A Swordsman and a Mage, Sworn Enemies, Accidentally Crossed a Line and Discovered Their Bodies Were Perfectly Compatible. - Chapter 16

I’ve ended up in a truly absurd situation.
Still, I believe it was a wise decision to trust my instincts and follow her.
If I had ignored that nagging feeling and hadn’t pursued Remietta, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.
Our enemies are a dragon and a bloodshot-eyed swordsman.
It’s a bizarre combination, but it’s clear they’re the ones we need to defeat.

“I have no idea what’s going on, but Remietta, I’ll help you.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Remietta, who had looked pale, let out a relieved sigh, her smile returning.
If I’ve become someone that important to her, I’m truly happy.

“Our mission now is to survive this.”

“Yes. We don’t need to defeat them. They’re strangling themselves with their own actions.”

“Understood. Then let’s go all out.”

“Agreed.”

Even if all we have to do is hold out until the guards arrive, those guys look incredibly strong.
That means we have no choice but to resort to anything and everything. Otherwise, there’s no way we’ll survive this.

“Remietta, keep the Dragon occupied. I’ll take him down while you’re doing that.”

“You’re being reckless! Just so you know, that’s Tein—the worst mass murderer who ever lived.”

“What? …Oh, I see.”

Remietta’s words startled me, but when I thought about it calmly, it made sense.
I’d heard he was imprisoned in a prison managed by Mages. If he escaped, they’d likely cover it up completely.
They’d try to recapture him before the public found out. That’s probably what this “Security Enhancement Month” thing is all about.
The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, and a bitter truth rose in my throat, making me want to spit it out.
But right now, I need to focus on the enemy in front of me.

“And perhaps that dragon… no, never mind. They’re our enemies. Just remember that!”

“GRAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

With that roar, the dragon opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of breath.

“Protective barrier!!”

Remietta swiftly intercepted the surprise attack with a shimmering barrier. Simultaneously, I used the dragon’s assault as cover to close in on Tein.
We clashed swords in a furious exchange.

“Hero. You came after all.”

“What are you babbling about?”

“Hmm? Forgotten already? No… typical of a Mage. Wasting their time on such trivialities.”

Tein’s words were nonsensical, but expecting logic from a mass murderer would be foolish.
He’s a Beast. That’s the only truth that matters.
I ignored his taunts, focusing solely on the relentless swings of my sword.
With each violent clash, I gained a visceral understanding of his skill.

“I knew we could understand each other, Elvin.”

“I have no intention of understanding a murderer!”

“We’re the same—swordsmen who loved mages. We can understand each other.”

I shouldn’t listen to a murderer’s words.
But Tein’s words carried a madness fueled by love, so compelling that I couldn’t help but listen.

“You understand, don’t you? If your beloved girl were transformed into a Dragon…”

“—”

“It would be impossible to stay sane. Don’t you understand why I would go mad for revenge and turn into a murderer?”

I shouldn’t listen to a murderer’s words.
But his words were too shocking to ignore.

“Pathetic, isn’t it? Just because they couldn’t stand to lose to a swordsman, those prideful mages turned to forbidden magic.”

“Are you saying that Dragon was once human?”

“You’re right. My beloved Cassina. She’s a woman who fell victim to the pride of a mage.”

Tein said this with a deeply sorrowful expression, his eyes burning with the flames of vengeance.
I knew about the magic that could transform a person into a dragon—Yurio had mentioned it. But I’d always dismissed such a terrifying spell as mere fantasy.
Yet, seeing it manifested before my eyes, I had no choice but to believe. A spell that could turn a human into a dragon, a creature that could crush even the most skilled swordsman, was truly terrifying.
But the darkness behind this magic must run incredibly deep.

“Elvin!”

Just as I found myself staring into that abyss, Remietta’s voice brought me back.

“Even so, that doesn’t justify mass murder!”

“It does. That’s love.”

“You’re still insane!”

Swords clashed.
I understood Tein’s motives, but that didn’t justify his mass murder.
This man was truly mad—a monster who belonged locked away in a prison.

“Haa, whatever. Cassina, rampage! Kill them all before the guards arrive.”

“You bastard! Remietta has nothing to do with your revenge!”

“She does. I need to make her feel the pain of having something taken away.”

Tein declared his intention to kill the innocent Remietta to inflict suffering.
It was incomprehensible. Revenge should be directed at those directly involved. Targeting innocent family members was nothing short of evil.

“Dammit… Freeze!!”

We were being pushed back. The dragon—an apex predator—was overwhelming us.
As expected, enduring against the Dragon, the strongest creature, was impossible. Remietta was on the defensive, on the verge of collapse.
The Dragon rampaged, destroying surrounding buildings as it engaged in a desperate struggle.
At this rate, we wouldn’t last until the guards arrived.
But I was already fully occupied with Tein.

“Hup—!”

“Ugh!”

I lunged forward, putting all my strength into a blow that sent Tein flying backward.
But the time I gained was minimal. Using that precious moment, I sprinted toward Lalael, who was still bound.

“Lalael!”

“Mmmph, mmm!”

With swift strokes of my sword, I severed the ropes and gag, freeing her.

“Lalael! Go help Remietta!”

“Elvin…”

“Sorry to throw you into this right after freeing you, but we don’t have time. We need your help.”

“O-okay.”

It was pathetic to have to rely on Lalael, who was still in middle school, but that was the situation.
Lalael quickly grasped the situation and ran toward Remietta, who was battling the dragon.
I had to believe we could hold out until the guards arrived.
I immediately turned my gaze to Tein, who had been blasted into the rubble.

“You really did it, huh? You let Lalael go after I finally captured her.”

“She’s on the verge of a major breakthrough right now. I won’t let you kill her.”

“Hahaha. Fine. Cassina, kill them both.”

“GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!”

The dragon roared and charged at Remietta and Larael.
But I trusted them both and turned my sword toward Tein.

“It must be heartbreaking. The Cassina I loved is gone. Now she’s just a heartless weapon, a tool to defeat swordsmen.”

“I see…”

“I won’t forgive you. Give me back my Cassina, you bastards!”

Tein gripped his sword with trembling force, his face contorted into a terrifying expression.
There was a love in his eyes, a love so twisted it could only be described as madness.

“So you’re trying to steal Remietta from me, huh? I won’t let you!”

But determined not to be consumed by his madness, I roared my love and lunged forward, slashing at Tein.
This evil must be eradicated here and now.

“Hahahaha! Don’t underestimate me. I was once the Academy’s top swordsman!”

Tein effortlessly parried my blade, shouting those words.
True to his claim, Tein’s swordsmanship was formidable.
He had once been one of the kingdom’s most renowned swordsmen. In contrast, while I was considered the strongest, that title came with the caveat “among students.”
To fight him on equal terms, I needed Remietta’s magic to enhance my abilities.
But I couldn’t ask her for help while she was battling the Dragon. I had to handle this alone.
And I had a plan for that…

“Ugh…”

Tein was undeniably strong.
But why did I feel like I already knew this?
I knew his sword.
I could see it—I could see where it would strike next.
It was as if we had crossed blades once before…

“Tch. You’ve improved.”

Tein’s skill was undeniable, but I knew his sword.
Moreover, after over a decade in prison, Tein’s body had deteriorated significantly.
He wasn’t an unbeatable foe.
But if Tein realized he couldn’t win easily…

“Hah! This ends now!”

Tein swung his sword down. I dodged by retreating, and in that instant, I swung my own blade into empty air.
Clang! A shower of needles scattered across the ground.

“He’s resorting to cheap tricks.”

“…Larael fell for it so easily, though.”

“The preconceived notion that a swordsman should only use a sword is just a hindrance in real combat. My old man drilled that into me.”

As I swung my sword, Tein launched a needle at me, likely coated in poison.
A swordsman who uses more than just his sword to secure victory—that’s Tein in a nutshell.
So that’s why Lalael was captured so easily.
But his tricks won’t work on me. While carefully observing every move Tein made, I lunged forward and swung my sword.

“Tch.”

Tein managed to keep up, but I could already see his next move.
His fighting style had a distinct flaw.
Once you recognize it, you gain a significant advantage.
But why? I shouldn’t know Tein. We should be meeting for the first time.
Yet somehow, I recognize him.

“Elvin!!”

“…It’s over.”

I instinctively knew Tein’s next sword strike, fueled by his rage.
With a swift, effortless dodge, I exploited his opening and slashed through his body with my blade.

“Gah—!”

His body was shockingly fragile.
Weakened by the harsh prison conditions, he collapsed from a single strike, falling heavily to the ground.

“…What were you, anyway?”

I immediately used the ropes that had bound Lalael to restrain the fallen Tein.
With the battle concluded, I turned my attention to the ongoing clash between the Dragon and Remietta’s group.

“Hah… pant, pant. Are the guards almost here? We have to hold out.”

Despite defeating Tein, my face twisted in pain.
For some reason, my head was throbbing fiercely.
Something felt like it was being unleashed, yet something else was holding it back.
A terrible headache was pounding in my head.
I felt like I was on the verge of understanding the meaning behind this pain.