3 hours left until the siege ends.
Hannah and Malik, clashing swords on a high spire, looked at each other with small smiles on their lips.
"under?"
"haha..."
The two were amazed at each other's noticeably improved skills.
‘What… I thought I was resting all this time… .’
Malik's swordsmanship, which he thought would have stopped in place, had noticeably improved.
'Ricardo you son of a bitch... what have you done?'
Malik was also amazed by Hannah's growing skills.
"You've become a monster."
Malik, who had just given Hannah a brief comment, thrust his sword forward with all his might.
"You've grown a bit too, oppa."
"under?"
"It's grown a lot since I was in the mansion."
"I never thought I'd hear something like that from you. Time really is a scary thing...!"
The cold, sharp blades moved to find each other's weak points and achieve victory.
"I'll speed things up a bit."
Hannah's black wind cut through the air and she drew a horizontal line to cut Malik's thigh.
It was a simple horizontal line.
A perfect horizontal line without any miscellaneous movements.
Malik bit his lip as he stared at Hannah's sword. "I can't dodge that technique right now," he thought.
'Can't avoid it.'
Monster speed.
Malik, who was surprised by Hannah's unorthodox attack that involved spinning her body in a split second and drawing a horizontal line, gripped her sword tighter and closed the distance.
Because he thought it would be more advantageous to give up a little bit of flesh and counterattack rather than avoid it vaguely.
Malik focused as hard as he could and moved his sword towards Hannah's sleeve.
'I can't just sit back and take it.'
He, like Ricardo, thought that a spear that pierces everything was better than an impenetrable shield.
-KANG!!!
I had no desire to simply give in to my younger brother.
"Whew..."
Because he was my older brother, I didn't want to lose even more.
-Rustle.
-Rustle.
The two men who had drawn their swords at the same time looked at each other with awkward smiles.
"..."
"...shit."
Malik, who had been cut in the thigh by Hannah's sword, clicked his tongue as he saw the small cut on his sleeve.
"That was shallow."
"...I didn't think about a counterattack."
"Even though he looks like this, he is a man who has poured his life into the sword."
"..."
"It's called experience."
Hannah, with a sly smile, looked at Malik's wounds and spat out a small provocation. She, too, was enjoying this battle.
"If it's hard, tell me. I'll help you."
"No way. I'm still relaxed."
"okay?"
"Be careful."
Malik started running towards Hannah in one breath.
'I've figured out Hannah's habits to some extent.'
Hands first.
Malik shifted his legs, looking at Hannah's empty hand. From what he'd seen of her, if she expected a strong attack, she'd add her free hand to her wrist to compensate for her lack of strength.
If you twist your ankle, it will show a false path to the right.
"...!"
It was inevitable that a gap would appear.
Malik's sword, which had finished its analysis in a split second, made contact with Hannah's sword, releasing a loud noise.
-Kagagak.
One step.
-Kagagagagak.
Two steps.
Malik, who had closed the distance, began to push like a fierce lion, using all his might to break the center of gravity of the staggering Hannah.
Hannah's strength is speed.
Because Malik's strength was his strength.
-Two people.
-...
-Are you siblings?
-right.
-that's right.
-...The two of you don't have the same direction at all. Hannah is overwhelmingly fast, but weak. The boss is incredibly strong, even though he doesn't fight monsters.
-That's good because we don't look alike.
-I like it too.
-I wonder if anyone would say we’re siblings… .
Power and speed.
I can't decide which is better.
Because neither of them was an element that could be left out of the sword.
-What do you think are the essential weapons that a prosecutor must have?
But the two people's answers were different.
-It's power.
-Speed.
They were gifted students who knew and honed their strengths better than anyone else.
Even though Malik was a business-oriented man, he was born with the blood of Histania, who loved swords.
"Haaaap!!!"
Even a nation that had not received Histania's teachings was bound to blossom because it possessed innate talent.
"..."
Hannah, who was struggling to block Malik's sword, opened her eyes coldly and muttered in a low voice.
"Flowers... bloom."
This is a secret I learned on my own in this class.
"...!"
As the air flow calmly settled, a faint aura began to build up on Hannah's sword, like flower petals.
A flower with a white tint.
Although it had a more beautiful appearance than any other flower, it shone with a seductive glow like a flower that carried deadly poison.
Malik clenched his teeth and gripped his sword.
"Histania..."
Because he couldn't lose either.
Old memories come to mind.
-First brother... Could you please spar with me just once...?
There was a time when I was so scared of my father that I didn't reach out to my younger sibling who was alone.
-...
-I'll ask you just this once. Just once...
-busy.
A coward who was afraid of his father and couldn't reach out to his younger brother.
-Can I ask you a favor when you're not busy?
-...
-Sorry for taking up your time.
I was proud of Hannah for overcoming such a coward and blossoming into a beautiful flower, but the memory that left an indelible scar on my younger sister's heart could not be erased.
-Kwak.
It is an indelible mistake.
Because once a mistake is made, it becomes a chain that is stuck in someone's memory and cannot be broken.
I still can't forget the sight of my sister crying like a little child when I first apologized to Hannah.
-Why...! I'm apologizing now!
-...sorry.
-You hated me to death! You treated me like I didn't exist! Why did you do that to me? What difference does it make if you apologize now?
-I'm really... sorry.
-I wanted to die... To the point where I wish I had just told myself to die... But... But..! Why are you acting like my older brother now?
-...I want to do it now.
And breaking those chains.
Since it was impossible to replace that pain, Malik took the sword and unfolded the story of the cowardly coward in his heart.
Not Histania.
"Histania Type 1."
With my brother's sword.
As Malik's sword rang loudly, Hannah exhaled calmly and spoke softly about the sword.
"Full bloom."
The petals gathered around Hannah's sword began to scatter, creating a splendid sword dance.
Malik bit his lip as he watched the petals falling in the light of the rising sun, intertwined with the dawn sky.
'It was destroyed.'
Because Histania's swordsmanship was destroyed.
Malik spun around and snuggled into Hannah's arms, feeling the aura in his hand vanishing like a flurry.
Because you can't avoid the fluttering petals.
"Whew..."
I had to close the distance and hide under the shade of a tree where petals were falling.
-Sreung.
Hannah's sword, which was moving while scraping the floor, began to move quickly once again, without any consideration for Malik's feelings.
"My brother used to say that to me."
"..."
"I have no talent."
"..."
"Wouldn't it be different now, Oppa?"
Hannah's eyes were looking higher. She gazed with confidence at a breathtaking vista far beyond the one she had seen as a child.
'That kid...'
I hated Ricardo.
'I'm jealous.'
Because it seems like he is trusted more than his own blood relatives.
Hannah moved her sword with a cheerful smile, as if she were not living in the past.
"Thank you, oppa."
"..."
"Thank you for apologizing first."
Malik smiled brightly as he watched the approaching sword.
"...no."
With eyes filled with complex emotions.
No matter how many times you apologize, it's never enough.
Even if you do it a hundred times.
Even if that person says it's okay.
Knowing that the bruises created in my heart can never come back… .
That's why.
"..."
I had no intention of losing today.
"I am your older brother."
Because I still haven't kept the promise I made to Hannah.
-From now on, I want to be a proper older brother.
-...what?
-Even if you hate me. Even if you hate me.
-...
-Because I am your ugly brother.
I couldn't let it be taken away from me before I even started being a proper big brother. Because I was a big brother before I was Malik. I was a cowardly, trashy big brother who left an indelible mark on my younger brother's heart.
therefore.
"I can't lose."
Couldn't lose.
The tip of Malik's sword moved, illuminating the sun that dawned.
I swung my sword with all my might to avoid falling, to become a shade my younger brother could lean on.
"Because I'm your older brother."
"..."
"I can't give up yet."
There is no world where no one gets hurt, but Malik, who wants to be a selfish brother in that world, smiled slightly and pulled out the sword from his hand.
Happier than ever.
.
.
.
"haha..."
"Don't laugh..."
The Histania siblings, looking up at the ceiling of the spire that seemed to be about to burst open, let out a hollow laugh as they looked at the rising sun.
"I won."
Malik spoke to Hannah with a kind smile.
"I can be more of an older brother."
Malik was still unbeatable.
of course.
"Hey, boss."
Except for that guy.
"Isn't that amazing?"
*
Wow...!
With a loud roar, a circular cloud formed by the impact began to spread out from under Ruin's feet.
"Cough...!"
Ruin's body trembled violently as impurities spilled out of his mouth. It was a heavy attack for a wizard to handle.
"Ruin."
"...!!"
"Breathe."
Yuria, who had said cold words, bent her back and began preparing for her next attack.
In a split second, divine power began to coagulate and shine in his fist.
"Ugh...!!"
The moment he saw Yuria's approaching fist, Ruin quickly recited a magical formula and blocked Yuria's fist with both hands.
-Tsk...!
of course.
"Ugh...!"
It was impossible to block all the shocks, though.
Ruin, his legs untied, looked at Yuria with trembling eyes.
"why."
Why are you beating me so excitedly?