Lena charged forward like an artillery shell.
Fast.
Sofia was slightly surprised but calmly intercepted the cursed sword.
Giin!
The clash of two blades echoed sharply.
Then came the shockwave.
Lena’s strength was extraordinary.
Just blocking the attack caused this much impact.
Had it landed directly, her bones would have been severed, and she would have been easily cut in two.
A master of the cursed sword.
An executive of the Dawn Alliance.
Sofia had planned to observe her opponent's abilities, but—
If she wasted time doing that, she would be defeated immediately.
No holding back.
From the very start, Sofia went all out.
"Divine King Dragon Sword Art – First Strike… Mountain Breaker!"
She swung her holy sword down, intending to cleave Lena along with her cursed sword.
Lena firmly gripped her cursed sword with both hands, adjusting the angle to intercept the attack.
Minimizing the strain, she absorbed the impact and skillfully redirected the force.
"Tch, you're good."
"You too."
Locked in a blade struggle at close range, the two exchanged smiles.
To Sofia, Lena was an enemy she could never overlook.
Not only had she meddled with Fate—
She had caused an unthinkable catastrophe.
If possible, Sofia wanted to capture her and make her spill everything.
If that wasn't an option, she would cut her down here.
With that resolve, she faced an unforgivable foe.
But…
She acknowledged Lena’s skill with the sword.
It wasn’t the cursed sword that made her strong.
Lena herself was exceptionally talented, a swordswoman with immense power.
Her physical abilities were beyond human.
Her technique was on another level.
If things had been different, Sofia would have preferred to face her in a fair match rather than a fight to the death.
That thought made it all the more regretful.
It was a shame to cut her down here.
"Ahaha, impressive! Yep, as expected of the Sword Saint. You're the first person who's fought me to this extent!"
"I'm honored. Then, may I also claim the honor of defeating you?"
"Nope! I’ve got things I need to do, and I'll get scolded if I don’t. Sooo…"
Lena sheathed her sword.
Then she lowered into a deep, deep stance.
"That stance…!?"
"True King Dragon Sword Art – Hidden Fourth… Camellia!"
Lena’s figure vanished like magic—
By the time Sofia realized, she had already unsheathed her blade and closed the distance.
A supersonic drawing technique.
"Tch!?"
That moment of shock slowed Sofia’s reaction.
Even so, she was a superhuman, a bearer of the Sword Saint title.
Just barely, she dodged Lena’s blade, leaping far back to create distance.
"No way, seriously? You dodged that? That was my trump card, you know! I'm impressed… but this just makes it even more exciting!"
"That move just now… what was it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb! That was a Divine King Dragon technique!"
Some details were slightly different.
However, there was no doubt about it—it was the Fourth Strike: Lotus Flower.
There was no mistaking a sword style that had been ingrained into her very core.
"You're wrong. Mine is True King Dragon Sword Arts—focus on the True, the True King Dragon."
"Two King Dragon Sword Arts…?"
"Ah, I see. The Sword Saint doesn’t know about it."
Lena grinned.
She knew something Sofia didn’t.
And she seemed to take great pleasure in that fact.
"Explain yourself."
"Hmm, should I, though?"
"Tch!"
Irritated by Lena’s attitude, Sofia unleashed a menacing killing intent.
Its sheer intensity made even Lena flinch slightly before responding.
"Jeez, fine. But hey, Sword Saint, are you getting enough calcium? You're way too short-tempered."
"What do you mean?"
"Okay, okay, I get it. Just stop radiating that murderous aura already. Seriously, who’s the real villain here…? It’s simple. The King Dragon Sword Arts I use is a branch school."
"A branch school…?"
"The King Dragon Sword Arts has a long history. It has stood at the peak of swordsmanship for ages. Given that, isn’t it natural that at some point, variations would emerge and branch schools would form?"
"That’s…"
Sofia had to admit—it made sense.
"The Divine King Dragon Sword Arts wields its sword for the good of the world and its people. But what about the True King Dragon Sword Arts? It’s a sword style wielded for those lost in the shadows of history—for the hidden victims forgotten by time."
"Lost in the shadows of history…?"
"Alright, enough chit-chat. Let’s continue!"
Lena radiated such an intense fighting spirit that the wind howled around her, challenging Sofia to come at her.
In response, Sofia…
"Huh!?"
…ran away.
Comments
Post a Comment