Episode 258 The Grave of Swords (4)

“Find out for yourself.”

Vikir pulled his full strength of his body.

His magic sword, Beelzebub, extended out, and a rapidly rotating aura blazed across its surface.

A solid materialized aura in thin air, the symbol of the Swordmaster.

[……!]

CaneCorso’s eyes widened slightly.

In the darkness of the void, a single, dying flame burned.

The firewood must be a curiosity.

Then, from his iron throne, CaneCorso stood up.

As he stood, the already stifling atmosphere in the grave of swords seemed to grow even more suffocating.

CaneCorso’s lips parted.

[Kid, you don’t have a very good personality. Who is your father…….]

“Question and Answer Dance.”

Vikir drew upon the Swordmaster’s aura and the wraiths of the monsters.

…Ssssssshhh!

Baskerville 4th, Vikir’s most confident move in his two lives, was unleashed.

Though Vikir is now capable of producing up to 7th form, there is nothing quite like the 4th form for mindless swordplay.

It requires very little mana and has a physical proficiency of over 100%, so it can be said to be a cost-effective regular strike.

[……Hoah. This level of proficiency, and you still look so young].

CaneCorso avoided all of Vikir’s attacks by simply tilting his head back slightly.

[Clearly a Baskerville, and whose descendant are you? Boston Terrier? Great Dane? No, you look very different. Is that Hugo, the boy?]

And of course, CaneCorso also performed the Baskerville 4th form.

Clang!

Space is shattered.

Vikir’s Crimson aura and CaneCorso’s Black aura tangled and clashed ferociously.

Clang! Claang! Drrrrrrzzz!

The atmosphere was shattering into pieces.

Shattered fragments of air rushed out in all directions, creating a sword wind.

Through clenched teeth, Vikir continued to swing Beelzebub.

CaneCorso’s eyes widened once more as he watched Beelzebub emit a crimson glow from Vikir’s wrist.

[Is this the magic sword Baalzebub that was actually used…… In the past, even the brilliant twins Cain and Abel spent three years searching for it and never managed to get their hands on it. Boy, how do you possess it?]

But Vikir did not answer.

…Boom!

That’s because before CaneCorso’s sword could reach his throat, the black mask Vikir had tied around his neck was pulled off.

<Mask of Picaresque> / Mask

-Kinship (Fratricide) +0

-Insight (Human-Beast) -On

Vikir transformed into a black dog in an instant, using his smaller body to dodge CaneCorso’s sword.

At the same time, Vikir leapt between CaneCorso’s legs, removing his mask and returning to his human form to swing his sword.

[…… what?]

CaneCorso could only stare in disbelief as Vikir’s method defied common sense.

Dogfight. Complete raw combat. No human dignity expected or given to the opponent. It’s like fighting with a monster.

[Hehehe, it’s been a while since I’ve had a fight like this].

However, surprisingly, CaneCorso didn’t seem to mind this kind of battle.

…Thud!

The sword aura flew towards his groin, but CaneCorso blocked it with the hilt of his greatsword, knocking Vikir away from him.

“I’d be grateful for the distance.”

Even as he was being thrown, Vikir reached out and retrieved the black cloak that had been hanging on the wall.

There, the Black Bow Anubis bared its teeth.

Psssttt!

The terrifying arrow rushed toward CaneCorso in five trajectories.

[……Is it archery this time? I’ve never seen a Swordmaster so good at Archery before].

CaneCorso treated Balak’s archery as just a trivial skill.

Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk!

His black aura formed a round sphere, crushing all the arrows flying from all directions.

At the same time.

Swash!

CaneCorso charged forward with a tremendous leap and swung his greatsword.

However, he was forced to pause in midair.

[……?]

Invisible threads wrapped around CaneCorso’s body in countless directions.

Hack, hack, hack.

Vikir could see the cub perched on his shoulder, a look of triumph on it’s face.

“Well done.”

Vikir patted the cub once, then leapt off to reach CaneCorso.

An opening, this opening would be his only chance to take down the great man of the previous generation.

‘If I can defeat him, I may have the answer to reaching the next level.’

And a chance to get my hands on the Wraith Tree, too.

Blast!

The full power of Baskerville 7th was revealed.

CaneCorso’s eyes widened as he saw the seven teeth clearly revealed before him.

[Baskerville’s Seventh Form!! And the ‘Lurking Ambush’ swordsmanship!! How can I be so ignorant……!?]

Surprisingly, CaneCorso recognized Vikir’s swordsmanship.

This was something Vikir had never expected.

How could this old man know the secret of the Baskervilles, a secret that not even Hugo knew because the original swordsmanship manuals had been destroyed?

But the question was never answered.

The gap created by the Picaresque Mask, Balak’s archery, and baby Madame’s wire trap combination was not to be missed by Vikir.

Creak, creak, creak, creak, creak, creak, creak!

The seven teeth that could defeat even the demon king, ravaged the CaneCorso’s entire body.

‘Gotcha.’

For a moment, Vikir felt a sense of futility at the victory he had achieved so easily.

……But only for a moment.

“……!”

Vikir flinched for a moment due to the strange sensation of touching the tip of his teeth.

Then, as the fragments of aura, wind, and water vapor cleared, Vikir could see what was in front of him.

Surprisingly, CaneCorso was unharmed.

All seven of Vikir’s strikes had been blocked by the heavy, thick armor of unknown material that CaneCorso wore.

At the same time.

…Boom!

CaneCorso’s huge hand grabbed Vikir’s throat and tightened.

Black gauntlets wrapped around his fingers were made of an unknown material just like the Grave of Swords.

Vikir tried to cut off CaneCorso’s arm, but was repeatedly blocked by the thick, hard armor.

Who would have thought there was something in the world that the Swordmaster’s aura couldn’t cut!

CaneCorso looked down at Vikir in wonder.

[Rising to the realm of Supreme at such a young age, I’m surprised. There’s a genius in the family].

“…….”

Vikir frowned.

Whatever the armor CaneCorso wears is made of, it is indestructible, no matter how hard he tries.

It wraps around his entire body from the neck down, and there’s nothing Vikir can do about it.

And then. CaneCorso said.

[But even in the realm of Supreme, there are classes].

“……!”

Vikir’s eyes widened.

Originally, when someone reach this level, even a passing word from a higher being can give you a great deal of inspiration.

In CaneCorso’s mutterings, Vikir got the hint he’d been waiting for. Her recklessness had paid off.

……If there’s one problem, it’s that I might die right now?

With that, CaneCorso slammed Vikir to the ground.

Swahh, jijijijig-

Vikir twisted his body in midair and landed on his hands and feet.

Although the skin on his palms was completely ripped off while he was being pushed back, at least he was able to keep his neck and spine from snapping.

CaneCorso spoke nonchalantly.

[Just as the Expert and Graduator are divided into upper, middle, and lower boundaries for convenience, so are the Swordmasters].

“……!”

[You’re just a chick who’s just stepped into the realm of the Supreme].

CaneCorso smiled faintly.

[I can see what you’re thinking, yes. I thought the same thing as you when I first entered this tower. Of course, I was much older than you then].

Afterward, he added softly.

[Maybe… just maybe, it’s possible for you, at your age, to see the last page of ‘that book of swordsmanship’…….]

“?”

Vikir frowned at the word he didn’t recognize.

Then CaneCorso laughed. Bright enough to make me feel sick.

[Good, then I’ll show you. It’s the least I can do for the man who will be the next Tower Lord].

At the same time, he muttered something unintelligible.

…Rumbling! blug blug blug-.

A black aura began to boil from his entire body.

“……!”

For a moment, Vikir had to fall from the chilling aura that enveloped his entire body.

Drrrrrrr……

The entire Grave of Swords was shaking.

At the same time, the instincts of a veteran screamed frantically at him to get the hell out of here!

Grrrrrk……

In an instant, CaneCorso’s massive greatsword rose into the air, and then.

…BOOM!

It fell straight toward the ground.

A stream of black lightning.

The single, simple movement soon split into several trajectories, rushing toward Vikir.

And Vikir watched.

” ……9th-form!?”

‘Lurking Ambush’, the Ultimate of the Baskervilles that he thought he was the only one mastering.

It was a nine-toothed blade, tearing the world apart.