Chapter 20 (1/2)

Clad in jet black from head to toe, deep hood pulled forward, face hidden behind a ician's mask

Thea step away from Zenon's maai

”The Black-Cloaked One…… So you are the stray dog who has been barings fangs against the Order as of late”

With a sharp glint in his eyes, Zenon glares at the man

”My name is Shadow I lurk in the shadows, and I hunt the shadows……”

It is a voice so deep and so low that it al from the bottom of an abyss

”I see Youseveral of our shten you In the hideouts that yov're crushed, there hasn't been a single person truly important to the Order In other words, you are ets the small fries”

For some reason, the man who called hireat news However, she can't i her ally either

”Who I hunt, and where I hunt, it is all the same”

”Unfortunately, it is not all the same A core power of the Order is here Today, you will be the one to be hunted Such is your fate”

Zenon turns his sword towards Shadow

”I am Zenon Griphi, the person ill soon beco your life shall become my achievement!”

Then he flies towards Shadoith the force of a hurricane

However

Shadow's figure disappears, causing Zenon's thrust to pierce through empty air

”Wha-……?!”

I behind Zenon

In a mere moment, his back had already been compromised

He cannot move

As if forgetting about the flow of ti, concentrating every last drop of his concentration towards his back

No one moves

Indeed, Shadow is only standing back to back with Zenon With his arms crossed, no less

Then cole question

”So, this core power or whatever…… where is he?”

Zenon's face distorts with the burning hu attack

But there is no longer anyone there

”How cou-……?!”

The rustle of a coat flutter turns his head

He realizes that Shadow is now standing in his original position, looking as if nothing had happened

Even as so from the outside, Alexia could not catch what had happened If there was no trickery or contrivance involved, then that would mean this man is someone of quite some skill…… no, one could even call him an aberrance

Zenon pushes down his shaken heart, and slowly turns around

”It seeh they were sth to destroy several of our hideouts”

This tiic before facing Shadow again

Thethe air vibrate And at a scale er than that attack that he had used to shatter Alexia's sword

Shadow is certainly powerful

However, Zenon is no pushover either Growing up a taken the cha to the position of Swordsmanshi+p Instructor In this country, there is no swordsman who doesn't know the name of Zenon Griphi

”I shall show you This is the strength of so a member of the Rounds”

So fast……!

Alexia's eyes could only barely catch up with Zenon's sword

The white blade cleaves the air, flying straight towards Shadow's neck

However

”What a dull sword……”

With a jet black blade that he seem to have drawn out of nowhere, he easily receives Zenon's attack

”Kuh……!”

Zenon tries to lock their swords together into a pushi+ng contest

But Shadow instead lets all the strength out of his sword and uses Zenon'shim away

”Fuh……!”

The last possibleinto the wall, Zenon performs an ukemi, then he recovers his stance

But the disturbance in his heart is now clear on his face

Neither of them move

For Shadow, he is si not to move

For Zenon, he cannot move

Because he is under the illusion that every single one of his moves has been sealed

”Not co, Rounds-wannabe?”

”…!”

Zenon's face is dyed with rage Anger towards his opponent, but even er towards himself

”DON'T YOU DARE TO BELITTLE ME!!!!!”

Along with his roar, he swings his sword

Thrusts with the speed of a hurricane

Continuous slashes with the fierceness of a raging fire

But

Not a single attack lands

”AAAAaaaaaaaAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

His battlecry echoes around the room emptily

It is almost like a practice session between an adult and a child

Alexia watches this fight with enormous shock

Has Zenon ever cut such a sorry figure before? With both his co a person of character ripped off, but still he cannot reach The strongest existence that Alexia knows is her sister But even her sister would not be able to deal with Zenon so handily

Kan Kan Kan

The sword sounds ringing out are so light as to be out of place here

It is unmistakably the sound of a practice session

The jet black and white swords draw their arcs through the air

Before she knew it, Alexia found herself ht

She is drawn deeper and deeper into the jet black blade, unable to tear her eyes away

Why? Because it is……

”The commoner's sword……”

It is the appearance of what lies beyond Alexia's oord

It is the perfected state of the ideal sword that Alexia had been spending all her ti up This is the sword for those without talent, without strength, without speed – a sword that can be reached solely by the accumulation of pure effort

But her sas compared to his sister's and branded 'the co Alexia to lose her way

Despite that, she couldn't bring herself to give up on it

That 'coenius Zenon Griphi

”A……”

Alexia likes this sword

By looking at someone's sword, you can see that path that they had trodden

This sword is earnest and straightforward, a sword built up bit by bit

Is it possible that her sister had been thinking the sa?

”Nee-sama……”

Now, she feels like she finally understands her sister's words from that day

”Gah…… sh-, shi+t……!”

Zenon's body flies through the air, then crashes down It is already the nth time

Zenon glares at Shadohile breathing heavily

His rage-filled eyes show that he still cannot accept this reality

”Y-, you bastard, who are you……! Why do you hide yourself when you already possess such strength!”

With Shadow's strength, wealth and fath would be known and feared across the world

But no one has ever heard of Shadoord Even if he hides his face, those who've seen his sword only once would never be able to forget it But today is the first day that both Zenon and Alexia learned of the existence of soth in the sword

”We are Shadow Garden We lurk in the shadows, and hunt the shadows That is all we live for……”

”Are you in your right mind?!”

Zenon's and Shadow's gazes clash

Alexia is completely a mere bystander by this point

Why are these two fighting? She doesn't know either one's reason nor aim

Blood Demon And Order