Water Magician

Chapter 0525 Master

Translator: Jay_Forestieri

Editor:

“Seems like you’ve been kind to my apprentice.”

“The master of that little girl, huh? You’re stronger than she is, at least.”

The clash of swords between Abel and Vogue was fierce.

This wasn’t just a battle but a way to gauge each other’s strength.

Ordinarily, when you don’t know your opponent’s power, you approach cautiously.

But these two jumped straight into combat.

At this point, neither would allow the other to retreat and reset their stance.

Backing down would only give the other an opening to press the attack.

They continued their intense fight, gathering information about each other with every exchange.

“Hey, Red. I’ll ask for your name, just out of courtesy.”

“Hey, Black. They say the universal courtesy when asking someone’s name is to introduce yourself first.”

Abel, wielding a crimson-glowing magic sword, was called ‘Red’, while Vogue, with a black sword, was ‘Black’.

In the end, neither gave their name.

The battle of offense and defense raged on, each action countered by the other.

Strength, speed, skill—all were nearly equal.

“You’re strong, Red.”

“You’re not bad yourself, Black.”

When neither gives their name, this is what it comes to.

“Red, did you show up just as that little girl was about to die on purpose?”

“Idiot, of course not!　You guys attacked the main gate, so I had to deal with that first. Don’t you even know your own strategy?”

“I know the plan. That’s why I thought targeting the princess directly would make things easier. Turns out it’s more trouble than I expected.”

“That’s just your lack of skill, Black.”

“Shut up.”

Though their words were casual, the intensity of their swordplay hadn’t lessened from the start.

“Wow…”

Having drunk a potion to heal her minor wounds, Mifa murmured in awe.

“Lord Vogue is the current ‘Sword of the Nation’. He’s even rumored to be the strongest in history…though his personality is said to be problematic.”

Princess Shio Fen replied to Mifa’s muttering.

“So he’s the greatest swordsman in this country’s history?”

“Then what kind of person is Abel-dono, who’s fighting him as an equal…?”

“My master is amazing.”

“Y-Yes…I admit that.”

Mifa’s confident declaration made the princess slightly taken aback.

Either way, the two could only watch.

Many of their movements were too fast to follow.

The swordplay between Abel and Vogue was on an incredibly high level.

“Hey, Red. That old man at the main gate—you didn’t really take him down in such a short time, did you?”

“Hey, Black. Not trusting people’s words is a sign of a small mind. You’ve just exposed your own small-mindedness.”

“You little…!”

The exchange of sharp words seemed to favor Abel.

That’s likely because he often engages in charming conversations with a certain water-attribute magician.

Yes, charming?

Definitely charming!

“The old man at the main gate you’re referring to must be Feo Xu-dono. I took him captive.”

“…You really did crush the main gate attackers before coming here?”

“I told you. Why don’t you believe me?”

“The old man commanded over a hundred soldiers in that assault. Saying you subdued them so quickly is hard to believe.”

“You took out about twenty of the princess’s guards alone…didn’t you? It’s not that different.”

“Those were uncoordinated royal guards, not soldiers led by Feo Xu, the ‘Shield of the Nation’…”

Even if Feo Xu was past his prime, Vogue knew him well.

In swordsmanship, Vogue might far surpass him.

But when it came to commanding troops, Vogue couldn’t hold a candle to Feo Xu.

“Feo Xu-dono probably intended to lose from the start.”

“What?”

“He likely regretted not stopping this outrageous attack on the princess. That’s my guess.”

“Hmm. I don’t get it.”

Vogue frowned slightly, shaking his head at Abel’s explanation.

“Black, why are you even a part of this?”

“For the money, of course.”

“Money?”

“Yes, money.”

Vogue answered nonchalantly.

“You…with sword skills like yours, the country must have given you a decent position, right?”

“Yeah, I’m called the ‘Sword of the Nation’. The highest-ranking swordsman in this country.”

Vogue replied with a touch of pride.

“Then why…why would you…”

Abel couldn’t understand why the nation’s top swordsman would be part of such an outrageous act.

The country wasn’t in shambles, it still had royalty, governance, and a population not struggling excessively…

From the outside, it appeared to be an ordinary nation.

As the recognized top swordsman, Vogue should have been well-treated.

“I just want more money, that’s all.”

“If you go this far for money, you’ll have to leave the country.”

“Yeah. Once I get the money, I’ll flee abroad.”

“You’d go that far for money?”

“Swordsmen don’t have long prime periods. We have to earn while we can. I don’t think that’s strange.”

“It’s not strange, but your methods are wrong.”

“That’s a matter of perspective.”

At Abel’s criticism, Vogue smirked.

He didn’t expect agreement anyway.

Both stepped back from their blade lock, gaining some distance.

“Red, before I kill you, I’ll get your name. Mine’s Vogue.”

“I’m Abel of the Knightley Kingdom.”

Since Vogue gave his name first, Abel followed suit.

Adding Knightley Kingdom was a spur-of-the-moment choice.

He quite liked the ring of ‘Abel of the Knightley Kingdom’.

However, upon hearing this, Vogue scowled.

“The Knightley Kingdom…that’s the one the bard sings about, right? They say Abel the First, who reunited the kingdom, was a swordsman wielding a crimson magic sword. Hey, don’t tell me…you’re that Abel?”

“General Feo Xu mentioned it as well…do you people really pay that much attention to a bard’s songs?”

“Of course! When it’s Wan’a Shi, the bard said to be the best in the Eastern Countries, people flock to listen. Songs like ‘The King of Adventurers’ and ‘The Duke of Rondo’, set during the Kingdom Liberation War, are really popular.”

“O-Oh…I didn’t know that…”

Abel was stunned to learn that songs about him had spread to faraway lands.

At the same time, he was embarrassed…

He resolved that, from now on, he’d introduce himself simply as ‘Abel’.

“To think I’d get to kill the famed King Abel…I’m a lucky man.”

“King Abel isn’t going to die so easily.”

Vogue laughed, but Abel shook his head slightly in denial.

Even as they spoke, both of them moved.

Circling each other, counterclockwise, drawing a wide arc…

And then, they struck at the same time.

Vogue brought his sword down in a powerful slash.

Abel parried it, redirecting the blade to the side.

In the same motion, he delivered a diagonal slash aimed at Vogue.

Vogue retreated lightly, avoiding the strike.

Without hesitation, Abel lunged forward with his left hand, thrusting his blade.

Vogue deflected it with his sword, spun around, and swung horizontally.

But that spin was a trap.

By turning, Vogue inevitably lost sight of Abel for a moment.

In that instant, Abel closed the distance.

And slipped into Vogue’s blind spot, continuing to move within it.

Stab.

With a swift motion, Abel thrust his sword into Vogue’s back…

However, in the next moment, Abel abruptly canceled all movement and leaped away from Vogue.

He ran toward the doorway, positioning himself between the door and Princess Shio Fen.

Clink, clink, clink, clang…!

From beyond the open door, five thin spear-like talismans flew toward him. Abel deflected four with his sword.

But one grazed his left arm, leaving a wound.

“Dezai! Don’t interfere! ”

Vogue shouted.

He immediately recognized who had intervened.

“Come now, Lord Vogue. You must hurry and kill the princess. That was the agreement, wasn’t it?”

From beyond the door stepped a man in his mid-thirties, wearing a white robe and with long brown hair tied back.

“Dezai-dono…”

Princess Shio Fen murmured his name under her breath.

“My, my, Princess Shio Fen. We’ve only met once at the Kang Residence, yet you remember me so well.”

Dezai said, his lips curling into a malevolent smile.

“For such a simple task as killing a princess to be this troublesome… No, your sisters were easy, but you, Princess Shio Fen, left no openings.”

“If that is meant as praise, I am honored.”

After a brief pause, she continued.

“Dezai-dono, the last heir of the fallen King Sura of Ide.”

“You’ve figured that much out, have you? Truly, Princess Shio Fen, you are formidable.”

Dezai admitted with a smirk.

“By killing you, the kingdom of Bosuntar will fracture and descend into chaos. Moreover, it will incur the wrath of Darwei. Having been humiliated, Darwei will make excessive demands. The factions within Bossuntar, unable to accept them, will grow more aggressive…and the nation may very well collapse entirely.”

“Is that your goal?”

“Indeed. The best part is that once you’re dead, I won’t need to lift another finger. I can simply observe this kingdom’s downfall from afar.”

Dezai gave an exaggerated bow.

However, Vogue was far from pleased.

“Hey, Dezai! You stole my fun right out from under me!”

“Lord Vogue, you were about to be killed.”

“Shut up!　I was having the time of my life fighting someone on equal footing. Don’t interfere again!”

“Fine, fine… I won’t. But…that swordsman probably can’t move anymore.”

“What?”

“One of my talismans grazed him. Even the slightest scratch can paralyze an ancient dragon. He shouldn’t be able to move.”

“Hey…”

Vogue exclaimed in surprise at Dezai’s words.

While Abel was on one knee, clearly struggling.

“Well, I’ll wait until Lord Vogue finishes him off.”

Dezai said, closing the door and placing a talisman on it.

Meanwhile, Abel was indeed in pain.

(…The Serenity Necklace is healing my status abnormality, but the paralysis keeps surging back. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. But…I can’t die here.)

“Sorry, Abel. What a nuisance that guy turned out to be. But I need to kill the princess to get paid. So I’ll finish you off along with her. Clean and simple.”

With those words, Vogue took a step forward.

At that moment, Abel used his glowing crimson magic sword to support himself as he stood.

Though his stance was unsteady and his focus wavered.

He rose to his feet.

“Hey, Desai! I thought you said even dragons couldn’t move after getting hit by that thing!”

Vogue shouted, oddly excited.

“That is true…but this is strange. Could he have equipment that resists status effects?”

“Does something like that exist?”

“They do. But such items are on the level of national treasures. I can’t imagine a mere swordsman possessing one…”

Dezai muttered, puzzled.

But Vogue grinned widely and said,

“I see.”

Vogue was now certain: the man before him was Abel the First.

It was the only explanation.

Yet he simply kept his conclusion to himself.

Instead, he addressed Abel directly.

“Abel, I admire your spirit, but you can’t fight anymore. I’ll put you out of your misery.”

“Ridiculous. Vogue, what you’re showing now…is what we call carelessness”

“Heh, bold words. Just saying them in your condition is impressive.”

Vogue admitted as he observed Abel, who was barely standing, leaning on his sword for support.

But then, he soon realized.

The fire in Abel’s eyes hadn’t dimmed.

“You really think you can still fight, don’t you?”

Vogue muttered, locking eyes with him.

A faint smile crept across Abel’s face as he replied,

“Vogue, let me tell you something. A master…never loses in front of their apprentice.”

With those words, Abel shifted his stance, raising his sword.

But it was different this time.

“Reverse grip? What are you planning to do holding your sword like that?”

True to Vogue’s observation, Abel had flipped his sword, holding the crimson magic sword in a reverse grip with his right hand.

“Abel, your swordsmanship is orthodox. Holding the blade like that serves no purpose.”

“When you’re an adventurer, you pick up all sorts of tricks to survive tough spots.”

“I’ve never met a skilled swordsman who wielded their weapon in reverse grip.”

“I see. Then today, you’ll broaden your horizons.”

“Keep dreaming.”

Abel was holding the sword in his right hand, but his left hand was hanging slack.

It was numb and couldn’t put any strength into it.

(I can’t wield the sword with both hands anyway…)

His magic sword, versatile enough to be used with one or two hands, was now at a disadvantage.

Abel wasn’t confident it could withstand Vogue’s full-force strikes in a standard grip.

However, by holding the sword in reverse, he could brace it not only with his right wrist but with the entire right forearm, allowing him to counter Vogue’s attacks more effectively.

Vogue, remaining cautious, tightened his stance.

He respected Abel’s skill.

Even though his left arm was numb and could only use his right arm…he wasn’t an opponent he could let his guard down against.

“Still, I won’t lose.”

Vogue said firmly as he charged forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat, and brought his blade down in a powerful strike.

Abel stepped in even closer than usual, using his reverse grip to deflect the blow.

At the same time, he rotated his body clockwise on the spot.

“Sword Art: Zero Rotation—Variant.”

Pivoting on his left foot, Abel spun 270 degrees backward, then shifted his weight onto his right foot, completing a 180-degree forward spin. The motion brought Abel to Vogue’s right rear flank.

The reversed sword pierced Vogue’s right side.

Abel let go of the embedded sword, drawing a dagger from his belt and gripping it in reverse.

Vogue, despite the pain, swung his sword in retaliation.

Abel spun again, evading the strike and maneuvering to Vogue’s left side. Using the momentum from his spin, Abel drove the dagger deep into Vogue’s left flank.

“Gah!”

Vogue coughed, blood spurting from his mouth as he dropped to his knees.

He stared at Abel, his face contorted with shock.

His expression was one of utter disbelief, as though witnessing the impossible…

The look on his face seemed to convey.

“When holding a weapon in reverse grip…it’s all about using rotation…”

Abel murmured, his words faltering as his strength waned. Abel, too, collapsed to his knees.

The sword he had used to steady himself remained embedded in Vogue’s body…

With that, Vogue fell forward, his body hitting the ground.

The duel between the two nations’ greatest swordsmen—Abel of the Knightley Kingdom and Vogue of Bosuntar—had reached its end.