First, Hydeâs appearance disappeared along with his presence. It had been briefly disturbed by Frost Storm, but his Aura Ability was second to none. Moreover, the effect of his ability had nothing to do with his condition, so Hydeâs presence didnât leave even a speck of dust.
Even so, Theodore laughed. âStill, it isnât perfect.â
As expected, Hyde revealed a bit of presence due to the impact of Frost Storm. The slight hint of collarbone was proof of the crisis. Theodore could get a few clues and then move his body in response to the warning of his senses.
Right at that moment, the hairs on Theodoreâs neck stood up.
Shayak.
He took half a step backward just as the air in front of his neck was cut. It was Hydeâs sword, or perhaps his aura blade. Theodore spread all 10 of his fingers before him.
Pipipiiiiing-!
There was a bombardment of Magic Bullets. The transcendent blue lights, far beyond Alfredâs original version, shot out 10 times. It was impossible to see this barrage as random shots. In fact, a few of them headed toward Hydeâs body and vanished. It wasnât possible to damage him properly, but it did reveal Hydeâs body.
âOkay, it works!â Theodore smiled and formed a fist as his shooting worked.
In fact, Magic Bullet was excellent against melee experts such as sword masters. It was good at close range, but it was difficult to hit the target when the distance was too far. Although it wasnât that bad, it was ambiguous to use as his main force.
However, this situation was different. Magic Bullet was very efficient when it came to magic power and was capable of firing it continuously. A 7th Circle magician could pour it out like a shower.
Pipipipipi-! The blue light poured out. The light emitted from his fingertips was more fearsome than beautiful. There were approximately three or four bullets per second� No, maybe even more than that. The light rays were being poured out at a rate of close to 50 times per second, making it appear like a meteor shower.
Gravel and dirt sprang up as the light touched the ground, leaving blue afterimages behind. This wasnât like the war heroâs skill, but the power of Magic Bullet was truly awesome. However, Theodoreâs opponent was a sword master who surpassed even a past hero.
The concept of this technique had been devised by someone weak, so a sword master could easily trample on it.
Pit!
Suddenly, blood poured from Theodoreâs body.
âKuokâŚ!â
Theodore was half a beat too late. He had been struck off guard due to the enemyâs boldness of attacking while receiving damage from Magic Bullet. Fortunately, his bones and nerves were safe. However, there was still blood pouring from the deep cut.
He quickly used healing magic while retreating a few steps, before he started shivering. It was proof that Hydeâs position was near. The edge of the blade had gone through Frost Storm and tickled Theodoreâs ribs.
Simultaneously, Theodore bent his waist back unconsciously.
Swik!
This was an avoidance method from the East which wouldnât be possible to use if he were wearing heavy armor. His folded upper body was now parallel to the ground and completely avoided the sword.
It was an unbelievable reaction which even surprised himself, but Theodore stood upright again and kicked with his right foot.
Ppak!
It was a perfect hit. Although it wasnât enough to break the Aura Ability, a few drops of blood fell onto the ground.
Thanks to Battle Song, Theodoreâs strength was already equivalent to that of an aura user. This meant the power of his kick wasnât much different from a hit by a mace. Even the body of a sword master would receive a shock which would cause a nosebleed.
However, Theodore instinctively understood that although it felt like he had the momentum, Hyde had actually used this to take one step closer to Theodore.
â-Thunderbolt, cry!â Without distributing any mental power to chanting, Theodoreâs short chant summoned seven bolts of thunder.
âSevenfold Thunderbolt.â
This wasnât the âlightning spearâ which concentrated power on one point. Instead, it poured out thunderbolts toward the spot where Hyde was!
Kwarururung-! The sound of thunder was deafening in this enclosed space.
Theodore stared at the spot where the thunderbolts struck as there was a part of the ground which wasnât melted down. He had to watch carefully in order to not miss the movements of the sword master in the center.
However, Hyde didnât move immediately. Instead, he bent over.
ââŚKehup!â The damage seemed to be great this time as Hyde coughed up blood.  The blood was a dark red. It was a color which proved the impact had reached his intestines even though he had defended with aura.
A lightning spear could be invalidated with the god sword, but there was no way to block all the thunderbolts. Theodore, who was trying to estimate the situation, got a sense of enlightenment.
âHey, havenât I become stronger?â
The battles he previously experienced had been much more severe and dangerous than this current battle. Umbra hadnât been used yet, and he didnât have any serious wounds. Additionally, his response had been really fast a while back.
Funnily enough, Theodoreâs power was maturing during this battle. With Alfredâs Magic Bullet, Lee Yoonsungâs martial arts, his own magic, the Artificial Yin and Yang, and Dragon Words⌠This wasnât a hasty battle of survival but one he could actually win.
This was a sense of enjoyment which couldnât be felt in battles against stronger opponents. Confidence made Theodoreâs movements even more violent.
âUgh-!â Hyde had yet to recover from the damage, but he was receiving a bombardment of Magic Bullets again. One hit wasnât fatal, but it was annoying and cumbersome. However, the consumption of aura was too extreme to block all of them.
Hydeâs combat style which maintained the Aura Ability made this an issue. His aura was gradually drying up, and it wouldnât be long before it ran out.
ââŚDonât make me laugh!â Hyde roared.
However, a sword master was a sword master. Hyde used his left arm as a shield and broke through the Magic Bullets coming from the front. A few hit him, but his aura defense was still intact.
Hyde managed to draw near, but Theodore avoided Hydeâs sword. It passed by his temple, and he countered with a punch to Hydeâs body.
Chaaeng! Theodoreâs punch was blocked by Hydeâs silver left arm.
However, this wasnât a constraint as Hyde swung his sword with his other arm which wasnât tied up. Clearly, Hydeâs body was different from a humanâs. Sensing that this wouldnât work, Theodore widened the distance again. No, the moment he tried toâŚ
Hyde screamed with a demon-like face, âThe light that drives away evilâŚ!â
At that moment, a bright light emerged from Hydeâs left arm. It was a small light compared to when he had wiped out the warlocks or created the battlefield, but it was clearly the light of divine power.
This was the nemesis of magic. Before Theodore could take action, âitâ burst out. Argenteous Brilliance.
This was the type of brilliance which had defeated Balor when used by Nuada Airgetlåm. There was no attack power at all, but Theodore was a magician and the light seemed to be stripping away at him.
ââŚNo, it isnât just a feeling!â There was knee-jerk amazement in Theodoreâs eyes. As soon as Argenteous Brilliance was activated, all magic on his body was lifted. Frost Storm, which had been created with Dragon Words, completely disappeared.
It forcibly canceled a 7th Circle magicianâs spell made with Dragon WordsâŚ?
Chill. At that time, Theodore had a foreboding of death.  Heâd lost Battle Song which enhanced his physical abilities, as well as Frost Storm which allowed him to read and block Hydeâs attacks.
A minimum of two seconds was needed before he could return to his previous combat state. He needed to hold on for two seconds in front of a sword master!
âEh?â
Before freezing with terror, Theodoreâs body had moved freely.
Jjeok!
There was a strange sound. It was the sound of Theodoreâs martial arts hitting Hydeâs body. Anyone watching this battle would call it a last hurrah. A sword masterâs aura defense couldnât be crushed by the fist of a human.
ââŚEh?â However, Theodore was forced to make a questioning sound. âWhy?â
Theodore wondered why his fist was fine, as well as why there was no blood on his skin. Why had Hyde taken a few steps back from the punch of a magician? It was such an unimaginable situation that Theodore even forgot to prepare for battle.
This was a moment when the magician showed many gaps because he couldnât understand the phenomenon. However, Hyde couldnât even move his body, let alone stab at the gaps. Shortly after that, Hydeâs face revealed the reason.
âKuheok! Kuk, kuhuupâŚ!â
Hydeâs sword pointed downward as blood flowed down. It was nothing compared to the blood dripping from his lips. Additionally, the taut skin of a man in his 20s shriveled like he was an elderly man, and the size of his body decreased. It was like Hyde had aged dozens of years in an instant.
In a situation that nobody could believe, Theodore discovered the answer to the phenomenon which was happening to Hyde.
ââŚI see. Is that the price for using the god-sword?â
-It seems like it. Gluttony was also convinced about the reason. -I wondered how an unqualified being had this power, but now I know why.
âExplain.â
-It isnât a big deal. It connects to the lost part of the body and has access to the source of life. By consuming the life force of the user, the god-sword is activated. No matter how much vitality a sword master has, he can only use it a few times.
Theodore nodded. Hyde looked terrible. It wasnât merely aging. His life force itself was being sucked out. Perhaps a normal human wouldnât be able to tolerate it. Theodore briefly made a sympathetic expression before continuing to ask Gluttony questions.
âLook at his status and make a decision. How much longer can he last?â
-Hmm. Gluttony observed Hyde through Theodoreâs eyes and said, -His life is deteriorating. Using anything more is impossible. It wonât be long until he dies.
âDamn.â Theodore gritted his teeth because he wanted to end this fight here.  From this point on, Theodore was in a better position, but Hyde wasnât prepared to lose yet. So, Theo couldnât be careless before it was over. His senses warned that something was approaching.
Unsurprisingly, Hyde stood up again. ââŚUp to⌠here.â
As a sword master, he couldnât be unaware of his bodyâs condition. Hyde realized that this place was his grave. The god-sword, Claimhb Solais, would kill him. Perhaps it was a great honor for him to die here. The life which had started in the slums would end with the god-sword.
Hyde smiled and threw the sword in his right hand to the floor.
âWhat are you doing?â It was an act of surrender, but Theodore asked anyway.
âFighting with my sword⌠ends here. Too bad. My strength canât reach you.â
Before Theodore could reply to Hydeâs words, Hyde grabbed his silver left arm. Then he pulled it like he was pulling the sword off.
Kiing!
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It was a sight which seemed like a lie. Theodore thought so as Hyde held the silver sword in his right hand. The blade, Claimhb Solais, shone bright silver with Hydeâs vitality as fuel.
âGlory to the future of AndrasâŚâ Hyde said as he grabbed firmly onto the light which had wiped out the Orcus warlocks and set it up as a sword.
Then he roared, âTheodore Miller, I will take you with me!â
Current schedule:Â 6 chapters a week to match the authorâs release rate.
I have also updated my  to reflect my new novels. Every tier has early access to a certain number of unedited chapters and the chapters will be updated after I finish releasing the chapters for the day