Chapter 173: The Festival of Swords (16)
“The test is over.”
Allogin chanted. Navirose finally sheathed her sword. Despite the determination of the winner, the arena still remained silent. The lingering smoke escaped through the ventilation openings in the walls and ceiling.
-Clap, clap, clap.
Then, somewhere, the sound of applause echoed. It marked the beginning. The sound of palms meeting palms spread like wildfire. Soon, the entire arena erupted into chaos. Those who had been holding back their words now poured out their thoughts.
“Amazing. Truly amazing…!”
“Even without using Aura, to think she could be at that level… I honestly thought she had regressed after stepping back from the frontlines.”
“By the way, was that really the Ferocious Sword? How did he get in?”
Some participants raised their hands and applauded enthusiastically. Navirose responded indifferently to the cheers without showing much reaction.
It was a sight of her crowning glory, but some people couldn’t bring themselves to look directly at her. Most were participants, including Shullifen, who still retained their integrity.
Due to the explosion, Navirose had unintentionally lost a significant portion of her clothes, inadvertently displaying her physical superiority. The problem lay in the fact that she was entirely indifferent to it. Ronan, who couldn’t help but see, threw his outer coat and shouted.
“Damn it, cover yourself. Why’s a grown woman like this?”
“Stop making a fuss.”
Navirose grinned as she picked up the coat. When she put it on, small sighs of relief escaped from various places. The substantial difference in their physique allowed the coat to cover up to her thighs.
Nodrek, still lying motionless, had a growing pool of crimson beneath his abdomen. The judges with medical equipment rushed to him. Watching this, Allogin spoke up.
“…I was convinced at the end. I never thought it could really be the Ferocious Sword.”
“Hard to believe that trash reigning as the Sword Saint for 40 years. Disappointing.”
The crowd continued buzzing with discussions as the aftermath of the intense battle unfolded.
“I must say, both you and the Sword Saint seem unusually strong. Nevertheless, suppressing everything without revealing your true capabilities is impressive.”
“It’s a fitting result.”
“But… if appearance is the only thing that changed, how did he manage to bypass our surveillance network?”
Allogin’s wrinkles deepened. He couldn’t comprehend how the disguised Ferocious Sword managed to enter the final test. Despite investing a considerable amount in magical tools for interrogation to prevent such incidents, this situation had occurred.
At least during his tenure as a senior member, no participant had managed to slip through Parzan’s surveillance network. As he was contemplating, a voice of a girl came from behind.
“Probably a memory sealing spell.”
Both Zaifa and Allogin turned simultaneously. There sat a petite girl, seemingly one of the participants, squatting beside Zaifa. Recognizing the abundance of white hair, Allogin realized that she was one of the contestants.
“You definitely got a byepass…”
“Hello. Greetings to the tiger.”
Lynn greeted without turning her head. She was fully focused on trying to catch Zaifa’s tail, which was moving around. Zaifa, placing her tail on Lynn’s forehead, spoke.
“Memory sealing? What does that mean?”
“Exactly as it sounds. It temporarily locks away memories of who you are, leaving only the purpose behind. This way, even if you answer questions about yourself differently from reality, it won’t be considered a lie. It allows you to pass through most psychological detection spells. Perhaps the magic was designed to release the seal the moment he saw our princess.”
“…Princess?”
Zaifa and Allogin furrowed their brows simultaneously. Their gazes turned towards Navirose, whose face was covered in blood.
Lynn explained that this was the only method for someone to reach this far while concealing the true identity of the Ferocious Sword. By sealing the primal instincts and distinctive temperament, leaving only the cunning and rational aspects, the Ferocious Sword could perfectly mimic the participant Nodrek.
The preconception that the Ferocious Sword couldn’t be the actual person facilitated his smooth infiltration. Allogin nodded in understanding.
“…Now that I think about it, people have changed since meeting Lady Navirose. How do you avoid being affected by that?”
“Just general knowledge. It naturally accumulates when you’ve lived for a long time. There was someone who did the same thing a very long time ago.”
“A very long time ago?”
Allogin frowned upon hearing the claim of long life. The girl in front of him appeared to be in her early teens at most. Finally catching Zaifa’s tail, Lynn mumbled softly.
“It was a pity. You too.”
“Hmm…?”
Zaifa’s ear twitched. It was so small that she was the only one who heard the whisper, but Zaifa didn’t bother asking what it meant. Lynn, who had been thoroughly playing with Zaifa’s tail, turned around and walked towards where Ronan was. Allogin watched her retreating figure and stroked his beard.
“What a strange girl… Well, with investigation, something will come up. Let’s start preparing for the next test…”
“Wait.”
“Why do you say that?”
Allogin asked. Zaifa didn’t answer directly but looked in the direction her instincts pointed. Nodrek, completely injured, was being carried out on a stretcher. Between his slightly parted lips, his fangs were visible.
“There’s a disgusting smell coming from him.”
“What is…”
Allogin’s words trailed off. Suddenly, Nodrek, who had been lying down, raised his upper body. From the oozing wound, sticky coagulated blood burst forth. The supervisors escorting him panicked and shouted.
“Oh my god, he’s awake…!”
“Quick, lie back down. Your injury is too severe!”
Nodrek remained silent. His body felt as cold as if it had been immersed in icy water and then pulled out. The sensation in the tips of his fingers and toes was fading. Realizing that time was running out, he clenched his teeth.
“…Damn it.”
“Lie down quickly. For now, you need to survive…”
The medical team was about to lay him down. In an instant, Nodrek’s hand disappeared from view, and the heads of the medical team escorting him simultaneously exploded. Boom! The sound of skulls shattering resonated, capturing everyone’s attention.
“Hey, look there! The medical staff!”
“What, he’s alive?”
Turning her gaze a moment too late, Navirose widened her eyes. Nodrek, who had drawn a sword unnoticed, was slowly walking towards her. Witnessing the headless corpses, Navirose spoke with an enraged tone.
“This piece of trash.”
Due to the incomplete dismemberment for interrogation, Navirose charged at Nodrek without hesitation. In that moment, an immense amount of mana erupted over Nodrek’s shoulders. Ronan’s eyes widened. Within the surging mana, flashes of white sparkled at rapid intervals. It was the shimmering symbol of Nebula Clazier.
“At last.”
Exchanging glances with Zaifa, Ronan rose from his seat. Navirose swiftly reached Nodrek, who had come into view. Drawing her sword, her body rotated significantly. A mana-made tail extended along with the black blade. The emerald-colored grand sword seemed capable of slicing through entire mountain ranges or glaciers. At the moment the sword was about to reach Nodrek, a deafening clash echoed. Something blocked the grand sword, sending a metallic sound that tore through eardrums.
“What is this…?”
“I admit it… it’s my fault.”
“What have you done?”
“I should have used it sooner…”
Nodrek murmured, spitting blood. The grand sword, Urusa, remained suspended in the air. A strange, undulating barrier surrounded Nodrek like an oil belt.
Swiftly readjusting her stance, Navirose unleashed another sword strike, but the unidentified shield deflected it effortlessly. It was the Protection of the Stars, one of the Giant’s abilities. The spectators in the stands began to grow restless.
“What is that?!”
“A shield? Is it a magical barrier?”
“No, it’s different. I heard it from my relative in the Dawn Unit. That’s undoubtedly the Nebula Clazier’s…”
Suddenly, Navirose noticed that blood wasn’t flowing from his wounds. The once severe injuries, tearing through internal organs, had inexplicably turned into shallow scratches. Nodrek, running his fingers through his whitening hair, spoke.
“I tried to face you with my own strength as much as possible. But sometimes, it can’t be helped.”
“Ferocious Sword.”
“Let’s all die together.”
His pallor returned completely, and the wounds that were once deep gashes now appeared as mere scratches. Clutching the hilt with both hands, Nodrek struck the ground with his sword. Crack! A white light burst through the cracks in the ground. Sensing imminent danger, Navirose quickly distanced herself.
‘I’m going to be hit. Not just me, but everyone.’
Navirose took a deep breath. It wasn’t an attack she could block or evade. In the flash warning of the impending explosion, she felt a similar force, like the surrounding barrier. This explosion would undoubtedly obliterate the entire arena without a trace. With her mind overwhelmed by the impending catastrophe, she had been about to rush forward to minimize the damage. A familiar young man intercepted her, landing in front of her.
“Stop. It’s this bastard.”
“You…!”
Navirose’s eyes widened. In the hands of the robust youth, there was an entire new scabbard, from hilt to blade, filled with the aura of the Nebula Clazier. Ronan, glaring at Nodrek, spoke.
“Now you’ve revealed your true colors. This should be visible to everyone.”
“What are you doing? Get out of the way right now!”
Veins bulged on Navirose’s neck. Ronan remained silent. At that moment, a flash emanated from Nodrek’s sword, painting the arena white. A detonation different from anything seen before was about to erupt, centered around him. Navirose shouted.
“Ronan!!”
“Trust your disciple a bit.”
Ronan tightened his grip on the hilt. A rich crimson tint dyed Lamancha. He swung the sword in a wide arc, attempting Navirose’s signature spinning blade technique, unseen for a while. A black line appeared on the white canvas that covered the field of vision. Ronan stopped when he completed the rotation. Shwaaaak! The mana, pulsating as if it would burst, lost its form and dispersed. Nodrek, who had been at the epicenter, revealed his form, his eyes bulging.
“What is this, it’s ridiculous…!”
“It’s not ridiculous if it works.”
Ronan spat on the ground. Since the essence of Aura was ultimately mana, it was a feasible action. He immediately rotated once more, manifesting the sword energy. The red crescent moon, propelled in a straight line, collided with the Protection of the Stars. Ka-ching! The peculiar barrier shattered into pieces, as if it were made of glass. Navirose was astonished.
“Ronan, you…!”
“It’s amazing.”
Ronan smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth. Nodrek, having lost even the Protection of the Stars, staggered in confusion. At that moment, a gigantic shadow leaped from the platform. Silently landing in front of Nodrek, the shadow spoke.
“I am Zaifa Turgen, the Vanguard Commander of the Dawn Unit.”
“You…!”
“I have a question, Nodrek. No, Ferocious Sword Corden.”
“What?”
Nodrek raised his eyebrow. Her head was so high up that one had to tilt their head to look at her. In her hand, capable of grasping a watermelon like an apple, was a sword reminiscent of a pillar. Navirose frowned.
“Why did that cat suddenly…”
“Wait, instructor. It’s her turn now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Navirose made a face indicating she did not understand what was happening. Zaifa, who was observing Nodrek quietly, spoke up.
“It happened on the 11th day of last month. Did you kill my subordinates?”
“How should I know? Get lost, kid!”
Instead of answering Zaifa’s question, Nodrek snarled fiercely. As his arm blurred and disappeared, a red line was drawn across Zaifa’s chest. Splash! The red line of blood splattered over the black pattern. Ronan and Navirose’s eyes widened.
“Zaifa?!”
“Damn it, that ignorant tiger.”
Ronan was disgusted. The new wound intersected precisely with the scar left by Navirose. It was visibly a deep wound, but Zaifa didn’t show a hint of pain. Instead, Nodrek, who launched the surprise attack, was bewildered.
“What kind of body…”
It felt more like cutting through rock than flesh. Perplexed, Nodrek swung his sword again. Ching! Zaifa raised his sword lightly, blocking the attack. Nodrek’s expression brightened. With just one exchange, he realized that his opponent was not easy. His frozen mouth trembled.
“Ha, you didn’t become a Sword Saint for nothing. This turned out to be interesting, so I’ll deal with you first. If you knew what kind of power I’ve received, you wouldn’t act up.”
Nodrek, grumbling, was gathering his Aura when Zaifa suddenly pulled his arm back. Unexpectedly, Zaifa, who clenched her fist, swung down her sword. Nodrek hurriedly raised his sword to defend, but the sword continued its path, falling onto his head. The sound of a heavy thud. The divided body of Nodrek spread out on both sides. Organs spilled out, making a squelching noise.
“Ugh.”
No last words came. From the forehead to the jaw, the split body sprawled out on both sides. A thick splatter of entrails spilled onto the ground.
“…!”
Silence descended on the bustling arena. Zaifa, after lightly running her fingers over the wound on her chest, where fresh blood adorned the black robe, clenched her fist again. With blood still vibrant on her cheekbones, she turned her body slowly, facing Ronan.
“…You were right. The culprit was clear.”
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om