Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation

Chapter 171. It’s been a while (4)

“Keok….”

Count Tonius clunched his face with one hand and staggered back.

Who dared?

For a moment, questions outweighed his anger.

It was the first time since he had reached the 7-star level that he had allowed such a powerful blow.

Who on earth could do this to him? The moment he was about to open his eyes and identify his opponent….

Swiik!

With a chilling sensation, he felt a sharp attack flying toward him against the wind.

“Keuk!”

Count Tonius hurriedly threw himself to the side.

There was no technique or anything of the sort.

His body had simply reacted as his survival instinct warned.

Thanks to that, he had lost his dignity but saved his life.

Swish.

The moment he threw his body, a chilling blade passed by, cutting a few strands of his hair, making his hair stand on end.

‘A master.’

He got up and identified the opponent who had attacked him.

There stood the beautiful blonde butler who had just blocked the brat he was about to slice in half.

That butler was looking at him with a displeased expression.

“Tsk.”

April clicked her tongue.

She had intended to finish it quickly, but was a 7-star really a 7-star?

He had dodged the blow aimed at his neck.

‘The Young Master wouldn’t have let this happen.’

In any case, she couldn’t break through here without defeating this enemy.

April raised her sword again and took her stance.

Seeing her, Count Tonius extended his hand and spoke.

“Wait, wait….”

“……”

“You… you…?”

Count Tonius opened his eyes and scanned April from top to bottom.

He only realized it after facing her directly.

This dazzlingly beautiful person was….

“A woman.”

At that voice filled with conviction, April was momentarily dumbfounded.

Was that important in this situation?

April raised her sword again to attack the opponent. But….

“Really?”

It seemed there was one more person for whom this fact was important.

At Matthew’s voice from behind, April let out a sigh.

And Matthew spoke in a trembling voice.

“Ace, are you really a woman?”

To Matthew’s question, April nodded and answered briefly.

“Yes. That’s right.”

It wasn’t something to hide.

It just wasn’t something to reveal on purpose either.

Above all, she couldn’t lie to the Young Master’s friend. But….

‘Why are they making such a fuss over something that’s not even important in this situation?’

April was very displeased.

But it seemed this was very important to some people.

“I thought something was strange.”

“What a relief. A true relief.”

“Of course. There’s no way I’d be attracted to a man.”

“That dream wasn’t strange either.”

“I was normal.”

“I was normal too.”

Why was a sense of camaraderie forming between these two in this situation? Why?

“……”

Just a few seconds ago, one was about to slice the other in half. But….

“A relief. Thank goodness.”

“Haaa…. Now I don’t need counseling anymore. No wonder it wasn’t effective.”

Count Tonius, nodding in understanding, and Matthew, placing a hand on his chest in great relief.

Looking at the two of them, April thought.

‘Should I just cut them both down?’

Just then, Count Tonius, who had recovered some of his damage, spoke.

“Yes. A woman….”

“……”

“Good. Very good.”

“……”

“Just in case, I’ll make a proposal. Are you willing to become mine obediently?”

“No.”

To the answer that came without a second’s hesitation, Count Tonius said with a sly smile.

“This is a proposal made in high regard for your beauty and skill.”

“I don’t need it.”

“If you wish it, you could become the Countess of the Kaisar Kingdom.”

“Are those your last words?”

April raised her sword again. Count Tonius also raised his sword and said.

“You seem confident in your skills. Well, you have reason to be.”

“……”

“But….”

Kaaang!

A blow flew like a flash of light without any warning.

Count Tonius hurriedly blocked it. However, he couldn’t completely offset the impact of the attack and had to take an unsightly step back, staggering greatly.

“This… this wench.”

To Count Tonius, whose face had turned red with shame, April pointed her sword and said.

“You. You talk too much.”

“Ha… hahaha….”

“Just die quickly.”

At April’s words, Count Tonius’ hollow laughter abruptly stopped.

And then, with a chilling expression on his face, he said.

“I’ll teach you some manners!”

“Bring it on.”

And so, Count Tonius and April began to fight in earnest.

Swiiik!

First, she slashed.

The opponent dodged.

Then she slashed again and thrust.

The opponent completely shifted position with agile footwork.

Then she too had to move to avoid having her blind spot taken, and the opponent also moved quickly in response.

Countless slashes were swung towards the pursuing opponent.

The opponent dodged between them with disciplined movements, closing the distance, and the moment their distances overlapped, dozens of sword gleams filled the space between them.

Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swik!

The exchange between the two, which started with simple attacks, gradually became sharper and more complex.

Yet, the instances where their swords clashed were few and far between.

This was quite unusual.

Usually, when masters who wielded aura clashed, the resounding roar of exploding aura would echo.

But the clash between April and Count Tonius was different.

The sound of a thin switch cutting through the air.

The sound of a short thrust bursting the air at its peak.

And the sound of footsteps, constantly moving without rest.

Such sounds were exchanged between the two.

“Is that what happens when two of the same type meet?”

“I guess so. It’s my first time seeing something like this….”

Isabella and Matthew were also watching the exchange between the two with mesmerized eyes at this moment.

They had never seen such an exchange of extreme speed and skill, not even from Patrick’s sword.

A fierce competition of speed against speed.

In that extremely dangerous space where the slightest misstep would lead to immediate death, their swords relentlessly cut through the air.

In the process, there was not a single instance of a head-on clash of strength.

There were times when their swords grazed each other, but even that was perhaps only once in ten exchanges.

Most of the attacks were sharp strikes that precisely aimed for the opponent’s openings and vital points.

The two didn’t block those attacks; they dodged them all while aiming for and creating openings in the enemy.

This was a phenomenon that occurred because both were the type of fighters who prioritized the speed of their sword and their steps.

In April’s case….

[No matter how talented you are, as a woman, there’s a limit to your physical strength. You should prioritize deflecting and dodging over blocking head-on.]

She faithfully followed Patrick’s teaching.

Of course, if she used her aura to its fullest, she could win a battle of strength.

However, she could only win against those weaker than herself in that manner.

A swordsman should always train assuming an opponent of equal or greater strength.

As a result, she ended up fighting in this style.

And the same went for Count Martin Tonius.

He was also a type of swordsman who sought victory through the speed of his sword and swift movements.

Usually, the standard equipment for a swordsman in this world was a sword and a shield.

A sword in one hand, a shield in the other.

Of course, there were cases where the shield was abandoned to use a massive two-handed sword or a bastard sword, but that was a minority.

The common standard equipment for a general knight was a sword and shield.

That was the most common.

However, Count Martin Tonius did not use a massive greatsword; he used a standard-sized longsword and had given up the shield.

He also didn’t wear full plate mail.

All of this was to maximize his speed.

His style was to give up on blocking the opponent’s attacks, dodging solely with his steps, and countering with sharp, swift swordplay.

Both were swordsmen who pursued swift swordplay, emphasizing speed.

The result was this.

Swiiik! Spat!

A sharp slash cut through the empty air.

The attacks grazed hair and cut through clothes, but they could not land a fatal blow.

The dazzling exchange between the two became increasingly complex, to the point where it was difficult for those watching from a distance to properly discern.

All that could be seen were the afterimages of the swords filling the air and the two figures moving dazzlingly within.

The one who first broke that tense balance was….

“Tch!”

It was Count Tonius.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance and swung his sword wide and strong. Then…

Kwaaaaaang!

It was a big attack not to hit the enemy, but to break the flow of the exchange.

April received it by crossing her two swords.

Then, Count Tonius widened the distance and stared at April.

He had unleashed a barrage of attacks that an ordinary knight wouldn’t have been able to withstand for even five exchanges, for over a hundred exchanges, but his opponent’s breathing was not even disturbed.

“It seems….”

“……”

“It will be difficult to capture you with all your limbs intact.”

Kwachang!

As he spoke, a clear sword of light formed on his longsword.

The Aura Blade.

The brilliant sword of light that symbolized a 7-star.

Aiming it, he spoke to April.

“It’s fine. For someone like you, I can still dote on you even if you’re missing a limb or two. So please, just don’t die.”

Count Tonius said, licking his lips.

At his appearance, Matthew gritted his teeth.

‘That’s impossible.’

He knew April was strong.

Just by seeing her fight on par with the infamous Bloody Martin until now, he could tell how formidable his… no, her skills were.

But it was no use.

The reason the 7-star level was called the supreme realm was precisely that sword of light called the Aura Blade.

Because of its existence, which cut through the aura of a 6-star like butter, those in lower realms couldn’t even establish a proper exchange, no matter how skilled their swordsmanship.

From here on, the outcome of the fight was obvious.

“Damn it….”

Matthew gritted his teeth and stepped forward. Then April spoke.

“Lord Matthew?”

“……”

“What are you doing now?”

“Let’s fight together.”

“Pardon?”

“You can’t do it alone.”

Matthew knew as well.

Even if he joined in, he wouldn’t be of much help.

But if he could draw the opponent’s attention for even a single strike, April might be able to exploit that opening and do something.

It was a hope with a slim chance, but he couldn’t just stand here and shamefully save his own skin.

That was not the image of the knight he aimed to be.

And it seemed Isabella had a similar thought.

“I’ll join too.”

She also stood in front of April and drew her sword.

Seeing this, a cruel smile spread across Count Tonius’ lips.

“Hehehe…. The puppies don’t know their place.”

From his perspective, it was just one fairly fierce wolf joined by two puppies.

From the standpoint of a tiger that had seriously bared its claws, this couldn’t possibly be a threat.

It was just annoying that capturing Princess Isabella would become more difficult.

Just then….

“Hooo….”

April let out a small sigh, then pushed Matthew and Isabella aside and stepped forward again.

And she said to the two of them.

“It’s alright, so please step back.”

“Ace!”

“April!”

Despite their calls, April calmly stepped forward and said.

“Please don’t mention this anywhere.”

“Huh?”

“What does that….”

Kwaching!

At that moment, Matthew’s and Isabella’s jaws dropped.

From the two swords April held in her hands, clear Aura Blades were generated.

Moreover, they were larger and clearer Aura Blades than the one formed on Count Tonius’ sword.

“Uh… uh uh….”

“You were a 7-star…?”

Matthew and Isabella were at a loss for words.

And April stepped forward and let out a small sigh.

‘It seems I can’t do it like the Young Master.’

She had tried to fight without the Aura Blade to hide her level if possible.

That was why she had only used about half of her full speed and power.

It seemed her skills were not yet enough to take down a 7-star knight without an Aura Blade.

So, revealing her level was unavoidable.

She cleared her head, aimed her sword at Count Tonius, and said.

“There’s no time….”

“……”

“I’m coming for real.”

As April decided to reveal her true skills, a cold chill and killing intent emanated from her body, calm yet eerie.

Then, the stunned Count Tonius hurriedly shouted.

“W… wait!”

Count Tonius hurriedly tried to say something, but April’s sword cut through the air without hesitation.

Her Aura Blade flew in a perfect half-moon trajectory.

The attack, chillingly clean and without a single wasted motion, was beautiful enough to mesmerize onlookers.

Count Tonius quickly moved back, trying to get out of the attack’s range.

But….

‘If I dodge, I’ll be too late.’

The moment he realized that, Count Tonius swung his longsword with all his might, desperately.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

Had he ever swung his sword so desperately?

His sword, enhanced by the survival instinct to escape the threat of death, reacted at its maximum speed, surpassing his own limits.

Kwaaang!

With a terrifying sound of tearing air, the Aura Blade and the Aura Blade clashed.

Count Tonius had managed to block April’s attack.

April’s Aura Blade grazed Count Tonius’ neck by a hair’s breadth, but it was not a fatal wound.

“I… I’m alive.”

A single word that slipped out of his mouth unknowingly.

It was the true feeling of Count Tonius, who had just barely survived after facing death. But….

Hwiririk!

In that instant, April’s body spun in the opposite direction.

One of her swords was still in contact with Count Tonius’ sword.

She had let go of that sword and reverse-spun.

Following the direction of that reverse spin, a small, sharp flash of light, like a thin crack, drew a full-moon trajectory.

It was larger and faster than the previous half-moon.

So fast that even Count Tonius couldn’t see it.

Swish!

Right after the clean full-moon trajectory ended.

April lightly caught her sword, which hadn’t even hit the ground yet, retrieved it, and widened the distance.

“Ugh…. Ughh….”

Count Tonius brought his hand to his neck.

And when he checked his hand, it was stained with blood that was slowly seeping out.

“Heh… hehehehe….”

So, it ended like this after all.

He had thought about his own end many times.

But he never thought it would be here and now.

He forced himself to speak.

“This… technique is…?”

“Two Moon.”

Among the dual sword techniques she learned from Patrick, this was her original technique that she had honed and created herself.

A full-moon slash that immediately followed a half-moon slash with a reverse spin.

The first attack was threatening, but the second attack that followed was twice as fast and sharp.

It was the technique April was personally most confident in, and so far, the only one who had ever blocked it was Patrick.

“A terrifyingly… beautiful technique….”

Count Tonius couldn’t finish his words.

Because as blood spurted from his neck, his head fell to the ground.

Count Martin Tonius.

It was the death of the man known as Bloody Martin, who had spread terror.