[Kiba's Side]
A single streak of light split the battlefield.
Originating from the one who unleashed the technique, a circular ring of radiance expanded outward, dissolving into the far distance.
Then, Xenovia sank to her knees.
"Ghah... h-haah...!"
"Xenovia!"
Irina's terrified scream echoed across the field as she rushed to her fallen comrade's side.
The blazingly brilliant aura of blue flame that had coated Xenovia was entirely gone. I could feel every ounce of strength draining from her body.
The clone of Vals parted his lips to speak.
"This won't do. As expected, you are far too simple-minded. Neutralizing your opponent's movement is a sound tactic, yes. But throwing yourself headlong at a clearly superior entity is the height of folly. Xenovia Quarta, you have a slight tendency to be overconfident in your own abilities."
With a fluid motion, he flicked the blood clinging to his blade onto the dirt.
"The technique I used just now—Evil-Holy Sword: Raging Dance, Dark Night, Raijin-like Sprint, Special Ultra Miracle Super Mario Brothers, Second-Born Useless Brother's Revenge, Director's Cut—is designed to parry an enemy's strike and deliver a swift counterattack. A technique custom-tailored for a reckless head-charger like you."
It was true. A counter technique was devastatingly effective against a power-type fighter like Xenovia. Whenever I sparred with her, I relied on counters quite often myself.
No, wait... Hold on a second...
"Isn't that technique name entirely too long?! And I'm pretty sure I've seen that somewhere before!"
"What?! You mean to tell me I was plagiarized?!"
"No, you're the one who plagiarized it!"
"That cannot be...! This technique simply popped into my head while I was playing a fighting game with Razzle!"
"I think you put way too much enthusiasm into something that just 'popped into your head'!"
What do I even do with this?! There are too many absurdities to call out here!
Or rather... did Xenovia really just get taken down by a technique created on a whim?! I honestly didn't even know how to react.
Please, someone tell me this is a nightmare.
I pinched my cheek hard.
Ow. That actually hurts.
"Lord Kiba, I assure you, this is no dream."
"I am deeply disappointed to hear that!"
I'd had enough. I wanted to escape reality.
Irina hauled Xenovia up, slinging her arm over her shoulder. "Xenovia, are you alright?!"
"Yeah... It's a wound, but not enough to put me out of commission. Though it was a close call."
Blood was pouring from Xenovia's flank. Yet, considering she had taken a direct hit from Vals' clone, the wound was surprisingly shallow. Judging by her words, it hadn't reached her internal organs.
The clone of Vals nodded, genuinely impressed.
"Ho. The absolute instant my blade touched you, you twisted your torso to avoid a fatal blow. Splendid execution."
"Heh... I didn't undergo training with the 'Sword Saint' just for show."
Even as she pressed her hand against her bleeding waist, Xenovia managed a fierce, fearless smirk.
Although she hadn't been able to dodge entirely, the fact that her body could react to a sword striking at the speed of light was incredible. This was clearly one of the fruits of the grueling trials Maurice had assigned her.
Still, the fact remained that Xenovia had suffered a deep injury. She could stand, but she wouldn't be able to fight like she used to.
I opened my personal pocket dimension, plunged my hand into the tear in space, and grabbed the hilt within. As I dragged it out, the sword unleashed a sinister, malevolent energy that instantly began to corrode my body.
Seeing the blade, Vals' clone narrowed his eyes.
"The King of Demonic Swords, Gram. So that is your trump card."
The Demonic Emperor Sword, Gram. As immensely powerful as this supreme demonic blade was, it was an even wilder brute than Durandal. It refused to listen to a word I said, slicing through space far more violently than I ever intended.
However—
"Gram! I need your power if I'm going to defeat the enemy before us! I won't try to restrain you. Go wild, do as you please! Just unleash every last drop of the power you hold!"
If I tried to suppress it, Gram would rebel and withhold its true strength. In that case, I just had to let it run rampant to its heart's content. I simply had to ensure I didn't let myself get swept away by its overwhelming tide.
The power surging from Gram swelled exponentially. Whether fired up by my words or the presence of the formidable adversary in front of us, the blade began scattering a dense, terrifying demonic aura across the area like never before. Concurrently, the force attempting to erode my body spiked, placing an immense burden on my physical frame.
So this is Gram's true potential... If I weren't in my Knight King form, this would have pushed me straight to the brink.
Vals' clone stared down at the weapon in his own hand.
"This blade of mine is a minor divine sword. It is vastly stronger than your average weapon... but well, I wonder if it can clash head-on against a Demonic Sword of that caliber."
I really don't think 'minor divine swords' exist...
Keeping that thought to myself, I raised Gram into a combat stance.
"Xenovia, Irina. I'll take the lead as the vanguard. I need you two to cover me."
Part of the reason I said this was to keep Xenovia from overexerting herself, but the main factor was Gram itself. In its current state, spewing such a volatile demonic aura, staying near me could compromise them.
Xenovia nodded. "Understood... Irina, go support Kiba."
"I don't mind, but... Xenovia, with that injury, you shouldn't be moving much either. What are you going to do?"
"I have an idea. It's something Maurice suggested to me—a task I haven't quite mastered yet. He only mentioned it right before our training ended... but I'm going to pull it off right here, right now."
"So you need us to buy you some time?"
"Exactly. Kiba, Irina... hold the line for me."
An idea... Did Xenovia really have a strategy up her sleeve? I had no idea what she was planning, but I had a feeling it would be quintessentially her.
Still, looking at our current situation... even if Xenovia hadn't been wounded, a prolonged battle would inevitably end in our defeat due to the sheer gap in fundamental strength. It felt pathetic to admit when it was three against one, but our opponent possessed power to back it up.
Irina chimed in, "Well, knowing you, Xenovia, your grand plan is probably already being read by his mind-reading ability anyway."
"Ha! Even if he reads my mind, it won't matter as long as I hit him with a fatal strike he simply can't dodge!"
"So it is just a muscle-brained plan after all!"
I knew it... Yeah, I saw that coming.
Even so, to overturn this desperate scenario, we had no choice but to bank on Xenovia's crazy strategy—and whatever unfinished trial Maurice had left her with.
Perhaps resigning herself to Xenovia's relentless brute-force mindset that never wavered no matter the stakes, Irina let out a dry, fond laugh.
"Fine, fine! I get it! But you better deliver, okay? I'm putting all my trust in that muscle of yours, Xenovia!"
With those words, Irina cloaked herself in purifying energy and unfurled four pairs of brilliant, golden-shining wings—eight in total.
Kiba and Irina exchanged a brief glance, nodding in unison.
"Let's go, Kiba-kun!"
"Right!"
At Irina's signal, we kicked off the ground.
I veered to the right while Irina flared out to the left, flanking the motionless clone of Vals from both sides.
Facing our synchronized pincer attack, Vals' clone moved with a leisurely, measured grace. He raised his arm, leveling his sword horizontally with his shoulder. That single, effortless movement felt terrifyingly reminiscent of fighting Maurice—and in that exact moment...
A cold, sharp shiver ran down my spine.
"Just taking a stance...!"
It was pure, unadulterated pressure. He had slammed a wave of his martial aura directly into us, trying to crush our momentum before we could strike.
But I've experienced intimidation on this level dozens of times! In fact... the pressure emitted by the real 'Sword Saint' is far beyond this!
Though our footing faltered for a fraction of a second, Irina and I dug our heels in, channeling strength back into our legs as we charged straight at Vals' clone.
"Excellent reaction. However... I am growing rather bored of this exchange."
A streak of light pierced the air. A sharp thrust coated in dense magic power lunged forward, aiming to run straight through my face.
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