The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 33

30. Lawless Port Battle (2)

Thump- Thump- Thump-

Qurran, who had attacked, advanced with a grim expression, stepping over the debris of the destroyed building.

‘This isn’t going to be easy,’ Cahill thought, clutching his throbbing arm.

Not easy meant more than just the opponent’s strength.

‘It seems even raising 1 Step [referring to a specific swordsmanship technique] is too much for this body. The reaction is slow.’

Surprisingly, even in the midst of a dangerous battle where life and death were at stake, Cahill was testing something.

‘He’s definitely qualitatively different from someone like Ardin. Is it because he’s based on knight swordsmanship?’

Cahill had never neglected building his body for swordsmanship.

“Hoo…….”

The tower he climbed to go back in time was teeming with creatures so diverse that even gathering everything that exists on the continent, from hard-shelled beasts to liquid monsters, wouldn’t encompass them all.

Not only that, but he had to fight all those things with only a sword, even against ethereal beings that could fly and couldn’t be cut with physical force.

Immeasurable time.

The moment he opened the door of the tower, he discovered an ultimate skill one step higher than the position of Sword Saint.

Five Sword Steps.

Each step is the most basic yet the most powerful, and the higher the step, the stronger its power.

But when he mastered it, he was so old he couldn’t even count the years himself, so even if he understood it intellectually, it wasn’t easy to manifest.

Whoooong…….

Cahill focused his magic power.

Then his wrists and ankles flashed.

“…….”

He couldn’t use high-level gravity magic, but he had been continuously casting simple auxiliary magic to increase the weight on his arms and legs since leaving the mansion.

‘A little early, but…’

He repeated the process of increasing the weight as he got used to it, like wearing invisible sandbags.

‘There shouldn’t be a better opponent than him for this kind of training.’

A training method impossible without sufficient magic power. Thanks to that, his body’s growth was faster than in his previous life.

Crack-

He released that magic.

He twisted his lightened wrist and jumped lightly, testing his body’s newfound agility.

Flash–!!!

At that moment, Cahill rushed towards Qurran like a bullet with tremendous speed that surprised even himself.

“……!!”

Qurran realized in an instant that Cahill was smiling.

It was a smile of pleasure at the sight of better prey than anything else.

* * *

Kwaaaang—!!

Qurran instinctively held his greatsword vertically, using it as a shield to protect his body.

The sword stuck in the ground, staggering and shaking.

“Keuk?!”

His huge body shook from the impact he had never felt before.

Dangerous.

This is dangerous.

Instinctively, a warning bell rang in his brain.

Qurran tried to cut Cahill while adjusting his greatsword, but with his small stature and abnormal speed, Cahill quickly closed the distance and pressed in close.

Whiririk-

Then, just like before, he held his dagger vertically and brought it towards Qurran’s face.

But this time, not defensively but offensively, Cahill pushed aside the side of Qurran’s greatsword, which he was trying to lift. Using the momentum, he raised both arms above his head and aimed for the inside of Qurran’s chest.

1 Step – Crown Posture.

Chwaaaak—!!

The huge greatsword was intimidating, but rather useless at such close range.

Instead, Qurran’s huge body staggered due to its weight, and he failed to maintain his balance.

“Keuk……!”

A red sword mark appeared diagonally on the inside of his chest, behind the cut clothes.

‘A little short.’

Cahill clicked his tongue, “Tsk-”.

Like wearing a crown, the posture of extending his arms would have originally cut off Qurran’s head.

It was swordsmanship mainly used against large monsters larger than himself or against humanoid monsters in the tower.

But unfortunately, the small body of a 12-year-old couldn’t reach Qurran’s neck even if he stretched out his arms.

‘Not yet.’

The attack doesn’t end here.

The first of the five postures Cahill created, 1 Step, wasn’t simply for attack or defense.

Whiririk-

His sword moved once again.

As he went to the higher floors, there were monsters beyond imagination, and even he, a Sword Saint, couldn’t kill them with one blow.

Never be arrogant.

That was what he felt most keenly and engraved in his mind while surviving among the monsters in the tower.

The moment you think you’ve won, it’s easiest to be countered, and the more an enemy pretends to be dead, the more likely they are to aim for your back.

Raising the sword above the head is an act that both attacks and nullifies the opponent’s attack.

Conversely, even if the attack fails, it leaves the enemy defenseless.

That’s why he made this the highest, established as 1 Step.

A linked technique that starts, continues, and connects attack and defense.

An attack that can be the end in itself, become the beginning, and serve as a link.

Chwajang……!! Chwajajang……!!

Chwajajajang—!!

A flurry of sword strikes.

Cahill took advantage of his small stature, which compensated for height limitations, and moved quickly from side to side to trample on Qurran.

“Hooheup.”

Cahill inhaled and held his breath as if even breathing was a hindrance.

His concentration became even higher.

Kagang-!! Kagagang–!!

To what extent will his swordsmanship work now?

This is a test.

‘To face that guy in Tatur [a location]. You’ll have to be my practice partner.’

Already in Cahill’s mind, he was picturing a bigger enemy than the one in front of him.

“Keuk?!!”

Whether he knew Cahill’s thoughts or not, Qurran barely blocked his attacks and felt the streams of water that had been swirling around the sword blade gradually weakening.

The magic power that was disappearing before he knew it.

‘How can such a movement… Can that little kid really exude such martial prowess at such a young age!’

He hadn’t seen the childhoods of the Sword Masters, who are called the strongest swordsmen on the continent, but could they really display such martial prowess at such a young age?

In Qurran’s eyes, the little kid in front of him was no longer just a simple kid.

Death God.

He felt a chill run down his spine without realizing it.

‘I…….’

Qurran realized that he had unconsciously taken a step back to distance himself from Cahill.

‘Was I scared?’

His face contorted.

“You son of a bitch!!”

The sword must be cold.

When anger dominates reason, swordsmanship is no longer swordsmanship.

‘Gap.’

Even the slightest tremor couldn’t be missed by Cahill’s eyes, who had wielded millions and millions of swords.

Kwaddeudeudeudeuk—!!!!

The wooden floor under Cahill’s feet caved in a V-shape as if it couldn’t withstand his weight.

With a powerful vibration, the shattered fragments scattered in all directions.

In a very short moment, Cahill jumped up as if a spring was bouncing, after putting magic on his legs to increase the weight and then releasing it.

Crack-

Cahill, who jumped up like clinging to a log, grabbed Qurran’s outstretched arm with his legs and twisted it with all his might.

“Kwak!!!”

Qurran screamed as his bones broke. At the same time, his arm limped powerlessly in a ㄱ shape [Korean letter resembling a bent arm].

At that moment, the magic power disappeared from the dropped greatsword, and the streams of water swirling around the blade scattered and wet the floor.

Koong-

His body collapsed.

With a calm face, Cahill aimed Agnel [Cahill’s dagger] at his neck. Feeling the cold blade, Qurran smiled bitterly and said.

“Do it. If you kill me, my subordinates in Lawless Port won’t stay still.”

Was it his last pride?

Or was it just pointless stubbornness?

But Cahill still didn’t change his expression at Qurran’s words.

‘Okay, this is it. It has been proven that you are strong. But no more nonsense beyond this.’

Aidan Hamill clenched his fist without realizing it.

It was damp with sweat.

It was the first time.

Lawless Port is literally just the entrance to Tatur. There were even more monsters inside, and there were dozens of times more troops than in Lawless Port.

‘If we kill Qurran, we will be turning all of them into enemies!’

He shook his head at Cahill without realizing it.

“Really?”

However, Cahill asked in a calm tone without even giving him a glance.

“Let me change the question. Do you really think the subordinates of Lawless Port can do anything to me? Is there anyone stronger than you out there?”

Silence.

It wasn’t just Qurran.

Everyone around him was crushed by the weight of the air and couldn’t make any sound, but only their gazes were focused on the tip of Cahill’s sword.

“…….”

Qurran couldn’t answer.

After all, everyone knew the answer to that question.

Cahill seemed to think it was no longer necessary.

“Okay.”

Swish-

He cut his throat.