ushernet Chapter 76: Refusal to Awaken
Chapter 76: Refusal to Awaken
Chapter 76: Refusal to Awaken
The first strike.
The moment Luke crossed swords with the Sword Saint Cyrus, he wasn’t filled with vague doubts or discomfort. Instead, he was immediately overwhelmed by a burning rage and pride.
The second strike.
The blow Luke received felt like a probing strike. His talent made it clear to him.
It was a considerate strike, aiming to determine how much strength was needed to bring the fight to the best possible conclusion.
Luke was almost consumed by his anger. He let his emotions flow like a raging river and swung his sword, using every skill at his disposal, alternating between strength and flexibility as he attacked.
Even the Sword Saint Cyrus couldn’t help but be impressed. He quickly realized that the boy, Luke, was brimming with talent. The most remarkable thing was his unpredictable attacks, as if fighting against dozens of swordsmen at once.
At Luke’s age, most would be intoxicated by their own talent, relying heavily on their skills. But this boy was different. He even used skill-based attacks as feints, waiting for the perfect moment to exploit Cyrus’s openings.
(He must have had a good teacher. And his vision is extraordinary.)
It wasn’t just about forcing techniques. He engaged in a tactical exchange, shaking his opponent and swinging his sword to break through somehow.
Everyone in the arena, not just Cyrus, understood that this match was not just a pastime.
Even though he was supposed to be crossing swords with a teenager, it felt like he was facing a seasoned swordmaster.
An undeniable prodigy, which made Cyrus ponder: what would be the best way for this boy for the fight to end?
But Cyrus was not that skillful. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a good solution.
So, he decided to show just a glimpse of his own power.
The murmurs in the arena grew louder.
Why? Because a crack appeared in the suddenly formed dark cocoon, along with a surge of dark magic.
“...”
Emerging as if from metamorphosis was a boy, Luke Wizaria Gilbert.
Although he was not an unexpected figure, most of those who saw him couldn’t stop trembling for some reason.
It was a profound, primal fear, like the kind that makes one freeze in front of a dragon—a completely natural reaction.
“You damn bastaaaaaaaaard!!!”
With a roar like a beast, Luke punched the ground.
─”World of Darkness”
Not by his will, but triggered by his rising anger, the magic activated and enveloped the imperial capital in darkness.
Sunlight was swallowed by the dark, forcing a sudden night that left everyone bewildered. Then, a continuous sound like breaking glass echoed. Looking for the source, they found it above—the sky had a massive crack.
Those with little knowledge of magic feared it was the end of the world. However, it was not the end, but a crack in the magical barrier covering the capital, caused by Luke’s spell.
“Lukeeeeeee!!!”
Further chaos ensued.
A woman’s voice, amplified many times over, suddenly echoed through the arena. Unable to keep up with the changing situation, everyone was stunned.
Looking up at the source of the voice, they saw two women in the kingdom’s formal attire repairing the crack.
“It’s okay! Freya and I will protect the capital from any damage! So go all out! Go all out! Ahahahaha!”
“...Sister.”
The woman floating in the air seemed to be protecting them, but something was clearly off about her. As Alfred watched Amelia’s crazed smile, he thought how unsettling an excited adult could be.
People were undecided on whether to stay or flee until they remembered his presence.
“People of the Kingdom! Rest Assured!”
The Sword Saint Cyrus’s voice rang out.
The Empire had him. Where could one flee, leaving the side of the world’s strongest swordsman?
The safest place in this world was here. Finally, people began to regain a bit of calm.
“Ugh... Damn it! Damn, damn, damn! Aaaaah!”
Luke punched the ground, not caring if his fists bled, repeatedly hitting the earth.
Then, with tears of blood, he glared at Cyrus.
“I... admit it...”
With a face twisted in bitterness, Luke muttered in a barely audible voice.
“─I admit it! Sword Saint!”
With even more dark magic power surging from him, Luke roared.
“I... As I am now... In terms of swordsmanship, right now, you’re the strongest...!!”
Luke’s hands trembled with burning anger.
“Huh?”
Even Amelia, who was well-versed in magic, couldn’t grasp Luke’s current state at all. Therefore, she desperately wanted to see it—what Luke would do now. However,
“Don’t mess with me, AAARGH!”
Fortunately or unfortunately, Luke had ‘memories.’ Memories that this world was a created one.
Because of this, he could not accept this ‘awakening.’ The reason being,
“Are you saying that in my current state, I can’t win?!”
He knew that awakening usually occurred in the face of an overwhelmingly strong enemy that one couldn’t defeat.
Therefore, with the belief that the enemy before him was not unbeatable, Luke rejected the awakening.
With a roar, the spirits were expelled from Luke, and his abnormally swollen magical power began to subside slowly.
“──’Dark Body Enhancement’!”
He immediately cast another spell, enveloping himself in darkness once again.
This spell aimed to compensate for his lacking physical abilities.
However, he did not possess the exorbitant magic capacity like Abel.
Even so, a half-hearted enhancement wouldn’t bridge the gap between him and the Sword Saint.
“I don’t like imitating that guy, but I have no choice.”
Therefore, Luke transformed his enhancement into ‘temporary growth,’ achieving an extraordinary level of body enhancement.
“Kuku... Sorry to keep you waiting, Sword Saint. Let’s resume the match.”
The boy who emerged from the darkness was no longer a boy.
He stood tall and lean, with a well-toned body that had not become overly muscular. In his place was a young man, appearing to be in his early twenties.
Magic is about making the impossible possible by converting magical power. Therefore, those well-versed in magic could somewhat understand the concept of converting magical power into ‘temporary growth.’
However, almost everyone, including Amelia, would ask the same question—’How?’
“YABEEEEEEEEE!”
Amelia was even more excited, while Alfred was even more put off by her reaction.
Yet, both couldn’t take their eyes off Luke.
“...”
The ice dragon, Dia, slowly descended into the garden of the Gilbert estate and lay down.
A strong presence was approaching. They were probably aware of Dia as well, but it didn’t matter.
All Dia needed to do was kill them all. Simple enough.
More bothersome was the arrogant human named “Eaopora” who had recently arrived. Being told by her master, Luke, to cooperate with this woman was highly unpleasant.
‘Why did I have to cooperate with such a human? It was true that this person had the aura of a dragon, but—’
(...Does he doubt my ability alone?)
Being told to cooperate with humans made Dia feel incredibly mistrusted. The very thought almost drove her crazy.
She closed her eyes, trying to calm the anger bubbling within her.
“──”
But she quickly opened them again.
She raised her long neck and glared into the void.
(No way...)
As Luke’s familiar, she sensed that Luke had taken serious damage.
This was almost unbelievable to Dia because Luke had overpowered her, a dragon.
So, why was Luke hurt? Dia quickly had a suspicion and—
“THOSE DAMN MORTALSSS!!”
Dia roared in fury.
She knew that the weak used deceit and tricks to manipulate the strong, just as she had once been deceived and controlled.
She was certain that Luke must have been ensnared by some treacherous means. Dia’s rage nearly consumed her.
Driven by her fury, she flapped her wings and took to the sky.
Her destination was, naturally, the empire.
TLN:
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