I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess

Chapter 83: The Guardian (2)

Lightning traced a jagged line across the ink-stained sky.

A barrage of magic poured down like a desperate storm. Even from afar, it was an eye-catching spectacle. Thanks to that, there was no need to worry about losing my way.

That raging storm of mana was a familiar kind. A method that involved rapid-firing low-tier spells to create a sudden burst of firepower. Among magicians, it was often mocked as crude and lacking elegance, but in real combat, it proved to be highly effective.

I had come to associate it as the signature move of Baron Esquente.

As I closed the distance, his figure came into view.

The first order of business was assessing the situation.

‘Still engaged with the demons. The rest are essentially incapacitated. Casualties… quite a few. Tsk, I arrived too late.’

The ground was littered with the corpses of monstrous creatures, discarded like worthless debris. And there were a lot of them. Using beasts as expendable pawns meant the enemy was at least a high-ranking demon.

Now, I was close enough that the demons had to acknowledge my presence.

The Blessing of Sirien wrapped around my legs. I leaped off my horse and slammed my greatsword downward with all my might.

CLAAAAANG—!

Metal shrieked as it clashed against metal.

Baron Esquente let out a breathy voice, tinged with exhaustion.

“Sir Razen! Just in the nick of time! I wish I could be of more help, but…”

“I know you’ve got no magic left!”

“Yep. In that case, I’ll tend to the wounded. I’ll leave the rest to you!”

As the baron retreated, the demon continued to clash blades with me.

It had an annoyingly punchable face.

Even worse, it wielded the same kind of weapon as me.

Despite its nimble, agile appearance, the way it swung its sword was unmistakably similar to my own style.

“You must be him! The Cursed Blade of the North!”

“That’s right. Were you looking forward to meeting me?”

“My name is Nezra. I’ve been waiting for this moment! You are indeed worthy of my anticipation!”

As expected, a high-ranking demon.

At this level, it was far beyond the lower-tier demon lords.

I wasn’t able to overpower it with raw strength, nor was it easy to break through with technique alone.

Each time our blades clashed, my arms tingled from the impact.

Normally, a human going head-to-head with a demon in pure physical combat would be absurd. But for someone like me, that logic didn’t quite apply.

I had crushed countless demons before this. But Nezra’s physical abilities were clearly in a league of their own.

The only silver lining was that he showed no signs of using magic.

Most likely, he simply couldn’t. Whether it was due to the circumstances or another reason, I wasn’t sure.

“This is exhilarating! Truly exhilarating! It’s been so long since I faced such a thrilling swordsman. My fellow demons… they have such boring swordplay. This is why I can’t help but love humans!”

“Or maybe you’re just talentless when it comes to magic.”

“Hah! You’re absolutely right! As a reward, I shall now show you my utmost respect!”

A brute-force slugfest.

Neither of us held back as we launched ferocious attacks, determined to crush the other.

I had the divine aid of Sirien, but Nezra had the infamous regenerative abilities unique to demons.

Unless I landed a fatal wound, any accumulated damage would only put me at a disadvantage.

This wasn’t a battle where trading injuries would work in my favor.

High-ranking demons could regenerate even if they were split in half.

I had to choose—push forward and risk shedding blood, or retreat and wait for another opening.

At times, I found myself losing in subtle exchanges of skill.

That was supposed to be my specialty. Being on the receiving end of my own tactics was infuriating.

“Magnificent. A beautifully forged blade honed through countless battles. Despite your fleeting human lifespan, how is it that you can be so astounding? I feel as though I am falling in love.”

“Ugh! Don’t say it like that, you creepy bastard! Men don’t say that kind of crap to other men!”

I recoiled and swung my sword with disgust.

Nezra dodged with a step back, chuckling gleefully.

At least Sirien… wasn’t looking in this direction.

After the disaster that was the Dersian incident, I had learned just how terrifying misunderstandings could be.

A surge of irritation burned in my chest.

“How disappointing. My feelings were genuine, you know.”

“Yeah? Well, keep that crap to yourself.”

“What a tragic thing. A warrior of your caliber, yet you do not love your rival? Strength, skill, and experience all aligning—such a duel is the very essence of fine dining.”

If simple swordplay wasn’t enough, it was time to mix things up.

I adjusted my blade’s trajectory and began weaving in divine techniques.

After all, my opponent was alone.

If I were fighting a human, I could have incorporated grappling techniques as well.

But demons… breaking their joints wouldn’t do much.

Using divine techniques required freeing up one hand, which was a drawback, but I wasn’t just some hack-and-slash swordsman.

The Sickle of Hibras lashed toward Nezra.

“You know, this is strange. Maybe it’s because you’re human, but despite wielding a different kind of sword, there’s something familiar about your technique.”

“What kind of nonsense are you spewing now?”

“I’m saying your swordplay reminds me of a swordsman I once knew. Since you’ve been operating in the North, you likely wouldn’t know him. But perhaps… do swordsmen naturally start resembling one another as they master their craft?”

CRACK!

Something shifted.

His strikes suddenly carried more weight.

The divine energy reinforcing my blade cracked slightly under the pressure.

So, he had been holding back after all.

This was getting troublesome.

I could feel it instinctively—if I kept fighting like this, I would be pushed back.

For now, I could hold my ground by pouring divine energy into my attacks. But if I wanted to truly take down Nezra, I would need to start revealing my hidden cards.

The problem was… how many cards should I reveal?

For now, I decided to start with a trick move.

The moment our blades clashed, I lunged forward.

I locked our swords together, preventing him from withdrawing easily, then pressed down on the flat of his blade with my hand.

It was only a brief opening, but his defense was compromised. My sword shot forward, aiming for Nezra’s throat.

This was a technique I had only ever seen before—never executed myself.

Placing my bare hand on an opponent’s blade was a reckless gamble, one that carried insane risks. But that also meant it was a rare experience to encounter.

Unless someone had exceptionally quick adaptability, their stance would falter in response.

Unfortunately, Nezra was quick to find an escape route.

He burst into crazed laughter.

“That move! Krh… Hahaha! Yes, I see it now. This wasn’t just a coincidence. You’ve changed so much that I almost didn’t recognize you. I nearly missed out on such a delightful moment. That would have been unacceptable… absolutely unacceptable.”

“This is why I can’t stand demons. We speak the same language, yet I can never understand a damn thing you’re saying.”

“I know your reach. I know your technique. I remember a swordsman who wielded not only his own blade, but even his enemy’s as if they were his own.”

A strange sense of déjà vu crawled up my spine.

I had dismissed his ramblings as nonsense at first, but something about Nezra’s words felt important.

I advanced again, but he retreated just as swiftly.

A sharp whistle sliced through the air, and monsters began pouring out of the forest.

While Sirien tended to the wounded, Nezra had been quietly preparing his retreat.

We had put out the immediate fire on our side. Now, Sirien’s divine power fully enveloped me, standing guard.

Darkness swallowed the surrounding area, and the charging beasts collapsed like marionettes with cut strings.

“Hahaha! Looks like it’s time for me to withdraw this time. I’ll even spare that human over there. It would be a shame to let such an amusement end here. The last time… circumstances were too dire. I had to make an unfortunate choice.”

A countless number of monsters flooded in from the darkness.

Nezra raised his sword and pointed it at me.

“You—successor of Berthus. I have met the man you call your father. No matter how much one evolves and changes, their core always remains. You’ve grown well… into a fine swordsman.”

“…You. Don’t tell me…”

“Kahahaha! That’s right! It was I, Nezra, who slew your father. Without a doubt, it was the most exhilarating moment of my life. My only regret is that I had to share that joy with others.”

My father.

A foolish, clumsy man who knew nothing but the sword.

I thought I had buried all my emotions when it came to him.

But now, standing face to face with his killer, a murderous fury boiled over inside me.

Should I chase him down and kill him right here and now?

Reason threatened to snap. The calculations I had built up in my mind crumbled away.

“Not now.”

The one who stopped me was Sirien.

Her face was paler than mine, cold with fury. But when she spoke, her voice trembled as though she were holding back tears.

“There are too many beasts around us. I… I can’t protect everyone on my own. We need them alive.”

“…Tch.”

“Don’t be impatient. One day, I will find you again. It won’t be long.”

“I promise you. I swear on my name—I will see your vengeance through. Even if it costs me my life, I will chase him to the ends of hell.”

“…I look forward to it.”

Nezra disappeared.

And in his wake, the horde of monsters surged forward.

Baron Esquente, despite being at his limits, gritted his teeth and fought back. But it was clear he wouldn’t be able to hold them off alone.

Sirien’s voice shook as she spoke.

“…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t strong enough… I couldn’t let you go after him.”

Her eyes were red, her fingers trembling as she gripped her lantern tightly.

Seeing her like that… my bloodlust faded.

Idiot. Revenge can wait.

Think about what truly matters. There’s someone far more important standing in front of you.

That damn demon isn’t worth more than the person beside you.

Letting my enemy bleed is far less important than stopping the tears of the woman I love.

So, I smiled. As if none of it had fazed me.

“What’s with the apology? Don’t cry. A leader shouldn’t show weakness in front of her knight.”

“…Mm. Thank you, Razen.”

“Let’s clean up this mess first.”

Fortunately, there were plenty of monsters to cut down.

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