Chapter 72

Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Art (72)

Kuooooo—!

It was a sound like a giant tiger growling.

The threatening tremor in the air, emanating from the sword blade, pulsed in a steady rhythm.

Once for a gentle breeze.

Twice for a gale.

Thrice for a whirlwind.

Four times for a storm.

The wind that overflowed from Leonard's grip swirled and swept away the flames approaching his master. Even without a swing, the [Fire Wave] dissipated helplessly.

The technique of controlling sword winds was unfamiliar in this world.

"Magic sword...?! At least a 5th Tier wind magic is inscribed on it!"

Conrad, taken aback, shouted with wide eyes.

Leonard, who was about to strike, tilted his head at the words and then thought it might be fine to mislead him this way.

"Your eyes are sharp for a Mage Swordsman. But do you think the hidden functions of this sword are just that?"

"What?!"

Leonard, who had shaken Conrad with those words, swung his sword.

With that motion, a small whirlwind rushed towards Conrad as if to engulf him.

It was a scene that could only be seen as wind magic by anyone.

But it wasn't a level that Conrad couldn't respond to.

"Rise, wall of earth! [Earth Wall]!"

The ground of the arena shot up to form a thick wall, and the whirlwind was blocked, halting its advance. Since wind is ultimately an intangible force, it didn't fare well against a physically formed barrier.

Conrad, who had used a temporary magic circle, immediately cast two more spells in succession.

A spell that creates a wall and then reuses it.

"Kill him! [Ground Spear]!"

The earth wall, worn down by the whirlwind, transformed into long, sharp spears and was launched.

Unlike the 2nd Tier [Arrow] spell, these were larger and heavier projectiles that shot out like a crossbow. Even if blocked by armor or a shield, they could pierce through with their destructive power.

Blocking them with sword winds alone, as he had done before, was impossible.

'But unlike the waves of fire, there are gaps between them.'

Leonard took a step towards the rain of stone spears, plunging into them as if attempting suicide.

His hair was cut, his clothes torn, and his skin tickled by the spears as they passed through the air.

That was all.

Not a single one hit him.

Five Elements and Six Spirits Technique

Turtle Shell Taiyin

Water Flow Step

Like a salmon swimming upstream, he broke through the [Ground Spear] as if flowing water.

"Slippery bastard! Then try this!"

At Conrad's irritated shout, a net of lightning formed over a range of several meters in the direction Leonard was advancing.

It was a 5th Tier lightning magic.

It could be used to suppress multiple enemies, but when used to pin someone down, it could completely block their approach. Conrad, living up to his title as a Mage Swordsman, knew how to use his magic practically.

'Just because it's lightning doesn't mean it can't be cut.'

If he tried to cut the lightning carelessly, he would be electrocuted by the lightning that traveled up his sword.

A lightning strike on the skin could be blocked by a weak defensive aura, but once it entered the body, it was fatal. It could tangle or burn the nerves, constrict the blood vessels, and tear the muscles.

This wasn't a concern for Leonard.

Five Elements Sword Qi

Shatter Blade

The sword qi lingering on his blade turned even whiter, filled with the power of the White Tiger.

Metal overcomes Wood.

Nothing surpasses metal in cutting through lightning.

Even a 5th Tier spell couldn't match the density of sword qi. The lightning net, upon colliding with [Shatter Blade], shattered after a few convulsions.

'Even a 6th Tier lightning spell would be a bit tricky with my sword qi... but elemental advantage can always be overturned with raw power.'

Water can extinguish fire, but if the fire is too large, adding water will only make it burn more fiercely.

The relationship between metal and lightning was similar.

"This time, [Anti-Lightning]...? No, no. Is it [Anti-Magic] enchanted on the blade? An impossible artifact!"

"Does my sword appeal to you?"

"Of course! I'll use it well after killing you!"

The fear in Conrad's gaze at Leonard's sword dissipated, replaced by a boiling greed several times greater.

Christopher Conrad.

A man who had lived until today with desires beyond his station.

His repressed nature burst forth.

"No matter how great an artifact, if its user is a mere brat like you, there are clear limits to its power. I'll use it to the fullest!"

"A war of attrition, huh."

There was still a considerable distance between the two.

Conrad had been continuously retreating while casting spells, maintaining his distance from Leonard. It was a truly remarkable talent if it was done instinctively.

If they had clashed within the range of the sword, it would have been over long ago.

However.

'This is a chance to test the results of my training at the Magic Tower.'

Leonard didn't approach further but quickly analyzed the magic symbols floating around Conrad's body.

'[Lightning Spear], [Acid Rain], [Paralyze], [Poison Mist], [Gravity Ball]... I see.'

A complex mix from 3rd to 5th Tier.

'I've faced all of them except [Gravity Ball]. I'll try cutting it once.'

The concept of gravity was something Leonard had learned for the first time in this world, and his understanding was still low.

A force that pulls everything in the universe downward?

It pulls from below, not pushes from above. It's the opposite of pressure, yet the phenomenon is the same.

"Go! Struggle until your last breath!"

As Leonard was thinking this, Conrad, having completed the magic symbols, shouted triumphantly.

A magical bombardment using the full control of the 5th Circle!

Even an adventurer of 8th Rank in External Power would be worn down by this overwhelming firepower. There was nothing easier than slicing through a paralyzed and gravity-affected target drenched in poison and acid rain.

Kuwrururur—!

Starting with a straight line of lightning spears, the chain of magical explosions began.

The speed at which the spells hit almost simultaneously with their completion is the greatest advantage of lightning magic. Reacting after they are launched is too late.

So Leonard raised his sword half a beat earlier.

Pang!

The weakness of lightning magic lies in its trajectory formula.

Unlike fire, water, or earth, lightning spreads in the air if left alone. Therefore, a magic formula to keep it on track and fix its trajectory is essential.

'No matter how fast an attack, if its trajectory and timing are seen through, it loses its meaning.'

Speed is not just about being fast. It's about outpacing the opponent's reaction by one step, and hitting the mark by two steps ahead.

Five Phenomena Style

Zhuque First Form

Explosion

He used the shockwave from [Explosion] to sweep away the acid rain that followed, and [Paralyze] had no effect on Leonard.

Puhwak!

The same went for the poison mist spell, [Poison Mist]. To Leonard's body, which was impervious to all poisons, this level of poison was like steam.

'Even the poison of the fifth shadow was purified in a few seconds. A 4th Tier spell wouldn't work.'

Without a moment's hesitation, Leonard broke through the poison mist and faced the final spell, [Gravity Ball].

As soon as he entered its range, his center of gravity wavered.

The weight that should have pulled him downward flowed to the right and left, making it difficult to control his body. Leonard, who had directly experienced the new concept of 'gravity,' marveled internally.

'Interesting. If I can freely control this flow of power, I might not need to plant my feet on the ground.'

Skills like Ling Kong Xu Du (凌空虛渡) or Tian Shang Ti (天上梯), known as mythical realms of lightness, might use this gravity.

'I should ask Russell about it later.'

It was too much to ask Esther, who had just reached the 5th Tier, to explain the subtle use of space-time magic. Only Russell, who had long studied space-time magic and was on the verge of the 8th Tier, was the right person.

Having thought this far, Leonard shook off all his thoughts.

The moment had come to cut through the [Gravity Ball], a black sphere that couldn't be felt.

'Gravity... what elemental force should it be classified as in the Five Elements?'

Having never experienced this phenomenon, he couldn't get much help from the Sword Emperor's memories.

Russell had said it was a force that pulls everything from the heart of the stars, so it might correspond to Earth. But using the principle of Wood overcoming Earth didn't feel right.

If he cut it with a complementary element and was hit by the counterforce, he might be exposed to Conrad's next attack.

He shouldn't show his defensive aura and sword qi unless in a truly dangerous situation, so that was the worst-case scenario.

One Origin Five Elements Divine Technique

Five Stars Separation Technique, Void

He artificially separated the Five Elements flowing into his sword, refining it to a state without any elemental force.

He wouldn't use either complementary or opposing elements.

He would cut through this unknown force for the first time with just his sword.

For a swordsman, there was no more thrilling moment than this.

Slash

He swung once.

That was all.

And.

Paaang!

The gravity sphere, [Gravity Ball], split perfectly and burst like a bubble, disappearing.

He had cut through gravity with a purely elemental strike.

In terms of the technique, it could be expressed as: "When the spirit is focused, nothing is impossible."

A single strike achieved the unity of man and sword.

"What?!"

Conrad, shocked, tried to step back, but Leonard, charging explosively, swung his sword.

The two blades clashed, sparks flying, and the two sword auras bit into each other, then repelled by the counterforce.

Conrad, whose momentum was first suppressed, took two steps back, while Leonard took one. A 10th Rank Mage Swordsman had been pushed back by a 2nd Rank newcomer adventurer.

"Dealing with magic was interesting in its own way... but I find exchanging sword strikes more enjoyable."

Leonard, brandishing his sword, taunted Conrad.

"Since you're called a Mage Swordsman, you must know how to use a sword, right? If what you've shown so far is all you've got, I'm quite disappointed."

"Who, who is disappointed by whom?"

Suppressing the rising fear that threatened to overwhelm his pride, Conrad circulated the overflowing 10th Rank External Power throughout his body.

His bones and muscles strengthened first, followed by his nervous system.

Kwaang!

With a powerful kick, Conrad broke the sound barrier, causing a shockwave as he charged.

Time seemed to slow down, and the world moved in slow motion as the two swordsmen met in the realm of the sword. Conrad then realized that Leonard could also follow this acceleration!

'Crazy! A 2nd Rank? No, he's not 2nd Rank. This kid was also concealing his rank like Marian!'

Like a cat catching a mouse, Conrad became even more cautious upon realizing Leonard's concealment.

He moved his entire body, starting from the tip of his sword, in unpredictable ways.

The realm of genius.

A practical combat sword technique that breaks the basic form and aims only at the purpose. The [Battle Sword Style] enveloped Leonard's body.

'A pity.'

As he parried Conrad's storm-like sword strikes, Leonard genuinely regretted it.

To waste such talent on a life like this.

If he had been a pure swordsman, not a Mage Swordsman, and had diligently honed himself instead of indulging in pleasure, he wouldn't be using such a trashy sword with his heaven-touching talent.

Even with a sword technique that lacked fundamentals, he was a step above the twelfth shadow. A man who sought women and drank every day was stronger than the elite of the underground organization.

But.

Pussh!

A beam of sword light shot through the gaps in Conrad's storm-like sword strikes, gouging out his right eye and face.

If he had swung it through, it would have pierced his brain, but he managed to save his life with a defensive aura in that situation.

His already shattered eye couldn't be saved.

"Kuaaaaaaah!"

Conrad, clutching his blood-soaked face, staggered.

In front of the screaming man, Leonard declared.

"Boring. It's time to end this."

Your life ends here.