Chapter 88 (1/2)
The intense clash of shi+eld and sword, the sparks scattered affording the arena a tension it hadn't felt in any of the matches to come before
Though iave off different impressions than the wood swords The sound and sparks they produced whenever theyin from the audience
After finishi+ng their practice exercise to test out that different sensation, both sides took distance at once Those swords had been dulled, but after they had es Aleist's sas in an especially terrible state
In the single portion of the ring they had fought, the scars of their slashes remained
Wiping the sweat off his face with the sleeve of his left arripped his sword Even now, he showed Rudel a joking leisure, but even if they were dulled blades, theassailed by metal
”You've gotten quite good at using your shi+eld Did you really just start last year?”
”No, I had been learning the shi+eld froht I'd never have the chance to use one, so I stopped part-way… but the boar prepared me a shi+eld, see?”
”The boar, you mean… well, I did hear this and that”
Aleist had heard Rudel's armor had been made with the boar's tusk, and he heard that after that, the boar hied shape for Rudel His uncouth ar worthy of the white dragoon…
”Ah, by the way, both ic eyes”
”What's that, I want it!”
Once they finished their jest, Rudel held out his left hand and fired ic While he meant it as a diversion, a number of fireballs that wouldn't leave on in any healthy state flew at a high velocity
Aleist avoided theait As those fireballs hit the wall, they raised grand explosions, but the barrier was still maintained
Hit by the blast wind from behind, Aleist's stance was put off just a bit, and Rudel used that opportunity to ic, he rushed right at Aleist
But Aleist was the black knight Dark matter in the shape of spears extended fro off Rudel's movement
From Aleist's left hand as well, he used his mana pool that could be called bottoic Rudel had to economize histhe need entirely In his five years at the acaderown as well
While he fell short of Rudel and Luecke, he excelled in the use of ic
For theat him, Rudel activated the shi+eld on his left hand to ht and block theic put Rudel at a disadvantage Short on mana, a decisive confrontation was most desirable
Aleist would win out in a battle of attrition
”Good grief, in the past, I would've used advanced !”
Rudel entered high-speed ain, and Aleist used his shadow to manifest spears around him For in Rudel's approach, the spears in his path would be destroyed
As he thought, the spears on Aleist's left side were destroyed by Rudel, and shattered, the spears dissolved before fading away in the end But the , and Aleist lost sight of Rudel
In the noble visitor room, Cattleya and Lilim could just barely follow Rudel with their eyes Sophina was confused by that unfa style
It was called an indispensable skill for a dragoon, but it was supposed to be an eon
As Lilis, she hadn't even learned the techniques Perhaps you could call it aand exploding wind one could change direction and soften falls, or so they had learned Taking those factors into account, it really was unnecessary for an elf
But seeing Rudel use the essentials of that technique before their eyes, they couldn't bring theency measure
Seeing the surprise of those three, Fina's interest was piqued She posed the question
”What sort of ic is that?”
Sophina shook her head unknowingly, so she directed her eyes to the two dragons standing beside her Cattleya to Sophina's side gave a simple explanation
”… It's sioon's essentials It's an e used like that”
As Lilion She re, but it wasn't Fina's duty to re skill in detail
”Is it theback then? (Even so master ain't human)”
”Back then?”
Lilioons hadn't been infors
”Co over the lake”
Sophina recalled the scene of Rudel's practice, but she never thought she would be seeing the fruits of that training before her eyes
”Yes, thinking back on it now, that was quite a fun trip, Sophina… (Oh, the eyes of the two dragoons grew sharp! Now I just have to reood time)”
Even Fina showed prudence, but Sophina's face hung face had already turned redOn that reaction, for every adult that understood so happened, there were some ould misunderstand
”… Hey, duty shi+rking high knight, what happened?”
On Cattleya's cold words, Lilim joined in as well
”I'd definitely like to hear If the princess was present, then wouldn't this be a serious affair?”
”W-what are you talking about! There was nothing indecent! Just soes…”
They were unfamiliar words, but Lili Turning her eyes to Rudel on the ring, she felt dread at the knowledge he had obtained yet another mysterious technique
But Cattleya alone was different Next to her excited senpai, she breathed a sigh as soain
”You er than lotion!?”
”No, senpai… by ? Notoo worked up”
Cattley stillWhile Fina looked at her in intrigue, inside she looked down on her She has yet to understand
Being accused of shi+rking work, Sophina looked at Cattleya, certain that she didn't understand the terror of Rudel Directing a
”Cattleya, you shall experience it so back”
”That's right, Cattleya, you'll see a world you've never even dreamed up”
Even Lili Fina was also looked at Cattleya, and receiving those three stares, Cattleya ain
(S-seriously, what is this!!?)
By the tiht had manifested above him
Using a shi+eld to crush Aleist fro his spears back into his shadow, Aleist e amount of arms protrude from it
Those black ariant shi+eld disappeared as they touched it as ifaway from heat
”This is a bit…!”
Aleist wanted to flee from the spot, but his left hand was held out to control his mana If he moved, his control would become difficult, and he'd be crushed too easily
He produced hand after hand to resist, lowering the speed of the rapid-falling shi+eld On the contrary, Aleist slowly attained the force to push it back, but against Rudel, he had ended up using too ht
A black ain
Rudel on the other side of the shi+eld was the sa, just like the year before, he felt soht… to defeat Aleist
”This again…”
Erasing his shi+eld, Rudel e flow of mana as he writhed in pain
The powers of these two had yet to be fully understood, but their sheer initudes made them difficult to control
Rudel closed his eyes, directing his consciousness towards the power in his chest An existence trying to squeeze his power out was entreating hiht before his eyes
For just an instant, Sakuya's words revived in his head The face of the Goddess who told hiest… there was no way he could show her that shaain, Rudel decided in his heart
Opening his eyes, Rudel shouted fro up his willpower, Rudel subdued the strength of the white knight
”If you're my power, then shut up and obey me!!”
The overflowingfrom his body stopped, and this time, as if to cover him, a line of lithe floated a few centimeters from his body
An armor of white symbols formed to cover Rudel's body Before hie eyes, Aleist fell to his knees and held his head in pain
And to Aleist, Rudel called out
Taken in by the darkness, Aleist was unable to use his willpower to subdue the black knight as Rudel had
His heart gradually eaten into, Aleist was brought back to memories of a distant past
'What are you looking at, trash'
'He should just die already'
'Hah? Confessing? Are you h'
”Hah, hah, stop it already”
Theback vividly The wounds of his heart he had forgotten called back a pain of old
The ht someone like him was unnecessary ate into Aleist
”Yeah, that's right It's because I reincarnated into this world that the story went awry If only I wasn't there…”
As Aleist shed tears and denied hi his back To s Aleist whole, the shadow opened its large mouth, but there he heard Rudel's voice
'What are you doing, Aleist!? You plan to abandon your match with me!?'
The shadow on Aleist's back, before the power of the white light shedding light into Aleist's heard, it faded away But even now, Aleist couldn't stand
”B-but…”
'Very well! If you're not getting up, I'll just have to smack you awake'
”Eh?”
In the next instant, Aleist was sent flying, forcefully dragging him back to reality Even now, his body let off a black h his forceful awakening, he felt as if he was still seeing a dream
The jeers he received in his past life were still ringing through his ears
'I really don't want to be in the same class as him'
'Having no friends? Isn't he done-for as a human?'
'When he's just a disgusting otaku…'
As Aleist clutched his chest in pain, Rudel standing before his eyes seeht, and besides a physical light, Rudel's unwavering way of life was blinding
As Aleist lay face up on the ring, he began giving up He would never win Sed by the power of the black knight, the weakness of his own heart was turning on him
But from around came cheers for Aleist
”Stand up, Aleist! Are you alright, losing like that!?”
”Millia's watching you know!”
”Show Rudel how strong you are!”
The voices of his friends Having obtained the first existences he could ever call friends after co to the academy, Aleist raised his torso
”Aleist-sama, you can still stand, can't you!”
”If you're a knight, then stand! And you call yourself the black knight!?”
”Aleist, don't lose to Rudel!”
”D-do your best, senpai!”
”If it's you, Aleist-san, I'm sure you can win!”
Next, Aleist's harem members raised their voices Despite the bitter smile on his face, Aleist extended his hand to his knees, readying himself to stand
He suddenly recalled the face of a girl he adirl who didn't fit in with her surroundings He re to her a few times, and he remembered she had never made fun of him
(I see, so Millia resembled her…)
By vividly recalling what had grown hazy, Aleist was able to knohy he had fallen for Millia