I Wasn't the Only One Hiding My Strength
He won't come out of this unscathed.
“Not bad at all. To receive my strike with nothing more than that level of damage.”
“Tsk…”
The hero stood with his armor damaged but still intact. Watching him, Nadan spoke in a voice brimming with confidence, yet inwardly she clicked her tongue.
Tsk… If it had been a direct hit, it would have dealt a solid blow. Did he dodge in that split second? I expected as much, but he really isn’t an opponent to take lightly.
Against an ordinary foe, the previous strike would have ended the fight. But the hero, true to his title, refused to fall so easily.
Even so, Nadan felt no particular discouragement.
What she had done earlier was merely the first move.
The real battle was only beginning now.
“There is… one thing I wish to ask.”
“What is it?”
Nadan’s sudden question drew a reply from the hero in a gruff, rugged tone.
Looking at him, she asked with a trace of genuine feeling, “What do you think of that person—Elisa?”
“Elisa?”
The hero reacted with mild surprise. He asked in a voice laced with suspicion, “Why would that subject come up here, of all places?”
“Because I… ahem… because I am her friend. It seems the two of you have grown rather close lately. As her friend, I cannot simply ignore it, can I?”
“…Even so, this hardly seems like conversation fit for the middle of battle.”
“Just answer. It won’t take long, will it?”
Nadan held her ground with stubborn resolve as the hero tried to dodge the question. He let out a small sigh and answered as though he had no choice.
“I consider her a friend. Nothing special… simply one of many ordinary friends.”
“F…riend?”
Nadan’s reaction grew subtly meaningful. The hero, clearly unwilling to waste any more time on talk, told her, “If that satisfies you, let us continue. I have no intention of dragging this out any longer.”
He adjusted his greatsword and prepared to attack. Yet as she watched him, a deep smile crept across Nadan’s lips beneath her helmet.
I’ve won.
From the very moment she had spoken to the hero, Nadan had been running constant calculations for victory even as they conversed.
The distance between us is roughly five meters. At this range…
After measuring the gap, she began secretly scattering powder through magic. Her signature technique—dust explosion—worked by generating particles too small for the eye to see, enveloping the target, and then detonating them.
Right before detonation, however, the powder’s density had to be increased, making it briefly visible. By the time an opponent noticed, ignition had already begun.
That was why Nadan had kept the short conversation going—to thoroughly lay down the invisible hand of death flowing from her body.
And when the preparation was finally complete, the hero cut the conversation short.
Right after—
“If you wish—!”
“!”
Instead of waiting for his attack, Nadan launched a surprise charge of her own.
Yet—
“Khk!”
-Whoosh!
The hero chose to pull back rather than block her swung halberd. It seemed he had predicted an explosion upon weapon contact, and he was partially correct.
A spark was required to trigger the dust explosion, and Nadan had used the one generated when their weapons met moments ago.
In that sense, evading while trapped in an invisible swamp of powder was a wise decision.
But a smile of amusement rose unbidden to Nadan’s lips.
Unfortunately, clashing weapons is not the only way I can cause an explosion.
The powder she had prepared this time was not floating in her current position. It lingered exactly where she had predicted he would retreat after dodging her attack.
The instant she confirmed it, Nadan released a magic bullet from her fingertips.
At first glance it seemed like a harmless projectile that could inflict no real damage. Yet its power was not the point.
What it triggered was anything but light.
“!”
-KWAANG!!
The violent explosion roared once more, ignited by the magic bullet. This time, with proper distance between them, there was no need to restrain its power.
It was an attack capable of reducing most opponents to scattered pieces.
As the chain reaction unfolded, black and crimson smoke instantly blanketed the arena sky like a blooming flower of death.
Watching the brilliant explosion before her, Nadan felt an instinctive thrill surge from the depths of her heart.
I may not like fighting, but I could never give up this feeling.
Nadan hated how combat and struggle robbed her of restful sleep. Yet even so, she gazed at the explosion with the same ecstasy and excitement she always felt.
The deathly flames that devoured everything filled her with a chilling rapture. She was certain of victory.
This time it landed perfectly. The game is over. No matter how impressive he may be, he won’t come out of this unscathed.
Moreover, the strike had caught him while he was off-balance and retreating. Even for the hero, avoiding it should have been nearly impossible.
With this much firepower, he may not die, but it will certainly be a fatal wound. Honestly, I’d prefer if he simply died here…
Though he had called Elisa a mere friend, he had not denied their closeness. Nadan stared into the flames with a murderous expression, thinking it best to eliminate any potential future complications.
Then—
“Huh?”
“Hoo…”
The smoke inside the arena cleared, revealing the hero.
His once-crumpled armor was now little more than rags. Burn marks covered his body.
Yet despite that…
There were no serious external injuries.
The hero walked out completely fine after taking such an explosion.
The moment she saw him, deep bewilderment flooded Nadan’s face.
How… how is this possible? There’s no way he could be unharmed after taking that directly… Just how… how on earth…
Before she could process it, the hero raised his sword and charged.
“Khk!”
Nadan hastily adjusted her halberd to block.
But—
-CLANG!!
“Huh?”
A heavy impact slammed through her defenses. Agonizing pain and numbness swept over her body.
What… what is this? H-how is this possible?
The strike was on an entirely different level from their previous clash. In a single collision she realized she was being utterly overpowered in raw strength. For a moment, Nadan fell into profound confusion.
-Whoosh!
The hero’s next strike came flying at her. Still reeling from the previous blow, Nadan knew blocking was impossible and dodged desperately.
And then—
-BOOOOM!!!
The instant his attack landed, an enormous explosion erupted. A shockwave comparable to her own dust explosion swept across the arena.
Nadan threw herself backward with all her strength, a chill running down her spine.
If I had taken that directly… I would be…
The hero’s transcendent physical power surpassed imagination. Simply swinging a mana-infused sword produced force equal to her magic.
Only then did Nadan truly understand.
The being before her was a monster who had far exceeded her expectations.
Don’t tell me… I wasn’t the only one hiding my true strength?
PS: Shamyuel