Adelaide von Lennart.
The lioness with golden hair and violet eyes thought to herself.
What would my past self think if I told her about the future?
The youngest lady of the Friedel domain.
A naive, innocent girl, coddled and loved by her family, doted on and cherished by the people of her land.
She had been shielded from all the worldâs malice and hardships, and so, when that shield was lost, she was nothing but a helpless child swept away by the storm.
What if she could tell that girlâthe one who, far from protecting the domain in her familyâs stead, couldnât even defeat a band of mere bandits and was captured and sold into slavery?
What if she told her that she would one day embark on an adventure spanning the entire continent, that she would avenge the tragedy that befell her family, and that she would become the head not just of the Friedel domain, but of the Lennart family itself?
Would the girl she once was ever believe it?
ââ¦Thereâs no way she would.â
A bitter smile touched Adelaideâs lips.
Even now, after having experienced it all firsthand, there were times when it felt unreal. There was no way her past self would believe it.
The journey she had undertaken was that extraordinary. The adventure, which had lasted less than two years, was more intense than her entire life before it combined.
The power she now wielded and the reputation she now held were worlds apart from her past, but Adelaide didn't consider it her own achievement alone.
Sheâd had the scarecrow by her side, offering gentle yet wise advice. Sheâd had the aid of the witch, who, despite her cold demeanor, was soft on her allies. And above all⦠sheâd had the Tin Knight, who was so cheerful, so confident, and so utterly reliable.
Step. Step.
Walking through the emerald palace, Adelaide swung her sword.
Unlike Sophia, who had infiltrated the core of the palace from the air, Adelaide had entered boldly through the main gate. As a result, countless soldiers now stood in her way.
Without any sense of urgency, Adelaide walked on calmly, cutting them down as she went.
She moved as if on a leisurely stroll, never breaking her stride, never changing her direction.
The bodies of the emerald soldiers, which could withstand even a decent sword aura, were sliced apart by sword strikes that seemed to carry no particular force. The sight was almost surreal.
She wasn't merely taking her time.
She knew there was a time limit.
Rather, this was a preparatory process to seize a faster, more certain victory.
She honed her senses, analyzed the nature of her holy power, and circulated mana through every corner of her body, tuning herself for the fight to come.
A battle where defeat was not an option awaited her.
No, more than that, it was a battle she had to win, no matter what.
It was a duty she bore as one who carried the Lennart name, a sense of compassion as a human who lamented an old tragedy, and a test not to follow in the footsteps of the master she admired, but to walk beside him as an equal.
After breaking through all who stood in her way, she reached the heart of the palace.
The vast space was, for that reason, utterly silent.
There were no decorations to adorn the interior, no warmth to welcome a visitor.
Around the emerald throne were numerous chains, poised as if ready to bind whoever sat upon it at a moment's notice.
Thatâs right.
This place was less a throne room and more a prison.
And at the center of that prison stood the Black-Red Angel.
She paid no mind to the throne that stood right there, her gaze fixed vacantly on the empty air.
Armor of mixed metal and leather. Ornaments and emblems modeled after bears and tigers. An emerald greatsword so massive an ordinary person couldn't even lift it, let alone wield it.
Her face was hidden by a helmet, but the aura Kalida exuded was something that could make any personâno, any living creatureâinstinctively shrink back.
It was like a prey animal that, upon seeing a sleeping predator, would automatically cower and watch with bated breath.
âThis is the first time weâve been properly introduced. My name is Adelaide von Lennart.â
But Adelaide ignored the oppressive atmosphere and spoke to Kalida.
Kalida did not answer.
It was doubtful she was even aware of Adelaideâs presence.
Still, Adelaide continued.
âAs the head of the Lennart family, and as a warrior who has inherited the sword of my ancestors, I will tell you this. Lord Geisel did not betray you.â
Srrk.
Kalidaâs head turned to the side.
She still uttered no words, but her aura turned menacing, as if threatening to crush Adelaide if she uttered another word.
âThe heavenly realm drove a wedge between you and Lord Geisel. They whispered lies to you and recalled you to their side. And Lord Geisel, for hundreds of years, his soul alone endured agony, trying to reach you. He wanted to clear the misunderstanding. Though his plan ended in failure⦠he still tried his best for you until the very end.â
A suffocating silence descended.
A moment later, a metallic clatter broke the stillness, echoing through the hall.
The crimson-black armor shuddered.
Each component of the armor rattled against the others, creating an ominous dissonance.
It was the sound of laughter.
It was the sound of weeping.
Kalida was sobbing and laughing at the same time.
Scattering a sinister, precarious, and pitiful resentment, the crimson-black monster roared.
ââââ â â â â â â â â â ! ! ! !â
She gripped her sword and swung with all her might.
That simple action from Kalida produced a result of pure, unadulterated destruction.
KWWAAAAAAAANG!!
The ground split in two.
The walls that had been in the path of her greatswordâs swing vanished as if erased.
It was an overwhelming strike befitting a transcendent being, leaving no room to even think of defending.
But the one who received that attack, Adelaide, was also far from an ordinary warrior.
Moving out of the attackâs trajectory, Adelaide assumed a combat stance and declared to Kalida.
âIâm not good with words, so I canât offer you any comfort. I donât know how to turn back time, so I canât undo this tragedy.â
Her sword pointed down to her right.
Her left foot forward, her right foot back.
She drew the muscles of her body taut, like pulling the string of a bow.
ââBut I can at least serve as an outlet for your anger.â
Adelaideâs blade struck Kalida.
PWAAAAAK!
With a deafening crash that was hard to believe came from a sword hitting a person, Kalidaâs body was sent flying backward.
The emerald wall she collided with shattered like ice, and her crimson-black armor was buried in the emerald shards.
Adelaide had dodged Kalidaâs attack, while Kalida had been struck and sent flying by Adelaideâs.
At a glance, it seemed as if Adelaide had overwhelmed Kalida, but Adelaide herself did not let down her guard.
The fact that her opponent was sent flying instead of being âcutâ by her sword was proof that the attack hadn't landed properly.
Crack. Cruuunch.
Forcibly pulling her limbs from the wall, Kalida rose to her feet.
On the side of her armor was a single scratch, about the size of a pinky finger.
That was the extent of the damage she had taken.
By concentrating mana on the point of impact, one can absorb an enemyâs attack.
It was a fundamental, yet profound, technique for a warrior who focused on defense rather than evasion.
There was no way the angel Kalida, the original, would be unable to perform a technique that the Kalida from the martial arts tournament had showcased.
Of course, the level of mastery was so overwhelmingly different now that a comparison was almost embarrassing.
However, Adelaide didn't care.
As her master had once said:
ââIf an attack doesn't work, just keep hitting them until it does.â
Fwip!
Adelaide leaped forward.
Kalida responded by swinging her greatsword.
Booooom!
Heavy, heavy, endlessly heavy.
The more greedily it devoured Kalidaâs mana, the more its weight and ferocity grew.
Just as an apple and an iron ball of the same size would produce different results if they hit the ground at the same speed, its immense weight translated directly into immense destructive power.
Clashing swords with her was impossible.
The moment their blades met, a normal sword would snap or crumple like a twig. Even if the sword held, the warriorâs wrist and arm would surely shatter.
But Adelaide was an exception.
The unique property of the Lion Dukeâs sword was Indestructibility.
As long as it was wielded correctly in the hands of its rightful owner, its edge would not dull, nor would its blade ever break.
The same went for withstanding the impact.
Having made the holy power flowing through her body completely her own, Adelaideâs physical abilities had already grown stronger than when she wore the Belt of Amaryllis.
She might not be strong enough to overpower Kalida, but she was at least strong enough not to hesitate to cross swords with her.
ââââ â â â ! ! !â
As if enraged by Adelaide nimbly dodging her attacks, Kalida swung her greatsword sideways with all her might.
A single strike from left to right, aimed precisely at Adelaideâs waist.
Adelaide leaped into the air without hesitation.
She stepped on Kalidaâs wrist, repositioned herself above her head, and brought her sword down with enough force to cleave her entire upper body in two.
When Kalida twisted her body to swing her greatsword upward, Adelaide used her own sword, now touching Kalidaâs shoulder, as a pivot to change her posture in mid-air and strike again at the back of her neck.
When Kalida tried to ram her with her shoulder instead of her greatsword, Adelaide dodged to the side and slashed once more.
Adelaide didn't fight by waiting for the enemy's attack to end before counterattacking.
Nor did she fight by observing the enemy and waiting for an opening.
For this was the teaching of the Tin Knight.
Defense and attack are not separate domains, but are connected.
Openings are not found, but created.
Of course, it wasn't easy.
Crossing swords with a warrior like Kalida was akin to facing a disaster scaled down to human size.
The greatsword was, without a doubt, the most dangerous threat, but she didn't necessarily have to be hit by it. If she was grazed by an elbow or lightly kicked by a toe during the fight, the entire limb could be torn off.
It was a perilous tightrope walk where a single mistake could cost her her life.
But Adelaide was not afraid.
From the moment she began her training with the Tin Knight, back when she could barely even run properly, let alone handle a sword, she had fought with a real blade.
She had broken through wildernesses teeming with bizarre creatures, subjugated greedy bandits, fought chaotic battles against powerful homunculi, and endured the bombardments of mages to cross swords with countless warriors.
To confront danger.
To overcome fear.
To summon courage in the moment it is needed.
Adelaide knew this method all too well.
And finally.
Slice!
Kalidaâs armor was pierced, and her blood stained the floor.
Adelaideâs and Kalidaâs eyes met.
Almost simultaneously, violet lightning erupted from both their bodies.