Chapter 297. Delusion (2)
About 3 cm on the diagonal from the left.
Seeing Kikubad swinging his sword with all his might, I had a thought.
'His aura forms an invisible blade.'
That was the secret to enhancing his lethality while simultaneously creating technical maneuvers, sothing Kikubad excelled at.
But.
'I can see it.'
It wasn't that I could see Kikubad's aura, the Blade of Hypocrisy. It was simply my instincts telling .
This is the distance. At this distance, it won't hit.
"Kugh...!"
Once again, Kikubad swung his sword, but I evaded it with ease.
As I saw his twisted expression, I stepped forward and slashed at his shoulder.
"Strong!"
Though his face twisted in pain, Kikubad praised my swordsmanship.
"Strong indeed. So strong! As expected of the top disciple of Hayden Reich! You've beco just like him!"
Whether it was a complint or an insult was unclear.
Uttering inscrutable words in an elated state, Kikubad continually swung his sword.
This ti, was he pretending to coat his sword in 'aura'? If I increased the distance, he probably planned to strike using untouched 'mana'.
It wouldn't work. With that thought, I closed the distance instead.
Using the 'Moonlit Sword', I thrust forward. Unfortunately, Kikubad extended his blade with 'aura' to block it.
"If I kill you, I'll truly surpass the Sword Saint!"
Crack.
The sound of clashing swords echoed repeatedly.
"Even if I kill you, no one will rember it."
You are nothing.
As if provoked by those words, Kikubad quickly turned his body and deflected my sword.
Then, Kikubad's thrust ca toward . As the blue blade approached, a wry smile ford on his lips.
The attack landed. He probably thought so.
Kang──!
"Ugh!?"
However, Kikubad's attack never reached my body. I used the mask of the 'Black Knight', 'Angelica', to block his attack.
"Is it the demon I saw that ti!?"
"Let introduce you. This is Angelica."
As if introducing Angelica, the many eyes of 'Angelica' squird and she shrieked.
― Kyaaaak!
In that fearso display, Kikubad hesitated for a mont. In that instant, I adjusted my stance and thrust my sword into his abdon.
Thunk──!
The sensation of piercing his flesh transmitted through the hilt. However, it wasn't deep. To minimize the damage, he was clutching the 'Moonstone Sword' with his own hands.
"K-ha-hahaha!"
With maniacal laughter, Kikubad glared at .
***
Though not penetrating, the sword stuck in his abdon. Following the sword with his gaze, Kikubad raised his head to look at Yulian.
He wore a gentle smile, yet his expression was close to 'expressionless'. Feeling a change in Yulian's usual deanor, Kikubad flinched.
Indeed, Yulian, despite being the 'Sword Saint's' disciple, was a man with a lighthearted deanor.
He showed no strong conviction or determination, so his swordsmanship was the only aspect of him of any interest.
However, at that mont, Kikubad was curious.
Who is this human in front of ?
"Who are you!?"
Kikubad voiced his question.
No response ca.
The sword embedded in his abdon, which he held onto tightly, continued to penetrate inch by inch.
"Kuh..."
Cold.
It wasn't the sword piercing his skin he was talking about.
His aura.
His deanor.
His breathing.
All of it was colder than the impression Yulian originally gave off.
Yet, ironically, it made him feel all the more like 'Yulian'.
Was this his instinct, his true nature?
"I asked a strange question."
"That's right. I am Yulian."
"Then let ask another question. What trick did you use?"
"What trick, indeed."
Yulian let out a short laugh. It wasn't the 'sneer' he'd shown before.
There was no emotion. It was just laughter flowing out like inertia.
"I rely looked back at myself. Wouldn't you consider embarking on a journey to find yourself, Sir Kikubad? Ah!"
Yulian exclaid as he took a step forward.
"It's no longer possible, it seems."
"That's sothing we don't know yet!"
Kikubad gripped the Moonstone Sword embedded in his abdon with both hands.
'Forcing it out with strength is impossible.'
Yulian's strength was notoriously overwhelming, but Kikubad believed it was possible to counter it with 'skill'.
However, the current 'Yulian' was in a state where he surpassed even himself in terms of skill.
'Thus.'
A different approach was necessary.
Kikubad quickly started channeling his aura into the 'Moonstone Sword'.
Due to the 'Moonstone Sword's' uniqueness and Yulian's 'aura', it was difficult to interfere with the inner blade, but Kikubad's aim was the blade's exterior.
Tsiijijijik──!
With a chilling sound, the mana began to stir. Seeing that, Yulian quickly released the Moonstone Sword.
'Tsk.'
As expected, he's quick to notice. I aid to use the 'aura' to surround the Moonstone Sword with an 'invisible blade' to inflict damage, but it didn't work.
'Fortunately, I managed to let go of the sword...'
Bang──!
Suddenly, there was a flash in the sky, and Kikubad's view revealed the wall of the audience chamber.
At the sa ti, a surge of pain shot from his neck faster than light.
'Kugh, urgh.'
He couldn't comprehend what just happened, but he had an idea.
Likely, Yulian, seeking distance, had kicked his head.
'If I hadn't instinctively surrounded my neck with aura, I would've died instantly.'
That's how threatening Yulian's every move was. He nearly died from a kick that was just casually swung while retreating.
'Interesting.'
Crack.
Slowly turning his neck, Kikubad shifted his gaze to Yulian and smiled.
'So, this was it?'
Others had said.
Wasn't he obsessed with the title of 'Sword Saint'?
Wasn't he unnecessarily fixated on the na tainted by delusion?
Kikubad had thought the sa. That he was engrossed in the title of 'Sword Saint'.
'Was this what I was looking for?'
What he had desired all this ti wasn't 'proof' of himself. He had been searching for soone to stand in the way of that 'proof'.
The force he wielded. Whoever stood against it must be a strong adversary. Further, soone stronger than...
'Hayden Reich, soone stronger than that fellow!'
With the certainty that the person before him was stronger than 'Hayden Reich', whom he had never properly contended with, Kikubad believed that his judgnt was not wrong.
How many years had it been? To et an opponent that made him feel like a 'challenger'.
Despite wielding dual swords, Kikubad was in an overwhelmingly advantageous situation, so he quickly put his right foot on the ground.
'It's been a while since my blood boiled!'
Concealing his excitent, Kikubad gripped the Moonstone Sword and swiftly closed the distance to Yulian.
Due to its 'Gemstone Sword' characteristics, it was more challenging to wield than a regular sword, but he managed to control his aura to form 'cutting power'.
Once swung, he was at a distance where he could cleave Yulian's neck. Kikubad began seeing two images of Yulian in his vision.
"Ugh...!"
A strong surge of nausea.
Just before he could assess this sudden physical abnormality, the two images of Yulian in his vision began to rge into one.
His body wasn't suddenly fine. He had simply gotten closer.
"A swordsman can only drop his sword when he achieves certain victory, Sir Kikubad."
Yulian's voice ca to him in a low murmur.
As Kikubad began to understand what it ant, the Moonstone Sword he was holding was already in Yulian's grasp.
"The mont my head was hit, it was over."
Kikubad calmly assessed his condition.
He had thought that when Yulian kicked his head, he'd narrowly avoided 'instant death' from his neck breaking, but it wasn't the case.
"That was an aura-laden kick. It was more than enough to shake the brain."
Kikubad's damaged brain began to forcibly imprison his consciousness to go into rest imdiately.
He knew it. If he closed his eyes like this, he'd die. However, an irresistible lethargy enveloped his body.
"Tsk, cough... tsk."
Faced with imminent death, Kikubad laughed.
"I can't see a way to win at all."
Though his eyes closed and his head began to droop, Kikubad managed to lift his gaze.
"I said your swordsmanship had reached the level of Hayden Reich, but that wasn't it. You've surpassed that level."
Disregarding Kikubad's words, Yulian slowly lifted the Moonstone Sword.
"A swordsman must constantly challenge new heights. That much was the part where even the mismatched values of Hayden Reich aligned."
The Moonstone Sword continued to rise.
"I may be broken like this, but I've reached a new height. In that sense, Yulian, your future life is pitiable."
Just before he struck down. The Moonstone Sword began to glint with a gentle moonlight.
"With that degree of height, no one will challenge you in the future, and for the rest of your life, what will you..."
Slice.
The Moonstone Sword struck the ground like a bolt of lightning. At the sa ti, Kikubad's head fell to the floor.
***
― Hic, huuuk...!"
Eulsis, lying down and gasping for air. Seeing him, Abigail was thrown into confusion.
Even though part of his body had transford like a demon due to being the 'Demon King', his eyes were still those of 'Eulsis'. Abigail caught her reflection in those eyes.
A vision of herself crying. She vaguely guessed Eulsis's fate.
If 'Kikubad' sohow won, he could buy so ti. With that thought, she turned her head in the direction he was fighting.
Klak──!
Then, a scene of a sword striking down entered Abigail's eyes. The one standing was Yulian, which ant Kikubad was dead.
"Eek! Eek...!"
Her eyes t Yulian's. While he wore a smile, there was a chilling indifference to his deanor.
Such a figure was walking slowly toward her, clutching a gleaming sword.
Clacky's Corner:
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