Chapter 276: The Broken Platinum Sword!
Unparalleled strength.
Although Luke had known from the very beginning that this was a fact, only after personally experiencing it did he truly understand just how powerful Edelweiss was.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that if the physical ability enhancement brought by Falna was excluded, the current Luke could not compare to the world's strongest swordsman before him in any aspect.
The other party was far stronger than him.
This was a fact that had already been clear before the two of them even began fighting.
That was right. This was a fact. There was no mistake in it.
However, battle was not such a simple thing.
Unlike comparing data, in something called a battle, it was not guaranteed that the stronger side would win.
Strength and weakness were merely one of the factors in battle.
One exchange was enough. A single instant was enough.
As long as one grasped the only chance of victory at the most crucial moment, that was enough.
…
Luke greatly enjoyed his battle with Edelweiss. He enjoyed it so much that even covered in blood, he wished it could continue forever.
Unfortunately, that was impossible.
From beginning to end, Edelweiss remained in that pure and flawless white appearance.
Even after such an intense battle, her condition had not changed at all.
If not for the streak of red on her left arm, he would not even be able to tell whether she had truly fought or not.
In contrast to her, his current condition was already far removed from his peak.
He had already been at an absolute disadvantage to begin with.
The instant his condition declined, it directly meant that the battle was about to end.
No matter how much he enjoyed it or how reluctant he was, it was useless.
At this moment, Luke had already lost the qualifications to stand on the same stage as the world's strongest swordsman.
There was nothing he could do, but he could only accept reality.
However, ending it just like this would be far too boring, wouldn't it?
If this battle really ended here, then in Luke's eyes, it could not be counted as a battle at all.
He had not managed even one effective attack.
From beginning to end, he had been suppressed completely.
That was called being trampled.
A battle had to have back and forth!
Thinking this, while Luke used his body to trap Edelweiss's right sword, Starfall Sword slashed down without the slightest hesitation.
Of course he knew that this strike would definitely be blocked.
Even Luke in his peak condition had not been able to break through Edelweiss's defense.
How could the current him, who was already nearing his limit, unleash an attack that Edelweiss could not react to in time?
Even so, even though he knew it would be blocked, Luke still swung this sword.
It was not giving up on himself, nor was it a dying struggle.
Rather, the purpose of this sword was precisely to make Edelweiss block it.
At the same time this sword fell, all the energy reserves inside the Sword Sheath of Tranquility were converted into magic power, then poured without reservation into the Starfall Sword.
A terrifying fluctuation of magic power suddenly rose.
With the support of an enormous amount of magic power, Luke finally used the trump card he had been keeping in reserve all along.
The true ability of his Device, "Starfall Sword," activated instantly!
The instant Starfall Sword collided with the platinum sword…
Crack—!
A crisp sound rang beside Luke and Edelweiss's ears.
In front of Luke's smile and Edelweiss's stunned expression—
The platinum sword tightly held in the pure-white Valkyrie's left hand was directly split in two and broken apart by the Starfall Sword under the effect of its "severing" ability!
A Device was the manifestation of a Blazer's own soul.
Every Device could be considered an indestructible divine weapon.
But precisely because it was the manifestation of the soul, once it was damaged, it would have an enormous effect on the Blazer themselves.
Almost all Blazers would faint on the spot at that instant because of the shock to their soul.
Even Edelweiss, who was called the peak of the world, could not ignore the impact that came from her soul.
"Ugh?!?!"
Along with a cry of pain, Edelweiss's attention directly scattered.
An intense sense of dizziness surged into her mind. If her will had not been firm enough, she might have fainted on the spot.
Enduring the continuous mental shock, Edelweiss did everything she could to gather her focus once more.
Although she lost focus for only a brief instant, and although she decisively abandoned all her previous actions the moment she recovered—
Releasing the platinum swords from both hands, Edelweiss retreated backward at extreme speed without the slightest hesitation.
However, it was already too late!
For the first time in the entire battle, and perhaps the only time, Edelweiss had made a mistake.
Of course Luke would not miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Not to mention, this opportunity was one he had created by using everything he had.
The second trump card he had deliberately kept hidden was immediately brought out.
Ser-Veresta, which had not been drawn from its sheath from beginning to end, suddenly flashed with light!
Whoosh—!
The burning black flames incinerated Edelweiss's magic armor in an instant, and the pure-white blade of light flashed past!
Pfft—!
Along with the sound of a sharp blade cutting through flesh—
The pure and flawless swordswoman was dyed red with blood!
A wound deep enough to see bone appeared on Edelweiss's fair and delicate lower abdomen.
The world's strongest swordsman had once again been injured by Luke.
Unlike the previous wound, which had been harmless, this time she had truly been hurt.
An injury that, if it had been a little more ruthless, could have directly cut someone in half at the waist had a huge effect on Edelweiss.
The sharp pain of her body being cut open, her shaken mind from her soul being affected, and the burning sensation from Ser-Veresta's black flames that she had never felt before.
Under these three violent impacts, especially the shock caused by her Device being severed, even Edelweiss could not help feeling dazed.
An extremely intense dizziness instantly eroded her slightly loosened consciousness. Edelweiss lost her footing and staggered forward, directly falling into Luke's arms.
As for Luke, who was completely exhausted, he was merely barely standing at this moment.
That final set of counterattacks had squeezed out the last of his remaining strength.
Right now, Luke was truly at the end of his rope.
Unable to produce even a bit of strength, he was directly pushed down by Edelweiss as she fell into his arms, and his entire body was pressed onto the ground.
As for Edelweiss, who was in a dizzy state, she naturally ended up lying on top of him.
Her pair of long, fair, beautiful legs were placed on either side of the boy's body.
From the side, Edelweiss looked as if she were straddling his waist.
It should have been a beautiful and ambiguous scene.
However, neither Luke nor Edelweiss was in very good condition at this moment.
A man and woman flowing with blood, paired with the barren scenery around them that was like ruins, and the light rain that had begun to fall in a drizzle.
This scene was practically a tragic and beautiful painting of love and death.
Edelweiss lay on top of Luke, while Luke's hands rested on her thighs.
Edelweiss, whose Device had been broken, and Luke, who was exhausted and had been knocked to the ground, were both somewhat dizzy and unable to recover for the moment.
And so, the two of them remained tangled together like this, both doing their best to recover their condition.
(PS: Vote for more chapters this week. If this fanfic reaches 250 powerstones, I will upload 5 more chapters next. So, hurry up!)
---
Read more than 20 chapters in advance, with pictures, to enhance your reading immersion:
patréon.com/tom22
Replace "é" with "e" on your web browser.
---
For Audiobook:
youtube.com/@animefic22