TGSA 57

Chapter 57

Racing Through the Darkness (2)

A night of driving rain and wind.

The ones sent to kill the assistant professors and trainees at the Academy were assassins from the Blood Blade Elders.

The Blood Blade Elders trace their origins back to an assassin organization from a long-destroyed Western kingdom.

Today, they operate as a contract assassin group across the continent.

This time, they had received a contract to eliminate the Academy’s assistant professors and trainees.

Who commissioned it is unknown. The executives of the Blood Blade Elders might know, but low-level assassins on the ground would not be informed—likely as a precaution in case they failed and were captured.

“Of course, even if they were tortured, assassins of the Blood Blade Elders wouldn’t spill any information.”

Rashion, the leader of this operation, moved through the forest deep in thought.

All the assassins deployed today had received proper training.

Rashion, and the other eleven members, would take their own lives on the spot if they were captured.

“The targets are two assistant professors at the Graduate Intermediate level and two students with Graduate Beginner-level skills…”

Generally, assassins do not fear targets with higher levels.

Assassination relies on surprise. If the ambush succeeds, even a superior swordsman can be taken down.

“They’ve just finished a battle with orcs and are tired, and tonight there’s thunder, lightning, and heavy rain… the ambush can succeed.”

Twelve people, including Rashion, would be enough.

Even if the targets woke and tried to fight back, they could be dealt with.

With that in mind, Rashion continued moving, hidden among the bushes.

“A good night for moving stealthily, but the problem is I have no idea about the others’ situations.”

Signals to share information like usual were impossible.

Still, it seemed the targets had made no movements, so there was little to worry about.

“One student is sitting by the campfire on guard… they haven’t noticed anything.”

Boom!

Thunder roared again.

Mixed in with it, Rashion thought he heard an unusual sound… or maybe it was just his imagination.

“Did you hear that too?”

He turned to signal a subordinate following at a short distance.

But immediately, Rashion felt something was wrong.

He couldn’t see his subordinate.

“Where did they go? Did they fall behind?”

Just as he was about to check his surroundings, a faint sound reached his ears.

“Ugh…”

Hard to hear over the storm, but it was unmistakable.

A dying scream had been uttered.

“…!”

He turned toward the direction of the scream.

And… he saw a flash of steel in the bushes.

“Damn…!”

He had intended to ambush using the storm, but instead, the storm had been used against him.

Realizing this, Rashion dashed out, dagger in hand.

“That makes eight.”

After taking down the eighth assassin, I wiped the rain from my face.

Using Atillion Magic Detection, I could accurately pinpoint their positions even in the stormy darkness.

“As expected of Atillion Magic Detection.”

The assassins had no idea such an ability existed.

Atillion Magic Detection was not taught at the Academy and could only be learned secretly within a particular southern swordsmanship school.

Even seasoned assassins stood no chance.

“Then, the next target is…”

Releasing my magic again, I tried to locate the next target.

I sensed magic rapidly approaching from this direction.

“They noticed me!”

I assumed a defensive stance with Partizan Judgment Swordsmanship.

If the opponent used Sabah Assassination Swordsmanship, Partizan Judgment Swordsmanship could counter it.

“These must be Blood Blade Elders, so they’ll use Sabah Assassination Swordsmanship.”

Whoosh!

A dagger shot out from the darkness.

The distinct black aura of Sabah Assassination Swordsmanship was visible.

“Sabah Assassination Swordsmanship is an assassination style using a dagger… it’s a highly irregular Western sword technique.”

It’s not compatible with the more orthodox Eastern sword styles.

But Partizan Judgment Swordsmanship was different.

It was a formal sword style once used by the Paladin Order, who had targeted the Blood Blade Elders in the past.

“So it includes ways to counter assassination techniques.”

Clang!

The dagger slicing through the darkness was deflected by my sword aura.

The assassin’s dagger, now blocked, deviated along an irregular path, and I could sense his surprise.

“But he’s far more skilled than the others.”

I could tell from the impact alone.

Although the short dagger prevented a direct comparison, his aura was at the level of Claude or Mateus.

“This one… is Graduate Intermediate.”

Then I could also tell who he was.

It must be Rashion of the Blood Blade Elders.

His face was masked, but his build and fighting style matched the description I had written in my novel.

“…!”

Rashion attacked again, wielding daggers in both hands.

If this were the Rashion from my story, he would use a combo: two strikes from the left, three from the right.

“Exactly as expected.”

Clash, clash!

I perfectly blocked the five successive strikes with Partizan Judgment Swordsmanship.

Rashion didn’t speak, but I could see he was inwardly unsettled.

“Good thing I described this battle in detail in my novel.”

I launched a counterattack immediately.

Observing Rashion’s moves, I executed an offensive technique of Partizan Judgment Swordsmanship.

“Hmm…!”

But my attack only cut through empty air.

Rashion moved quickly, evading perfectly, and countered again.

Perhaps conscious of his previous failed strike, he pressed with irregular tempo attacks.

“Still, he’s not an easy opponent.”

I clicked my tongue.

He was Graduate Intermediate.

And a professional assassin seriously trying to kill me.

Not like Mateus and the others, who hadn’t fought at full strength.

“I should have eliminated him with an ambush.”

Swish!

Rashion’s dagger grazed my sleeve.

The sword aura shredded the cloth.

If it had gone slightly deeper, my arm would have been torn.

“But even if my attack penetrates deeper, I can’t injure Rashion.”

My blade had already shredded much of Rashion’s clothing.

Yet he likely hadn’t bled at all.

Graduate Intermediate magic deployed a protective barrier.

“Light attacks won’t pierce a Graduate Intermediate’s barrier.”

I needed to deliver a heavy strike using Balahail Swordsmanship combined with Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship.

But Balahail Swordsmanship was not fast.

Would a faster assassin let me execute my technique?

“No… I can’t use Balahail Swordsmanship.”

If I were a Graduate Intermediate with barrier capabilities, it might have worked.

But if Rashion intercepted a heavy Balahail strike before I could activate my barrier… I’d be fatally wounded.

“So there’s only one way.”

Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship.

A technique still being developed by Yols Kalesius for the students, incomplete…

Eventually destined to be a supreme swordsmanship capable of defeating the strongest foes.

I had to evolve it with my own hands.

If I failed now, I couldn’t defeat Rashion.

“I’ve got a feel for it now.”

I had used this technique against higher-level opponents before: Annerize, Heinrich, Carlyle, Mateus, the Orc Champion, the Orc Tyrant… all impossible without Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship.

Through these battles, I had become accustomed to it and could aim for the next level.

Especially when defeating the Orc Tyrant, I felt I had reached the threshold.

“So I have to open that door now.”

The opponent was a fast Graduate Intermediate.

The barrier blocked ordinary attacks, and I couldn’t deliver a heavy enough strike.

Moreover, I was exhausted from continuous combat.

“At my most desperate…”

And I understood.

A deep truth of this world.

A swordsman, pushed to the brink of life and death, grows most dramatically.

“…”

Minor wounds kept accumulating.

Perhaps now accustomed to me, Rashion pressed a vigorous offense.

If this continued, gaps would appear in my defense, and I could suffer serious injury.

Knowing that, I gritted my teeth.

“Completing Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship was meant to be Akandel’s task.”

Yols himself had died before perfecting it.

Akandel had completed it as a supreme sword technique.

But Akandel was not here.

So I had to do it.

“I… Ernas Lanzstein… must do it.”

A sensation as if all the blood veins in my body opened wide.

Nothing should be blocked. No inefficiency allowed.

Convert the maximally harnessed magic into sword aura.

“It cannot be ordinary sword aura. It must be… lightning-blue sword aura.”

Crackle, crackle.

Sparks truly flew from the blade.

They were produced by magic circulating at extreme speed along the blade.

“Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship’s sword aura… circulates magic at extreme speed along the blade.”

It looks like blue lightning, but no actual lightning is produced.

The rapidly oscillating magic along the blade only appears as lightning.

What happens if I use it in an attack?

[Understanding of Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship (C Rank) has reached a certain level.]

[Permanent binding of Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship (C Rank) is in progress with growth.]

The message appeared in my mind.

Through the storm, Rashion’s dagger whistled past my ear.

The sword aura shredded my earlobe, blood bursting out.

I didn’t care at all.

I was in a state of total focus.

Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship, Form 1…

Rashion’s next attack was underway.

It didn’t matter.

My strike would be faster than his.

“Falling Thunder.”

Faster than anyone.

Stronger than anyone.

Blue lightning surged into Rashion’s chest.

[Permanent binding of Kalesius Spear-Thunder Swordsmanship (B Rank) has been completed.]

The concise message confirmed I had taken a step closer to mastering the supreme sword technique.