บท 96: Sword Master
*Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!* *Thud!*
Multiple stepping sounds erupted as the heels of the attackers landed, descending from the sky.
Upon landing, they swiftly glided toward Riezel's direction.
Magical energy fluctuated subtly in their bodies, and one by one, unsheathed their swords, aiming directly at him.
Riezel, held by Ian, looked up and saw faces adorned with half masks. These masked attackers were cloaked, wearing iron masks that covered only their noses and mouths, their eyes fixed on him with murderous intent.
In such a situation, Ian wouldn't allow them to approach any further.
After releasing Riezel, she made a swift move and instantly appeared in front of the attackers, almost like teleportation.
"HAAAHHH!" Ian shouted and swung her sword, creating a ripple of magical energy, slashing through the frontmost attacker.
*Clang!*
The attacker hastily raised their sword, intending to parry, but was sent flying along with their weapon, creating a resonant clash of metal.
*Whoosh—*
Ian swiftly moved, slashing and repelling each attacker, displaying unmatched power.
On the other side, Ain swung her sword fiercely, creating a roaring wind that deflected incoming arrows. In the next moment, with a stomp on the ground that shattered the ground, she soared onto the roof of a building, disappearing from sight.
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
The next instant, blood splattered atop the surrounding buildings, the glistening light of a sword flickering in the midst of it.
Soon, the rain of arrows finally ceased.
*BOOM!*
Seeing this, Ian kicked away an attacker charging at her. Wanting to finish them as soon as possible, her sword transformed into continuous flashes of light, creating a spectacle of swordplay as she slashed every attacker in front of her.
Undoubtedly, these attackers were highly skilled, almost superhuman by Riezel's previous life's standards. However, facing the two swordswomen as graceful as flowers, they had no chance, instantly crumbling before their prowess.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort of a man suddenly resounded.
A tall figure leaped from the rooftop of a building, but before landing, he forcefully kicked the wall of a building, causing it to crack open. His body transformed into a bullet, heading straight toward Ian.
"—?!"
Sensing danger, Ian's expression changed slightly. She abruptly turned and, without hesitation, used a quick slash to emit a flash-like strike toward the newcomer.
*DING!*
The two swords clashed in mid-air, sparking intense sparks and a loud noise.
Ian attempted to kick, but the newly arrived attacker's reaction was faster. In mid-air, his waist twisted, body spiraled like a top, flying toward the rear.
"Who?" Ian asked coldly as she held her slender sword in one hand, pointing horizontally, while the other hand gripped a scabbard at her waist.
Not answering, the attacker coldly eyed Ian and abruptly dodged to the right, evading a heavy strike from behind.
*BOOM!*
A large blood-stained longsword, resembling a greatsword, fiercely cleaved into the ground, shattering the floor and raising a cloud of dust.
Ain appeared behind the attacker at some point, but unfortunately, her attack didn't land. However, there was no trace of disappointment on her face as she coldly watched the attacker evade her attack; her eyes were sharp with determination.
"Tsk." The attacker clicked his tongue as he glanced at Ain, then at Ian, left speechless. "The two bodyguards by the target's side are unexpectedly two Sword Masters. No wonder there are no others around."
Unlike magicians, the level of swordsmen couldn't be easily confirmed by appearance. The levels of magicians could be distinguished quite easily, but swordsmen were different. Even those who practiced special swordsmanship could lose to someone who had spent a dozen or more years on elementary swordsmanship if their abilities were lacking.
As a result, swordsmen were not like magicians; their level and strength couldn't be easily discerned. However, to address this, each country on the Akasha continent had established systems to measure the strength and level of swordsmen.
The title of 'Sword Master' was born out of this.
When a swordsman possessed strength far beyond the average, they would be awarded the so-called 'Sword Master Medal' by the royal family or local nobles, signifying honor and ability.
Ordinary swordsmen were considered soldiers, merely lower-level novices.
However, Sword Masters were different.
Jinas had regulations that anyone receiving the Sword Master Medal could, if willing, join the kingdom's knightly order and become a court knight, leading a group of knights. Major nobles also welcomed Sword Masters, and their loyalty was highly valued. Sometimes, their treatment even surpassed that of highly skilled magicians.
Yet now, two swordsmen of Sword Master caliber existed in the same place, at the same time.
Yes, Ain and Ian were Sword Masters who had received the Sword Master Medal.
With combat abilities equivalent to facing a thousand opponents, their strength was enough to make Yuri entrust Riezel's safety to them without worry. Among her many attendants, Marilyn excluded, these two were the strongest.
Faced with two powerful Sword Masters, the lower half of the attacker's face, covered by an iron mask, seemed to contort.
It was only at this moment that Ain and Ian got a clear look at each other's appearance.
This newly arrived attacker was a burly man, wielding a wide-bladed sword, with no cloak on his body, but still wearing the same mask as the other attackers, covering the lower half of his face.
"Who are you?" Ain asked, sounding overbearing.
The burly man didn't answer, only turned his gaze toward Riezel, who was watching coldly from the side, then glanced at his people in cloaks all around, speaking in a low voice.
"Go kill the target."
After saying that, the burly man rushed toward Ain.
Unexpectedly, despite his thick and strong body, he moved surprisingly fast, like a charging tank or war chariot, creating a whistling sound of strong winds, blurring Ain's eyes.
"Ian, protect Mr. Riezel."
Leaving those words behind, Ain also charged toward the burly man, not willing to show weakness.
*Clang!*
The intense metal collision sound echoed in the next moment.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!*
Following it were innumerable sword lights, colliding with each other, creating sparks and bursts of collision sounds, occupying a corner of the dark alley.
Ain and the burly man engaged in a heated battle as soon as they clashed.
Ain swung her longsword fiercely, effortlessly producing streaks of sword light with explosive sounds, aiming to cut the burly man in half.
The burly man rotated his wide-bladed sword like a windmill, using heavy sword edge flicks to counter each of her attacks, and dissipated the sword light unleashed by her.
They moved and clashed relentlessly, leaving marks on the ground and walls around them.
'Is this man also a Sword Master?'
Seeing the battle of the two, Ian looked dignified, not standing still but following Ain's instructions, swiftly moving to protect Riezel.
The other attackers, crawling up from the ground, showed no fear even when their conditions were already miserable. Like emotionless machines, they advanced instead of retreating, surrounding Ian.
Ian tightened the slender sword in her hand, unaffected, waiting for them to approach. Only when they came close did she launch an attack, sending out countless cold sword lights to pierce them.
However, these attackers were clearly fearless.
Some blocked her attacks with their swords and were forced to retreat by the crisp collision sounds. Others didn't react in time, receiving cuts on their shoulders, sides, thighs, and even their jaws, blood spraying. Yet, they continued to relentlessly charge at her, ignoring their injuries and attacking her like machines, overwhelming her in no time.
Their reckless display truly surprised Ian.
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, an arrow flew from somewhere, aiming straight from Riezel's behind.
"NO!" Ian, hearing the whistling sound of the arrow, abruptly changed her expression and without hesitation, turned and rushed toward Riezel.
"Damn it!" Ain, who was locked in a fierce battle with the burly man, wanted to provide support but was forced back by the wide-bladed sword's three consecutive strikes, making her retreat.
The attackers once again swarmed Ian, hindering her movements.
Without anyone interfering, the arrow violently shot toward Riezel without hindrance, its icy arrowhead aimed toward his head.
Unfortunately—
*Clang!*
It was intercepted by a bright silver short sword.
In a flash of silver light, with a crisp sound, the incoming arrow was deflected effortlessly.
Riezel stood still, unmoving.
With the bright silver short sword gripped in his hand, his body maintained a posture as if he had just casually swung it to the side.
His expression stayed calm, his gaze composed.
At that moment, everyone froze and wore expressions of shock.
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