WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 137: Evil Sword

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Lately.

No, to be precise, ever since he had reincarnated and taken the name Kyle Alastor.

Kyle had lived a life unlike the one he had led before. Because that was the life he wanted. He had already lived once, hadn't he?

He lived as he pleased, fought to his heart's content, and swung his sword without restraint. He didn't care what the world thought of him or watch the reactions of those around him.

War raged everywhere in those days, yet he chose his battlefields as he pleased. His only criterion was whether it interested him, and that interest usually drew him to the losing side.

There was no fun in joining the side certain to win and swinging a sword for them. The favored side was usually stronger, so if he wanted to face strong opponents, he naturally had to side with the disadvantaged.

He had lived freely like that, then died. He never married or had children. His only regrets were that he could no longer swing his sword and that his end had come in defeat.

He had already lived once. He didn't think that life had been wrong, but what fun would there be in living exactly as he had before? Since he had already lived that life, he decided to live differently this time.

‘The circumstances have changed too much, anyway.’

Unlike before, he had been born into a warm family. Not into a mercenary company that lived by the sword and never knew when death would come, but into the most prestigious house on the continent.

That house happened to be descended from the man who had killed him in his previous life, but he didn't hold even the slightest grudge against Ruin Alastor. This was his second life. He had a family warmer than he deserved and an environment where he could freely wield a sword, entirely unlike his previous life. He could only be grateful.

He had lived differently from before, gotten along well with his family and relatives, formed a knight order, and tried to raise its members.

That much had been good, but the world refused to leave Kyle alone. He had never asked to be reincarnated, yet someone had reincarnated him without permission and now forced responsibilities onto him. Whoever they were, they tried to wield Kyle as a sword, and when he looked around, he found himself at the center of a conspiracy.

‘This kind of life is good too. It’s new.’

It wasn't enough to call it a complaint, though it did feel a little stifling. Kyle had a nature he couldn't compromise on.

The sword. Whatever else happened, he loved swinging a sword. Kyle smacked his lips and looked at Lamika. Unlike the detached Helenas, Lamika's Killing Intent sent a chill across his skin.

He shouldn't approach. Yet Kyle boldly took a step toward the center of that intense Killing Intent, which seemed to forbid anyone from coming near.

Step.

Lamika moved at that moment. Kicking off the ground, she closed the distance in an instant. It wasn't an arrival through the Boundary Realm and intent, but her speed was extraordinary. With his body hair standing on end, Kyle swung Fenris.

Clang!

Sword struck sword. He caught the thrust on the flat of his blade. The instant his palm went numb from the impact, Lamika withdrew her sword.

Another thrust. Kyle's eyes darted. The sword that had drawn away pierced in again in an instant. A thrust aimed at a single point could alter its path dramatically with the slightest movement, making it difficult to predict. What had been a tiny point in the distance arrived in a flash.

The sword tip, arm, shoulder, tilt of her upper body, position of her legs and feet. Watching Lamika's entire body, Kyle guided Fenris.

‘Fast.’

Thrust, withdraw, thrust. Her sword surged dozens of times in a single breath. Blocking, deflecting, and evading in turn, Kyle boldly stepped in and turned Fenris.

It was a counterattack aimed at the moment Lamika's sword was still thrusting. He pressed forward, intending to cut her before she could withdraw and thrust again. Just before Fenris could bear down on her blade, he realized his misjudgment.

‘Unorthodox.’

She was drawing him in with the rhythm she had shown until now. She made him think he had seen through her, then waited for him to respond boldly. It looked simple, but it was a trap he couldn't help biting.

‘She’s skilled at fighting.’

A sword like this couldn't be learned through solitary training. They said she had barged into countless battlefields to spread her faith by force, and Lamika's sword was certainly built for real combat. Rather than trying to forcibly pull back Fenris after turning it, Kyle twisted his whole body out of the thrust's path.

‘He dodged that?’

Lamika's eyes gleamed. The world was filled with people of tremendous talent. This thrust was especially hard for geniuses to evade. The trap was simple but effective, aimed at the instant they became convinced they had seen through the sword path with their dazzling talent.

Yet that boy responded immediately. If he had forcibly turned his sword, his body would have been left open. Instead, he let the sword continue and twisted only his body. It meant his vision hadn't narrowed and that he had perfect control over his body.

‘He’s only fifteen. He can’t possibly have enough experience at that age.’

The corner of Lamika's mouth twitched. So he truly had the makings to someday become the Master's mate. The Master's eye was as sharp as ever. Look at him. He had evaded so precariously, yet the moment he did, he was already considering a counterattack.

Fenris surged upward. With the corner of her mouth lifted, Lamika extended her foot.

Thud!

Lamika's right foot came down on Fenris.

“Master, Sword Demon-nim, forgive me.”

Lamika murmured quietly. Fenris was the sword of the Sword Demon, whom she considered her benefactor, and the blade the Master had longed for for five hundred years. She had dared step on it with a foot soiled by dirt. Of course she had to apologize.

Yet though she apologized, she didn't lift her foot.

Thoom!

Fenris slashed upward, and Lamika used it as a foothold to leap into the air. Clearing its trajectory at once, she landed behind Kyle and took a step back.

“You may use Aura, Young Master.”

“You may use intent as well, Lamika-nim.”

“How could I kill the person who is to become the Master's mate?”

It wasn't arrogance. Lamika truly thought that way, which was why she didn't use intent. Lowering herself slightly, she whispered.

“If you wish to use intent, Young Master, then use it first. You may give it everything you have. I will do my utmost to match your full strength.”

Kyle spun around with a grin.

“Oh.”

Lamika's lips were curled in a smile, but her eyes and Killing Intent were chilling. She pointed her sword forward, smiling with her lips alone. She seemed like a venomous snake coiled up with its head raised, flicking its tongue.

“Really?”

Fast and unorthodox. That was the sword Lamika had shown until now. Even looking only at swordsmanship, swordsmen of her level were rare in the world. Yet neither of them had used Aura or intent throughout their exchange.

“Of course.”

Crackle.

The Primordial Chaos Sword Canon, which he had been running casually and unconsciously, began to surge in earnest. Mana raced through the Circuits across his body, and currents crackled around him.

“Then I won’t hold back.”

It began with lightning. Kyle became a bolt of lightning and rushed forward. They were only a few steps apart. The moment electricity sparked, Fenris had already cut through Lamika.

There was no sensation of contact in his hand or sword. Lamika's body, which he had slashed across the waist, wavered faintly before collapsing.

‘Afterimage.’

A chill ran down his side. A vivid image flashed through his mind, of a snake with its jaws wide open lunging at his side to bite him apart. Kyle immediately straightened his torso.

Whoosh!

Lamika's sword barely skimmed the hem of his clothes.

“You said you had no intention of killing me.”

“I knew you could evade that much.”

Lamika whispered. She didn't withdraw her thrusting sword. The Aura wrapped around its blade shone a clear blue. The moment he sensed a flow within that Aura, Lamika continued.

“If you are to become the Master's mate, you must be able to evade this much.”

Her blade rose upward. The thrusts she had shown until now abruptly turned into a slash. Kyle dragged his foot back just in time. Had he been even a little later, his arm would have been cleanly severed.

‘Does she think Helenas can just reattach it if she cuts me?’

And if he died, there was nothing to be done? Kyle liked Lamika's loose boundary. If it wasn't this fierce and chilling, there was no reason to spar with real swords.

Crackle!

At Kyle's will, the nature of the mana flowing through his Circuits changed. Above all, the greatest advantage of Kyle's body was the potential of his Chaos Spirit Root. Changing the nature of mana meant changing its disposition itself. Kyle envisioned rolling waves.

Their swords clashed again and again. Unlike before, Lamika actively swung her sword. Through their continuing exchange, Kyle guessed what kind of Spirit Root Lamika possessed.

‘Water.’

She had the same Spirit Root as Karthan, but Lamika's sword was unlike Karthan's, which received every attack without breaking. Her sword was aggressive and chilling. Like a jet of high-pressure water, it was fast and heavy.

Boom!

The sword path Kyle was tracing was pierced at a single point. Her slashes drove him back, then a thrust came at the decisive moment. It didn't end with one. Lamika's sword tip shot straight toward the center of Kyle's chest again.

Kyle stomped hard against the ground. The nature of his mana changed again, from rolling waves to solid earth. Fenris, carrying steadfast force, received the thrust head-on.

The thrust rebounded. Lamika's eyes flashed with surprise.

‘His swordsmanship did not change. His disposition itself changed. Multiple Spirit Roots?’

First lightning, then water, and now... earth? Even Multiple Spirit Roots, as rare as they were, could only number two at most. Three?

‘And he isn’t biased toward any one of them. All three are equally strong. No... that’s not it. There aren’t three.’

The sword that had held firm changed the nature of the mana forming its Aura. Lamika's mouth fell open in disbelief.

‘Four?’

Wind.

Fenris, which had been pressed against her blade, tilted sideways and cut like a whirlwind. Wind couldn't be held in one's hand or seen with one's eyes. The light, swift sword aimed for Lamika's flank.

‘A human’s cultivation technique and swordsmanship are determined by their Spirit Root.’

Lamika herself was human, so she knew that was an unchanging truth. If one was born with a Water Spirit Root, one had no choice but to learn a cultivation technique and swordsmanship suited to it.

‘The Young Master has shown four Spirit Roots. He is at an age when mastering even one cultivation technique and swordsmanship is difficult, yet he has learned four sword arts... to this level?’

No, that was wrong. He might have four Spirit Roots, but he didn't have four different sword arts.

‘The swordsmanship itself is not entirely different. Can this even be called swordsmanship?’

Its forms were too free. He seemed to swing however he pleased, yet every strike was precise and deadly. The sword paths he drew in long, flowing lines continued without becoming tangled.

‘His swordsmanship is excellent. So are his control over his body and mana. Since he spoke of intent, has he stepped into the Boundary Realm?’

The corner of Lamika's mouth trembled. Rather than disbelief or outrage, all she felt was admiration for the Master's discernment. If he was this capable at fifteen, perhaps he really could become the Master's mate someday.

That was why Lamika felt her sense of duty burn even hotter. It was her duty to bring that uncertain future as close as possible. That boy might truly be able to change the Master.

‘But a man weaker than me cannot become the Master's mate.’

His background, appearance, and character were all excellent. Still, to become the Sword Church Master's mate, he needed to be a swordsman who surpassed the Sword Church Master. To be honest, Lamika couldn't imagine the Sword Church Master losing in a contest of swords. Yet if the Master secretly wished for it, and if that defeat, too blasphemous even to imagine, could change her...

Lamika had to help with all her strength.

Whoooosh...!

Mana surged into Lamika's Upper Dantian. Mana joined with her mental power, and waves of intent began to rise.

“Young Master.”

With a cold smile, Lamika lowered her sword.

“This Lamika is once again impressed by you, Young Master. Your swordsmanship is truly, unbelievably excellent. What kind of training have you undergone to reach such a level... No, this cannot be the result of training alone. Young Master, yes, you were born for it.”

Lamika admitted it in an amused voice. Alastor was called the continent's finest Martial family and sword house. It was the house descended from Ruin Alastor the Sword Saint, a family that had honed its swordsmanship throughout its long history.

Kyle's gifts went far beyond merely being a descendant of that house. According to the rumors already circulating, Kyle Alastor's talent was said to be the return of the Founding Ancestor himself.

Lamika had heard plenty of rumors, but she hadn't blindly believed them because she had never crossed swords with him. After this brief exchange, though, she had no choice but to admit there hadn't been the slightest exaggeration.

His innate talent was overwhelmingly powerful. It was the sort of talent that seemed born to hold and swing a sword. It went beyond having learned countless sword arts. It was enough to make her wonder if all those free and varied swords had been in his mind from the moment he was born.

In truth, Lamika's thoughts were correct.

“Not only your sword talent, but your use of cultivation techniques and control of mana are excellent. Yes, I will admit it. In a spar within the Will Realm, this Lamika cannot be certain of defeating you without harboring the intent to kill.”

“You may harbor it, if you want.”

Kyle answered as he temporarily lowered Fenris, but Lamika shook her head with a cold smile.

“We cannot do that in our first spar. And if I harbor the intent to kill, wouldn't you do the same, Young Master? If we continue clashing swords that way, we will both grow too heated, and it will cease to be a spar.”

Anyone else listening would have been shocked. Lamika, a swordsman at the level of the Ten Peaks, was saying that unless she used martial art of the extreme boundary, she couldn't be sure of subduing a fifteen-year-old boy. In other words, Kyle's swordsmanship had already reached a level worthy of discussion alongside the Ten Peaks.

“But Young Master, to advance beyond this stage, you must learn to use intent and properly handle martial art of the extreme boundary.”

“I taught him a little.”

Helenas, who had been standing still and watching the spar, finally spoke.

“Still, I’m not good at explaining or teaching. My sword is too simple and too obvious to teach through direct demonstration.”

“Ah, Young Master has already received the Master's sword insight...”

Suppressing the envy boiling in her chest, Lamika nodded. It didn't immediately become jealousy. On the way back to the Sword Grove, Lamika would be able to receive the Master's sword insight as well.

“The Master's sword is far too advanced for inferiors like us to grasp. My sword stands much lower than the Master's, so it will surely help you, Young Master.”

Lamika whispered softly and let the arm holding her sword hang loose.

“From this point on, I will use martial art of the extreme boundary. Young Master, do you know my epithet?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Snake Sword.”

Lamika's lips and eyes curved. Within that gently curved expression, her eyes held no amusement and sank coldly. Just like her epithet, Lamika's eyes were cold and chilling, like a snake with cold blood running through it.

Lamika's arm slowly began to sway. It was an arm made of bones and joints, flesh and muscle. Yet its movement looked flexible and strange, like a snake undulating its body.

It wasn't only her arm. Lamika's entire body swayed like a snake with bones linked together like chains. Her legs, upper body, both arms, even her head, all swayed differently. It looked as though several snakes were standing in one place, moving their bodies.

‘This is...’

Kyle's eyes narrowed. His Spirit Root tingled as it sensed mana and intent. The waves of mana and intent flowing from Lamika created separate movements as well. His vision became disorienting. The background blurred, and every motion Lamika created threw his mind and senses into confusion.

It felt as though dozens, hundreds... no, thousands of snakes stood before him.

At the same time, it felt like a swamp.

A swamp of death where thousands of snakes writhed.

‘Snake Sword.’

Kyle twisted his lips and strode forward.

‘She lives up to her epithet.’

The snakes attacked Kyle.

Footnotes:

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