Extra in a Romance Fantasy

44 – The Ten Swords

“Wait a moment─”

‘Crazy…!’

Without finishing my sentence, I quickly dodged.

And almost simultaneously with my movement.

Bang!

The place where I had just been standing exploded.

Yes, it literally erupted.

By the sword swung by a man.

“You’re pretty quick with your fists…!”

The culprit who caused that phenomenon, Edan, shouted.

His voice didn’t carry any regret.

Excitement and joy were the only things present in it.

“Please hold on for a moment, Master Combat! If we fight here─”

“Let’s see if you can dodge this!”

I tried to stop Ethan for a moment, but he ignored me, rushing at me again without even acknowledging my words.

‘…Damn.’

Whether it was because of the excitement of the battle that made the sound inaudible or because there was no intention to react even if it could be heard.

…No, there’s no need to ponder over this; it’s clear.

An unmanned person who reached such a state wouldn’t get so excited as to lose their reason in a situation like this.

‘I thought he was a more communicative person than the rumors suggested…’

Compared to the rumors surrounding him, he seemed more normal than I had anticipated.

Of course, it’s difficult to say he’s completely normal considering the fact that he casually throws away lives and used our group to lure me, but he at least appeared to have a sense of moderation compared to his infamous reputation.

The fact that he didn’t directly threaten our group and suggested moving to a different location first indicated that.

Observing these behaviors, I had thought that Ethan Bertrand might be a more communicative person than one might think based on the rumors.

However, that was a considerable mistake.

At least the Ethan in front of me right now wasn’t someone with whom communication was possible.

‘This is troublesome…’

If the noise level is this high, it will attract attention in the surroundings.

Fortunately, this area is a scattered mansion zone, so the density is relatively low, but if this disturbance continues, people will inevitably gather at some point.

That’s problematic.

It’s a problem both to involve them and to have my face recognized.

‘So, for now…’

I need to change the location.

Having organized my thoughts like that, I immediately turned my back to Ethan and started running away.

“Stop right there!”

And I felt Ethan chasing after me, his eyes flashing.

However, the speed was extraordinary.

If I ran at a moderate speed, he would catch up in no time.

‘This is unbelievable.’

I clicked my tongue and increased my pace.

In the long run, it might not be the best choice, but it was an inevitable decision to avoid being caught.

Swish!

Feeling the wind brushing against my ears, I moved my legs diligently.

Fortunately, whether my efforts shone or not, the distance between me and Ethan never narrowed.

Running tirelessly, expending my magic, for some time.

Finally, I came to a stop in my place.

Far from the lakeside, in the sparsely populated middle of the mountain.

At this time and in this location, there shouldn’t be any unnecessary interruptions.

“Haap!”

Without a moment to catch my breath, I had to move immediately.

It wasn’t long before Ethan arrived and charged straight at me.

I dodged his sword as I did before.

But this time, instead of dodging, I lunged toward him.

And suddenly, a sword found its way into my hand.

“…!”

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

However, there was no hesitation in his gaze.

Swish!

Simultaneously, the sword that had clearly missed suddenly changed its trajectory, aiming for my back.

‘…!’

It wasn’t a tactic or some special skill.

It simply forcefully altered its course with overwhelming strength.

There’s no finesse in that, but precisely because of it, it became an unavoidable attack.

‘Attacking like this… isn’t an option.’

If I chose to attack like this, my strike might succeed, but I would suffer undeniable consequences.

…No. Maybe I’ll end up suffering unilaterally.

Ethan’s eyes, seen up close, were relentlessly calm as they followed my sword, which was terrifying.

‘…I have no choice.’

I eventually gave up attacking Ethan and leaped aside.

And facing the sword aimed at my back, I swung my sword to meet it head-on.

Clang!

The swords collided with an unimaginable thunderous noise.

“Ugh…!”

I soared through the empty space.

The impact had been completely absorbed, and there was no damage, but I found myself floating in the air, covering a considerable distance.

“….”

Having regained my composure, all I could do was stare with wide eyes.

Because Ethan remained motionless, not taking a single step from his spot.

“Your reactions and judgment aren’t bad at all.”

He smirked.

‘…This is unbelievable.’

I went so far as to fly through the air, and Ethan didn’t even flinch.

It was a scene that clearly demonstrated the difference in our physical strength.

And what about those arms?

If an ordinary person… no, even a seasoned martial artist pulled off such a feat, it would strain their arms considerably. Yet, Ethan seemed completely unaffected, as if he hadn’t suffered any damage at all.

“…What kind of body is this?”

It was so perplexing that I couldn’t help but ask.

“Well, it’s the power of time.”

On the other hand, Ethan’s answer was utterly nonsensical.

The power of time? What nonsense.

If simply getting older made you this powerful, then an old man should be able to lift a mountain with one arm.

…Well, let’s set aside such complaints for now.

‘Strong.’

Whether I should call it amazing or expected, Ethan was strong.

Even though he wasn’t exerting his full power, his strength was already at a destructive level.

‘Is this the power of the Ten Swords…’

The ‘Ten Swords,’ renowned as the strongest warriors on the continent.

A monster who rose to fame in his early thirties among those distinguished figures.

That was Ethan Bertrand.

I had expected him to be strong, of course.

But his strength surpassed my expectations by far.

Now that I was witnessing the power of one of the Ten Swords firsthand, memories of what happened not long ago came flooding back.

The assassins who had set their sights on Estelle’s life infiltrated the academy.

And their leader.

At that moment, the leader of the assassins had said such words.

That they were a force capable of facing even the Ten Blades.

But now, seeing it firsthand, I understand.

The man’s claim was an absurd overestimation.

If their opponent had been Edan, they wouldn’t have stood a chance, and they might not even have been able to buy enough time.

Before a few minutes passed, they would have been torn apart.

Edan’s strength was violent to that extent.

Although it’s too early to draw conclusions without engaging in a full-fledged battle.

At least when facing a majority of unmanned opponents.

When facing relatively inferior unmanned opponents, I won’t be able to defeat Edan.

Because he would tear through them effortlessly with his destructive physical abilities and magic, regardless of their numbers.

However.

That doesn’t mean I will lose to Edan.

“Hoo…”

I catch my breath and focus my concentration.

Although the flow has deviated from what I had imagined, the fight has already begun, and there’s no thought of giving up.

“Now, it seems you’re finally serious.”

Looking at me like that, Edan smiled as if satisfied.

And at the same time, his momentum changed once again.

Hooong—

If he seemed like a beast just a moment ago, now he looked like a raging storm.

A fierce storm that seemed capable of shattering everything in its path.

“I guess it’s about time I show you my true intentions.”

Saying that, Edan raised the arm holding the sword far back.

At that movement, I felt a chill!

Feeling a shiver running through my entire body, I exerted all my strength to leave the spot.

And then, finally, Ethan’s sword swung.

At that moment.

───!

A storm swept through.

“…….”

Barely escaping the storm’s range, I could fully witness the aftermath it left behind.

How should I describe those traces?

Not an explosion… that expression doesn’t fit.

…Yes. This should be called annihilation.

The earth, rocks, and trees in the path disappeared without a trace, as if someone had erased them from this world.

A part of the mountain, literally carved away.

All from just one swing of a sword.

Witnessing this unbelievable phenomenon, I realized the true nature of Ethan’s previous strike.

It wasn’t just about channeling magic and swinging it; it contained the realm everyone dreams of if they were unmanned.

‘意念’—in simple terms, will.

And intention.

What is the difference between those called the Ten Swords and those who are not?

Perhaps very few truly understand that difference.

Is it merely being stronger, faster, and more skilled with weapons?

No, it’s not.

There is an immeasurable gap that cannot be bridged by such things, and it lies in the midst of it.

And that is precisely ‘will.’

It’s not just about determination.

Everyone has simple determination.

Even a mere child has determination in a gesture.

The will to do something. That is determination.

However, typical determination exists only within that person’s inner self.

Never leave the outside world and cannot influence the world.

However.

When one sharpens their martial arts to the extreme, the story changes.

A martial artist who has reached the utmost pinnacle can bring out their will, the will that should only reside within them, out into the world.

That will, that determination brought forth to the outside, creates miracles.

A body composed of blood and flesh, imbued with that determination, can deflect arrows.

It can shatter a steel sword with a seemingly insignificant branch.

This is the level where one brings out their inner will through their body, into the outside world.

By wielding that determination, they engrave their intentions into the world.

This is the realm of the ‘Ten Swords.’

Just like that, what Edan showed was proof of that.

“Now.”

The transcendental being who exhibited a miracle that would never be possible with a human body, spoke while smiling as if it wasn’t a big deal but also slightly pleased.

“Let’s play in earnest.”