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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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I kicked off the ground, creating distance between myself and the cardinal, while still holding Zebeline.
Simultaneously, the hundreds of firearms poised for action unleashed a synchronized barrage.
–Ta-da-da-da-da-BANG!!
A volley of bullets, spread in a fan shape, rained down upon the cardinal.
The distance between us was roughly thirty yards.
Even with superhuman reflexes, dodging the barrage was impossible.
Just how would he defend against it?
It was too late to evade.
I watched, my eyes fixated on the Black Cardinal, who remained unfazed even as the countless bullets closed in.
“I’d heard the rumors… but this is quite a remarkable ability.”
The blades held in the cardinal’s outstretched hands blurred. In a fleeting moment, the hundreds of bullets that had streaked through the air were deflected, scattering harmlessly across the ground.
He had simply swung his swords.
Moreover, Ilkeron’s weapons were nothing more than ordinary steel swords, the kind you could find in any blacksmith’s forge.
I hadn’t even seen the trajectory of his blades.
Witnessing the impossible feat, my eyes widened in shock, a groan escaping my lips.
-…Such a monster.
He was the superhuman who had trained Maximilian into the strongest hero of all time. So, I had anticipated a formidable opponent.
But I never imagined he would be a monster capable of deflecting the Harmless Calamity’s barrage with ordinary steel swords. I had never encountered such a being.
-Then how about this?
–BOOM!!
Black miasma shimmered, and siege cannons materialized. They unleashed a thunderous barrage, targeting the Black Cardinal.
An artillery strike of overwhelming destructive power.
Even with his impressive swordsmanship, there was no way he could withstand this.
He’ll be forced to retreat.
I gathered the flintlock pistols, anticipating a momentary opening.
-You madman!
However, Ilkeron defied all logic, charging straight through the torrential rain of exploding shells.
He cut through the projectiles and flames, his advance relentless. He resembled a ravenous wild dog, his body singed by the intense heat, yet undeterred in his charge.
He was closing in.
He clearly intended to engage in close combat.
Seeing this, I drew Aldebaran, shielding Zebeline.
-Kgh!
“An excellent response.”
–Clang!!
The cardinal’s fierce attack, as swift as a gale, was blocked by Aldebaran.
Despite the surprise attack, I had managed to defend in time. Ilkeron, acknowledging my swift reaction, offered a meaningful smile.
“Maximilian’s swordsmanship, I see. Did your brother teach you?”
-That blockhead wouldn’t have the patience to teach anyone anything. I learned it myself, of course.
With a single exchange, Ilkeron had discerned that Edanant’s swordsmanship was an imitation of Maximilian’s. The aura emanating from the blade was all too familiar.
Self-taught, he claimed…
Truly a prodigious talent, worthy of being Maximilian’s younger brother.
It was a shame that such a gifted individual was a vessel for the Harmless Calamity. If only he had been a hero loyal to the One True God, he would have entrusted him with the future of the Holy Kingdom.
“Edan!”
Sword clashed against sword, their discordant symphony creating a violent storm. The ground beneath them, swept up in the gale, was torn and ravaged as if struck by a bombardment.
A moment of carelessness could be fatal.
The cardinal’s gleaming blade danced menacingly, threatening Edanant’s life.
Zebeline, anxiously watching the precarious situation, shouted.
“Truly remarkable reflexes and intuition honed by countless battles… As expected of the hero who saved the Valtarian Empire.”
-Would you shut up, old man? Do you always fight with your mouth?
“As one ages, sentimentality deepens.”
-If you’re old, go to a nursing home.
–Clang-!!
Aldebaran clashed against the two steel swords, the screech of metal against metal echoing through the air.
Simultaneously, Edanant and Ilkeron stepped forward, exchanging blows.
Edanant had the upper hand in the clash of strength.
Ilkeron, having blocked the fierce attack, was momentarily pushed back, unable to completely neutralize the force.
Edanant seized the momentary opening. He transformed his right gauntlet into a weapon loaded with a high-explosive bomb, aiming for Ilkeron.
–KABOOM!!
As he clenched his fist, the high-explosive detonated.
However, the attack missed its mark. Just before the explosion, Ilkeron had instinctively sensed the danger and quickly created distance.
“That attack…!”
To detonate a high-explosive bomb while engaging in close combat, instantly obliterating the opponent. It was a tactic designed to counter swordsmen of equal or greater skill.
A truly extreme method of attack.
If the attack had connected, his entire upper body would have been vaporized.
Ilkeron, having narrowly escaped, showed a look of surprise for the first time since the battle began.
-It was originally designed to turn that damn Hero into a mangled mess, but it can’t be helped. His master will have to take the hit instead.
“…”
If he recklessly attacked, he risked being caught in the high-explosive’s blast radius. However, maintaining a safe distance was also dangerous, considering the hundreds of muskets deployed in the air.
He was trapped.
It was indeed a tactic designed to counter Maximilian.
Ilkeron, his twin swords gripped tightly, let out a heavy sigh, calming his turbulent emotions.
‘There’s only one way. It won’t be easy, but… I have to end this with a single blow before the bomb detonates.’
If he attacked from a distance, Edanant would undoubtedly block it.
He had to close the distance at superhuman speed.
And then, exploit a blind spot before Edanant could react.
Ilkeron, a seasoned hunter, quickly devised a counter-strategy. However, it was a risky maneuver, so he gripped his swords tightly, his expression cautious.
“Cardinal Nebiakus!”
“We will assist you!”
Just as the decisive moment arrived,
Paladins cloaked in black capes rushed towards them, their swords drawn.
The Holy Kingdom’s hounds.
They were undoubtedly Ilkeron’s elite squad.
If these paladins, whose individual strength rivaled that of the Holy Knights, joined the fray, Edanant would surely be forced into a defensive position. Zebeline, sensing the danger, unleashed a torrent of white lightning, blocking their path.
“First Saintess…! You filthy witch who harbors a Calamity!”
“Slay the witch! The cunning sorceress who has deceived His Holiness and the followers!”
Zebeline smiled coldly at the paladins’ accusations, fueled by contempt and hatred.
Very well,
If you call me a witch, then a witch I shall be.
But you’ll be the ones to bear the consequences.
She had resolved to sacrifice everything to protect the one she loved. Therefore, Zebeline was unfazed by the title of “witch.”
–Crackle!
The lightning in Zebeline’s hand crackled, taking the form of a staff. The weapon conjured by the lightning was the Scepter of White Night, the sacred artifact of the Second Saintess, Beatrice.
The appearance of the scepter, adorned with blue jewels and pure white ivory, shocked the paladins. Zebeline raised the Scepter of White Night, unleashing a wave of white lightning that engulfed the surroundings.
“……!”
While the Saintess of the White Dragon held back the paladins,
The precarious standoff between Edanant and Ilkeron reached a breaking point.
The Black Cardinal made his move.
He kicked off the ground, unleashing a burst of speed, his sharp blades aimed at Edanant.
Divine Speed.
A realm of velocity beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.
The cardinal, having reached the pinnacle of speed, vanished from Edanant’s sight, appearing behind him in a blink of an eye. He had closed the distance without a trace, his blade raised high.
‘For the eternal glory of the One True God, sleep now, Calamity of War.’
The sharp blade targeted a gap in Edanant’s armor, aiming to sever his head.
However-
As the cardinal’s strike descended, a sudden change occurred in Edanant’s armor, which was reinforced with high-explosives.
The Calamity’s armor, as if triggered by a detonator, unleashed a surge of intense heat, overloading its circuits. The overwhelming thermal energy was enough to incinerate the surroundings in an instant.
“W-What…!”
He had lost sight of Ilkeron, who had activated Divine Speed. As if to prove this, Edanant’s gaze remained fixed forward.
But it didn’t matter.
He knew Ilkeron would be attacking him, regardless of his location.
As soon as Ilkeron vanished, he activated the trigger. Like a suicide bomber, Edanant detonated all the high-explosives embedded in his armor.
───!!
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A deafening roar, akin to the earth splitting apart, accompanied the Calamity’s judgment. Ilkeron, who had been aiming for Edanant’s back, was unable to react in time, swept up in the explosion.
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