423 Chapter 423: Sword Sain (2/2)

\”You…!\”

The Sword Saint's expression darkened, and she instantly shattered the ice restraints that had rooted her to the floor, magical energy surging out of her magnificent figure. However, those two seconds that she spent breaking free of her frozen bonds was more than enough for me to escape to the other side of the ring.

Without my swords, I couldn't do anything, but still I conjured enough mana to cast an offensive ice spell. Countless icicles manifested around and above me, and I launched the barrage of frozen spears in Kureha's direction.

In response, Kureha stood her ground and held her majestic sword high up in the air with both hands, the silver blade illuminated by golden mana.

An ultimate attack for an ultimate attack. Kureha knew she wouldn't be able to dodge the deadly hail of icicles in time, and wouldn't be able to smash all of them with her sword. That being the case, there was only one way to respond to it.

Cast a spell to obliterate the entire rain of ice.

\”You have proven yourself a worthy opponent. Even if you're not among the strongest I have ever face, you stll rank among the most tenacious…the most difficult. Take pride in that.\”

\”Hah.\” I tried not to snort. It was a pity, but while Kureha Franklin was exceedingly impressive for someone of our generation, I couldn't say the same for her. It was unfortunate, but I had confronted far stronger and far more difficult enemies than the likes of her.

She still had some way to go. Hell, she couldn't even compare to Troy King, who was perfectly capable of trouncing me with a single hand. That guy was planet buster level, according to his original creator. In contrast, I could only nuke single cities, not entire worlds.

Not that Kureha needed to know about that, but whatever.

\”So I'll honor your resolve with my ultimate technique.\”

\”Bring it on,\” I replied, still focused on directing my barrage of icicles upon her. Sucking a deep breath, Kureha cried out the true name of her Noble Phantasm…ahem, I mean sword technique.

\”Excalibur!!\”

Seriously? She was really going to rip off Fate/Stay Night until the very end?

Not that it mattered. In a single burst of golden mana, the blinding light of her sword strike obliterated my hail of icicles immediately, disintegrating the frost spears. The tsunami of destructive mana carried on mercilessly, surging toward my position to ravenously engulf me.

If I allowed that strike to hit me, it would be all over.

\”Trace on.\”

In the face of such a devastating attack, I maintained my cool and raised my right hand determinedly. Azure mana sizzled around my right arm before leaping upward and forward. My breaths came out in thick mists, and a layer of ice condensed around my surroundings, and even on my body. I ignored the chill and continued on with my incantation.

\”I am the soul of my sword.\”

Kureha's ultimate technique was now five meters away. It would be upon me in another second. That was fine. I just needed another millisecond. It was going to be very close, but I knew deep down that it was doable.

\”Snow Aegis!\”

I intoned the true name of my most powerful protection, and the gigantic snowflake-shaped shield of ice materialized between me and Kureha's Excalibur. The golden tsunami of destructive energy collided against the sturdy barrier, scrabbling violently against its frozen surface.

\”Ugh!\”

Grimacing from the tremendous impact, my knees buckled and my right arm almost burst apart in a shower of blood. Holding my injured arm up with my left hand, I continued to infuse what mana I had remaining inside me to augment my defense, to repair the numerous cracks that appeared all over my Snow Aegis.

\”As if I'll fall here…!\”

With a roar, I held my ground firmly in the face of certain death, bellowing a challenge to the spectral grim reaper that now took the form of a golden blast of destructive mana certain to blow apart any fortress. Responding to my obstinate will, Snow Aegis held despite its gradually crumbling structure, refusing to falter against the Sword Saint's strongest strike.

Then there was a massive explosion that blasted me off my feet, the frost shrapnel of my shattered Snow Aegis raining down on my crashing body. Even so, the dissipating tendrils of golden energy never reached me. My Snow Aegis had fulfilled its task and absorbed 99% of Kureha's Excalibur, and she had failed to kill me. Well, I wouldn't have died because of the boundary field, so technically she wouldn't be able to kill me anway. I meant knock me out, incapacitate me, or finish me off. Whatever.

The detonation was so powerful that it flung Kureha back as well, but the Sword Saint was slowly climbing back to her feet, her sword still held grimly in her hands. She slowly stalked toward me, ignoring the faint trickle of blood that now stained her ghastly expression. Her golden eyes glared determinedly at me, as if willing me not to get up.

I was more than happy to disappoint her.

\”You're unarmed, and I'm pretty sure you've expended almost all of your mana in trying to defend against my Noble Phantasm…I mean my ultimate technique. If I'm assessing you correctly, you don't have any energy left to fight me.\”

\”You're assessing me wrong,\” I told her bluntly.

Kureha lowered her head slightly, and then she smiled. \”Of course. It was a stupid question on my part. You're still standing, aren't you?\”

\”Yeah.\” I nodded and stepped forward, doing my best to conceal how shallow my breaths had become. \”Let's continue, and finish this match once and for all.\”