Volume 1 Chapter 5 ACT.4 The Phantom Thief Incident (II)
On a sloped roof, an environment hardly suited for combat, Purge Knight Rai's swordsmanship remained flawless.
Her blade, specially coated black to reflect no moonlight, truly shone in this night.
It wasn't just that it was harder to see, or to dodge; when combined with Rai's skill, it became a nearly invisible magic sword.
"Ugh!"
She, clutching a fist-sized gem, tonight's prize, in her left hand and a single dagger in her right, fought back.
It was all thanks to reincarnators' unique high physical abilities.
However, there was a limit to how long she could keep dodging everything.
"Ouch!"
At the end of that long swordplay, Rai had sliced the girl's left arm, a shallow cut.
This wasn't a chance occurrence.
Rai, in the instant before she unleashed her attack, had changed her grip on the sword.
From holding it by the guard, she quietly shifted her hold to the end of the grip──the pommel.
This extended the sword's reach by a few centimeters and allowed her to misdirect the girl's evasion.
Having her gem-holding hand injured, the girl lost strength in her arm, dropping the gem.
Rai, using the tip of her sword, batted the fallen gem up.
The deep red gem danced in the night sky, reflecting moonlight brilliantly, but the girl had no time to admire it.
That's because she knew that if she took her eyes off the knight in front of her, her head would be separated from her body in an instant.
She couldn't look away.
──And there was no time.
"Damn it!"
The moment she cursed, her figure dissolved into the air as if melting, vanishing from the spot.
Rai, seeing this undeniable display of supernatural power, quickly checked his surroundings.
Then, on a rooftop 500 meters away, the girl reappeared as if out of thin air and ran off.
Rai felt a strong sense of unease at the sight, and thrust his right hand's sword into the roof.
Into the empty space where her hand was outstretched, the deep red gem fell and landed in his hand.
Staring intently at the gem, Rai finally realized the nature of his unease──the true nature of the girl's ability.
'I see, then I have an idea too.'
* * *
The next day, a group of guards distributed flyers in the bustling plaza.
'Today, at sunset, meet in front of the fountain at Count Hausen. If you want to recover last night's prey, come.'
Among the townsfolk of the royal capital whispering about the flyer, a hooded girl picked it up and scanned its contents.
She muttered softly to herself.
"Huh, that knight is doing something like this."
Her left hand was wrapped in bandages, blood seeping through.
* * *
That evening, Rai stood in front of the fountain at Count Hausen.
Guards were stationed all around, ensuring that nothing would go unnoticed or anyone caught up in whatever might happen here.
As a crimson glow illuminated the surroundings brightly, Rai suddenly sensed an ominous presence creeping up behind him.
He raised his shield and turned to face it.
In that instant, the cloaked girl from last night materialized out of thin air, lunging at him with a dagger.
Rai blocked it with his shield, a cynical grin spreading across his face.
"Using such underhanded tactics, aren't we?"
"Sorry, but I have no intention of fighting you fair and square, nor do I want to chat. Let's play a little dirty!"
No sooner had she spoken than her form dissolved again into the air.
In the next moment, she reappeared behind him, again aiming to stab with her dagger.
Rai drew his sword in response, swinging it to ward off her attack, causing her to stumble back.
Seizing the moment, he readjusted his shield and stepped forward, ready to counterattack.
Yet again, she vanished, only to reemerge in another direction, ready to strike.
The positions of her attacks changed rapidly, but Rai held his ground, focusing on defense.
Still, there was no sign of panic in his eyes.
He was waiting, patiently observing for the moment when she would become desperate enough to launch a reckless attack──an opening he could exploit.
And that moment finally arrived.
The girl appeared within striking distance, with her dagger poised at waist level, suddenly materializing right in front of him.
It was a perfect distance where he couldn't intercept her with his sword, and there was no time left for his shield.
The girl was certain of her victory.
But surprisingly, Rai felt the same way.
With a swift kick aimed at her solar plexus, Rai struck, forcing all the air from her lungs in one decisive blow.
The girl, sent flying by the sheer difference in their sizes, rolled across the ground 3 times before collapsing, coughing violently.
Realizing the dire situation, she quickly used her ability to vanish once more.
But Rai had been waiting for this moment.
In an instant, he dashed to where she'd just been and swung his sword sharply at the empty air before him.
In the next moment, a vivid splash of blood erupted from the seemingly empty space.
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