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Chapter 80: The Title of Sword Saint

Lysithea watched as Liam confronted the Sword Saint.

(This man, how can he face a Sword Saint!?)

The Sword Saint, with sword in hand, possessed an intimidating aura so powerful that even she, a trained warrior, trembled before it.

They were the kind of people who lived to surpass the first-rate and aim for the pinnacle of martial arts.

Facing a being who seemed to have stepped into the realm of the inhuman, Liam even showed a sense of composure.

Liam twirled his katana and showed a smile to the Sword Saint.

"Well now, I heard about this from my subordinate earlier and was looking forward to it. Hearing I get to fight a Sword Saint has me excited, despite my age."

Does he not understand the difference in our strength!?

Lysithea thought so, but the Sword Saint's reaction was different from before.

He wore a smile more ferocious than Liam's, and a creaking sound could be heard from the hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

Right now, he showed no interest at all, not even in Tia.

"Are you Liam?"

The Sword Saint approached Liam.

Once they were within each other's range, the height difference was like that of an adult and a child.

"You will address me as 'Lord'. I am the next Duke."

Liam, looking up at the Sword Saint, had an attitude as if he were dealing with an inferior.

Utterly audacious.

He could be seen as a naive child, or his attitude could be seen as that of a great figure.

(No matter how strong he is, it's impossible against a Sword Saint. A Sword Saint is someone who can't be beaten even by several master swordsmen. There's no way even Count Banfield could win against such an opponent.)

She didn't know how far the rumored One-Flash Style would be effective against a Sword Saint.

In fact, even the highly skilled Tia had lost.

How well could Liam do against such an opponent?

Lysithea couldn't help but feel anxious.

The Sword Saint took a stance with his sword in front of Liam.

"Brat, your style is the One-Flash Style, isn't it? Who is your master?"

Facing the Sword Saint's serious expression, Liam didn't take a stance, remaining in a natural posture.

"My master is Yasushi—the strongest man in this world."

The Sword Saint narrowed his eyes.

"Yasushi? Never heard the name."

Hearing that, Liam's expression changed.

"You'll never meet him, so there's no need to remember it. You will die here today."

Sparks, even larger than before, flew between the two.

Their movements were so fast that they left afterimages.

Each time their swords clashed, sparks flew, larger than when he fought Tia.

They swung their swords at close range, the aftershocks creating a whirlwind inside the room.

Lysithea couldn't believe her eyes, seeing Liam not yielding an inch before the Sword Saint.

(Impossible. He's a Sword Saint recognized by the Empire. How is he still standing!?)

Cleo called out to the flustered Lysithea.

"Sister, treat Tia's wounds at once!"

"R-Right."

Prompted by her younger brother, Lysithea immediately moved and approached Tia, who was embedded in the wall.

As soon as she pulled her from the wall, she saw that Tia, though covered in wounds, was gazing at Liam with a captivated expression.

(This woman, what is she thinking!? Does she not understand the current situation!?)

She had thought Tia was a serious female knight, but she was disillusioned to see her fawning over Liam in such an emergency.

However, Tia took a small vial from a pouch on her equipment, took a sip, and then sprayed the liquid onto her wounds.

Then she spoke.

"Lady Lysithea, can you see Lord Liam's gallant figure?"

"Y-You, what are you saying at a time like this! If we don't do something about this situation immediately, we'll all be slaughtered!"

It was no wonder Lysithea was furious; highly skilled knights had stormed a facility where the security force was stationed.

What's more, there was even a Sword Saint.

The chances of getting out of here alive were low.

In the first place, it was strange that no help had arrived despite all this commotion.

(It's not just Brother Linus. Should I assume someone higher up is involved? To go this far—do they want to eliminate Cleo that badly!?)

She couldn't imagine Linus being able to mobilize a Sword Saint on his own. In that case, it was possible someone above Linus—Calvin, or perhaps even someone higher—was involved.

Could they make it out of this place alive?

Lysithea had half given up.

However, as her wounds began to heal from the medicine, Tia took up her weapon.

"There is no need to panic. Please just watch. Among all those I know, the strongest person in this world is Lord Liam."

Crossing swords with the Sword Saint, I realized something.

"You can call yourself a Sword Saint at this level? In that case, I can start calling myself the Sword Saint from today, right!"

When I laughed, the giant man before me gritted his teeth.

It seemed we were trading blows, but the number of scratches on his arms and legs was increasing.

Of course, I was unscathed.

"A brat who hasn't even lived a hundred years!"

"Getting beaten by a brat of that level! That's all you amount to! Do you understand now how strong the One-Flash Style is? You should be glad you got to witness the strongest sword style at the end!"

"Nonsense!"

The One-Flash Style truly is a magnificent sword art.

It's probably the best sword art in this world.

That such a splendid sword art was bestowed upon a villain like me is this world's misfortune.

Still, when was the last time I crossed swords like this?

Was it back when I had a match with Kurt at the training grounds?

Back then, I struggled to figure out how to hold back.

If I had to name a weakness of the One-Flash Style, it would be its extreme difficulty with holding back.

After all, drawing the sword is synonymous with killing the opponent in this style.

Cutting off an opponent's limbs in a match would be a huge problem, and an amateur wouldn't even know what was happening with an invisible slash.

Now, as for why I'm deliberately standing here with my katana drawn, it's purely to toy with him.

Normally, with the One-Flash Style, the match is decided the instant the blade is drawn from its sheath.

The reason I'm deliberately humoring the Sword Saint is none other than to gauge his true strength.

And also—to see just how much stronger I've become.

Then, the Sword Saint leaped back, putting distance between us.

The man with the narrow, slit-like eyes was surprised by this action.

"Lord Sword Saint, how long do you intend to play around!"

But the Sword Saint barked at the narrow-eyed man.

"Silence! —I got a little hot-headed, but I never thought there'd be a man who could keep up with me this far. It's been a long time since I've felt like this. This is the best. You're the best!"

This man—he's the type who enjoys a fight.

Sometimes, you find knights like this.

How much stronger can I get? I want a more thrilling fight. Isn't there a stronger opponent?

There are sad beings who are faithful to such desires.

I can't understand it at all.

When the Sword Saint took the Hassō-no-kamae stance, my intuition told me for just a moment that it was dangerous.

"I never thought another opponent would appear against whom I could unleash this technique with all my might. Please, just hold on for a little while!"

The Sword Saint laughed as he sent slashes flying, but those slashes were atrocious.

They were like a net of slashes.

He unleashed numerous slashes in an instant, which overlapped to form a mesh pattern.

It was a slash meant to overwhelm with area-of-effect.

"How awful."

The Sword Saint was laughing.

"The sure-kill sword for victory! As if you could escape these slashes!"

He kept unleashing such slashes over and over.

—No, it's truly awful.

I feel like an idiot for having felt danger from slashes of this level.

For me, a master of the One-Flash Style, to be surprised by something like this is an insult to my master.

When I swept those slashes away with a single swing, the Sword Saint froze.

"—You can cut through this too?"

"What a disappointing sword. Are you really strong?"

I'm starting to have my doubts.

In the first place, is it even possible for a guy doing such shady work to be a Sword Saint?

Could he actually be a fake Sword Saint?

I was getting suspicious.

What a letdown.

The Sword Saint changed his stance again.

He held his sword with one hand, taking a natural stance.

Then, he pursed his lips and exhaled a long breath, and the muscles of the Sword Saint's body swelled up in an instant—and then shrank again.

Just when I thought they had swelled up, they became even thinner than their original state.

His clothes became baggy, and the Sword Saint tore them off, ending up in just his underwear.

He was in a ridiculous outfit, but steam was shimmering from his body like an aura from an anime or manga.

—Is there really a need for it to be steam? Wouldn't magic be fine?

"Your form has changed."

The Sword Saint was smiling, but he looked to be in some pain, as if it was taking a toll on his body.

"This is the pinnacle my sword has reached. The answer I found after pursuing pure power! It's a secret technique that shaves away my life in exchange for explosive physical abilities!"

The Sword Saint took a step, and in the next moment, his sword came crashing down where I had just been.

His step made his leg sink into the floor, and the spot where his sword struck burst as if it had exploded.

Having dodged, my eyes widened.

The instant he swung down, his sword was already closing in to bisect my torso horizontally.

I dodged that as well, and this time he attacked from a different direction.

"How's that, brat! Do you still think I'm weak! Right now, I can even slice a mobile knight in two! This is power that surpasses human limits!"

When I blocked one of the Sword Saint's strikes, my feet sank into the floor.

His blows were incredibly heavy.

But it didn't resonate with my heart at all.

"The pinnacle, huh. —You aimed for the wrong place."

"Huh?"

As I parried the Sword Saint's repeated attacks, the katana I had brought with me became tattered.

I should have just brought my favorite katana and ended this in one blow.

"Unable to even resist, how do you plan to seize victory! If you're waiting for me to get tired, too bad for you. I can fight for a full day in this state!"

With every blow the Sword Saint unleashed, his skin would tear and a little blood would seep out.

He can last a whole day? I was impressed by that, but—

"It's extremely disappointing. I thought I might learn something, but your swordplay is too crude."

All his movements are based on brute force.

It's not elegant.

I was looking for any movements that might be instructive, but there was nothing worth seeing here.

—Not instructive at all.

"Are you mocking my sword, brat!"

When I lowered my katana and offered no resistance, the Sword Saint's descending sword—failed to cut me.

The sword of the wide-eyed, astonished Sword Saint was broken at its base.

The blade spun through the air before falling and stabbing into the floor.

It was glowing slightly red, as if it held heat.

I pulled my feet from the floor, sheathed my katana, and stretched.

"Good work. From today on, I'll take your place and call myself the Sword Saint."

The Sword Saint was looking at me.

"Not yet. It's not—ov—er—"

With a soft thud, his head fell, and the Sword Saint's large body collapsed, spewing blood.

The one bathed in the gushing blood was the narrow-eyed man.

He looked at me, directing his killing intent my way.

"What's wrong? Not going to beg for your life?"

As I approached, he reached for the hilt of his sword, so I sliced off both his arms.

Seeing this, the narrow-eyed man laughed.

"When I first heard the name and techniques of the One-Flash Style, I laughed, thinking it was some kind of street performance—but seeing it demonstrated like this, I can only laugh."

An invisible slash.

A secret technique of the One-Flash Style, where you don't even know when you were cut.

The narrow-eyed man didn't resist.

The man spoke to me without looking at my face.

"Do you want to know who the mastermind is?"

I didn't think a man like this would tell the truth, and it would be meaningless anyway.

"Not necessary."

"Even if your enemy is the Empire itself?"

The man looked up and smiled as if it were nothing.

He looked like a good-natured man.

I lopped off that man's head.

"On the contrary, that's just what I want."

The Empire itself is my enemy? So what?

This world is my playground.

If they oppose me, I'll just crush them.

When the fight was over, Lysithea came up to me.

"Y-You! Why did you kill him!? If we had interrogated him, we might have learned something!"

She's absolutely right, but it's my policy not to do pointless things.

"What's the point of finding out our enemies now? In the first place, we're surrounded by enemies, aren't we?"

"W-Well, that's true, but..."

"To begin with, do you think he would have talked? He would have just lied to cause confusion. Men of his type are troublesome."

The security force that didn't come to help while Cleo was being attacked.

There were many things that made it seem unlikely that Prince Linus was acting alone.

In fact, I don't think he could mobilize a Sword Saint.

As I thought, the enemy is either Calvin or the Emperor—I'm actually relieved that they've shown their hostility.

As Lysithea looked down, Tia came over to me and knelt.

"I have shown you a disgraceful sight."

Well, just buying time against a Sword Saint is a sufficient contribution.

With this, I can also call myself a Sword Saint starting today.

Sword Saint—it has a nice ring to it.

"You did well, for you. I'll praise you. Besides, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll forgive everything. After all, I've become a Sword Saint."

"Lord Liam! How magnanimous you are!"

It's true.

The very fact that I employ you is quite magnanimous.

Tia clasped her hands, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me.

This feels really good.

As I was acting all high and mighty, Prince Cleo, who had been listening, tilted his head.

"Sword Saint? —Does the Count not know?"

"Know what?"

Cleo turned his gaze to the fallen Sword Saint.

"In the Empire, only His Majesty the Emperor can appoint a Sword Saint. Of course, His Majesty will consider recommendations, but it's not a title you can claim just by defeating one."

Hearing that, I despaired at the fact that I had gained nothing from defeating the Sword Saint.

There was nothing to be gained; I had simply had a match.

"—You've got to be kidding me."

Tia, watching my stunned expression, was blushing.

"Even a Lord Liam whose plans have gone awry is w-won-der-ful!"

Somehow, I lost my motivation.

I'm going home for today.

"I've had enough. Come on, we're pulling out."

Seeing me about to leave, Lysithea stopped me.

"Are you planning to just leave this situation as it is! Securing Cleo's safety should come first!"

This one doesn't understand anything.

Why does she think I was deliberately toying with him?

That's because everything is already over.

"I've annihilated the enemies outside, and my subordinates are guarding this place. I've already reported to the higher-ups. It's already over."

At times like this, having connections with the top is useful.

I contacted the Prime Minister and had him take action.

"I-It's over?"

In order to toy with your opponent, you must first take care of all the troublesome matters.

Toying with them only has meaning when you've already won.

Playing around before the outcome is decided is just carelessness.

You shouldn't play around when there's still work to be done.

All that was left was to storm this place and fight the Sword Saint, which is why I deliberately toyed with him.

Toy with them only after you've won! —That sounds kind of like a famous quote.

I'll make it my motto.

Brian (´;ω;`): "Lord Liam—fighting a Sword Saint isn't toying with them in the first place. It's painful. It looks like Lord Liam is living for the thrill of it—it's painful."

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