Episode 7.17

The fight began spontaneously with nary a signal.

Lecan just narrowly managed to dodge a lunging blow from the Great Ogre's right arm. A blow that was far too quick and far too naturally unleashed. Its lightly curved right fingers swinging down diagonally from above completely took Lecan off guard.

A pain that felt like it was coming from a sharp blade ran on his cheek. Lecan paid it no heed as he gripped his sword in both hands and swept it toward the Great Ogre's right arm, but the Great Ogre had already retracted its right arm by then and instead swung its left leg upward.

Lecan could do nothing but to greatly leap back even further. Blood coming out of his left cheek drew three trails in the air.

The Great Ogre struck out its left fist toward Lecan's chest. Lecan used his sword to knock down that fist and continued to cut its neck, however, his sword was unable to completely stop the fist's momentum as it grazed Lecan's right side. Lecan jumped to the left to escape.

His left cheek has been deeply cut up just from being grazed by its fingernails. The Great Ogre's fingernails have extraordinary hardness. Several of his right rib are broken. But this much won't hinder his mobility much.

Without giving him any chance to think, the Great Ogre swung its right leg upward, producing a tremendous sound as it went for Lecan's left chest. Lecan who had anticipated this attack struck his trusty sword on the Great Ogre's right shin.

Sparks were flying as if it was a clash between two hard objects.

Lecan somehow managed to knock away the Great Ogre's leg, however both his hands felt numb.

The Great Ogre showed signs of attacking with its left leg. However it was just a feint as it swung down its right palm with fingers wide open from above. Lecan defended against the attack by diagonally slashing his trusty sword right upward from lower left.

The Great Ogre mowed down horizontally with its open left fingers. Lecan leaped to the left once again, but his fluttering overcoat got hit with the Great Ogre's fingernails.

Lecan opened his right eye wide while executing another jump to the left from the landing point.

The edge of his overcoat which boasts an astounding defensive power against physical and magical attacks have been cut and torn.

These Great Ogre's fingernails are hiding some sort of secrets. Come to think of it, the only time it attacked with a clenched fist was that one time, it always had its fingers wide open afterward. In other words, its fingernails are its means of attacks. Fingernail attacks are this Great Ogre's signature move.

In any case, Lecan would suffer a grievous wound were he took a direct hit from an attack capable of tearing this overcoat. He'd die depending on where it landed.

Afterward, Lecan exchanged blows with the Great Ogre many times over. Lecan struck back incoming Great Ogre's arms with his trusty sword. The Great Ogre have suffered several wounds on his arms, blood is dripping out. However, the Great Ogre shows no sign of pain nor does its movement get slower.

Lecan blocked the Great Ogre's left arm. Right then, he Great Ogre grabbed his fluttering overcoat with is left hand and launched an attack at Lecan with its right, however Lecan kicked the Great Ogre's left leg with his right leg while crouching, breaking the ogre's posture.

However, the Great Ogre quickly regained its posture and thrust out its right fist. That fist made a clean hit on Lecan's belly. Lecan had jumped back to reduce the impact, but he still suffered a not insignificant injury nonetheless.

The Great Ogre went after Lecan who had been blown away. Behind Lecan is a wall. Lecan who had accurately grasped where the wall was with his <3D Perception> kicked the wall behind him using his right leg while using his left as a pivot, jumping away before the recoil. He thrust his sword forward, entrusting his entire body weight on it.

The Great Ogre crossed its arm to guard against Lecan's sword. The sword pierced through its left arm and stabbed into its right arm.

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

The Great Ogre fell backward and slid forward using its charging momentum. Lecan naturally found itself above the Great Ogre.

The Great Ogre kicked Lecan's belly hard using its right leg. Lecan got blown upward, taking his sword out of Great Ogre's arms with him.

Lecan somersaulted in the air and landed on both feet before immediately going to charge forward to gain an upper hand, however, the Great Ogre had already kicked the wall slightly ahead of him, approaching Lecan from above.

Lecan swings down his trusty sword.

His sword was about to strike the Great Ogre's nape from the left side, but this isn't an attack to cut its head. Using the recoil from the blow, Lecan soared up in the air, while the Great Ogre kept charging ahead, and plunged into the wall at the opposite side.

Lecan faced off against the Great Ogre from 15 steps away. Both are regulating their breathing. They're taking a breather so that they both can unleash their finishers on each other. In order to prove their superiority.

Lecan was remorseful. He should have equipped <Guardian Gem of Zana>. Nothing can be done about that now. There's no way this tough foe would just watch as he took the Guardian Gem out of <Storage> with one hand and then put it on his neck. His head would soon separate from his body were he let off even for an instant. A mere 15 steps distance is basically nothing.

Then Lecan noticed something. The left side of his overcoat has no holes. The Great Ogre grabbed and pulled this spot hard earlier. Yet there's no holes on it.

In other words, those fingernails do not posses that crazy power all the time. It probably would only exhibit its power when the Great Ogre willed for it. Which means that it must be some kind of skill.

--Hold on. I've got skills too. An extremely useful one.

Lecan took a stance with both hands gripping his sword, and clearly chanted a spell while vigilantly glaring at the enemy.

"<Move (Trimul)>"

<Guardian Gem of Zana> was taken out of <Storage> through <Move> and got put inside Lecan's black shirt's pocket.

The Great Ogre slightly squinted its eyes while continuing to observe Lecan. Lecan had cast a spell using an extremely miniscule amount of mana, however, there's no way for the Great Ogre to knows what kind of magic it was. The Great Ogre is gathering its energy while staring at Lecan. It's preparing for a powerful move. Putting everything it has into the strongest move this magic beast could muster up.

"<Move>"

Lecan chanted the spell once again. This one's to close his pocket.

He feels zero difference from before. However, the effect <Guardian Gem of Zana> possesses has surely raised Lecan's attack power now.

The Great Ogre charged forward.

Lecan also rushed ahead to clash with it.

The Great Ogre raised both its arms high. All its fingers are curved like talons. Those ten fingers must hold enough power to easily cut steel right now.

Lecan made no attempt to escape right or left.

He swung down his trusty sword with all his weight behind it toward the charging Great Ogre from above.

Several things occurred in that instance.

Lecan's trusty sword cut off the Great Ogre's horns, down its face and reaching into its mouth.

And then it broke in half.

By some sort of tenacity, the claws Great Ogre had swung downward were still coming for Lecan from both sides.

As he fell backward pressed by the Great Ogre who kept charging ahead even while dying, Lecan realized his impending death as he felt the ogre's claws digging into his neck.