Chapter 34

Star-Slaying Swordsman

Chapter 34

“…This is a huge spectacle, if I do say so myself. It’s often said that Minaura is Fiole Islebark’s garden after all.

Two young sisters… ruled over a desolate, barren land with zero inhabitants.

They were known as the “Corpse Princess” and the “Warrior Princess” of the Islebark bloodline.

“You bury the corpses of the monsters in the earth and keep them as your pawns for this occasion. And I heard that the number of monsters you can control at the same time easily exceeds more than a hundred, but it seems that’s not really a baseless exaggeration.”

Saying this, Siva threw words of awe at the monsters that had emerged from the ground.

But one problem struck my mind.

For some reason, Siva, who was impressed by the scene spread out before him, did not show any signs or intention of attacking the giant life form in front of him— the Jabberwock.

…No, I think he had all the desire to fight, seeing his jet-black sword magic, ‘The Gladiator’, floating around warily in the air.

Seeing that he wasn’t trying to take any action and was only on his guard, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was in a dire situation.

“I may have told you that the first who came would be the first served, but if you really don’t plan on attacking that thing or anything, I will.”

He’ll snatch the kill away from us if we take too long, he said.

However, there was no response to his words.

I didn’t hear any brash words coming from Fiole like telling him to shut up, let alone telling him anything.

And contrary to my expectations, Siva was left in a pained silence.

“I’ll take on the Jabberwock, then.”

Immediately after. I interrupted them and said so.

There must be something.

Something that would make Siva hesitate about what he was doing right now.

And that was precisely the reason why Siva was trying to give me some advice of some sort, but before I heard what it was, I already took my eyes off of him.

Information was crucial.

I, myself, considered it to be the ABCs of combat.

But if I were to say so myself, the advantage of having the memories of Star Slaying was already enough, so therefore—

“I don’t care what stands my way. I will slay everything, so that I will be able to Slay the Stars.”

A big mouth that didn’t know its place.

But if it uttered such words, then it was fine.

“…You have quite the big mouth for being such a small boy.”

Siva laughed at me strangely.

“I’m a Star Slayer, after all.”

A fool’s speech was always far from the ordinary, as he always insinuated that he was going to accomplish some unbelievable and unrealistic feat.

So I convinced myself with a huge smile on my face.

The unending thirst burns my heart to the core.

The technique of the Star-Slaying swordsman that exists in my mind is undeniably the strongest.

Without even a shred of doubt, I could say with utmost certainty that that very swordsman was first-rate, and recognized him as the greatest in the world.

—And because I believed so, it must be so.

There was no logic to it, but for some reason, I could just trust that feeling.

“Come to think of it, you really are.”

“Of course.”

I know how strong and competent Siva is, right next to me.

Fending for himself against bandits, dealing with the monsters that tried to escape Minaura, everything, I’d seen it all.

It was precisely because I’d seen these things that I was able to say that my abilities were not superior to Siva’s, and that was just an unshakable reality.

Siva, who had determined that the enemy he was about to face was of a higher league than himself, was attempting to see how things were going. 

If things had been my case, I would’ve already been laughed at for the recklessness I was about to do.

But I was just going to ignore them, nevertheless.

No matter the absolute stark differences, no matter the walls and obstacles that I needed to overcome— my dream would cut through all the common sense and norms that this world decided and move forward.

The man who was the original owner of such memories, which would always shine brilliantly in my mind, was carving out a path in this way, as he continued to reach out to his longing.

And so, the answer was long already within me.

“So I—”

I found myself with a sensation as if my blood was boiling all over.

At the same time, something came whispering to me.

Slay, slay, slay, slay, slay.

Hurry up and slay that giant thing before you, it said.

Normally, I would have been skeptical about it, but I didn’t question it in the slightest and pulled out the sword resting at my waist to comply with those very whispers.

“I’m going to have a try on that giant monster in the meantime.”

***

***

I kicked the somewhat eerily blackened clod of earth backward and began to close in.

I let out one or two breaths as the slight pause in time occurred, and the view in my field of vision started to change over time.

I was about to be drawn to Fiole’s magic, ‘Corpse Puppet: Parade,’ but I restrained myself.

Right at that moment, the Jabberwock was about to swing its tail in hostility— not at me, but at the cause of the earlier attack that had interfered with it.

And so an opening presented itself.

Soon after I made the judgment, I put greater force into the hilt of my sword, not paying attention to the loud creaking sound it made.

I smiled as if my cheeks were ripped open, knowing that I would not be able to completely avoid him due to his large size.

The distance between me and the Jabberwock was already just a few dozen meters.

And if I was to decide to strike him now, I judged that it was more than enough to reach.

So I needed to unleash an attack to the top of its head, and without any hesitation:

『 Shooting S— 』

The moment when I was about to unleash an attack with all my might, I was suddenly struck by a feeling of indescribable discomfort.

A searing pain started to burn inside of my brain, and immediately afterward, for some reason, a feeling of intoxication overwhelmed my entire body.

“…Huh?”

It caused me to lose my footing, and so, I retreated.

After stumbling on my steps somehow trying to get back on my feet, my senses finally returned to normal.

—What… was that feeling just now…?

In response to the earlier strange sensation, I silently pondered.

However…

“HEY JULIUS!!! DON’T LOOK AWAY!!!”

A sharp, head-splitting yell brought me back to my senses.

I realized that the tail of the Jabberwock, which had changed its target to me, was now right in front of my face.

“Damn it…!!”

Fortunately, my hand was already moving to use my sword as a guard when I heard Siva’s voice.

But still, we ended up colliding soon after.

The unprecedented shock of the collision made me furrow my brows.

And then, softly, my feet left the ground, and lightly, my body began to float up.

“TCH——!!!”

I looked at him for a moment intending to thank him, but Siva just clucked his tongue and held his hands up to the heavens.

A number of floating jet-black weapons began to move in unison.

And perhaps, it was to help me.

But right now, it wasn’t necessary.

Saying so to myself, I then gripped the sword in my left hand, which I was using as a sort of shield, and held it with both my arms.

“KGH—!!!”

Clenching my teeth as hard as I could, I endured and endured the blow from the tail that was sent out to reap me.

And while I was suspended mid-air, I wore the biggest, most fearless smile I could muster at the moment.

Now was not the time to be extravagant, so skip the pleasantries.

I put these words together in my mind.

Then, with trembling hands, I attempted once again to use the technique that had been forcibly interrupted moments ago.

“You monster—!!!”

Holding up my sword in a half-hearted manner, I was barely able to withstand the attacks that were coming my way.

My feet were not on the ground, so it was impossible for me to even stand firm.

No matter how I struggled, once I was in the air, I would be left to my own devices, and the only thing waiting for me was to be pushed out of the way.

But somehow, I felt I could manage under such circumstances.

So, I resisted.

I would show the greatest possible resistance I could muster.

“DON’T UNDERESTIMATE MEEE!!!”

Magic started circulating inside my body, and my only weapon emitted a slight glow.

And soon after, the speed and impact at which I was being pushed drastically decreased beyond what normally would say “normal.”

A further inferior version of an inferior imitation.

It was unthinkable to even mention the name of the technique, and it was beyond my ability to put it into words.

Therefore, I kept it to myself, unbeknownst to others.

I could only say these two words to the steel-like tail that turned on me…

—『 Shooting Star 』—

Immediately after, I felt something breaking through the sword, reaching me as I swung it through the air, forcefully muttering to myself.

——

——