FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Dekor]
[PR: Spades]
Chapter 22
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Only Christian could subdue the holy sword.
That was the truth.
'Even a Demon King would find it impossible. Given the inherent flaws in the holy sword.'
Subdue.
Actually, it wasn't quite that.
Christian could handle the holy sword, or more precisely, hold it without any issues, because he exploited a loophole in the mechanism by which the holy sword normally rejects magi.
In other words, it was a workaround.
'Far from subduing it, he's just cautiously handling it through a workaround.'
Anyway, it didn't matter.
Whether it was true subjugation or a workaround, the important thing was that he held the holy sword in his hand.
"That's impressive. To subdue the holy sword. But did you really subdue it?"
Melin, standing in the training ground, asked.
"Not completely. Perhaps halfway…?"
In truth, it was not even half, he was merely handling it cautiously, but he stated it confidently.
"If you feel respect, you might as well pledge your loyalty to me."
Melin smiled.
"Well, you're quite entertaining, young master. It's enjoyable."
With that,
Fwoosh!
Melin charged.
Fast.
A speed incomparable to when she had used her 1-star magi previously.
'I can't keep up with her speed.'
Christian admitted.
The gap in skills, precisely the difference between levels was too great.
The physical abilities and magi he could wield were incomparable to Melin's.
But it didn't matter.
Why had he gone through the trouble of acquiring the holy sword?
'From above. Slash down!'
He couldn't match her speed, but he could anticipate her moves.
Then, even at a slower speed, he could respond.
Even if he could respond, overwhelming force would shatter it, but in Christian's hand was the holy sword.
A weapon that was the natural enemy of magi.
Clang!
Melin's swung sword clashed with the broken holy sword.
The magi enveloping Melin's sword was neutralized by the holy sword's counteracting effect. It was like fire meeting water, both evaporating.
Only then did Melin realize why Christian had said those words earlier.
'A superior weapon can help bridge the gap in power.'
Christian had brought the holy sword as a strategy to counter Melin's magi!
No matter how skillful he was, pushing against strong magi would leave him without a chance.
'So you think you can oppose me just by blocking my magi?'
Melin smirked.
Magi was just one of her many powers.
The true power of a mage skilled in combat lay in their highly trained martial arts.
Melin pressed Christian more aggressively.
Her powerful sword strikes fell on Christian.
Clang! Clank!
Christian was pushed back.
Obviously, he was no match.
It seemed like he might kneel at any moment, but as time passed, Melin's expression became more complex.
'Is he blocking all my attacks? Completely?'
His appearance was insufficient, but he was still not allowing a single effective hit.
Melin soon realized why.
'He's reading my attacks. In advance.'
Advance.
That was crucial.
Before she could even extend her hand, Christian was already moving, as if he could foresee her attacks.
At first, she thought it was a coincidence.
It wasn't.
If it were a coincidence, the same thing wouldn't keep happening.
'How exactly?'
Melin looked perplexed.
Of course, predicting an opponent's movements is not impossible.
As one's realm and understanding of combat deepen, the opponent's actions naturally become predictable.
Melin, facing a lower-tier opponent, could also clearly foresee their next move.
But Christian was not such an opponent.
In reality, Christian was predicting movements through an entirely different method.
'I have quite a good eye for detail.'
There are commonalities in the motions of swordsmanship.
For instance, certain postures are inevitably required for specific motions.
Like raising one's hand to make a downward slash.
And before such a posture, there are other motions that must be taken.
Like moving the muscles of the shoulder and upper arm to raise the hand.
This was a commonality, irrelevant of whether one was a master or a novice.
And Christian, with his vast accumulated knowledge from the past, had a high understanding of human motion, catching these minute movements with his sharp eyesight to predict the next moves.
Meanwhile, those observing their duel kept their mouths firmly shut.
They were astounded.
"…What do you think, sister? Isn't what I said correct?"
"..."
"My son is truly a genius."
"…Is that what you call it?"
"What?"
Count Kazar frowned.
Merian had never liked Christian, mostly due to his reckless antics until now.
But it was undeniable that he was a genius.
Who else could display such a capability?
Among the princes of the main family, no one could block a 4-star mage's sword with just 1-star of magical power.
"That was more impressive than when we were young…"
"Not just impressive, you fool!"
"…What did you say?"
"Don't you see it? Christian, how he's manipulating his magi!"
As Merian raised her voice, Count Kazar's eyes widened.
He finally saw it.
There was something peculiar about Christian's manipulation of magi.
The flow was unnatural, and the core's magi exhibited strange fluctuations.
"Why…?"
Count Kazar furrowed his brow, puzzled.
The son he knew had an almost unbelievable mastery over magi for a 1-star mage.
Why was his performance stable during training without any fluctuations?
'Could there be something wrong with Christian's core?'
But it seemed that wasn't the case.
Count Kazar realized that Christian was intentionally manipulating his magi in such a manner.
But why?
Wasn't that the same as performing acrobatics with magi?
"I don't understand why he's doing that."
"Ha, you don't understand? Of course, you wouldn't."
"Sister?"
"He's deliberately showing that kind of magi movement to avoid the holy sword's rejection!"
"!!"
Merian clamped her mouth shut.
'Insane, can there really be a person who can do such a thing?'
She was the daughter of Duke Nordian, a Mage lord.
Among several siblings, she was the most favored by Nordian.
She had been there when the Lord tried to subdue the Grunade.
"I won't do it."
"Even the Lord can't?"
"No, it's not that I can't, it's that I won't. It's dirty and petty."
The Lord grumbled as he looked at the broken holy sword.
"It's possible. If one has a sense of magi manipulation bordering on madness."
"Wasn't father's magi manipulation also at its peak?"
"It's not just about reaching an exceptional realm. This is about a natural, innate sense to handle magi as easily as breathing. Plus, you'd need to have at least two brains to do it."
"??"
The Lord explained one by one.
"What is magi?"
"It's turning qi into dark energy. Mana is turning qi into light energy."
"Then what is darkness? Also, what is light?"
"..."
Merian couldn't answer easily.
She knew, yet she didn't understand
'darkness' and 'light.' It was that complicated a question.
"Even you, a high-ranking mage, cannot answer this question easily. Then how would this thing, the holy sword, distinguish between darkness and light? It's just an inanimate object."
"..."
"It's about properties. Magi and Mana have unique properties of their own. The holy sword uses various magical means to detect these properties. Typically, it detects them by comparing wavelengths. Since the fundamental wavelengths of magi and mana are different."
The Lord flicked the Grunade with his finger.
Despite the contact, the holy sword surprisingly did not react.
"But this thing is broken, so the part that senses those wavelengths is partially lost."
"Then?"
"If you manipulate magi at a wavelength it cannot detect, you can deceive it. Perhaps the fallen hero could use it because his wavelength matched."
The Lord kept flicking the holy sword playfully.
The holy sword continued not to react.
"Then father can handle it too? Beating the wavelength of magi is nothing for you."
"While fighting in actual combat?"
"..."
Merian could not answer.
The Lord flicked the holy sword forcefully, seeming annoyed.
Zing. The holy sword shook as if it was in pain.
"It might work for a while. But as you know, every time magi moves, its wavelength changes continuously. In other words, every time you move magi, you must endlessly vary it to a wavelength it cannot detect."
"That would be impossible."
"Yes. If anyone could do it, they would be someone who could handle magi as naturally as breathing from birth.
The Lord continued."
"Furthermore, that's not all. You'd have to be able to engage in combat while manipulating magi like performing acrobatics. And if you make even one mistake, you'd fall into a trance. It's not something a human can do."
The Lord added one more thing.
"That guy would be a mad monster, born with the sense to handle magi easier than breathing, and at the same time having two brains. Such a person doesn't exist in this world, but maybe a devil from Gehenna or a dragon might be able to."
Such a person does not exist in the world.
Merian agreed with that statement.
Changing the wavelength of magi was a matter of innate sense.
It required a natural ability to move magi as effortlessly as breathing.
However, even those with such abilities could not handle the holy sword.
This was because they had to perform this acrobatics while fighting an opponent.
As the Lord had said, unless one had two separate minds—one for manipulating magi and another for responding to an opponent—it was impossible.
Yet, that impossible feat was unfolding.
'He's not just fighting normally. He's manipulating his magi like performing acrobatics and predicting Melin's movements at the same time?'
It was astonishing enough to do just one, but he was simultaneously managing several incredible feats.
"…You are truly remarkable."
Unable to overpower Christian, Melin stepped back slightly and started doing dark magic.