Instantly Slaying a Red Dragon

"Father..."

Nina watched her father swing his sword again and again, unease stirring in her heart.

Ever since Cain had fought her father and taken the title of Second Sword God from Gall, her father had changed completely...

He no longer focused so fiercely on making every sword stroke reasonable. He had traded his clothes for a trainee's uniform and, like Cain before he left, shut himself away to swing his sword day and night.

The biggest difference, though, was probably his expression. Her father often wore a smile now, as if he had let something go.

But her father was already middle-aged, long past the best years for sword training. He probably wouldn't improve much...

Gall drew a deep breath, his gaze intent. He raised the Demon Sword Flute in both hands and swung. His blade blurred, and a flash of golden light erupted, swallowing the ground ahead!

Boom, boom, boom! A deep fissure split the ground and the target ten meters in front of him. The thick red wooden target fell into two clean halves, smoke still curling from it.

"Wow! That was amazing, Father! Next time you see Cain, you'll beat him for sure!"

But the Sword God Gall neither answered Nina's astonished praise nor scolded her. After a long silence, his lips curved in a self-mocking smile. He slowly raised a hand and pointed toward the red target farthest away.

Nina looked over in confusion. More than fifty meters away, the target had been split neatly through the bull's-eye, as though someone had cut it down. The large rock behind it had been split too.

"The Blade of Light is the Sword God Style's ultimate technique. That brat asked me that day whether it could strike a distant target, so I showed him."

"That time, I cut across ten meters. I thought that was the Blade of Light's maximum range."

"He said he'd break my record someday."

Gall's smile widened as he looked at the target fifty meters away, his eyes full of fighting spirit and pride.

Nina's blue eyes trembled as she stared at it.

"Don't tell me..."

"Yeah, that's right, Nina. He cut that target the day before he challenged me... A fifty-meter Blade of Light. He completely shattered what I thought was reasonable."

Gall couldn't help laughing.

"To extend the Ranged Blade of Light's reach and speed, that brat honed his Battle Aura into an incredibly sharp blade. He's the only one in the entire Sword Sanctum who's done it. Beside his Sword God Style, even I'm just there to make him look good..."

"But one day, I'm going to fight him again!"

The Sword God Gall seemed to remember something and turned to Nina.

"You have talent, daughter. But if you ever face him, never stand more than ten meters away."

Nina blinked and tilted her head, puzzled.

"Why, Father?!"

Gall smiled, though the scar at the corner of his mouth made it look fierce. A trace of mockery entered his eyes as he looked at Nina.

"Because beyond that distance, you won't stand a chance."

"T-ten meters? I have to fight him within ten meters..."

Nina pressed her lips together. But hadn't her father, the Sword God Gall, been defeated within ten meters?

"Go on. I'm going to practice. Don't come bother me again."

Nina gave a slight bow and withdrew, leaving the Sword God Gall alone to keep swinging his sword.

"Heh. I wonder if that brat's reached the Kingdom of Asura yet. I'd love to see the look on that damned old Water God's face when she meets him. That would be something!"

The next day, at the gates of Ranoa Magic City.

A huge force made up of three A-rank adventurer parties and over a dozen B-rank parties had assembled at the gates. They should have been forming ranks to meet the Red Dragon's attack, but every one of them stood frozen.

The Blade of Light...

Before their eyes, a one-sided slaughter unfolded.

Cain slowly sheathed the Demon Blade: Instant Void at his waist. Boom! The enormous Red Dragon's head, roaring only moments before, crashed to the ground. Its massive body collapsed after it, kicking up a cloud of snow. The headless body twitched once, then fell still.

Sunlight fell on the young man. Amid the drifting snow, Cain stood with sword in hand and calmly surveyed his surroundings, as though he had merely cut the neck of an ordinary monster.

"A-amazing!! That was an S-rank Red Dragon! Nicely done, Sword God Cain!"

"Just what you'd expect from the Sword God of the Sword Sanctum! One strike! He cut straight through the Red Dragon's neck, hard scales and all?! So that's the power of the Second Sword God, Kain Blade?! Unbelievable!"

Cain's single strike set every adventurer there alight. They cheered for him. The S-rank Red Dragon hadn't lasted even one blow against this Sword God who had appeared out of nowhere.

"We really struck gold this time..."

Zoldat swallowed, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had known Cain could probably kill the Red Dragon. He hadn't expected Cain to do it in an instant.

He had imagined a grueling fight, perhaps even a battle for the ages. Instead, Cain had stepped forward alone and accomplished this near miracle in less than ten seconds. The arc of that distant slash of light had been impossibly beautiful, and the young man's movements as he unleashed the Blade of Light had been flawless, almost divine.

Amid the adventurer parties' cheers, Cain remained calm, his gaze passing over the crowd.

"The first one. If I remember right, Master once told me he really wanted to cut down a Red Dragon. I guess I've fulfilled that wish for him..."

As Cain murmured to himself, he spotted his other master in the crowd: the young woman with two blue braids, her magic hat pulled low to hide her adorable face.

"Master Roxy! Over here, over here!"

To everyone's astonishment, Cain called out as though he had found a treasure. The cool expression on his face gave way to a brilliant smile when he saw Roxy in the crowd.

Cain waved to Roxy and walked toward her with a smile. Her face was flushed, and she covered it with her hands, unable to bear the adventurers' astonished stares.

Ahhh, you idiot apprentice! There are so many people here! Don't shout so loudly! This is so embarrassing!!!

Roxy became the focus of hundreds of adventurers. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, she wanted to bury her head in a snowdrift and become a cute little ostrich with not a care in the world.

"She's the Second Sword God Kayin Brand's master?!"

"Hey, hey! Is that for real?!"

The adventurers stared openmouthed at Roxy, who had been so inconspicuous among them, with her small, girlish figure. The crowd fell silent at once.

Hey! What are you all so surprised about?! Sorry I'm only his magic teacher!

Roxy pressed her lips together, her face burning, and watched Cain approach with that brilliant smile. Her feelings were a mess.

"Hm? Don't you all have something to do? Why are you staring at us? There's more than one Red Dragon. Stay alert and ready to fight. Focus! This is no time to slack off."

Cain realized the stares around them were embarrassing his master and loudly rebuked the adventurers, displeasure in his voice.

"Y-yes, Sword God!"

"Long live the Sword God! Long live the Sword God's master!"

The adventuring force, more than a hundred strong, raised their swords, shields, and staffs and shouted together.

It was as if Cain led this force assembled from dozens of elite adventurer parties.

Zoldat gave a helpless smile as he watched Roxy and Cain amid the adventurers.

"Looks like recruiting him is going to cost more."

To slay a Red Dragon in an instant—that kind of strength was enough to win over every adventurer there.