Chapter 224, You Won’t Be Able to Handle It (2)

Translator: Hedge

Editor: Lizzz

 

He had not asked Kyrie, nor had he asked Plants.

 

Standing face to face with an opponent, exchanging greetings, drawing swords, checking if they were ready, pointing swords at each other, and giving the weaker side a few moves first so they could show what they had prepared.

 

Kalian had never done such things.

 

“A fight, sparring, or training. Which do you prefer?”

 

But he had addressed Dmirea.

 

Though he showed no other consideration, he stood in place for a moment and faced Dmirea to ask which of the three purposes she had in mind for crossing swords with him.

 

It was not because Dmirea was weak, because she was a precious child of the Ducal Family, or because she was a woman that he asked the question or gave her time to prepare.

 

If he were going to show that level of consideration for such reasons, he would have asked Kyrie or Plants before as well. Of course, if it had been an action taken with her being a woman in mind, this situation would never have come to pass in the first place. Dmirea was not someone who would try to learn anything from a person who cared about such trivial matters.

 

“All three.”

 

*Woong!*

 

Dmirea, who had answered briefly, immediately thrust her sword forward.

 

The silver blade created a heavy wind like its master’s gaze.

 

“This is why I like you, Dmirea.”

 

Red lips curved into a long arc as he recalled words that had become a habit while watching Dmirea deliver an answer and action that pleased him immensely.

 

*Tat!*

 

In complete contrast to the relaxed smile on his face, Kalian’s feet, which had not yet created a sword, swiftly kicked off the floor.

 

At the same time, Dmirea’s sword sharply cut through the spot where Kalian had been standing just moments before.

 

*Wuuung!*

 

A sound of air resonating came from above Dmirea’s head. As if there was no need to even look up, Dmirea quickly twisted her waist and dodged.

 

*Shwick!*

 

Along with a sharp sound, this time a crimson shadow grazed through the air where Dmirea had been standing and then disappeared.

 

It had changed.

 

Had Kalian’s sword not clearly been transparent?

 

In that brief moment, the color of his Aura had changed somehow.

 

Strong competitive spirit rose on Dmirea’s face as she only now noticed it. The competitive spirit soon transformed into an intense fighting spirit, placing a heavy edge on her weighty gaze.

 

*Kaang!*

 

The silver sword followed the crimson afterimage. Kalian, who had been retrieving the sword he had thrust downward after leaping above Dmirea’s head, quickly twisted his body in midair and blocked the attack.

 

As soon as Kalian’s feet touched the ground, the two blades clashed.

 

*Kagang! Kagagak!*

 

Sharp sounds rang out from the two swords meeting as if there was nothing to hold back, but neither of them paid attention. Dmirea’s gray-blue eyes, pushing against Kalian’s sword, looked directly into his red eyes.

 

The attack had been blocked.

 

If it had been Kyrie or Plants watching their exchange right now, they would have withdrawn their sword and either stepped back or charged in again.

 

But Dmirea did not do that. Dmirea, who did not give up on the sword that had already been blocked once, pushed her sword blocked by the crimson blade with all her might.

 

A contest of strength!

 

The question of whether they should start with a fight since he had asked was fully contained in it.

 

*Kagak!*

 

For a moment, tendons bulged in both their arms as one side tried to push while the other tried not to be pushed, pouring all their weight into each other’s swords.

 

Suddenly, Kalian released and then renewed the strength in the hand gripping his sword.

 

*Kaaang!*

 

The sword, which had become almost weightless, seemed to pull back slightly, then struck upward against Dmirea’s sword with even greater force.

 

*Kaang! Kang! Kaaang! Kagang!*

 

The crimson blade that had pushed away the silver sword that had been slightly deflected upward began to scatter chaotically before Dmirea’s eyes. It meant that since he had no intention of accepting a contest of strength, they should have a contest of speed instead.

 

A series of attacks targeted Dmirea. Dmirea, who had blocked all the attacks of the light sword that seemed to come from different directions almost simultaneously, put strength in once more and struck hard at the thrusting sword.

 

*Kagagang! Kwaang!*

 

With a loud sound that made her eardrums ring, Dmirea, who had struck down Kalian’s sword, kicked off the ground. Because if she got caught up in the speed of that light sword, she would clearly be at a disadvantage in the fight!

 

Kalian, who sensed this, quickly retrieved the sword that had been heading toward the ground and moved his body.

 

Kalian’s figure disappeared. Almost simultaneously, with a swishing sound of cutting through wind, a sharp attack flew in from Dmirea’s right side.

 

Judging that she could not fully retrieve her sword, Dmirea grabbed the sword hilt she had been about to extend and raised the blade upward. While holding the sword in reverse, Dmirea, who had blocked the attack flying toward the right side of her neck, moved her sword once more.

 

*Kiing!*

 

Around the time the light resonance of the two blades briefly touching stopped, the crimson sword’s afterimage faded from view as if blurring. Of course, Kalian’s figure disappeared along with it.

 

Dmirea turned her body in the opposite direction.

 

The tip of the sword firmly gripped with both hands extended toward Kalian’s shadow, filled with clear fighting spirit.

 

*Woong…!*

 

A wind full of weight rose once more from the swung sword. As if to neutralize it, Kalian deflected his sword and let the strong force carried in that heavy sword flow to the ground.

 

*Shiik! Kaang!*

 

A light sword is advantageous for retrieval.

 

The sword dripping with darkness immediately changed direction and flew toward Dmirea.

 

A heavy sword does not need to be retrieved.

 

Dmirea, who instead put more force into the sword sliding toward the ground and quickly rotated her body, aimed for her opponent’s shoulder by striking diagonally downward with her sword.

 

*Kwaang!*

 

At that heavy blow, a collision sound full of deep resonance rang out.

 

“Faster.”

 

If it had been an unskilled person, they would have been hit by the previous attack and dropped their sword, but regrettably, the opponent was Kalian. Kalian, who pointed out the lack of speed needed to compensate for insufficient strength, leaped toward the heavy sword that was once again engaging in a contest of strength.

 

The sword in his hand moved as if scattering dead blood in all directions.

 

*Kaang! Kaaaang! Kang! Kaang!*

 

As if there was no limit to speed, each shadow of the sword that continued like a storm was filled with killing intent.

 

*Tadadang! Kaaang!*

 

Knowing that not one of the numerous shadows was an illusion, Dmirea raised her sword and began to deflect the attacks by extending her arms in short bursts.

 

Even though the sensation of clashing and being deflected was clear, it was not easy to track with her eyes and block Kalian’s sword, which struck from different directions as if there was no recoil, one by one.

 

*Shiik!*

 

A moment later, a sound of splitting wind came from the tip of the light sword that had penetrated a gap in the wide sword barrier created by the heavy sword.

 

*Kang!*

 

Just before the sharp tip of the crimson sword that had changed direction flew toward her neck once more, Dmirea, who had pulled her waist back slightly, blocked the attack with her sword hilt.

 

She had been caught.

 

She could not keep up with that speed.

 

Instead of biting her lip at the expected occurrence, Dmirea gripped her sword again with such force as if to shatter the hilt and leaned her body forward. Then she charged straight toward Kalian.

 

Since she could not escape from the range of those attacks anyway, she intended to dive into the range of the sword strikes and cut his exposed waist.

 

“Anyone can think of that much.”

 

[You need to be different, Dmirea.] The rebuke continued. Kalian’s figure blurred like a flickering candle and then disappeared again.

 

Her body reacted first to the presence of the sword flying from behind. Dmirea quickly turned her body and extended her sword toward the sword that was once again relentlessly targeting her neck.

 

*Kaaaang!*

 

A sound that seemed to distort the training ground floor rang out. The swords of the two, who had stopped their feet in a position as if standing askew while looking in different directions, were blocked by each other and stopped.

 

Thus, the feet of the two, who had stopped moving for that fleeting moment, simultaneously kicked the ground.

 

*Tadat!*

 

This time, Kalian launched his body toward Dmirea. He was returning the attack that had tried to penetrate his guard.

 

Even without specifically coating himself with Aura, the strength from his fundamentally enhanced arms was in no way inferior to Dmirea’s. Therefore, Kalian pushed away the silver sword trying to block his swift steps with force and then continuously struck down with his sword.

 

While looking straight at the crimson blade that flew in an instant aiming between her shoulder and neck, Dmirea twisted her sword with all her might.

 

*Kwaang! Kang! Kaaang! Kagang!*

 

At the end of the exchange that continued in this way, the feet of the two swordsmen, who had each stepped back and returned to their original positions, moved simultaneously once more.

 

*Kaaang! Kagang! Kagang! Kang!*

 

They had long forgotten the gazes of the other two watching them. As if there was no one around them, the two swords that entangled while watching only each other’s eyes continued to emit sharp light.

 

*Kaang! Kaaang!*

 

Kalian’s sword, like the remnants of flames burning in darkness, struck from all sides as if to devour the silver sword that sparkled as if holding the depths of conviction intact. Dmirea, who had chosen weight instead of speed, gave up greed for attacks without regret and blocked Kalian’s sword strikes that struck toward the vital points of her entire body.

 

*Shik! Kagagang!*

 

Dmirea, who had blocked Kalian’s sword striking upward from below with the guard of her sword raised while pulling her body back, twisted the hilt. After deflecting the attack outward in this way, she extended her foot that had been pulled back forward again and aimed for Kalian’s heart.

 

“Don’t rush.”

 

Kalian, who did not stop speaking even while watching the tip of the sword stabbing toward his heart, moved back very slightly.

 

The moment those red eyes briefly met Dmirea’s eyes.

 

Kalian’s figure disappeared from view.

 

Instead of chasing that speed that was not unfamiliar but could never become familiar, Dmirea turned the extended sword and rotated her body in place, sending sharp attacks in all directions.

 

*Tak!*

 

When she stabbed the left opening, the sound of blades meeting rang out along with the feeling of something solid touching the tip of her sword.

 

[Finally got you.]

 

Not missing the opportunity, Dmirea gripped the sword hilt tightly and kicked off the ground. Dmirea’s arm, having launched her body as high as possible, extended her sword toward where Kalian would reach, carrying the weight of her entire body.

 

*Kwaaang!*

 

Whether he had blocked it or let her block it, Kalian, who had received the heavy attack that was literally flying in, moved quickly.

 

*Kagang! Kaaang! Kang! Kaang!*

 

The heaviest sword versus the fastest sword.

 

The exchange of the two who had learned swordsmanship that was each other’s natural enemy continued without knowing an end. The light sword that had deflected all the heavy sword aiming for the waist, trying to cut the shoulder, and targeting the thigh, tried to cut the neck of the opponent and then changed direction to penetrate the heart.

 

*Kagagang!*

*Taat! Kaaang! Kang!*

 

While Dmirea, who had blocked the series of attacks, immediately swung her sword, Kalian’s feet were already stepping on the floor to Dmirea’s left as he thrust his sword. It was right after Dmirea’s sword, which had predicted Kalian’s movement, had been swung to the right.

 

Kalian was not where the sword was directed.

 

Wrong direction. It was a hasty judgment.

 

It was the same mistake Plants had made once. Kyrie from long ago had also made the same mistake. The fatal uniformity created when trying to send an attack to a position ahead was unable to keep up with the speed.

 

Instead of saying that thinking too much would get her killed, Kalian’s sword, which revealed itself from the exact opposite direction, split the wind.

 

*Shik!*

 

The pupils contained in the grayish-blue eyes dilated fiercely like those of a beast pursuing its match.