Great Hero

Chapter 21 - Great Hero

"Silent casting!? The Sword of Light from earlier as well, in your age, just how much...!"

The black-haired man looked at me with shining eyes for some reason, but I didn't have the leeway to care about that.

I accelerated using a shockwave, charging in a straight line, only to change direction using [Illusion Step].

I don't think that attacking head-on would be effective against an opponent of such level.

Using [Illusion Step], a technique that confuses the enemy, and shockwave movement, a strange movement, would make my movements difficult to predict.

"Ohh! This time, even [Illusion Step]! Wonderful! This should be how North God Style be!"

The black-haired man seems to be moved by something, but it should be my imagination.

I moved behind him while confusing him with [Illusion Step].

Then, I jumped upwards!

Soon after, a club passed through where I was before making me break out a cold sweat, but I didn't care and released my second [Sword of Light] from above the black-haired man!

"Oops!"

"...!?"

This doesn't work too!?

The black-haired man didn't care at all about losing his balance, nor the confusion of my [Illusion Step], parried my [Sword of Light] and unleashed a beautiful counterattack just like a high-ranked Water God Style user.

In return to that, I also used Water God Style to parry.

But unlike him, I didn't have the time to counter!

"Even Water God Style!? This exceeds wonderful, it's unbelievable! I can feel talent that might even exceed my son's!"

"Uu...!?"

The black-haired man attacked continuously.

The technique was terrible, but maybe because he was holding back his strength, I was barely able to parry.

Despite so, I didn't have the leeway to counterattack, and all I could do was to move back using shockwave movement.

As if inversely proportional to the black-haired man who is getting more and more excited, my heart is being filled with despair.

In the end, I took distance from him.

My offense was interrupted.

In that meantime, the black-haired man completely recovered from his slightly unbalanced posture.

It was the moment the flaw created in exchange for the lives of two Saint-Rank swordsmen completely disappeared.

I have no more chance to win.

There's nothing I can do.

If I was alone, I might've fought valiantly until the end even if I die as such is the destiny of people who live for battles, after all, I've already died once. But if I die here, Mother and Father would die as well.

That is unacceptable!

That's the only thing unacceptable!

At the very least, I must let the two of them escape...!

"Mm?"

The instant I thought so, an arrow was shot toward the black-haired man.

It was an attack so weak that, not to mention a Saint-Rank swordsman, even ordinary soldiers would not be hurt.

It was natural.

The person who attacked was so weakened it's not strange even if he faints any time.

"Father!"

"Emily... run away, even if it's only you!"

Father, who was supported by Mother, did his best to stand and continuously released arrows using all his remaining strength despite knowing it was useless.

"No! I will, buy you, time! The two of, you, find Syl!"

"No way! Where are there parents who would abandon their children!? Emily, you alone must survive, and take care of Sylphy!"

"...~~~!!"

Impossible.

It's impossible, Father.

Even if I try to escape, if the black-haired man chases after me, not to mention successfully escaping, even showing my back to him would let him kill me instantly.

There is such an overwhelming difference in strength that makes Father trying to buy me time meaningless.

If there is a possibility of surviving him, it's for me to catch the black-haired man's attention while they try to run away.

But the two probably won't try to escape.

Just by their actions just now, I found out how much they love me, judging from how they won't try to run away even in this desperate situation.

That being the case, what should I do?

All I could do is to win!

There is no other way to save them.

I can't see any chance of winning.

But I have to win!

I will!

I'll make a miracle happen!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

I released a beastly roar just like Young Lady and charged forward.

Throwing away all shame and face, even if I die, I will defeat him!

"To protect your loved ones, charging against a stronger and undefeatable enemy! What an amazing mind despite your age!"

Shut up and die!

Sword God Style Ultimate Technique [Sword of Light]!

"Hoi!"

[Sword of Light] wouldn't work even head-on.

It was easily parried, and a horizontal sweep followed as a counterattack.

I avoided it by falling down forward, matching the sword I swung down.

Additionally, my left hand let go of the sword and placed my arms from both elbows onto the ground.

North God Style [Four Legged Form]!

Using my hands, I bounced off the ground, twisted my body, and released an attack from below.

I was in an unreasonable posture, so I couldn't use Sword of Light, but it's still a Sword of Silence from an unreasonable angle!

"Hoisa~!"

But the black-haired man parried that as well by making his club rotate.

Not yet!

I twisted my body once again and made another turn.

I stood up while spinning and released an attack in continuation.

North God Style [Spinning Updraft]!

"Whoa!"

The black-haired man calmly took a step back, this time without parrying.

And counterattacked.

The club that rotated to parry my attack earlier was swung to crush my head this time.

I tried to parry using a Water God Style technique...

"North God Style Ultimate Technique [Oboro Juumonji]!"

"Kaha!?"

The club suddenly disappeared from my sight, and the other side of the club landed on my flank when I realized it.

I understood what happened.

My demon eye could see the flow of battle aura, so I could understand where and how much strength would be used to move.

The black-haired man changed the trajectory of his swinging club unbelievably smoothly pressing it to his own body and making a half turn to twist his waist.

Matching that turn, the other side of his club released a horizontal sweep.

As a result, it looked to me as if the swinging attack that I thought was coming disappeared, and an attack from the side suddenly appeared.

The problem was the difference in the skills made it so that I couldn't react at all despite seeing it.

The timing, the tactics, and the body control technique are overwhelmingly different.

It's like this despite him holding back.

An absolute strong that even Ghislaine can't match.

I would believe it if I was told he's one of the Seven Great Powers or a legendary man who has left his name in history.

Four hundred years ago, [Demon God] Laplace who waged war against humanity leading the demon race, making all human kingdoms other than Asura Kingdom and Holy Millis Kingdom fall into desperation.

The [Three Heroes Who Vanquished Demon God], [Dragon God] Urupen, [Armored Dragon King] Perugius, [North God] Kalman who defeated Demon God Laplace.

The founders of the Three major styles, whose titles are continued to be inherited as the style's strongest, [Sword God], [Water God], [North God].

The Immortal Demon Emperor who led the demon race in an era before Laplace, [Great Empress of the Demon Realm] Kirishika Kirishisu.

[Hero] Ars, who defeated that Kirishika.

Perishing together with the revived Kirishika and creating a giant hole that splits the continent into two, [Golden Knight] Aldebaran.

The main character of the famous North God Hero Saga, who accomplished many great deeds.

The strongest swordsman a hundred years ago, [North God Kalman II] Alex C. Rybak Kalman.

Legendary characters who will go down in history that Master and Father told me.

The black-haired man in front of me has such an unreasonable strength that makes me identify him as being the same kind of existence.

Why the heck is a person like him a mercenary?

Even if he's not hired, he should be able to deal with a small country in Conflict Zone by himself.

As I felt the pain from my side, where several ribs were definitely broken, I couldn't help but think so as a way to escape from reality.

However, I immediately removed that backward thinking and put strength into my legs to hold on and not be blown away.

If the opponent was using a sword, I must've been split into two, but since it's a club, I can endure staying in place and retaliate!

And so, I forcibly used Sword of Light...

I cut the club of the black-haired man into two.

"...!?"

I intended it to be a chance attack.

But, I see!

No matter how strong he himself is, his weapon can't endure the way he uses it!

Maybe it's a weapon he used for a long time!

I thought so, making my mind overwhelmed with surprise and joy instantly.

I could only say I was careless.

There was no way for such a good thing to exist; I didn't notice that it was the black-haired man's tactic.

While I was happy, the black-haired man let go of the club that was split into two in front of me and strongly clapped his hands.

A loud noise rang out.

The sound was louder than the actual volume, and I could even hear it as an explosion.

It derails my hearing, derails my senses, and I felt my consciousness gradually blacking out.

"North God Style [Clap]. By releasing a specific mana flow through a specific sound, it imitates a technique called Howling used by the beast race. Unlike the real thing, all it could do is derail the senses of the opponent, but by manipulating the opponent's thoughts and using it at the most fragile timing, you can make your opponent faint. It's a very convenient technique."

That, I think, I saw it in some assassination classroom.

I couldn't help but comment inwardly while feeling my consciousness gradually growing ever distant.

"Emily!?"

At last, I heard my Father's voice of despair.

Ah, what a terrible way to die.

Feeling regretful, I completely lost consciousness.