Chapter 59 : Identity (3)

A problem arose.

“Prepare yourself. I won’t hold back; I’m coming at you with everything I’ve got.”

I confidently spoke while raising my sword.

But I couldn’t move.

The reason was…

I had no plan for what to do next.

As I stood frozen, staring at Kairen, who seemed ready to charge at any moment, I thought to myself:

What should I do?

First, let’s summarize the situation so far.

The other party spoke in such an irritating way that I retorted just as harshly. 

Then, when they shot magic at me, I blocked it spectacularly.

If only it had ended there, it would have been fine…

Unfortunately, I didn’t stop there. 

It was great that I blocked the magic so stylishly, but I immediately provoked Kairen afterward.

The reason for provoking her wasn’t much.

I just felt like staying silent would mean I had lost… So I did it.

And now, because of that, I found myself in a position where I had to do something right away.

Even though I had no plan.

The tension that had been taut between Kairen and me began to feel awkward. I wasn’t making any moves, and it was starting to show.

Perhaps because of this, Kairen’s face, which had been filled with tension just moments ago, started to show signs of doubt. She seemed to be wondering what I was up to, standing so still.

As I observed her, I began to think.

What should I do?

I had already spoken, and once words are out, they can’t be taken back. 

Now I needed to show something… something as impressive as my bold declaration.

So, let’s think about what to do next.

Thankfully, there’s one good thing: I know exactly what I have to do.

The task ahead doesn’t require much deliberation.

What I need to do now is obvious — deal with the person standing in front of me.

With that settled, it was time to move on to the next step.

I alternated my gaze between the sword in my hand and Kairen as I thought.

How should I take her down?

Should I use my sword to cut her neck? Or should I burn her alive with magic?

How should I fight? Quick and decisive? Or slow and methodical?

It was a dilemma… a real dilemma.

There were many ways to handle her. I was confident I could crush her no matter how I went about it.

That was the problem. It felt like choosing what to eat for dinner — so many options, yet the result would be the same, making it hard to decide.

Is this what they call a dilemma?

Just as I was about to get lost in this maze of choices,

“Ruina… who is that person?”

A small voice came from behind me.

I turned my head toward the voice.

When I looked back, I saw Reina tugging at my coat and looking up at me with her bright red eyes.

Seeing her, I swallowed hard. The hand clutching my coat trembled slightly.

It wasn’t just that. Her usually radiant eyes seemed dim, as if anxiety had seeped into them.

Yes, she was scared. Whether it was because of the earlier magic or the oppressive aura, I wasn’t sure, but she was trembling.

And the moment I took in that sight,

I made my decision.

“Finish this as quickly as possible.”

Quick and decisive — that was the choice I made the moment I saw Reina.

It was an unusual decision for someone like me, who enjoyed toying with my opponents before taking them down.

Normally, I wouldn’t make such a decision.

If I were alone, I wouldn’t have chosen this course of action. 

But the situation was different now. 

Reina, vulnerable and unprotected, was behind me, and I had to protect her.

That was the problem. In prolonged battles, anything can happen. 

Even if I’m stronger than Kairen, there’s always the chance she might exploit an opening at least once.

In such a situation, it’s easy to protect myself. I can respond immediately to minimize damage.

But what if her sword was aimed at Reina? And what if I reacted even a little too late?

The outcome would undoubtedly be disastrous.

So, I had to end this quickly. Overwhelm her before any complications arose.

I needed to secure this area as fast as possible.

I held Reina’s trembling hand that was clutching my coat and spoke.

“Reina, listen to me carefully from now on.”

I removed her hand from my coat and made eye contact with her.

“Until I say it’s safe, you mustn’t take a single step from this spot. Understood?”

Reina nodded at my words, her resolute expression reflecting her determination.

I smiled faintly, patted her head, and turned toward Kairen.

Without saying a word, I raised my sword and began gauging the distance between us.

Perhaps because I lifted my sword, Kairen tensed and began muttering something. 

Behind her, several flames appeared, seemingly part of a spell.

Seeing that, I smirked and steadied myself. Then I murmured.

“[Family.]”

A short incantation echoed down the hallway.

The dark aura stirred. The magic activated. 

It enveloped my entire body.

And then.

I pushed off the ground and started running.

“[Oh fire, strike down my enemy!]”

As I charged, Kairen shouted.

With her chant, the flames behind her shot toward me like arrows.

I looked at the flames rushing toward me with intent to pierce and thought about how to handle them.

The decision came quickly. There wasn’t much time, so swift judgment was necessary.

Gripping my sword tightly, I fixed my gaze on the approaching flames. Then I sped up.

As my speed increased, the flames closed the distance even faster. But I kept running.

The closer I got, the nearer the flames drew. Still, I paid them no mind.

Until they were right in front of me, radiating heat.

At that moment,

I thrust my sword into the flames.

There was no sensation. No feeling of piercing or cutting through anything. It was like slicing through empty air.

But the flames that met my sword dissipated as if extinguished.

The flames scattered around my sword, and faint heat brushed past my cheeks.

Passing through them, I continued to charge forward.

My swordsmanship master, Redros, called this sense “intuition.”

Well, it doesn’t seem entirely wrong. It does rely on a certain degree of instinct. In that regard, there’s probably no better name for such a vague and indescribable feeling.

I can feel this sense too.

That’s why I can push through like this with just a sword.

I swung my sword again. Each time the blade cut through the air, another flame scattered.

It was when I cut the third flame.

“[Oh flame, devour my enemy!]”

With Kairen’s incantation, a massive flame in the shape of a serpent burst forth from beneath my feet, its jaws wide open.

Its mouth was enormous—so large that escaping by ordinary means seemed impossible.

I quickly scanned my surroundings, searching for the spell’s weak point.

I was able to locate it immediately. However, I couldn’t cut the magic. The spell was far too massive.

Using the sword was not an option. That was the conclusion I reached as soon as I analyzed the magic’s weak point.

If I stayed like this, I’d be consumed whole.

So, what should I do?

Even for a swordsman who can cut through magic, not all spells can be sliced. There are times when dodging is the only option.

But I don’t have to.

Because I am also a mage.

I quietly uttered the incantation.

“[Dispel.]”

As my voice echoed through the hallway, the enormous flames dispersed.

I continued running, cutting through the scattering flames.

Magic and the sword.

People often say, “Wouldn’t you be invincible if you could wield both?”

In theory, that’s correct. If you can use both, the inherent weaknesses of each can complement the other.

However, ideals and reality are different. Trying to master both is essentially madness.

Doing so leaves you mediocre at both. It’s hard enough to master one skill, let alone two at the same time.

This is exactly my situation. 

While I pride myself on handling both magic and the sword to some extent, I haven’t reached the pinnacle of either.

In swordsmanship, I fall far short of Redros.

In magic, except in certain unique cases, I am leagues behind Gawain.

So if I were to face either of them, I’d undoubtedly lose.

However.

Even if I haven’t reached the pinnacle, I’m at least close enough to see it from a distance.

And that level is more than sufficient to kill the enemy before me.

That’s why I can pull off stunts like this.

“[Oh fire, strike down my enemy!]”

Kairen’s incantation echoed again. As her words filled the air, flaming arrows once more filled my vision.

I quickly counted the number of arrows before me.

Ten in total, coming at me from both the sides and the front.

I chanted an incantation.

“[Barrier.]”

A circular shield appeared on the back of my hand.

I raised it to block the arrows coming from the sides.

One, two, three.

After blocking all the arrows from the sides, I swung my sword to cut down the ones coming straight at me.

One, two, three, four, five, six, and seven.

Once all the arrows were cut down,

Kairen was within arm’s reach.

Reaching out toward me, she shouted with a panicked expression.

“[Serpent that devours flame! Come to me!]”

Once again, flames gathered at her fingertips.

Seeing that, I shouted again.

“[Dispel!]”

The flames at Kairen’s fingertips scattered once more. Despair filled her eyes.

And.

Seeing her expression, I smiled broadly,

and swung my sword to sever her neck.