chapter 381
381 – Scene 381# the Strongest Swordsman
*
Lina was in a dark forest.
The place we reached, avoiding the screams and screams, was a black forest where tree branches and pitch-black darkness were intertwined.
No matter how much she wandered around, she could not find any chirping mountain birds or wild animals. She was just as quiet as death. She saw nothing alive in the forest.
Lina was safe in the forest. There was no one bothering her anymore. She was there and she could forget. The longer she stayed in this forest, the more she could forget both the terrible memories and the harsh reality. Maybe even happy memories…
This was Lina’s sanctuary her her her her. She is a place where no one but her can set foot in her.
However, Lina was lonely there. She walked endlessly through the dense forest, but she did not encounter a single person. Days like that, where I was tired from walking and fell asleep repeatedly. Now I couldn’t tell how much time had passed.
“Cold…”
My body was cold. This may be because it is a forest where not a single ray of sunlight shines. In the forest where there was no warmth, she tried to find a way to warm her body.
“Ah…”
Then, she noticed a coat hanging on a tree. This is something she has never seen while wandering through this forest. It seemed as if she was waiting for her to be discovered.
Lina grabbed her coat as if possessed. The coat had no special features, but it looked familiar. When I looked closely, I smelled something nostalgic.
-If you like it, you can have it.
The voice of a caring man.
That’s right… This was the clothes given to him as a gift. Her her gift her her her to her her through her her nonchalant attitude her her her. But Lina was purely happy. I felt his her kind her heart her her and considered her for her.
But it was a strange thing.
His face didn’t come to mind. Where is the face? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t even think of his name. All I could remember was a faint voice.
Lina felt depressed and put on her coat. Even though she felt and smelled the coat, she couldn’t remember who he was.
Lina sat down on the spot. She somehow felt like crying. But her tears did not come out. Her tears she had dried before. That day, she was so overcome by uncontrollable sadness that she let it all out. And she abandoned humans and became the devil.
Boo…
At that time, a wind blew from somewhere. The forest she was in began to shake and make sad crying sounds.
Someone has broken into her sanctuary
*
“Isaac! Behind!”
“?!”
Isaac was distracted for a moment and did not see the thorn vine flying from behind. But before he could react, the thorn vine was cut down in the air.
“Couldn’t you have stopped me while I was telling you to watch your back?”
“Isaac, I am not a prosecutor like you. “We cannot deal with such a sudden attack.”
“Magic is not a form.”
The man held the rapier, Isaac said sarcastically to Alyssa. Taciturn and cynical, he was a strong ally to Alonso.
The first time I met Isaac was on the battlefield. Alonso, a wandering swordsman with only one sword, discovered soldiers being attacked by monsters and joined in to save them. But he wasn’t the only one who joined in. Isaac appeared from nowhere and began slaughtering the monsters with a single sword.
Alonso could not help but stare at the sight in fascination. Isaac dodged the enemy’s attack with minimal movement. He avoided direct competition and looked for gaps. And in an instant, he dived into the enemy and pierced their hearts.
Alonso was surprised for a moment by Isaac’s ghost-like sword skills, but soon he felt a shiver. Isaac’s swordsmanship was surprisingly similar to Alonso’s.
There was no way the two were classmates who learned the same swordsmanship. Because Alonso was not a person who learned swordsmanship, but a person who made swordsmanship. He was using a unique sword technique created based on his battlefield experience. He went through countless trials and errors to create what he thought was the most ideal swordsmanship.
However, Isaac’s swordsmanship was very similar to Alonso’s swordsmanship. No, that was the ideal swordsmanship that Alonso had always thought about.
It was natural that Alonso immediately made Isaac his teammate.
In fact, until he met Isaac, Alonso thought he was a sword genius. He was confident that he would not be defeated by anyone when it came to handling a sword. However, after meeting Isaac, Alonso painfully realized how poor his own talent was.
Isaac mastered not only one sword technique but also a variety of sword techniques. It was clearly a trace of experience. It was a trace of a fierce swing of the sword. As the scars all over his body his show, Isaac must have walked a difficult path that cannot even be compared to Alonso.
-Isaac, after seeing your swordsmanship, I think I know how to swing the sword. It feels like the dark inside of my head is clearing up. If it’s okay with you, can I have you as my teacher?
-…Alonso. Did you think my swordsmanship was perfect?
-Of course. I can assure you, Isaac, that your swordsmanship is the end point of the swordsmanship I have always pursued.
-Then I cannot be your teacher.
-Why?
-An ideal is just an ideal. There is no perfect swordsmanship in this world.
Isaac muttered as if recalling something from a long time ago.
-If you truly want to learn perfect swordsmanship, you must first start by acknowledging that there is no such thing as perfect swordsmanship. The moment you understand that contradiction, you will be able to become the most ideal prosecutor… The teacher who taught me swordsmanship said so.
-Oh my god… What you mean is, is there anyone else who is as good at swordsmanship as you?
-Okay. This is not a swordsmanship I learned on my own. There is a teacher who taught me this sword technique.
-Then can you introduce me to your teacher?
-I would like to do that, but I think it would be difficult. She still… Because I’m not in a state where I can meet you.
-Huh? Are you saying you’re not in a state where we can meet?
-… There is such a situation. Anyway, the swordsmanship I practice is one that has been around for a very long time. She taught me … She also has a teacher, and that teacher has another teacher.
-He is the teacher’s teacher… Then, the first teacher who first taught the swordsmanship to future generations must have been a truly remarkable person.
-Okay. What a great person.
Isaac muttered while looking at Alonso.
-He is… Because he was the strongest swordsman in human history.
-Humanity’s greatest swordsman… I hope I get called that someday too.
-Alonso, it would be like that for you. Definitely.
How grateful I was for those words. Alonso was glad that a prosecutor as good as Isaac recognized him, and not anyone else.
It would have been difficult for him to come to the Demon King Castle without Isaac’s help. If Isaac had not helped him, he had not had his back, he would never have made it.
Isaac was Alonso’s teacher and indispensable friend. That’s why Alonso was nervous about what he said last night.
-Alonso. Could you please hold off on killing the Demon King?
-What?
-If the Demon King has no intention of resisting any longer… No… It was also a mistake. Just forget it.
After speaking up to that point, the child closed his mouth. Isaac is a quiet man who rarely shares his opinions. It was the first time he had said such a thing to Alonso. Because of this, he couldn’t concentrate on the battle.
“I see it over there.”
Alyssa illuminated her vision with light magic. Then, a thin human image appeared between the black thorns.
Alonso took a deep breath. He had always fought on the front lines, but this was the first time he had seen the Demon King with his own eyes. The devil hid himself, built a nest in various places, and only summoned an army of monsters.
The Demon King was a woman. She is a young woman with bleached white hair like an old man. Her slender arms and legs and small shoulders. It was very different from the image of the devil he had imagined until now. That woman who looked as if she would break if she touched her was the devil…
She was crouching in the thornbush. She was wearing only a jet black coat.
“Don’t let your guard down. Alonso. “Don’t be fooled by that abominable devil’s appearance.”
“Huh…”
It’s just as Alyssa said. Even if it looks like that, the devil is still the devil. It is impossible to let down your guard.
There is no army of monsters protecting the Demon King. Now there is nothing that can protect the Demon King. All that remains is one demon lord.
Alonso looked at Isaac’s face, but he seemed calm as he faced the devil. I guess it was just my mood.
“Isaac. I…”
“Right. Are you asking me to take charge of it?”
“… That’s right.”
Isaac adjusted his rapier. Seeing that, Alonso felt relieved and drew his sword.
Did he even know that they would attack him?
The thorny vines around the Demon King began to rise one by one. The size was different from the thorny vines I had cut down on the way here. It was much thicker and the thorns also had sharp edges.
Although it was a terrifying figure, Alonso did not feel fear.
“I’m going.”
*
Alonso and Isaac swung their swords while Alyssa assisted with light magic. The constant barrage of thorns was quite a hardship.
It was a more difficult fight than when dealing with an army of monsters. Thorn vines flying endlessly. In particular, the thorns on the vines were extremely poisonous. The thorn vines attacked their bodies like poisonous snakes. No matter how much I cut or avoided it, it was impossible to block all those thorny vines. If Alyssa hadn’t healed them, the two might have collapsed a long time ago.
Isaac in particular worked hard. He cut down the thorny vines with devil-like skill. He surpassed his usual swing speed. Cut thorn vines piled up at his feet in an instant. Alonso realized that this was Isaac’s strength
However, she can’t fight like that forever. Alyssa’s magical power will soon run out. If we continue the war of attrition, we will ultimately lose. I can’t waste any more time.
It was then.
“Alonso! Root! Aim for the roots!”
Alyssa, breathing heavily, pointed to the area below where the Demon King was crouching. This was where the roots of the thorn vines were located. Indeed, gloomy magical power is concentrated there. If you just remove that area, the attacks of thorn vines will stop.
“Isaac! “I’ll ask for some cover!”
Alonso shouted and rushed toward the root. Although she couldn’t hear the answer, Alonso could feel Isaac steadily removing the thorny vines heading towards her.
Alonso stepped on a flying thorn vine and leaped. What you’re aiming for is the root. He straightened his sword and stabbed it into the place where he could feel the dark magic. No, I tried to stab it.
“Summer solstice… Do not…”
“?!”
“Any more… Don’t take it from me…”
The one who blocked Alonso was the devil. The delicate woman spread her arms and stopped him. It was a very brief moment, but Alonso hesitated.
‘This… ‘ .’
Alonso resigned. By the time I noticed the thorny vines flying in for that moment, it was already too late to avoid them.
Pugh-!
There was a terrible sound of flesh being pierced. Hot blood flowed down his face. But no matter how long he waited, Alonso could not feel the pain.
It had to be that way.
“Kid… Small?!”
It was Isaac who blocked the thorn vine that flew at Alonso. The sharp thorn vines turned into huge thorns and were piercing Isaac’s body. He flew away and saved Alonso.
“Shit… !”
Alonso gritted his teeth. He quickly adjusted his sword. He gathered his magic power at once. Then the sword imbued with the magic of light glowed brightly.
Alonso branded a dazzling light. Towards the roots of the vine where darkness is concentrated.
-Gooo!
The thorny vine cut by the light roared like a wild beast. The ones that were struggling as if in pain turned brown from the tips and soon dried out and became distorted.
The thorny vine that had been bothering them was dying. It also meant that they won this fight.
“You did a great job! Alonso! Ah. The way he wields light is so…”
“More than that, Isaac… !”
Alonso hurriedly checked Isaac’s condition. But Isaac did not fall.
“…”
It just stood there tall. He was looking at something as if he were mesmerized.
It was the devil.
There was a hole in her chest, like a wound in the root of a vine.
“No… I don’t like this anymore…”
The Demon King, who had no more means to resist, was crying endlessly. He was crying like a child who lost his parents. Seeing that, Alonso even felt sympathy.
“I don’t like being alone… Ugh… Roti… Mickey… Dad…”
Black tears were flowing from her eyes. The little boy looked at him, and his lips moved as if he was about to say something. But the next moment…
Grumbling.
“?!”
Suddenly, flames erupted all around. The dried out thorn bushes began to burn. Alonso and Alyssa retreated as the flames burned fiercely.
“This…”
“It looks like the dark magic is dissipating and it is trying to take us to the road comrade. Well, it’s the last struggle. Let’s get out of here quickly.”
It was just as Alyssa said. There was nothing you couldn’t escape if you hurriedly escaped.
However, it was a dangerous situation. The fire spread to the thorn bushes that covered the castle. In an instant, flames erupted and shimmered as if engulfing the devil.
Looking at that scene, Alyssa shouted loudly.
“It looks great! Devil! Dying alone like that is a fitting end for you! Go to hell! There forever…”
Powok.
There was a dull sound from somewhere. Soon, Alyssa’s body she went limp.
Someone had stuck a fist into her abdomen
“She was a noisy woman until the end.”
“Isaac… ?”
Staring coldly at the limp Alyssa was Isaac, whose body had been pierced by thorny vines.
“You… What are you doing now?”
“Sorry. Alonso…”
Isaac said, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth.
“There is something I have been hiding from you until now.”