My breath was ragged, and my vision was hazy.
My stamina had already reached its limit. It had only been a few days since I had rushed in after receiving first aid.
Not having had proper rest, it was no wonder my sword-wielding arm was trembling vigorously.
Yulen had gone to see the Lady Virgin Saint.
From the moment I heard that news, my mind was filled with worries about the Lady Virgin Saint. Yulen was a member of the Dark Cult, skilled in disguise, and above all, he was someone the Lady Virgin Saint trusted deeply.
No matter how clever the Lady Virgin Saint was, there was no way she could avoid being deceived.
And the Dark Cult was an organization that knew better than anyone how to prepare a naive sacrifice.
I couldn’t even imagine what they might do to the Lady Virgin Saint. Thus, I rushed on restlessly for several days.
Fortunately, I had pinpointed the Lady Virgin Saint’s location.
If I had been unaware of my destination, it would have taken even longer to find her. Somehow, I was relieved to arrive on time.
Tears brimmed in her light pink eyes, and the androgynous figure with jade-colored hair stood before me.
It was the Lady Virgin Saint and Yulen.
As my murky vision settled, I realized that Yulen’s appearance had changed somewhat.
He was androgynous.
Though he had previously held a feminine quality in his face, within just a few days, his features had sharpened to the point of ambiguity regarding his gender. Even the contours of his body seemed more delicate.
I swallowed a bitter laugh and retrieved the hand axe I had thrown away.
The axe handle was drawn into my hand as if by magnets. I naturally strapped the hand axe back to my waist.
I had managed to sever one of his arms with a sneak attack, but if he was a mage, that wouldn’t provide much of an advantage.
Wasn’t blood froth already bubbling up from the severed stump of his arm?
It was the unique regenerative ability of a mage. Probably in just a few minutes, Yulen would regain both arms.
That was why Yulen remained calm even after sustaining such a serious injury.
I swallowed a bitter laugh and teased him.
“Has your sexual identity changed in the meantime, Yulen? Dress you in a skirt, and you’d definitely look like a girl.”
“I’ve been like this since before I met you, I-an. I just hid it all this time… But more importantly, how did you find me?”
As we exchanged greetings, Yulen’s severed right arm twitched once. Soon, a tiny, stubby hand began to grow. It looked like a seedling grafted onto the stump of a giant tree.
Whatever the case, Yulen merely brought his remaining hand to his waist and nonchalantly surveyed the area.
“I traveled while deliberately erasing my trail, and I’m the only one who knows the location of this hideout. I thought I was well-hidden…”
“Do you forget how we chased down the Shylock Trading Company?”
No response came from Yulen.
His brow furrowed slightly before he soon swallowed a helpless smile and shook his head.
“The Empire’s Intelligence Department’s tracking magic? But there shouldn’t have been an opportunity to cast it…”
As Yulen moved about, his gaze stopped at a certain point.
It was a silver rosary rolling on the ground.
His blank stare fell on the Lady Virgin Saint, who was still dazed, and soon his face contorted in anger.
“That vile little bastard, placing tracking magic on a gift for a woman?!”
“There was no helping it.”
I desperately caught my breath, grabbing at any excuse I could muster.
I needed more time to rest. My mana was circulating through my body, revitalizing me.
“What if the Dark Cult ambushed while I wasn’t here?”
“What kind of crazy nonsense…”
Yulen, about to refute, fell silent.
My eyes were fixed sharply on him. If he had a conscience, he couldn’t argue back.
As Yulen slightly averted his gaze, I decided to deliver my finishing blow.
“And the person receiving the gift will surely be pleased.”
“Does that even make sense? Who would like to be monitored constantly…”
Yulen’s expression, which had been turning away while swallowing a bitter laugh, froze as it was.
The Lady Virgin Saint’s face had flushed. With a faint blush, her eyes darting away looked somewhat dazed.
Yulen’s expression became more gruesome.
“…Alright, I-an. You’re going to die at my hands today. That seems like the right thing to do.”
“A traitor has quite the sharp tongue.”
I swallowed a shallow laugh and directed my blade toward Yulen.
I didn’t need to worry about the hostage, as Yulen had no intention of harming the Lady Virgin Saint.
As a silver light began to gather around my blade, Yulen sighed and drew his sword from its sheath.
It was a slender, flexible sword. A thing I hadn’t seen much before.
Yulen never showed his true feelings. One of the individuals who adhered best to the principle of hiding three-tenths of his abilities, perhaps partly because of that, he often used various weapons.
That sword was one of them.
“Three swords? You’ve changed not only your appearance but also your taste.”
“Try and block it, then.”
It was right after.
A white lightning bolt rushed at me, and I moved my sword purely on instinct.
Clang! The sound of sword and blade colliding echoed. This precise thrust was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
My eyes, awash with disbelief, scanned the area.
There, a deep green glow rose like a will-o’-the-wisp.
It was a speed that was barely visible. I knew Yulen’s swift swordplay was fast, but now his velocity was on a different level.
I couldn’t even properly react.
Before I could even break out in a cold sweat from such a realization, another wave of light fired at me.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
It happened in a heartbeat. Within a time that felt like it split mere seconds, countless sparks flew, blurring my vision.
I had no choice but to hastily move my sword to block. If I had a little more time to gather my aura, I might have stood a chance, but Yulen was striking with too much speed.
Inevitably, a resolution came shortly after.
With a snap, my clothing tore, and a light cut was marked on my arm. My posture, trying to dodge the sword, naturally collapsed, and it seemed Yulen was intent on ending it in that moment.
If only my hand, which had lost my sword, hadn’t groped for my waist.
To topple my stance, Yulen even stepped forward to thrust deeply. No matter how fast his lightning-like sword technique, it was impossible for him to directly reclaim his sword.
My axe came down with a delayed swing.
Thud! The sound of my hand axe embedding itself in the ground rang out. By now, Yulen had stepped back like a ghost.
It was close, but only one effective hit had landed.
Yulen’s sword, though quick, lacked the power to match. If I waited for an opportunity to counter with force, I could swiftly take the advantage.
He certainly wasn’t ignorant of that fact.
Yet, the reason Yulen maintained a confident demeanor was entirely because of the gray aura he possessed.
A soft groan began to escape through my clenched teeth.
Seeing this, Yulen delivered his indifferent verdict.
“That arm won’t be able to move in a few minutes.”
“Are your actions becoming increasingly despicable, Holy Knight? It’s not just your appearance that’s grown delicate.”
“Like I said, I’ve been like this.”
It was a quiet confession.
In a space where the limits of light were evident, Yulen’s deep green eyes radiated a particularly sinister beauty. The curvature of his jaw, which crossed the boundary of male and female, was astonishingly alluring.
I panted, tracing the path where Yulen’s blade had brushed past.
I had no sensation. In fact, this affliction was spreading like a heavy numbness. According to him, I might not be able to move in a few minutes.
Yulen’s intentions were clear.
Since a head-on confrontation wouldn’t work, I’d have to continuously strike and retreat. When my body completely stiffened, that would be the end.
My heart would be pierced like meat on a skewer.
It was then that Yulen’s body quivered as though it were changing.
“To enter into a ‘contract’ with the Dark Cult, a price is necessary. Back then, I had nothing. I was just determined to protect my sister.”
“What did you offer?”
“My reproductive abilities.”
With a swish, a beast’s tail emerged behind Yulen.
His body began to shift. It was not a dramatic change, but his jawline became thinner, and his hips widened. It gave off a figure that felt more feminine than androgynous.
Yulen burst into a laugh.
“I’m neither a man nor a woman. I can freely traverse both genders.”
“You look a lot like that.”
In an attempt to wrangle a concession from him, I said with a cautious gaze.
If I didn’t settle the score quickly, I had no chance of winning.
Strength naturally flowed into my sword-wielding hand. The silver aura that had softly gathered flared up like wildfire.
“You cling to either side, only to betray when it pleases you… that rotten habit of yours!”
And then, with a thud, my body shot forth like a cannon.
Yulen slid across the ground as if he had expected it, measuring the distance while seeking an effective strike.
It didn’t matter.
As long as I was given time, I would take the initiative no matter what he did.
Release.
The silver mist scattered like the Milky Way.
Yulen’s brow twitched momentarily. He might have seen it a few times, but the method of response could only be ambiguous.
The pause was brief.
From Yulen’s hand, rays of light burst forth. In the blink of an eye, dozens of sword trajectories emerged, pummeling the silver mist.
It was futile.
Clang! The light faded from Yulen’s sword as it skated between the silver aura.
It was the moment the first crack appeared on Yulen’s expression.
“What…!”
With the aura gone, there was little reason to fear Yulen’s sword.
The scattered mist began to contract once more. Before long, my sword was solidly enveloped in silver aura like a crystal.
Yulen hastily thrust his sword in response.
Clang!
But the dynamics of the battle had already changed. The solidified aura from the convergence amplified the power contained in my sword, making it nearly impossible to deflect without any aura.
As evidence, Yulen’s sword was launched high into the air upon colliding with mine.
And once again, I took a step.
Clang, clang!
Yulen tried to backpedal as much as possible to escape my strikes. But matching his movements, I didn’t stop advancing, and before long, Yulen’s retreat hit its limits.
Thud!
With all my strength, I struck aside Yulen’s sword, causing his grip to tear and blood to spatter. It was inevitable for Yulen, whose one arm was already wounded.
Now was the opportunity while Yulen’s sword spun in the air.
My blade collided with the ground, producing a sharp sound as I struck down. Yulen had spun his body as if it were his last breath.
But it was over now.
I swung my sword horizontally without hesitation. Anyone human would find it hard to avoid the next blow.
Indeed, any human.
With a thud, a gentle sensation wrapped around my arm just as I tried to swing my sword. My eyes went blank as I looked down.
It was a tail.
The fluffy tail of a fox, complete with soft fur, was gripping my arm.
