131 His Back (1/2)
Alpha felt no resistance from the sword that she used to cut John Smith.
”—–An afterimage.”
Hearing a voice from behind, Alpha lightly turned back.
There John Smith stood, unscathed.
Alpha stared at him with cold eyes, holding her sword up in a stance. There is no sign of her being upset.
He's a man who is skilled enough to take down Delta.
It was expected that he would possess this level of power.
Immediately after that, John Smith's finger moved. Innumerable white lines danced in the darkness.
—–Steel threads.
The ones mentioned in No.664's report.
She calmly observes its movements, while finding the real attack that is hidden in the dancing strings.
And then.
Kin!—–A small sound was heard, and a thin thread was cut off in the air.
”Mixing the real thin string used to attack among decoy strings...…..That trick of yours, I've already seen through it.”
”Hou....”
”Are you done with your magic trick?”
Alpha moved.
She invaded his Maai within a moment and slashed at John Smith with a jet-black sword.
The slash that was aimed for his neck was done with such timing, that it is normally impossible to dodge.
However.
John Smith tilted his head, and dodged it with the minimum required movement.
”———!”
Alpha stopped moving.
She expected her attack to be avoided, and was about to chase after him with a follow up attack.
Instead, she stopped her movement after noticing John Smith's strings dancing around her.
While observing the movement of the wires, she is simultaneously using her sword to parry and counterattack in between the consecutive strikes.
Speed and sharpness, a battle for supremacy.
This time for sure, she unleashed an unavoidable attack.
”Eh....?”
Sounds of confusion escaped from Alpha's mouth.
John Smith just showed her how he'd dodge a perfect attack.
He let the sword approach, and just before it hit, he let it slide along his skin. With that move he used to dodge her attack with minimal movement, he was able to move himself out of Alpha's large Maai, and exit the battle itself.
”Don't tell me———- You are..”
Alpha whispered so, and took off her mask. The face of a beautiful elf appeared from underneath.
”———-Shadow?”
Using her eyes to confirm, Alpha was already convinced.
John Smith looked her in the eye for a second, and then removed his mask.
”I have already thrown that name away...”
Sid's face appeared from behind the mask.
She'd already understood the fact, but Alpha's face still colored in surprise.
”No, Why... What do you mean you have thrown that name away…?”
”I meant exactly what I said. Right now, I am John Smith. Nothing more, nothing less.”
”Why have you become John Smith...Th, There's some sort of reason, right?”
Alpha's voice was like she was trying to cling onto something.
”Because it is the best course of action.”
”I can't understand with just that, explain properly!”
”I am sorry but, I have no intention to speak further than this.”
”And, what about Delta? What happened to her!? Why did you..!!”
”Delta just went far away. I can't speak about it anymore than this.”
”That's why I said, I don't understand!!”
Her sorrowful voice resounds in the night sky, as Alpha's sword cut through the darkness.
Her immense magic power causes the atmosphere to shake and generate wind.
”You're always like this!! Why can't you properly explain it so we can understand!! Are we that unreliable? I know that you have something in mind, but we are also desperately trying, you know…..”
Alpha's voice gets smaller towards the end.
”Hey, are we, are we not necessary to you, anymore…..?”
Her face was on the verge of tears.
”Sorry, I have something I needed to do alone.”
Alpha is looking down, while strongly clasping the sword in her hand.
”...I see. You still don't know how strong I've become, right?”
Raging magic power swirled and converged onto Alpha.
”I will not be a burden to you forever. If you say you will not talk, no matter what, then——— I will just have to use my power and force it out of you.”
Suddenly—Alpha's figure disappeared.
John Smith's face is colored in surprise for the first time.
Her raging magic power, her jet-black sword, her body—-Every sign that indicated she was there before, beautifully disappeared.