Chapter 52 Guardian Shadows (5).
Chapter 52 Guardian Shadows (5).
Chapter 52 - Guardian Shadows (5)
Kairen spoke.
“Well… Since I've suffered a bit of a loss, I'll be attacking first.”
“Isn't it the duty of a senior to yield the first move?”
“I did so before. Didn’t you turn down my offer?"
Kairen snorted as he attacked with his right sword.
Kairen wasn't planning on making any exploratory moves. This was why his strike was tremendously sharp. However, Azell read the trajectory and reach of the attack beforehand. Thus, he was able to dodge it by the slightest of a margin.
Moreover, he attacked at the same time as Kairen was pulling back his sword. It was a perfect way to deal with such an attack, but the problem was that Kairen was a dual swords user.
‘Got you.’
As if he had waited for this moment, Kairen counter-attacked with his left sword. It looked to be a perfect trap. At least, it looked like a perfect trap to Giles and Boar.
Azell hadn't forgotten Kairen was using two swords. There were numerous types of sword techniques in existence, and there were a specific type of technique where the left and right hand acted as if it was attached to a different person. The hands moved independently of each other, and they showed ever-changing movements. Kairen was like that.
Azell had predicted his attack beforehand, so he accelerated a beat faster when the right sword was swung towards him.
Chaeng!
The sound rang out as sword clashed against sword. Surprisingly, it was Kairen who retreated.
“…I've been had.”
Azell purposefully slowed down his speed. When he ran in to parry the right sword, he accelerated his speed in an instant. Kairen missed the spot he was aiming for, and Azell dug in towards the inside of his guard.
He waited for Kairen's counter-attack and returned a counter-attack of his own. Kairen was barely able to stop his stance from dissolving.
Kairen was in an ill humor, so he went on the offensive again.
His dual swords turned like a wound-up clock as he started performing a very precise pattern of attack. It was fast, accurate, and flashy. There wasn't much difference between each blow. There were sufficient power behind the two swords, and the two swords worked in perfect unison. Most opponents wouldn’t even be able to untangle the flurry of movements.
However, Azell surprisingly reacted to such attacks in a natural manner. He moved his sword in the most efficient manner and Kairen's sword slid off of his sword. Moreover, he moved back and forth to subtly control the distance from the dual swords. It cut off the rhythm of the dual swords being swung at him.
Che-eng!
Both of them moved in harmony as if they were dancing. After performing a breathtaking exchange of sword strikes, both of them took a step back. Kairen smiled.
“You reaction to my attacks are very natural. Have you ever fought against a dual sword techniques?”
“I'm quite familiar with it.”
Azell had experience fighting against a very diverse type of dual sword techniques.
The techniques differed depending on the region one was in, as well as the types of weapons used. It also differed by how talented his opponent was at using dual swords. There were as many difference between dual swordsmen as those who only use one sword. Kairen fell into the most troublesome group of dual swordsmen. He could use both arms freely as if one was fighting against two opponents.
Kairen spoke.
“I heard you had 5 teachers.”
“It seems the princess tattle on me. I'm disappointed.”
“Didn't you also hear all kinds of slander about me? We are even now.”
“Well, I don't want to be called a petty man. So I'll agree that we are even.”
“Uh-huh. You heard secret stories from the Dragon Demon Princess. Most of the people of this country would love learning about those stories yet you are acting so hard to get. You should ask this question to any citizen of this country. How much worth does your story have compared to Arrieta’s story?”
‘They'll probably consider mine to be more valuable?’
In a flash, the thought crossed Azell's mind. He was, after all, the legendary hero who took down the Dragon Demon King. If he revealed his identity, everyone would drool at the prospect of hearing his story. He could probably gather a legion of people.
‘However, I would probably believe the story of a beautiful girl instead of a weather-worn man.... Mmmm. I would definitely be conflicted if I was asked the same question.’
As he was thinking seriously about it, Kairen spoke.
“Did one of your teachers use dual swords?”
“One of them did.”
“Ho-oh.”
“Except he was a different type from you.”
Azell's third teacher was a dual sword master. He was born in the desert and used two very curved blades. He used the two swords to move as one. He wasn't as dynamic as Kairen, but his teacher's style was very effective against multiple enemies.
Kairen asked a question.
“Then are you able to use dual swords?”
“I can. However, it isn't my main weapon. I'm the opposite of the Duke.”
“Too bad.”
“Well, if you want to, I can face you using dual swords. This is only a training session.”
“No. It isn't like that... I'm just lamenting the fact that I won't be able to fight with you using my full capability”
“I'm not interested in destroying this fine lodging facility. I don't want to pay an exorbitant amount for the damage it will cause.”
Currently, the two of them were sparring using only sword techniques. However, their true skills would only emerge if Azell used his Spirit Order techniques and Kairen used his Dragon qi. The moment those factors were applied to the battle, their sword techniques would morph into something entirely different.
However, this would cause a complete destruction of the lodging facility. No matter how skilled they were, they were fighting with superhuman powers. It was inevitable that they would cause damage to the surrounding.
Kairen smirked.
“Well, I want to see your techniques right now. Why not try using your dual sword style? I don't get a lot of chances to go up against a fellow dual swords wielder.”
“If I want to grant your request... I'll have to borrow a sword.”
It wasn't easy to ask another swordsman to borrow his sword. This was why Azell hesitated.
At that moment, Boar spoke.
“You can use my sword.”
“Mmmm? Are you sure?”
“I'll just treat it as an admission fee for seeing this sparring session. Moreover, my sword is more suitable for your use than Sir Giles' sword.”
“Thank you for letting me use it.”
Giles' sword required the use of both hands, as it was a bit on the heavier side. Boar used a shield, so the length and weight of his sword was ideal for one-handed use. Boar thought through all of this, and he decided that his own sword was more suitable for performing the dual sword techniques.
‘It really wouldn't have mattered.’
The sword Azell was using right now was akin to Giles' sword. It would be a problem if it was a great sword that required the use of both hands, but he wasn't too picky about a sword of this size when he was using his dual sword techniques.
Kairen spoke in a pleased manner.
“The road to the capital city got a little bit more enjoyable.”
“Hmm. I can clearly see your intention. You just want to pester me.”
“It is the privilege of the old to be able to pester the young.”
“That is why the young hate dealing with the old.”
Azell kept grumbling as he sparred Kairen using his dual sword techniques. It was the same as before. The sparring was fierce and tight. They exchanged blows until they were tired, but they couldn't decide the victor.
8
“He's a monster.”
After a session of sparring with Azell, Kairen spoke to Arrieta. Arrieta queried.
“He is good enough to receive such an assessment from teacher?”
In Arrieta's view, Kairen was the strongest being. No one in the kingdom could hold a candle against Kairen. Kairen had spoken up about someone having a high potential before, but he had never acknowledged someone having skills on par with him.
“Yes. This is the first time I've seen someone like that. I can't see the limit of his abilities.”
He had thought Arrieta mixed in some exaggeration in her storytelling about Azell. However, he never thought Arrieta was lying to him. He had thought Azell looked better than he was to Arrieta. Kairen had thought Azell possessed skills that made him look better than he really was when fighting his enemies.
However, he found out Azell was extraordinary when Kairen faced him.
‘His sword techniques.’
Surprisingly, Azell was better than Kairen at using multidisciplinary sword techniques. In terms of physical ability, Kairen held an overwhelming edge, so if it had been a true fight, he would have eventually won. However, they were fighting only in terms of techniques, and he wasn't able gain an upper hand over Azell even though he was using his dual sword techniques.
‘Spirit Order.’
This was also a part of Azell he hadn't seen yet. However, he caught glimpses of it during his travels, and he had heard the stories from Arrieta as well. He concluded Azell was at a higher level than any Spirit Order practioner Kairen knew.
‘Still, how could his reservoir of magical energy be so poor?’
This was the part where he had a hard time accepting. This was the part which had puzzled Kairen and also Niberis.
Kairen had heard how Azell was first found, and what condition he was in. However, magical energy didn't become depleted when one's body weakened. It might happen for a brief moment, but the Rings of Life always replenished the Energy Pulse.
Moreover, after a Spirit Order practitioner reaches a certain level, their magical energy increased in an upward curve. He had never heard of someone like Azell, who was extremely unbalanced.
‘He said black magicians performed experiments on him... Hmmm. I'll have to ask others for their opinions later on.’
Kairen was knowledgeable about Spirit Order and magic, but he wasn't an expert in those fields. Kairen put away these questions for now and thought about who he should ask these questions to.
‘He'll become really scary once his body is built up and he attains enough magical energy. He is a little bit of an upstart, but it is comforting to know that he isn't evil.’
Azell had been accepted by the Guardian Shadows. Moreover, he had observed Azell up until now, and he wasn't a bad egg. Azell didn't hesitated to say annoying words to him in front of his face. He actually like Azell’s insolent attitude.
Arrieta mumbled to herself.
“I don't know what happened to him, but how could a being of his caliber show up all of a sudden?”
“I don't know. That's the part that raises so much questions. Even if we take his words to be true, he would have been captured by the black magician for several years at most. Even then, he should have made a name for himself by then... We might not know who he is if he is from a different country.”
Kairen had already sent messages to various territories so his underlings could look into Azell's background. They didn't have much information to start with, but it was enough to be able to start an investigation.
Azell Zestringer, hair red as if it was on fire, high rank Spirit Order practitioner, likely to be of the royal blood....
If his name was made up, then their search was all for naught. Still, there should be some information that could be salvaged. How could such a person be entirely unknown...
If Azell knew Kairen's thought, he would have laughed. It was a wild goose chase. At this point in time, no one had an inkling of Azell's true identity.
Arrieta asked a question.
“Isn't there a high chance that he is someone from a different country?”
“Probably.”
There were times when magic was used to deliver news, but the speed in which information was spread was still slow. It was possible not to know about a person if he gained his fame in a remote location of a different country. Even if a person was famous in a foreign country, it was still difficult to hear about them.
Kairen spoke.
“I want to meet those, whom he calls teacher.”
According to Arrieta's story, two of his teachers were already dead. However, this didn't guarantee the third was as well. If they were still alive, he really wanted to hear how they brought up such a being.