Hiro… What happened to the stairs? =T Oh well~

And they clas.h.!.+

Enjoy the chapter and let us know what you think will happen between those two who are fighting! ❤

Chapter 1, Episode 25: Lightning Swiftness

Going back in time—

Violent winds blow and large drops of rain beat down on the skin.

A few dozen people stand atop the central tower of Fort Belk in silence.

It feels like an overwhelming pressure is oppressing everyone there.

The crimson haired young girl beside Hiro who was gazing at the battlefield furrowed her neat eyebrows.

「Hiro, doesn't this look bad…?」

「No, we still have momentum…」

The enemy's formation is in disarray. Now, as long as they can defeat the enemy general, the enemy will completely collapse.

Although the sudden rain slowed the movement of the 「Imperial Black Knights」 led by Aura, they didn't necessarily lose their momentum.

(So, about 8,000 enemies left…)

This is a good opportunity to deliver the final blow.

They only have about 1,000 men on their side, but the enemy is completely distracted by the

「Imperial Black Knights」.

Hiding in the torrential rain, they should be able to delay the enemy from noticing their presence.

Even if they do take notice, being in such disarray, the chain of command should be in a state of chaos as well.

—This is the time to move out.

As he came to that conclusion, Hiro looked to Liz, but she wasn't by his side.

She had already run over to Kiolk.

She was desperately talking to him about something. Perhaps she felt the same way as Hiro.

After seeing Kiolk nod and throw out orders to the soldiers, Hiro looked towards the battlefield once again.

「Did we get him?!」

His 「Ura.n.u.s」 perceives signs of victory from the battlefield.

However, the black dragon split in two as if it had hit a wall, and began to circle around the enemy headquarters.

「Why aren't they withdrawing?」

Hiro puts his hands on the wall, raises himself up, and strains his eyes.

He can tell a change has occurred, but there is a lot of jumbled information coming in, and he's unable to grasp anything accurately.

(I guess I have no choice but to go.)

This is not the time to hesitate. Hiro climbs the wall and reaches the edge.

In the distance, he can see that the the soldiers are in a panic.

He stands at a height that could easily kill him if he fell.

「Phew…」

After a short breath, Hiro steels himself.

He stepped out onto the empty s.p.a.ce and,

—fell.

「Hiro?!」

Seeing the young boy fall from the top of the tower, Liz screamed out in shock.

But her voice was soon drowned out by the sound of the rain and Hiro did not hear her.

(… I won't make it if I go down each and every step.)

Gravity pulls him closer to the ground.

He's. .h.i.t with the sensation of his entrails being pushed to the top of his body.

While in midair, Hiro summoned 「Excalibur」.

As the pommel appeared below his feet, he used it as a foothold to leap forward.

Again, he summons it below his feet and leaps across the sky.

Looking down, he's able to confirm that the soldiers below are rus.h.i.+ng out the gate and heading for the battlefield.

Liz and the others are likely going down the stairs right about now, too.

After jumping over the gate ahead of everyone else, Hiro landed on the ground.

There is a stir among his ally soldiers who had come out from the gate.

No one could believe their eyes. After seeing a person come down from the sky, they weren't sure if it was a dream or an illusion. They were understandable in shock.

With silver sword in hand, Hiro kicked the ground beneath him.

With great ease, he ran off without being held down by the mud, almost as if he were running across a clear gra.s.sland.

After reaching the battlefield littered with enemy soldiers, he looks around for an opening.

He finds the path which the 「Imperial Black Knights」 had paved through painstaking effort.

Having found the large opening, Hiro charges.

「Quickly!」

A silver light closes in on the backs of the soldiers blocking the path.

Even before the spray of each soldier's blood can rise up, the light reaps the life of the next soldier as it cuts through its path.

The low ranking soldiers don't realize what is happening. By the time the flash pa.s.ses them, their heads are flying.

The soldiers take their last breath before they're able to take notice of the white, furious, s.h.i.+ning sword.

『Who are you, b.a.s.t.a.r.d?!』

An enemy officer notices the light and swings his sword down.

「Hmph!」

Hiro dodges and takes a swing to his side.

The enemy officer's sword breaks in two at the center and the blade falls to the ground.

Almost simultaneously, the silent officer became a corpse and is buried in the mud. The surrounding enemies become confused.

Hiro rushes off once more, leaving the enemies shaken.

This speed, which would be impossible for the average person, is made possible by the divine protection of 「Excalibur」.

Racing through the enemy while weaving through the openings, Hiro was finally able to get a visual on Aura.

Seeing the young girl covered in mud, a quiet rage fills his eyes.

As Hiro makes a plea within his heart, the s.p.a.ce before him splits open in response.

The spirit sword which appeared from the rift is encrusted with jewels.

Without hesitation, he grabs the handle and throws it. The sharp blade cuts off the enemy general's hand.

Hiro closes the gap between himself and the shaken enemy general in an instant and appears right before him.

Without giving the general a chance to notice him, he brandishes 「Excalibur」 to the side.

『Guoh—?!』

The sensation of severing his head, bones and all, remains in his hand.

This should surely have meant the death of the enemy general.

「So why… are you still alive?」

Hiro stopped in his tracks and turned around to question the enemy general.

『Who are you… you b.a.s.t.a.r.d?』

A sudden intruder. It's understandable that the enemy general looks at him with a puzzled expression.

Hiro ignores him and looks at his neck. He confirms that his head is reattached.

「… Maybe I'll figure it out if I cut you one more time.」

Hiro points the tip of 「Excalibur」 towards the enemy general.

『So you don't plan to give me your name, do you? I'll give you mine, though. I'm sure you'd at least like to know the name of the person who killed you once you're dead.』

The enemy general snarled like a ferocious carnivore.

『I am Leihil Lumeire Lichtein, the next duke of Lichtein!』

After stating his name, Leihil swung his spirit weapon upward.

Hiro stops it with 「Excalibur」 and repels it.

A flash of fireworks spark between the two for just a moment.

After being outmatched in strength, Leihil drew back. He c.o.c.ked his head to the side puzzled, took a look at his hand, then looked at Hiro.

『… What is that sword? Is it a spirit weapon?』

「I have no obligation to answer that.」

Inside, Hiro was surprised.

His opponent's strength was beyond his expectations.

Although he was able to repel him, Hiro had taken about two steps back from where he originally stood.

『Hehe, hahaha, that's fine. You don't have to tell me a thing! I'll exam it carefully after I kill you.』

Leihil swung his spear around above his head as he approached Hiro.

Hiro kicks the ground beneath him. He leaps toward Leihil's chest and takes a mighty horizontal swing with 「Excalibur」.

It feels like his hand is going numb. The sword was stopped.

There is joy on Leihil's face.

『You are indeed formidable. But all you have is speed.』

The corners of Leihil's lips curl up smugly and he swings his spear down with all his might.

Hiro tried to force him back with 「Excalibur」, but his body lightly fell off balance.

(He's stronger than before?!)

If anyone were watching this death match, they would a.s.sume the young boy would go flying off no doubt.

But Hiro turns his blade to the side, averts the force, and jumps backwards to open a gap between them.

He was trying to take control of the situation, but when he looked forward, Leihil had chased him down.

『Grahh!』

「Ugh!」

A few moments after he stoops down, a storm pa.s.ses by above his head from right to left.

After dodging the attack, Hiro thrusts 「Excalibur」 forward, but Leihil kicks the sword up to point to the sky.

Hiro was wide open with his arm lifted up.

『This is the end, boy!』

Ripping through the air like thunder, the spear was locked onto Hiro's head.

However, it is stopped by two swords which appear from a rift in s.p.a.ce.

『Wh-What the h.e.l.l?!』

The two swords were spirit weapons which were stored away in the 「spirit world」 1,000 years ago by means of 「Excalibur」.

After finis.h.i.+ng their roles, the spirit weapons disappeared from this world, and nothing stood between the two.

『What was that?!』

Not understanding what had happened, Leihil looked perplexed.

「Now!」

Hiro thrust 「Excalibur」 forward, but all it did was lightly cut Leihil's side.

(His reaction time is faster, too.)

If it was the Leihil from a little while ago, he wouldn't have been able to dodge it… He gets the feeling something is off.

(And what's with this abnormal healing ability…?)

His hand which was cut off, is now restored, and the wound he just received on his side is already closed up.

(There shouldn't be such divine protection from a spirit weapon.)

It is possible that the spirit weapons of this age have evolved, but at least in Hiro's memories, no such divine protection exists.

(Maybe…)

Hiro recalled something, but Leihil interrupts his thoughts.

『Do you think it strange? Did you think you killed me for certain? You fool!』

Leihil placed his spear on his shoulder and pointed at 「Excalibur」.

『I don't know what that sword is, but I'm certain it's either a 「spirit weapon」 or one of the 「Five Great Treasured Swords」. Either way, their divine protection increases one's physical abilities to a fearsome level. But you know, that change depends on the strength of the individual. So—』

After a pause, Leihil continues.

『Don't get bigheaded after killing some lowly soldiers, boy! When someone strong like me appears, weaklings like you will be exposed! If your original powers are weak, then "that" is just "pearls before swine"!』

After he finishes talking, Leihil's body begins to transform. His back swells up and his arms get thicker.

Hiro finally figures out the "source" of the enemy general's strength and quietly mutters.

「So that's what it is…」

『Ah?』

Hiro strikes the enemy general's shoulder with 「Excalibur」 and cuts his arm off.

『Ahaha, that won't work!』

Perhaps because he didn't feel pain, Leihil's face was warped in ecstasy as he swung his spear down.

Hiro stops it with his silver blade, and glares at Leihil as they struggle.

「What you said earlier is correct. But you know, the powers you have right now—」

『Urahh!』

「Gah!」

Leihil's kick sinks into Hiro's solar plexus, and his body goes flying.

Hiro is a.s.sailed by a pain so intense it leaves him breathless as he tumbles across the ground.

After cras.h.i.+ng into a rampaging enemy soldier in the midst of the chaotic skirmish and finally coming to a stop, Hiro slowly got back on his feet.

He no longer had the cold expression which was on his face until a moment ago. He now wore an expression of human weakness, one more appropriate for his age.

「… I don't want to know the reason you took in *.」

TL note: Kanji is "demon/evil".

A number of the enemy soldiers were pointed their spearheads towards Hiro in a menacing way as they approached him.

After looking around, he spoke as if this didn't concern him.

「But you know, if you understood how to you use your powers, there would have been no reason for you to rely on that.」

As Hiro waves his left hand to the side, swords pierce the chest of every soldier that was surrounding him.

Every single soldier looked dumbfounded. They coughed up clots of blood as they took their last breathe and flopped to the ground.