A Spacetime That Might Exist (7)

The two humans and the demon have already exchanged blows several times.

The sharp clang of metal striking metal broke out briefly among the ruins, only to be quickly swallowed by the sound of the wind.

The Black-Gold Wings behind Genau unfolded, their thin blades layered, gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the interplay of firelight and night. The wings sliced through the air, deflecting successive sword strikes, each clash sending up a trail of tiny sparks.

But the sword strikes were too dense.

Four swords, from four directions, alternately slashed with a breathtakingly exquisite rhythm. At times, they were as heavy as a boulder pressing down, and at others, as nimble as a venomous snake flicking its tongue, but their sharpness remained constant.

A flash of sword light swept across the edge of the wing, leaving a bloody gash on Genau's left shoulder. It wasn't deep, but blood immediately seeped out, staining the fabric of his black robe.

Genau slid back half a step, folding his wings to protect himself and blocking another horizontal slash that followed. The impact made his arm go numb.

It wasn't an easy victory after all.

He gazed at the enormous figure before him. Its snake tail swayed, its four arms wielded swords, and its movements were so fluid that not a single movement was superfluous. Every strike was precise and efficient, carrying a rhythm that had been honed through countless trials and tribulations, almost instinctive.

His fluid movements were those of a master swordsman. The frequency of his attacks was beyond description; his reaction speed and stamina far surpassed those of humans.

His gaze quickly swept to the other side.

Stark was struggling to block the sword that was about to strike with the handle of his axe. The blade pressed against the handle, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound. Stark's arm muscles were taut, the veins on his forehead bulged, and the ground beneath his feet was cracking inch by inch.

"Clang--!"

Another explosion.

Stark was sent flying backward by the immense force emanating from the sword, crashing heavily into a half-collapsed earthen wall. Ashes fell from the wall.

Before he could even get up, Leifuerdi swung his arm from the lower left side, and another sword followed, its tip aimed straight at his chest.

Stark barely managed to turn to the side, the blade grazing his ribs and spraying blood. He groaned, slid against the wall and sat down on the ground, large patches of blood quickly soaking his clothes.

Leifuerdi lowered his four swords slightly, all pointing at Stark on the ground.

"I won."

Genau stared at him, his wings trembling slightly.

Idiot, I told you not to face it head-on...

His gaze fell on Stark's face.

Stark sat against the wall, his hand pressed against the wound on his ribs, blood seeping from between his fingers. But the corners of his mouth were twitched upwards, revealing a somewhat twisted, yet unmistakable smile.

Genau's pupils contracted slightly.

This guy did it on purpose.

Just then, Leifuerdi flicked his snake tail, turned towards Stark, raised his two swords, and prepared to deliver a fatal blow.

In that instant, the Black-Gold Wings on Genau's back suddenly closed forward, the thin blades on the wing edges rotating and twisting, turning into two intersecting sharp lights, like giant scissors, fiercely slicing towards the rear half of the Leifuerdi snake's tail!

Leifuerdi sensed the danger and immediately turned around, parrying with his two swords.

"Clang--!"

An extremely piercing sound of metal tearing apart.

The two swords shattered instantly under the strangulation of the wings, turning into magical light spots that scattered in all directions. The Black-Gold Wings continued their momentum, passing over the left rib and deeply cutting into the thick snake tail. Scales, muscles, and bones were like soft mud in front of the thin blade, being smoothly cut in half.

Leifuerdi's massive body trembled violently, and dark magic gushed out like a fountain from the severed end of his serpent tail. He also retracted his remaining two swords, desperately blocking the wings that wanted to penetrate further, but due to the out-of-control magic, the swords were trembling slightly.

Genau maintained his striking posture, his voice steady.

"Excellent. Thanks to you, I was able to find that brief opening."

Leifuerdi barely managed to stay upright; the magic power emanating from the severed serpent tail dissipated faster and faster, blurring even the outline of his upper body. The force from the twin swords bracing against his wings was rapidly diminishing.

"Um... wait a minute."

He took a breath, his voice carrying a strange tone and a knowing smile.

"I remember now... it's you."

His blindfold appeared to be turned toward Genau.

"Your partner, I killed him, didn't I?"

Genau remained silent.

"The situation back then... is very similar to now," Leifuerdi continued, speaking slowly and clearly, "You were fighting other Demons, and your partner was responsible for protecting the village... When you returned to the village, he was already dead. And you, if it weren't for the knights' coincidence of returning... would have ended up in the same situation."

He paused, as if recalling something.

"Oh right... you didn't get to see what your partner looked like before he died, did you? Want to know what he said last?"

The thin blades on the wings behind Genau rubbed together gently, producing a very faint metallic hiss.

"... Shut up."

Leifuerdi seemed not to hear and continued talking to himself.

"I learned some interesting things from that battle..."

"Never mind," Genau interrupted him, pressing his wings forward slightly. "I'll teach you to shut your mouth forever."

Leifuerdi's remaining two swords were bent backward under the weight. But he suddenly turned his head, his eyepatch facing the shadow of the ruins to his right.

"Is that so? Then let me give you one last piece of advice before I die."

His voice was lowered, carrying a deliberate calmness.

"Next time, remember to double-check whether there are any survivors in the village."

Genau paused for a moment.

He subconsciously glanced in the direction Leifuerdi was "looking".

In the shadow of the ruins, a small face peeked out from behind a broken wall.

A little human girl, about eight or nine years old, with disheveled hair and a face covered in dust, stared timidly in this direction with her wide-open eyes. She gripped the edge of the crumbling wall tightly, her knuckles white.

Genau's breath hitched.

"... Child!?"

In that brief moment when his mind wandered—

Leifuerdi actually used his right hand to hurl the remaining sword toward the little girl! The sword spun, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.

A blinding black-gold light erupted from the wings on Genau's back, and he vanished from his spot, instantly appearing in front of the little girl. His wings folded forward, like a shield.

"Clang!!"

The flying sword collided with the wings, was violently bounced away, and stuck obliquely into the ground some distance away.

Genau knelt on one knee, shielding the little girl completely behind him with his body and wings. He turned his head to look at Leifuerdi not far away, his voice cold and hard.

"They're still putting up a death throes..."

Before he could finish speaking...

A cold, sharp sword tip pierced through his chest.

Genau froze; it was the little girl who had pierced him with the sword in her hand.

He coughed up blood and collapsed forward.

The timidity on the "little girl's" face had vanished without a trace. She stood up straight, raised her hand to wipe her face, and revealed a bright, almost innocent smile.

His face returned to its original appearance, and the curved Demons horns on either side of his forehead slowly reappeared.

It is a cloud.

She skipped and hopped toward Leifuerdi, the ribbons on her legs fluttering in the wind.

"Lord Leifuerdi! I killed him! I've come in handy! Praise me..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

A thin, black-gold line silently appeared along her running path, sweeping across her waist.

Yun was still smiling, but her upper body slid forward due to the momentum of her running, separating from her lower body. Before the smile on her face could even change, her whole body transformed into two swirling balls of dark magic, quickly dissipating into the air.

Genau lay on the ground, a sword embedded in his chest, blood spreading from beneath him. He struggled to raise one hand, a faint, lingering glow of black-gold magic still visible at his fingertips.

Leifuerdi stared at the spot where the clouds had dissipated, his expression unchanged.

"Well done."

His voice was deep.

I will remember you.

At the severed point of his snake tail, the rate at which magic dissipated began to slow. Newly formed flesh and dark magic intertwined, slowly repairing the wound. He reached out, and the sword that had been flung away in the distance trembled and flew back into his hand. Together with the original sword, he held both swords in his grasp again, and the two swords from before were also recreated, though they still seemed somewhat illusory.

He turned to the fallen Genau, his snake tail dragging over the gravel as he slowly approached.

Genau's vision was blurry. He tried to move his fingers, but all his strength was draining away with his blood.

Your judgment has declined...

He closed his eyes, and a face that always wore a carefree smile flashed through his mind.

There shouldn't be any children in a place like this...

"As expected." Leifuerdi stopped in front of him, his four arms gripping the sword tightly again. "Humans have a natural instinct to protect children."

Genau opened his eyes, looked at the gray night sky, and twitched the corners of his mouth.

"Habits? Are you kidding me..."

His voice was very soft, tinged with blood.

"If this is a human talent, how can humanity be constantly at war with each other? To sacrifice oneself to protect a brat never even seen before... As far as I know, there's only one person like that."

Memories flooded back without warning.

In the church, inside a coffin strewn with white petals, lay a familiar face. His expression was serene, as if he were asleep, but his complexion was deathly pale.

Serie knelt beside the coffin, her golden eyes gazing silently for a while.

"This child is too kind. In any era, kind mages never live long."

Genau stood ramrod straight, gazing at the coffin.

"... To die protecting others is worthy of respect."

Serie looked at him calmly.

"Don't say such insincere things, Genau. You're a despicable person. Kindness, gentleness... these words don't apply to you at all."

She stood up and walked towards the door; her voice was soft, but it carried back clearly.

"Just keep going like this."

Genau bowed slightly as he watched her retreating figure.

"As you wish."

Genau coughed and laughed, more blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Protecting others... is something I shouldn't do. It's so unlike me..."

Leifuerdi stopped speaking. He raised his four arms high, four swords converging above his head, their tips aimed at Genau's heart.

"I don't enjoy the process of killing."

The sword blade fell.

"Clang--!"

A deafening roar, far heavier and more explosive than any before, sent dust swirling through the ruins.

A broad axe was held horizontally in front of Genau, firmly blocking the four downward-slashing swords.

Stark stood there, gripping the axe handle tightly with both hands. The veins on his arms were bulging, and the wounds that had just stopped bleeding burst open again, with blood flowing down his arms and dripping onto Genau's face. He clenched his teeth, the veins on his forehead and neck stood out, and every muscle in his body was trembling violently from the immense force he was bearing, but he did not take a step back.

Leifuerdi's four swords were suspended in mid-air, unable to be lowered even an inch further.

"Unbelievable..." Leifuerdi's voice remained unchanged, "He actually took my sword head-on... and didn't die?"

Genau lay on the ground, watching Stark's trembling yet steady back.

"... You're not dead yet." His voice was hoarse. "Why don't you just lie on the ground and pretend to be dead?"

Stark forced out the words through clenched teeth, each syllable carrying weight.

"Playing dead... isn't that just losing?"

He suddenly exerted force with both arms and jerked upwards!

"The one who's left at the end... is the winner!"

The four swords were violently deflected by the sudden burst of brute force. Leifuerdi was pulled back slightly.

Genau looked at Stark's bloodied yet upright back, paused for a moment, and then smiled very softly, almost silently.

"I used to think you were pretty good..."

He spoke softly, as if to himself.

"Turns out he was just an idiot."

He paused, gazing at the narrow patch of sky above the ruins, which was gradually turning gray.

"Never mind."

"That idea... isn't bad, is it?"

The wind swept through the ruins, carrying with it the heavy stench of blood and the last chill before dawn.

The fire had long since died down, leaving only a few dark red embers.

The three faced each other in an odd posture.

In the distance, on the horizon of the desolate wasteland, the first pale rays of light seeped out.