As he swung the blade up in waves, Bernard opened his eyes and saw it. In front of him, a man was holding a purple sword slightly downward.

　He was a little taller than the average man. He was not particularly large or small, and there was nothing remarkable about his physique. At best, his eyes are strong and stern. If you only look at his physique, he is well within the general range.

　He is very different from the strong man Bernard had seen in the past, and from the heroic hero he had imagined.

　But this is the man who is now unquestionably at the top of the heraldic pantheon.

　He is the great evil, Lugis, who wears mischief rather than glamour and respects vice rather than goodness.

　Bernard felt a hot exhalation escaping his lips. The unceasing hatred for his master's avenger and the elation of crossing blades with a being called a hero. The two were strangely mixed together and darkened Bernard's eyes.

　I know his war record. I've heard of his prowess, his glory, his majesty. But this was the first time he and I had ever crossed blades. So Bernard decided not to think for a moment that he could not win.

　The world's fleeting whims can make the difference between life and death on the battlefield. It is not uncommon for heroes on the battlefield to die in the heat of battle.

　You never know what will happen or how things will turn out. For Bernard, the battlefield was like home. This tall man had a certain amount of seriousness and irreverence in him.

　Therefore, it was Bernard who made the first move. Using his momentum as an ally, he swung his sword from the upper level with his long arms bent.

　With a smooth undulation, the blade drew a line in the air. The blade entered from Lugis' left shoulder, aiming to bite his torso. The beautiful flash that sounded and tore through the air was undoubtedly the result of his daily training.

　But a moment later, Bernard felt a chill.

　The chill covered his spine and chilled his eyes. He did not know what brought it on. But reflexively, Bernard turned his body. The knots screamed intensely, but he was able to do it on the spur of the moment.

　And that was the difference in Bernard's fate.

　The reverberating sound of steel meshing with steel for a moment. A purple light was rushing to the area where Bernard's jaw had been just a moment ago.

　Bernard struggled to keep his breathing steady. His whole body felt one thing.

　It was an intense, bone-chilling pressure. He didn't need to ask who had given it to him.

　Bernard's cheeks contort quietly. Whether it was fear or joy, Bernard did not know.

　All he knew was that there was one strange thought in his mind. Just one swing and he understood.

　--Oh, I see. So this is what a hero looks like.

"Oh-oh-oh!

　Bernard swung his blade with a withering voice. His sword fights seem reckless, but they are sharp and smooth.

　Once, twice, purple light and steel intertwined. The dull sound of the sword fights echoed several times in the battlefield. Bernard's one-sided blade emitted sparks, while Shiden confronted the blade with a majestic gesture. Sometimes he parries, sometimes he dispatches.

　The skill with which he does so with such precision is undeniably a threat in itself. But it wasn't the skill that sent a chill down Bernard's spine. It was pure power.

　Bernard, a tall man, swung with all his strength, and he caught the swing with a natural gesture. The blade did not move, not a single piece of shielding was pushed in.

　Bernard felt a kind of astonishment rising in his throat. At least, that's not how a real person would take it. It would have been a bit of a push. It felt like he was cutting into an immovable object.

　Is this what a hero or a brave man is like? If normal human blood is sane, then surely his blood contains madness.

　But it's good. I don't mind. I rather like it. Bernard knows from the last swing that he is not an easy target. Bernard was convinced that he would no longer be able to defeat him for the price of an arm or two.

　But that didn't mean he could lose. He could be killed, but not for free. If he did, when he died and was left with nothing but his soul, Bernard would not be able to face his master.

　At all costs, not just to this great evil, this hero. I must strike back.

　Bernard gulps. He couldn't bring himself to breathe for even a moment. He gathered up all the hate in his body and aimed it at a single point.

　Bernard dared to draw his sword back, to take a thrusting stance, to let the sunlight stain the rippling blade. That moment was an unmistakable opening.

　There was no way he was going to miss it. With the force of a squeezed arrow, the lightning bolt tore through the air, closing in on Bernard's body.

　In the blink of an eye, it would split Bernard's shoulder open and rip out his heart. A feeling of near-certainty assaulted Bernard's brain. Even if he took evasive action, he could not avoid the fatal wound. It would be an unmistakable blow of death.



　But Bernard wasn't thinking about evading. Rather, he was waiting for that one swing.

　He believed that if he was strong enough, he would not miss this opportunity.

　Release the exhalation. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

　It was a blow that Bernard could not have asked for more. There was no way he could stop the enemy's blade from gaining momentum, and he would gut the enemy's head in exchange for his life.

　That's fine. Otherwise, I will not be able to face my Lord Salainio. The enemy in front of me is the enemy that killed my lord, and so is my revenge.

　That hatred definitely existed in Bernard. But there was another emotion mixed in there as well.

　That was expectation. He had killed his master. Then I hope you're more than that. A poor hope that you're no better.

　And so the wish is fulfilled.

　--An intense metallic sound strikes my ear. At that moment, Bernard's vision suddenly flipped.

　It's not clear what happened. The only thing he could see for a moment was that the purple lightning, which had changed its trajectory as if it had seen through Bernard's movements, had cut straight through the rippling blade.

　The next thing he knew, he was looking up at the sky as a shock ripped through his body. The cloudy sky was strangely bright only today. Bernard finally realized that he had been defeated.

...... I don't know if I should say this, but... Let's not do this. I'm used to seeing it. I'm so used to seeing it, I hate it.

　It was a very easy thing to say. Lugis opened his mouth as he sat down beside Bernard.

　Bernard, too, spat out a few words as he lay there, because his adversary was acting like that. He was not his usual methodical self, but rough.

Why don't you just kill me? If you think you're being merciful, you're mistaken. I'll never forgive you.

　I'll never forgive you," Lugis replied, still simply. And so he continued.

There's no mercy. I just know that the Lord Hero I know would not have killed you. If you want to die, I'll kill you.

　Bernard had no idea who the hero was that Lugis was referring to. In fact, Bernard was surprised that he even had such a being in his life.

　Bernard's eyes narrowed as he let out a breath. If you ask me if I hate Lugis, I do, and I want to kill him right now. The fact that he was defeated by him was also miserable, and he wanted to die himself.

　But there was also a contradictory feeling. It was a very strange feeling.

　Bernard was still looking up at the sky and saying.

I'm going to kill you. Even if I have to crawl on the ground.

　Lugis heard him, stood up, and did nothing. All he said was, "If you can, do it.

　Bernard let out another deep breath. He still didn't know what he was feeling.

　The only sound that seemed to echo in his ears was no longer there.