CH 42

h,….this is my win” 

Célia Von Althlein smiled in anticipation of victory.

It’s not something she should be smiling about in the middle of a fight. It is a sign of carelessness, pride and a lack of respect for the enemy.

But even so, she can’t help but feel the muscles in her face relax. She can’t stop her heart from fluttering at the thought of winning against a holy sword wielder of the same caliber as her and a stronger opponent than she’s ever fought before.

Less than five minutes have passed since the battle between Raidorl and Célia began. Neither of them had sustained any significant injuries, and to anyone other than those involved, it would seem that the battle had only just begun.

But in that short space of time she had noticed a decisive difference in strength between herself and her enemy, and was convinced of her superiority.

Raidorl Zain is the first holy sword holder that Célia has fought as an enemy.

There are three holy swords in the Arslanian Empire, including Célia, but they have never fought seriously against an ally.

When she saw Raidorl wielding the holy sword, she broke out in a sweat at the rush of power.

The sight of him transforming the battlefield by creating a huge black tornado made him look more like a mythical evil god or demon than a hero chosen by the Holy Sword.

He was so powerful that it was almost frightening.

But–

“It’s really amazing …… to get that much power out of a holy sword, but that’s it”

He could unleash an attack that could bring down thousands of soldiers. This is something that even Célia, who is also a holy sword holder, cannot do.

As emperor and keeper of the holy sword, Célia’s father could use the flaming sword Durandal to burn the whole battlefield to the ground, and Raidorl’s power would rival that.

And yet – Célia thinks.

She will never be defeated. She knows she’s better than him. 

“Nehh, onii-san, you seem to know this dual is against you, don’t you? You can’t beat me with that holy sword, can you?” 

Célia said in a sympathetic tone, as she swung Claíomh Solas in front of Raidorl.

“Tsk……”

Raidorl clicked his tongue and flicked a thunderous slash with his Dáinsleif.

The holy sword that creates a wind of curse, “Dáinsleif” -a fearsome holy sword that wields an abominable power on a scale that can change the terrain, cutting thousands of soldiers into pieces with a cursed slash and putting them into a state of insanity. The power of the sword is undoubtedly something that can single-handedly affect the state of the war.

However, in a battle between holy swords, the power of the sword is not so frightening.

This is because the wielder of a holy sword has received a blessing from the sword, which makes him more resistant to curses and other abnormalities.

“And my power is lightning. It is faster and sharper than the wind!”

“HYAAAH!”

With a burst of energy, Célia  unleashed a thunderbolt.

Raidorl tries to counter the thunderbolt the cursed wind, but the jet-black slash is cut apart by lightning and dissipates.

“Shit!”

“I knew it. Your wind can’t contend with my lightning’s power and speed. Onii-san’s holy sword is no better than Claíomh Solas.”

“You can tell me, a partner for one!” 

Raidorl’s expression twisted into a bark of abhorrence. But it was clearly the howl of a loser.

The cursed slash of the Dáinsleif is certainly a nuisance, but it is only wind. It has no mass, and the amount of energy is far from that of fire and lightning.

No matter how much power Raidorl can use at one time, no matter how much power he has over her, if he goes head-to-head with her, she will always win.

“Well, …… I think you have better qualities as a holy sword holder than I do. I can’t attack thousands of people at once.”

“Onii-san, why don’t you just give up and surrender?　I  promise I won’t harm you if you surrender quietly.” 

Célia recommends surrender, even with pity.

In the eyes of the princess, Raidorl’s defeat was now a done deal, and there was “no need to even kill him.”

“My father is very tolerant of strong people, you know? If onii-san is serving the empire and wielding the holy sword for the empire, I’m sure he’ll value you a lot.”

“…… That’s a tempting proposition, isn’t it?”

Realising that he is being underestimated, Raidorl bites his back teeth in frustration.

But there was still a fire of fighting spirit in his eyes, a will to fight that was still unbroken, and Célia tilted her head.

“Onii-san, why are you working so hard? Is the Kingdom of Zain really so important to you?”

“HA!, this country ……!”

Raidorl bared his fangs like a snarling beast.

“This country has abandoned me. They are using me. They are playing with my life for peace! How can I have any love for a country like that? I hate this country!”

Around him are the soldiers of the kingdom. Even so, Raidorl is unable to control his emotions.

“Then, why?”

“…because..”

If the Kingdom of Zain is defeated by the Alsatian Empire, his brother King Granard will be executed.

Raidorl, on the other hand, may be able to survive because of his value as the keeper of the Holy Sword.

His brother, the object of his revenge, will die and he will survive. If he only looks at the outcome, it doesn’t seem so bad.

“But you know what? This revenge is mine and mine alone! I’m not going to leave my revenge in someone else’s hands!　I will take my revenge into my own hands!”

Raidorl puts his sword to Célia’s face and says decisively.

“And there’s no point in surrendering in a battle that can be……won! I’m going to defeat you, the empire, and press forward!”

“You can’t do it.”

Célia opened her mouth as if she were talking to a deaf child, but the next moment her eyes widened to the limit.

“Eh?”

“Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

A loud shout echoed across the battlefield. This is the voice of a battle cry, the voice of an oncoming warrior.

Célia turned her head and looked back to the source of the voice.

“Wa-it,….., what are you doing?

Célia screams.

When she looked back, she saw that the Imperial position on the hill had been attacked by someone.

“I’m sorry, but this is not a one-on-one duel. It’s a war, Princess.” 

Raidorl said coldly.

She didn’t hear a word of it. The only thing she did was stand there, stunned, looking up at the fire rising from her own position.