Volume 3 Chapter 52 The Martial Arts Performance
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It felt like an eternity in that single leap.
With a strange hiss, a black blade wrapped in Katyusha’s white energy slashed horizontally.
”――――! .”
There was no dodging it.
It was a straight shot, after all.
There was no way to block it.
The enemy’s ‘tear’ would cut through the body and the mithril blade.
In the thin line between life and death, Kian considered whether to use his Mist Form to nullify the physical attack.
The vampire’s power…
He would keep it hidden.
Just before impact, Kian created a ‘shadow’ and smacked into a suddenly expanded ‘Wall,’ coming to an abrupt stop.
His bones ground together, but his enhanced muscles protected him.
Nevertheless, the damaged parts were roughly repaired with a momentary healing spell.
The ‘shadow’ and Kian’s body began to separate.
The ‘shadow’ flew forward, diving into Katyusha’s range.
If she noticed and adjusted her stance, his real body would be cut down.
A tense moment.
A split-second halved in half.
As expected, Katyusha swung down at the advancing decoy, her blade cutting through in a horizontal arc.
”Haaagh!”
A white flash bisected the decoy’s body.
He watched it with his eyes and nose.
If his judgment had been half a moment late, that would have been Kian.
But Kian lived.
Katyusha’s eyes widened.
”‘Shadow’…!? Could it be, the Great Sword”
(Dodged it!)
In her field of vision, she had imagined the strongest swordsman, ‘Knights of the Sun (Oswald).’
She had traced his movements.
Kian, having dispelled the ‘Wall,’ stepped forward again with a kick.
”…, …!”
Once more, the white ‘tear’ was swung.
At his feet.
Two lines of cuts aimed at his neck after he jumped.
He twisted his body and slipped through the gaps between the two flashing white semicircles.
In his heightened senses, he saw the enemy’s lips move slightly, tongue clicking.
The black panther tribe’s female warrior monk jumped with a clear intention visible from behind.
Aiming for her feet, Kian threw a handful of sand he held tightly.
(‘Blast!’)
”Ugh!”
The sand, wrapped in intense heat, bounced around with a crackling sound.
Amidst the blooming light, Kian made his final move.
He accelerated suddenly.
Katyusha reacted faster than any human could.
She aimed her shamshir at Kian’s sword.
A warrior with wild instincts that didn’t rely on sight.
That’s why the beastmen’s warrior monk is strong.
Kian saw Katyusha’s energy gathering in her shamshir, ready for a ‘break’ and ‘pierce’ attack.
Without stopping, Kian pressed his blade against Katyusha’s sword.
He quickly released his left hand from the sword grip and grabbed her left hand.
”Wha──?!”
”Huff!”
In Azrael’s Dance Swordsmanship, there are no throwing techniques.
In other words.
As he knocked Katyusha’s sword away, pinning her body to the ground was something never seen before.
”Ah…!? Gaaaah!?”
The thin, toned body of the female warrior monk flew beautifully through the air—only to be slammed into the sandy ground as Kian caught her mid-flight.
At the moment of the throw, he had pressed the shamshir’s peak against her carotid artery, momentarily cutting off blood flow to her brain.
”────”
Her eyes fluttered—
The telltale movement of a mind slipping into unconsciousness.
Kian pinned her down and drew the sub-weapon dagger from his waist.
He rotated the blade, then brought it down—aimed straight at Katyusha’s heart.
Someone.
He thought he could hear it—a distant, hopeless scream, begging him to stop.
”────”
Sacrifice.
”…What…?”
Katyusha’s eyes widened.
Kian’s dagger struck the sand—buried just beside her neck.
”────”
”……”
He pulled the dagger free, along with his falchion, and stepped away from Katyusha’s body.
Cheers erupted around them like a thunderclap.
As the minstrel began singing loudly of Kian’s victory, he calmly sheathed both weapons.
”…Why didn’t you kill me?”
Looking up at the stands, Katyusha shook her head, still dazed as she slowly got to her feet.
The sound of guards approaching from all sides echoed through the arena.
”If I fall to evil. There are women who will grieve.”
Katyusha, now surrounded by spear-wielding guards, remained silent as his words sank in.
”I controlled myself for their sake. But there won’t be a next time. If you provoke me like that again… I’ll kill you for sure.”
”──────”
Katyusha retreated without a word.
Kian considered how to acknowledge the crowd—but nothing came to mind.
So instead, he bowed his head, pressed palm and fist together, and offered the warrior monk’s salute.
Kian, Kian, Kian────.
His name echoed throughout the dome.
Kian felt a strange floating sensation as he waited for the tournament officials and Guy to come out.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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