Chapter 160 - Descendant of the Beast King (2)"
I gasped for air with difficulty.
Kishasha's eyes filled with blood veins, her eyebrows raised, and her sharp fangs became visible, while her slanted eyes shone brightly.
"I could die at any moment."
I felt a tingling sensation on my skin.
I wiped the blood from my mouth and firmly grasped the handle of my sword.
Kishasha's nails gleamed with a cold shine.
"Are you trying to provoke me?"
"Come."
"As you wish!"
Kishasha's body seemed to sink into the ground, and the next moment, she was lunging towards me.
Her claws aimed at my heart, ready to deliver a lethal blow. A graze would be painful; a direct hit, fatal. Adrenaline surged through my body as I swung my sword to face her.
Bang!
I forced myself not to step back, even though every fiber of my being wanted to.
Kishasha launched another attack as if she had anticipated my move. She was unpredictable, darting in all directions. But then...
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blue sparks flew as my Bifröst sword repelled her claws without leaving a trace.
I blocked and repelled every attempt at a strike: kicks, knee strikes, elbows. Although it was difficult to keep up with her pace, I was accustomed to this type of combat. I had faced faster men than her before.
"Minimal eye movement."
If you can see the beginning of a movement, you can predict the end of the attack.
That's what Lidigyon taught me: "mastery."
"Light movements. Minimal effort."
My sword vibrated.
"Absorb the impact."
Kakakakakang!
A barrage of ten strikes failed to touch me.
Kishasha leaped to the opposite side to continue attacking, dazzling with sudden stops and accelerations. At the same time, she lashed out with her sharp claws.
"Hmm."
I drew a dagger with my left hand.
I wasn't used to fighting with two weapons, but I wasn't incompetent either.
I repelled the claws aiming for my heart and neck with the dagger and attacked with the sword in my right hand.
"?!"
Kishasha quickly recoiled, but my sword grazed her white arm.
The skin was cut, and blood began to flow. A precise strike amidst her flow of movements.
Kishasha gritted her teeth and shook her hand.
"Were you hiding your strength?"
"I never hid it."
"Hmph!"
Kishasha kicked a piece of wood beside her and leaped from the air.
My feet planted firmly on the ground.
"Now that we've come to this point."
I can't let this opportunity slip away.
I've learned a lot from this fight.
From the start, Kishasha's skills were among the highest of the four stars. And so far, halfway through, her combat power hasn't diminished in the slightest.
"Your talent is also among the highest."
It's sad to admit.
If we had both progressed in an ordinary way, she would have surpassed me.
But I don't play fair.
"Master, the most important thing in a duel is..." Lidigyon's voice echoed in my mind.
I know.
"Observe your opponent."
Kishasha's body vanished, aiming at my ankles with her claws.
I dodged and swung my sword. Kishasha spun in the air.
I struck again. And again. And again.
"Left. Left. Right. Up. Up. Center."
You don't need to catch every move.
If you can perceive the essence, you can control the situation no matter the opponent's speed.
That's why...
"Grr!"
[Kishasha (★★★★) is bleeding. Her health will decrease periodically.]
Kishasha staggered back.
I moved my sword, scattering drops of blood in the darkness.
"You've become much stronger than before."
"Because I've worked hard to train."
My mindset has also changed a bit.
I smiled and threw my dagger.
Kishasha deflected it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I guess I don't need this dagger anymore."
Indeed, I probably don't need it anymore.
I lowered my sword to one side.
"Transformation."
With a metallic click, the blade of my Bifröst sword elongated.
It transformed into a longer sword. Feeling its weight, I firmly grasped the shorter handle.
"You..."
Before Kishasha could complete her sentence, I lunged forward.
The long sword rose in an ascending arc.
Whoosh!
The air split, emitting a roar.
I pulled the sword towards me and spun, executing a second horizontal cut.
Bang!
Kishasha's body was thrown away, landing against a bush.
She seemed to have blocked the blow, but couldn't withstand the force of the impact.
"What a waste."
It would be a real shame if Kishasha died here.
She's the only one I can truly challenge in the Lobby.
Although Jenna and Belkist also compete, there's still a considerable gap between us.
I directed my sword towards the bush.
"This isn't over."
Rustle.
The bush moved.
The shadow within it stirred.
[Unique ability, Beast Transformation, activated!]
[Kishasha (★★★★) transforms!]
"Grrraaargh!"
With a fierce roar, something leaped out from within.
This time, its form was so fast that I could barely distinguish it. Instinctively, I placed my long sword in a defensive position. It was like being hit by a truck. I was sent flying backward, rolling several times on the ground.
I quickly got up and distanced myself.
The ground beneath my feet sank, creating a column of earth that rose as if an excavator had passed through.
I shook the dirt off.
Before me stood a bestial figure retaining human features.
Its eyes completely slanted, fangs protruding beyond its lips, and its hair wild like a mane. A striped tail swayed behind it.
"A hybrid form?"
What I had seen before was a pure tiger.
Evidently, she could transform between two forms: a human and a bestial one.
"Grrr..."
Kishasha growled, baring her teeth.
With evident hostility, her tail moved agitatedly.
In this form, her combat power seemed to increase.
I advanced.
With the sword pointing forward, I hardened my gaze.
Then, Kishasha's figure disappeared.
"?!"
For a moment, I hesitated.
Kishasha had thrown dirt under my feet.
My vision was obstructed by dust. I spun in my position.
Boom!
A heap of earth rose.
"It's practically a monster."
I could consider her a living excavator.
I smiled and lowered my sword. Once again, claws met blade.
"Grrraaargh!"
Beyond the claws, there was no trace of rationality in the beast's eyes.
She attacked without hesitation, directing her blows at my vital points.
"I prefer this form."
Clang! Clank-clank!
I amused myself repelling her attacks.
"I'd rather see this than you being defeated without doing anything."
I jumped back.
Once again, traversing through the forest.
Kishasha made her way, leaving behind toppled trees and scattered leaves.
From the shadows, the beast's eyes watched me cautiously.
I positioned my left foot back.
Right foot forward.
I gripped my sword firmly, then flipped the switch in my mind.
[Han (★★★) activates the Exceed ability!]
Crack.
A sound of bones readjusting echoed within me.
The pain of muscles and bones stretching flooded my entire body.
My vision blurred. I bit my tongue until I tasted blood.
The blurry vision cleared, revealing Kishasha rapidly approaching.
Swift as the wind.
A warm, burning sensation spread throughout my body, while time seemed to slow down, allowing me to observe every movement in elongated fractions of a second.
"Regain sanity."
[Skill Awakening!]
[Han's (★★★) skill, Spirit of the Conquering Sword, has reached Level 2.]
With a fluid motion, I lowered my longsword.
And then...
Bam!
The space around seemed to distort completely.
30 minutes later, I found myself sitting on a rock, drinking water from a bottle.
"Hurts like hell."
I had reduced the power to a minimum, barely comparable to the size of a fingernail, and although the Lobby facilitates healing, the burning sensation persisted as if I were scorched. My muscles felt like they were torn apart.
"Ugh."
Kishasha, lying on her back, opened her eyes.
"Are you awake already?"
"I... I..."
"Get up soon. It's not good for you to sleep so much."
I tossed her a healing potion.
Clink. The bottle broke just when I thought Kishasha had caught it, wasting its contents.
What a waste.
But I figured it would be fine.
Kishasha blinked from the ground, injured, bleeding, and covered in mud, but she had returned to her human form. Her gaze was resigned.
"I lost, didn't I?"
"Yes, I won."
My gaze shifted to the forest, or what was left of it. The terrain was devastated, with no trees standing, and in the center, the earth was split as if it had suffered an earthquake.
"You've become very strong."
"It's the result of training."
"But why didn't you kill me?"
"I didn't hit you hard enough. You're still talking nonsense."
Cough, cough.
I coughed up blood.
It was a powerful ability, but difficult to control.
I needed to find a solution soon.
"A bit better, right?"
"..."
"Staying locked up here, mulling over useless things. You'd be better off doing some exercise."
If she had someone to talk to, it wouldn't have come to this.
I had to take the long road.
"..."
Kishasha blinked several times, looking up at the ceiling.
Any other person would have offered words of comfort at this moment, but that simply didn't match my personality.
So, I just sat on the rock and kept drinking water.
"Heh."
Kishasha let out a soft laugh.
"My clan..."
"They're all dead. They won't come back."
I chose not to mention that, upon reaching the top of the tower, there is a possibility they will come back to life.
It's not a certainty, as she rightly pointed out.
Even if they revive, they would lose all their memories, so it wouldn't be the same.
"I understand. I understand it well."
Kishasha's smile turned bitter.
"My clan died because of you, Han."
"Yes, it was a misjudgment on my part."
It would have been better to include Katio instead of Yvolka on the 35th floor.
There were other mistakes, but that one was crucial.
"Take responsibility."
"How?"
"..."
I waited for a response, but after a few minutes, there was none.
I averted my gaze. Kishasha had fallen into a deep sleep, sprawled out.
Her small chest rose and fell with her breathing.
Sleep deeply.
It seems I don't have to worry anymore.
I got up with effort, feeling pain all over my body.
The forest around me was a mess.
"This place soon..."
Will be demolished.
There's no reason to preserve it.
I ruined it.
I looked up at the sky.
A gray mixed with white covered it.
It had dawned.
"How annoying."
I have a tight schedule from the morning.
I haven't slept at all. I patted my sore back as I sheathed my sword.
I glanced one last time at Kishasha, who slept unaware of everything, and left the forest.
Hours later, I was in the office, processing documents with Belkist.
"You smell like blood. Who did you fight with?"
Belkist gave me an inquisitive look, as if trying to solve a puzzle.
"Ah, yesterday. That monstrous little girl, did you win?"
"Do I look like I lost?"
"I guess not."
I diligently stored the organized documents in the drawer.
Today we would finish the Lobby rearrangement. Tomorrow we would resume training, and our plan is to continue conquering the tower within a week at the latest.
"And after winning, did you cut off her head yourself?"
"What nonsense."
It's incredible.
Belkist seems unable to hold back what he thinks.
"How's the training going? It's been a while since we crossed swords."
"It's going well. If we haven't fought, it's because you've been avoiding me. I'm ready whenever you are."
"Finish up for today and get ready for the next selection."
Belkist fell silent for a moment.
"What are you talking about? Next selection?"
"A new strong member will join, but there are only five spots available."
"...?"
"Us five: you, Jenna, Katio, Nerissa, and me."
Excluding myself.
Jenna is essential as the only ranged attacker in the group.
Katio, the mage, is also indispensable. We won't remove him, even if we need to use the airship. If necessary, we plan to have a mechanic.
"You said before: the weak one leaves, the strong one stays."
"That's true, I did."
"Then act according to your words. This time there's no room for sentimentality. There will be no leniency."
The spot in Group 2 is also filled.
Falling now means there's no going back.
It means being out until a spot opens up or a new main group forms.
"What have you been talking about all this time...?"
Bang!
The door burst open.
Belkist and I turned to look simultaneously.
"Is this your room?"
A teenager, judging by her appearance, dressed in leather clothes and barefoot, spoke.
"...Huh?"
Belkist's expression blanked.
I already knew this would happen.
I finished storing the documents in the drawer.
"What a peculiar aroma. Do all human houses smell like this?"
Kishasha approached the table, sniffing.
"Wait a moment."
Her eyes locked onto me.
"Include me in Group 1."
