Star-Embracing Swordmaster - Chapter 46
Look, the dragon is chasing you (1)
“Ah-gu-gu-gu…”
Vlad stood up, making a sound like an old man groaning.
“…I almost died.”
[If it weren’t for the snake’s protection, I would have really died.]
Listening to the voice, Vlad looked down at the armor.
He had no idea that the blessings of the snake that hugged him that day would manifest in this way.
“It’s useful.”
[So let’s go one more time later.]
Vlad ignored the voice’s words and remembered the purpose of his coming here.
A crack in the ground is gradually approaching.
Rutger and the knights chasing after him.
And down below, I could see the priests and knights who were so embarrassed that they didn’t even notice that they had fallen.
“uh?”
[……Oops.]
And among them, I saw a very familiar person.
Deeudeeudeeudeuk-!
Even at the moment the boy was embarrassed, the crack dividing the meadow was expanding without hesitation.
Rutger and the knights were trying hard to catch up, but as the voice said, the speed of the death worms moving underground was so agile that even a herd of wild horses could catch up with them.
“shit!”
And the crack in the grassland, extending at an incredible speed, was heading straight ahead.
Directly and without hesitation towards the crowd of pilgrims.
“Hurry and gather the priests!”
“Those who are ready, leave first!”
Hehehe –
the knights shout and the horses howl.
And then a young crack of evil approaches, swallowing up all the sounds.
A tremendous violence that they could not resist was rushing towards them.
“No way…”
In that urgent situation, Vlad recognized a priest climbing onto the cart with urgent movements.
He was the only priest the boy knew and someone he should not forget.
The sight of him coming in painfully pierced the boy’s eyes and reached deep into his heart.
“shit!”
Coincidence sometimes appears like fate and forces us to make a choice.
In that cruel moment, most people would bow their heads and take the easy path, but the boy was different from those people.
The boy was someone who always struggled with all his might.
“…!”
Gritting his teeth and making up his mind, Vlad jumped towards Rutger with all his might.
Even now, the boy was out of breath due to his incessant heartbeat, but the boy did not stop.
There were two things that the boy still cherished in his arms to this day.
One is Alicia’s handkerchief.
And another one is the boy’s identity card that Andrea vouched for.
“Priest!”
The person who first vouched for himself as nothing.
The person who gave the boy his first roots in the world was down there.
Forgetting the surprise and pain of just falling down the hill, the boy ran toward the approaching crack.
The boy was throwing himself towards a great violence that anyone would want to escape from.
※※※※
“Here! “It’s here!”
Vlad waved his hands and tried to somehow reveal himself.
“…!”
And a black-haired man saw the figure on a running horse.
However, there was a huge gap between the two that was difficult to cross, and along that gap there was a young death worm trying to attack the pilgrims.
I managed to get the time right, but the space wasn’t right.
“No…”
Vlad blurted out as he watched the crack pass by him without any hesitation.
“no!”
Vlad shouted angrily at the death worm that passed by while ignoring him.
I can’t remain helpless like this again in front of a huge world that I can’t do anything about.
[Vlad!]
The voice that sensed what Vlad was trying to do tried to stop him with an urgent tone, but the boy had already made up his mind.
Now is the time to do it.
If I have to do it, I don’t hesitate.
Vlad ignored the shout in his voice and threw the stamp he was holding high into the air.
White paper flutters under the sky.
“Here you go, you bastard!”
The resolute path of the sword created by the unadorned sword depicted the boy’s determination.
The paper is torn and at the same time, dense patterns fill the unadorned sword.
The sword began to vibrate following the black glowing engraving.
With the boy’s anger towards Death Worm.
[……not enough. [Summon your world too.]
I wanted to stop him as much as possible, but the voice that understood Vlad better than anyone else gave me advice for the boy.
If you tried it anyway, you shouldn’t regret it.
[The vibrations must be amplified!]
Dorothea’s engraving technique was excellent, but it was not enough to attract the attention of the Death Worm, who was already facing his prey.
So I had to give strength to her imprint.
“Hmph!”
Following the voice’s advice, Vlad slammed his sword into the ground.
Then he closed his left eye.
To bring out my still clumsy world within my soul.
In the current situation, even if Zayar were here, he wouldn’t say anything about the boy’s behavior.
Because this was the only best thing.
“…Come out.”
The day I first announced my name to God.
The boy remembered the sunlight that day that passed through the colorful glass and fell on his shoulders.
It was warm and cozy, and most of all, it was nice to see the priest smiling at himself.
“come out!”
Faint light began to leak from the unadorned sword that was crying along with the boy’s cry.
white green and blue.
The world of the boy who had not yet found his own color was filled with the colors of the knights surrounding him.
Although they were faint, they were beautiful colors.
Whoosh, whoosh,
whoosh, Dorothea’s imprint began to connect with the boy’s world, causing a huge vibration.
There was no tremor, but it rippled the air, and although there was no sound, every being here could hear it.
It was like the shout of a boy shouting, “I am here.”
“…!”
A young Death Worm running towards the pilgrims with blood foam at its mouth.
I could also hear the boy’s silent shout.
It was a voice that resonated more than anything else, even the sound from his own forehead calling for him to go forward.
That’s why I turned my head.
Crrrrrrr-
The cracking stopped.
The huge world recognized the boy’s world.
Deathworm’s heart was beating violently when he felt the boy.
“…….”
“…….”
And everyone here looked at the boy who was shining.
It
was only for a moment, but the boy’s presence dominated everything here.
I am here.
“…Run away!”
“Vlad! Throw your sword at me!”
The moment the Death Worm’s head, which seemed to be standing still, moved slightly, Rutger’s shout was heard.
The presence created by the boy stopped time in the grassland for a brief moment, but did not dominate it.
To do that, the boy’s world was still only a weak possibility.
However, it was a struggle that sufficiently served its purpose.
Wow!
The death worm, which reset its target, burst out from the ground and rushed towards the boy.
Moving much faster than the voice expected.
As if he had been waiting for now.
[Avoid!]
“Off…”
Despite the urgent cry of the voice, Vlad could not easily open his closed eyes.
A fragile world that has not yet been established.
Because the boy’s achievements were insufficient to open and close that world quickly.
A pitch-black shadow fell over Vlad’s head, which was hesitating.
It was a grand gesture to sow despair.
“no!”
Everyone predicted what would happen next and closed their eyes tightly.
Rutger ran to save the boy, but the space between them was as narrow as the passage of time.
[Auras in armor…!]
A huge presence that swallows up even the cries of voices.
The moment when the boy unconsciously tries to swing his unadorned sword in front of the huge world that is crashing down on him.
“…!”
Blacker than the shadow of despair created by the death worm.
Something as beautiful and dark as the color of a moonless night covered the boy’s eyes.
Kwakagagagang-!
Before the great world tried to crush the boy.
※※※※
“…….”
The sound of the wind passing by my ears.
The sound of a huge heart felt through the boy’s hands.
The movements of the muscles, which were not only warm but hot, and pulsating with blood, were being transmitted to the boy’s fingertips.
“…….”
A thick cloud of dust rushed in from behind Vlad.
However, before the dirty dust even enveloped the boy, Vlad had already left the radius.
Because those fluttering things couldn’t keep up with the boy’s running speed.
Somewhere between excitement and surprise.
In the blink of an eye, Vlad felt himself riding on the horse’s back and opened his closed eyes.
[Huh….]
“……That’s right.”
Vlad straightened up without even hearing the voice moaning that he had finally let go.
Everything around me was passing by quickly with the sound of the wind.
The boy swore that he had never felt such a sense of speed in his life.
“……”
Vlad spread his palms to greet the approaching wind.
The heavy flow of air was forcefully escaping between my fingers.
“under! ha ha ha!”
Vlad had been on the verge of death just a moment ago, but now he was smiling widely.
Because the scenery I had dreamed of was unfolding before my eyes.
Kaaaaaa-!
“…!”
It was only for a moment, but the death worm’s howl was heard behind the boy, who had forgotten reality.
The intention was successful, but it wasn’t over yet.
“Vlad! Vlad! Are you okay?”
A black-haired knight rode a horse and approached the boy who was running with the death worm’s roar.
“It seems okay!”
“……good night!”
Rutger and the knights who rushed to stop the Death Worm noticed that the boy had imprinted his own sword.
The attitude of knowing how to sacrifice for others.
It was also related to the second discipline of the Sword Master.
Although the boy was only a squire, he performed his duty better than any other knight here.
“It was a good and brave decision. Of course, it was an action that would not be praised.”
“…….”
Rutger, who pointed out Vlad’s actions that he committed without even preparing for the future, rode side by side with the boy and looked at the crack approaching this place.
“Can he move?”
“yes?”
It was a harsh request for a boy who had finally succeeded in getting on a horse, but Rutger believed he could do it.
Because the pitch-black horse’s eyes filled with fire gave me that confidence.
“Only by cutting down that suspicious guy will the pilgrims be safe. “We have to compete here.”
“But that’s Death Worm…”
“I can do it.”
At that moment, Vlad could see.
The remnants of the flame burning brightly in Rutger’s eyes.
“You have Dorothea’s stamp and you also ride a fine horse. So, we might be able to induce that guy.”
Vlad could see what Rutger was trying to do.
He planned to use Vlad as bait to cut down the Death Worm in one fell swoop.
“Can you do it?”
“…….”
Instead of answering, Vlad stroked the pitch-black guy’s neck.
The look in his eyes as he slightly turned his head to look at me was strangely trusting.
I see
You are here to save someone too.
“You can.”
“good night.”
As soon as he heard Vlad’s confident answer, Rutger quickly raised his finger and explained the direction of progress.
“…Turn around like this and come to me.”
Vlad was nodding eagerly, but Rutger was actually focusing his gaze on the horse he was riding rather than on the boy.
It felt like a pitch-black horse was nodding its head as it looked at its own fingers.
“be careful.”
Looking at the boy and horse nodding, Rutger and the knights leave.
Wow!
Instead, the death worm missed the glowing prey and dug into the ground again, chasing the boy.
“let’s go!”
On a horse without a saddle, the boy tightened his thighs and grabbed the mane of the jet-black guy.
Heeeeeee-
A different crying sound than before.
It was not a cry of sorrow for the dying group, but a sound filled with a determination to give them a single blow.
With determination, the pitch-black guy began to accelerate rapidly.
“OMG!”
A different sense of speed than just before.
Vlad hugged the horse’s neck and closed his eyes at a speed that was now frightening.
Because the boy was a beginner who did not know anything about horseback riding.
[Put down your sword. Obviously, in order to attract that guy, you have to make your presence known through vibration.]
But the boy was the one in charge of the mission.
And that too, of one’s own will.
“……”
It was difficult to open his eyes due to the strong wind, but Vlad got off his horse in the distance, drew his sword, and looked at Rutger who was waiting for him.
I had to do it.
Because I promised to do so.
“Huh!”
A feeling of speed that I experienced for the first time in my life.
The dizzying spur of the ground felt from the horse.
Even though everything was new, Vlad did his best and lowered his sword toward the ground.
“Once more!”
Taking into account the boy’s posture, which was almost like he was lying on his side, the pitch-black guy balanced him.
Vlad glanced at the crack chasing behind him and placed his unadorned sword on the ground.
Kakagang – Kakagang –
A loud spark bounced from the unadorned sword due to the frictional heat created when the ground and metal collided.
“Look! I’m here!”
The boy’s world faintly leaks out with those sparks.
Dorothea’s imprint carrying an aura began to spread vibrations underground through the unadorned sword.
Deep deep.
It’s so gorgeous that I can’t stand it without biting into it.
Kaaaaaa-!
The ground split apart from the crack.
A huge death worm appears from below.
The huge world that had chased away the vibration was rushing towards the boy again.
“Okay, here it is!”
But now the boy was not alone.
A single star shining on a moonless night.
The shadow of a fallen dragon running after that star.
The boy cried out loudly towards the irrational and gigantic world.
He said he was here.
Kaaaaaa-!
“Aaaah-!”
The remnants of the dragon howled loudly as if they were tearing up the grassland.
The boy also shouted loudly in response to that presence.
Two worlds without compromise.
All worlds deserve to exist, but if they are destined to collide, only the brighter world will survive.
Look, boy. The dragon is chasing you.
Toward the shining you.