Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: A Solo Performance
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When the beast slammed the ground, a powerful storm erupted, blowing all the team members away.
Though invisible, a curtain of wind had formed around it.
I was the only one not blown away, as I could withstand the 3rd Echelon Druid's blast of energy.
In other words.
"It's a one-on-one situation now, isn't it?"
Until now, I'd been holding back as much as possible while fighting it.
I left the opportunities to my teammates, focusing solely on blocking the 3rd Echelon Druid's relentless attacks.
Although I was the linchpin, it must have looked like we were working together to pressure it.
It was a reasonably plausible scenario.
Now that I was alone, it wouldn't be strange to reveal my true skills and cut the opponent down.
"Kuhuhuhu! You seem quite skilled, but your precious swordsmanship is about to come to an end."
The 3rd Echelon Druid seemed to think it had struggled because my teammates were surprisingly skilled.
No, it probably wanted to think that.
It would be an easier pill to swallow than admitting I'd completely shut it down.
Less damaging to its pride, too.
"An interesting take. Do you really think so?"
I retorted with a wry smile.
At that, the bridge of its nose wrinkled, baring its fangs.
Oh, so that's the face it makes when it gets pissed off in its wolf form.
"I'll tear you to shreds first, then deal with the rest. Or maybe I'll let them live, so they can forever remember your humiliating defeat?"
"If you can, go ahead and try."
"That's the plan. Kwaaaak!"
The 3rd Echelon Druid charged with a monstrous roar.
Its claws, steeped in a dark aura, were extremely menacing.
Clang! Scrape—! Crack!
As I sidestepped its attacks, a large rock far behind me crumbled to the ground.
It hadn't just left deep gashes on the surface; it had been shattered into six pieces.
It was a blow so powerful a human body wouldn't even leave bones behind.
"What good is power if you can't land a hit?"
"Grrr! Let's see how long you can keep dodging!"
Perhaps it had grown immune to my taunts, as the 3rd Echelon Druid's attacks grew more precise.
It seemed I wouldn't be able to create openings by running my mouth anymore.
Well then, I guess it's time to show some real skill.
Swish. Clang!
As the blade I casually extended met its claw, a series of sharp impacts rang out.
At the moment of impact, I twisted my wrist to create a new sword path.
Normally, such an unorthodox attack wouldn't carry much force.
It wasn't a standard movement, after all.
But for the Imperial Sound Lock Sword, variations were the standard.
That's what this sword art was designed for.
The aura-infused tip of my sword jabbed the 3rd Echelon Druid's right shoulder.
"Keok!"
But this time, a different kind of sound escaped its lips.
When the students had struck it, the druid had looked like it was merely being tickled. The reaction now was completely different.
The beast staggered back, clutching its shoulder.
It wasn't just a numb sting; it looked like it hurt like hell.
But, true to a druid's regenerative abilities, it ignored the pain and charged again.
"Such petty tricks! I'll crush you!"
"Oh really? Dream on."
Swish. Clang!
A dark torrent of energy raged like a storm, but I calmly and perfectly parried the attack.
The Imperial Sound Lock Sword had become far more potent than when I was fighting with my teammates.
In reality, almost nothing had changed.
I had simply added a touch of Demonic Soul while channeling the Velgart Energy Arts.
Whooosh! Splat—!
But the result was drastically different.
Blood finally spurted from the 3rd Echelon Druid's hide, which no one had been able to pierce until now.
Splat! Splat!
"Heh...!"
Staring at its own red blood staining the wheat field, the beast let out a hollow laugh.
It seemed it had been a very long time since it had been injured while in its spirit-possessed state.
Soon, it began to emit a dark aura from its eyes, cracking its neck stiffly.
"Oh! Looks like you've completely lost it."
"Kwawoooo!"
The 3rd Echelon Druid had become a rabid dog.
It charged head-on, heedless of any danger, and swung its claws wildly.
Its rage seemed to have completely consumed its reason.
'Tsk, tsk! Just because you're angry doesn't mean you'll suddenly succeed where you failed before.'
Clang-clang-clang! Thwack!
I began to execute the first three forms of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword's opening sequence at high speed.
With variations mixed in, it could no longer even be called a basic sword art.
A continuous series of thrusts and strikes, all utilizing the snap of my wrist.
It was a level of movement completely different from the druid, which was just rampaging around, relying on brute force.
Crack! Snap!
I shattered the 3rd Echelon Druid's claws one by one, gradually creating an opening.
'Now!'
When the decisive moment came—when its breathing faltered—I lunged without hesitation.
I dove deep into its chest and attempted an upward slash.
Shhhlick—!
It was a sword path that didn't exist in the Imperial Sound Lock Sword.
But the essence of the sword art was clearly there.
In fact, what I had just performed was equivalent to the first form of the mid-sequence, the Forbidden Reverse Ascent Sword.
'This much is a piece of cake.'
I'd just roughly copied it after watching the advanced class students practice.
Even though it was copied and drastically modified, the perfection of the technique was far superior.
"Krrrk!"
Thump.
In any case, the 3rd Echelon Druid had taken a heavy blow.
This was because the Demonic Soul had greatly amplified the power of my aura.
And that was while using only the Velgart Energy Arts, which I'd only practiced for a few months.
"Th-this can't be..."
"Why can't it be? Just die quietly."
Swish—! Thunk!
Unleashing one final, severing strike, I pulled my sword free and gave it a sharp flick downwards.
Splat! Splat!
The 3rd Echelon Druid's blood, which had been running down the blade, splattered onto the ground.
Then, I sheathed my sword with a flourish and turned away without a second glance.
It was a performance of sorts, a show of confidence in my victory without needing to check.
When I looked up, the students all wore expressions of pure shock.
'Right. You can't help but be amazed. Hehe! You dullards.'
As I stood there with a triumphant smile, I suddenly heard their rough shouts.
Shouting? These guys who should be trembling in awe of my skills?
Frowning, I strained my ears to decipher their jumbled cries.
"What? 'Move? You idiot.'?"
Just then, a massive shadow fell over me.
Ah, sh—...
Thud!
Fortunately, it wasn't a counterattack from the 3rd Echelon Druid.
The beast, which had been standing there barely balanced, had simply fallen forward.
I had almost been crushed under its massive body.
Of course, I'd darted out of the way the moment I realized what was happening.
'Anyway, is first place in the bag now?'
After scouring the Kalendron territory for two days, we found no druids of a higher echelon than 3rd.
Even if the princes managed to catch a few more 2nd Echelon Druids, the outcome would be the same.
With a triumphant expression, I watched my teammates running toward me, cheering.
That's right, you guys.
Worship me!
* * *
"Is... is that even possible?"
Frantz couldn't help but shout.
The words had escaped him while watching the isolated battle between Ray Carter and the 3rd Echelon Druid.
The advanced class students were already mastering the second form of the Imperial Sound Lock Sword's mid-sequence.
But look at the Imperial Sound Lock Sword wielded by that donation-entry nobody, Ray.
The form was similar, but it exuded a power on a completely different level from the half-baked attempts of the advanced class.
So much so that it was making that terrifying 3rd Echelon Druid struggle.
"I just can't understand it."
"Neither can I."
The third prince, who had approached at some point, spoke up.
Though they were practically mortal enemies, at this moment, they both felt the same.
"I never imagined something like that was possible with the Imperial Sound Lock Sword."
"It doesn't look that different from how we perform it. And yet, to produce that kind of power..."
"It's not the same. That man is using every possible variation within the sword art's allowances."
Though he didn't want to admit it, Frantz had no choice but to nod.
Ray Carter was, after all, actually overwhelming the 3rd Echelon Druid.
He glanced around and saw that the other students' reactions were quite different from the princes'.
"It looks like the Imperial Sound Lock Sword, but he's performing it strangely. Doesn't that make it a different sword art?"
"He's just being flashy."
"But it's weird. Can you really defeat a 3rd Echelon by just performing a sword art any which way?"
"We wore it down for him. And it's not like he took it down alone. That team has direct descendants from two of the four great families."
Even though he had saved them from a desperate crisis, their assessment of him was rather low.
Weren't geniuses always the target of all sorts of jealousy and scrutiny?
They seemed unwilling to accept the fact that a lowly donation-entry student possessed skills superior to their own.
After all, the people here were the top students of Venderford.
Of course, there was also criticism far more blatant than subtle digs.
"That damn bastard! Hogging all the credit for himself, the sneaky rat!"
"He's so full of himself just because the professors dote on him. He needs to be taught a lesson soon."
Naturally, those were Bizolt and his cronies.
It seemed they still hadn't learned their lesson after being so thoroughly beaten.
In any case, it was clear that Ray Carter was an outlier.
Frantz turned his head with a grim expression and watched the battle as it reached its climax.
But it was at that very moment.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sound of footsteps from behind startled the second prince.
He was worried that another druid might have appeared.
Team 15's performance had been remarkable, but another attack would be far too dangerous.
"Phew!"
But Frantz soon let out a sigh of relief.
What had appeared behind them wasn't an enemy, but the empire's knight order.