Chapter 382 - His Heart Would Not Stop Pounding

Now that he had a goal, all he had to do was keep working toward it. And that was what Encrid did. He had already seen the path. It was within reach. He simply needed to take everything he possessed one step higher. Following the signposts could be called both his strength and his specialty. What he needed was precision, fine control, delicacy. 'I've already learned them.' Then he only needed to repeat them until they became second nature. Nothing was easier for Encrid. What he needed was time. Repetitions of today. He did that, too. He spent today well, again and again. "Do you think that will work?" The ferryman asked. He urged Encrid to learn despair, to learn frustration. He told him he should tremble with anguish, that it was only natural. In this way, he slipped doubt into his mind. 'What if I'm wrong?' What if this was the wrong path? It did not matter. If another wall appeared after he overcame this one, he would simply overcome that, too. For now, he would walk the path his determination had made. The wall was a condition, but he had set that condition himself. He would knock her down, not kill her. If anything stood in his way, he would overcome that as well. It was a resolution, but also a simple, matter-of-fact attitude. Sensing that within the world in Encrid's mind, the ferryman would have clicked his tongue in disbelief, if he had one. But with no physical tongue to click, he could only mutter. "That crazy fuck is at it again." The ferryman knew that the wall's condition had changed. What had changed it was the determination of the one subjected to the curse. Absurd as it was, it was neither impossible nor unprecedented. He had experienced it himself. It was merely rare, since most people chose the easiest path they could once they understood the wall's condition. But what about this Encrid? 'The difficult path.' He chose an even harsher version of it. Holding out against the orange-haired woman knight and subduing her was already difficult. Yet Encrid had made it his goal to accomplish that in a short time. He had realized instinctively that merely holding out would not carry him beyond today. "Crazy, and viciously so." The ferryman muttered to himself again. No answer came. As always, he merely wandered the river alone.

* * *

Encrid did not think it impossible to overcome the wall he had chosen to face. Countless bouts had made Aesia's habits familiar to him. Well, it would be easier in a fight to the death, but he had taken this path precisely because he did not want that. They said that chasing two rabbits meant losing both, but catching both would be better. 'Do I really have to settle for one?' He had his repeating today. Then he could simply make catching both rabbits the condition itself. 'I won't kill Aesia, and I'll get past the wall.' Subdue her quickly and move forward. Find where he ought to stand. That would be in front of Krang. Encrid decided to make that his standard. What came afterward? He did not give a damn. If the rhythm-breaking bastard became another wall in his way, he would overcome him, too. It was not as though he had never encountered consecutive walls before. But he had a peculiar feeling. That man appeared only under certain conditions. That alone made him seem unlike a wall barring Encrid's path. Aesia's having faced him first reinforced that feeling. If he were Encrid's wall, he would have stood before Encrid. "Rem." Thus began a new today. The today on which he had decided to move forward. Encrid called for Rem as soon as he got up. "... It isn't even dawn yet."

Rem answered without opening his eyes. "Get out here, you barbarian bastard. I'll knock the shit out of your skull." His tone was far too level for a taunt, but Rem reacted. The barbarian opened his eyes. Gray eyes pierced the blue predawn light and stared straight at Encrid. "Let's do it. Let's put up a gravestone today." This was a kind of signal from Encrid: a proposal to fight with half their lives on the line. Rem accepted it. "What would you like for your epitaph?"

He rose and gathered his axes as he spoke. "The pioneer who split open a barbarian's skull to study what was inside." "Do you really want to die today?"

Rem was half serious. "Underestimate me, and you'll be the one who dies." Encrid warned him. Rem did not know the results of all those accumulated todays. He would let his guard down. The same was true of Aesia. Which meant... 'If you can't block it, neither can Aesia.' They had just gone outside, taken their stances, and gauged the distance. Andrew came out rubbing his eyes, then jolted in alarm. CLANG! The ringing sound seemed to drive away the dawn mist. Encrid, who had kicked off the ground and swung his longsword with Will of the Instant, and Rem, who had blocked it, stood frozen like figures in a painting. With sword and axe locked, their breath rose above their heads, looking like blue smoke in the morning chill. Both radiated twice their usual menace. "Fuck, did you have a nice dream?"

Rem asked over their locked weapons. "I tend to have one every day." Dreams of dying were not pleasant. But he had not wasted a single today. Every one had been worth something. Encrid's unprecedented enthusiasm stirred Rem as well. "Fine. Let's see about dying." Encrid had already been doing just that. He had learned while being beaten half to death. He had fought Aesia again and again, too. He had kept walking. Kept advancing. By now, he had accumulated dozens more todays. His spar with Rem stopped at a reasonable point. Encrid had used everything he could. "Sometimes you're so amazing it's downright strange." That was what Rem finally said. His eyes held surprise, if not quite shock. The emotion lay beneath his seemingly placid gaze. Ragna and Jaxon were no different. Even Dunbachel's eyes had widened in the same way. So had Esther's, just before she left. Encrid swept a hand through his hair, scattering sweat. His preparations were complete. By now, he could repeat the same day and reach Aesia with his eyes closed. In fact, he did close his eyes as he beat down the instructor with his bullshit about advancing and the others when he met them again. "Fuck, what the hell! Why are you fighting with your eyes closed!" Ignoring the shout that came just before the bastard died, Encrid punched a hole in his throat. Then he helped the maid up, told her to hide off to one side, and pressed on. He headed for Aesia at almost a run. "What's behind you?"

He asked when they met. "What?" "I'm asking who's behind you."

Aesia frowned at his question. "What do you know?" "I'm asking because I don't know." "... Then why are you so confident?" "Habit." "Are you a crazy bastard?" "I hear that sometimes, too." "Regardless, I can't let you through. You'd die for nothing." "I don't think so." "Prove it." A familiar conversation. When Aesia raised her sword and aimed it at him, he closed his eyes and knocked it aside. CLANG! "... What was that?" "There's no need to do it again, but you must have your doubts. Try it." Aesia furrowed her brow and did as he said. She aimed her sword.

CLANG! Again, he knocked it aside. Encrid swung his sword with his eyes closed as though they were open. Then he unfocused his eyes and ignored Point Aim. "What the hell have you been doing?"

Aesia asked in astonishment. "Just come at me." There was no need for words, so that was what he said. What were Aesia's strengths? What defined her? They were not obvious at first glance. She concealed herself that well, as befitted someone who specialized in illusion swordsmanship. Starting with Point Aim, she specialized in deflecting swordwork and Swift Sword. Her footwork was exceptionally fast, and she sometimes applied intimidation with fine precision to disrupt his movements. 'Then what are her weaknesses?' Power. She lacked physical strength. That made the way to deal with her simple. Drive her back with Righteous Sword and crush her with Heavy Sword. CLANG! CLANG! Instead of Silver, he wielded his gladius in one hand, delivering short, sharp blows. Aesia blocked them again and again. Encrid calmly pressed her. Through the repetitions of today, he had fashioned a way of fighting that relentlessly exploited her weakness. "You!" During the exchange, Aesia let out something that might have been a battle cry and shifted her feet. Switching their positions, she sprang sideways in a single motion. She kicked hard off the floor, planted a foot on the wall, and leaped as she slashed. It was a feat made possible by her quick feet and light body. It was also the result of Encrid's repeated pressure. She kicked off the wall and lunged at him, her body parallel to the floor. As he had seen time and again, she was superb at responding to unexpected developments. That was likely a side benefit of her varied experience with illusion swordsmanship. It let her respond adequately to any change. Put simply, the range of movements she could anticipate from her opponent in a fight was extraordinarily broad. Even being blocked by Righteous Sword and crushed by Heavy Sword fell within her expectations. By kicking off the wall, she moved with the floor beside her. She transformed the space of their sword fight into three dimensions. She escaped the reach of Righteous Sword, occupying a space that was momentarily free of Heavy Sword's pressure as well. That was what she achieved by running along the wall with her agile body and remarkable balance. 'Then what if I go beyond what she expects?' Through fighting her over and over, Encrid had learned the limits of what Aesia could anticipate. Repeating today had let him discover them. And so... 'I'll go beyond them.' Her feat was remarkable, but it was what he had intended. Encrid placed his gladius in the path of her sword, then let go. TING! The gladius fell to the floor. In that interval, he charged beneath Aesia's sideways-tilted body as she ran along the wall. He pushed off the floor, low and fast. THUD! The carpet beneath his feet tore as though it had burst. With no time to draw back her sword and thrust, Aesia pulled out the dagger hidden against her chest. She drew the handspan-long blade with her left hand and stabbed. Its speed rivaled Will of the Instant, but he already knew this move. Encrid staked the outcome on this moment. Success meant subduing her in one stroke. Failure meant another repetition. This was already his seventh attempt at the same maneuver. Concentrate on a Single Point made the path of Aesia's thrust seem slow. Feeling as though he were pushing through mud, Encrid crossed his hands and reached out. It was a disarming technique from Balaf-style martial arts. He pressed Aesia's wrist between his crossed wrists, naturally diverting the dagger's path. Encrid deliberately directed its point toward his stomach. It punched through the leather he wore on the outside, but the bandage armor beneath stopped it. Meanwhile, he twisted his hands sideways, forcing her wrist down. CRACK! "Ngh!"

Aesia groaned as her wrist twisted. Keeping hold of her wrist with his left hand, he spread his right thumb wide from his index finger and drove that hand forward into her throat. His right hand was already on its way when her dagger struck his abdomen. SMACK!

The impact rang out. "Ghk!"

Aesia let out a second groan. If the first had been from surprise, the second was from the impact. Encrid hooked one foot behind her heel, seized her hair, and slammed her head into a decorative shield. BANG! Blood spurted from her nose and face. It was bold and brutal. And he was not finished. He threw her body down onto the floor, then drove his elbow into her torso with his weight behind it. THUD!

CRACK. He had broken several ribs. Her internal organs would have suffered some damage, too. "Whew."

Only then did Encrid release his breath, roll aside, and rise. Aesia's eyes had already rolled back as she lost consciousness. Her face was a mess. Still, divine power would allow her to recover fully. There had been no room to go easy on her. Encrid took a brief moment to catch his breath. Had he let his guard slip even a little, she probably would have broken free of his grasp immediately. This had not been excessive. It had been just enough. He had left Aesia like a shattered vase. The sun had not yet set. Encrid picked up his fallen sword and walked on, heading farther inside. Soon, he ran toward the sound of a commotion. His heart raced as he ran. Even with the heart of the beast granting him boldness and calm, his heart would not stop pounding, perhaps from anticipation of whatever awaited him. He followed the noise to its source. Before a half-broken door, he saw several men trying to get inside. One turned to face him. "Where do you think you are?" A man with sharp eyes barred his path. How strong was he? Encrid did not know. But the emblem on his armor was familiar: the sword and Sun Beast, symbols of the kingdom. In other words, the emblem of the Scarlet Cloak Knight Order. That did not stop his running feet. He adjusted his grip on his sword instead. "You lunatic!" His opponent thrust his sword forward. Encrid swung his own sword at the blade coming straight toward him.