SWNOVELXO Chapter 182 - 5×5 Battle (4)
Chapter 182. 5×5 Battle (4)
“Hm?”
Goetz’s thoughts ended as his awaited guests finally arrived.
“Ah, come on in. I was getting bored all by myself, but now you’ve finally decided to show up.”
Goetz smiled with squinted eyes and waved his hand playfully.
Right in front of him—
Thud—.
A group of six Blue Army members appeared, stopping at a certain distance as they glared at Goetz.
Two of them, wearing green epaulets, stepped forward.
“Should we consider this good luck or bad luck?”
“Right? Of all people, we ended up being the ones.”
As if rehearsed, they both wore bitter smiles simultaneously.
Seeing this, a flicker of interest passed through Goetz’s eyes.
“Oh? Judging by your words, it seems like Gunther gave you some special instructions about me, didn’t he?”
“Well, yes.”
“You’re the only one in the White Army worth paying attention to. No, to be precise… you’re the only one we need to keep an eye on.”
The eyes of the two comrades watching Goetz were filled with caution.
Goetz was notorious throughout the Cradle, even among the 48th generation, for his eccentricities.
So much so that the 50th generation, who had only been here for nine months, knew about Goetz even before they knew Gunther.
That perverted bastard of the 48th generation, or the playboy.
And to top it off, he even had the title of the perennial runner-up.
Despite his notorious reputation, no one in the 48th generation underestimated Goetz.
Goetz Röthen.
A descendant of one of the continent’s most prestigious swordsmanship families.
Until his first year, he had rivaled Gunther Ryder in skill.
Everyone who knew him said that if Gunther Ryder hadn’t been there, Goetz would have been the greatest genius of the current Cradle.
Even Gunther did not disregard Goetz.
Therefore, for this quest, Gunther devised a “Goetz Countermeasure” and informed the 48th generation about it.
“So… what exactly did Gunther say?”
At Goetz’s curiosity-filled question, the members of the 48th generation shrugged their shoulders.
“Who knows?”
“Do we need to tell you that?”
At their response, Goetz let out a chuckle.
Although he had asked the question, their reactions made him feel like he already knew the answer.
Goetz shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, if it’s Gunther, he probably said something like this: ‘Even if it means giving up one occupied area, make sure to keep Goetz tied down as much as possible.'”
It was a strategy borne out of the confidence that as long as they held Goetz down, there would be no one in the Blue Army who could interfere with them.
And at Goetz’s words, the two from the 48th generation drew their swords and spoke to their juniors.
“Did you hear that? From now on, we’ll proceed according to the plan. There’s no need to attack recklessly. Focus on defense and evasion, and just disrupt him occasionally. That’s our goal.”
“Just because the opponent is alone, don’t let your guard down. This is Goetz Röthen we’re dealing with. Consider him to be officially ranked at the third tier.”
“No, he’s definitely at the third tier. Remember, the moment you show any openings, he’ll take us down!”
With the 48th generation seniors’ pressure and their assured voices, the 49th and 50th generations gulped nervously.
‘Oh my God, a certified third tier?!’
‘He’s the second in rank among the 48th generation… This is no joke!’
A third-tier rank was a level of skill that placed one in the upper ranks even among fourth-year cadets, and one could easily pass into the lower ranks of the fifth year.
Overshadowed by Gunther Ryder’s presence, Goetz was already a cadet who had surpassed the ordinary.
Hoooo—.
The six cadets from the Blue Army, tense expressions on their faces, fiercely drew upon their energy.
Facing them, Goetz smiled and said,
“Hmm… Do you really think you can keep me restrained with just you guys?”
To this, the two 48th generation members glared at Goetz.
“Do you think we can’t?”
“We know your skills well, but we’re not so weak as to be dismissed so easily. Especially against someone like you, who’s on your own.”
The two, ranked 12th and 19th among the 48th generation, were true certified second-tier swordsmen who had successfully manifested dual swords.
This is why they considered it both bad and good luck to have encountered Goetz.
There weren’t many teams paired with upper-ranked members like themselves.
Because it was them, and not someone else, who had encountered Goetz.
If it were them, they could at least hold Goetz back, even if a direct confrontation might be a bit tough.
Moreover, behind them were the 49th and 50th generations.
“We’ll handle the head-on clash with Goetz.”
“You guys just support us!”
With the juniors’ help, merely holding Goetz back would be no problem.
“Yes!”
“Right!”
“Understood!”
“We’ll do our best!”
As soon as they heard their juniors’ confident responses, the 48th generation members slowly began to close the distance with Goetz.
Just then—
“Oh dear.”
Goetz sent a strange smile their way.
And then—
Whoosh—.
From his sword, fierce flames erupted.
“Fire Sword!”
Seeing this, the Blue Army’s tension escalated to its peak.
At that moment, Goetz spoke softly.
“You all… seem to be under some kind of misconception.”
The rose-ornamented sword, enveloped in a fierce, crimson mana flame, pointed at his opponents.
At the same time, the smile on his face deepened.
“What made you assume I was alone?”
No sooner had he finished speaking, something sliced through the air and came hurtling toward the Blue Army’s front line at incredible speed.
‘Arrows?!’
They were two arrows imbued with a peculiar glow.
The two members of the 48th generation sneered at the arrows aimed at them.
‘Arrows, really?!’
Only a handful in the Cradle used ranged weapons as their main focus.
This was especially true in the higher ranks.
The reason was simple.
They were weak.
Cadets who, as they advanced, were becoming superhumans.
By the third year, they could easily catch incoming arrows with their eyes closed.
Even those skilled in archery-based magic techniques found it hard to penetrate the cadets’ robust defenses.
So the 48th generation members ignored the arrows flying toward them.
They didn’t even bother deflecting them, just casually turning their bodies to avoid them.
However, unfortunately for them, these two arrows were anything but ordinary.
The arrows, faintly glowing in a light ivory hue, suddenly veered into a U-turn as they flew through the air.
Movements that far exceeded the bounds of normal physical phenomena.
In an instant, the arrows that had changed direction pierced through the thighs of the unsuspecting 48th generation members.
Slash—.
“Ugh?!”
“Argh?!”
For a moment, the movements of the 48th generation members faltered.
Goetz, who had been closely observing the situation, did not miss this opportunity.
Swoosh—.
In an instant, he lunged between the six, gracefully swinging his sword.
With each swing of the Fire Sword, red trails filled the surrounding space.
Eventually, something began to take shape.
Sizzle—.
What bloomed in the air.
It was none other than a vibrant red rose.
“Ah…”
As their field of vision was filled with the intense red rose, the six Blue Army members could do nothing but marvel, momentarily forgetting the situation.
‘This is the Illusionary Sword of the Röthen family…’
The pinnacle of the Illusionary Sword, which made the Röthen family one of the continent’s top swordsmanship families.
In that fleeting moment when they glimpsed its essence.
The red rose enveloped them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
And then—
Thud—!
Six people fell simultaneously.
Watching them, completely unconscious and unmoving, Goetz slowly sheathed his sword.
Meanwhile, a person descended from a tall tree and approached Goetz.
“Hm…”
Arin, who had been observing the six unconscious people, turned her gaze to Goetz.
“With skills like that, why did you insist on bringing me along? You could’ve handled it on your own.”
Goetz, hearing her curt voice, responded with a bright smile.
“Haha, what are you saying? This was all possible thanks to the help of my goddess!”
“…Doesn’t seem like it.”
“Hahaha, how could that be? Ah, more importantly, did you see it? The red rose I conjured?”
“I saw it.”
“Hoho… hohoho. Do you know the meaning of red roses?”
“…?”
“It symbolizes passionate love. Just like my feelings for you! This heart of mine… I dedicate it to you without reservation. Will you accept it?”
Goetz extended his hand, his eyes filled with ardor.
Arin squinted as she looked at him.
“So, you brought me here just to show me that crap?”
Goetz’s smile stiffened at her voice, laced with certainty.
Seeing the corners of his mouth twitch, Arin sneered.
“That line you just used, how many women have you tried it on?”
“…”
“Seems like it’s worked pretty well, huh? Wow, and here you are, trying to pick up girls in the middle of all this… You really are something, aren’t you, senior?”
Her tone was a peculiar mix of informal and formal speech.
And with a gaze full of disdain, Goetz felt cold sweat trickling down his back.
“T-That’s a misunderstanding.”
Goetz waved his hand, but Arin’s gaze didn’t soften.
“With skills like yours, why live like that?”
Realizing that any explanation would be pointless, Goetz scratched his cheek with a resigned expression.
“Well, you’re right. Why do I live like this?”
“Did you have a rough adolescence and go astray?”
“A-Adolescence? Go astray?”
Hearing something he’d never encountered in his life, Goetz blinked.
Then he suddenly let out a hollow laugh.
“Haha, maybe so… A guy who should’ve graduated early long ago is still standing right in front of me, making my life difficult, so perhaps… I just wanted to go astray.”
“A guy who should’ve graduated early long ago is making your life difficult…”
What a coincidence. I know someone like that too.
Arin, crossing her arms, stared off into the distance, seemingly following someone far away.
Understanding Goetz’s feelings a little better, she extended her arm.
Tap, tap—
“Just give up; it’ll be easier that way.”
“…What?”
Goetz, surprised by Arin’s hand patting his shoulder, widened his eyes.
‘…What am I supposed to give up on?’
As he tilted his head in confusion, Arin’s voice reached him.
“That rose you showed earlier, it was too pretty to be used just for some cheap trick to pick up girls.”
Saying this, Arin flashed a soft smile at Goetz.
And that smile—
‘Ah…’
—filled Goetz’s purple pupils.
Thump—
The moment his heart skipped a beat, as if that clear smile had imprinted on him—
Rustle—
A sudden sound made Arin swiftly turn, nocking an arrow and pulling back the bowstring.
Goetz also raised his sword, his gaze sharp.
However, the two quickly relaxed their guard.
A girl, panting heavily, emerged from the direction they had been watching.
She was wearing a white armband.
“Hah… hah…”
Panting heavily, she was a member of the 49th generation with a yellow epaulet.
She was also tasked with a scouting mission.
“What’s the matter?”
Seeing her walk over, out of breath, Goetz asked with a concerned expression.
Swallowing hard, the scout spoke.
“G-Gunther Ryder…”
The moment Gunther was mentioned, Goetz’s expression turned grim.
“What about him?”
“He… He appeared in the 3-5 occupied area.”
Goetz’s eyes sparkled.
‘So he’s finally on the move.’
Area 3-5.
Also known as the 3-5 zone.
Located in the midsection of the 5th column, it was the area Yulia was responsible for.
“What’s the situation there?”
“I-I don’t know. As soon as I saw my partner get taken out, I ran straight here…”
The scout’s role was to locate Gunther Ryder and either provide support or relay the information to someone capable of supporting.
That decision was left to the scout’s discretion.
So, this scout immediately thought of Goetz as someone capable and rushed over.
‘If she sprinted from 3-5 to here at 5-4, it couldn’t have taken more than five minutes.’
And as far as Goetz knew, Yulia wouldn’t have been easily overwhelmed, even if the opponent was Gunther.
With that, Goetz gripped his sword tightly.
‘Then it’s not too late. I have to go.’
To secure victory for the White Army, Gunther, their biggest obstacle, had to be held back by someone.
‘And the only ones capable of that are… me and the White Rose, Yulia.’
It might be difficult alone, but if he and Yulia joined forces, they might be able to keep Gunther in check.
Having made his decision, Goetz acted swiftly, though the deliberation had been long.
“Blue Rose, I’m heading over. Please guard this area.”
Leaving those words, Goetz started running without waiting for Arin’s response.
As she quietly watched Goetz’s quickly retreating figure, Arin spoke up.
“Scout senior.”
“Huh… yes?”
Turning her head at the voice calling her, the scout girl found Arin smiling at her.
Arin took the scout girl’s hand and lightly high-fived her palm.
Then, in a refreshing voice, she exclaimed,
“Switch!”
“Sw-Switch?”
Blinking in confusion at the sudden declaration, the scout girl looked on as Arin moved her legs and said,
“I’ll take over as scout from now on. You stay here and guard the area!”
“W-What do you mean?!”
Whether the scout girl shouted in surprise or not—
Arin was already sprinting away at an astonishing speed.
All to meet him, who was surely busier than anyone right now.
Have you ever seen a silent thunderbolt?
A ferocious bolt that approaches like a ghost, silently swallowing everything in an instant.
The term “silent thunderbolt” itself is a contradiction, but that contradiction existed.
Crackle—
A blue current briefly flickered, and a blinding light momentarily obscured their vision.
Zap—!
A thick lightning bolt surged silently from the ground, engulfing a person.
“Gah?!”
Hearing a sound right next to them.
And the short scream of a comrade who, until just moments ago, was relying on each other and watching the surroundings.
Only three people remained, their eyes filled with fear as they glanced around.
Huff— Huff—
They could feel each other’s ragged breathing.
So close were they, back to back, that they could even feel the cold sweat trickling down their spines.
They didn’t have the luxury of feeling discomfort from their sweat-soaked backs.
‘W-What is happening?’
The pupils of the three shook as if struck by an earthquake.
‘What is this… what the hell is this?!’
The sudden, mad thunderbolt.
The first to be hit were two members of the 48th generation.
[Gah?!]
[Ugh?!]
In an instant, the two strongest were swallowed and vanished.
The Blue Army members from the 49th and 50th generations, who were bewildered by the abrupt situation, quickly stood back-to-back and kept their guard up… but nothing changed.
A third person was captured so helplessly.
Flash—!
Another flash of lightning.
“Gah?!”
Another person was seized by the lightning phantom.
And then—
Flash—!
“…?!”
With the consecutive flashes, the fifth person was captured without even a scream.
The last survivor of the 50th generation, who had watched this unfold, turned pale.
Swoosh— Swoosh—!
“Ugh… Uuuuugh!”
On the verge of tears, he wildly swung his sword in all directions.
It wasn’t swordsmanship or anything; just meaningless flailing.
His sword tip was trembling like an aspen leaf.
‘What, what, what is this… what the hell… is this?!’
Caught in the grip of an unknown terror, the last survivor couldn’t even open his mouth.
All he could do was let out a silent scream full of fear.