The Girl Raised by the Death God Holds the Sword of Darkness in Her Arms - Volume 6 - Chapter 4.1

Chapter Four: An Inhuman Battle

I

Claudia checked her horse Kagura’s tack, then looked over at Ashton, who was doing the same in front of her. He had improved a fair bit with horses, though his sword skills had seen no such progress. Under normal circumstances, it would have been Ashton and not Luke leading the Eighth Legion through the Elfiel Canyon to draw the enemy’s attention away, but he had obstinately refused to leave their general’s side. In the end, Riful had sworn on her blood and her honor to protect him, and with Olivia’s consent, here they were now. In truth, Claudia didn’t want Ashton to take part in this battle. But Ashton was a grown man, so she made no objection, quietly resolving instead to keep him safe.

Looks like everything’s ready. Her eyes met Riful’s where the other girl sat astride her horse, and she bowed deeply. Then, she cut across in front of the eight hundred mounted soldiers toward Olivia, who was doing squats beside Comet.

“Everything is ready, General. We can move out at any time.” Claudia’s mind was sharper and clearer than ever before. From here on, she would become a sword, racing across the battlefield at Olivia’s side.

Olivia nodded, stroking Comet’s flank as the horse snorted, before swinging up lightly into the saddle.

“Let’s go, then,” she said, as if they were only setting off for a stroll. Olivia was every bit herself to the last, and this dispelled any misgivings Claudia might have had about the battle to come.

Olivia’s eight hundred light cavalry pressed back against the Azure Knights’ onslaught with a fierce assault of their own, penetrating deep into the enemy’s ranks. The Azure Knights cut down one rider after another, but could not hold back the assault. It was as though death itself rode with them.

“Stop them! Do whatever it takes!”

Riding at the head of the vanguard of death with her scarlet cloak billowing behind her, Olivia saw from the corner of her eye a small group of soldiers charging furiously at her from one side. At once, she curved her body like a bow; then, with all her might, she swung through with the arm that held her spear. The black streak pierced through Azure Knight after Azure Knight on its trajectory, then kept going through more. Its duty was done when it sent the beating heart of the thirteenth soldier bursting from their chest, and they fell from the saddle, clutching the protruding shaft.

The Azure Knights, for all their valor and skill at arms, were not immune to the unknowable terror of facing down that which no common sense could explain. They began to slip, physically and mentally. The fangs of the lion, preying on this weakness, took up a wild dance.

Olivia, drawing the ebony blade from its scabbard, slashed through each oncoming enemy with a single swing, shouting, “Do your best, everyone!” It was too innocent for a general’s rousing speech, but it gave heart to her soldiers. They smashed into the enemy like a wave of pure valor, making the Azure Knights bleed.

“You are mine, girl.” From in front of Claudia as her horse ran forward, a rider came rushing toward her, leveling his short spear at her. A glance was enough for her to note his impeccable form, as well as the hostility pouring off of him.

So I’ve been singled out. And by a warrior of skill, no less... This man had to be of some renown, but Claudia, and every other soldier in their unit for that matter, had no thought to spare for individual glory. Every swing of her sword was for the sake of clearing a path to Felix for Olivia. She naturally didn’t have time to waste dealing with this man, and yet...

Even if I get around him here, I doubt he’ll be easily dissuaded from his pursuit. That sort is always roaming the battlefield in search of prey to elevate their own glory. He has the eyes of a starving beast. Claudia shut her eyes for a split second, calling up Heaven’s Sight. As the world around her warped like a waving line, she dodged the strike that came swinging at her throat, leaving an afterimage of herself behind, then slashed down on the diagonal at the man’s back as he passed her.

What?! Claudia immediately swung her horse around, her gaze locking with the man’s surprised eyes. Claudia herself was just as surprised. She was sure her blade had struck true in a mortal blow. Seeing him sat unscathed upon his horse threw her.

The man put his hand to his back, then stared uncomprehending at the small amount of blood that came away on his fingers.

“Was that...luck?” he said.

This time, Claudia struck first. She spurred her horse forward, and was three strides toward him when the man reacted. The gap between them dropped away in the blink of an eye. Claudia’s target was the tendons in the man’s arm holding aloft his short spear. The moment before their horses passed one another a second time, the steel point came slashing down at her, tracing the same path to the millimeter as it had last time. Claudia leaned forward to evade the blow, even as she identified her own target, and her blade flew out to meet it. But the sure sensation of having made contact did not come. She turned back and saw the man’s wide eyes.

“Apparently not just luck then,” he said. “It simply isn’t possible that someone could evade my spear twice by mere luck. And that golden gleam in the depths of your eyes... I suppose you have that strange power too, then.” There was certainty in his voice. Claudia had felt a creeping suspicion, but this confirmed it: this man knew about Odh and could control it.

“I didn’t expect to meet another Odh user here,” she said.

“Odh...?” the man said slowly. “Ahh. You know a lot more than I do, it seems.” He ran his tongue along the blood-slicked edge of his spear point.

Claudia, finding herself in her first battle against another Odh user, mysteriously didn’t feel a shred of panic or fear. Her mind was tranquility itself.

“You’ll be a worthy opponent,” the man went on. “So let’s have your name. I am Dariah Bryce.”

“Claudia Jung.” As Claudia spoke, her mind was racing. Her first and second attacks had left no more than flesh wounds, as if to mock her. Now that I think about it, there was something obviously off about the feeling when my blade struck. After interacting with Dariah, she was sure he was using Odh. The problem was that she had no idea what he would throw at her. On top of that, his attacks were becoming gradually more honed. Fighting him would get tougher the longer the battle drew on, making him a thoroughly difficult opponent.

But he doesn’t know the nature of my power either. And that means... Making sure he saw her do it, Claudia slipped her feet from her stirrups, then slipped down off Kagura’s back. For a second, Dariah narrowed his eyes, but then his lips curved, and he followed her.

“Better able to wield your powers on your feet, are you? What a coincidence. I’m the same. Being on horseback just ends up limiting your movement, you know. But my word...” He paused, chuckling. “The gods of battle saw fit to bring me an opponent of rare talent, it seems.”

Walking slowly, Claudia replied, “That’s enough tedious nonsense.” She leaned forward, then kicked off the ground to slip by Dariah, who was caught completely off guard. His face reflected in her eyes was a mask of shock. That he still had the awareness to jerk himself out of the way was impressive, but he wasn’t out of peril yet. As she planted her left foot down and swung across, she was sure his life belonged to her blade. Yet the moment the steel met his neck, something soft, almost like rubber, deflected it. Dariah sprang back a few steps, then, rubbing his neck, he grinned.

“A split second later in activating my power, and my head would be on the ground right now. So that freakish speed is your power. My blood ran cold for a moment there.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but are you using the air as a shield?”

In what to anyone else would have felt like less than a fraction of a second, Claudia’s eyes had caught the mass of air materializing around Dariah’s throat, and she knew she had seen it repel her attack.

“I’m honestly impressed. In that brief moment, you really saw through it. Then you must have worked out the rest. Against this power, you can slash and stab with swords and spears all you like—it will all come to nothing. In other words, I cannot be killed with physical attacks. There is only one person in this world who might have a chance, and that is Felix von Sieger.”

Claudia was dismayed to hear him speak so. It wasn’t the truth of his power that threw her—she was at a loss as to why he would have referred to his commander without his full title.

“That’s quite a way to talk about your commander,” she said at length.

“I mean, it’s not as though there’s anyone here to go off at me about it. The whole reason I joined up with the Azure Knights was for the chance to meet as many powerful opponents as possible. I’m not here to make a name for myself in battle or anything. I respect Felix’s strength, but I’ve never been loyal to him.” Dariah guffawed with laughter.

Two years earlier at the hostage exchange ceremony at Kier Fortress, Claudia had gotten a look at Felix. There was a softness to his bearing unlike anything she would have pictured for the commander of the empire’s most elite army, and despite the fact that he was her enemy, she had found herself liking him. In truth, though, she had not expected much from him as a warrior.

“Your own feelings aside, from all I hear, Lord Sieger is a great warrior.”

“Yes, so much so it starts to sound clichéd. I hear the Death God is a fair hand herself, but that’s only because she’s yet to try her blade against a true warrior. If she goes after Felix, it’ll only be a matter of time ’til that ‘Death God’ name is a thing of the past.”

Listening to Dariah cheerfully blathering away, Claudia burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking.

He stared at her. “Something funny?”

“Oh yes. Just listening to what a story you spun entirely out of your own imagination. And you’re so convinced you know all my powers. I can’t stop laughing.”

Dariah’s face turned grave. “You’ll forgive me if I offended you. Naturally, I can’t pretend to have understood everything of your power from that brief exchange. Indeed, I can’t wait to see its full extent. I’m hoping you’ll exceed my expectations yet again!”

“Well, if that’s what you want...” If she wasted any more time on this man, Olivia would go on ahead and she wouldn’t be able to catch up. She sheathed her sword, shuffling her feet as she crouched down.

“Come on, then! I promise you this, I shall cut you down at the height of your powers, and in doing so ascend still higher as a warrior!”

Claudia’s ears were already deaf to Dariah’s words. Reaching down into the depths of her consciousness, she drew up as much of the Odh inside her as she could muster, then kicked powerfully off the ground.

Heaven’s Sight. Swift Step of Gales. Claudia skidded to a stop, sending up a cloud of dust in her wake, then turned slowly back. She was just in time to see Dariah’s body tilt at an unnatural angle, then go tumbling to the ground, his entrails following.

“You got your wish, then,” Claudia said without feeling to Dariah, his face still lit up in a rapture of joy even in death.