LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 29
Chapter 29
Orto’s side:
“Huff…!”
“Tch!”
Deflecting two incoming blades from different directions with my sword, I counterattack with a powerful strike.
The man known as Barots dodges with a backstep and keeps his distance.
We have already engaged in dozens of sword clashes, and we’ve reset the duel thirteen times.
While both of us bear shallow cuts, neither has suffered a serious wound. It’s safe to say that our abilities are evenly matched.
“Haha, you’re quite resilient. But you know, ‘Sword Saint‘ I still don’t think you can even defeat a greenhorn like me. Your reputation might be overhyped,” Barots taunts.
“…Such a cheap provocation. Your words lack weight, merely showing your inexperience,” I retort.
“F*** you!” Barrots retorts, veins popping on his forehead, but he refrains from launching a reckless attack, instead waiting for an opening on my part.
(I wish he’d taken the bait and attacked just now.)
Though his demeanour might seem impulsive, he’s likely calculating his moves carefully.
I close the distance steadily, and the moment he enters my range, I execute a diagonal slash.
Barots dodges to the right, using his right-hand sword to guide mine away while countering with his left-hand sword.
(His aim is… my neck.)
I realize, pulling back my sword swiftly to block his counter and thwart his subsequent attack.
We exchange a flurry of blows, utilizing the speed and precision of our dual-wielding techniques. Sparks fly, illuminating the dim corridor.
Barots is faster, but I have the advantage in the power of my strikes.
Therefore, I plan to maintain pressure with a barrage of attacks.
His speed and number of strikes make him formidable, but I sense he’s about to run out of stamina.
“Haah!”
“Guuh…!”
Seizing a brief disruption in the coordination of his dual swords, I push him back with a wide sweeping motion.
Capitalizing on his momentary imbalance, I strike down from above.
“Chii!”
Although he manages to parry the blow with his dual swords, it serves its purpose.
“Now it’s my turn,” I say.
He admirably blocked my powerful overhead strike while in a disadvantageous position, but this situation is fatal for a dual swordsman.
I try to push him back, but Barots forcefully repels my sword. Without resisting the force of his deflection, I launch a counter-attack before he regains his stance.
Dual swordsmen usually avoid taking attacks head-on, opting to dodge or parry with their weapons. However, once their stance is disrupted, both evasion and parrying become challenging.
Unable to parry all my strikes, he receives cuts, unable to dodge and accumulating more wounds.
The tide of battle starts shifting in my favor, and I deliver another overhead strike.
Just as before, Barots manages to parry it, but this time he finally drops to one knee.
At that moment, I sense a surge of potent magical power from the library where Lady Alshade and Lord Rios are.
(This powerful magic, even I can sense it from this distance! Are they in danger?)
“Haah! You exposed an opening!”
“Nuugh!”
Seizing an opportunity during my momentary distraction, Barots closes the distance swiftly.
With a powerful move, he strikes me, and I stagger backward, feeling the pain in my abdomen.
“So, your dual sword skill creates invisible blades,” I remark.
“You’ve figured it out. Heh, I wanted to use it at the perfect moment. You see, my ‘Guillotine Severance’ bestows my swords with invisible edges. Any wound I inflict on your neck will make your head go ‘pop’ and fly off. It’s quite entertaining,” Barots explains with a smug grin.
“I see. By aiming for my neck, you aimed to exploit my weakness. But why did you reveal this to me?” I ask, puzzled by his decision to disclose such information.
“You probably had a hunch, didn’t you? Besides, it won’t change your fate… You’re finished no matter what!” Barots sneers.
Barots rapidly closes the distance between us, seemingly venting the frustration he felt when he was cornered earlier.
Although my abdominal wound isn’t severe, it’s not a minor cut either. My abdominal muscles are strained, and my movements have slightly dulled.
“Come on, what’s wrong? Your movements are getting sluggish!”
“Kuh…”
He unleashes a relentless flurry of strikes, which I do my best to defend against.
However, his barrage includes attacks and feints targeting my neck, causing me to focus on those defenses and leaving other openings.
The fight resembles a dance on thin ice, not only taking a toll on my physical stamina but also draining my mental strength.
As more cuts appear, I find myself cornered.
The tables have completely turned from earlier.
Although the odds seem stacked against me, I still have a chance.
“HaAAAAAAAAH!”
Swinging my sword horizontally, I create some distance with a backstep as he dodges.
“Whoa, that was close. Even if you reset and try again, the outcome won’t change, right? Despite the fuss about ‘Sword Saint,’ your style is merely a polished dojo technique. I’ve already figured out your moves,” Barots mocks.
“No, it’s more than enough… The time of adversity and despair is over.”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”
I lightly deflect Barots’ attacking dual blades and kick his vulnerable torso.
“Gahaha! W-What’s happening? Your movements are on a whole different level compared to earlier,” he exclaims.
“Indeed, I lack natural talent. In the realm of martial arts, I can only master existing techniques and never reach the level of mastery known as ‘separating from the martial way.’ However, it doesn’t mean I lack strength,” I calmly respond.
⟪Despair and Hope – Pandora’s Box》, the blessing and curse bestowed upon me.
For the first hour of battle, my physical abilities and skills are forcibly restricted.
Then, after an hour has passed, by chanting a keyword, I can voluntarily lift those limitations and significantly enhance my physical capabilities, with the degree of enhancement proportional to the time I had spent under restrictions.
Thanks to this divine protection, I have managed to overcome many formidable foes, but at times, I’ve also struggled against those beneath my rank.
“Kid, there’s a lot you need to learn. Surrender quietly,”
“Damn it, no one warned me you could do this!”
“Of course. Only a select few of my friends know about this ability, and they’re all tight-lipped,”
“Burn in hell!”
“Excellent, but slow.”
Despite knowing he couldn’t win, Barots launches a powerful strike.
Even though his reason for challenging me remained unknown—whether loyalty or fear—the attack is impressive.
I manage to knock away his dual blades and land a punch on his chin.
“You might not want to hear it, but let me enlighten you. In the realm of martial arts, no matter how basic or advanced the technique, it can eventually reach the level of a secret technique when mastered.”
To prevent him from escaping, I cut the tendons in his limbs while he’s unconscious.
“Now, I must hurry!” Lord Rios’ presence has weakened slightly.
His situation can’t be good
I heal my wounds with a potion and sprint down the corridor at full speed. After turning two corners, I spot the door to the library.
“No other choice.” I slice through the library door and enter.
Inside, I find a gruesome scene—bookshelves wrecked and books scattered around.
In the depths of the chaos, I sense the white vortex with the presence of lady Alshade and Lord Rios inside it, along with a massive ice statue of a beast with its upper body immersed in the vortex.
The bizarrely-shaped ice statue seems like the enemy.
“Huh!” Sensing the unnatural cold in the area, I create an opening in the white vortex using the pressure from my sword and dive in.
I swiftly destroy the wolf ice statue raising its foreleg and prevent the shards from falling on Lord Rios.
Lord Rios’ body is in terrible shape, with an ice sword impaled in his back. It’s evident that he went through a fierce battle.
“Sorry for being late. You did well,” I say, crouching beside him and quickly administering a potion to his body.
I won’t let him die!
TL/N: Because I didn’t have enough time to translate I’ll release more premium chapters until I have 5 advanced chapters then the release will be 1 premium ch – 1 free ch.
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