LS – Chapter 318: As such, I continue being

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No matter how many times I see that figure of his, my evaluation of him as a knight is that Murshto is on the same level of power as Ekdoik. 

Ekdoik would be above him when it comes to the skills… 

But this man in front of my eyes has defeated Wolfe and got all the way here. 

I can’t see anything resembling a wound at a glance. 

Also, on the night Toppara died, I felt faint fear when seeing the sight of Murshto bathed in the blood of others. 

It is similar to the times when I sparred seriously with the knights of Taizu. 

Even when I can catch them off-guard with pure physical capabilities, they still have the determination to pull out a victory. 

Lord Ragudo said this was the strength of their resolve. 

That the victory is heavily determined by how much of your everything you can put in that emotion brought upon by the moment. 

“There’s no need to hesitate at all. I will break him after killing you. No petty tricks. Let’s do this without any noise.” (Murshto)

“…I see.” (Ilias)

“But I would like you to move a bit away, I guess? Close to the wall if possible. You as well, Hilmera-sama. You wouldn’t want to be killed by your subordinate being sent flying, right?” (Murshto)

Princess Hilmera and him take distance with those words.

He moved close to the entrance as he looked at Murshto with those eyes. 

“Ilias, there’s no lies in the words of Murshto. Hilmera also has no intention of moving. You don’t have to look at me. Please concentrate only on fighting.” 

“…Got it.” (Ilias)

The faint worry I had remaining was cleared up completely by his words. 

I had my senses run through my whole body together with an inhale, and ready my sword.

“Now then…here I come!” (Murshto)

“—!” 

Murshto, who was far away, closed the distance in an instant, and I took on the sword he swung at me using my own sword. 

But I couldn’t kill all the momentum, so my body was flung to the back. 

I staggered a few steps while fixing my posture. 

My arms felt numb just from one exchange. 

That speed just now was as fast if not faster than Lord Ragudo. There’s no doubt the pressure of his sword is above mine…! 

“Haha, impressive, impressive!” (Murshto)

I take on the thrusts that follow up. 

I let the impact escape to my feet and repel Murshto. 

I can deal with his rush with my swordsmanship if I know the attack that’s coming. 

“Yup, there were a good amount of times someone struck back or evaded, but this is the first time someone has stopped it straight on! Are you really human?” (Murshto)

“Obviously.” (Ilias)

The super acceleration of Murshto is not magic but mana strengthening. 

An attack made possible by strengthening to a degree that a normal person wouldn’t be able to endure. 

Super acceleration from a relaxed position. 

You would need to lower the mana strengthening protecting your own body in order to take advantage of the speed to its maximum, because both forces could repel each other. 

“Then, how about this?” (Murshto)

Murshto dashes. 

This time he didn’t just jump in blindly. He is jumping around in the surroundings to confuse me. 

He is continuously utilizing high speed movement, and yet, I don’t feel traces of him using magic to heal his body. 

It is a technique that should be impossible with his physique. 

It is a technique that’s finally possible after you reach the level of Lord Ragudo who has trained to the point of his body being like metal. 

I can only think that he has transcendent talent like Wolfe. Something as an Illegitimate is making it possible for Murshto to pull off a technique outside the realms of common sense. 

“—Fuuh!” 

It is impossible to take on the attacks coming from all directions head-on. 

In that case, I will switch to a deflecting stance. 

I clash my sword with his thrusts once, twice, thrice…and shift his trajectory with my body.

My body surely won’t come out fine if I were to get even one direct hit from his attacks. 

I expunge the impatience that’s being caused by my heart that’s trying to deal with this calmly, and search for a path to counter. 

His physical strength is abnormal, but I don’t feel the mastery of the sword on him. 

Lord Ragudo can unleash a variety of sword techniques even within that speed, but he can only stab. 

He is dependent on the fighting style that makes best use of his talent. 

In that case, my sword will reach if I take advantage of this! 

(—Now!) (Ilias)

The moment I deflect the thrust, I turn the direction of the ground in that direction with brute force. 

Murshto had jumped in in a straight line, so with the angle of his footing changing greatly, he was smashed onto the ground with his own speed. 

He is making a surprised face, but the determination in his eyes has not been shaken at all. 

But he can’t move properly right after his body was smashed. 

If I am going to pursue an attack, it should be now—! 

“?!” 

I step in in one go, close the distance, and unleash a thrust onto the head of Murshto. 

Murshto couldn’t evade and got hit directly, and was sent flying all the way to the wall at the back.

I was shocked. 

My thrust sent Murshto flying.

That’s right, flying. 

The sensation I should have had remaining in my arm should be that of piercing meat and breaking bones, and yet, the only sensation I have left on my arms is that of sending a sturdy gem flying. 

“…You really are strong.” (Murshto)

Murshto got up after being smashed onto the wall as if nothing happened. 

His chest armor is damaged, but that’s all.

There’s a little bit of blood at the tip of my sword, but I can tell it was just from cutting a thin layer of skin. 

If the other party were holding back or if their magic strengthening were lacking, I could have done something similar, but I didn’t hold back at all just now. 

It was an attack I unleashed with the intention to kill him for certain. 

I could tell cold sweat was flowing down my back. 

Can an attack with my full strength really cut the body of this man? 

“You were blessed with such qualities and have that much technique, and yet, you don’t get conceited at all. But I don’t think I would lose to you. Why do you think that is?” (Murshto)

Murshto dashed towards me. 

But that speed was far slower than what he has shown until now. 

An extremely telegraphed attack as if he is telling me to take it on. 

No matter how hardened his body is with mana strengthening, there won’t be strength without speed. 

I take on the attack of Murshto.

“Guh!” 

That attack was far weaker than the super fast tackle he did. But the impact was far stronger than I imagined. 

There have been several instances where I would be able to tell the feelings of the other party when I clash swords with them. 

But this is the first time I have taken on an attack with this much emotion. 

Am I being pushed back by the feelings put in his sword rather than the pressure of it? 

“I would lay down my life for his sake. You must think so too. You and I are equals in that front. But you see…there’s a difference.” (Murshto)

“A…difference?!” (Ilias)

“I will die today at this very place. I will definitely die no matter the result. I am standing here having accepted that fate.” (Murshto)

I was being pushed back by the time I noticed. 

Even when I am putting all of my strength and am utilizing my experience and technique to its best, the difference is cornering me steadily. 

“I am a knight. It is a matter of course that I would be prepared for death!” (Ilias)

“Can you end everything here? Can you throw away everything? Can you really say you don’t have an ideal future you wish for together with him?” (Murshto)

“!” 

I pulled away my body, deflected the sword of Murshto, and swung down my sword at his crumbled posture. 

Murshto didn’t try to avoid this and my sword went straight to his neck…

“…No way.” (Ilias)

My sword stopped at the neck of Murshto. 

There’s faint blood flowing down from the point of contact, but it is not going in at all from there on.

The meat is stopping me no matter how much I push.

“…Shaken.” (Murshto)

“Gah?!” (Ilias)

I felt an intense impact from my head right after Murshto spun his body.

It was as if I was hit with a rock. 

I had my eyes on his sword the whole time though. This is…a kick?! 

A follow up attack is coming. It would be bad to take more attacks like this! 

The moment I took a few steps back to recover, his sword approached me from the front. 

I can easily block it if I know it is comi—?! 

“There’s no need to feel ashamed. A youth dreaming is not a weakness. It is a necessary drive to live after all.” (Murshto)

The sword I took on was as light as a feather. 

In the first place, the sword I took on was something he threw—! 

“Kuh!” 

I read the next attack he would do by judging from his actions. 

He grabbed both of my shoulders, and bent his upper body back greatly. 

I judged that it would be impossible to avoid this, so I faced that headbutt head on in desperation. 

Both of our heads collided, making a dull sound, and snapped back. 

But my posture was better, so I recovered slightly faster. 

I should follow up—

“—Kahah!” 

I couldn’t breathe and coughed. 

It wasn’t only oxygen that came out, blood came out as well. 

I felt danger, so I took distance in one go.

Murshto fell backwards from the impact of the headbutt. He was in the middle of slowly getting up. 

My eyes were directed at both of his hands. His blood stained fingers. 

He dug his fingers into my throat when he headbutted me, and tore at it using the impact. 

I use the bare minimum healing magic so that I can breathe. 

My vision is faintly red. Looks like my forehead is bleeding. 

“Ahaha, you are awfully adept at dirty fights too, Taizu Knight-sama.” (Murshto)

Murshto got up and picked up his sword. 

It seems like there’s blood flowing out from his forehead too, but it has already stopped. 

It is not healing magic. It looks like he stopped the bleeding purely with mana strengthening. 

Murshto licked the blood from his forehead that flowed down to his lips and smiled. 

Is that him showing leeway or…

“But your heart is still shaken. All that’s left for me is to wrench it open even further. For example; like this…” (Murshto)

Murshto dashed in at high speed once again. 

If it is a tackle from the front with no hesitation, I shall take it—?! 

My body was bewildered at the moment of impact. 

I was dumbstruck by the sight in front of my eyes. 

Murshto came at me with such speed, and yet, he stopped cleanly right in front of me. 

“See? Shaken again.” (Murshto)

“—!” 

I avoided the sword he stabbed at me with, but I ended up getting hit by the tackle of Murshto at full speed. 

I got hit with an impact that felt as if it would tear my whole body apart, and I was smashed onto the wall without being able to tell between up and down. 

This is bad. 

That just now was seriously bad. 

It may not have been fatal, but I got hit in full. 

It will take a few seconds for my body to function again. If he were to follow up with an attack at this time, I won’t be able to…! 

“…?” 

The functions of my body returned without any follow up attacks. 

I get up in one go and check the current situation. 

Bruises in my whole body, dented in a few spots, 10 more seconds needed to recover my balance; I can still fight without issues. 

As for Murshto…he is sitting on the ground powerlessly. No, not sitting, but collapsed. 

Both of the legs of Murshto were bent in the wrong directions, and I could even see bone that tore through the flesh. 

He forcefully poured energy into that high speed tackle of his with pure force. 

I would have an easier time trying to imagine the original shape. 

“You are sturdy. It is also unfair that you can even use healing magic. Well, magic that can’t be activated if you are not peculiar with the shape was not something that piqued my interest one bit though.” (Murshto)

“…You won’t be able to stand up anymore with those legs.” (Ilias)

“You are not the one to decide that.” (Murshto)

Murshto returned both of his broken legs to its straight state as if they were bent wires. 

It should be excruciatingly painful without using magic, to the point of fainting, but he did that unconcerned, without changing his expression at all. 

No, there’s no way that’s possible. 

The bone broke, the meat cut, and even the muscles should have been torn. 

It doesn’t matter just how much determination you have, you can’t just will your body into recovery…

“…!” 

“I will continue being as long as I have the resolve. This is my last stand. There’s no need to leave anything behind. Now, I won’t hold anything back. Let’s continue.” (Murshto)

The resolve residing in those eyes was unfaltering. 

Murshto grabbed his sword and showed the same stance he had in the beginning. 

—

Author: Ilias may be having a hard time, but she managed to stop and deflect the super armor tackle of Murshto, who is in the realm of the hero, so she is pretty abnormal herself. 

Haakudoku would have had his head blown off with the headbutt. 

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