As long as his knights were crushing the Black Prince's knights, the First Prince had been smiling triumphantly. A fair wind was blowing, and the wide-spread sails embraced it. The ship was sailing smoothly.
He had even defeated the Red-Eyed Devil, the one he had been most wary of. ...Of course, it hadn't gone exactly as planned, but what did it matter? He had been captured. All that mattered was the result. He had planned to give up at least two losses to capture the devil, but he had managed to do it by sacrificing only one.
If this wasn't luck, what was? The entire universe was helping him. It couldn't get any better than this.
After that, everything went according to plan. The smooth sailing continued. His knights overwhelmingly crushed the Black Prince's knights. The match tilted to a score of 8 to 4. It was his victory, plain for anyone to see. A smooth, overwhelming victory.
But just before reaching the port, the smoothly sailing ship hit a reef.
That was when the First Prince's smile vanished.
The Golden Flash entered the match and defeated his knight in the blink of an eye. It was a shock, like being hit on the back of the head. Following that, Sir Vermont entered the match, but he too knelt before the Golden Flash. It happened before the shock from the back of his head had even subsided.
Vermont had gone onto the stage extrely wary of her charge, but that, ironically, beca the cause of his defeat. Ashley saw right through Vermont's intentions. She managed the match by responding normally, without using the Golden Flash. With that alone, she gained the upper hand in the psychological battle and took control of the match.
Vermont, while exchanging ordinary sword blows with her, was extrely wary of the Golden Flash that could erupt at any mont, and fought a timid match. It was only natural that he couldn't perform at his best. And so, Ashley cornered Vermont... then unleashed the Golden Flash at an unexpected mont, and Vermont gave up his shoulder and knelt.
She wasn't just strong. It was a mont where one could glimpse the aspect of a strong and seasoned veteran knight.
Having been defeated so one-sidedly twice, anxiety crept up on the First Prince. Of course, it wasn't anxiety that he would ultimately lose, but anxiety that he wouldn't be able to achieve victory with his own knights alone. Victory had already been confird the mont the three Royal Knights arrived.
What he desired was a complete and overwhelming victory. A proof of himself, that he would have won the decisive battle even without his father's help. A stage to prove to his father, who had chosen him, that his choice was not wrong.
Now, only one of his own knights remained. That proof would turn to dust if his last knight was defeated.
As he was lost in thought, Sir Riley spoke.
"My lord. I will go and defeat the Golden Flash."
"...."
"Please send . I will definitely bring back victory!"
"...Wait a mont."
"My lord!"
"Did I not tell you to wait! If you too lose to the Golden Flash, it will be three consecutive losses! What will my father think!"
"...."
As his deliberation dragged on, one of the Royal Knights, who had been standing silently, stepped forward. It was a knight with a relatively smaller build compared to the other two.
"I will go."
"What?"
"Are you not afraid of a third consecutive loss?"
"...."
Leaving the speechless First Prince behind, Rutie proceeded to the stage. Watching her ascend the stage, the First Prince let out a sigh.
'It might be for the best.'
It could be rude not to send out any of the knights his father had sent. It could be seen as him daring to refuse his father's help.
'Just one should be...'
That much, even if not a perfect victory, would still look like a decent enough victory. The First Prince did not think for a mont that she would be defeated by the Golden Flash.
'Once Rutie defeats the Golden Flash, it will all be over.'
The First Prince's smile returned. The blind swordsman was not even in his consideration.
***
In the end, the two sisters t in the arena. A mont so would call destiny, and others, a cruel fate.
"You should call Big Sis."
"...."
But Ashley did not answer.
To her, Rutie asked.
"What did Sir Serkov say to you earlier?"
Ashley said coldly.
"That's none of your business."
Rutie peeked her head to the side, looking at the blind swordsman watching from the opposite side. After confirming the master of the demon sword sitting next to him, she asked Ashley again.
"The blindfold. Was that Ashuban's idea?"
"...."
"The First Prince was completely fooled. Even now, he's thinking it'll be an easy win once he defeats you."
Rutie smiled brightly as she watched the blind swordsman nervously chewing on beef jerky.
"He's... a very interesting person. How he can make soone so expectant over sothing so trivial. My heart is pounding. It's been so long. Can you hear it?"
Shing—
Ashley silently raised her sword.
Rutie gazed at Ashley and called her in a soft tone.
"Ashley."
"...."
"Shall we make a bet?"
"What kind?"
"If I win, you co back to the family."
Ashley's eyes grew cold.
Rutie provoked her with a sneer.
"What, are you scared? It's not even my main weapon."
As she said, Rutie was not wearing her usual long Dao, but a light rapier like Ashley's at her waist. For a swordsman, a weapon can be seen as an extension of their limbs. It is that important and aningful. Therefore, the difference between using a familiar main weapon and not is by no ans small. Especially when that main weapon is an unusual one.
Ashley glared at Rutie.
"...And if I win?"
"Well. Shall I grant you a wish? What do you want?"
Ashley glared at the nonchalant woman... then said in a low, sunken tone.
"Apologize to ."
Rutie tilted her head.
"Apologize?"
"For tornting all this ti."
"Tornting? That's a bit harsh. Anyone would think-"
"For trampling on my dreams countless tis. For secretly breaking my swords and getting rid of my people. And then for surrounding with your people to monitor my every move."
Every word Ashley uttered was packed with her suppressed resentnt.
"For looking down on and laughing. For interfering with my training in all sorts of ways. For threatening . For stepping on and breaking the sword my mother left right in front of my eyes. For finally making leave the family I loved with my own two feet. For everything!"
Ashley's eyes blazed with a blue light.
"Apologize. For everything."
"...Oh my."
Rutie's eyes sparkled from within her helt.
She chuckled and said.
"Anyone who heard that would think it's true, dear."
"...."
Rutie said in a tone laced with a cold sneer.
"Are you sure you're okay? Your ankle looks a little uncomfortable."
Ashley said no more. A brilliant sunlight began to shimr on her sword.
"Co at ."
"...Alright. You've gotten quite arrogant since I last saw you. I'll have to teach you your place."
Rutie drew the sword from her waist.
"I should end this quickly."
She said, her eyes on the blind swordsman watching from a distance.
"There's soone I want to et."
Ashley, standing as if to block her path, brought Rutie's gaze back to herself.
"No, you won't get that far."
Rutie looked at Ashley's blue eyes with a slightly surprised expression. A cold anger was shimring in her eyes.
"Because I will stop you."
Rutie smiled brightly.
"Try and stop ."
At that mont, Aron Hobas, who had been watching for the right mont, cautiously interjected.
"Um... are you ready?"
Rutie nodded, and then Ashley also took her stance. It was her unique stance, with her sword pulled all the way back, looking as if she would fall forward.
Rutie smiled brightly as she looked at her younger sister's stance. Then, she began to wave the rapier, identical to her sister's, lightly in front of her eyes. As if playing with a puppy. As if taunting an angry bull.
Ashley frowned.
"What are you doing?"
Rutie replied in a casual tone.
"Just warming up my hands. Don't mind ."
With each swing, the uniquely flexible blade of the rapier began to bend slightly with her hand movents. It got faster and faster with her quick handiwork... until finally, the blade itself was no longer visible. Only the fierce sound of the wind being cut and the occasional glint of the blade reflecting the sunlight could be seen.
Sir Annie.
Ashley bit her lip.
'Not even funny.'
Annie was the na of Ashley's puppy. A poor thing that had been mauled to death by a fierce guard dog protecting the residence while she was away.
To her, who was sobbing while hugging the puppy's body.
Rutie had explained in a nonchalant tone.
That she had accidentally let go of the leash, and it had accidentally entered Ashley's quarters and mauled it to death. It was an amazing incident where everything was explained by coincidence.
Of course, Ashley didn't believe a single word she said.
Before the words were even finished, a golden flash erupted.
But her thrust cut through empty air.
"...!"
To her, who had stopped with a confused face, Rutie smiled and swung her sword.
"So naive."
***
I soon understood the fatal flaw the Heavenly Demon had ntioned. It was about Sir Ashley's preparatory motion.
She has a unique stance right before she charges. She takes a slightly long step with her front foot, her body leaning forward as if it will topple over. The opening was in that preparatory stance.
The Golden Flash is based on the principle of explosion. It's a charge made by instantaneously exploding a trendous amount of mana gathered in her foot. To do that, she needs ti to gather the mana. Naturally, to produce that terrifying instantaneous speed, a considerable amount of mana is required.
Gathering that much mana in one place didn't seem to be a problem in itself... The problem was the ti it took to gather that mana. For the amount of mana needed, it seed to gather quite quickly, but there was an unavoidable mont of hesitation. It wasn't that long. A second at most?
But I learned that one second could be a sufficiently long ti for soone.
Rutie, who had seen through this fact, easily succeeded in cornering Ashley. By swinging her sword quickly in front of Ashley's eyes to distract her, she skillfully mixed in footwork. In the end, Ashley's Golden Flash was directed in the wrong direction.
Rutie, who had so easily dodged the first Golden Flash, imdiately rushed in right after, not giving her a chance to use her ultimate skill.
Is the explosion scary? Then all you have to do is block it before it explodes. Rutie didn't give Ashley ti to prepare the Golden Flash.
Sir Ashley showed a montary look of confusion, but she soon gave up on the Golden Flash and focused on the duel before her.
But her opponent was the Royal Knight, Rutie of the Swift Sword. She was not a knight to be pushed back in swordsmanship. Even if it wasn't her main weapon.
Clang! Clang! Swaak!
She parried and deflected all of Ashley's fierce, thrust-oriented attacks. After receiving Ashley's attacks for a while to gauge her skill, Rutie soon went on the offensive.
Ch-ch-ch-clang!
Sir Ashley did her best to block and deflect her sword, but the sword was so fast that she was barely managing to block or avoid fatal wounds. But Rutie's sword didn't stop there; it got faster and faster. The number of minor cuts was increasing.
"Well, I'll be..."
If she tried to use the Golden Flash, she wasn't given a chance, and if she tried to settle it with just swordsmanship, she was no match. She was hard-pressed to even defend, let alone attack. It was a dilemma.
[She relied too much on the technique called Golden Flash.]
The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue.
[It seems she has escaped all her crises with the Golden Flash until now... That's not good. An outstanding ultimate skill is ironically hindering her growth. One should use an ultimate skill, not be swayed by it.]
His words had a point... but they were also of no help in the current situation. There was nothing she could do about it now.
The Heavenly Demon asked with interest.
[Then what do you think she should do?]
In my opinion... In the end, there was still only the Golden Flash. The fact that Rutie was blocking it like that ant it was that threatening. It was proof that even she, known as Rutie of the Swift Sword, could not receive Ashley's Golden Flash.
She couldn't gain an advantage in anything else. The only way out was the Golden Flash.
[Correct.]
The Heavenly Demon smiled with satisfaction.
Suddenly, the nonsensical bullshit the Heavenly Demon had asked to relay to Sir Ashley ca to mind.
"So that was the advice?"
[That's right. I gave her a clue. The rest is up to her.]
The Heavenly Demon said as if reciting.
[Will she break out of the egg, or will she be crushed while trapped inside?]
I mulled over the Heavenly Demon's advice and watched the match.
'Is the flash the only child of the explosion?'
I get the flash. It must refer to Sir Ashley's fa-making ultimate skill, the Golden Flash. I think I get the explosion too. It refers to her mana characteristic, which, unlike mine, explodes quite well.
Then... what does 'the only child' an?
Just as a tickling feeling of almost knowing but not quite was tornting .
Rutie lowered her stance.
*Stab!*
And stabbed Sir Ashley's instep.
(End of Chapter)
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