Volume 2 - CH 280

Chapter 0280 Actual Fight

Translator: Jay_Forestieri

Editor: Tseirp

The day following Ryo and Amon’s mock battle.

The Kingdom delegation arrived at the next city, Blanshua, in the early afternoon.

Ideally, they would have entered the city in the evening, stayed overnight, and departed the next morning… but the next city from Blanshua was just a day away.

In other words, a night there would be just right.

Just as the Kingdom delegation was about to enter Blanshua city… the sun began to darken.

“An eclipse…”

Ryo muttered, looking around.

The three from ‘Room 10’ and the three from ‘Room 11’ also looked up at the darkened sun, but their expressions were the same as usual.

However, only one person noticed Ryo’s suspicious behavior.

It was Priest Zeke.

“Mr. Ryo, is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing…”

The moment he said that.

The surrounding landscape lost its color.

And then the world inverted.

“This can’t be… the sealed corridor…”

Ryo muttered.

Then, Ryo heard a voice.

“No way? Or is it? Like… oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Is that really you, Ryo?”

A beautiful woman with great style… but with horns and a thin black tail, came out of nowhere….

That’s right, it was Akuma….

“Leonor…”

Ryo gulped hard when he said that.

“It’s been like a billion years since we met like this! Actually, I have other business to attend to, but I guess it’s out of my hands now that I’ve met you. Yeah, it’s out of my hands, and it’s inevitable, so let’s fight!”

“No, why…”

Akuma Leonor suggested with a ghastly smile, and Ryo questioned with a pained look on his face.

“You’re currently on your way to the western countries, aren’t you, Ryo? It’s pretty messy down there right now just so you know. Who’s to say you’ll make it back in one piece? So if we don’t fight now, when will we?”

“The western countries is a mess…”

“What, you want to know more? Well, I certainly don’t mind telling you?”

“I bet you’re going to suggest I fight you for it if I want to know more…”

“Pretty astute aren’t ya!”

Leonor nodded with a smug look on her face.

Ryo already figured that there was no other way besides fighting her anyway.

That being the case…it would be better to at least extract some information while at it.

“Fine. I’ll fight. But when you’re done, you have to tell me the information about the western countries!”

“Sure, of course! If you’re still alive that is!”

“!”

Indeed, if he dies, he won’t learn a thing….

And so, for the third time, their battle began.

“<Stalagmite Flame Mantle>”

As Akuma Leonor chanted, dozens of stone lances clad in flames appeared around her and were launched.

“<Laminated Ice Wall 10-Layer>”

The thick wall of ice grew thicker and thicker all the way from Ryo to Leonor.

Then the two collided.

With a single blow, more than half of the ice wall disappeared, emitting a glittering light.

“Dammit…”

As expected, Ryo was absolutely stunned by the unexpected situation.

“Kukuku, I came up with it just to deal with those thick ice walls of yours. Be sure to savor it thoroughly.”

Leonor was getting a real kick out of it.

She grinned devilishly and cast a follow-up spell.

“And one more. <Chained Whirlwinds>”

Leonor launched an invisible wind-attribute offensive magic.

Twenty from her right hand, and twenty from her left.

Each took a semicircular trajectory through the boundary of the <Ice Walls>, on a direct course for Ryo.

Throwing an invisible attack into the mix of a deadlock between the ice walls and the flaming stone lances, no one could possibly avoid that.

However, Ryo, at the moment, wasn’t one of those ‘no one’.

That’s because he activated his <Passive Sonar> the minute he was taken into this ‘sealed corridor’ and it was still in operation.

And it could even track invisible attacks.

“<Icicle Lance 64>.”

Thirty-two ice lances were launched from his left hand and thirty-two from his right hand to intercept the forty invisible whirlwinds.

Furthermore, the twenty-four ice lances remaining from the interception were directed straight at Leonor as a counterattack.

Reaching its target.

But there was no feedback.

“The perfect attacking position at times like this is from a blind spot. Up!”

He looked up, and at the same time, Murasame’s blade emerged… Leonor, who had a freakish smile on her face, struck downward with all her weight.

Clang.

“Ughh.”

He managed to receive the strike with Murasame, but the weight bearing down on his sword was terrifyingly heavy.

The wind magic had increased both the weight on the sword and Leonor’s acceleration.

While receiving the blow, Ryo involuntarily fell to his knee.

And Leonor gradually put more weight onto it.

Ryo, kneeling on one knee, supported the sword with both hands and managed to keep the sword in front of his forehead.

(<Icicle Lance>)

The moment Ryo chanted in his mind, an extremely thick ice lance was generated between Ryo and Leonor, and pierced through Leonor’s stomach.

“Ughh…”

It was a super-fast magic generation that exceeded Leonor’s prediction and even her reaction speed.

Leonor, who had been pierced, let out an involuntary yelp and instantly retreated.

After she had pulled back, the wound in her gut had already closed.

“That regeneration is unfair…”

Ryo blurted out.

“That generation speed too is unfair…”

Leonor laughed.

The next moment.

Leonor, who had instantly closed the gap, swung down at him.

Clang.

More sword strikes followed.

Clang, clang, clang….

A barrage of attacks with a sword, which was quite unusual of Leonor.

Speaking of Leonor’s sword style… Ryo had an impression of her overwhelming her opponent with speed and power… or, striking a blow with a surprise attack.

But this….

“A flurry of blows, how unusual…”

“I’ve been training myself for a while just so I could fight you. Just trying to get a measure of my progress.”

Overhead strike, Upward strike, Diagonal slash, Reverse-diagonal slash, Right sweep, Left sweep… and thrust.

Leonor was testing out her swordsmanship.

She was smiling while doing so and seemed to be really enjoying herself.

Of course, if she got even a single blow in, there was a big chance that Ryo would die at that moment….

When skill is combined with a sturdy sword arm, it becomes quite formidable.

Ryo was experiencing that process firsthand….

“How dreadful…”

“So you say, but you’re smiling as you say that.”

“It’s all in your imagination.”

Battle maniacs really… are beyond saving.

Ryo swept Leonor’s strike down with his sword, and without a moment’s pause, executed a reverse-diagonal strike.

Leonor dodged it with a one-legged step that Ryo had never seen before, and then flew far back.

Then she said.

“Hmmm…. The sealed corridor this time is a little short… and don’t think I’ve got much time left. So, how about I show you something special.”

Leonor said, and then chanted confidently.

“<Multiple 7>.”

The moment she chanted, seven ‘more’ of Leonor appeared.

The so-called clones!

“How come…”

Ryo was at a loss for words.

“Kukuku, surprised aren’t ya? I’m using the continuous-dimensional generation phenomenon after all. It’s impossible for you, who can only manipulate the water attribute.”

Leonor smiled proudly.

However….

“My dear silly Leonor, you should be ashamed of your ignorance. <Avatar>.”

Murasame’s sheath glowed just slightly, and Ryo’s clones appeared… seven of them.

“That’s impossible!”

Leonor exclaimed unintentionally.

“Water-attribute magicians of today can easily create one or two clones.”

“Yeah right, like hell they can…”

Leonor was still able to accurately retort to Ryo’s lines even at a time like that.

She’s such a capable Akuma.

All eight of Leonor remained motionless with frustrated looks on their faces.

All eight of Ryo were waiting, poised and alert.

Then, after about twenty seconds, Leonor shook her head.

“Let’s call it quits. The sealed corridor will be broken soon.”

Leonor said, and then she dispelled her seven clones.

Ryo, still not letting up… also dispelled his clones. But still kept Murasame at the ready and at alert.

“But I gotta say you really are fascinating, Ryo. You always exceed my expectations.”

Leonor said and laughed.

“Well, thanks…”

Ryo replied, since he was complimented in a way.

But he had to ask what he needed to know. Since the time limit on the sealed corridor was approaching….

“So…what were you saying about the western countries?”

“Mm, well, just be sure to come back without dying.”

“Wait, what the hell, just advice?”

That’s just too much. Everyone obviously wants to come back safely, so….

“The West is in a bundle of mess right now…. Frankly, I don’t think even you would be safe if you ran into the most awful parts as you are now.”

Akuma Leonor said, shaking her head slightly.

“Then, how about you tell me how to avoid running into that most awful part you were talking about.”

“Oh, that’s easy! Just don’t go that way!”

“Uh, no can do~”

Ryo denied Leonor’s extreme suggestion, shaking his head with a face that says it was totally out of the question.

“Mm~, can’t help you then. Then, you should be careful about this if nothing else. ‘Sacrifice’.”

“Sacrifice…?”

Ryo muttered with a frown at Leonor’s vague advice.

“Lest I forget, there are Akumas like me out there too. And compared to me who just woke up, they must be stronger, so do be careful.”

He heard Leonor’s words sounding a little distant.

“Wait, tell me more about that!”

Ryo exclaimed.

Then the world returned to normal.

With six people around Ryo as before.

And Priest Zeke was staring at Ryo curiously.

“Right, Zeke… uh, it’s nothing.”

Zeke looked somewhat unconvinced by Ryo’s words.