You are sure of this?
I could hear the spirit language, Vindes.
The dragon asked me for confirmation, speaking directly into my mind.
Do not let your guard down. His Highness is incredibly powerful.
I can tell that much from your wounds.
I thought I heard it sigh.
I closed my eyes, hiding my jade pupils.
So that's your master.
A brief silence followed.
I'm going to borrow your body.
Please.
My words had no hesitation.
That was the best course of action I could take.
One second passed. Two seconds.
"...."
I opened my eyes, revealing pupils with the color of *lapis lazuli*.
.
"Don't torment this woman too much."
Feli spoke in a different voice.
Her tone, aura, everything was different.
"Spirit channeling."
The technique called spirit channeling consisted of housing another's existence in one's body in order to draw out one's power to its maximum extent.
It was not my first time seeing it, so I was not especially shaken.
"Ooh."
Feli's body raised a brow, possibly surprised that I was aware of it. Judging from the words she said, it had to be the "Water Dragon".
As proof, the scaled creature that rose from the sea was nowhere to be seen.
I could not be sure if it had an actual body, but there was no point in trying to make sure.
"I do not need to hold back, yes?"
I quickly understood why the Water Dragon smiled so defiantly.
Spirit Channeling meant to house a higher existence into one's body. The Water Dragon's smirk clearly stated that the battle would be much different now.
"Do not fret, I simply plan to scold you a little."
That same instant.
A soundless, supersonic—
"..."
I felt something attacking me from behind and instinctively swung my blade.
"Hah! You stopped it!!!"
After the sound of clashing metal, I turned back and Feli's body laughed, clearly amused.
"But you're too late!!"
The moment my opponent swung its sword in an upper slash, it had already shifted into the next movement. As soon as I blocked it, a sharp kick targeted my head from the side—
(Too fast….!!)
As good as my reaction speed was, it still had its limits.
The kick, however, formed an arc, attempting to throw me into the air.
It was aiming at my neck.
If only I could move it…
My body moved faster than my thoughts.
"Whoa!"
I bent backwards and barely managed to dodge the kick, which passed next to my head with the sound of booming wind.
What would have happened if it hit? It was easy to imagine.
I underestimated it because the face was still Feli's but inside her body there was something completely different.
I should put some distance between us and—
"You cannot escape me."
I did not have the luxury of time, however. It had already closed in on me and, taking advantage of the opening caused by my dodge, its left fist struck.
"Ga..hah…!"
The fist landed on my stomach, pushing out everything it contained.
The full powered blow sent me flying backwards, crashing against a tree trunk.
A rumbling sound could be heard afterwards.
.
"…he managed to pull his body back?"
The Water Dragon inhabiting Feli's body looked at its fist in amazement.
Despite the opening, Fay had managed to pull his body back.
It had allowed him to somewhat reduce the impact.
According to Feli, he was supposed to be a mere human.
Despite being such a young human, he possessed skill high enough to surprise even the Water Dragon.
"However, that is not enough— "
The Water Dragon chose to use its fists rather than the sword.
Thus it could deliver a serious blow.
It was meant to knock Fay unconscious.
However, something was approaching from the surrounding darkness.
Something like a sharp blade. No, maybe he still retained his reason, as the blade was dull.
The Water Dragon was sure it had struck cleanly.
And yet.
"Spada"
A voice was heard.
Dozens of meters away, there was a human silhouette.
It was standing still.
His expression was pained, but the mouth was twisted in a smile.
He was laughing. There was no mistaking it.
"This is…"
More and more shadow blades appeared.
They easily numbered over 100.
Yet it felt that each one moved independently.
"Are you truly human, boy?"
The Water Dragon did not know any creature who could do such a feat, except the "Sword Spirit".
The Water Dragon knew that humans sometimes gave birth to individuals with incredible power, called "Heroes". Even so, the human before him was too abnormal.
Being a creature close to the realm of spirits, the Water Dragon could see it.
All the "Spada" crawling out of the shadows contained their own emotions, their own ideas.
Weapons used for long periods eventually housed their own feelings.
It was not a rare occurrence.
Fondness, intent to kill…such feelings filled all the blades born from the shadows.
Pitch black feelings.
Obsession, resentment, and other feelings of such categories.
It was too dangerous.
Even the Water Dragon had reached this conclusion.
"Too bad, I haven't renounced my humanity."
Fay approached the Water Dragon, slowly and surely.
As if nothing had happened.
The previous blow's damage should still be present. Even so, he did not show any weakness.
Such a presence was indeed befitting a warrior, a swordsman.
The Water Dragon praised his resilience and guts more than anything else.
.
"That's Feli's body you're using. I have no intention of killing you, but I'm not going to lose either."
With a sharp sound of metal, I switched the grip of my "Spada".
"….what arrogance."
I looked at the dissatisfied-looking Water Dragon and felt the urge to laugh.
"Haha!"
I laughed loudly and clearly.
My lips formed a twisted smile.
"Something like that…"
I recalled a conversation with my mentor, who I could never even hope to win, and spat out those words.
"Unless you win against me, I'm not going to even consider whatever you say!!!"
I swung my "Spada" in a horizontal motion.
"Spada – Slash!!"
Crescent-shaped slashes fly in midair.
At the same time, I rushed forward.
"That's it…?"
A straight slash.
It was probably thinking that it just needed to dodge it. The Water Dragon acted as if it would face it head on, but—
"No— "
As soon as it realized I had vanished, it interrupted the action it was going to take.
The reason was that I had suddenly appeared from under the crescent slash I had launched.
"Found you!!"
"Spadaaaa!!"
I already accounted for the fact that my movements would be read.
The Water Dragon, however, did not know my fighting style.
Half of the 100 "Spada" I had created bared their fangs at the Water Dragon.
"They're coming now!?"
The Water Dragon clicked its tongue and tried dodging them.
However…
"Sorry, but you're not moving for a couple seconds!!"
One of the "Spada" stabbed the shadow extending under the Water Dragon, or rather, Feli's body.
The slash was a fake: the real attack was this: "Spada – Shadow Bind".
A "foul" technique that blocked the target's movements through their shadow.
Against opponents of high enough skill it wasn't a decisive move, but it could restrain them for a few seconds.
Numerous attacks from all directions.
Even so, the Water Dragon did not stop.
"O water streams, rage on!!"
With a deep rumble, five water pillars of water rose around the Water Dragon.
They blended together and formed a sort of whirlwind.
The flying "Spada" were engulfed in it, their momentum dispelled, and they vanished in the air.
Even so, I did not stop attacking.
No matter if I had to face a raging whirlwind or anything else.
"There is nothing!! My "Spada"!! Can't cuuut!!"
I focused slashing intent on my sword.
A powerful blow, launched with all my weight.
I also enveloped it in "Spada – Slash" and swung my sword horizontally.
With it I cleaved through the whirlwind around the Water Dragon—
"G-gah!?"
And closed in on the Water Dragon, supposedly protected by the whirlwind.
As I swung my sword, targeting the weapon wielded by the Water Dragon, I heard a moan of pain.
The Water Dragon eventually lost the clash of strength and was blown away. I rushed in the direction it flew to, aiming to strike a follow-up attack.
"Rraahhh!!"
I launched as many "Spada" slashes as I could, but they all vanished. I realized the reason why in an instant.
"Aaaaahhhhhh!!!"
The Water Dragon shouted loudly, so as to rouse itself.
I clearly saw the tracks carved on the ground by the Water Dragon and, where they ended, my opponent, already standing on its feet.
"Don't you dare die so easily…!!"
I felt my blood boiling.
The excitement, the rush was already at uncontrollable levels.
And it was just a duel, not a fight to the death.
It reminded me of my battles with my mentor and the others.
No matter how many times I swung, the clash of swords never ended.
"Haha…hahaha…hahahahahaha!!!"
I couldn't stop laughing.
Fierce attacks that slashed and ripped apart the lingering air of the night.
Even so, the Water Dragon took them all.
It suffered lacerating wounds, but took them all.
Sword attacks that did not even leave trails behind them.
Laughter, the sound of clashing blades and their resulting wind.
"Gh…..!!"
The Water Dragon, forced on the defensive by my relentless attacks, gasped for breath.
After dozens, hundreds of clashes, the opponent's sword form becomes clear. Its techniques, its habits, most of its movements become predictable.
Our situation, however, did not change. On the contrary, the Water Dragon's expression grew more and more tense.
"Do you even have the luxury to think!?!"
I could easily tell what the Water Dragon was thinking.
It was probably studying my swordplay.
This despicable swordplay, so far from the classic styles. This sword so focused on killing.
"You…!!"
Ignoring my accusatory tone, the Water Dragon attempted a counterattack. I parried it and the air shook.
Then another slash, with storm-like momentum, rushed towards the Water Dragon.
Since my opponent was using Feli's body, I deliberately avoided striking at its critical spots.
The Water Dragon knew this fact too, so it was difficult to land a decisive blow.
Despite my furious blows, the Water Dragon did not go on the counterattack and maintained a defensive stance. That showed the difference in experience and strength between my "Sword" and the Water Dragon's "Sword"
In reality only a few minutes had passed, but our sword clashes seemed to have gone on for much longer. Eventually, however, they reached a quite plain conclusion.
"Ah, gah…"
Endless fierce assaults. The accumulated fatigue probably became unbearable.
The Water Dragon's sword fell to the ground.
"Sorry, but— "
I touched the Water Dragon's neck with the dull blade of my "Spada".
"—you lost."