< Apiography 12. Sword Saint (2) >
#A12
“I don’t know how long. “I enjoyed it so much.”
Zaifa said. His pupils were completely vertically narrowed as he let out a chilling laugh. The feeling of death that seemed to be squeezing out his lungs was spreading throughout the arena.
“how….”
Schlieffen spit out blood and sighed. He couldn’t believe it even when he saw it. Jaipa’s injury was not something that could be overcome with tenacity.
Dark red blood was dripping from his tattered body. His tail which had been stabbed by a pale rod was cut off and lying on the floor. His cut was so clean that it looked as if he had cut it himself in a whirlwind.
“It’s dangerous.”
Nabirose bit her lip. Without realizing it she lifted her hand and touched the scar that remained on her collarbone. It was a sign of being hit by Jaifa in the final battle of the Sword Saint. It was Zaifa in that state who defeated him.
“Whoa….”
Schlieffen corrected his breathing. The pain that felt like my spine was going to break subsided to some extent over time.
You must remain calm. As long as you don’t rush as long as you land a valid hit your chances of winning are high. A tense standoff ensued.
“We can still play more. huh?”
After saying that Jaifa suddenly lowered his body. The way he placed both hands on the ground was a posture reminiscent of a wild beast before it pounces on its prey. At that moment Schlieffen who was about to turn his sword into wind stopped.
‘It’s dangerous.’
The intuition that had led him to this point was warning him. You shouldn’t make that choice now. It was the moment when Schlieffen who had achieved Auror instinctively raised his sword. Kwaaaaang! A sound like an explosion of lightning struck my eardrums. Jaifa suddenly appeared before his eyes and he was amazed.
“That’s amazing. “Did you read this?”
“What speed…!”
Schlieffen gritted his teeth. Five claws curved like hooks were engaged with the Pale Rod. His hand clutching the hilt of his sword was vibrating as if it would break at any moment.
The gap that had been more than fifty steps had lost meaning and had narrowed. A spider web-like crack remained on the paving stone where Jaipa was standing. It was a trace of a leap made by pressing down with an enormous iron leg. Since Jaifa had two hands the next attack came immediately. Wow! A claw rose diagonally from his lower left side scratching Schlieffen’s chest.
“Ugh!”
His blood spattered. It wasn’t deep but it was still painful enough. Schlieffen who barely survived swung his sword as if shaking off the attack. Kaang! Jaipa who lightly deflected the sword strike raised his voice and roared.
“Use your remaining talents and attack properly!”
bang! As the sword and claws touched lightning struck again. Schlieffen twisted his lips in response to the series of attacks. He could not believe that the enemy had thrown away his weapon. Jaipa’s attack was actually more dangerous and sharper than when he used the scimitar.
He had no time to turn his sword body into wind. Eventually he gave up corrected his posture and began to respond. Seiffa with his claws up was certainly faster but at his speed even Schlieffen could not be outdone.
Every time his claws and sword blade collided embers bloomed in the air. There were dozens of sword strikes that were difficult for the average person to even perceive. Phew! A fountain of his blood splashed onto Jaipa’s shoulder. The corners of his mouth rose strangely.
“Haha that’s pretty good!”
“you…!”
Schlieffen’s eyes widened. It was an attack that was definitely expected to be blocked. After exchanging words a few more times he opened his mouth.
“…Sword Saint. Please abstain.”
“Are my ears wrong? “What did you say just now kid?”
“I urged him to abstain. “Are you planning on dying?”
“You seem to be unnecessarily quick to notice.”
Jaifa laughed. Schlieffen’s face hardened. As expected his physical condition was far from normal.
When I thought about it there was no way I was fine. What Zaifah was hit with was the tornado that destroyed six of Nebula Clage’s top executives. The wound inflicted by the harsh wind was eating away at his life in real time.
If the game continued like this things could have gone really wrong. This was the place where the Imperial Sword was decided not an illegal gladiatorial arena where murder was committed. However Jaipa’s meaning seemed to be different.
“It’s none of your business.”
“but…!”
“Shut up! “If you come out like that I won’t let you think of anything else!”
“Ugh!”
Seiffa kicks Schlieffen. It was the moment he landed after being thrown away by an unexpected blow. Quang! Suddenly Zaifa crouched in his crouch leapt up kicking his ground. Clearly the physical capabilities of humans and were tigers were as different as heaven and earth. People were amazed at his leap which was incomparable to Schlieffen’s.
“That high…!”
“That’s amazing. “It’s really amazing.”
“Holy shit how far up does it go?”
Ronan who had been following his trajectory and tilting his head frowned. He raised the wyvern almost as high as it was when George Dungeon was with him. It was around this time that Jaipa’s shape almost looked like a dot. Seaaaa…! The air around Jaipa began to distort with a sound like a river wind blowing.
“No way!”
Asher’s face hardened. His keen senses were reading Mana’s unusual movements. Black energy was gathering around Jaipa which had become a dot.
It was not difficult to predict what would happen next. He shouted with a white face.
“We need to deploy bar shields! hurry!”
“Mage Asher? “Hurry up and deploy the shield!”
The waiting wizards were puzzled. They chanted a spell in unison as they heard Asher’s screams. It was a car with dozens of layers of translucent force fields filling the space between the arena and the stands. Sgak! Five black lines were drawn over the arena.
“This is…!”
It was a space rift an auror of Jaipa. The size of the five cracks which looked exactly like his claw marks was so large that it stretched across the arena from end to end. It was the moment when Schlieffen barely out of range took a defensive stance. Quaaaaang-! As soon as the black line disappeared the broken paving stones bounced in all directions.
“Aaaah!”
“Save everyone!”
Screams erupted from all over the audience. Force fields that had been directly hit by large and small fragments were being destroyed one after another. Of course it didn’t reach them because several sheets overlapped but it was a scary enough sight.
“Sword Saint…!”
Schlieffen was astonished. It was a formidable force. As he swung his sword the wind blew away the dust. Ronan who saw the cruel scene let out a curse.
“Nimi.”
The dumping ground that was revealed again looked like a soybean field that had been plowed by a plow. The facility was barely restored after being destroyed by Nebula Clazier but it ended up being even more ruined than before.
The emperor stumbled holding the back of his neck but that didn’t matter. Quaaaang! Seifa fell like a black meteor and landed behind Schlieffen.
“this…”
“It’s late!”
Schlieffen quickly turned around but was one step too late. Jaifa’s right hand skimmed down his side. Phew! As soon as five scars were carved fresh blood spurted out.
“Huh.”
Schlieffen’s face which had maintained his composure the whole time was contorted in pain. A laugh escaped from between Zaifa’s fangs. But Schlieffen was not left alone. He was staggering as if he was about to fall but he straightened up and raised his sword to slash. Sigh! The wind that rose along the sword path swept over Jaipa’s upper body.
“Ugh!”
The pain struck him to the point of losing consciousness. Unfortunately he was stabbed by Butterfly Rose in the past. The two people who had retreated for a moment clashed again. Kagagak! Every time their swords and claws made contact new blood stains were carved at their feet.
“You have to stop me.”
Iril who was worse off got up from his seat. It wouldn’t be surprising if Schlieffen or Seiffa collapsed and died right away. It was the car that made her cry as she tried to find her partner. Ronan who was sitting right next to her wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“Sister. no.”
“Ha but if it goes on like this the two of you will…!”
“I know what you’re thinking but it still doesn’t work. “Sit back.”
Iril had tears in his eyes but Ronan firmly dissuaded him. It was really painful to see her sister grieving but she couldn’t help it this time. Ronan sat her down again and spoke to her.
“Why on earth are you doing that…? “Aren’t you afraid of dying?”
“If you’re scared of that you can’t be a swordsman. “It may be hard to understand but just watch…and don’t worry too much.”
“…huh?”
“That Schlieffen bastard has a reason to win.”
Iril tilted his head but Ronan just smiled without saying a word. He remembered the oath her Schlieffen had sworn to him.
said the idiot. Unless you become the strongest swordsman you have no right to declare that you will protect Miss Lee for the rest of your life. For Schlieffen that’s what marriage meant. The battle was becoming more intense. Ronan who had his arms crossed over her muttered with his eyes fixed on the two.
“Win. Schlieffen.”
She didn’t know that she would live and cheer for the guy who was going to take her sister away. Still I couldn’t help it. Because it seemed like no one better than that would appear on the continent for the next hundred years.
Now the mop-mates Schlieffen and Seiffa were swinging their swords and claws at each other. For a moment Jaifa’s vision became blurry.
“Tsk….”
It was a side effect of losing too much blood. for a moment. His posture which had been in power for a very short time was disturbed. It was a moment that it would be a shame to even call it a fleeting moment but Schlieffen did not miss the opportunity. A cheer burst from his mouth as he grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands.
“Haaaab!”
A sharp stab aimed at Jaifa’s heart. At this rate the sword would reach faster than his fist. But Jaifa didn’t stop. Phew! As the sword pierced his chest a huge fist struck Schlieffen directly in the forehead. The sword narrowly missed the heart but his fist definitely broke the bone. It’s over. Jaipa who had spoken so quietly was about to raise the corner of his mouth. Ahhh… Schlieffen’s figure disappeared like ashes blown away by the wind.
“What…!”
Jaifa’s eyes widened. He belatedly noticed that the Pale Lord that had pierced his chest had disappeared. In the first place Schlieffen was not standing in front of him. It was just a trick using the wind.
‘Then where is it?’
Jaifa’s hair stood on end. Suddenly I felt a presence behind my back. It was the moment when Jaipa sensing a crisis turned his body around. Sgak! The slash that came like a comet cut through his side.
“…Kahahah!”
Blood burst out from Zaifa’s mouth. This blow was fatal. No sound could be heard from the silent audience. Schlieffen who charged with a sword strike landed twenty steps away.
“Ugh.”
Schlieffen stumbled. He narrowly avoided falling as he sunk the tip of his sword into the ground. Jaipa remained motionless in the position where his side was cut.
“Blood is the tears shed by the sword.”
After being silent for a moment he turned his back to Schlieffen and opened his mouth. Dark red blood was dripping from under his pointed fingernails. It was not clear which of the two it belonged to. A cracked voice asked a question.
“Can you handle those tears?”
It was a word with many meanings. Once his father and the head of the Hunter Northern Beastmen Union he has now become the emperor’s sword. The enemies he has cut down so far are literally countless.
The tears of the sword meant death. The Sword Saint is the best sword in the empire. It meant the person who was the strongest and had to shed the most tears.
And no one could say for sure that the current peace would last forever. Jaifa was asking about his responsibility. Perhaps about the burden that will have to be carried for eternity. Schlieffen who had been silent for a moment opened his mouth.
“yes.”
It was a voice without hesitation. Schlieffen’s gaze rested on Iril and his friends sitting there in the stands. No matter how big and heavy a choice we were forced to make the presence of our loved ones always gave us confidence and courage. He looked back at Jaifa and shook his head.
“Anything you can do to protect it.”
“…joy.”
Jaifa laughed. His slowly leaning body fell to the floor from his back. A dizzyingly bright blue sky stretched out above his head. The cumulonimbus clouds they had torn apart had now turned into dozens of flocks of sheep frolicking in the wind.
It was a sight I would normally pass by without even thinking about it but today it somehow felt refreshing. The clouds that lost their shape and dispersed arbitrarily looked unusually free.
Schlieffen who was staggering in front of him saluted. It was polite to be together but unfortunately I didn’t have the strength left to do so. He expressed regret by gently raising his hand and muttered with his eyes closed.
“I lost. Sword Saint.”
