A Spacetime That May Exist (6)

On the other side, in the village.

Stark returned carrying a still-wriggling fish, its tail flicking out a few droplets of water. He sat down by the fire next to Genau, skewered the fish with a branch, and placed it over the fire.

"I caught a fish, how about some midnight snack?"

Genau sat across the fire, his gaze fixed on the leaping flames. He shook his head.

"I won't. Methode will get angry, saying that eating late-night snacks is bad for your health."

"Really?" Stark flipped the fish over. "Then I'll eat it myself."

The fire crackled.

Stark stared at the fish skin, which was gradually turning yellowish-brown, and suddenly spoke.

"By the way, you actually know who the Demons who attacked the village were, right?"

Genau looked away from the fire and gazed at the shadows of the distant ruins. He remained silent for a moment.

"Probably. There are very few people who use the Four-Sword Style."

His voice was steady, without much variation.

"The divine skill, Leifuerdi. My partner died at its hands. If the Knights hadn't arrived with reinforcements, I probably would have suffered the same fate."

"What an exaggerated title," Stark said.

"Hmm." Genau nodded. "This title comes from the four swords he forged with magic. He can freely control the weight of the swords, sometimes as heavy as a boulder, sometimes as light as a feather, but their sharpness remains constant. Modeled after the sword that shattered a giant mountain in mythical times, the sword technique is called 'Divine Skill: Shattered Sword'."

He paused for a moment.

"A sword that is both light and sharp, yet incredibly heavy—it sounds contradictory, doesn't it? Magic can create substances that don't exist in this world, especially magically crafted weapons, which are practically the embodiment of killing intent. And after the Demons create these weapons, they slaughter humans indiscriminately, almost as if testing the blade, engaging in endless carnage."

As soon as Genau finished speaking, his body suddenly stiffened.

He raised his head, his sharp gaze sweeping towards the broken wall on the north side of the village.

"Stark."

"Hmm." Stark put down the grilled fish, his hand already gripping the axe handle behind his back. "I sensed it too. The enemy, right?"

"Hmm." Genau stood up, his black robes trailing in the firelight. "So fast."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking--

A massive figure crashed through the remaining bricks of the broken wall and stepped into the area illuminated by the firelight.

Leifuerdi.

His four arms hung at his sides, each hand gripping a long, narrow sword. The blades gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen in the firelight, devoid of any adornment. His serpentine tail dragged slowly across the ground, grinding over gravel and ashes with a soft rustling sound. An eye patch covered the upper half of his face, revealing only his tightly pursed lips and sharply defined jawline.

He stopped a dozen meters away from the two men, the tips of the four swords drooping slightly, pointing towards the ground.

"A warrior and a mage remained," Leifuerdi said, his voice low and steady, clearly audible in the silent ruins. "Indeed, someone is still protecting this village. Just as I suspected."

Stark stared at him, his fingers tightening around the axe handle.

"It's Leifuerdi..."

Leifuerdi raised all four swords an inch at the same time, their tips pointing at Genau and Stark respectively.

"You all seem to know me," he said, turning the eyepatch towards Genau. "Especially that mage over there, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

"State your name."

Genau didn't answer. He turned his head and whispered quickly to Stark:

"Here it comes, Stark. You can't take its slash head-on. If you do, you might get shattered."

Leifuerdi waited a few seconds.

"Didn't you hear me tell you to state your name?"

Only then did Genau turn his face to look at him directly. His dark eyes appeared very deep in the firelight.

"I don't have the habit of always answering other people's questions," he said calmly. "Besides, when you're getting rid of pests in your house, do you name them all?"

Leifuerdi paused for a moment.

"A distorted understanding," he said slowly. "We could clearly communicate through language. But if you don't want to..."

He moved all four arms at the same time.

It wasn't a sudden advance, but rather a stance. Four swords crossed in front of him, their blades slightly tilted, forming a near-perfect starting position for offense and defense. The snake's tail coiled, and his center of gravity lowered.

"Then I'll also clean up the pests."

The moment the words left his mouth, four sword lights tore through the air.

Not one after another, but simultaneously. Four swords slashed from four angles, sealing off all room for evasion. The sword speed was not fast, but the trajectory was so precise that it was heart-stopping, carrying a heavy and oppressive feeling like a mountain collapsing.

Both Genau and Stark retreated rapidly.

The sword flashed across the spot where they had just stood, carving four deep furrows in the ground. Gravel and dust exploded up with a roar.

Stark landed, steadied himself, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"If you can't withstand the attack, how are you supposed to fight?"

"You're a warrior too," Genau's voice came from behind, calm and steady. "You can still neutralize an attack by following its momentum, right?"

"Then there's no way to protect you!"

"There's no need," Genau said. "Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually quite skilled in close combat."

He paused for a moment, and his voice carried a different meaning.

"It's not only the magic of the Demons that can create substances that don't exist in this world."

Leifuerdi gave them no more time to talk. With a flick of his tail, his massive body charged forward again. This time, only two swords were unleashed, while the other two remained at his sides, like lurking vipers.

Stark gritted his teeth and charged forward, swinging his axe horizontally. Instead of taking the blow head-on, he struck the incoming sword at the side. With a loud clang of metal clashing, he used the recoil to slide to the side, narrowly avoiding the follow-up sword strike.

At that very moment--

Instead of retreating, Genau took a half-step forward. He raised his right hand, spread his fingers, and faced his face.

Then, he made a strange movement.

He pressed his right hand down sharply, covering the upper half of his face. His fingers peeked out from between his fingers, his body leaned back slightly, his spine straight, and the whole movement seemed somewhat profound and childish.

"Black-Gold Wings Magic..."

A deep voice leaked from between his fingers.

The next second, the air on either side of him twisted and tore apart.

A pair of wings grew out of nothingness.

It consisted of countless thin, black-gold metal blades, layered upon each other, intricately fitted together. Each blade gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the firelight, its edges so sharp they seemed capable of cutting through light. Though its wingspan was not large, its structure was dense, exuding a magical, weighty quality.

They unfolded fully behind him and remained still for a moment.

Then, it slowly fanned itself.

The airflow stirred up dust from the ground, Swirl in all directions.

Stark's eyes widened.

Leifuerdi's four swords hovered in mid-air. His eyepatch shifted slightly, as if scrutinizing the pair of wings.

A few seconds of silence.

The only sounds were the crackling of Burning firewood in the fire and the very faint metallic scraping of wings flapping.

Leifuerdi finally spoke, but his voice was devoid of emotion.

"... interesting."