Chapter 527 (2) - The Academys Weapon Replicator |
Leaving the Imperial Palace, Azier got into his car and headed towards his mansion.
Unlike other nobles, he didn’t have a chauffeur. He drove himself.
This stemmed from a past experience where his driver was killed in an attack.
Azier gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.
He was simply replaying the thoughts that had been swirling in his mind since that day.
‘…Frondier.’
The day Frondier left the Empire, the Roach family changed.
They all tried to hold on to their old ways, but it was a futile effort.
Frondier left the Empire of his own volition, and as a result, peace was restored.
But a fabricated enemy was still an enemy, and a false peace was still a semblance of peace.
The Roach family, already known for their reticence among the nobility, became even more silent, as if they had all lost their voices.
Enfer, Malia, and even Azier himself.
They continued with their daily routines as if nothing had changed.
Enfer protected the estate and trained the knights, Malia continued her work as a health teacher at Constel, and Azier carried out his duties as a pro, resolving one mission after another.
But their hearts were no longer in it.
They had always strived to protect people. The estate, the knights, the students, and even the pro work—it all boiled down to that singular purpose.
And those very people they swore to protect had driven Frondier away.
So then why?
“Frondier. Come back.”
Azier muttered to himself, though his expression remained unchanged.
“Father misses you.”
His voice was barely a whisper.
No further words were spoken.
As if proving that he, too, was a member of the Roach family, Azier fell silent, his car gliding through the streets towards home.
Vroom—
He wasn’t sure how long he had been driving when he spotted a figure standing in the middle of the road, somewhere between the Imperial City and the Roach estate.
‘…What is that?’
The question barely had time to form in his mind.
An empty road, devoid of pedestrians, situated between the Imperial City and his estate…
…Killing intent.
Crash!
Azier instantly ejected himself from the car, smashing through the side window.
The car, now driverless, continued its trajectory, hurtling towards the figure standing in the middle of the road.
A sickening crunch echoed through the air as metal met flesh and bone.
Azier, back on his feet, turned towards the wreckage.
“Quick reflexes.”
A young, unfamiliar voice, laced with amusement.
The source of the voice, a young boy, stood directly in front of the mangled sedan, his hand wrapped around the crumpled hood.
That grip…it couldn’t be human.
“...Who are you?”
Azier adopted a combat-ready stance. But he was unarmed. His spear was still inside the car.
The boy turned his gaze towards Azier.
Golden eyes, filled with a palpable sense of displeasure, locked onto his.
“You should show some respect,” the boy stated matter-of-factly.
Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he lifted the entire car with one hand and hurled it towards Azier.
A rush of air whooshed past as the sedan flew towards him with alarming speed.
“Human.”
Azier reacted instantly, dropping to the ground and rolling beneath the oncoming vehicle.
Click.
As he sprang back to his feet, his spear was in his hand.
“Oh? Impressive. Not only did you dodge a flying car, but you also retrieved your spear in the process.”
The boy sounded genuinely impressed, his tone laced with a hint of appraisal.
Azier tightened his grip on his spear, his eyes never leaving his opponent.
“I’ll ask again. Who are you?”
“You’re clueless, aren’t you?”
The boy sighed, taking a step forward.
Or rather, it seemed like a step. In reality, he appeared before Azier in the blink of an eye.
‘Short Warp!’
Clang!
Azier thrust his spear forward, barely managing to block…something. He wasn’t even sure what he had blocked. It was pure reflex, instinct honed through countless hours of training, that saved him.
Despite successfully blocking the attack, the sheer force behind it sent him flying backward. He landed several meters away, skidding across the asphalt.
“Have you humans become so arrogant after defeating the Seven Deadly Sins? Or perhaps it’s witnessing the pathetic displays of those other Gods?”
Azier used the brief respite to regain his footing, his mind racing.
A sharp, searing pain shot through his shoulder and wrist. That single exchange had injured him more than he cared to admit.
“You seem to be mistaken, thinking I’m some God possessing a human. I’m not.”
The boy casually raised his hand, his fingers outstretched.
The ground beneath them groaned and cracked, fragments of asphalt levitating into the air.
“This,” he declared, his voice echoing with an otherworldly power, “is what you call a descent. You pathetic calf.”
A high-pitched whistling filled the air.
Dozens, no, hundreds of razor-sharp shards of asphalt shot towards Azier with terrifying speed.
Azier’s eyes widened.
Roach Swordsmanship.
Aizer Original.
Fall—
Clang!
Before his technique could fully activate, his spear was severed in two.
“….!”
Without hesitation, Aizer threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the storm of projectiles. The air around him crackled with energy as the shards of asphalt tore through the space where he had been standing a moment ago, leaving deep gouges in the ground.
“That’s your only trick, isn’t it?”
Azier scrambled back to his feet, clutching the severed halves of his spear.
The boy didn’t bother concealing his amusement. He could see the confusion, the dawning realization in Azier’s eyes.
“A technique that negates not only the opponent’s weapon but the entire momentum of their attack. Sounds impressive on paper, but it’s useless if you can’t handle anything else.”
Azier didn’t reply. The boy, of course, didn’t expect him to.
There was no need.
He had already seen through Azier’s technique, dissected it, analyzed it. There was no point in asking for confirmation.
—He knew the weakness of the falling edge.
“It was already a technique riddled with weaknesses, but now you’ve lost your weapon. And against an unarmed opponent…”
The boy tilted his head, a predatory glint in his golden eyes.
“What are you going to do?”
A wave of killing intent, stronger than before, washed over Azier. It wasn’t just directed at him; it felt as if it encompassed the entire world, suffocating him with its sheer intensity.
This wasn’t just a fight he could win with skill or technique. This was…different.
The boy snapped his fingers.
Crackle!
Arcs of golden lightning crackled around him, illuminating the darkening sky. The air grew heavy, charged with an almost tangible energy.
“I’m not fond of prolonging things,” the boy said, his voice devoid of any emotion, cold and distant like a god passing judgment.
He took another step forward, and the world seemed to warp around him.
“Let’s end this quickly.”
A blinding iaijutsu of golden light.
And then, silence.