◆ Avangarde Castle Rooftop ◆
From this height, I could see the entire town below, the shape of the castle walls surrounding it clearly visible. Normally, being buffeted by the strong winds would be dangerous, but with Tiferia and me here, we could easily turn this place into a battlefield. No one would disturb us, and yet it was so quiet.
“Oh dear, I never expected to find you here…”
“I’m going to take you down here, One-Winged Demon.”
It was my suggestion to change the location. I wasn’t sure if this demon would agree, but she accepted it without hesitation. Perhaps she thought she wouldn’t lose no matter where we fought. Perched skillfully on the triangular roof, Tiferia raised the blade of her Twilight Bringer toward the sky. I had heard that weapon was crafted by a master artisan on par with Hans, but it had broken easily during the Combat Tournament. At that point, I thought it was inferior to Disballade.
“There is no weapon more suitable for a Master Knight than this. Indeed, there isn’t.”
The blade of the Twilight Bringer shone brightly as if rebelling against the heavens. At the same time, her emerald armor reflected the sunlight fiercely.
“That weapon of yours looks quite ominous. Just looking at it makes me feel down. It suits you perfectly, hee hee hee.”
“But I’ve saved many people with this. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Demon Sword or not. I’m not out here killing people like you are.”
“Oh, are you playing the hero now? ‘I’ve saved many,’ you say. I wonder if those you’ve saved feel the same way?”
“Well… I don’t know about that.”
“See, that’s the childish part of you. You lose confidence the moment someone pokes at you. With all that power, what do you believe in, and what do you think as you fight?”
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s One Tempo Kill!】
In an instant, I dodged Tiferia’s frenzied blade as she lunged at me. It wasn’t an uncatchable speed, but to be honest, it was on a completely different level compared to Eeks. And that was probably just a test; she wore a smirk that seemed to say, “You dodged well.”
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s Sword Beat!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia unleashed Burst Braver!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia unleashed Sacred Slash!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia unleashed Saber Rain!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia unleashed Smash Bomb!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s Shadow Slash!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia unleashed Whirlwind Wave!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia unleashed Raging Sky Slash!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia unleashed Wide White!】
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s Bolt Snare!】
A relentless barrage of attacks, so overwhelming that I could hardly keep track of which skill was which. Just when I thought her sword was spinning toward me, it ignited in flames; when it arced through the air, it transformed into lightning. This demon had mastered an unfathomable number of skills, which is why she was a Master Knight.
But so what? With this alone, I could barely handle the 30th floor of the Abyss Cave. It’s not just about increasing the number of attacks; that would only waste stamina. I wasn’t envious just because I could only learn Sonic Ripper.
“Do you think it’s enough to just throw out a bunch of attacks?”
With a smile that seemed to see right through me, the demon easily sealed my counterattack, Disballade, with the tip of her blade. In other words, her strength prevented me from even touching my sword. The strange power I hadn’t felt during the Combat Tournament was now revealing itself.
With each strike, and the next, it felt as if she was reading my mind, adapting to my speed. I realized again that this opponent couldn’t be defeated with simple attacks.
“I’ve been watching you for a long time. During the Combat Tournament, in battles against the Garden of Beasts, and when we defeated the monsters that overshadowed Avangarde’s skies. I’ve been watching only you.”
She licked her lips, still observing me. I wondered if she could keep up with my speed just by doing that. But if anyone could, it would be her. If she could discern my habits and initial movements, then it was just a matter of reacting.
“To see through everything about your opponent and dominate them. That is the true essence of a Master Knight.”
I had thought she was strong, but this was beyond my expectations. It wasn’t just about randomly unleashing skills; this was the true value of a Master Knight. If she truly had read everything, I would need to change my approach. No matter how many times I defeated Daigami or the Dragon God, if the opponent had a different fighting style, my usual methods wouldn’t work.
“Do you know all my movements?”
“Yes, I can seal your prized skills. No matter how much destructive power or speed you have, if you can’t activate them, they are completely irrelevant.”
“Hmm…”
Her sense was on par with Bathram’s Gentle Counter. Honestly, I thought she would give Bathram a good run for his money.
“You see, Rua, I’ve been terribly bored. Ever since I was a child, I could do anything. I could read and write perfectly by the time I was aware of my surroundings, and I understood most subjects in a day. Because of that, I couldn’t connect with the ordinary people at the academy and always felt out of place. I was even bullied. It became so ridiculous that I dropped out and decided to learn swordsmanship instead. And then…”
For some reason, I let the demon’s relentless chatter continue. Perhaps I was intrigued by her story. She was the complete opposite of me. I still struggled with reading and writing, and I couldn’t read a book for more than a minute. There were so many things I couldn’t do that I sometimes felt down about it.
Compared to that, her abilities were enviable. With such a gifted talent, why did she become a demon? That question began to gnaw at me.
“I surpassed my swordsmanship instructor in half a day, and by chance, I caught the eye of an old man who was said to be the world’s greatest swordsman. I eagerly became his disciple, but… I surpassed him in a day. After that, he became furious, as if he had turned into a different person. He challenged me again and again.”
From Tiferia’s long sigh, I could sense a hint of scorn for that swordsman.
“One day, after losing to me, he committed suicide. Right in front of me, with his own sword. So, how do you think one should react in such a situation? You would know, wouldn’t you, Rua? After all, you’re strong enough to have experienced something like this.”
She threw that malicious question at me on purpose. There was no way I could answer that.
“I don’t know. I can’t understand why the swordsman would go so far as to take his own life. Because, you see, I can’t grasp that emotion. I don’t feel anything like regret or determination. So, no matter what I do, all I can do is sigh. Everything feels so tiresome.”
To be able to do anything without needing motivation was something I found incredibly enviable. But watching her, that feeling began to fade. I didn’t want to become someone like her. The idea of having no passion for anything was terrifying. Even after struggling to master Sonic Ripper, I felt no joy. In fact, I didn’t even struggle. The thrill I had gained back then would vanish entirely. I hated the thought of that. It made me realize what I had been pondering all along: what kind of person did I want to become?
“During the finals of the Combat Tournament… when I fought you. I lost for the first time. Yet strangely, I felt nothing. I wonder why. I guess I really didn’t have any feelings of regret.”
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s Twilight Armor transforms!】
“But you see, Rua. Little by little, since that day, what started as a pinhole has begun to widen. Because the girl I almost killed that day has come back so incredibly strong. When I think about it… I feel a strange sense of discomfort. Is this what it means to feel regret?”
A dazzling rainbow enveloped the wing-like structure sprouting from her armor. Each radiant feather combined to form a single wing, majestically spreading along the slender line of Tiferia’s body. Red and green lines intertwined with her emerald armor, sliding across its surface.
“The final form of Twilight Armor… Twilight Angel.”
An angel descended upon Avangarde Castle. I was sure even those in the town below could see it. From this height, the townspeople, who looked like mere specks, all stopped in their tracks and looked up at us. Some peered out from their windows, while others paused their work. The entire town was captivated by the angel that was Tiferia.
Is this the effect of that armor or Tiferia’s skill? At this point, it doesn’t matter which. She’s dead serious, a demon masquerading as an angel is trying to kill me.
“You’re more impressive than I thought…”
“Thank you. But flattery won’t save you, hehehe.”
“But you don’t know. There are many things that don’t go as planned.”
【Rua’s attack!】
【Tiferia’s attack! Rua’s attack has been sealed!】
The blade of the Tisvalet, which I swung, was halted by the Twilight Bringer just after I swung it, flowing seamlessly toward my body. This all happened in less than a second.
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s sweeping slash!】
While stopping my initial movement, she aimed to take my life. It was a feat so extraordinary that the words superhuman or monster felt insufficient. Completely read and sealed, I had no chance of winning. Or so one would normally think.
“Either way, it’s all too obvious.”
【Rua deftly dodged!】
“What do you think?”
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s sweeping slash! Rua deftly dodged! One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s sweeping slash! Rua deftly dodged! One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s sweeping slash! Rua received 1233 damage! HP 40817/42050】
The blade I thought I had dodged reappeared right before me, and even as I dodged again, it was now even closer. No matter how much I dodged, the distance closed in, and the next place the blade appeared was at my torso. The result of the slash remained; seeing my own blood didn’t faze me. This was something I had experienced countless times before.
“Hehe, when I take this form, my skills learn from you and master you.”
She was intent on finishing me off, planning to unleash all her skills to crush me utterly. Every skill would learn my movements and hit me with certainty. Somewhere along the line, I had begun to reassess this enemy who should have been my foe. With this level of strength, I couldn’t just stand by.
“Then I’ll show you a bit of my seriousness too.”
The usually tranquil skies of the Kingdom of Avangarde fell silent. The flapping of birds, the rustle of the wind, even the movements of people on the ground came to a halt.
“…Oh dear.”
I didn’t miss the moment she slightly pulled back, intimidated by my presence. It wasn’t that she had been playing around, but just a little bit of seriousness was enough to make her flinch.
“I’ll make you regret this…”
With a torrent of energy, everything from the Twilight Bringer was unleashed.
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s sweeping slash! Rua deftly dodged! One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s sweeping slash! Rua’s attack! One-Winged Demon Tiferia unleashed the Mad Crimson Moon! Rua deftly dodged! One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s sweeping slash! Rua’s attack! Rua’s attack! One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s Thousand… Rua’s attack! Rua’s attack! One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s Grand… Rua’s attack! Rua’s attack!】
“W-What?!”
Even in the midst of battle, I had no time to be surprised. What is this idiot doing, dawdling around? How foolish, to think she could be so shaken by just a little seriousness.
“The next skill is… this! Yes, I can do this!”
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s Twilight Rainbow!】
A cascade of colors, more than seven hues, intertwined and rushed forth at breakneck speed. It didn’t matter; I would cut through it.
【Rua’s attack! One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s Twilight Rainbow! Rua’s attack! Attack! Attack! Attack!】
I wouldn’t let the slight recoil from being deflected by the Twilight Bringer go to waste.
【Rua’s attack!】
“Ah! Kyaaa!”
I shattered her other wing, and with the emerald shards exploding around, the angelic wings vanished.
“W-What is this… This is… Noooooo!”
I felt as if I had caught a glimpse of the true nature of the woman who had been composed solely of smiles and sighs. In a situation she had never encountered before, she was at a loss for what to do, pouting like a child.
So, this was who she was. Just as I had thought moments ago, she was still a child.
“I should have mastered you!”
“I don’t know where you got that misconception, but don’t think you can easily dismantle my ten years of experience.”
Even so, I had to admit her skill. The fact that she could observe even a part of my quirks and movements meant that she could at least keep up with my speed. That alone was enough to send a chill down my spine, but all I had to do was change those quirks and movements. If I relied on a single pattern, I wouldn’t survive in that cave; there had to be monsters that learned and attacked based on their opponent’s movements. This meant she was at least as strong as one of the monsters in that cave.
“Why! Why! Why is this happening?!”
I had started to refer to her simply as “this person.” The mask of the demon who should have been my enemy had peeled away, revealing a childlike figure beneath. I didn’t understand it, but she hadn’t matured. Just as I had spent over ten years in a dark cave, she too had been too perfect to have the chance to learn something.
For the first time in her life, she was cornered and feeling regret. She had likely never faced a situation that didn’t go her way before. In this light, I felt somewhat fortunate that I had a poor understanding of things.
“Really, Rua, you’re just the worst!”
【One-Winged Demon Tiferia’s…】
“Enough already, let’s end this.”
【Rua unleashed the Sonic Ripper!】
Just by changing my movements slightly, this was the result.
【Dealt 11545 damage to One-Winged Demon Tiferia!】
“Ah… Guh…!”
The vertical slash obliterated her beautiful shoulder guard, carving into the flesh beneath. The blood that gushed from her neck was, of course, red. Unlike with Eeks, this time I had managed to graze her properly.
“N-No… I can’t… win…”
The light faded from her eyes, and Tiferia—no, Tiferia-san—stared vacantly into the void as she fell to the ground. This was supposed to be the end of the demon that had devastated my village, so why did it feel so unsatisfying?
Even though it was revenge, why did my heart ache so much?
【You have defeated One-Winged Demon Tiferia! HP 0/9959】
“Ah…”
Reaching out to Tiferia-san as she fell, I found myself following her down as well.
◆ Shin Report ◆
I can’t understand what’s happening anymore.
If you skip the experiences you should have had as a child, you end up like Tiferia, a giggling woman.
Shin learned this.
Well, Shin also has worries that come with being a genius.
For example, this report constantly analyzes the situation and compiles it.
In other words, Shin cannot understand the feelings of those who cannot compile a report.
If that happens, you become like Shin.
No, this is still a good thing… Hmm?
I don’t really understand.