Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 293

While Keinzel and Avheem were dealing with James from the rear,

James’s forces were struggling to shoot down the Wyvern Riders in the eastern canyon.

To pass through the narrow and long canyon, even aerial units had to fly in a line.

Naturally, it should have been easy to hit them, as if shooting at fixed targets.

However, their expectations were quickly proven wrong.

“Ughhhhh!”

“Damn it! What’s with the speed?”

“Why can’t we hit them?”

They couldn’t hit them. No, they couldn’t even graze them. It was as if the Wyvern Riders knew where the attacks were coming from.

Eventually, a quick-witted commander realized the truth and lamented.

“C, could it be… have all the ballista positions been exposed? We’ve been changing them every day, but how…”

However, more than ten Wyvern Riders had already passed over their heads.

They couldn’t just stand by and watch the enemy. Otherwise, they might face the wrath of James Van Jackson.

“From now on, move with the determination to not let a single one pass! Defend the high ground with your lives!”

“Change trajectory! Change!”

Unfortunately, the soldiers failed to complete the mission given by the commander.

“Well, I don’t have any personal grudges against you guys, but I’m here as support. I’ll just wreck what you’re riding on, so don’t move around too much.”

Kugugugung…!

Along with the nonchalant voice, an enormous impact struck the ballista.

He had only lightly swung the sword he was holding, but a thunderous roar echoed as if lightning had struck.

It was a display befitting the man known as the strongest of Britannia’s Seven Virtues [elite knights known for their exceptional combat skills and adherence to a strict code of honor].

Faced with that absurd force, one of the soldiers around him muttered without realizing it.

“…S, Sword Master?!”

They had never heard of such a strong swordsman among the Orcs.

Numerous questions arose on the soldiers’ faces.

The weapon of Karak, the great warrior of the Fire Plunderer Tribe, was definitely an axe. Then who was that Orc?

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be showing any murderous intent.

If he had, all the soldiers here would have turned into cold corpses.

Gawain smacked his lips as if he was very disappointed.

“Tch. My juniors or Lady Sednael should be seeing this awesome side of me. I’ve just been a mess lately.”

Gawain’s voice sounded like a pig’s squeal due to the penalty of disguise.

However, he kept talking as if that wasn’t a problem at all.

His mission was to destroy as many ballistas as possible with Karak.

Even though they were fixed, a few soldiers could change their trajectory to some extent.

If they weren’t careful, the best infiltration route they had created would disappear.

That was the responsibility of Gawain and Karak.

Karak, who had blown away the ballista and the soldiers next to it in one shot from behind, tilted his head.

“I would like to ask why you didn’t kill the soldiers on board. If you leave them alive, they might shoot the ballistas that haven’t been destroyed, putting our comrades in danger.”

“Kkueeeeek!”

“I can read lips to some extent. Just look at my face and speak.”

Gawain sighed. How much better would it have been if he had told him sooner?

“…Orcs these days can even read lips, amazing. Why didn’t I kill them? The answer is simple. They are not my enemies. Don’t forget that we are cooperating to defeat the agents of the Demon Archduke.”

Then, a strange groan flowed from between Karak’s slightly parted lips.

“Indeed. I almost forgot because you were so convincing, but you were a human. Moreover, a Sword Master of Britannia. It’s strange to be fighting together like this when it wouldn’t be surprising to see us fighting each other.”

“It’s not that uncommon. We’ve joined hands with enemy countries during the Seven Sins War before. Of course, I intend to thoroughly exact the price for the destruction caused in Britannia.”

“Kekek. All-Talmus has also promised that. Don’t worry. Orcs don’t lie like humans.”

Two men who were once enemies.

They turned their backs to each other and began to wield their swords and axes for the same purpose.

* * *

Jiiing-!

The space around James Van Jackson froze as Bullet Time activated [a technique that slows down time, allowing the user to react faster].

No, it began to flow very slowly, to the point where it felt like that.

James was the only one who could move freely in that space.

“…Strange. Usually, the opponent hit by Bullet Time stops in a pose to swing their sword. But why is he throwing something like thin threads into the air?”

It was an incomprehensible action. Could he have gone mad in the face of death?

However, the opponent’s movements had definitely slowed down. From now on, he would be able to cut off his breath for sure during the 5 seconds that Bullet Time lasted.

He certainly should have.

The moment the frozen time hit him, Keinzel called Bishop, who was connected to his neural network.

‘…Mental Acceleration, Bishop!’

— Ooh!

Then, Keinzel’s mind began to perceive the surroundings at a thousand times the speed.

At the same time, the figure of James Van Jackson swinging his sword at him came into view.

James was moving slowly but surely in a world where everything was frozen.

That speed was about thirty times faster than normal.

If he didn’t have Bishop connected to his neural network, he wouldn’t have been able to respond properly.

— But Partner. Only your mind has accelerated. The opponent is still thirty times faster. How do you plan to deal with him?

‘It’s like this.’

Keinzel applied Suvide [a technique that preserves the state of food] to the ultra-thin noodles he had scattered around in advance.

The basic trick was the same as when he faced Morgana. However, unlike then, he was actually using real ingredients.

Only what Keinzel considers food can maintain its state with Suvide.

At the same time, the sword James was holding struck the ultra-thin noodles.

Kkggak, kkggak, kkgaaaak-!

And James’s scream of astonishment erupted.

“W, wha, what is this? Why can’t I cut something so flimsy……?”

It wasn’t even a specially made thread. No, in the first place, Aura could cut through even an Ogre’s sinew in one strike.

Just looking at how softly it fluttered and fell, you could tell how soft it was.

But he couldn’t break through it.

James hammered in continuous strikes as if he were possessed by something. But the result was the same.

Eventually, after using more than half of Bullet Time’s time limit, he was able to accept this absurd reality.

His attacks couldn’t even leave a scratch on the opponent.

Moreover, the seven Fragarachs [magical swords] that had popped out from Keinzel’s back were hovering around James.

They were moving very slowly, but they were threatening enough.

“There’s still time left in Bullet Time! But how can he have such reaction speed?!

Moreover, the attack infused with Aura couldn’t cut the ultra-thin noodles made of mere flour.

Judging from the fact that the ground was cracking every time he swung his sword, it seemed that the shockwave was being transmitted.

However, it would take several more seconds for all the ultra-thin noodles scattered in the air to disappear.

At this rate, there was no end. Eventually, James had to release Bullet Time.

Then, the invincible barrier that he couldn’t break through no matter how much he attacked fell with a thud.

“Keuh……!”

Only then did James realize that he had been had. It was a barrier with a very short duration that he wouldn’t have been able to block even a single blow under normal circumstances.

However, it had become a natural enemy to Bullet Time, which increased the 5 seconds by thirty times.

Keinzel let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

He had a relaxed expression, but if James had continued his barrage for just one more second, his Aura would have run out.

Applying Suvide to thousands of ultra-thin noodles consumed a tremendous amount of Aura.

‘From now on, I can only use it to block one of the opponent’s attacks.’

However, its utility was endless in that it could completely block even the Aura Blade [a blade made of concentrated magical energy].

James gritted his teeth so hard that a cracking sound could be heard, and muttered.

“Don’t think you’ve won just by blocking Bullet Time! I never thought a slave would be able to draw out my full power. But this is the end!”

At the same time, a storm began to rage from James’s sword.

He had only cut through the empty air. But the shockwave that was emitted from it was enormous.

Kugugugung-!

It crushed all the objects in its path and even split the canyon diagonally.

The air distorted, and the earth burst open.

He had only swung his sword once, but even the terrain had changed.

If Bullet Time was a quick sword that stopped even time, then this strike was an ultra-strong sword with tremendous power.

If he tried to block it carelessly, his body would be torn to shreds by the shockwave.

Keinzel instinctively activated Brilliant Road [a technique that shows the optimal path to avoid an attack].

Then, the optimal sword path to avoid James’s attack was engraved on his retina in the form of light.

‘I can’t keep up with this with my current movements……. Then, Double Booster……!’

Aura raged from his whole body as if it were exploding. And he kicked off the ground in an instant and soared into the sky.

Keinzel had to catch his breath with a look of horror at the shockwave that brushed past his feet.

It was a more powerful attack than Gawain’s Earth-Shattering Strike. If he had such power, why had he only used Bullet Time until now?

That question was quickly resolved.

“Kkyaaaaaak!”

Rather, a scream of pain erupted from James, who had attacked. On closer inspection, the muscles in his left shoulder, which had been holding the sword, were completely ruptured.

Thanks to the Aura that had been crammed in beyond the limit, he was able to unleash tremendous destructive power.

As a result, his own body was collapsing.

However, James did not stop attacking.

Bullet Time, which he thought was the strongest Aura Blade, had been completely blocked.

That had inflicted a tremendous wound on his pride.

“How dare an Orc! To James-sama……!”

As if he wouldn’t give him a moment’s rest, a tremendous attack continued.

The upper downward slash that followed the middle horizontal slash. The diagonal slash that followed immediately from there emitted a tremendous shockwave.

Each strike was a one-hit kill-level attack that continued. Each time, blood splattered from James’s body and bones shattered.

Facing that head-on was suicide. Eventually, Keinzel also prepared his strongest strike.

He activated Igyeo Geom [a sword technique], offsetting the shockwave that James was emitting with Aglio Olio [a defensive technique].

Then, the Fragarachs that had been floating behind Keinzel were fired, leaving a pure white trail.

Chang, chaechang, chaeaaaeeng!

The sound of swords colliding echoed, and Keinzel’s eyes narrowed.

And in an instant, he stepped on Jingak [a movement technique] and slipped into James’s side.

“Kak, kkik, kkeueuk!”

James was in a state where normal conversation was impossible. His whole body was stained with blood, and he seemed unable to distinguish between friend and foe.

The technique that could be said to be his everything had been blocked by an Orc he had only regarded as a slave.

The humiliation and frustration he felt at that time had turned James into a berserker who had given himself over to anger.

“The finish is this!”

Keinzel held Durandal [a legendary sword] with both hands and activated Onion Swordsmanship [a powerful sword technique].

At the same time, the seven blades that had increased pierced James’s shoulder.