714 – Sword and Thread (side: Volk)

『I shall no longer aim to dismember you, silver-haired swordsman.
From now on, I will fight to kill.』

Ares says, readying his sword.

『You may well be the strongest swordsman I have seen.
But this is the end for you.』

Ares appears to sway and shift.
He’s using [Multi-Shadow Stride] again.

Innumerable threads plunge down from atlach on the ceiling, tracing towards Ares.
She’s using the sharp [Severing Thread] skill.
However, the threads are entirely unable to reach Ares.

Ares is moving far too fast in his gigantic armour.
Even if it wasn’t for [Multi-Shadow Stride], landing a hit on him would be next to impossible.
I had hoped atlach’s threads would restrict his movements, but he appears to be dodging with plenty of leeway.

Suddenly behind me, Ares swings his sword in a horizontal sweep.
I duck down at the last moment, my head dipping beneath the blade.

A huge crash impacts the cathedral wall.
The building shakes, and begins to collapse.

I look around.
The people who were trapped in here have all left already.
It seems they carried out the two injured swordsmen who fought before me, too.
I can fight without heed to my surroundings now.

『Ho… You were able to dodge even that.』

Ares mutters in amazement.

…I was able to dodge it, but my body and mind aren’t able to keep up with my battle instincts.
It is only after I have completed the motion that I understand why I am moving, and with each dodge, a feeling of heavy fatigue weighs on my body.

Soon, I won’t be able to react to Ares’ movements.
Moreover, the reason I’m able to dodge his attacks is because he’s fighting as a swordsman.
But it’s clear from his aura that the path of the sword is no longer his main way of fighting.

The way this is going, I will eventually lose.
No matter how dangerous it is, I need to go on the offensive.
I can’t win if I remain passive.

It is only possible to defeat a more powerful opponent in a battle that is quick and decisive.
The greater the difference in ability, the shorter the battle I must aim for.

I need to hit him with everything I can in an instant.
That is the only way to prevail against Ares.

『I had forgotten! So this is the joy of a sword fight! Take pride, for you have reminded me of the joy of the sword!』

Ares strides towards me.
I also run towards him.

A metallic clang rings out.
My sword bounces off his metallic abdomen.
I wanted to deliver a shock that would pass through his armour, but it doesn’t seem to have worked.

Before I know it, I’m on my knees.
Looking down, I see my side has been cut deeply.
The excitement made me numb to the pain, but apparently I was slashed at the same time.

Blood drips from my mouth.
It might have only been a glancing blow, but I am fortunate to have endured an attack from that gigantic sword with so shallow a wound.
My [Autoregeneration] might not be fast enough to fully heal the damage, but it will be enough to close the wound.

『The Giant Silver Armour, Albion… it is the symbol of me as a Hero.
Did you think your sword could break it?』

『Take this!』

Jumping down, atlach fires a [Severing Thread] at Ares.

『I see, you want me to dodge to create an opening.
It wouldn’t be a problem to comply, but…』

The [Severing Thread] bounces off Ares’ gauntlet.

『An attack of this level is hardly worth dodging.』

Atlach falls down towards Ares, swinging her large claw.
Ares’ sword chops towards her.

Her body immediately falls apart.
But, there is no blood.
Instead, her body turns into a mass of thread, and wraps around Ares.

It is her skill, [Doppel Cocoon].
With it, she produces a thread copy of herself, with all of her own capabilities.
Even when defeated, the copy will stick to the opponent with the viciously adhesive [Magic-Draining Sticky Thread of Darkness].

Stuck to the floor by the thread, Ares has become fixed in place.

『Cheh! For me to fall for a trick like this…』

[Doppel Cocoon] and the [Magic-Draining Sticky Thread of Darkness] make for a brutal combo, but once the trick is known, it isn’t difficult to stay away from her thread entirely.
Ares could simply destroy her copies from a distance with [Shockwave].
The plan was for me to draw his attention even a little so that Atlach’s [Doppel Cocoon] could get close enough.

Of course, Ares’ strength is extreme.
He’ll be able to break free in just a moment, but even earning a single moment against him is significant.

“Please endure, magiatite!”

『Leave it to me, Volk-dono!』

With all my strength, I thrust towards Ares’ hand.

『…You desire a clash of swords with me? I suppose you think I will not be able to put as much strength in to my sword at such close range and while the thread is in my way.
But you underestimate me!』

Ares’ sword rips through the thread.

Our swords collide.

『Guuuuu!』

The golden magiatite chips.
Unable to bear the impact, I feel my shoulder dislocating.

I slam into the floor at a tremendous speed.

“Gah!”

The pain is numbed by the excitement of the battle, but I still feel my organs churning through my body from the impact on my back.

『I-impossible… I would never let go of my sword in battle!』

Ares shouts.
As he says, his sword is no longer in his hand.

It is stabbed into the floor next to altach.
She was still connected to the thread from her [Doppel Cocoon], and so could freely pull on the sword.

When I thrust at Ares’ hand, she yanked the sword back.
If she hadn’t, I likely would have died just from getting pushed to the floor.

I knew that the [Spirit Servant] swordsman was the one heading for Harenae, and stealing an opponent’s weapon is one of my favoured strategies.

Ares’ gauntlet reaches out to grab me.
The damage to my body prevents me from reacting in time.

My body is suddenly pulled away by one of the threads.
Ares’ gauntlet punches through empty air and into the ground where I had been.

“Thank you, atlach-nacha.”

I rise to my feet next to her.
My breathing is a mess as a result of my injuries, but thanks to [Autoregeneration], I’m still able to move.

『Even though I acknowledged you as a great swordsman, I did not expect you to make a fool of me to this extent.』

I sense a dark anger emanating from Ares.