Vol 2 Chapter 10 (1/2)

Episode 10: Negotiations(Physics)

The arrows released by the hiding soldiers came flying at me from five directions. I could see them – No, I could feel them.

Before the negotiations began I activated【Enhanced Perception】and【Program 】. As such I could realize the fact that there were soldiers hiding and slowly getting closer.

The speed of the arrows is, at most, 180km/h.¹

With a distance of over 20m separating us, it will take about 0.4 seconds to arrive.

If it’s that much it’s enough.

At the same time the arrows are released, the angle of approach, speed, everything is told to me by the wind. Everything is converted to data by 【Program】and it automatically calculates the optimal course of action and moves my body.

With one step forward, I lower the upper-half of my body, and twist.

Doing so, all the arrows pa.s.s me by a hair. From the calculations to the start of the movement, 0.1sec. The following takes another 0.2secs evading the arrows with a little leeway.

The faces of the Lurvishe soldiers in front of me distort with shock.

Well that’s to be expected. The attack came simultaneously from five directions by soldiers who had hidden their presence in the trees. And with the short distance of less than 20m. Along with the fact that the plan was based on the common sense that no one would use bows against elves. If it was any elf other than me they would certainly have died.

Even if you say elves are strong with bows, to defend against them is limited to attacks from a certain distance and simple patterns. When the distance is short, the influence of the wind is barely known. Also, to use wind to obstruct attacks from multiple directions is impossible.

It’s not that you can’t create winds like a hurricane centering on yourself but, controlling it is very difficult so it’s limited to a few elves and can’t be used in an instant.

The soldiers are also skilled. The distance was irregular but all the arrow arrived at about the same time. If I hadn’t moved all would have hit. Not only that, the trajectory of the five arrows was like a cage and no matter with way one dodged one would be hit.

Even though the soldiers were surprised I dodged their movements didn’t stop, they were already nocking the next arrow.

「It’s regrettable to die in vain isn’t it?」

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Even within the elvish master archers there’s not many with this level of skill.

That’s why they’ll die here.

I touch the bow installed in the mechanism on the back of my left hand.

The part that becomes the body of the bow is usually folded and the string is stretched so it does not look like a bow at all.

But with the push of a b.u.t.ton the limbs open and the string is affixed, creating a perfect s...o...b..w.

I stretch my left arm towards one of the soldiers.

In a slit on the hand cover² crossbow bolts are stored. I remove three and hold them between my fingers in my right hand.

The size of the shortbow is small, but the special alloy it’s made of allows a tension strength of 55kg, about six times stronger than the crossbows used in Elucie. The size is about 1.3 times the standard and thanks to the metal arrowheads its barely able to penetrate the Empire’s armors.

I load a bolt in the shortbow and while pointing straight ahead pull with my right hand.

I made it this size for ease of operation and also because while using 【Body Enhancement】to it’s fullest, it’s the limit of what I can pull with one hand.

Due to consuming the souls of several hundreds my magic power has increased but, the amount that can be released at one time has barely changed. To release in excess can destroy the body so the use of 【Body Enhancement】is already at the limit.

However, if I want to exceed this limit I can use underhanded methods like using 【Reincarnation Recall】to change into a body that can handle the stress of the excessive magic discharge.

I release the bolt and due to 【Wind Evasion】affecting it, the flight is frighteningly straight.

「Ugh」

The bolt hit one of the soldiers between the eyes and he falls down before he can even scream.

Before the first one can fall down due to the fatal wound, my fingers already nock another bolt and I fire at the second target.

This shortbow hidden in my hand cover doesn’t have a clasp like a crossbow, nor a trigger. The greatest importance was given to rapid fire so such things were deemed unnecessary.

「Be careful! That bow can penetrate our armor! Archers provide cover, Knights charge!」

With Baron Lurvishe’s order, about seven armored knights slash at me.

I understand that although the maneuverability is good, the shortbow can’t be used at close range. So I’ll have to think of another way to penetrate their armour.`

While thinking that my hand keeps moving, and I shoot the third target.

However, there’s no time to shoot a fourth. The knights are right in front of me.

Without panicking, I pull out the knife in my belt. The same moment the black l.u.s.ter of their blades appears. I let the magic power inside me flow, a sharp whistle like sound begins to ring.

Even I call it knife, the blade is 50cm long and it’s closer to a hatchet.

Then, on purpose, I attack in a huge arc.

「Hey, you s.h.i.+tty elf I can see through you」

The knight I slashed at tries to stop my attack with his blade.

Because of the opening in the attack he says that he has “seen through” with a lofty expression.

Parrying my knife lightly, then proceeding to cleave me in half with his sword. Even if I somehow dodge, his companions coming in from the sides would get me. That’s probably what he expects.

I swing the knife putting some strength in it.

The knife goes through the sword, armor, flesh, bones with no resistance at all he is sliced in a moment.

This knife was made for Lucie. Science, alchemy, magic, it’s a tool made with full use of all my abilities. Resembling iron, it cuts things like they were paper.

「What?」

Without understanding and with a stupid look on his face blood flew out and the man died.

Without even confirming it, I crouch down. An arrow flies by where the back of my head used to be. The arrow was shot by a soldier who concealed his presence and moved into the blind spot on my back.

If it wasn’t me who has【Enhanced Perception】, dodging would be impossible.

Still crouching I stretch the hand holding the knife to it’s limits and rotate it.

Doing so, the body of the two soldiers coming at me from the sides are separated at the ankle and they fall down.

Seeing that, the remaining four soldiers hesitate and stop their a.s.sault.

This grants a moment of stillness. During this time I hold the knife in my right hand and point towards the archers, while also removing two new bolts from the slot and holding them between the fingers.

Unlike the knights who stopped, the archers kept firing from different spots.

For them, the best way to prevent death was not to stop, but to kill me.

But the arrow didn’t hit. One step, two steps, I move my feet forward. While doing the minimum amount of movement, the arrows. .h.i.t only air.

「Should have just run away sooner.」

That was the only way to survive.

I dispose of them while moving forward. After releasing the bolt and confirming the hit a blink later the soldiers crease their browns and fall down.

Soon there’s only one archer left.

At this moment, the knights finally snap out of it and slash towards me.

The archers are good, but these knights are also elites.

Firstly, (they have) good discernment. They cover my line of sight, leaving no gaps, positioning themselves to see through everything I do.

Next, they are all using the difficult 【Body Enhancement】. Their control of the centre of gravity is impressive. Normally when using 【Body Enhancement】the movement recognition becomes different and the movement can become stiff but all their movements flow perfectly.

Finally, there’s no hesitation in their sword arm. That can only be achieved with rigorous training.

But…

「Really, no problem at all.」

At this level, they can’t even touch me.

Due to 【Enhanced Perception】, the bulging of muscles, the volume of sweat and even the changes in the line of sight, I can pick up on every single thing. It is literally a few thousand times more what the empire soldiers can pick up with their five senses.

Furthermore, such a thing like swordsmans.h.i.+p is limited to a number of optimal movements/patterns. It can only try and get the body as close as possible to the speed of natural reflexes.

Compared to that 【Program 】can calculate and put into action the most optimal movements the body is capable of. The quality can’t even be compared. All movements are made at a speed that excels that (the speed) of (normal) reflexes.

I bend my body to dodge the sword coming down at me by a paper thin margin. I stab my knife in the now exposed back of the knight. It goes through the armor into the heart and the knight dies instantly.

Then I shoot the last bolt in my right hand at the remaining archer.

「The knife, and the shortbow as well, very good.」

The knife fills my, until now, lack of close combat capabilities. The combined shortbow in the hand cover allow me to freely show the advantages of rapid fire.

Not only that, the combination shortbow has two distinct advantages over the other bows so far.

First, despite the maintenance issue you can free both hands at the same time, thanks to that there’s no need to change weapons. Just like now I can keep a knife in my right hand and change immediately to close quarters combat. The inverse is also true. If the opponent opens up a distance, to follow up with the shortbow is not impossible.

Secondly, because it folds, carrying it is very easy. Because it folds, production cost, productivity, serviceability, power, weight and durability had to be sacrificed.