kscans

Chapter 44 - You Have Been A Bit of a Background Character Lately… No, It's Nothing

Ichigo-kun is… something else.

Shing, shwing, slish, thwip.

With a series of crisp sounds, Mummy Ichigo-kun walked toward the enemy, cleaving the knights and Holy Knights in two as they came at him. They were attacking with manga-like speed thanks to their body enhancements, but Ichigo-kun dodged them with the speed of a normal person, slicing them apart as he slipped past.

"What is that?"

I could see his movements, but I couldn't comprehend them. Well, if I watched closely, I could understand how he was moving, but his evasions were so minimal and so close to the blade that if you weren't paying attention, it looked like the attacks were passing right through him without him moving at all.

He wasn't just barely dodging. His movements were unnaturally fluid. It was like he was taking the most efficient route for every motion, like a race car driver taking the perfect line through a corner. That's the best way I can describe his compact movements.

I'm pretty sure I can only perceive this because of my vampiric eyesight. A normal human probably wouldn't be able to comprehend it…

"Then try this!"

The knights took some distance and unleashed a simultaneous magic attack. At the same time, with a slight delay, another group of knights charged with swords drawn. A synchronized magic volley followed by a delayed physical attack to strike right after he dodged!

"Not good, dodge it!"

The moment I said it, I knew it was impossible. Dammit, I was so mesmerized by Ichigo-kun's fighting that I was just spectating, but he's still just a Ghoul. He can't move incredibly fast or take a lot of damage! If he gets hit by a simultaneous attack like that…

"Click."

Ichigo-kun held his sword at a diagonal angle. Was he preparing to take the hit, only blocking the most dangerous attacks? Even so, he wouldn't be able to withstand the knights' charge that followed.

"Swh."

CRACK!

With a sound like something bursting, the magic that hit Ichigo-kun was deflected away.

""""Huh?""""

The sound escaped my lips. And the knights', too.

Furthermore, Ichigo-kun spun, his sword vibrating gently, and somehow, all the spells were deflected, bursting with a series of sharp cracks.

"Huh? Huh? Huh?"

What was that?! Not just me, but the knights were also completely bewildered. And that was their undoing. Their confusion threw off the timing of their coordinated attack.

Swish, shing, slash, thud, squelch!

He dealt with each of the now-staggered attacks one by one, cutting down the knights. A knight who was cut and thrown off balance collided with another knight approaching from the opposite direction, nullifying their attack. Some were even manipulated by his slashes into striking each other down with their own swords.

"…Whoa."

Their bodies and attacks getting in each other's way, the knights' formation was half-destroyed. As they scrambled to regroup, Ichigo-kun calmly walked among them, finishing them off.

Watching him move, I replayed the sequence of events in my mind, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"That first magic volley… they didn't all disappear at once. The sounds were sequential. Does that mean… they weren't actually simultaneous, but slightly off?"

Probably, the knights' magic attacks were out of sync. Depending on the type of magic each used, the activation time, the projectile speed, and so on. Between fire, wind, and ice magic, wind would probably arrive first. So he must have dealt with them in order of speed.

"But how did he make the magic disappear? He can't use magic… Ah, the magic sword!"

Of course, he used the magic sword to somehow dispel the magic. That sword is amazing. It's not out of the question for a mysterious magic sword to be able to nullify magic… right?

"But wait, the knights were surprised too. Maybe this isn't a normal technique?"

If that's the case, does that mean Ichigo-kun's skill is just that insane? I mean, it is, but still.

"Hold on, these guys are monsters who survived being buried alive in that collapse. And he's overwhelming them with just sword skills? Just how good is he?!"

Come to think of it, I remember one of those knights calling Ichigo-kun a 'Sword Saint'. Was he really a swordsman of that caliber?

"The mystery just deepens."

The more I learn of his strength, the more I wonder why his companions betrayed him. In his current state as a Ghoul, he must be significantly weaker. If he's this strong even now, wouldn't it have been wiser to win him over rather than antagonize him?

In the end, nearly all the surviving knights and Holy Knights were defeated by Ichigo-kun alone.

"Hey, I didn't even get a turn!"

I mean, it's nice to take it easy and not get hurt, but still! It feels a little anticlimactic!