Chapter 459 Shinji’s Battle
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Rena’s POV)
I’m curious about Hiroya, who vanished with the woman he faced, but Rena and Raincrist quickly focused on Gargantua and the big man with the spear.
”…it seems Gargantua’s attacks aren’t hitting the target…”
The great naginata swung down by Gargantua, who ran up the stairs, should have undoubtedly struck the enemy.
”Mirage…? No, that speed definitely falls into ‘rank S territory’──”
”But… that doesn’t make sense.”
Rena disagreed with Raincrist’s murmur.
It can’t be a Mirage.
Because…
”That’s right… a created Mirage can’t step into ‘rank S territory’.”
Rena nodded at Raincrist’s answer.
”Well, there must be some sort of trick, but Gargantua will see through it quickly.”
(Oni-kin’s ‘sensing ability’. Apparently, their instincts in battle are quite remarkable…)
Believing Raincrist’s words, Rena shifted her gaze toward Hiroya’s papa.
A robust giant held a massive sword.
Wider than Simona’s katana, the enormous sword loomed.
Meanwhile, Hiroya’s papa wielded a ceremonial longsword in his right hand and a short sword borrowed from Raincrist in his left.
”Hiroya’s papa… is he going to be okay?”
”What do you mean?”
”I mean… can he really fight against that huge sword with his?”
Raincrist chuckled at Rena’s worries.
”Oh, sorry, sorry. ──It’s fine, there’s nothing to worry about. Shinji has the strength to stop even a Minotaur’s double-headed axe with just a knife.”
”No way…!?”
He certainly doesn’t look like he possesses such immense strength.
Though tall, Hiroya’s papa has a slim build.
Hiroya’s papa is tall, but has a slim body.
I can’t believe that your body has that kind of strength.
”Well, that’s an exaggeration. But there’s nothing to worry about. Just watch. Shinji’s swordsmanship──especially his left-hand short sword──is tricky.”
When Raincrist taught me that, a strong man named Giacomo moved.
* * *
(Hiroya’s papa… so… amazing…!)
Both entered the ‘Rank S realm’, exchanging blows at high speed.
The movements that were once invisible are now… something I can follow.
(The movements, the force… completely efficient. And above all…)
’Meticulous and precise.’
He expertly deflected the descending greatsword with his longsword, exploiting the opening to slash with his short sword.
Moreover, the spot was…
”As always, Shinji has such a lewd attack…”
It’s no wonder Raincrist is laughing.
Because Hiroya’s papa’s attacks are definitely targeting the ‘joints of the armor.’
”In front of him, even ‘full plate armor’ is useless.”
Now that I’ve witnessed Hiroya’s papa’s battle, I can understand Raincrist’s exaggerated expressions.
”Well then… we’ll leave it to the two of them──Lady Rena, shall we go look for the captured princesses?”
Without waiting for Rena’s reply, Raincrist took off running, and Rena hurriedly chased after him.
* * *
(Shinji’s POV)
”My attacks… aren’t landing at all…”
Giacomo, already staggering and breathing heavily, is swinging that greatsword around… not to mention the numerous injuries I’ve inflicted on his legs.
It’s only natural.
”It’s about time to retreat. You’re barely standing, aren’t you?”
”Shut it! I’ll break that fancy sword next time!”
Giacomo charged back into the ‘Rank S realm’ at an incredible speed.
He swung the raised greatsword down towards my head.
I aligned my longsword with the approaching greatsword, redirecting its momentum without losing its force.
”──!”
If I slightly deflect his half, greatsword will be slammed onto the floor, still with momentum.
I circled behind Giacomo and thrust my short sword into his side.
”Ngugh!”
Until now, I had focused my attacks on his legs, but it was time to finish him off and help Della and the others.
I twisted the short sword embedded in him and swept it sideways.
”I am… the strongest in the Royal Capital!”
”Strongest? You amuse me. A person like you, who has strayed from the path of humanity, cannot be ‘the strongest’.”
Bent forward, Giacomo slowly retreated while pressing on his side wound.
Looking down at the miserable sight of a man who could only fight by wielding his power, I raised my longsword.
”It’s time to put an end to this.”
”Not yet… I’m still listening, Shinji O’Brian… about the ‘curse’ you and Elberhardt received…”
Giacomo grinned at me as he looked up.
At the same time, a massive magic circle appeared on the floor.
(Is this… a teleportation circle!?)
”Come forth! Youma!”
Giacomo unfolded the scroll he pulled from his pocket and tossed it aside.
And what appeared in the entrance hall was…
(Lesser youma!?)
Youma that rank lower than Lesser Demons.
Kin of demons that exist in another dimension, favored and summoned by demonkind.
Their combat power is low, with monster ranks ranging from D to C.
But──
(Due to the curse, I cannot cut demon’s kin… and…)
There are so many.
The number that appeared surrounded not just me, but the entire entrance hall…
”The scroll I specially brought from the Imperial Capital was quite useful! There are about 30 of them!”
Giacomo, full of pride, but…
(Fortunately, their attacks cannot reach me, as I have entered the ‘S-rank domain.’)
Dodging the youma at high speed, I made my way to Giacomo.
However…
”You can’t cut these guys!”
Using the youma, who were frozen in place and unable to keep up with our speed, as a shield, Giacomo fled.
I tried to capture his movements and strike with my longsword, but…
”──!”
I barely managed to stop my longsword against Giacomo, who was hidden behind the youma.
”Here we go!”
And then, a youma slashed at me with a greatsword.
I barely caught a strike from outside my view with my longsword.
Giacomo’s kick struck me while I was frozen.
”Guh…!”
Taking that kick to the gut, I collapsed backward.
”Look, look, look, look!”
Giacomo charged into the surrounding youma one after another, causing them to crash down toward me.
In an effort to dodge them, I pushed myself up and leaped back.
”Can’t even cut down these weaklings, huh? That’s just sad.”
Giacomo mocked me.
However, with no youma around me now, I kicked the ground and closed the distance to him.
(With this many youma, if I stop moving and they come at me…)
For someone who can’t cut a youma, escaping this predicament is near impossible.
(Anyway, I need to cut down Giacomo… and then escape this place.)
I approached the laughing Giacomo and slashed diagonally.
”Gah!”
It was I who fell to the ground with a deep wound in my chest.
Giacomo had switched places with a youma he was hiding behind at that moment.
I was completely caught off guard by that movement and couldn’t stop my longsword.
”Just as Marquis Bausnerun said. So the damage to the youma comes back to me… how amusing.”
Countless youma closed in on me, curled up on the ground while clutching my chest.
”There won’t be even a shred left of me, huh? ──Shall I witness the moment the Heroic Swordsman is turned to mincemeat?”
Giacomo stepped back as youma surrounded me.
(I have to somehow enter the ‘S-Rank area’…)
As I gathered strength in my legs and tried to move, a familiar voice echoed in the entrance hall.
”Hey Shinji! You seem to be having a tough time!”
When I looked up… I could see Bone’s grinning face through the gaps in the youma.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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