EP.95 Sword and Shield (3)
Belnoa replays the previous battle.
‘I don’t know what happened to Professor Rania…’
It was a fierce battle for Belnoa and Lark. My vision was shaken and I almost lost consciousness several times. My ribs and collarbone are still sore from the beating.
‘······The field of view was so narrowed.’
In the heat of battle, a person’s perspective naturally narrows. Busy reading the opponent’s movements. It’s overwhelming to think about your next move.
However, after the battle is over and you look back from the beginning… many things unexpectedly come into view.
“lakh.”
Belnoa leaned against the tree and opened his mouth. Lark, who was lying on the floor, slowly raised his head.
“what.”
“Can you move?”
“I think I’ll be fine if I just rest for about ten minutes. “Unexpectedly, you controlled your power exquisitely.”
Lark said, rubbing his abdomen.
“Then listen carefully for 10 minutes.”
“Is there something planned?”
“You shouldn’t do it once or twice, but it does happen.”
Belnoir lifted Lark’s hatchet. It weighed quite a bit. Belnoir said while pretending to swing the heavy hatchet a few times.
“Can you lend me this for a moment?”
“······Weapons are the warrior’s body and companion.”
“Who threw that companion away?”
Lark thought for a moment and nodded.
“Well, I can borrow it for a little while.”
Belnoir holds Lark’s ax upside down. And then the shadow began to wrap around the sack. Lark tilted his head.
“What are you doing? “Belnoir.”
“To me, weapons are consumables. “I could make as many daggers as I wanted, so when I got hold of a weapon, I opened it without hesitation.”
This is the answer from the alumni book.
Belnoa continued as if muttering to himself.
“So, I didn’t notice. “But I knew it when I saw you fighting.”
“You understand?”
“uh. Isn’t it strange when you think about it? I hit the spinning ax flying towards me, targeting only the handle. “He’s a professor with great visual acuity and reaction speed.”
Lark nodded.
Because I clearly remembered the professor’s frighteningly elaborate movements.
“Then, was it really necessary to cut the ax into the ground?”
“···What does that mean?”
“It can be said that it is an issue of equity, as the weapons are taken away and they are not picked up. Still, isn’t it possible to at least throw the weapon away so that it’s difficult to pick it up? Or you can grab it and throw it away.”
But, Belnoir said.
“The professor never did that. He just threw it or put it straight on the floor.”
“······.”
“lets think. You picked up the ax and reused it several times during the battle. “Wasn’t the ax always lying near your feet?”
Lark nods slowly.
“···Now that I think about it, yes.”
“And the fight we had was about five steps from the stumps.”
Lark’s eyes turn to the vacant lot.
A space of about five steps from the stumps. A battle took place in that space. There were traces of the ax stuck in that exact area.
‘It’s not just the axe.’
The remains of the dagger that Belnoa had exploded were all within that range.
“That means…”
“Yes, being caught means falling within that range. The professor never uses a weapon. He doesn’t throw it anywhere. He just puts it on the floor.”
That is the fifth constraint.
Lark, who understood the restrictions, asked a question.
“Then don’t be afraid of getting caught with your weapon?”
“That’s it. Besides, you use two axes. It’s okay if you catch one. Swing another ax right away.”
Belnoa knotted the shadow.
“Then, Professor, you will put down your ax and reach for it again. Because that is a limitation.”
Belnoa threw the ax with the shadow tied towards it towards the tree opposite. Kwajik, the blade stuck into the tree trunk.
“If so.”
Belnoa holds the shadow connected to the axe. She swung straight ahead.
Pop!
The sack pulled from the tree returns to Belnoa’s hands. Belnoa, holding the axe, pointed to the shadow rope tied to the handle of the axe.
“I’ll retrieve it.”
“·····is it.”
“The shadow extends to roughly ten steps. And, you can stock your orders on the line as well.”
Lark is handed the axe.
“The operation is nothing special. Like before, I won’t go into detail. “You have nothing to think about.”
Belnoa said as he tied the shadow to the remaining axe.
“That’s what you used when you sparred with me.”
“···If that’s the case.”
“You know what. “Your eyes turn red and you rush at me.”
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“If I use that, I won’t be able to judge the situation. Instinct takes precedence over reason. Is it still okay?”
“doesn’t care.”
Belnoa stood up.
“I judge the situation. Move according to your instincts. “I will take care of the rest.”
Lark also struggles to stand up.
“It will take some time to coordinate.”
They look at the sky.
The sun is still high in the sky. Of the three days of testing, the sun has not yet set on the first day.
“Because there is enough time left to overflow.”
“is it.”
Lark shifted his gaze.
The place where the gaze is directed is the center of the vacant lot. There, Professor Rania is looking this way with her legs crossed.
Superhuman movements.
Quick judgment of the situation.
Even compared to the seasoned warriors of the North, she is a woman with skills that can overwhelm, let alone outshine them.
‘afraid.’
However, fear is something to overcome.
Lark takes a deep breath and raises the ax in front of his heart. Aim the spell stocked in the sack towards the heart.
······The northern warriors do not know how to stop.
They live hotter than anyone else on the frozen land. Their heat does not cool down even in a snow storm.
‘The northern warrior is a hot fire.’
Lark taps and touches his heart with the hilt. Stocked orders shine.
‘It is iron that does not cool down and can be tempered forever.’
Heating.
Cooung.
Lark’s previously red eyes became a little more red.
2.
“······.”
Rania instinctively felt uncomfortable. She is concerned about the condition of Lark, who is approaching the borderline.
The eyes are bloodshot and red.
The veins stand out along the forearm holding the hatchet. As if he were standing in the middle of a snowy mountain, steam formed every time he exhaled.
‘That’s it.’
Rania remembers Lark’s condition. The northern warriors we encountered on the battlefield. The unique body strengthening method they used.
‘Heating.’
A spell originally used to heat weapons is an extremely ignorant strengthening method that is cast on the body. Needless to say, the recoil that the spell brings.
‘Ordinary people cannot withstand that backlash.’
A physical strengthening method that only a very small number of northern warriors born and raised in the snowy mountains can use. That’s definitely what’s on Lark’s body.
“······under.”
Rania bursts into laughter.
I recognized his talent a long time ago. I’ve seen enough of that innate fighting sense. However, looking at the body enduring the heat, I couldn’t help but laugh.
‘really.’
With a thud, I take a step forward.
For the first time, she stepped outside the boundaries she had drawn. Take one step further away from the stump.
and.
As she takes a step, Lark kicks the ground. The speed is incomparable to before. Shortens the distance in an instant.
‘There are only children worth raising.’
Lark swings his axe. The movements are not as clean as before. Like an animal swinging its arm, the movement is rough rather than sharp.
Kang.
Give up holding on. Strike it out. The sounds of kang, kahang, and axes being struck in succession ring out. The more you strike, the faster Lark’s ax becomes.
“······.”
Rania frowns.
I am intrigued by Lark’s talent for using heating. However, Rania does not value the heating spell itself very highly.
Heating pushes the body beyond its limits.
The superhuman physical abilities brought about by that unique strengthening method cannot be ignored. However, the heat that heats the body paralyzes reason.
‘A beast that moves according to its instincts.’
The warriors of the North are not called berserkers for nothing. They just rush forward without stopping, and they always have to face death right under their noses.
‘This is a bad habit.’
First-class warriors control heating. However, Lark has not yet reached that level. I just run wild based on my instincts.
“hmm.”
Rania frowned, threw away the ax, and bent her knees in the blind spot of her vision. Lark, whose vision has narrowed, cannot see it.
‘I should tell you to use this based on the situation.’
With that in mind, Rania was about to hit Lark’s abdomen with her knee.
Sigh!
Something tugs on Lark’s arm. At the same time, Lark’s body spins around in a circle. Rania’s knees hit the air.
Huh!
Lark, who dodged the attack, goes on the offensive again.
Lark’s eyes are still red and bloodshot. The field of view has not expanded.
“···aha.”
Rania realizes.
The ax in Lark’s hand, the shadow connected to the ax, and the presence of Belnoa holding it.
‘I’ll make up for it like this, that’s it.’
Belnoir assists Lark’s movements with a shadow tied to both hands. Follow Lark’s movements by running, stopping, and swinging your arms.
“Tsk.”
Rania tries to cut off the connected shadows, but every time she does so, Lark’s ax gets in the way. Sometimes daggers rise from the shadows, and from a distance Bellenoir throws her dagger.
Kwarung!
As I intercepted the spell with a strong strike, I ended up completing 3 rounds before I knew it. There is no time to make any moves while dealing with Lark, who charges at you like an animal.
Little by little, Lark begins to push forward.
A smile spreads across Rania’s lips.
‘A little more.’
Belnoa and Lark’s movements do not completely match. Taking advantage of the gap in the agreement, Rania struck down Lark’s ax with her foot. The ax blade gets stuck in the floor. However, that is only for a moment.
Throw in!
The ax jumps, drawn by the shadow.
Rania tilts her head. The ax that jumped up is already back in Lark’s hand.
‘It’s still not enough.’
Rania bursts into laughter.
‘little bit more.’
It seems possible. The point that Lark and Belnoir can reach is vaguely visible.
Potential for growth.
And, you can accelerate that growth yourself. Rania is happy about that fact. she is happy It was quite enjoyable to see the students growing.
“Concentrate.”
Rania spoke briefly and raised her fist.
This is an attack aimed at the moment when there is a stutter in the movements of Belnoa and Lark.
“Sigh!”
Lark’s body floats and is pushed outside the boundary. The strengthening effect on Lark’s body is lifted.
Tuk-tuk.
For the first time, a pile of dirt got on Rania’s clothes. Rania winked as she shook off the pile of dirt.
“Not much time left.”
Possibilities are pronounced through her mouth.
Lark, who was lying on the floor, laughs and stands up. Belnoir wipes his cold sweat and ties his shadow even stronger.
The sun in the sky begins to set.
The test had just begun.
3.
The sun has set. The sunset begins to set. Lark took a deep breath and touched his heart once again. Suddenly, her body becomes energized.
‘This is the first time I’ve used it in succession like this.’
There was a strain on my body.
It was obvious that it would probably become limp after using this heating. However, Lark does not stop.
‘The hill is not far.’
The goal is within sight.
Lark kicked the ground. Following the movement, Belnoa also hits the ground. The two moved at the same time.
widely.
There is no more stuttering in the movements of Belnoa and Lark. The two movements are seamlessly linked.
The rain is pouring down.
The shadow explodes.
The offered spell strikes Rania.
Kwarung!
Three flashes of light flash. As if she was willing to play along with the plan, Rania willingly went along with their wishes. All three spells were used up.
Lark rushes in.
Move your body faithfully to your instincts. Originally, northern warriors with hot bodies did not sacrifice themselves.
However, Lark is different.
Lark’s fighting sense and ability to detect crises that are close to prophecy are the realm of instinct. Instinctively avoid attacks. I sense the next attack.
Dodge, swing.
He catches the flying ax and swings it.
Kang, kaang.
A series of cheerful sounds are heard. The red, bloodshot eyes are like those of a wild beast. The eyes of a wild beast observe its prey. He takes advantage of that gap.
‘Push it on.’
Only that thought fills my head.
‘A little more.’
Lark’s ax continues to get faster. However, Rania is still faster. The moment she loses the flow, she is struck back. She has attacks that cut through the flow and come in.
Sigh.
Every time, Belnoa stops moving. Shoots daggers and assists Lark with spells. Still, there are some attacks that cannot be avoided.
Wow.
The fist digs into Lark’s abdomen.
However, it endures. Lark gritted his teeth and swung the axe. Even with shaky vision, he accurately aims for the nape of the opponent’s neck.
Kang, Kang.
How many attacks took place like that?
Rania, who had taken a step back, steps on the ground where Lark’s ax had made a dent. Her feet slip. Her body leaned back.
“······!”
Lark’s eyes narrow.
It was a gap. When the prey shows its nape, the wild beast never misses it. Lark crawled into his arms faster than ever.
A body heated to its limits shows off superhuman movements. The swinging ax is aimed at Rania’s chest.
And, that is the moment.
With a whimper, Belnoir’s shadow pulled Lark’s arm. However, the shadow breaks apart as it cannot overcome Lark’s movements.
The leash that controlled the wild beast was loosened.
Because of the narrowed field of view due to excitement, Lark cannot see. Even in a backwards tilting position, Rania’s fist quickly maintains balance and swings.
Huh.
The target of Rania’s fist is Lark’s chin. If you hit it, you will definitely faint. Her fists were faster than Lark’s axe.
“lakh!”
Belnoa screams.
The sound does not reach Lark’s ears. His eyes are nailed to the blade of an axe. The red, bloodshot eyes contain only my weapon.
‘Circuit.’
and.
‘order.’
In the stretched experience time, Lark saw the circuit carved into the ax blade. The moment he sees the circuit, something flashes through his mind.
-lakh.
Voices are also mixed with what passes by.
-You are a wizard first of all?
Wizard.
‘A being who never loses reason in any situation.’
Even in his heated head, Lark remembers that voice. He opened his eyes wide. Your field of vision expands instantly.
The body is hot, but the head is cold.
It feels like a snow storm on a snowy mountain has swept through my mind. Reason sprouts from instinct. A strange sensation takes over my body.
‘fist.’
Lark looked at Rania’s fist.
Feel it heading towards your chin. Reason and instinct coincide in an instant. What I feel is a sense of unity.
Wow.
Lark gives up the attack.
My bones shook and I turned my head.
Fit.
A fist passes by the cheek.
He dodged the punch, but as a result of being forced to change his stance, Lark lost his balance. Rania didn’t miss the opportunity and raised her knees.
Wow!
She hit Lark’s face with her knee.
Lark’s head tilts back. My nose bleed broke out, and blood flowed out.
Wow.
But Lark does not fall.
I grit my teeth and endure even the last attack. Rania, who was about to make another hit, flinched and stopped.
“Really…”
She stopped and burst into laughter.
“okay.”
Rania takes a step back.
Stepping back, she pointed to Lark’s toes.
“You won.”
At the last moment, Lark gave up his attack and his outstretched foot touched the tree stump. Lark slowly pulled his head.
“Big, ugh.”
Lark asked back, wiping the bleeding nose with the back of his hand.
“Did you pass?”
“huh.”
Rania nodded and smiled.
It’s a proud smile. Only after seeing that smile did Lark’s body lean back.
dump.
Lark falls to the floor. Afterwards, Belnoa also flopped down in his seat. Almost simultaneously, they fall to the ground and look up at the sky.
The sun is setting over the horizon.
However, it is not completely over yet.
Sunset of the first day.
Two students passed the test.
A word from the author (author review)
Although it’s a bit late! Still, it’s 8,000 characters!
It feels like there’s a lot of content these days…
While writing today, I experienced a really strange sensation.
While writing, I’m typing on the keyboard thinking that I won’t be able to finish it today and that I should upload it tomorrow… You know how things come out as if you’re possessed by something? I wrote 5,000 characters in one go. Actually, I still feel a little strange. I feel like I just wrote this out of excitement.
Anyway, I hope it was a satisfactory episode 😀
