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56. Inhuman (2)

「How about you cut my neck next?」

As I observed it up close, I started to understand it more and more. How Altora achieved super speed without the aid of skills.

After I had healed from several fatal wounds, Altora stood up unsteadily again and spat out.

「Are you even human?! But how about this!」

There was a foreign object in Altora’s right arm, who was standing behind me. The object was shot at me at high speed.

Without turning back, I continued to compose the flow of mana.

「Cocytus.」

The flying object is captured by a pillar of ice. The ice reached Altora’s feet, sewing his right foot to the ground.

「My leg…!」

「If I’m not human, then the same goes for you, right? Regardless of what you think.」

I slowly observed the foreign object sealed in ice. A metal arrow. It was a highly poisonous arrow with something thick spread on the tip.

Even though this thing isn’t even close to Altora’s godspeed in terms of speed.

「A hidden crossbow… You would never have used something like this in the past. Even if it’s an enemy in the distance, you would just run up to it and slash it. [Sword Saint] could’ve easily done that.」

「Don’t talk about my skill! What would someone like you even know about it?」

「Of course I know. I was the first to notice [Sword Saint]’s single biggest flaw.」

「[Sword Saint]’s flaw…?!」

「It’s too fast. It moves faster than the user’s own perception.」

「…!!」

That’s why I lent him my [Hawk Eye]. It is a common skill that increases dynamic visual acuity, which itself is a common perception-enhancing skill. Blessed with talent, Altora mastered it without even realizing it, and the [Sword Saint] became known to the world as a skill that allows the user to perform vertical and horizontal sword dances.

Now that Altora has lost that, he is unable to control his accelerated self. He always crashes into a wall or falls to the ground. The pain, scars, and fear should make him hesitate.

「But you are using [Sword Saint] with more power than ever before. Humans, or rather, living things, are designed to fear pain and injury.」

Looking closely, I could see that Altora’s body was covered in injuries, but he was still smiling.

「Don’t be so pretentious. Just say what you want to say.」

「…Altora. You erased the pain with medicine and removed the psychological barrier.」

After receiving several attacks on my body, I realized that there was “nothing”.

He either supplemented his dynamic vision with a method that doesn’t rely on skill, or he came up with a way to fight even when he can’t see or perceive anything. I was thinking that it has to be one of those things. But I was wrong.

『Erase pain with medicine, and thrust straight ahead without caring for injuries.』

He was fast because he was moving in a straight line. He is strong because he is not afraid. The answer was something that could hardly be called a strategy or an ingenuity. Altora was constantly swaying, smiling fearlessly, probably due to the effects of the medicine.

「It was tough chasing Angelina, you know? Mountains, valleys, swamps, dark nights… I almost lost track of her many times, and each time I erased the pain and caught up with [Sword Saint]. Enduring all of that hardship, I’ve become stronger! Much stronger!」

「You’ve become stronger, huh.」

「I’ve had a much harder time than you! I am different from you who got to stay in S-class just for lying on the floor while doing nothing. Which means that I should be the one to win it all in the end! Am I wrong!?」

Altora said “Your existence is a liability”, when he kicked me out

I produce the negative and Altora produces the positive. If we two fight, Altora should naturally win. It’s not about who is stronger, it’s just the way it should be. Altra says.

「I see. Is that the answer you have reached?」

「It’s a heavy responsibility for those who are born with natural talent. You’ll never understand, Marge.」

「If that’s what you think, then maybe it is. However, leaving it to the medicine is not a good strategy. If you continue…」

「I don’t care.」

You will die… before I could finish saying that, Altora tore off the ice that had hardened his feet along with his boots.

「If I can’t take everything back from you, I’m as good as dead anyway!!」

Blood flowed from Altora’s legs, but the acceleration of his skill was not affected. The divine silver sword shone silver.

「There is no future for people with that kind of goal, though.」

Altora was approaching fast. Fast, but there was nothing else to it. If that’s his “answer”–

「Enough.」

A golem got between me and Altora.

「I already know how hard that thing is!!」

His sword was moving faster than ever, threatening to cut me and the golem in half. A full-throttle slash unleashed with the full power of his unique skill.

「[Obsidian].」

The sword bounced back with a hard, dull sound.

「Wha…!?」

「You recognize it, right?」

Gordon’s unique skill, which I lent some to Angelina with some of the skill points. This made the golem even harder.

「T-This time it’s [Obsidian]? …It can’t be true! Don’t lie! Oh right, you’ve been using that recovery skill or magic for a while now… It can’t possibly be……」

「There are mountains of things in the world that might make you think “it’s not possible”, Altora.」

『There is nothing in this world that threatens me』. Therefore, they treat it as if it does not exist. That may be necessary at times for people to keep their sanity.

But the time for such innocent dreams is over.

「Have you noticed, Altora?」

「W-What?」

I summoned a golem and slammed its large, hard body.

「An iron-clad shield to protect the user.」

「A-Are you trying to brag?」

I showed my neck which was cut off earlier. There wasn’t even a scar left.

「Healing power that instantly heals any wound.」

「What, what are you talking about!」

I poured mana into an icicle and instantly transformed it into a serpent dragon sculpture.

「Powerful and unparalleled ancient magic.」

「S-Stop it, hey.」

What I’m going to say now is really too late. Just a fact without any twist. But for people who only see what they want to see, this must be said in clear words.

「If you hadn’t tried to kill me, your companion, all of this would have been with you. You threw this away yourself.」

「No, you’re…!!」

He was trying to say something, but I was not interested anymore. I raised my right hand towards Altora.

「And finally, I’ll collect what’s still in your hands. If you don’t like it, try your best to resist.」