The Goddess's Investigator
“Ahahaha!”
The laughter of the priestess dispatched as an investigator to the training ground, which had been quiet for a while, resounded loudly thanks to Alberon’s devastating counterattack.
I gazed at the hilt of the sword that had broken far too easily, wondering if I could somehow continue using it in the training session, but without a blade it was useless.
Having no choice, I tossed the shattered sword aside and scanned the surroundings for a replacement when—
“Lady Lowell! Use this!”
Alex, who had suddenly appeared, handed me his own sword and quickly retreated to his original position.
The sword Alex offered was far from ordinary from the very first glance...
It was not true gold, but the hilt was painted in a luxurious gold hue, and the blade was several times stronger in sharpness and half the weight of the one I had been using.
As expected of a prince’s blade...
Huff! Huff!
I swung Alex’s sword through the air once, and though it wasn’t a rapier, it felt impressively light compared to my expectations.
“Now we can properly fight. Lady Lowell.”
Alberon, who had been waiting in the training ground, studied the sword I held with a satisfied smile before resuming his attacking stance.
[Thunder Sword]
Kwajik!
I, too...
Since I had decided to fight properly this time, I reinforced my sword from the start...
A massive bolt of lightning struck my blade against the clear sky, and electric currents began to course along the edge...
Kwajik! Kwajik!
Each time the current grew stronger, sparks shot out in every direction, causing even the spectators watching from the edge of the training ground to recoil in fear a step backward.
“From now on, I will fight properly.”
“Exactly as I desired.”
After finishing his words, Alberon once again took up his defensive stance and returned the offensive to me. Obviously, a straightforward counterattack was all I needed to prepare, so I decided to try something new this time.
“Then let’s see if you can block it again.”
Kwajik!
I maximized the electric current still flowing through my sword from the previous lightning strike and struck directly at Alberon’s devastating counter.
Kwajik!
Kwak!
Although my attack aimed at the spot where Alberon had hidden behind his blade, just like before, it was blocked. But from that moment on, my fight truly began...
Kwajik!
The lightning transformed into a sword and suppressed his blade, so Alberon, who had received an unexpected attack, braced with all his strength from below to keep it from pushing him back.
“Kuwaaaah!!”
The blade that had perfectly shielded his body like an iron wall now began to squeeze him, gradually tightening its grip.
In an instant, the Thunder Sword, which had been generating sword qi with enormous power, returned to its original sword form after expending all its energy. I quickly retreated to create distance, ready to counter.
But Alberon showed no counterattack, having barely blocked my sword qi.
It seemed the aftereffects of my attack were still weighing on him, as he remained rooted in place for a while, unable to move.
“…Truly… amazing. You made me unable to move at all…”
Alberon, who had finally managed to move after dropping his defensive stance with his blade, was still overwhelmed by the residual effects of my attack. Electric currents were visible flowing across his body.
“You paralyzed my muscles by shocking me…”
Although I was slightly taken aback by his unintended words, I answered calmly as if unaffected.
“You will regret not attacking while I was doing this.”
With my warning, Alberon, who could finally move again, closed his eyes for a moment as if concentrating his mind before beginning to use Holy Magic.
[Holy Light]
A sacred light pierced through the clouds from the sky and enveloped Alberon. His body, which had been paralyzed by the shock, regained its flexibility and moved with perfect freedom...
[Madness Holy Warrior]
His subsequent Holy Magic transformed the previously warm, gentle light into intense crimson, enveloping his body and gradually strengthening it.
Huuuung! Bang!!!
Alberon’s continued attack...
If I had carelessly blocked it with the sword Alex had given me, I might have broken it too. Instead, his blade slammed into the ground with terrifying force, cracking the earth around the impact point and revealing the true power of his attack.
Huuuung!!
And then...
The attack coming toward me, who had dodged the first strike by swinging his blade...
Even though I had avoided it, the aftershock was so immense it made my body sway...
It was already difficult to block his swordsmanship, forged through years of training, and now, with the power of his Holy Magic boosted, even missed attacks were overwhelming.
Huuuung!!!
He must have predicted that I would sway for a moment, because he immediately brought his sword down toward me...
[Barrier]
I, caught off guard, hastily placed a Barrier on my sword to block his attack as if it were a shield...
If I had simply blocked that brutish attack, not only would the sword have shattered, but my body would have suffered as well. So I layered nine, then ten Barriers to withstand the shock.
Bang!!!!!
How powerful the attack had been—the first three Barriers shattered instantly, and the fourth was even crushed. It looked as if the fourth would break in an instant.
Kwak!
In the end...
I could block his first devastating attack, but I could not stop the pressing follow-up, so...
The fourth Barrier shattered as well, and the rest would follow in no time.
[Holy Wrath]
Kwak! Kwak! Kwak! Kwak!...
When he used his technique again, the remaining Barriers were mercilessly torn apart. Just before the last one shattered, I quickly slipped out of the spot and created distance.
“Huuuung…”
The supposed teacher of the Hero… I had underestimated him, thinking he would be no different from the Hero himself.
Alberon was far stronger than the Hero. With his infinite use of Holy Magic and techniques, I finally tasted the bitterness of defeat after a long time.
[Heavenly Thunder Cannon]
Kwagagak!
I first sent a massive cannon made of lightning energy to repel him, and Alberon, who had been preparing his attack, immediately dropped it and took a defensive stance with his blade.
Kwakwakbang!!!!
Despite Alberon, the head knight’s perfect defensive posture, the lightning cannon pushed him backward together with his blade...
His figure slowly grew distant from me until the lightning of the Heavenly Thunder Cannon faded.
I had bought some time, but no matter how strong I was, blocking Alberon’s relentless use of techniques was becoming increasingly difficult.
It was truly frustrating to feel the urgency to subdue him quickly if I wanted to survive.
Kururururur
Thunder Lightning Sword Technique
The first time I learned this sword technique was when I became the Hero and received the Holy Sword. At the time, I did not understand why I had to learn such a technique when I already possessed the invincible Holy Sword.
But my master had said to me:
“If you have no Holy Sword in your hands, how are you going to fight?”
After thinking about my master’s words, there was truly no way around it.
Having no Holy Sword meant certain death. My master had taught me the Thunder Lightning Sword Technique out of concern for that day.
Of the thirty-nine techniques in the Thunder Lightning Sword Technique, thirty-two had been revealed to the world...
The remaining seven were passed down only to the sole successor...
Kurururururur
Dark clouds began to gather in the sky, and darkness settled over the palace where I was training with Alberon.
Kururur bang!!
The lightning that began from the thick clouds struck everywhere, terrifying even the spectators, and Alberon, who knew I was creating it, did not show surprise on his face, but his eyes clearly trembled—showing he was tense.
“Thunder Lightning Sword Technique, Chapter 37....”
[Thunder Infinite Eight Light Sword]
Kururururur...
Kwagagak!!!
The massive lightning that fell from the clouds took the form of a gigantic sword before striking the ground directly.
Alberon, startled, hurriedly raised his blade and used every technique he could to block the lightning that formed the falling sword.
[Protection of Holy Strike]
[Heavenly Protection Barrier]
[Holy Shield]
...
One layer... Two layers... Three layers of protection enveloped him, increasing his defensive power, and sunlight from between the clouds cast buffs upon him.
Kwagagak!
The first sword...
Kwagagak!!
The second sword...
Kwagagak!!
The third sword...
Of the eight gigantic swords made of lightning, only three remained, rendering all of Alberon’s defensive magic useless...
Kwagagak!!
The fourth sword...
Now, with only his blade left to guard his body, he blocked the lightning forming a gigantic sword shape.
Kwagagak!!
The fifth sword...
Alberon’s blade, which had been thicker and stronger than ordinary steel, was about to break from the fifth attack that continued to hammer down...
Paaak!!!
Without even a thunderclap, the sound of his blade shattering echoed throughout the entire palace, allowing the winner of the duel to be decided.