I Became the Academy’s Defensive Swordsman

Chapter 196

Chapter 196

【 The God’s Final Moment 】

After Gideon left first.

Hearing Jason’s encouragement, I immediately followed after Gideon.

But Gideon was fast—far too fast.

Much faster than I had expected.

“Huff, huff… Why’s he so fast?”

I sat down for a moment, gasping for breath.

Then I looked off into the distance.

Gideon was already far ahead.

He was scaling steep rocky mountains and crossing rivers of lava.

At that sight, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“He always charges ahead alone. I’m always lagging behind… never of any real help.”

I looked down at my bandaged right arm.

Even though it had been treated, it still stung sharply, and I still couldn’t properly move my hand or arm.

My past path had been denied, and the future I had wanted to reach had been denied as well.

‘I’ve always been like this. I could never… move forward like everyone else.’

Since I was young, I had always wanted to prove that I, too, could advance ahead.

I wanted to prove that to everyone—but that was never easy for me.

‘But still… I kept believing. That I had a role of my own. That if I kept moving forward… that moment would come.’

I looked forward again.

My own role. The moment to prove that role.

My instincts were telling me—that moment was now.

“Fuuuuu.”

After exhaling deeply, I stood up.

Then, as I climbed over the sharp rocks again, I looked once more at my right arm.

My older brother Rage, the one who had caused all this, and the Evil God Bedir, whom Gideon had spoken of.

‘It’s unfair… if only my future gets destroyed.’

Clenching my teeth, I pressed onward.

Following Gideon’s footsteps slowly—but steadily and surely.

And after who knew how long, I finally arrived.

‘That… what is that?’

A massive, burning helmet.

And before it, Gideon and Rage were fighting.

Gideon looked the same as always.

But Rage—my older brother—was… different.

His appearance and voice were the same, but his tone, his movements—they weren’t Rage’s.

‘No way… has that Evil God possessed Rage oppa’s body?’

Though I didn’t have solid proof, I was convinced that was the case.

And then I recalled what Eisen had said to us before we moved to Muktaba.

According to him, Rage had gone to find Bedir’s Fragment.

‘That burning helmet… is that the fragment? That fragment… it’s being slowly absorbed into Rage oppa.’

Hiding behind a nearby boulder, I carefully observed the situation.

At the same time, I secretly listened to the exchange between Gideon and Bedir.

“…Once I’ve absorbed more than half of that fragment… you—or rather, humans—won’t be able to touch this body anymore.”

“…I didn’t know that.”

I immediately understood.

If that massive helmet was completely absorbed, Rage—no, Bedir—would effectively win.

Now that I looked closer, Gideon seemed to be doing everything he could to destroy the helmet.

‘…How’s he planning to destroy it? From what I heard, no human strength could even scratch it.’

As I wondered that inwardly—

Gideon was struck by Bedir’s punch and sent flying, crashing beside the enormous helmet.

Suddenly, a black dagger appeared in his hand.

He swung it toward the helmet—but a crimson magic circle appeared, blocking the blade.

The moment I saw that magic circle, I immediately recognized it.

‘The Isrinbloom Family’s Protection Spell.’

The magic that blocked all external harm to an object, which only the bloodline of the Isrinbloom Family could pierce.

That spell was guarding the massive helmet.

“Rage… that useless fool still managed to leave something of use behind.”

Hearing Bedir’s words, I realized that spell was my brother’s doing.

Sighing inwardly, I continued to watch the scene unfold.

Bedir’s one-sided attacks against Gideon continued.

In the process, Bedir struck the black dagger from Gideon’s hand, sending it flying.

‘That dagger… Muspel’s Dagger? The Dagger of God-Slaying… wasn’t it?’

I glanced toward Mustiltain lying far away.

Then my eyes shifted to Bedir’s Fragment.

The spell cast upon it—the Isrinbloom Family’s magic.

Only a member of the Isrinbloom Family could break it.

“…Ah.”

And then, I understood what I had to do.

I realized why my instincts had led me here.

I understood the role that had been given to me.

Without hesitation, I began to move.

Silently, cautiously—I retrieved Mustiltain from where it had fallen.

“…It’s because of you. Had you not stood in my way, things wouldn’t have come to this. But you did stand in my way… so here, you will die.”

Bedir’s attention was entirely focused on Gideon.

Because of that, he hadn’t noticed my presence at all.

Gideon, too, seemed too cornered to be aware of anything around him.

‘…So this is what I need to do?’

Holding Mustiltain tightly, I approached the burning helmet.

I immediately examined the spell cast upon its surface.

A typical Isrinbloom Family Protection Spell.

I couldn’t help but let out a faint laugh.

‘After all this… I really am a member of the Isrinbloom Family. The blood flowing within me proves it.’

A spell that Gideon could never breach.

I erased that spell with nothing more than my hand—effortlessly.

After confirming that the magic had vanished, I reached out my right hand.

My right hand, charred black—now barely capable of feeling anything.

I grasped Mustiltain tightly, and exerted force into my grip.

Even with just a little strength, my right arm trembled violently.

And at the same time, pain surged through it.

Even the act of applying strength to my arm was agony.

However, even in that situation, I couldn’t help but smile.

‘I’m finally… of help too.’

Since I was young, I had always been told I was useless.

Because of that, I had always thought—both consciously and unconsciously—

that I was someone who couldn’t help anyone.

But now, at last… I was certain that I had finally been of help.

“You have no way to stop me. There’s no one from the Isrinbloom Family here who can dispel that spell. Even if there were, they wouldn’t come to your aid—”

“There is.”

Holding Mustiltain, I cut in between Bedir’s words.

At my voice, both Bedir and Gideon turned to me in shock.

“A friend from the Isrinbloom Family who would come to help… as the friend who’ll always stand by him—that’ll always be me.”

“Wait… the spell on my helmet… wait, stop! Stop right there!”

Realizing the situation, Bedir rushed toward me.

But it was already too late.

I had already driven the dagger down into the massive helmet.

“Ugh?!”

The blazing helmet burned with fierce flames.

To strike it with the dagger meant plunging my hand directly into that fire.

When the flames engulfed my right hand, pain twisted my face.

But I gritted my teeth and swung the dagger regardless.

‘This arm’s already ruined anyway. And this right arm… it’s already been through worse flames before.’

Enduring the agony, I gripped tighter.

And the Dagger of God-Slaying struck the Evil God’s Fragment.

The tip of Mustiltain clashed against the enormous helmet.

Though I had swung the dagger with all my might, it wasn’t enough to shatter it completely.

Yet, at the very moment Mustiltain’s blade touched the helmet—

Titik, tick—

Cracks began to spread from the point of contact.

And soon, the massive, flaming helmet started to crumble apart.

The flames it had spewed for countless ages—vanished in an instant.

The helmet shattered into tiny fragments and collapsed completely.

“No!”

Bedir shouted in desperation, but the helmet had already fallen apart.

Moments later, the fragments turned to dust and vanished into the air.

“You damn wench!”

“Kyaaaah?!”

Bedir kicked me hard in the stomach.

Then, rapier in hand, he approached as I lay fallen.

His voice was overflowing with rage like never before.

“I was going to let you go, and this is how you repay me?!”

He lifted me by the neck, pressing the rapier against my throat.

“I was going to spare a useless woman like you, but if this is how it is, then—”

“Don’t you dare call her useless.”

“What?”

“To me—to all of us—she’s more precious than anyone, and more helpful than anyone.”

Gideon moved in an instant, stepping between Bedir and me.

He swung his sword, wreathed in Blood Energy, straight at Bedir.

Bedir hastily blocked with his rapier—

“Gaaah?!”

—but was sent flying backward by Gideon’s strike.

It was a far cry from earlier, when he had withstood Gideon’s attacks without budging.

“Looks like your strength’s already fading.”

Gideon muttered with a faint smile, then immediately turned to check on me.

“Lady Sara, are you all right?”

“Y-yeah. I’m fine. Though… I think a few ribs might’ve cracked from that kick…”

With a hollow smile, I looked at my right arm.

The arm I had thrown into that burning helmet.

My right arm… was in an even more horrible and devastating state than before.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to hold a sword again.”

“That’s not true. I’ll find a way, no matter what.”

“There’s no need. Gideon.”

“Yes, Lady Sara?”

“I… was of help to you, wasn’t I? What I did—it meant something, right?”

“…Lady Sara.”

Gideon smiled at me— a bright, genuine smile.

“You’ve always been of help to me, Lady Sara. You’ve always meant something to me.”

“…Even when we first met?”

“Well, that helped too, in its own way. Because of that meeting, I could find my direction in swordsmanship—and I grew closer to Lady Layla as well.”

“I see. So I wasn’t… just a burden to you after all.”

At my words, Gideon smiled softly again.

I looked like I had more to say, but—

“…I’ll kill you. Both of you. Right here, right now.”

Bedir, who had been blown away by Gideon’s strike— was already rising again.

“Lady Sara, please step back for a moment. From here on, I’ll finish this.”

“Alright. I’ll let you handle the finale. I think… my role here is done.”

With difficulty, I stood and moved to a safer place.

Once Gideon confirmed I was out of harm’s way, he turned to face Bedir once more.

“You look much weaker now. And your mind… it seems unstable.”

“Yes, as you said—when my fragment shattered, my mind connected to this damned body also began to break apart… But don’t worry, Swordsman of Water. Before my mind and body are completely severed, I’ll make sure to kill that damned woman and you. No, at least you—I’ll take you down for sure.”

“Then I can’t afford to lose either.”

Gideon smiled faintly as he lifted Mistcatcher.

“Before your mind completely breaks, Lord Bedir… or rather, Bedir—

I’ll leave you with a wound you’ll never forget.”