Red Blade drew his crimson greatsword from behind and urged his horse to move to the enemy's right to avoid the sword that might strike at any moment.
"It seems your companions abandoned you and ran away? How pitiful."
"You'll find out when you find them."
“I don’t care what you are like, or what kind of story you have. As long as you obediently hand over the Wind Vortex Stone, the king will treat you the same as a hero, and we will take back the net we used to catch our prey.”
"Come and take it."
Philsa has unleashed a powerful aura of ice magic, his ice sword flashing in the darkness. The two sides are about to clash.
Yet, Red Blade still hadn't seen his opponent use the power of the wind vortex. Previously, when he fought King Augustine, he had released a powerful, swirling wind barrier to disrupt his enemy before even making a move. Could it be…?
"What? I see!" Red Blade thought it was strange that Philsa would carry the Wind Vortex Stone, which he considered a treasure, with him at all times.
No, it's not surprising at all. Red Blade suddenly realized that this was a diversionary tactic. Everyone believed that the Wind Vortex Stone was on Philsa.
"How naive! You entrust something you treasure to someone else for safekeeping. Aren't you afraid of being betrayed by your companions? Is it that blonde girl or that young crystallizer? Perhaps one of them is even a subordinate of the king."
Red Blade looked down on the enemy with disdain, his words clearly provocative.
"Midnight Slayer, you talk too much. Do you usually waste more time talking than wielding your swords?"
"I'm just stating the facts."
Red Blade, mounted on his horse, was about to launch an attack. However, before he could, Firsa made an unexpected charge, swinging his longsword and delivering a horizontal slash that sent the horse's forelegs flying.
After a mournful neigh from the horse, blood stained the ground crimson. Before the horse could kneel forward, Red Blade swiftly leaped off its back.
Otherwise, the enemy's next sword would be aimed at his head, and any further delay would mean certain death. Red Blade shifted his body to the right, calculating the enemy's blind spot.
In the darkness, the blind have an advantage, especially since the enemy is a blind man whose swordsmanship is second to none.
The ice blade it wielded appeared sharper than ordinary steel blades, gleaming with the magical aura of ice. Its master swung the sword without hesitation. Compared to the real person now, the previous puppet was utterly inferior.
Philsa engaged in close-quarters sword fighting with Red Blade. Unexpectedly, Red Blade's swing speed matched his. Their exchange was dazzling.
It was as if the sword in Red Blade's hand was not a greatsword but a light, one-handed sword.
Philsa judged the details of the enemy's weapon by the feel of the weapons clashing, the type of magical energy, and the degree to which the sword's movement disrupted the airflow.
It was a strange greatsword with a demonic aura as dense as a human's. It was not made of steel, so its weight was average. The blade was about one meter and thirty centimeters long. Its color was indeterminate, but based on the demonic aura it exuded, it could be black or red—in fact, the color was not important to Philsa.
Although Red Blade and Philsa were evenly matched in swordsmanship for the time being, Red Blade was secretly amazed by Philsa's agility.
It seemed as if Philsa's eyes weren't on his face, but rather around his entire body.
He had thought that he could suppress his opponent by using the lightness and sharpness of the crimson greatsword "Blood Love", but he did not expect that he still could not gain the upper hand even after dozens of exchanges.
Every swift and powerful strike, whether a forward slash, a diagonal slash, or a horizontal slash, missed its mark.
The battle situation told Red Blade that if he wanted to defeat his opponent, he would have to use his true strength.
However, he had reasons for not being able to use the magic contained in the crimson greatsword at will.
Red Blade stepped back a few paces, creating a safe distance, and diverted some attention to his greatsword.
"I can't just let you out like that. But the battle situation..."
Red Blade murmured to himself in a low voice, as if he were talking to someone.
Firsa heard everything clearly and was wary of any hidden attacks from the enemy. Just then, the sound of flapping wings broke the battle.
A crow flew across the sky, skimming past the moon. Red Blade looked up and recognized its plumage as Thin Blade's familiar. Thin Blade's ability to summon a red familiar meant—the first step of the plan had succeeded.
After understanding the situation, Red Blade burst into laughter. "My seemingly provocative words just now were not without basis."
Philsa was taken aback, wondering what he meant.
"I have survived on battlefields where there are no comrades, no friends, only enemies, and I have long been accustomed to the tricks of betrayal."
Exposing your back to others is tantamount to agreeing to be stabbed in the back. Similarly, entrusting something important to someone else means condoning their theft.
Philsa remained silent, waiting for the next opportunity to attack.
“Yoghakberi is a neutral party on the continent. Although he is not under the King’s command, he is also driven by self-interest. Without self-interest, he probably wouldn’t have allied with you. We Midnight Slayers are also neutral parties, prioritizing bounties. So, I am actually the same kind of person as him.”
"You've only seen a doll that looks like him, and you've already made this conclusion? It seems your judgment isn't much better than your swordsmanship."
"I've heard a little about the name 'Death Glass.' He was invited to the Grand Gathering of Heroes, wasn't he?"
"He has no reason to betray you. There's no point in arguing with you."
Even during lulls in the fighting, the two sides continued their verbal sparring.
"First, we help you seize your master's treasure, then steal it and return it to your master in exchange for a bounty. That's our purpose—truly a well-worn trick of us mercenaries. But there are always people who fall for it."
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