Chapter 49. Fake Face, True Nature (1)
I had only come to find Rinne to alter her practical exam scores.
But what is this situation?
I looked at Rinne, who was collapsed on the ground, and the man holding a sword in front of her, trying to comprehend the situation.
"What brings you here? You don't seem to be someone with the refinement to have connections with the academy."
Feigning calmness, I spoke in a sarcastic tone.
Having become accustomed to this body, words that 'Yulian' might say naturally came to mind.
"It's been a long time, Yulian. Is this the first time we've met since the monastery? I can't tell you how much I've wanted to see your face."
The man, with half his face marred by burns, growled at me while standing over the fallen Rinne.
As he turned to face me, a strong, cutting aura was palpable.
'Ah, that's right.'
That killing intent was something I had felt before at the 'Genmel Monastery.'
He was of the 'Monsignor' rank in the Dawn Society and the former vice-captain of the White Lion Order.
Also, the one who gave Joshua the 'Replica Horn'.
Alphas Mayend.
"Your current face is more bearable than your real one, Alphas."
When I called his name with a voice full of mockery, Alphas's lips twisted grotesquely.
"This wound—it's from fighting a mage who was after me. An S-rank mage, indeed. That's why I personally cut that bastard into pieces and fed them to the dogs."
"Well, you shouldn't give something so 'dangerous' to just anyone. Thanks to that, an 'important' sample vanished, didn't it?"
"Keke, your sharp tongue seems unchanged."
Judging by his actions, I was definitely entangled in a terrible karma with this guy. What on earth did 'Yulian' do?
I stopped my idle thoughts and focused on why Alphas had come to the Bayer Academy.
To settle the grudge against 'Yulian' that's been piling up? That doesn't seem to be the case...
'... Aiden's order, perhaps.'
Joshua said he received the 'horn' from this guy.
That 'horn' is something Aiden is making to fulfill his grand ambition.
In conclusion, it seems Aiden ordered my elimination because I disrupted his experiment.
'And Rinne... He was searching for her so desperately, and he finally found her.'
Initially, it was a confusing situation, but a little thought made it clear.
'In any case, I just have to kill him.'
Thinking like 'Yulian', I placed my hand on the scabbard at my waist.
Hesitation.
But I struggled to control 'Yulian's' body, which wanted to rush at Alphas.
'Listen, this body of mine—can't you see the innocent Rinne is right there?'
In true 'Yulian' fashion, the instinct to kill the enemy, ignoring comrades, kept trying to move 'Yulian's' body.
"Now that I think about it, this woman used a sword technique similar to the one you used."
Perhaps noticing the anxiety I was holding within, Alphas grabbed Rinne by the throat, lifting her.
Damn it!
I had avoided meeting the Sword Saint for the same reason as avoiding the "trailer" scene.
The main character in 〈Let's Kill the Demon King Now〉 is not 'Yulian' but the Sword Saint and Rinne, along with his comrades.
The death of a main character could cause an unimaginable butterfly effect on the main story.
And that would be a minus for me as I roughly grasp the key storylines.
'What should I do?'
Watching Rinne, who was hoisted up like a corpse without any resistance, I fell into contemplation.
"Did this woman also learn swordsmanship from the Sword Saint?"
"Yes, she is my fellow disciple. Unfortunately, that's the case."
"Really? Keke."
With laughter, Alphas threw Rinne toward me. As her body was about to hit, I instinctively moved to catch her.
Beyond the line of sight blocked by Rinne's body, I could feel the red haze of 'anger' and a piercing aura.
【Remarkable Intuition】
【Color of Negativity】
Even without seeing, I was sure of Alphas's lethal attack with his sword filled with killing intent, ready to cut through both Rinne and me without hesitation.
'Cut it.'
The inherent instinct and 'Yulian's' mindset shouted to ignore Rinne and slice through, but I wrapped my arms around Rinne and rolled to the side instead.
"Kuuhhh!"
In the process, Alphas's sword grazed my back, leaving a long wound.
Where I had rolled, blood marks were vividly left, and dizzying pain struck my mind.
"Puh, puhahahahat!"
As if mocking my situation, Alphas began to laugh heartily.
"You have changed a lot, Yulian Cryphart Frason!"
His sword, now stained with blood, was flicked clean as he began to release his aura throughout his body.
Strong confidence! That was evident through the flowing aura.
"If you were who you used to be, you would have stabbed through that woman to aim for my neck instead!"
He spoke to me with a voice tainted by venom.
'Would have stabbed through to aim for his neck?'
Is he seriously saying that?
Rinne is practically the Sword Saint Hayden's apprentice and closest aide.
If someone like her were to die, the Sword Saint would undoubtedly marshal all forces to find the culprit. If in that process the Dawn Society were exposed...
And if it were revealed I had ties with the Dawn Society?
'Shouldn't he realize that when I mentioned we were fellow disciples?'
What an idiot.
"The killing intent is still there, I see."
Whether due to frustration directed at me, Alphas raised his sword with a sardonic smile.
"But! Compared to the past, your infamy is unfounded!"
What have I even done?
With unnecessary sentiment in his words, Alphas charged straight at me, swinging a sword brimming with aura.
'Fast.'
But not to the extent that I couldn't counter it.
Clang──!
In an instant, I drew my sword from the scabbard, deflecting his strike by channeling aura, but it didn't end his onslaught.
Swoosh.
He kicked off the wall, twisting his trajectory to swing his sword at me again.
Clang!
The heavy force of his slash, burdened with all his weight and aura, was overwhelming.
In just two exchanges, it was clear that he was of a completely different caliber than any swordsman I had faced so far.
【Innate Swordsman】
However, the effort invested in embodying 'Yulian' was never in vain.
The series of actions as he swung his sword.
I clearly grasped the path of his sword.
Simultaneously, the place to strike effectively, just like when dealing with the 'demon', was apparent as 'Yulian's' body whispered it to me.
"...... Kugh!"
Successive strikes and even more ferocious follow-up attacks ensued.
Amidst the ongoing exchange of blows, Alphas must have instinctively felt he fell short in skill, as his expression began to tighten.
He was attempting to corner me with a more aura-filled and fierce onslaught.
The more he tried, the more labored his breathing became, and the tips of his sword trembled.
It was apparent he had reached the pinnacle of desperation when he took a deeper stride toward me, lifting his sword high.
'The haste to finish it quickly.'
I fed morsels to the seemingly impatient fellow. Within his seemingly flawless continuous strikes, I deliberately exposed slight vulnerabilities, unnoticed by Alphas.
Particularly that the guard above the neck wasn't firm. Once he realized this, he tried to close the distance and attempted a downslash filled with all his might.
However, reacting to a predictable attack was not difficult.
'The decision to end it effortlessly is what seals your fate.'
I took a step to the side to dodge the sword descending upon my head, then set my sight on Alphas's exposed abdomen.
If struck with a sword imbued with Moonlight, it could easily cut through despite the aura shield.
'Wait... hold on.'
If I struck Alphas's abdomen, it wouldn't just be a critical hit but a fatality.
That would mean...
I was about to commit murder.
Up until now, the ones killed by my hands were those transformed into demons.
I had swung my sword thinking I was killing 'demons', so there was no hesitation in killing them.
But Alphas was still human—
"Die, Yulian!"
While briefly lost in thought, Alphas's sword changed trajectory, explosively striking my body.
From the left shoulder to the abdomen.
Blood flowed down in such quantity it was impossible to stem it, causing my head to spin and dizziness to force me backward.
"You idiot! Your focus wavered!"
With a voice laced with anger, Alphas continued to swing his sword.
Successive attacks.
Buried in Alphas's onslaught resembling a storm, my body managed only evasive maneuvers without counter-attacking.
"...... Cough."
The blood dripping from the sword wound began to stain my coat red.
'Damn, it was a coat I cherished.'
Even amidst this situation, thinking such thoughts irritated me.
'Murder.'
The lingering sentiment turned inward to reproach my inability to sever Alphas's life earlier.
There was a moment when I could seize victory.
There indeed was a moment to crush that arrogant Alphas's windpipe.
Yet why hadn't I ended it?
"To think I could kill you so easily. Compared to before, you've weakened, Yulian!"
The reason was somewhat understood.
It was likely due to the mindset of 'Yi Si-hoo', who had never committed murder in his life.
The natural inhibition suppressing 'Yulian's' body from instinctively slashing Alphas's abdomen.
And the naive, shallow thought of whether the situation could be evaded without sullied hands led to my current predicament.
"Doesn't it remind you of what happened at the Banpist Bridge, Yulian? Though the situation now differs from back then!"
Like this, it can't go on.
Alphas, overflowing with murderous intent towards 'Yulian' and seeking his death, was to be let off easy?
That's not something the 'Smiling Executioner' Yulian would do.
With such a mindset, facing all forthcoming dangers would be insufficient.
I was resolved to act as a slit-eyed villain perfectly in order to survive, didn't I?
***
Alphas wore a biting smile, glaring at the wounded man before him.
The Empire's Smiling Executioner, Yulian Cryphart Frason.
The realization that he could put an end to the chronicles written by this man made Alphas's body heat up with anticipation.
"How feeble, so utterly feeble."
With a derisive note in his voice, Alphas raised his sword. It wouldn't be long before he could sever Yulian's lifeline.
'I can't let you go so easily. Shouldn't I relish this as you did?'
Before delivering the final blow, Alphas wished to indulge a bit in this joy.
"Crawl between my legs, Yulian. If you do that, I'll spare your life."
Speaking with a foul grin, Alphas offered an arrogant proposal to me.
A blatant lie, of course.
A taunting offer hiding behind it.
Even noble lineages cast aside pride and honor when life was on the line. Confident of this fact, Alphas presumed the man before him would do the same.
The Smiling Executioner, who would not bow no matter the sinking weight of pride.
Watching him lose and fall apart would surely be a comical sight.
"The Banpist Bridge... I have lost the memory of that time."
Contrary to expectations, the words uttered by Yulian were not what Alphas wanted to hear.
"To be precise, ever since the incident that sparked those amnesia rumors... I suppose, no—one could say the person known as Yulian essentially died that day."
Continuing in his soliloquy, Yulian's words elicited a sneer from Alphas.
"It seems you've lost your mind before dying."
"It's a fact I haven't shared with anyone. If rumors start spreading about it, it will put me in danger."
"... What exactly are you trying to say?"
A string of incomprehensible words.
The only clear part was that Yulian was certainly not in his right mind.
"Indeed, everything comes down to mindset."
【Emotions have heightened.】
【Unique trait, 'Open Eyes', has manifested.】
Slowly.
Yulian's usually closed eyelids gently lifted.
'... What?'
At that moment, Alphas felt a skin-crawling killing intent piercing through his entire being.
The overwhelming murderous aura was so intense it made his skin prickle and his mind dizzy.
With his honed instincts heightened by mastery in swordsmanship, he reflexively swung toward the menacing aura attacking him.
However.
"Kuhh... Kuaaahhh!"
The adversary's skill was far beyond what his instincts could gauge.
As he grimaced at the terrible pain of flesh being sliced, Alphas looked at his right arm.
Gone.
The right arm had been cleanly cut off, and only crimson blood sprayed forth like a fountain.
"Killing a person... Turns out it's not that difficult."
Despite enduring pain significant enough to cause unconsciousness, Alphas stared at Yulian with bloodshot eyes.
"You must die here. Because I, as 'Yulian', have decided."
Clacky's Corner:
Open Eyes seems like a cheat skill.