Chapter 194
After swinging my sword at Bedir a few tis, I imdiately stepped back.
Then, I took my defensive sword stance.
I assud Bedir would co at any second now.
The swordsn of the Isrinbloom Family I had faced before were, for the most part, aggressive.
So I expected a counterattack right away.
‘Block everything first, then strike at the opening.’
That was the simple yet effective way I always fought.
So I waited for Bedir to attack…
“I’ve already seen that swordsmanship of yours several tis before.”
Bedir chuckled softly, lowering his rapier ever so slightly.
He looked perfectly at ease, as if he had already read completely.
“Your ancestors, and even Nawiwo Mainac, used a similar sword style. Extrely defensive swordsmanship. One that minimizes offense and pours everything into defense. You… haven’t invested as much into defense as your ancestors did, but the fundantals are the sa.”
“So this swordsmanship… was also used by my ancestors, then.”
“Yes. But I erased everything related to them from history—every record, every trace of their swordsmanship. I thought the style they developed had been lost forever… and yet here you are.”
Bedir looked at with eyes that glead with amusent.
“I heard from Suiroti. Your mother was the one who taught you that swordsmanship, wasn’t she?”
“Well, that’s what they say.”
“To think that sa sword style would endure through ti, only to block my path again. It seems the future is sothing one can never fully predict, no matter how much you calculate or foresee.”
Bedir smiled, pausing briefly before continuing as he looked at my sword.
“But I know the weakness of that swordsmanship—it’s far too passive.”
“Yes, I know that. It’s about enduring until your opponent’s stamina and focus wear down, and then counterattacking the mont a gap appears. That’s the essence of this swordsmanship.”
“The problem is… if your opponent refuses to make a move, then you can’t do anything either.”
“That’s right. If the enemy has no will to fight and chooses to run instead—or if I’m forced to attack first—things get… a little complicated.”
I chuckled faintly as I replied to Bedir’s words.
Ever since I transmigrated into this world, I had continued to study the defensive swordsmanship I’d been given.
I knew all of its strengths and weaknesses by now.
“Gideon Kyrgram. You’re trying to buy ti right now, aren’t you? Waiting for reinforcents to arrive. But stalling for ti isn’t sothing only you can do.”
As he said that, Bedir turned his gaze toward his fragnt behind him—
the massive, flaming helt.
“I also need to stall for ti. Until this fragnt is fully absorbed into this suffocating human body.”
“And what happens once you finish absorbing it?”
“I’ll beco stronger. So much so that I could kill the likes of you without even breaking a sweat.”
“…I see.”
I looked at the helt behind him.
About one-tenth of it had already been absorbed.
The absorption was slow, but that didn’t an I had any ti to relax.
If Bedir finished absorbing it, just as he said— the feeling was bad. Really bad.
I had a strong hunch that once he absorbed that entire helt, I wouldn’t be able to defeat him.
‘Yeah, let’s not drag this out. I need to finish this fast. And my target right now isn’t Bedir… it’s that helt.’
After organizing my thoughts, I spoke again.
“You’re right, Lord Bedir.”
“What are you referring to?”
“My swordsmanship. Like you said, it’s too passive. If the opponent doesn’t move first or we’re locked in a standoff… or if I’m the one who has to strike first, this sword style becos rather awkward.”
“Exactly. Like now, when I’m not attacking you first—”
“But I’ve known about that flaw for a long ti.”
I shifted my stance.
From the posture where the blade was held close to my body, I brought it up with both hands to rest over my right shoulder.
It was the opening stance of the Hawkbat Family’s swordsmanship.
“That’s why, over the past few months, I’ve been working to fix that problem… and I actually managed to do it.”
As I said that, I drew out the power of Peregrie from within .
Then, with my body light and swift, I dashed toward Bedir.
‘The fastest and most dynamic swordsmanship. It consus a lot of stamina, so I have to end this quickly.’
I had rarely used the Hawkbat Family’s swordsmanship myself, but I’d seen Jason use it many tis.
So I had a general idea of how it worked.
“…Ha. You really are interesting. But sothing that crude won’t be enough to defeat .”
Moving dynamically, I launched my attack swiftly.
But Bedir blocked every strike effortlessly.
Clang—! Clang—!
While using the sword style of the Isrinbloom Family, Bedir countered with another swordsmanship I had never seen before.
It was crude yet refined at the sa ti.
“Lord Bedir… you can wield a sword too?”
“In the age of the gods, I was often told I handled a sword quite well. At least until I started killing other gods with it.”
“So that’s why you beca known as an Evil God.”
“I don’t care what they call . If it ans gaining more power, then such titles are aningless.”
As he said that, flas began to blaze around Bedir.
The flas shot straight toward , and I imdiately activated the Water Rune.
A layer of water coated my blade, and with that blade, I blocked the oncoming fire.
Hssshhh―! Ssszzzz―!
“Try blocking this one too.”
When Bedir waved his hand through the air, the nearby river of lava began to surge—lava splashed high into the air and ca crashing toward .
Fortunately, thanks to my Attack Prediction Skill, I had sensed it in advance and was already prepared, so I dodged the attack without much trouble.
“You were lucky this ti. But you can’t rely on luck forever. The more of my fragnt flows into , the more lava I’ll be able to control.”
“Then I’ll make sure to finish this before that happens.”
I imdiately activated my magic.
Just like Bedir, flas began to flare around .
“There has never been anyone as versatile in combat as you. Even among the gods, such a thing was rare.”
“Is that a complint? Well, even if it isn’t, I’ll take it as one.”
With the surrounding flas swirling around , I swung Mistcatcher at Bedir.
I drew his attention first with the flas, then followed up with my sword.
But even my sword strikes weren’t straightforward.
I mixed in intricate techniques, making it hard for him to predict where the blade would co from.
It was the peak of my technique— the absolute limit of the Isrinbloom Family’s swordsmanship that I could draw out.
And it seed to work. My flas reached Bedir.
He managed to block my sword, but he couldn’t evade the flas.
They enveloped his right upper body— and yet Bedir looked completely unfazed.
“Use your head, Gideon Kyrgram.”
My flas were still burning on his right side.
My magic might still be weak, but those flas shouldn’t have left him unhard.
And yet, sohow, they only left faint burns on his body.
No more than that—Bedir didn’t even look pained.
Instead, he was smiling.
“I am the God of Lava—the one who commands magma. Even before I properly ascended to godhood, I spent countless years within lava, in those scorching depths. You think a re flicker like that could harm ?”
Once again, Bedir waved his hand, and the lava around us surged up, rushing toward .
At the sa ti, his flas flew at as well.
“Huuuh…”
Drawing a deep breath, I dispersed my own fire and activated the Water Rune once more this ti at its fullest power.
Streams of water stronger than ever before gathered around Mistcatcher.
Ssssshhhhh!
The Water Rune and my defensive swordsmanship together— with both, I sohow managed to hold off Bedir’s lava and fire.
“Urgh—!”
Of course, so of the lava splashed onto , leaving with severe burns.
But thanks to my aura, I barely managed to endure it despite the pain.
“Let give you a piece of advice.”
Bedir looked at again, wearing that sa composed smile.
“If you want to end this here, you’d better do it quickly. My fragnt will soon be fully absorbed, and once it is, you’ll never be able to defeat . Even those dukes you’re counting on—those reinforcents of yours—won’t be able to stop .”
“And once Lord Bedir crosses over to the northern nomads and gathers power… you’ll beco a great threat to the Empire, won’t you?”
“You understand well.”
“Then I’ll have to stop you here— for the sake of my comfortable future.”
I once again took my stance, a faint smile crossing my lips.
It looked like I was being pushed back, but that too was part of my plan.
I had managed to get Bedir quite far from that helt—everything was proceeding as I intended.
‘Now then…’
Once again, I drew forth the power of Peregrie from within.
My body beca lighter, faster.
Then I dashed toward Bedir’s helt.
So fast that Bedir couldn’t react in ti.
In an instant, I reached the massive helt and summoned my Blood Energy.
Switching into the Balmuth Family’s sword stance, I brought Mistcatcher down on the helt with full force.
Bang!
A powerful strike using every ounce of my strength.
I didn’t expect to shatter it in one blow, but I thought I’d at least damage it a little.
However, not a single scratch appeared on the helt.
“That attack just now… that was the power of the Balmuth Family—the vampires, wasn’t it?”
“Ugh?!”
A massive fireball suddenly ca flying from the side.
I quickly leapt away from the helt, narrowly avoiding it.
“…That stings.”
I didn’t dodge it completely, and a burn ford on my left arm.
It wasn’t severe, but it hurt quite a bit.
“Impressive. Balmuth’s Blood Energy, Hawkbat’s Wind, Isrinbloom’s Fla, and… Mainac’s Water. You alone have mastered all four ducal houses’ sword styles with such perfection. Probably the only one in this Empire—no, in the entire continent’s history.”
“Well, it wasn’t intentional… it just turned out that way.”
I quickly rose to my feet and took my stance again, my gaze fixed once more on Bedir’s massive helt.
Not a single mark on it.
Even after striking it with my Blood Energy.
Noticing my focus, Bedir smirked.
“You think I didn’t notice your petty little trick? Did you really believe I moved away from my fragnt for no reason?”
“So that helt… ordinary attacks don’t work on it, do they?”
“That’s a part of . In other words, a part of a god. No matter how exceptional you are, you’re still human. And a human’s attack can never harm a fragnt of a god.”
“…Just as I thought.”
“…What?”
“Just as I expected.”
I gave a faint smile and looked at my right arm— at the final blue mark drawn across it.
‘That last strike was just to confirm it. Now that I know my normal attacks won’t work… I have no choice but to use this.’
The last of the three chances.
I was glad I had saved it until now.
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