Chapter 23.2 - Magic Swordsman and Black Organization [6] – part 2 (2/2)

「Aha! Now then, I wonder what I did…!」

As he zig-zagged from side to side, he shortened the distance with me at high speed.

Because his movement was not in a straight line, it was difficult to measure the distance.

「Rain Style Secret Technique – Passing Shower!」

It’s not a series of thrusts like the one before, but a concentrated one-point sharpened thrust.

…But, not to the point of being unavoidable.

In terms of swordsmanship skills, Rose was ahead of him.

「…Too naive!」

I deflected up that thrust from the bottom right with an upward cut.

「What!?」

And when his posture was broken – I unleashed a technique that would be difficult to evade.

「Sakura Blossom One-Sword Style Secret Technique – Mirrored Sakura Slash!」

Like a mirror match, four slashes from left and right each – eight unstoppable slashes bore down on Dodriel.

(I will see through with this…!)

The mysterious ability of his soul dress!

I opened my eyes firmly and analyzed Dodriel’s every move precisely.

At that time,

(Eh?)

He acted strangely.

He moved.

And that too was one step『forward』.

Not avoiding or defending with the sword – just one step forward.

What that means is – that move was the best action that should be prioritized over defense, over evasion.

Immediately after that, the eight slashes I unleashed passed through his body.

「Aha, it didn’t hit! How mysterious! Rain Style – Intense Rain!」

Kesa-giri(Diagonal Slash), Karatake-giri(Bamboo Split), Upward Slash, Downward Slash, Thrusts – Rain-like consecutive attacks were unleashed from point-blank range. 1 2

「Guh!?」

I somehow managed to ward it off desperately, but it was difficult to defend everything from point-blank range – I suffered several wounds.

(However… I’ve unraveled the mystery)

What Dodriel had moved to just now was – my『shadow』.

He jumped into my shadow without hesitation in that situation where the slashes were imminent.

In other words, his ability is,

「-I saw it, Dodriel. The ability of your soul dress is to hide in the shadow, isn’t it?」

While stepping on the opponent’s shadow, all attacks from that target have no effect.

「Ahaha! Correct, Correct, Super correct! You’re the first to see through my〈Shadow Ruler〉! We can communicate with each other without words… Un, after all we are tied by the red thread of fate!」

He kept talking while grimacing happily.

「But what can you do now that you know? It’s not like you can lose your shadow in this place, right? Alleeen?」

Dodriel then glanced to the left and right.

A lot of fluorescent lamps installed on the ceiling, and the sunlight peeking through the broken windows – certainly it would be difficult to erase my shadow in this place where there are many light sources.

「…It’s not like I don’t have other options.」

「Hee… funny. Show me… this so-called option…!」

The next moment he ran straight towards me.

I held onto Seigan no Kamae and considered my next action.

(I can affirm – There is nothing in this world that cannot be cut.)

If something『can’t be cut』, it’s just that the swordsman’s skill was not good enough.

I, who cut that different world, know this better than anyone else.

(Right… The perception that I can’t cut him is absolutely wrong.)

Then I calmly recalled the first act.

(My slash passed through Dodriel’s body without a graze… that is, the moment he stepped on my shadow, his body was in a different place from this world- he had moved to the『Shadow World』!)

Then… the answer is simple.

All I have to do is forcibly cut through the space there.

Like that Prison of Time!

「Farewell, Alleeeeen! Rain Style Secret Technique- Passing Shower!」

He stepped firmly onto my shadow and lunged at me with a concentrated one-point thrust aimed at my heart.

I sharpened my nerves, and together with that looming thrust,

「Fifth Sword – World Judgement!」

「Ka-ha…!?」

I tore apart the shadow world he was hiding in.

「Guh-ga… A-Ahaa… A-Amazing, as expected… My, Allen…」

……As expected, the genius swordsman Dodriel.

This guy jumped back one step at the very last moment.

It was probably the intuition of a swordsman.

Thanks to that, he barely avoided fatal wounds.

(However, he has suffered countless deep wounds.)

Where continuing this battle would put him at a disadvantage.

Then, the group of black cloaks who were watching this battle from a distance,

「The n-newcomer…!?」

「Was defeated…!?」

「Guh, R-Retreat!」

No sooner than the battle concluded, they fled.

「A-Ahaa… L-Let’s meet again somewhere… A-Alleeen?」

Saying that, Dodriel jumped out of the window behind him and disappeared with the group of black cloaks.

「Haa… I got involved with a nasty guy again…」

Having won the battle against Dodriel, I took a deep breath and sheathed my sword into its scabbard.