novelraw Chapter 118 : No Surrender (4)
Chapter 118 : No Surrender (4)
Chapter 118: No Surrender (4)
Pillar Sparring.
With a wooden pillar set between them, one side focused solely on offense, the other on defense.
The defender had to cast magic only after the attacker used theirs.
Ranged must respond with ranged, melee with melee.
After exchanging blows three times, they would switch positions and repeat.
It was a good test for gauging offensive and defensive capabilities, reaction speed, and close/ranged aptitude.
Flag Destroyer.
Team A had to destroy the flag placed at the edge of Team B’s area.
Team B had to protect both their flag and their members at once.
Team A was forbidden from using ranged magic, while Team B could, if necessary, move some of their members to the front line.
The exercise lasted fifteen minutes; if the flag was destroyed before time was up, the time was recorded.
After recording, the teams swapped roles and ran the test again.
It was an ideal test to assess teamwork, as well as tank, damage, and support aptitude among participants.
One-on-One Duel.
After categorizing participants according to their positions based on Tests 1 and 2, we then evaluated the level of those specially selected for individual combat through one-on-one duels.
I, Belfor, and Frederick faced the melee fighters, while Michel, Dale, and Walter took on the ranged ones.
If someone was deemed to have outstanding individual prowess, they were to be actively recommended as core combat personnel.
After two hours of testing, we completed the first two trials and selected six individuals with notable specialty combat skills.
Naturally, Francia and Rubia were among them.
Those who had finished all the tests sat almost sprawled out in the resting area behind us.
As I watched the selected fighters in front, Frederick nudged me from the side.
“The disciple’s test should be handled by the master, Carter.”
“Yeah, the instructor in charge ought to do it, Carter.”
Walter chimed in, unhelpfully.
“……”
The term “disciple” was a bit awkward, but I didn’t mind it.
Without a word, I signaled to her with my eyes.
Responding immediately, Francia spun her body around sharply.
As soon as we reached the circular central arena, we began with light stretching.
Rolling my shoulders back to loosen them, I asked,
“How’s your condition?”
“Couldn’t be better.”
“Then there’s no need to hold back.”
I drew Lukezax from my side and took a stance.
“You must’ve been itching to fight after holding back for so long. You can go all out now, Cadet.”
A peculiar gleam began to spread across Francia’s face.
“…If that’s your command, Instructor.”
The tests we’d done earlier weren’t useless, but after all, they were only tests.
If you put your life on the line without knowing your opponent’s full strength, anything could happen.
Still, it was only natural to want to see just how far your limits could go.
As if reading my mind, Francia drew the sword from her waist.
The sheath clattered to the floor with a sharp sound.
The blade shimmered faintly, its edge glinting with subdued brilliance.
As I watched the dense mana gather at the sword’s tip, I smiled.
“Alright then—let’s dance with blades.”
Finally, it was time to see each other’s true strength.
Since he had come to Karbenna, everything had changed so rapidly.
The Imperial Summit had led to Halenber’s downfall, and Eric, unable to stay in Karbenna any longer, had departed.
Her vengeance was still incomplete.
No—she wasn’t even sure if she could ever see it through.
At times, she thought she might never find the ones who destroyed her family.
Perhaps the fall of the Brida family had been nothing more than a natural elimination—
and she was simply searching for someone to blame because she couldn’t accept that.
Whenever such thoughts surfaced, she immersed herself in training.
Until she became someone irreplaceable— she chose to bury that burning desire for revenge deep in her heart and forget it.
That, Francia believed, was the best she could do.
This time was no different.
Of course, part of her wanted to protect the mentor who had become her milestone.
But beyond that, she wanted to test herself.
Just how far had she come?
This duel was the perfect opportunity to find out.
So Francia tightened her grip on the sword and planted strength in her legs.
Seeing this, her mentor’s eyes grew sharper with intent.
The vast aura of mana enveloping Eugene’s body was incomparable to their previous two bouts.
“……”
She had no solid proof, but in that instant, she was already certain.
‘He’s… regained his strength.’
If that was the case—
then there was no reason not to fight with all she had.
Kwaaang!
With an explosive sound, Francia lunged straight ahead.
As her sword came down, she thrust at the same time.
This was nothing like the wooden sword she’d used in training— the speed and cutting power were on another level entirely.
Failing to block both attacks at once would mean a fatal wound.
Her opponent was Eugene Carter. Any hesitation would only expose an opening.
So she attacked with the intent to kill.
And that was why— she barely managed to notice it.
Eugene’s hands gripping the sword began to shimmer like a mirage.
Tiiing!
A flash erupted between them.
“Kh—?!”
Francia, who had charged at Eugene like a bolt, was blown back nearly twenty meters.
Eugene, holding his stance from the counter, lightly lowered his blade.
“What are you doing? Get back in here.”
“……”
A sharp tingling sensation ran through her hand.
When she looked down, she saw a scrape near the base of her right thumb.
Gritting her teeth, she adjusted her grip.
‘…Just once more.’
Then she would know for sure.
Taat!
Kicking off the ground, Francia leapt high— this time, launching her assault from above.
Simultaneous thrusts emerging from different sword paths within the same attacking stance.
Her targets were my left shoulder and right flank.
However—
What met her as she lunged forward with a short shout was a solid barrier wall.
Clang!
“Kuht?!”
I sent out a gust of wind, pushing Francia several meters away, and murmured softly.
“Illusion Swordsmanship, Second Form — Barrier Blade.”
“…How?”
Watching her waver, I gave her a look that said it was only natural.
As if to say—You can use it, so why can’t I?
“I’ll explain later.”
I signaled repeatedly with my eyes.
The meaning was clear.
‘Don’t tell me you’re ending it like this?’ — That’s probably what she thought.
Francia shook her head and clenched her teeth.
So what if Instructor could use Illusion Swordsmanship?
That wasn’t what mattered.
To face the powerful enemies that would appear ahead, I would eventually need something beyond just Illusion Swordsmanship.
And right now, I had one more certain method.
Why should I hesitate?
“……”
As crimson aura began to rise from Francia’s blade, a faint smile curved my lips.
“That’s how it should be.”
The aura tightly enveloped her sword, bursting with dazzling light.
The murmuring among the spectators grew louder.
The successor of Illusion Swordsmanship. The heir of the Sword Saint.
Now, fully manifesting one of its proofs—her Aura Blade—
Francia Brida spoke briefly.
“This time… I’ll truly cut you down.”
Aura Blade.
A technique that condenses the densest crimson mana into the shape of a blade.
You could make a blood-red edge sprout from a guardless sword, or envelop an existing sword in aura to multiply its overall performance severalfold.
The Barrier Blade’s defensive power was proportional to the user’s mana, but its durability had clear limits.
Given Francia’s current strength, she could probably slice through the barrier I’d deployed in a single strike.
She had to.
‘It needs to have that much power—otherwise, she’ll never be able to land a blow on Karen.’
Of course, I wasn’t standing idly by either.
It was right to applaud my student’s growth, but she still had a long way to go before surpassing her teacher…!
I kept my gaze fixed on Francia’s footwork, carefully gauging the timing.
There wouldn’t be any option but a frontal assault.
If this were normal Illusion Swordsmanship, she might have launched a more varied offensive as before.
But the nature of Aura Blade required gathering and compressing a large amount of mana at once, so the possible sword paths were limited.
And against someone like Eugene Carter, half-hearted focus wouldn’t be enough.
In the end, the only choice left to her was the stance she was most familiar with.
‘That means her power will be at its peak.’
I had two ways to respond.
They were strategies I’d succeeded with over twenty times in the game, so I was confident—but this was the first time I was trying them in real combat.
One way or another, neither of us could help feeling tense.
“……”
“……”
The suffocating silence—so heavy it could stop one’s breath—was broken by Francia.
Her sword lunged forward, faster than before, but in a trajectory I knew all too well.
And my response—was surprisingly simple.
I poured one-tenth of my usable mana into Mana Armor and deployed it directly in front of me.
Kwooooom!
Dust flared up from the impact, then quickly settled.
Screech, screech!
No aura gleamed between the two clashing blades.
When the Mana Armor I had spread wide in front finished its duty and scattered, a pleasant aftertaste brushed the tip of my nose.
“…How…”
Francia’s expression, after her second ultimate attack had been effortlessly blocked,
was far more shaken than before.
Sensing the loss of fighting spirit from the hesitation at her sword tip, I withdrew Lukezax and gave a short reply.
“The test ends here. You did well.”
We stepped aside to make room for the next test.
Francia lingered for a moment, then glanced at me and asked quietly.
“Could you… explain it?”
Of course, she couldn’t accept it.
That I had mastered Illusion Swordsmanship, and that her fully condensed Aura Blade strike had dispersed so helplessly.
The former was difficult for me to explain, but the latter—was possible.
I extended Mana Armor over only my right hand as I spoke.
“The Aura Blade’s cutting mechanism isn’t like a knife—it’s more like a saw, Cadet.”
Tiny, densely packed mana blades rotate rapidly across the surface,
which makes it look like aura.
“It can slice through thick armor or wooden blocks instantly, but it can’t cut soft fabrics or slippery beast hide as easily as you’d think.”
As Francia examined the Mana Armor—layered in hundreds of thin films— she brushed her lips as if she’d realized something.
“Then this time as well…”
“Yeah. The same principle.”
The Aura Blade—of course, it was an incredible skill and an impressive accomplishment.
But no matter how overwhelming an ability may seem, nothing is invincible.
Whether it’s difficult to use, has a short duration, demands an immense price, or has a clear countermeasure—
At least in the world I know, perfect invincibility doesn’t exist.
That applied not only to me, but to Karen Rosefield as well.
“Still, this much is more than enough, Francia.”
“…Instructor?”
I answered her with a satisfied smile.
“There won’t be many strong enough to stand in your way now. Especially not in the upcoming battle.”
I felt sorry to send a heroine who must be protected onto the battlefield, but it was better to take a calculated risk for a certain return than to hesitate and face a bigger disaster later.
If all you do is shrink back thinking things won’t work, you’ll never find a way forward.
“Keep your condition in check. Get plenty of rest the day before, especially.”
“……”
As she nodded silently, I gave a faint smile in return and stepped away again.
On the stage, the second Special Combatant, Rubia, was stretching.
And the one facing her—
Was none other than Michel Bernhardt.
“If you’re ready, shall we begin?”