Book Eater

Chapter 158: One Year Later (4)

As he spoke, the aura around Baek Jongmyung flared up even further. However, Theo didn’t move. Unlike his opponent, Theo was taking his opponent seriously. He hadn’t expected his Magic Bullet barrage and a surprise Memorize attack to actually work.

Surprise attacks don’t mean much to a sword master.?

He had sparred many times with Randolph, but sword masters were essentially grim reapers on the battlefield. Their reaction time was just that fast. Their aura would instinctively protect them from ambushes, such as a lightning strike from the sky. It was an offensive and defensive asset.

Offensive prowess, defensive ability, high mobility and fathomless endurance, a sword master with an Aura Ability almost seemed invincible.

Kakiing...

Baek Jongmyung’s blade moved like a wave.

Theo muttered unconsciously, “... Soft sword?”

“Oh, so you know it. I heard that it isn’t often used in the west,” Baek Jongmyung replied with an admiring expression.

In truth, Lee Yoonsung’s memories had supplied the answer. Theo would’ve just attributed it to a strange type of swordsmanship. A soft sword allowed a swordmaster to possess a flexible style that could deliver fatal blows from strange angles. Unfortunately, Lee Yoonsung had never fought against a soft sword user.

“Then let's get started,” Baek Jongmyung said as he charged.

The sword in his right hand moved like a whip, leaving afterimages in the air. Theo had only experienced Randolph’s straightforward style, but this was fundamentally different.

Pit!?

Blood splattered on the ground. Even with the help of his perception, Theo got injured. Baek Jongmyung had swung from outside the range of his blade, but a line of blood was still drawn on Theo’s cheek. Once a whip struck, it could deal as much damage as a mace. The flexible sword was showing its prowess in battle!

Indeed, this technique...!?

Theo backpedaled as he admired this new style. It was faster than Magic Bullet at close range, and far more unpredictable. He couldn’t even read its path with its senses. Above all, it was relentless. The attacks came in like a torrential rainstorm.

No, it was like a snake with hundreds of heads.

Ping!

The protective magic he used as a shield was pierced through like cloth. Broad defense magic couldn’t deal with pinpoint attacks. However, if he tried to use a spell capable of defending against pinpoint attacks, he would need millimeter precision.

I can’t block it. Avoidance is best.?

Theo was quickly running out of breath.

Battle Song. Sonata of Speed. Vivace.?

Battle Song enhanced his physical abilities, and this one increased his speed half over. He was determined to find an opportunity as his eyes began to capture the path of the flexible sword.

… This should be enough!

Theo sprang forward.

“Hmm?” Baek Jongmyung was surprised by this seemingly reckless charge.

The magician’s robe was almost in tatters, and he was freely bleeding, so why would he push forward? However, Baek Jongmyung was not about to get careless and get tricked twice.

The silver storm swallowed Theo.

Kwakakakak!

Gravel was thrown into the air as Theo met the swords head on. A knight in full plate armor would be torn to shreds by this attack, let alone Theo. The spectators averted their eyes from the inevitable fountain of blood.

“T-This!”

“Sir Ted!?”

However, the two sword masters didn’t panic. Randolph was familiar with Theo’s skills, while Baek Jongmyung cried out, “Good!”

Baek Jongmyung almost couldn’t believe his eyes as Theo superbly evaded his sword. He was moving at the same speed as the blades, but that wasn’t all. He was using Lee Yoonsung’s footwork to expertly slip through the gaps between Baek Jongmyung’s attacks.

As Baek Jyongmyung’s attacks slowed, Theo’s turn finally came.

Every storm has an eye.

The area immediately around Baek Jongmyung was free of the storm. Of course, swordsmanship and a natural phenomenon weren’t the same, but there were certain parallels. For example, one needed space to generate torque and acceleration. Once Theo drew closer to Baek Jongmyung, the latter would no longer have the space to generate his attacks.

But while this was theoretically accurate, who would close the distance when facing a sword master?

“Spell Fusion.”

It would take a certain kind of insane person.

Memorize. All Slots Open. Triple Blaze Burst. Triple Fire Strike. Spell Fusion: Strike Flare.

At that moment, Theo’s fist became hot enough to melt iron.

Kwaaaaang!

A massive explosion rocked the open space as Theo flashed past Baek Jongmyung. As the smoke cleared, Baek Jongmyung’s clothing was almost destroyed, and despite defending with aura, there were shallow burns on his skin.

Baek Jongmyung disregarded his wounds as he grinned. “... Truly amazing skills, Sir Ted.”

In this confined battlefield, a magician had successfully wounded a sword master? His Aura Ability had been sealed, but that was no excuse. If they had unleashed everything they had, there was a good chance Baek Jongmyung would’ve lost faster. It was also much more impressive that the man who had created this situation was in his mid twenties at the most.

Baek Jongmyung walked toward Theo, “Sir Ted, that footwork of yours almost seemed like martial arts, and highly polished at that. If you don’t mind, can you tell me where you learned it?”

Theo thought for a moment before answering, “I happened to learn it from a kinsman of the Lee Family, but he is deceased now.”

“Lee Family… that isn’t a family from Western Xia.”

Baek Jongmyung wanted to follow up, but Theo refused to open his mouth. Although Baek Jongmyung was sad for a moment, he quickly found what Theo was lacking.

“Sir Ted seems comfortable with the martial arts taught to you, but you have yet to master it.”

“Yes, it is still immature.”

“Huh, that isn’t the right word. There are many juniors in my hometown, but I’ve never seen someone like Sir Ted. The world is really wide.”

Baek Jongmyung squeezed his sword’s pommel with one hand as he relaxed his stance. However, Theo wasn’t satisfied yet. He was in front of a strong man who could push him to his limits, giving Theo a stimulus which wasn’t possible while sparring with Randolph. This experience with a master was worth more than a thousand gold.

So, Theo tried a reasonable compromise. “As Master Baek said, I haven’t mastered this technique yet. But I do have one skill I have yet to show.”

“... Uhh, that is regrettable.” As expected from a warrior, Baek Jongmyung immediately understood Theo. He wasn’t about to decline a request to renew the fight. In fact, he wanted to see more of Theo’s skills.

“Then shall we end this by competing with one last skill?”

“That seems like a good idea.”

The two men went to either end of the space.

Good, this much space is enough.

It was still unusable in real battle, but he felt like he could pull it off here. A magician was strongest if he had enough space and time. If this were a normal battle against a warrior, for a magician, the probability of winning would be less than half. However, if Theo was the magician in question, he could make it a coin toss, or even better.

Theo closed his eyes. It was a technique that couldn’t be used without concentrating.

Answer, door to Muspelheim.

There was no need to open his mouth as the red tattoo on his left hand started to move under his glove. A dimension of fire, stuffed with mana, opened up, and the flames of Muspelheim filled his entire left arm.

Then he moved his consciousness from his left hand to another place.

... This is still a little tough.

The Blood Mark of Aquilo, the dragon who used to rule the Pirate Archipelago, wriggled in response. It was a beautifully cool and damp aura. The energy which came from the dragon was so dense that it was like something sticky was stuck to Theo’s skin. He almost lost his focus.

His left hand contained Muspelheim’s flames, while his right hand contained Aquilo’s chilled mana from the dragon blood. The yin energy and yang energies, two contrasting energies, formed in his hands and struggled against each other. Even Theo, who constantly trained his mind, couldn’t hold it for long. In this state, even opening his mouth was grueling.

Theo gritted his teeth. “I’m coming!”

Baek Jongmyung roused his aura. “Yes!”

He could sense something unusual happening, and his own danger sense, formed from decades of training, warned him that this attack couldn't be stopped by a basic aura defense.

As the hairs on the back of his neck rose, he laughed. “Huhaha! My blood is boiling for the first time in a long time!”

It was the jubilation of a warrior facing a challenge. The power coming from Theo was enough to threaten Baek Jongmyung. As Baek Jongmyung’s mouth formed a smile, both of Theo’s hands moved forward.

Focus, focus, focus, focus, focusssss-...

Blood flowed from Theo’s nose as his hands moved in a semicircle. It had been a year since he had fought Pride, and he had developed this spell as his last ditch resort. This time, instead of draining away, the power was pulled inward.

The red and blue mana tangled together, creating an attack that had never been seen before.

――――――――――!

A flash burst out.

***

Kurururung!

It was like an explosive had gone off. The earth quaked, light burst outward, and the spectators were left stumbling as they covered their eyes. The two children, whom Baek Jongmyung had brought, were able to keep their balance, but Prince Elsid and Marquis Piris had to hang on to a nearby tree just to stay upright.

“W-What the hell is this...!”

Elsid looked at the rising dust cloud in utter bewilderment. They had retreated a considerable distance to avoid being caught in the fallout, but the shockwave had still caught them off guard. This was the first battle he had seen between master level combatants.

The onlookers could feel their bodies reacting instinctively to the display. Five pairs of eyes filled with contradictory feelings of surprise, fear, admiration, and interest as they looked at where the duo had collided. The breeze picked up, blowing away the dust to reveal the two men.

“Um.”

“Oh, the winner...”

“Indeed...”

The two opponents had contrasting positions. Theo was barely standing, while Baek Jongmyung’s sword was at Theo’s neck. The winner and loser were evident.

The swordsman Baek Jongmyung, who had broken through Theo’s attack, sighed heavily as he lowered his sword.

“I lost.”