I Was the Strongest Sword God in My Past Life

part 98

Kua thought calmly but quickly.

‘The situation that Hunters fear the most!’

Kua had defeated a witch with Lucia in a battle survival game before. The witch was a power user who had lost control due to an overload of her abilities. That was the last thing that all Hunters feared.

“Good.”

Kua thought for a moment and created a water ball. If the opponent could control a physical object, it would be impossible to make it that large.

Whoosh!

Kua wrapped Isabelle in a water ball and then poured it towards Iruka like a small tidal wave. However, Kua’s judgment was a mistake.

“Kua!”

Isabelle, sensing something strange, shouted, but it was already too late. An attack of that scale could be easily handled by Iruka’s abilities.

“…Just this much.”

The tidal wave, which had been blocked by the wall, crashed back onto Kua like a broken dam. A desperate situation. Even those monitoring from outside the gate were holding their breath.

Kwaah!

Kua was overwhelmed by his own water. The tidal wave, unlike water, was a destructive weapon. It shattered the building’s windows and fell to the ground.

Swaah!

Using his ki, Iruka dodged the water and Kua’s attack, which had hit him directly. The situation was hopeless. However, Iruka’s expression was not entirely pleased.

“It’s impressive that you’re so enthusiastic about your mission. Your loyalty to Sky Group is impressive.”

Although Iruka misunderstood the situation, his anger was genuine.

Ishabelle’s thoughts were elsewhere. She wondered why she wanted to win so desperately. Why was she so anxious? The reason wasn’t this incident.

Although it was a virtual gate, Isabelle was curious. What was it like to risk one’s life for something? Her initial curiosity was naturally due to Jien.

‘Jien, then.’

She had fought against Illusion, a 6th-grade Seiber, and made Desire her enemy. Of course, Isabelle knew. Even if someone else had been in her place, Jien would have acted the same. That was what Isabelle saw as Jien’s creed as a Seiber.

‘He wouldn’t give up.’

In a way, Isabelle’s eyes saw Jien as the most Seiber-like Seiber.

“Anyway, I don’t want to fit in with your settings.”

As Isabelle snapped her fingers, an explosion occurred near Iruka.

Peng!

“Then, come at me.”

Isabelle’s expression was quite cynical.

She didn’t try to dodge and rushed straight at Iruka.

“Kua!”

Isabel shouted at the same time.

Kua was feeling dizzy and had eaten a lot of water, but Isabel’s voice cleared his mind.

“Yes, yes!”

Kua used magic again to deploy the mana bubble.

The mana droplet had the property of absorbing mana, making it difficult for Iruka to manipulate. Moreover, Isabel’s attack was just beginning.

Peng! Peng! Pew!

The explosions spread throughout the air in a chain reaction.

Her talent was innate mana. Kua’s mana was insufficient, but Isabel could crush Iruka with her own mana.

Tsch!

Isabel kicked Iruka simultaneously, launching a high kick. Deploying magic while engaging in close combat was an impossible feat for ordinary people, but she was a genius.

Suddenly, Iruka’s eyes widened in shock.

“…Such a shallow calculation.”

Iruka’s fist and Isabel’s fist collided in mid-air. The massive mana collision sent shockwaves.

Luckily, Isabel’s magic armor protected her hands from injury. It was Iruka who took the damage instead.

“Kuah! Fire from my hand…”

“No, it’s not my hand, it’s my armor.”

Isabel laughed, and Iruka’s eyes narrowed further.

The shrinking mana bubble. Isabel had found her pace. Iruka needed a single blow to turn the situation around.

“‘Even the hunters of the Hunter’s Association are ultimately just kids. …No matter how skilled they may be.'”

Iruka smiled, his lip curling up.

His eyes saw Isabel and Kua as a sandcastle. Although they appeared strong and formidable, they would crumble once they started to fall.

“‘Is the weakness that little kid?'”

Isabel’s kicked ball flew towards him, but Iruka ducked his head and dodged it lightly. Then he charged towards Kua.

The mana bubble suspended in the air drained his strength, but he didn’t worry much about it.

“Checkmate.”

Iruka clenched his fist to the maximum. Now his attack was like a sword.

Shaak!

The stab aimed at Kua’s heart.

“Ah!?”

Fortunately, Kua reflexively spread out the water cushion.

“Kua!”

Isabel’s voice came from a nearby place, but the last thing Kua saw was Iruka’s hand reaching out from the opposite side.

Snap.

Kua’s eyes involuntarily shut. A chill ran down his spine. Kua felt something was off, and he slowly opened his eyes. Isabel was standing in front of him.

“Be careful, don’t…hurt her, okay.”

Blood was trickling from Isabel’s mouth.

Iruka’s hand was piercing Isabel’s back.

“I’m sorry, it’s so pitiful.”

Iruka withdrew his hand, his judgment perfect and ultimately successful. However, his expression was still complex.

“This is too easy.”

“Ah, Isabel-san!”

Kua shouted like he was going to scream, but Isabel’s voice remained calm.

“It’s fine. It’s not like I’m really going to die…but instead, my share will be taken.”

Before Isabel could finish speaking, her body began to dissolve into light particles and fluttered away. The reversal of the virtual gate. Iruka didn’t seem surprised by the unfamiliar sight.

“This is a remarkable end. Is that a characteristic?”

It was Kua who was shocked.

“Shut up.”

Kua exhaled.

If he hadn’t been there, the outcome of the battle would have been uncertain. At least Isabel wouldn’t have lost so easily. Kua’s expression darkened. His eyes, which were always bright, were now far from their usual cheer.

“It’s my fault.”

Kua’s experience was also a reason why the Saber had to become stronger. In a life-or-death gate, strength was more important to the Saber than anything else. Otherwise, they would have been robbed of something precious.

“Iruka-san, Isabel…”

Iruka aimed his hand at Kua, who was once again shocked. He didn’t have any more time. He had to pass on the blood vial to the red blood and end this operation.

“I’m sorry, don’t mind it. I’ll send you back too.”

Zzzt!

Iruka’s hand, like a drawn bowstring, shot out. The target was Kua’s heart.

Thud.

But that blinding attack was caught by Kua’s hand.

“Hah!

Impossible for Kuwa through his martial arts.

But the current Kuwa was different from usual. The speed of his movements was like a madman’s. The scars on his palms glowed brightly with his emotions.

“‘I…'”

Kuwa wiped his tears with his sleeve on the opposite side. It wasn’t sadness or anger that was moving him now.

“‘I must win you.'”

What was moving Kuwa was his strong determination.

Kuwa’s transformation was due to the activation of his skills. It started with a faint, silver mist bursting out of his body. Then…

“Zzzt!

The chilling wind froze the mist.

The cold spread rapidly, protecting Kuwa.

“‘Frostbite characteristic!?'”

Iruka was taken aback and retreated, but what had happened to Kuwa was just a phenomenon caused by his skills, not an attack on Iruka.

“Hah!

The ice melted, and the cold combined with the mana created a mysterious fog. From within it emerged a cold, pale-skinned young man with blue eyes and blue hair.

“‘Now it’s the second round.'”

A voice as cold as ice.

But the pattern on the man’s palm was the same as Kuwa’s.

“‘What is this?!’

Zzzt! Zzzt!

Kuwa stretched out his hand, and the ground, or rather the entire building, froze. Iruka’s legs, frozen solid, were unable to escape.

“‘Isn’t it amazing? The water has only gotten colder, but the ice is this ferocious.'”

Kuwa’s voice was as cold as ice.

The waiting dagger pointed at Iruka, and the ice crystal hovered in mid-air.

Countless, countless, countless…

Kuwa was controlling the fragments of ice, which had been shattered into tiny pieces. Iruka was unable to do so.

“‘I… can’t…’

‘Checkmate.'”

The beautiful ice storm engulfed Iruka. The sharp ice crystals each held mana, and Kuwa’s storm was overwhelming. Iruka would be completely consumed, including his screams.

‘Swaaack-‘”

As the crimson-tinted ice storm dissipated and grew quiet, Kua collapsed onto the ground, his body appearing even smaller and more fragile than usual.

“…I did it.”

Ding.

[Quest – Help the remaining Hunters and stop the Rebellion.]

[Details – Only the unknown Hunter, the leader of the Rebellion, remains in the auction house…]

The quest flashed before Kua’s eyes, but he was unable to read it and collapsed again.

The transformation skill he used just now allowed him to transform into his 3-year-future self. At that time, Kua was stronger, more mature, and had even undergone the rare 2nd awakening of the Mad God’s skill. He was also able to manipulate ice, unlike water. However, his skill came with a massive penalty, making it impossible to control. He could only use it once.

‘This time, I was lucky.’

If he had failed to use his skill, this quest would have undoubtedly failed. However, Kua had succeeded, and now the only thing left was to defeat the leader of the Rebellion, the Crimson Tyrant. As the last stage of the Gate, it would be handled by the Party Leader, Jien.

“Party Leader… please.”

With that wish, Kua lost consciousness.

***

G-Channel Broadcasting Station.

Brodio’s face was pale as he said to Cassian, “What’s the current viewing rate?”

“It’s three times what it was when we first started… three times!”

“Kiyah, kiyah, kiyah!”

“Ahhh!”

As Brodio’s voice, unknown and unrecognizable, echoed through the air, he and Cassian tightly hugged each other. At that moment, the two men were dancing to the rhythm of the music, when the door suddenly swung open and the director burst into tears.

“Ah, yes! I believed it would be like this!”

“Cassian!”

Brodio, still clutching his fist, shouted loudly, and the director, seemingly moved to tears, spoke slowly.

“No, how could we make the Gate broadcast like this?”

It was a ridiculous thought, looking back.

“Jien! That student is like a drama queen, playing the role of the rich man’s daughter! One of them was kidnapped by a villain, and to top it off, there’s even a dramatic scene like this?”

The director shook his head, his expression stern.

“It won’t do, you’ll get scolded.”

And so, the director roughly took out his phone.

“Just talk, what do you want to scold me for, about bonuses and performance incentives?”

Cassian trembled with fear at the director’s authoritarian behavior and shouted loudly.

“Fine, I’ll scold you with a bonus!”