SWNOVELXO Chapter 184 - 5×5 Fight (6)
Chapter 184: 5×5 Fight (6)
Klang!
The bastard sword aimed at Yulia clanged and ricocheted off.
“Ah….”
Thanks to this, she escaped danger and realized that the sword that saved her was very familiar.
A thin double-edged sword, compared to Gunther’s bastard sword.
With a splendid rose ornament.
“Goetz…?”
Did it respond to Yulia’s murmuring?
The rose-ornamented sword moved gracefully, drawing a red trajectory.
Soon, a rose bloomed around Yulia as if to protect her.
Swish-
Each red line that resembled petals was a formidable sword path, all aimed at Gunther.
But Gunther’s expression remained unperturbed, as if he had anticipated this.
No, he truly knew that Goetz was approaching.
If Gunther hadn’t allowed it, even Goetz wouldn’t have been able to strike his sword so easily.
Rustle-
Gunther lightly retreated.
Of course, from his perspective, it was a simple retreat.
However, to others, it appeared as if he had moved instantaneously.
As Gunther stepped back, the four people who had been attacking as if they were his clones also withdrew.
As the battle entered a brief lull, Yulia let out a relieved laugh.
“I’m not usually clingy… but this is the first time I’ve been glad to see my ex-boyfriend, senior.”
“Haha, that’s certainly nice to hear. Are you hurt, Miss Yulia?”
Yulia’s expression became peculiar at Goetz’s concerned question.
“I know this isn’t the right time to ask, but senior, do you have a girlfriend?”
“…This really isn’t the right time for that question.”
“No, but seriously. Normally, you would have saved me stylishly and puffed out your chest, saying, ‘How about we get back together?’ But now you’re way too calm. And more than anything…”
“……”
“You just called me by my name. Not White Rose.”
“Haha, did I?”
Despite her not-so-subtle interrogation, Goetz merely smiled brightly.
Then, as if evading the answer, he turned his gaze forward.
The moment he saw Gunther standing afar, the smile that hung on Goetz’s lips disappeared without a trace.
Goetz took half a step forward and spoke.
“Were you… having fun, Gunther?”
For the first time since the battle began, Gunther opened his mouth in response to Goetz’s question.
“Not really. There was nothing particularly enjoyable about it. Everything was quite boring.”
“This is… a big faux pas on our side. We failed to entertain our visiting guest properly.”
A visiting guest.
It was a sarcastic remark about Gunther’s seemingly amused demeanor.
Even knowing this, Gunther didn’t show any displeasure.
Rather, he even retorted.
“Yes, I was quite disappointed. I was just about to end this tedious game.”
Goetz glared at Gunther with unusually fierce eyes, unlike his usual self.
“Don’t worry from now on; I’ll be your playmate.”
“I doubt you’ll be any fun.”
“You’ll find it fun.”
Goetz briefly replied, raising the sword he had let hang.
The moment the tip of his sword aimed at Gunther—
Fwoosh-
The mana flame that began at the hilt enveloped the entire blade.
Goetz’s fire sword was completed in an instant.
But that was not the end of the changes to his sword.
Rustle-
Goetz’s fire sword began to condense, transforming into light.
‘That’s…?!’
‘No way!’
Gunther’s party and even his own allies, the White Army, were shocked by the transformation.
Even Gunther’s gaze turned intrigued.
Gunther murmured softly as he watched Goetz’s sword.
“A magic sword.”
As soon as those words ended, Goetz’s sword finished its transformation.
Revealing a rainbow-colored magic sword.
However, the color was uneven and seemed somewhat wavering, indicating it was not fully refined.
In other words, it was a level recently attained.
But so what?
It was still a magic sword.
‘Officially,’ Gunther was the only person who could use a magic sword below the third-year level.
Across the entire Cradle, there were likely fewer than twenty cadets who could wield a magic sword.
So the fact that Goetz had reached the realm of magic was news that would stir the whole Cradle.
Goetz looked at Gunther and asked,
“I’ve just barely caught up to you; aren’t you going to congratulate me?”
“Do I have to?”
“Well, considering you reached the realm of magic in your first year, my crude magic sword probably doesn’t impress you… But still, this should be enough to make things fun for you.”
Saying so, Goetz lowered his stance and braced himself.
He then whispered softly to Yulia behind him.
“I can’t handle this alone; I need your support.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Then… let’s try to hold out for about 15 minutes.”
From the start, he didn’t expect to win.
He only intended to endure until the remaining time on the hourglass ran out.
‘That alone will be enough.’
Goetz smirked as he put strength into his legs.
And then.
Boom-
His body shot forward quickly.
In an instant, Goetz’s sword moved in front of the four who had been positioned before Gunther, blooming into a rose.
This time, the roses that Goetz created weren’t red.
They were yellow and very small.
Moreover, their number was unusual.
One, two, three, four…
The endlessly multiplying roses seemed to saturate the surroundings like a garden of illusions.
The four seemed flustered.
And the first to be struck was the one who moved recklessly.
“Such a mere illusion!”
Jeroen, the girl from the Krabe siblings, gritted her teeth and tried to strike down the roses.
However, every time her sword was about to touch, the roses fluttered away.
It was then that Goetz’s voice was heard.
“The yellow rose symbolizes jealousy. A lover’s jealousy can be cute, but sometimes… it’s terrifying.”
As soon as his words ended, the yellow roses began climbing up Jeroen’s sword.
“Huh?!”
She flinched in panic, and the yellow roses seized the opportunity to strike her.
Papapapat!
The small, yellow roses that looked cute were anything but in their ferocious attack.
“Aagh!”
Jeroen was struck by a dozen roses and collapsed, bleeding.
Seeing his sibling hurt, Loop Krabe convulsed and charged.
And at that moment.
“Wedge formation!”
Yulia, who had calculated how best to support Goetz in the vanguard, executed her magic martial arts.
“Rotate!”
Out of the 24, the 11 survivors closed in on the battlefield where Goetz was fighting.
“Form up into groups!”
In a flash, they split into two groups of five and six, targeting Misel Ang and Aris Moore.
With this, Loop Krabe naturally became Goetz’s opponent.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
As if they had agreed beforehand, the coordination flowed seamlessly.
And Loop Krabe, who had charged at Goetz.
“Kraah!”
He, too, recklessly charging in, was soon shredded by the yellow roses of jealousy flying at him from all directions.
Then.
Boom!
With a loud bang, he was thrown back.
Meanwhile, Misel and Aris fought fiercely against their attackers.
Clang!
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing resounded everywhere.
With Goetz joining in, the two from the Blue Army who had been giving them trouble were quickly taken care of, and the remaining two were pushed into a defensive position.
The battle seemed overwhelmingly in favor of the White Army.
Or at least, it appeared that way.
Until he moved.
Swish-
Gunther took a light step forward.
With that single step, he was already standing at the center of the battlefield.
“……?!”
Everyone was startled by Gunther’s sudden appearance.
But the real shock was just beginning.
Boom-
Gunther stomped lightly.
Rumble-
The atmosphere grew heavy, pressing down from all sides.
“Ugh!”
“What, what is this?!”
Those of lower rank buckled under the oppressive weight, their knees buckling.
Most turned pale, gasping for breath.
Goetz clenched his teeth as his body grew instantly heavy.
‘This is….’
Anyone in the Cradle would have experienced this feeling at least once.
It was the Hundred Steps Ceremony when they first stepped into the Cradle.
Goetz knew exactly what this unbelievable pressure was.
The Rider family’s secret magic body technique.
Dominance.
The absolute martial art synonymous with the Sword Master.
An unreasonably rare technique that only a few in the Rider family were born with, it maximized the family’s innate disposition, causing weaker beings to submit under its sheer presence.
Rumble-
Both the White Army and their own Blue Army allies alike.
All of them suffered within the domain dominated by Gunther.
Goetz gritted his teeth.
‘It’s fine, this much… this is nothing…!’
Compared to the overwhelming despair he felt during the Hundred Steps Ceremony with the Sword Master.
Gunther’s was as light as a feather.
There might be some restrictions, but there were no real issues in moving.
“Gunther!”
Goetz shouted briefly.
He forced his rigid body to move and charged toward Gunther.
As his rainbow-colored magic sword flickered.
Swish-
A red rose that was more beautiful than ever bloomed.
A massive rose, as deadly as it was beautiful.
Its fierce sword aura relentlessly targeted Gunther.
‘Reach him.’
Goetz knew better than anyone that he couldn’t truly contend with Gunther.
He knew there was a vast gap between himself and Gunther.
But even so…
‘Reach him.’
Hadn’t he managed to narrow that gap just a bit?
Wouldn’t he be able to touch, if he stretched his hand out?
‘Reach him!’
Goetz’s rose-colored magic sword, filled with his earnest desire, shot toward Gunther.
The audience saw an illusion of Gunther being trapped within the rose’s prison.
And at the same time… they also witnessed a black aura rising from within the red prison.
Drop-
As if black ink had fallen on a pristine white canvas.
The sudden emergence of black energy within the rose prison.
It rapidly expanded, soaring upwards.
Rustle-!
Ripping through the rose prison.
Boom!
The moment the intense explosion resounded, Goetz’s rainbow-colored magic sword halted abruptly in midair.
The one holding that beautiful magic sword was none other than a jet-black magic sword.
A dark magic sword, one that truly deserved the name.
When the eyes of its wielder, dark and unfeeling, turned toward Goetz—
Crack-
Goetz’s rainbow-colored magic sword began to shatter.
In a panic, Goetz desperately infused more mana, but it wasn’t enough to stop the destruction of his magic sword.
Crack-!
As if devoured by a black nightmare.
In the end, the rainbow-colored magic sword shattered into pieces.
Goetz’s body was flung backward.
Rustle-
Sliding along the dirt ground, Goetz.
Gag-
Taking a heavy hit, he vomited blood and collapsed forward.
Still, barely managing to kneel on one knee and thrusting his sword into the ground to avoid falling completely, Goetz looked up at Gunther slowly approaching him.
Gunther gazed down at him indifferently, his eyes slightly shadowed.
In those indifferent, white eyes, Goetz chuckled faintly.
Gunther aimed his sword at Goetz.
“I told you. I didn’t think you’d be particularly entertaining.”
“……”
“And I was right.”
Despite the humiliating remark, Goetz could only give a bitter smile.
He couldn’t deny it, even if he tried.
Gunther was right.
‘How much time has passed?’
It felt like at least several tens of minutes, but it probably hadn’t even been a few minutes.
From the moment he confidently stepped forward to the moment he was subdued by Gunther.
It was no different from the others.
‘…I couldn’t reach him.’
He had thought he could at least brush against the hem of his garment, but it was just his delusion.
Gunther had moved much further ahead than Goetz had, and the gap between them was too wide to bridge.
While Goetz floundered in his despair and frustration—
“This is boring.”
Gunther murmured as he looked around.
All those still struggling within his Dominance domain.
They all felt like insects to him.
“It’s really time to end this game.”
Having made up his mind, Gunther raised his sword.
And at that very moment.
“Hey!”
A voice called out from one side of the forest.
Soon, a figure appeared at the 3-5 stronghold.
Swaggering and laid-back.
With his hands in his pockets, the black-haired, golden-eyed boy.
“Have you even done enough to call it quits already?”
Yuri snickered as he slowly made his way toward Gunther.
One step at a time.
Starting from the stronghold’s boundary, his steps continued steadily.
Tap.
Finally, Yuri reached Gunther’s Dominance domain.
Members of the White Army sent Yuri warning glances.
Telling him not to enter!
That this was no place to step into!
Despite the warnings, Yuri kept walking nonchalantly.
Rumble-!
Eventually, Yuri fully stepped into the Dominance domain.
Tap tap-
He walked past the ones sprawled on the ground.
Still with his hands in his pockets, his steps light and jaunty.
It was as if he alone was unaffected by the Dominance domain, an odd sight indeed.
Tap tap-
The hall had gone silent.
Yuri’s footsteps echoed loudly.
Slowly, but without hesitation, Yuri moved until he stopped to Gunther’s front right.
Even then, he hadn’t pulled his hands out of his pockets, a sly smile on his face as he stared at Gunther.
“It’s only starting, and you’re already thinking of ending it?”
As he said that, Yuri finally pulled one hand out of his pocket.
Only his left hand.
Swish-
The freed hand stretched towards Gunther.
Then.
Flick flick-
He waggled his fingers provocatively.
“Come on, let’s play. I’ll take you on from now.”