Chapter 84 - Two Who Were Decisively Different
Against Zoack, who held his jet-black sword at the ready, I dashed forward with momentum and swung my sword.
A downward slash utilizing the energy of all the muscles in my body. Zoack evaded by shifting his body to the side. I followed him, my sword tracing an arc as it chased Zoack's neck.
Just as the silver sword was about to bite into Zoack's neck, his arm moved sharply and parried it.
I tried to push through with strength as it was, but Zoack pushed back with force, and while holding his ground, he twisted his expression happily.
"Kukuku, good! I can feel your strong will to kill me and save the woman no matter what!"
It was unbearable and disgusting that Zoack was laughing happily even though we were fighting—moreover, trying to kill each other.
To have a precious person dragged into this and hurt for the opponent's selfish convenience. Just thinking about that caused a hot, magma-like anger to well up from deep within my chest.
"So what!"
In order to strike down the enemy before me, I didn't push in unreasonably but pulled my sword back easily and transitioned to the next attack.
The attack motions were as small as possible, but the sword speed was faster than ever before.
The opponent wasn't clad in tough scales or hide like a monster. With this sword, it would slice through average armor like paper.
Therefore, I didn't need to put any more strength into the attacks; I only needed to release high-speed strikes with minimal movement and deal a fatal wound to the opponent.
I released a series of attacks while staying conscious of a flowing rhythm. I doggedly aimed for Zoack's vital points, such as his wrists, flank, thighs, and neck.
However, Zoack was a pro at interpersonal combat. He accurately understood my aim and parried every single one with the jet-black sword in his hand.
An emotion like elation from the battle could be seen in Zoack's expression, but he was extremely calm when it came to his swordplay.
I made it look like I was aiming for Zoack's arm, then delivered a downward strike that changed trajectory midway.
Zoack defended against it without a hair's breadth of error, though he was slightly delayed.
Having predicted that movement, I easily pulled back the sword I had swung down and released a sharp thrust aimed slightly to the right of the center of Zoack's body.
"Ha!"
While letting out a short shout of spirit, I released the fastest thrust, adding energy from the twisting of my body.
His body stiffened, and the jet-black sword became horizontal to catch my downward strike. Because I was aiming for the axis of his body, it was also difficult for him to dodge by swinging his body.
"...Naive."
When I heard Zoack's low voice, the jet-black sword was moving along the side of the silver sword.
And then, the thrust aimed at Zoack's chest was struck hard from the side.
"Kh!"
Due to Zoack's forceful parry, my stance crumbled slightly.
"This time, I'm going!"
There was no way Zoack would miss my opening. Within my field of vision, I saw a black radiance leaping up toward me. Using half-intuition, I twisted my body to take advantage of my crumbled stance.
Then, in the next moment, something black and cold passed by, gouging a thin layer of skin on my neck.
I heard a sound like the air being sliced open with a 'vwoom' right by my ear.
I felt something warm trickling down from my thinly cut neck.
Deciding that I shouldn't stay in this stance, I retreated as if throwing my body back.
When I quickly stood up and held my sword in a middle guard, Zoack was already pressing in before my eyes.
Zoack's black sword attacked as if it were dancing.
I mobilized all of my experience to evade, parry, and flow away Zoack's feint-mixed attacks. However, Zoack's sword techniques were extremely skillful, and everything—his gaze, arm movements, and pacing—was very refined.
It was the same as the combat method I was conscious of, but it was interpersonal combat technology that was far ahead of mine.
Due to the swordplay from Zoack's maneuvering, my defensive and evasive predictions were thrown off, and he gradually wounded my body.
Of course, I wasn't just defending. I was also putting in counter-strikes to shut down Zoack's attacks, but they wouldn't reach.
My attacks didn't reach Zoack, and Zoack's attacks wounded my body.
"...Take a look at your own body."
Zoack spoke to me as I took some distance. His voice sounded somewhat disappointed, as if he were blaming me.
Perhaps because I was being sliced up by Zoack, the leather armor I wore and the clothes underneath were easily cut, and blood was flowing from various places.
A battle that was the exact opposite of the one two years ago.
Two years ago, my attacks wouldn't have been defended against so cleanly. I could have handled Zoack's attacks with more leeway.
The reason the power relationship had reversed was likely not just because I hadn't trained for over half a year, but largely due to the result of Zoack's own tireless efforts.
I could tell that by watching Zoack manipulate his sword as if it were his own arm.
However, for Zoack, training was a given, and he seemed to lament the current situation that had reversed so much.
"Your attacks don't reach, and my attacks mercilessly carve up your body. If you were still the you from two years ago, it wouldn't have turned out like this. This is the end for you, who spent your time as a villager."
Zoack said with a voice tinged with irritation.
"............"
I certainly felt frustrated by those words, but I didn't regret it.
By coming to this village, interacting with warm people, and spending time with the person I love, I was able to find true happiness.
Therefore, even if I were to be defeated by Zoack and die here, I would not be ashamed of being a villager of Nordende.
I thought so from the bottom of my heart as I looked at Flora, who had fainted from the shock earlier.
Perhaps my appearance didn't sit well with him, as Zoack stared at me with cold eyes.
"...I thought that if I made you feel the difference in our abilities this much, you would be more inspired, but it seems I was wrong. Aldred, it seems you've gone quite soft. Is this also that woman's fault? I know there are many men in the world who drown in women, but to think you would become one of them."
Zoack said that as if spitting it out, and looked at Flora.
It was fine to blame me for retiring as an adventurer. It was frustrating as a fellow swordsman to be made to realize that my skills had dropped, but I could endure it.
"Were you bewitched by her charms? Did you fall for her because she was kind to you when you had lost your purpose? There are enough women of this caliber in the Royal Capital to spit on, aren't there? It's wrong for you to throw away the path of the sword for the sake of a woman like this—"
However, I could not endure having the person precious to me be made a fool of.
I could not forgive insults that defiled Flora's feelings from nine years ago, her life, and even her personality.
"Would it be better to kill that woman to bring you back to how you were?"
On top of that, you'd kill my precious person...?
"Don't mess with me, Zoack!"
When I let out a voice that was surprisingly heavy and cold, my body was already pressing close in front of Zoack.
The burning anger from the beginning had already blown away. The current anger was something surprisingly cold. Without my mind being dominated by a single emotion, I calmly and clearly built up a method to kill Zoack.
Zoack was surprised by my speed and hurriedly held up his jet-black sword.
I didn't care about that and just doggedly clashed swords head-on.
It was a strike with unnecessary strength, not a standard move against a human. It was the way of swinging a sword when facing a tough monster.
Naturally, the motion became large, and Zoack parried it with great ease and evaded with a step.
However, I was not perturbed by that.
I just had to think that the opponent was a nimble, humanoid monster. It was rare for monsters, whose body structures and thought processes were completely different, to move according to one's predictions from the start.
Without panicking at that, I instantly swung my sword at the evading Zoack.
"Wha!?"
A single line ran across the cheek of Zoack, who widened his left eye in shock, and red blood scattered.
If I thought about it calmly, this monster's right eye couldn't see, so he had more blind spots than an ordinary person. I must have been out of my mind earlier for not attacking there.
As long as any creature is alive, there is a soft part somewhere. It is not at all shameful as an adventurer to strike there and defeat a monster.
In short, it was my fault for fighting on the opponent's preferred ground.
I slipped my body smoothly into the place that would be Zoack's blind spot from his right eye.
Naturally, Zoack, who grasped his own weakness, swung his sword in a way that wouldn't let me into his blind spot. A sweep to secure his own range. I didn't flinch at that, but rather jumped in myself to get close. At the last second, I lowered my body and slashed Zoack's right thigh as we passed each other.
"Guh!"
While Zoack let out a faint groan, I touched the ground with one hand and used that momentum to stand up.
At that moment, a dagger thrown from Zoack was approaching, so I lightly swung my sword and parried it away.
Without giving the opponent a rest, I slashed at Zoack again.
I swung my sword in an arc toward his blind spot, the right eye, and from then on, I layered a series of attacks, weaving in several feints to aim for the blind spot.
Was he shaken by my suddenly changed style, which was like fighting a monster? Either way, Zoack was unable to respond to my attacks.
Every time I swung my sword and landed a counter-strike, slash lines were carved into Zoack's body, leaking red blood.
"Ha... Hahaha! What is this! It's completely different from before! Even the fighting style is different from two years ago! This is the fighting style of the A-rank adventurer Aldred! The man who specialized in combat with monsters and even defeated the dragon called a calamity...! This is your true way of fighting!"
While clashing swords, Zoack shouted with a voice that seemed smeared with excitement.
I did not answer him. If I had time to move my mouth, I should swing my sword even a bit faster. I should use that energy for combat.
Just because the opponent spoke, there was no reason to keep him company.
I continued to swing my sword in silence. The silver sword and the jet-black sword, both smeared with each other's blood, clashed, and the high-pitched sound echoed through the forest.
"A clash of one's own skills and experience! Slashing and being slashed by each other! Yes! This is the kind of fight I wanted to have, Aldred!"
Blood was flowing from Zoack's body, but that was likely one of the materials that heightened his excitement and elation. As if enjoying this situation from the bottom of his heart, he slashed at me while showing his white teeth.
Perhaps Zoack also began to understand my combat style and feints, as the number of attacks he took gradually decreased. I also took several slashes, perhaps because I hadn't completely adapted to Zoack's interpersonal combat style.
The battle between one assassin and one former adventurer had, regrettably, become a muddy fight where they slashed each other's bodies and shaved away their lives, just as Zoack had desired.
Even so, Zoack laughed happily. In contrast, I maintained an expression that was cold to the extreme.
""Haa... haa...""
Eventually, the blood dance of the two began to head toward its end.
Perhaps because we had both shed too much blood, our body movements were poor. Our breathing had also become labored.
"Kuhahaha! It's fun! It's fun, Aldred! I've never had such a fun mutual killing before! To think that mutual killing at the same level could be such a comfortable thing!"
"...Who cares about that."
I spat out those words toward the loudly laughing Zoack.
I couldn't understand it at all. For me, fighting was ultimately nothing more than an action for survival, not something I could call a reason for living.
My current reason for living lay in living peacefully with the people I love in this village of Nordende.
Though we were both people who had lived by throwing ourselves into battle, we were decisively different at the fundamental level.
"...The next one is the last."
"...Yeah, just what I wanted."
When I held my sword and spoke as if glaring at him, Zoack also held his jet-black sword and responded.
The sun that had been illuminating us had already tilted, and it was becoming dim and dark due to the shadows of the trees.
The leaves of the trees rustled as if they were buzzing.
Between our glares, a single leaf drifted, and our forms disappeared from each other's sight.
Using that as a signal, we stepped in simultaneously.
The silver blade and the jet-black blade were swung in a slowed-down world.
The strikes released to reap each other's lives—the silver blade reached faster and deeper.
A deep slash line ran across Zoack's chest, and he fell onto his back while a large amount of blood spurted out.
On the flank of me, who looked down at him, was a wound carved by the jet-black blade. Blood oozed out, but it wasn't deep enough to lead to death; however, I couldn't be careless given the amount of blood loss from my entire body...
While twisting my face in pain from the whole body, I headed toward the fallen Zoack.
A staggering amount of blood was spreading around, and Zoack's complexion had become pale. The sword had also fallen from his right hand, and he was lying spread-eagled, looking up at the sky with hollow eyes.
No matter how I looked at it, it was clear he couldn't move, but I didn't let my guard down as I gripped my sword and questioned him.
"...Where is Flora's antidote?"
"...Gah, cough cough... It's in the pouch on my left waist..."
To my concise question, Zoack honestly told me the location of the antidote.
I rummaged through the pouch on his left waist while keeping him in my sight so as not to miss any of Zoack's movements.
Then, there was a small bottle inside, containing a green liquid.
This must be the antidote.
But, however, was this really the antidote to cure Flora?
What if this was poison? What if what Zoack said was a lie? Just thinking about it made a chill run through me.
"...Honestly, don't get flustered over just a light poison. Are you really the man who killed a dragon and defeated me?"
"W-What do you mean?"
"...I told you, didn't I? That woman was just used to make you get serious. There's no way she'll die from the poison circulating. It'll just cause a bit of numbness or lethargy. Even a medicinal herb with detoxifying effects found around here would be enough to cure it."
"W-What?"
I was surprised by the fact Zoack slowly began to tell.
In other words, Flora wasn't going to die from the poison circulating!? In other words, I was just danced around to make me give Zoack the fight he wanted.
That didn't mean Zoack's actions were forgivable, but if that was the truth, it was a bit of an anticlimax for me.
"Hahaha, you really do love that woman. To be so distraught just because she was given a light poison..."
Zoack, who was lying on his back, chuckled as if it were amusing.
It wasn't an excited smile like before, but Zoack's original, natural smile.
While feeling embarrassed at being teased, I took the bottle of antidote and went to check on Flora, who was tied to the tree and unconscious.
Looking closely, Flora's complexion was only slightly bad, and she didn't seem to be that seriously injured. Also, the shoulder where she was slashed by the poisoned dagger was not unnecessarily deep, but felt like the skin was cut to the minimum.
The man named Zoack was not scum or trash like the thugs and criminals found elsewhere. Even when he kidnapped Flora to lure me out, he tried his best not to involve the surrounding villagers, and he didn't plot to kill me by using Flora as a shield.
He also didn't call for companions to attack in a group, nor did he attempt assassination or poisoning.
He just wanted to have a rematch with me at my best, as he had said.
Thinking from that, I felt like I could believe that part of Zoack.
I released Flora, who was tied to the tree, and held her in my arms.
Perhaps her physical condition was starting to crumble due to the poison, as a slight cold sweat was flowing, but her breathing was calm.
"Here, Flora. It's the antidote. Please drink it."
I tried bringing the bottle close while lightly tapping her cheek, but Flora didn't react.
Since I had no choice, I decided to take the antidote into my own mouth and give it to Flora through mouth-to-mouth.
"...Nnh."
When I pressed my lips against hers as if giving a gentle kiss, Flora let out a faint voice.
Perhaps she unconsciously remembered the kiss by our lips meeting, as Flora moved her lips slightly open, so I poured the antidote into her mouth.
Then, Flora swallowed the antidote, albeit slowly.
"Nnh, nnnnh."
Even while letting out a slightly bitter-sounding groan.
I felt relieved that I had made Flora drink the antidote and let out a sigh of relief.
Anyway, I can finally be at ease now.
I looked at Flora, who seemed safe, and relaxed my expression.
Then, after leaning Flora against the tree, I started walking toward where Zoack was lying.
Was it because quite a bit of blood had flowed? Zoack's complexion had turned poor, and a raspy breath was leaking out.
I had known from the state when I slashed him, but he was no longer in a state where he could be saved.
Even if a mage like Kurune were to chant recovery magic, he had lost too much blood.
While Zoack breathed weakly and raspily, he slowly spun his words.
"...Hey, Aldred. Was I strong?"
"...Yeah, among the swordsmen I've fought until now, Zoack was the strongest."
When I answered without any lies, Zoack relaxed his mouth as if satisfied.
"...I see."
Zoack, who left those words looking satisfied, no longer breathed or spoke.
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