'Belinda…'
Ghislain had taught everyone new mana cultivation techniques and skills, but for Belinda, he had only created a space for her to train.
The mana cultivation techniques and skills she used were flawless, nearly perfect.
There was only one thing she lacked.
'She spent her entire life looking after Elena and me, unable to properly train.'
In the past, she didn't have time to train because she was busy raising them. Now, as the head maid in Fenris, she was tasked with taking care of others.
Even with an excellent mana concentration circle provided, all she could manage was occasional training whenever she had spare time.
'Even so, her skill rivals that of Gillian, who's spent his entire life on the battlefield.'
That alone was a testament to how extraordinary Belinda's talent was, and how remarkable the techniques she used were.
But in her youth, she had given up honing her shining talent, all to take care of Ghislain and Elena.
'Hah…'
That's why Ghislain always felt a pang of guilt whenever he looked at Belinda. For the sacrifices she made, dedicating her life to raising two young siblings.
To her, Ghislain and Elena were undoubtedly like her own children, even if it all started as a promise to their late mother.
'So, I want her to live a little more freely now.'
Ghislain's honest desire was to repay her for that sacrifice.
'Maybe… I can help her a little...'
As he watched the battle, an idea suddenly came to him. Ghislain began spreading threads of mana throughout the space.
He wasn't planning to intervene directly in the fight. He only wanted to help her realize something, to assist her in finding a breakthrough.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sharp energy scattered in all directions. The flashes of light in the darkness resembled clusters of stars.
But those lights were gradually dwindling. Belinda's body was covered in wounds, and all her daggers had fallen to the ground—except for the one she still held.
"Hah, hah…"
Belinda, now bloodied, gasped for breath. In contrast, Melkir appeared only slightly out of breath, with no significant injuries.
Melkir glanced at Ghislain again.
'Is he really planning not to interfere?'
He decided to wait a little longer. But Melkir was slowly resolving to finish Belinda off.
'Fine, keep up that arrogant act.'
Swish.
Drawing more mana, Melkir's dagger shot out like a flash of light. Belinda kicked off the ground, attempting to retreat.
At the same time, Ghislain's voice rang in her ear.
— Just a little lighter.
Swish!
Suddenly, Belinda moved farther back than she had intended. She realized that Ghislain's power had intervened.
'Young Master…'
— Your movements are too heavy, Belinda.
'What…'
Belinda couldn't finish her thought as Melkir's dagger flew toward her again.
"Ugh!"
She bent her body, narrowly avoiding another attack. Once again, an invisible force had intervened.
She tried to increase her speed somehow, following Ghislain's advice.
But his voice stopped her.
— It's not about being faster. You need to move lighter. That's probably the key.
No one had ever seen all the techniques Belinda could use. She had never fought so openly, employing every skill at her disposal.
Even Ghislain, despite his keen observation, couldn't completely grasp her high-level techniques in a single glance.
But as he continued to watch, he felt he understood the ultimate direction of her techniques.
— Belinda, you must know deep down how to do this. Remember. Your mana isn't lacking—you absorbed part of the Dragon Heart, didn't you?
Slash!
Blood spurted from Belinda's cheek as another cut was inflicted. Still, she focused on Ghislain's words even as she dodged Melkir's attacks.
Thanks to Ghislain's intervention, it was slightly easier to move.
'Not faster, but lighter…? Remember?'
— If you're truly the sole successor of that group, you must have seen the ultimate form of these techniques at least once. Right?
Belinda caught the meaning behind his words and reached into her memory.
Now wasn't the time to focus on the mana cultivation techniques and skills she had learned from written instructions or oral teachings.
She thought back to her childhood, to the most vivid memory etched in her mind.
'Lady Annette…'
A beautiful blonde woman danced. Around her, radiant stars circled.
The stars adorning the darkness moved here and there, following the touch of the blonde woman's hands as they danced together.
As a young girl, Belinda had watched the trajectory of those stars with an expression of pure awe.
She had longed to reach that level. That had been her dream.
But she couldn't reach it.
Slash!
Blood gushed from another cut on Belinda's arm. Yet she kept moving.
She gazed at the dance she could no longer witness, her eyes dazed.
Ah, she remembered. Something she had long forgotten in the rush of a busy life.
In her memory, Annette smiled and spoke.
— "Did you see that? Someday, you'll be able to do it too. Don't forget this feeling."
After absorbing the Dragon Heart, Belinda had trained whenever she could to master Annette's secret techniques.
But even when she invested every spare moment she had, she could never fully achieve it. It wasn't because her mana was insufficient, nor was there an issue with the flow of her mana road.
She couldn't figure out why, and half gave up. She assumed she just needed more time and experience.
Ghislain's voice echoed again.
— Your movements are starting to feel a little different. Let me help you.
Swish!
Once more, Belinda kicked off the ground and retreated. She was still too busy dodging Melkir's daggers to do anything else.
Yet, thanks to Ghislain's intervention, she was moving farther than she expected. Her body felt as light as a feather.
'Could I… move like this?'
She thought she understood. It wasn't just about moving faster.
Why hadn't she done this before? What had been holding her back?
Ghislain's voice rang in her ear again.
— Belinda, your heart is too heavy.
'Heavy?'
– Like my father, you've always carried worries about me and Elena.
'…But Young Master, my duty is…'
— You need to be as solitary and unbound as the stars in the sky. At least at this moment.
'I…'
— No worries, no burdens, no responsibilities. Let them all go.
'Young Master…'
— I've always felt sorry for you, Belinda. And I'm grateful. You've spent your entire life taking care of Elena and me, giving up your own.
'No, it's what I wanted. I've never regretted it.'
— I know how you feel. But for now, just for a moment, let it go. That's what's been holding you back.
Tap.
Belinda pushed off the ground, evading another attack. This time, her steps made almost no sound. Her footprints were barely visible.
She began to move as if floating.
'This feeling…'
Thanks to Ghislain's mana, she could move with minimal effort. The tension in her body slowly dissipated.
It felt as though someone was lifting her, defying gravity for a brief moment. Nothing seemed able to hold her down.
'This is…'
This was it. The feeling she had seen in Annette's dance—floating freely among the stars without any restraints.
The group Belinda had belonged to was one that had been protecting the Kingdom of Lutania from the shadows for generations.
However, the secret technique of that group could only be attained by freeing oneself from the chains of obligation, by overcoming contradictions.
'Ah… so this is what it was…'
Once she realized the feeling, it seemed as if the state she had long yearned for was now within her grasp.
Even Ghislain's mana, which had been assisting her movements, began to feel cumbersome.
At that moment, Ghislain's mana disappeared. Belinda's movements became even lighter, even faster.
But it wasn't perfect. She needed to take one more step forward to fully enter that realm.
Even now, something lingering in her heart was blocking the way.
Then, Ghislain's calm voice echoed in her ear again.
— Belinda.
She had always lived in hiding, even though she had the potential to shine brighter than anyone else. She had suppressed everything she possessed, living only for Ghislain and Elena.
She had always stood behind them, pouring infinite affection and dedication into their lives.
Ghislain couldn't help but feel both gratitude and guilt for that.
— Let yourself relax now. Don't worry so much.
It wasn't easy. Having lost everything, Ghislain and Elena were her entire world.
How could she simply watch over them with ease?
As if he understood her heart completely, Ghislain spoke with a confident and powerful voice, more resolute than ever.
— I'm all grown up now, aren't I? So, it's really okay.
Belinda smiled. Tears welled up in her eyes.
But these were not tears of sorrow—they were tears of joy, mingled with pride.
Swish!
Melkir's dagger once again sliced through the darkness.
Belinda leaned her head and torso back, narrowly dodging it. At the same time, her hand moved slightly.
Rrrrumble...
The daggers that had fallen to the ground, their edges chipped and strings broken, began to tremble.
Melkir sensed that something was wrong. The flow of mana around them was unusual.
"You wretch! What are you trying to pull all of a sudden?!"
Swish!
Belinda dodged another dagger and moved her other hand. Her movements began to resemble a dance more and more.
Rrrrumble...
The trembling daggers slowly began to rise into the air. Melkir's eyes widened as he watched Belinda.
"You, you can't mean..."
Melkir drew more mana, swinging his dagger with tremendous speed. Straining under the effort, black smoke started pouring violently from his mouth.
Yet, he couldn't even graze Belinda's clothes.
It was as though he were fighting a ghost. Each time he attacked, Belinda slipped away like a feather, gently carried by the force of his strikes.
'This... this movement!'
Melkir realized that Belinda had broken through the wall. Her movements were identical to those of Annette, the one who had once killed him.
At that moment, Belinda's lips moved, and a soft voice escaped.
"The Resonance that Stirs Starlight."
Screeeech!
Melkir spun around, swinging his dagger as he did.
Clang!
One of the chipped daggers, now enveloped in a brilliant blue light, flew toward him. Even after Melkir deflected it, the dagger didn't fall to the ground. It continued to press against him.
"You... you mad..."
Melkir was flabbergasted. He was essentially locked in a power struggle with a single floating dagger. But what shocked him even more...
"An... Aura Blade..."
It was unbelievable. The dagger attacking him was enveloped in a short Aura Blade.
Belinda was now unleashing Aura Blades without even holding a weapon in her hands.
And that wasn't the end of it.
Whoosh!
Daggers wreathed in Aura Blades began shooting toward him from all directions. Their numbers increased one by one until every dagger that had been lying on the ground—all dozens of them—rushed at Melkir.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
Melkir desperately moved, blocking and dodging the daggers. But there were simply too many.
Each one's individual power was insufficient to match a Master, but they were all emitting Aura Blades. It was akin to being attacked by dozens of high-level knights at once.
In a moment of panic, Melkir muttered with terrified eyes.
"This... this woman... really mastered that technique…"
Countless trails of light crisscrossed the space around him. Despite his will, Melkir found himself trapped within that space.
This was a symphony of fleeting moments, a celebration of infinite space.
The ultimate secret technique of Annette, the once strongest in the kingdom and leader of the Shadow Knights, was now perfectly realized in this place.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
The daggers moved at incredible speed, dominating the space. Around Melkir, the only thing visible was the brilliant trajectories of the daggers' light.
"Gaaahhh!"
Unable to block all the rushing daggers, Melkir's body was slashed and torn.
Belinda stopped moving. Her fiery gaze fixed on Melkir.
Clang!
Two daggers, hidden at her waist, were now in her hands.
Before her eyes, the image of Annette appeared, smiling as she finished her dance.
— "Now you can shine like the stars in the sky."
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]