My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 236

“Destruction Slash!”

“……Dynamic Action.”

Two Glass Swords clashed with immense force, yet only a calm crackling sound echoed.

“Crap!”

Stella, deflecting my sword, kicked at me. I leaned back slightly to gauge her power.

Even though the kick didn’t touch my body, I felt a shockwave.

It seemed Stella had become a ‘copycat of Iris.’

If that’s the case, the crucial aspect is perspective.

How long has it been since I activated the copycat ability?

How many of the Destruction Techniques have I absorbed through Dynamic Action?

Thinking only about these two things, I realized this fight was mine to win.

My strength stemmed from the power of artifacts.

The penalties of a mirror reflecting others.

The penalty of the glass that devours greed.

She hadn’t overlooked that. Such complacency would lead to her downfall.

However, the real question was whether I could endure Iris’s power until then.

At that time, Iris had weaker stats than she does now and had yet to familiarize herself with the gap.

I couldn’t possibly measure how different things were then and now, but still, a Hero is a Hero.

She wouldn’t be an easy opponent.

Moreover, the Phantom Sword Technique essentially involved erratic trajectories. I couldn’t read everything just by watching her stance.

But I had seen the patterns of the Phantom Sword Technique countless times. With Ella’s reflexes, I should be able to respond, even with a slight delay.

Additionally, the fact that she manifested without someone’s memory meant she lacked not only knowledge about the artifacts but also an understanding of how to use them.

That was her blind spot.

“Phantom Wave Slash.”

The Glass Sword that devours greed is still undoubtedly a sword.

There shouldn’t be any problem using swordsmanship. The purple magic contained within my sword burst forth towards me.

I jumped up as if my head would touch the ceiling and dodged the sword energy. The massive blade of energy broke through the walls and soared outside, filling the entire width of the room.

“Gyaah—”

By the time I landed back on the ground, a short gasp was heard from the side. Turning my head, I saw the maids who had been trembling in the corner, their bodies or necks severed and lifeless.

“……This is the worst, Stella.”

“Do you expect any mercy from a Demon Tribe?”

Stella, who had rushed in an instant, thrust her sword in a piercing stance.

Although the greed-filled Glass Sword had very low physical attack power, the magic infused in the sword had enough lethality.

“Phantom Charge Slash!”

I narrowly dodged the thick point of the Glass Sword that lunged at me.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of the wall crumbling echoed in succession.

What immense power! That thrust had pierced through the entire wall of the long mansion.

If even a single hit lands, I’d die.

“You’re trying to kill me, right!? So I can’t take my revenge anymore, and you’re killing more humans! If not, you’ll die!”

She attempted to swing again, gathering magic once more. I tried to utilize the technique contained in the Glass Sword, but realizing that Paroco’s corpse was beneath my feet, I changed my stance.

“Phantom Wave Slash!”

“Dynamic Action!”

Kaang!

The Phantom Wave Slash’s energy was absorbed by the Glass Sword.

“……That technique again!”

Stella complained, charging at me. I used the technique to check how many stacks of the Glass Sword she possessed.

“Phantom Wave Slash!”

But the Phantom Wave Slash that flew towards the mansion, intent on destruction, quietly extinguished.

“……You used it up, didn’t you? Dynamic Action.”

“I am you. I can’t run out of it.”

Since I had already used Destruction Slash once, this would be either the second or third.

Either way, I was planning to swing one more time.

If Stella unleashed the power of the Glass Sword and it broke, it would mean she had used all three. Even if she didn’t use it and blocked with Dynamic Action, it still meant three uses.

“Destruction—Slash!”

“Dynamic Action!”

The massive magic shot forth was blocked again.

That’s three uses.

She wouldn’t know. That Dynamic Action could only be used three times in a day.

While she hesitated for just a moment to block the technique, I swiftly closed the distance. As she approached me while blocking the skill, the distance wasn’t that far.

“Shattering Strike!”

If she blocked my punch with the Glass Sword, it would break. The Glass Sword could absorb any skill but had very low physical resistance.

Once that sword breaks, all the skills she had would vanish, and she wouldn’t be able to use them for a day.

She had already used up her Dynamic Action, so there was only one option left for her.

Using the absorbed technique.

Stella intended to exhaust the technique she had absorbed right here. I still had three chances to use Dynamic Action left.

However, Stella threw a number I hadn’t anticipated.

Kaang!

“Absolute Defense!”

She nullified the power with magic…?

While I was momentarily stunned, Stella kicked me in the abdomen.

“Cough!”

Unable to withstand the shock, I fell outside the broken wall. Fortunately, the impact was softened via Ella’s solid body and the plush greenery of the garden.

But the pain in the organs of the affected area felt like they were being twisted, causing me to feel dizzy.

“Ugh…!”

Stella jumped from the third floor, landing in the garden where I was standing.

Wasn’t it too soon?

From the fact that she had a Destruction Slash, it seemed like she had used Copycat and a few seconds had passed before transforming it into Manifestation.

It was the first time I felt that one minute could feel this lengthy.

As I clutched my abdomen and readied for an upcoming attack, Stella flinched and stopped moving.

“……?”

It seemed the recoil of Copycat was beginning to hit her, as she showed a perplexed expression.

“My body is stiffening…?”

Hearing her mumble, I quickly poured a potion into my mouth. I felt the pain ease and took a breath.

“I’m not sure what it is, but it seems there’s not much time left.”

Damn it. It felt like I could hold on just a bit longer…

“Let’s settle this, Praus.”

The Glass Sword Stella held twisted and turned a purplish hue, as if something was mixing within it.

“Destruction—Wave Slash!”

She combined two techniques, channeling all her power into it.

Should I block with Dynamic Action?

……No, I’d definitely kill her with this attack.

With a tight grip on my Glass Sword, I swung it with all my might at the incoming Stella.

“Destruction—Revolving Canon!”

As the enormous magics released by each of us collided in the center, the atmosphere twisted for a moment.

Then, a massive explosion occurred, engulfing the area.

I couldn’t withstand the shock and went flying. The overwhelming impact, even an S-Class couldn’t handle, sent me crashing into the wall. Just before impact, I landed gently on the ground.

But that wasn’t the end. Not a speck of dust touched me. The flow of air blocked the dust approaching me.

“What kind of trouble did you cause while I was gone? Damn it, Praus.”

I lifted my head.

There stood a blonde woman in a green fairy outfit, looking down at me with pity.

“Ariel…?”

“I finally found you after asking Orient. What is this?”

I stared at her for a moment before getting up.

“……Stella came.”

“Your speech….”

“I ended up like this trying to kill her.”

“……Could you stop using honorifics? You seemed a bit sorry after speaking rudely to me?”

It’s not that… My Expression Management Skill was still maintaining its effect. I clicked my tongue at the hologram still hovering in the corner.

“……Let’s discuss that later. Can you clear this dust first?”

Thanks to Ella’s power, I managed to grasp the Glass Sword I hadn’t let go of. Ariel reluctantly snapped her fingers, changing the flow of mana as she cleared the rising dust.

As my view cleared, I saw that half of the massive mansion had practically been obliterated, and the meticulously maintained garden where Stella and I had been was gone without a trace.

“If I hadn’t put up a Barrier, Medis City would have been obliterated. Be grateful that just the mansion was blown away.”

“Thank you.”

For a brief moment, my father crossed my mind as I stared at the ruined mansion. But right now, it was my priority to handle Stella.

If I didn’t kill her, this situation could arise again at any time.

I wouldn’t idly stand by while someone connected to me died again.

“High-Speed Movement!”

I leaped forward, kicking the ground. I headed towards the spot where Stella had stood just moments ago. But of course, she too had been blown away from the shock, leaving only dust in her place.

But I was Ella now.

I could see mana, and even magic.

By tracking the magic, I scanned the area around the partially destroyed mansion and discovered Stella, crumpled in a corner.

She was unconscious.

“Hey. Wake up.”

I nudged the unconscious Stella, buried beneath the building debris. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She couldn’t even open them to half her usual size.

“……Plaus… Why didn’t you kill me when you had the chance?”

“I wanted to ask you something before I did.”

“You know that’s a bad idea, right?”

Stella said weakly.

“Ah… I can’t even move a finger. What’s wrong with this body? All of a sudden, I feel so weak and ache all over….”

She had returned to her original form but seemed to grimace, as if experiencing the aftereffects of Manifestation.

“You… weren’t really that strong, huh? You have an unusually high amount of mana, but you’re just… just an ordinary person.”

“……Shut up. Answer my question.”

“What is it…?”

As I attempted to ask, my jaw locked and my mouth dried up. I took a deep breath to relax my stiffened body.

“……Did you really kill my father?”

I heard Ariel next to me swallow hard at my words.

“Plaus… what do you mean…?”

I didn’t take my eyes off Stella, even while hearing Ariel’s voice. This time, my gaze didn’t waver. She was looking straight at me.

“If I say I didn’t kill him… you wouldn’t believe me, would you?”

“You…!”

“Then just… just think I killed him. It’s easier that way. Living with the notion of revenge isn’t an easy task.”

Rage flared up at Stella’s response.

But I gave up.

Just as she said, even if she denied it now, Paroco wouldn’t come back, and if my arrows of resentment were directed at Stella, at least I wouldn’t have to forsake my life for vengeance.

“……Is that your choice then?”

“Yeah. That’s my choice.”

I stretched out my fist toward her as she smiled and closed her eyes.

“It’s been a truly hellish life. Really….”

Murmuring that softly as I looked at Stella, I quietly intoned.

“Spirit Wind!”

I used the skill with incredible resolution.

The reason behind this was probably because I no longer felt any guilt that I had held until now.