Chapter 19: Ravage
Anger was welling up inside me.
Not just at the magicians who were attacking me, but simply at the way this world is structured.
They eliminate unnecessary beings to protect their own power.
Once again, I recognized how truly foolish and utterly hopeless nobles are.
“Well then. Shall we begin?”
Everyone is skilled. Each one uses magic to close in on me. Their element is ice, and large, sharp icicles are generated from the ground, rushing toward me.
However, I have already unleashed Amajiki’s Ability.
I cut down everything and systematically cause the magicians to lose consciousness. I attack their vital points—like the solar plexus—with precise strikes, quickly snatching away their consciousness.
In fact, chaotic battle is my specialty.
Even with magic, I never fall behind.
Analysis and learning of this world’s magic are already somewhat complete. While skillfully handling the attacking magicians, I am left with only one person.
“Damn it…! You savage…!”
He looked familiar.
He is the leader who attacked me last time. He gathers a large amount of magic energy in both hands, then rapidly transforms it into magic.
“Avalanche—!”
An unstoppable avalanche of snow appears before me, overwhelming in size. It’s like a massive wave of snow. I dodge sideways as the slow-falling avalanche descends overhead.
“Fuh. I’ve already read your moves,”
In an instant, he jumped right beside me. It seems he’s activated magic too, a spear of ice is shot out, but I block it with Amajiki.
“It’s a lure. Don’t think that all of the enemy is within your control just because they’re under your magic,”
“Guhh..!Shit/”
I slash him with Amajiki, then deliver a solid kick to his solar plexus, sending him flying. He is completely knocked out and stops moving.
“Now, who’s next—?”
I demonstrate overwhelming strength.
If they still come at me, I won’t hold back. With that resolve, I ravage these magicians.
“Guh, hahaha…! Ah, this feels good. You’re strong, huh. But, do you think there haven’t been swordsmen like you before?”
Grey’s face twists as he speaks to me.
“What?”
“Do you know why magic has come to dominate this world so thoroughly?”
“It’s because magic is superior,”
“That’s right. But no matter the era, a genius will always emerge. Not just among magicians, but among swordsmen as well.”
“…You. Is that what you’re implying?”
I suddenly understand what he wants to say.
“So, you’re saying that you’re cutting down promising swordsmen.”
“Yeah! That’s right!”
Grey spreads his arms wide and shouts loudly.
He acts as if he’s intoxicated by his own speech.
“Swordsmanship is trash compared to magic. But, there are exceptions to everything. If you crush those exceptions, then this principle becomes absolute. The idea that swordsmen can defeat magicians—those exceptions—must be eradicated.”
“Your reckless acts will never be forgiven.”
“I won’t ask for mercy! Power is everything; power is justice. In the end, this world is ruled by violence. Violence wielded through magic—that’s the truth.”
“Is that so? Then let’s settle which is stronger, once and for all. That’s fine, isn’t it?”
I gently close my eyes for a moment and think of the swordsmen whose potential has been trampled by these magicians. I carry that resentment into this fight.
My anger has already surpassed its limit and, paradoxically, has become more composed.
Emotions can temporarily unleash explosive strength, but that is a double-edged sword. Emotions must be controlled.
I suppress a strong murderous intent deep in my heart.
“So, who’s coming next? Is it you, Grey Grace?”
“No, I’ll have my sister fight. If she’s to be defeated, then I’ll personally take on the opponent myself.”
“Understood.”
I face the girl. She slowly steps forward and glances at me, but—this is already—the outcome is decided before the fight even begins.
The reason is that she, unlike the others, has never looked down on me. In fact, she seems to dislike this kind of situation.
But, as a noble, is her standing preventing her from running away?
“Come on.”
“…Haahhh!”
The girl boldly approaches me. At the same time, the amount of magic she can deploy exceeds ten, and a barrage of icy spears storms down from overhead. Also, from the ground, icicles continue to be generated, chasing after me.
Indeed, many nobles probably excel in magic talent.
My opponent, as if refusing to see anything, directs overwhelming amounts of ice magic at me.
It’s almost a scream, yet I am not one to misunderstand this lamentation. And—who she is. I’ve figured it out during this series of battles.
Because I’ve already clashed swords with her once.
“Haahhhhhhh!”
She is what’s called a silent mage. She manipulates the directional magic flows with her palms, pouring out magic continuously.
With a resolve to end this, she unleashes Avalanche of snow from all directions towards me.
The magic density of what she just cast is more than double, and the avalanche pushes down on me from above, intent on crushing me.
“Hahaha! I told you! A true talented mage cannot be defeated by a swordsman! Even if you have talent as a swordsman, the stage you stand on is different!”
“—Don’t bark. I can’t be suppressed so easily.”
With a slash of my “Amajiki” (Sky Devourer), I escape from the snow. The snow swallowed by “Amakui” disperses, and ice fragments scatter around.
“Finish it—!”
Grey gives that order, but she no longer approaches me.
She drops to her knees and bows her head.
“…Brother. I can’t defeat him.”
“What are you saying? Your true ability is not this level.”
She—Riana—shakes her head side to side.
“I can’t defeat him, and I no longer want to do this. He’s treated me very kindly. I won’t hurt Ayame-san anymore…”
“Riana. Do you know that swordsman? No, surely not. Have you still been learning swordsmanship?!”
Anger swells inside Grey, and she slaps Riana hard across the cheek. Then she grabs her collar and presses closer.
“Do you understand—?! We are from the Grace family! If we steadily accumulate achievements, we can reign at the top of the Elements!”
“…I’m tired now. Exploiting others and trying to get ahead of everyone else. I think your ambition is admirable. But I don’t want to stand on the corpses of others.”
“…Idiot. Cool your head for a while.”
Grey roughly kicks Riana as if she were a thing, then steps toward me.
Riana, tumbling backward, is covered in snow and quietly shedding tears.
At that moment, something in my heart seems to snap.
“Let’s deal with my sister’s punishment when I get back. Now, I will personally—Gah!?”
Without listening to the rest of her words, I forcefully kick Grey’s body. He rolls immediately before having a chance to brace himself.
I don’t miss the opportunity, and I punch him squarely in the cheek with all my might.
“Gah—!!”
“Do you understand, Riana? The pain.”
I approach the crouching Grey.
“You, you coward… Tricking me with a surprise attack…”
“Then come at me head-on. Show me how you devastate me with all your magic. Just like you’ve done with swordsmen until now.”
“Hah. I’ve already been doing that. It’s over for you.”
From above, sharp icicles rain down. My opponent is also a silent mage, with no eye contact or hand gestures. But I’m not unaware of that.
He swung his sword in a vertical arc and cut the opponent cleanly in two.
“Huh? My magic has a pretty high magic power density. And you’re telling me that even that was nullified?”
Grey’s eyes widened in surprise. It seemed he had thought he wouldn’t be cut down by his own magic.
“Who—What are you—?”
Grey asked with extreme composure.
There was only one answer to that question—
“I am simply a samurai.”
Chapter 20: True Ability
“Samurai… a swordsman from the Far East. Come to think of it, there’s a culture over in the Far East called ‘Seppuku,’ isn’t there?”
Grey chuckled with a grin. I could somewhat predict what he was going to say next.
“How about we make a bet?”
“A bet?”
“Yes. If you win, I’ll set Riana free. If I win, you must perform harakiri. I’m getting tired of battles where I just trample everything. It’s better if there’s some risk for me, don’t you think?”
“—Understood.”
I quickly agreed to the proposal.
“Ayame-san…”
“Ayame-san! That’s not right! There’s no need to weigh my life against Ayame-san’s!”(Note: ‘Ayame’ is used as a name here, based on context.)
I could hear Luna’s voices, filled with despair, and Riana’s desperate scream.
He knows what I’m thinking. He knows I will absolutely accept this.
“…Heh heh heh. Too late now. We’ve both agreed. The magic contract is established right here, right now.”
Just like with Eric, magic seals were engraved onto the backs of both of our right hands.
Whether I will free Riana from her curse, or if I will cut open my belly and die(Seppuku)—that’s what this battle is about, it’s a matter of life and death for Riana and me.
But what truly irritates me is the fact that this man bears no risk at all himself.
He calls it a risk, but that’s practically nonexistent. How utterly vile and cowardly he is.
“Your nobles are truly foolish.”
“What?”
I continued speaking in a tone that sounded almost like I was narrating.
“How can you treat other people’s lives so callously?”
“Because that’s what nobles do. And I am the heir to the Grace family. From the moment I was born, I am worth more than you, common rabble. Other people’s lives are as worthless as trash to me. Well, maybe physical country folk from the Far East wouldn’t understand this.”
“I don’t understand, and I don’t want to. I’m just frankly appalled by your very existence. From here on, let’s settle this with your so-called violence.”
“Hahaha! Come on then. I won’t be caught off guard anymore. I’ll play with you.”
I unleash the power of Amajiki.
“—Release.”
With Amajiki transforming into a pure white blade, I dash toward Grey—!
“I know how to fight a swordsman. I’m quite familiar with it now.”
There’s no need for incantations or to call out magic names. Just a simple flick of Grey’s fingers causes a large wall of ice to form immediately in front of me.
I cut through it, taking bites out of Grey with Amajiki, rushing toward him, but large icicles rain down from above.
“Hahaha! That sword of yours, it’s a rare magic tool, right? It can absorb magic and convert that power back. I already know that information!”
Regardless, I keep advancing toward Grey, daringly, but I am blocked by the overwhelming amount of ice. Massive volume and rapid magic usage.
It’s clear that he has that arrogant attitude for a reason. He’s definitely a more skilled magician than Eric.
Still, I don’t stop.
“I understand you’re boiling with anger, but that alone won’t get you anywhere, you know? Your life depends on this. Be more careful!”
Next, ice pillars emerge from the ground. They attack me as if they have a will of their own. Their movement is like that of a giant serpent.
Thick ice columns scatter into smaller pieces, then suddenly, they self-destruct. A flurry of ice shards blinds me completely.
Based on previous patterns, he would drop ice pillars from above again—
“~There it is.”
I catch Grey’s approaching movement, delivering a swift strike. But it’s blocked by magical reinforcement, so it doesn’t land a fatal blow.
Probably, he anticipated my attack and hardened his defenses.
“Whoa. Close combat really is dangerous. I’ve pretty much figured out your strength now. I’ll admit, your swordsmanship is impressive. The ability of that sword also seems very dangerous. But tell me, why is there such a vast gap between magicians and swordsmen? You’re going to find that out firsthand from now on.”
“Huh. Then, I’d like you to teach me.”
“Heh heh heh… You won’t be able to move the way you used to anymore.”
“What…?”
Immediately after Grey’s words, I noticed that my body was gradually freezing. I could hardly feel my fingertips anymore. Breathing became slightly difficult.
“My ice not only has a debuff effect as well. No matter how much you try to defend against attacks, you can’t avoid the ice shards that dance like dust. You were already defeated before the fight even began,”
“I see. Interesting,”
“That insolent mouth, I wonder how long you can keep spouting off like that!”
The attack that came rushing at me was an avalanche. Just like earlier, it pursued me like a giant serpent.
“Huff, huff, huff,”
My body feels cold. Breathing becomes even more difficult, and I can definitely sense that my life is within reach.
I run at full speed, but due to the debuff, I am heavily weakened.
I understand now. This is how Grey has been tormenting swordsmen, I thought.
“Hahaha! I wonder how long you can keep running away!”
Unable to completely dodge the attack as I did earlier, the enemy’s strikes gradually start to land on me. At this point, I have no choice but to defend with Amajiki.
However, even that has its limits. My body is becoming sluggish, and the enemy’s attacks are increasing in speed and number.
“Hyōjin” (Ice Blade).
I coat my sword with ice, temporarily boosting its attack power.
“Your ability reflects magic exactly as it is, doesn’t it? But no, fighting on the same level, you can’t possibly beat me. Well then, shall we go to the finale?” I said.
Grey continues to launch a barrage of attacks at me, while she gathers magic power to cast a new spell.
“…”
Despite receiving a large amount of ice-elemental attacks, I focus intensely, not letting any of his movements escape my notice.
“Now, this is the end,”
Eric raised both hands, and an ice wall appeared around me. Completely trapping me inside an ice cage. When Eric clicked his fingers, ice spikes erupted from inside the cage in unison. [TN: Yep, it really says Eric on the raws as well, confused]
“Hahaha! Did I kill you now!?”.
But I instantly escaped from the ice cage and delivered a kiri-zuki (cut from shoulder to waist) to Grey, who thought he had caught me. The attack even pierced through his magic defenses, slashing his body open.
“──Huh?”
Then I kicked the stunned Grey in the chest and sent him flying backward.
“Guh…! W-why? No, what is that you just did──!!!?”
Grey’s gaze was fixed on my sword.
Because right now, the blade is wrapped in flames.
Fire Blade. Amajiki’s ability doesn’t just mirror the opponent’s ability, but can also bring out the hidden power of this cursed sword. In other words, it allows me to freely convert the magic I absorb.
I’ve been waiting all along for him to mistake me for being defeated and let his guard down.
“You probably heard from Eric, but I’m afraid you’re wrong,”
“You… deliberately told Eric false information to mislead him about the truth, didn’t you?”
While grimacing in anger, his wounds immediately started to heal through magic, but I realized this wasn’t enough. Probably not even close.
“I anticipated that an opponent like you would come next. It’s only natural to prepare thoroughly.”
“Damn it, damn it, damn it──!”
“Well then, it seems your so-called debuff is meaningless in the face of flames,”
By spreading the heat of the Fire Blade throughout the body, I completely cancel out the effects of the debuff I had been under.
Certainly, Grey is strong, and his magic is well thought out and used skillfully. But in the face of attribute compatibility, even that is powerless.
Before the true might of Amajiki, there’s nothing it can do. This is one reason I have been called the Greatest swordsman in history.
No matter what kind of ability or magic he uses, I can adapt to it.
“Fire attribute… You. Just how much power do you have!?”
“Roughly speaking, I cover all the basic attributes you’re talking about. I also have many other abilities. So, what will it be? If you admit defeat, I might stop here,”
“Don’t be stupid. Do you really think I’d be scared of just a fire attribute?”
“Interesting. Then come at me with everything you’ve got. Otherwise—you’re going to die,”
In an instant, I reached top speed and slashed through Grey’s chest. His magic defenses prevent it from being fatal, but he can’t avoid bleeding.
“Huh? U-ugh!”
It happened so suddenly that Grey couldn’t even react.
“The Flame Blade doesn’t merely have the ability to wrap flames around its blade. Its true nature is acceleration, and my own body is also subject to it. Your debuff is probably reducing speed, isn’t it? Let’s settle once and for all which one of us is superior.”
“…Hic.”
His face twitched, and he appeared to be overwhelmed by complete fear.
Grey understood. He realized which of us was the one doing the hunting.
In all my extensive combat experience so far, there have been many who manipulate ice. He was just one of many.
And then, a fight that could be called annihilation began──.