely foreign to him.
Over the past few years,
Henderson had made rapid progress.
He had played his part on the battlefield, and even when representing Roman Dmitry, he had defeated his opponents and proved his worth. Yet, he never considered himself extraordinary. Everyone who followed Roman Dmitry had made immense progress, and he hadn't deviated much from that standard.
He grew exactly as much as the effort he put in.
No more, no less.
The untouchable growth of those around him served as a constant reminder that his own talent was merely ordinary.
Chris, hailed as the Flash of Dmitry, had become Dmitry's greatest swordsman, second only to Roman Dmitry himself. In truth, Chris's growth was a natural outcome. A man already recognized as Dmitry's genius had received Roman Dmitry's personal teachings; it was only natural for him to soar with wings on his back.
But what about the others?
They, too, were special.
Kevin, a mere young boy, had grown exponentially to rival Chris, while Fernando had shown explosive growth the moment he began following Roman Dmitry. Nor did Henderson possess any unique specialty in other areas. Volkan and Puki possessed rich experience as former war mercenaries, and McBurney, despite being a one-armed swordsman, possessed the brilliant ability to command the battlefield.
Once,
he had fallen deep into thought.
I've grown stronger in my own right, but what meaning does my existence hold among those who follow Dmitry?
While everyone else developed their unique talents,
Henderson remained stuck in the middle.
His talent was mediocre. And because of that, he had reached a single conclusion.
If, by some chance, an insurmountable danger approaches... I must do what I can so that the others can play their parts. Even with ordinary talent, there are things that someone like me can handle.
He had always kept that day's conclusion close to his heart.
Therefore,
he didn't hesitate.
Unleashing his Aura, Henderson threw himself forward with all his might.
Crack!
His Aura shattered.
Amidst the tremendous impact, Henderson glared at Sven with wide, bloodshot eyes.
Sven looked genuinely astonished.
He had never expected someone to throw themselves in the way of an attack aimed at Fernando's life, willingly dying in his stead.
His chest was torn open.
Though his face contorted in agony, Henderson summoned every last drop of his Aura to resist his opponent's power for as long as possible.
In that moment—
"Thank you."
Fernando,
surging past Henderson, erupted his Aura toward Sven.