WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
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Chapter 277: The Fifth Energy (2)
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In that heavy, oppressive atmosphere, John Drew swallowed hard.
Now he understood why the gatekeeper of the Farreira territory had reacted so indifferently to him, and why hearing Zet Frost's name had barely prompted a reaction.
'If someone has seen this many Masters, that would be enough to explain it. Of course it would.'
And they were not just any Masters.
He had been stunned from the moment he stepped into the training grounds.
Illia Lindsay, and Brett Lloyd, who had only recently reached the level of Master.
Both were beyond young. They were young enough to be called children.
Even Ian, one of the Continent's Three Great Swordsmen, had reached the level of Master at twenty-five. Looking at it simply, the two before him could be considered even more talented than Ian.
'Geniuses on a completely different level, ones even Masters cannot help but admire.'
And such remarkable people were sparring in a remote territory of a little-known, weak kingdom?
But that was not all.
There were others far more astonishing. John Drew's gaze shifted.
Joshua Lindsay and the Great Warrior Karakum were already standing face to face.
Two of the Continent's Ten Strongest, figures whose places no one would dispute, were engaged in a battle of nerves. The pressure was so intense that it was hard to breathe.
"...Perhaps we'll get to see something good today."
Zet Frost's murmur echoed John Drew's thoughts.
Even then, the two continued their staring contest.
Did they have some old grudge?
It did not seem that way.
Orcs and humans had respected one another for quite some time. That had become even more true after the Holy Kingdom established its hegemony over the continent.
The head of a great sword house and the greatest warrior of the orc tribe would normally avoid each other.
But not now.
As warriors facing each other, as one powerhouse facing another, they were seized by the fierce urge to test one another's abilities.
Neither moved first.
They swung their weapons at the same time, and a sound like an explosion filled the training grounds.
BOOOOOOM!
"Ugh!"
"Nngh..."
John Drew and Kubharu let out suppressed groans.
Both had achieved a measure of skill in their respective fields, one in swordsmanship and the other in spirits.
But they were still far from capable of watching two absolute powerhouses clash from so close.
The two hurried back, and Zet followed them.
Illia Lindsay and Brett Lloyd also stopped sparring and watched the clash between Joshua and Karakum.
Swinging, swinging, and swinging again.
It did not feel like cutting or thrusting. It felt as though they were bludgeoning each other with clubs, trying to smash one another to pieces.
The savage, primal contest of strength turned the surroundings to ruins. The ground was torn apart as though it had been struck by a disaster.
The battle began to change the moment Joshua Lindsay took a step back.
'The head of House Lindsay is being pushed back!'
Zet Frost looked shocked.
This was his first time seeing it for himself. But he had heard plenty.
The head of the house's Sky Sword was said to be like a storm, devouring everything it encountered.
Those facing it felt as if they were striking the wind, left with a hollow and frustrating sensation that forced them to retreat without realizing it.
But that was not what was happening.
It was the complete opposite. At least at that moment, the orc Great Warrior's violence was mercilessly crushing the wind.
As if proving it, Karakum's feet, which had seemed nailed to the ground, began moving forward.
BOOM!
The air burst.
BOOOOM!
Space itself burst apart.
Attacks fierce enough to erase an opponent from the world poured down without pause.
Each time, Joshua hurried back like a frightened wild animal.
His retreating steps grew from one to two, then three and more.
Backed into a corner of the training grounds, Karakum stared straight at him and gripped the handle of his axe tightly.
Vwooooom-
KABOOOOOOM!
A Forceful Strike powerful enough to split the earth in two!
But it failed. Joshua stepped back again and again. Zet Frost and John Drew stared blankly.
There was nowhere left to retreat. At least, that was what they thought.
But that was not the case.
Freely, yet without being swept away.
Carrying both weight and lightness, the head of House Lindsay leaped into the sky and rode the shockwave far back.
From that moment, the battle changed completely.
"Haaaaaah!"
With a fierce battle cry, Joshua Lindsay swung his sword. And not just once.
Countless attacks, too many to count, rained down from a considerable distance.
They could not be seen.
But they could be felt.
Overwhelming slashes, slash after slash after slash, bore down on Karakum!
Under pressure as if he were facing the sky itself, Karakum grinned fiercely. He stomped hard enough to shake the ground and lowered his stance.
For an instant, he drew a deep breath and braced his core before beginning to swing his axe in a trance.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BOOOOM!
"Ngh...!"
Explosions loud enough to rupture eardrums rang out in succession. It truly felt as though that might happen.
Zet, who had protected his ears with Aura, glanced to the side.
John Drew and Kubharu were covering their ears with both hands, while the rest of John Drew's group had already disappeared beyond the training grounds.
Brett Lloyd had not.
Illia Lindsay remained calm as well.
Zet watched them briefly before turning back. The battle still raged on.
"Taaaaaaah!"
BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BOOM!
Slashes poured down. Attacks thick with Aura and powerful winds continued to fall without rest.
The ground around Karakum had been gouged away, leaving a hollow.
The narrow patch of earth beneath him, like an apple stem left behind, seemed to show just how precarious his situation was.
But it was not.
He was not in danger.
A powerful storm raged as though it would blow away everything around him, yet Karakum's lowered stance remained steady.
Like a great tree with roots buried deep in the earth.
'A battle of endurance?'
Zet swallowed hard.
He had no idea what method Karakum was using. But the Great Warrior was perfectly fine.
Karakum seemed sturdy enough to endure that vicious wind for much longer.
The same was true of the head of House Lindsay. Joshua still appeared to have strength to spare.
The wind continued to grow stronger, showing no sign of ending. It was a tense moment.
But the battle did not unfold as Zet Frost expected.
For one very brief instant, Joshua Lindsay's concentration faltered.
Karakum, who had kept his center low, changed in an instant.
From a tree rooted in the earth, to a lump of iron. Then to flames that would sharpen that iron.
Radiating a razor-sharp presence, the Great Warrior shot into the air as though he were tearing through a strip of silk.
SHWEEEEEK-!
BOOOOOOM!
The head of House Lindsay responded just as swiftly.
Joshua did not panic at the sight of his opponent tearing through the wind toward him.
In an instant, he reversed his grip on his sword and brought it down through the air. It sounded as though dozens of leather drums had burst.
An enormous shockwave spread outward in a circle. Karakum's body, charging in a straight line, was diverted slightly to the side.
That was enough.
Having dodged at the right moment, Joshua landed and immediately unleashed a gust of sword wind. Karakum withdrew the energies of fire and metal and accepted the spirit of water.
Splash.
The Great Warrior smoothly redirected the attack before landing as well.
The two absolute powerhouses were once again releasing fierce battle intent over the wrecked training grounds when someone spoke.
"Let's stop here."
"..."
"...!"
Zet Frost stared blankly at the elderly man who had appeared.
John Drew was even worse.
Drool streamed from his gaping mouth, but he did not notice. Yet given who it was, that was only natural.
Ian, Hall Master of Krono Fencing Hall.
One of the three strongest people on the continent had appeared here as well. John Drew could not tell whether he was dreaming or awake.
'What kind of place is this...?'
"Greetings, Hall Master Ian."
"...Hall Master. It has been a long time."
"Ha ha, it has. It has been a long time for both of you. Especially you, Great Warrior. I believe it has been nearly fifty years. Still, it is fortunate. It is good to see your face again before I die."
"...We can catch up later. As you can see, I have something to do."
Karakum raised his double-bladed axe after speaking.
Joshua Lindsay did the same. His hair was disheveled from the fierce battle, but his body was unharmed.
His fierce gaze was fixed not on Ian, but on the orc Great Warrior. The two glared at one another, about to resume their battle.
But they could not.
Shhhhk.
The moment Ian, who had slipped deftly between them, drew his sword, both felt an even greater pressure than before and were forced to take two steps back.
"Let's stop here."
"..."
"You are not fighting for any particular reason, are you? At this rate, the whole territory will be destroyed."
"It has already been destroyed. Is there any need to stop now?"
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
This time, John Drew and Zet Frost were not the only ones shocked.
Brett, Illia, and Kubharu, as well as the Great Warrior Karakum and the head of House Lindsay, stared in surprise.
Kun.
Another absolute powerhouse, the one who wielded the fastest sword in the world, had appeared at the Farreira training grounds.
'I don't know. I really don't know.'
John Drew slowly shook his head.
He no longer had the energy to be surprised or the presence of mind to say anything.
His mind was not working properly anymore, so he simply gave up thinking and let himself drift with the flow.
It no longer seemed strange that anyone might appear, nor did he think any situation could move him.
With a slightly unhinged expression, he stared blankly at the center of the training grounds.
Regardless of John Drew's state, the situation was growing quite urgent.
Ian was trying to stop the fight.
Kun was trying to stop Ian.
Their conversation had begun quietly but turned heated in the blink of an eye. No harsh words were exchanged, but anyone could tell.
If just a little more, just the slightest provocation, were added...
A clash even fiercer than the one between the head of House Lindsay and the Great Warrior Karakum might break out.
'Should I cheer for this or not...?'
Zet Frost thought with a conflicted expression.
Honestly, he wanted to see it.
The previous battle alone had moved him beyond words.
A clash between two of the Continent's Ten Strongest. It was the sort of spectacle money could not buy.
But even that battle would pale beside a fight between Ian and Kun.
'Of course, whether I could properly watch their fight is another matter...'
The saying about shrimp getting their backs broken when whales fight came to mind.
There was another problem as well.
The training grounds had already been completely destroyed. If those two clashed, the entire lord's manor could be reduced to ruins.
Of course, it was a pointless thought.
What difference did it make what Zet thought?
He could not stop those two.
'No, not just those two... I could not stop Karakum or the head of House Lindsay either. Probably...'
Not even them.
Joshua glanced toward Illia and Brett before letting out a faint breath.
That was right. There was no need to worry. If one did not have what it took to control the situation, all one could do was go with the flow.
Having somehow reached the same conclusion as John Drew, Zet turned his gaze back toward Ian and Kun. Or rather, he tried to.
But he could not.
Someone was quietly walking over from afar.
Golden hair as warm as sunlight, and a gentle smile.
Yet this person possessed a steadfastness that seemed no less than anyone present.
Airen Farreira.
He opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry, but could you please stop fighting here?"
"..."
"..."
Everyone's attention turned to him.
Not only Zet, Kubharu, John Drew, Brett, and Illia, who were not involved in the fight, but even the head of House Lindsay and the Great Warrior, who still radiated terrifying intensity, shot fierce looks at him.
Ian and Kun did the same.
Kun, in particular, wore an uncooperative expression, as though asking what Airen was talking about, making the atmosphere even more dangerous.
"Hmm..."
Airen looked troubled.
But he had not lost his composure.
With the same firm, calm air he had possessed from the moment he appeared, he met each person's gaze before speaking again.
"I'm not the owner of this house, but I am the owner's son, so..."
"..."
"..."
"I would appreciate it if you listened to me."
His tone was gentle.
But there was no lack of strength in his words.
The result proved it.
Joshua Lindsay cleared his throat, glanced briefly at his daughter's expression, and sheathed his sword.
The Great Warrior Karakum calmed his excitement and lowered his weapon, repeatedly looking toward Airen with a strange expression.
Hall Master Ian chuckled as he sheathed his sword, while Kun, though dissatisfied with the atmosphere, went along with the flow.
In the peace that finally settled over the grounds, John Drew, who had quietly watched everything unfold, thought to himself.
'Damn... he looks so cool...'
His eyes were filled with admiration.
Footnotes:
No translator notes for this chapter.
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