The Golden Apple (6)
Aster couldn't use flight or levitation magic.
When it came to magic, Aster was practically clueless aside from counter-magic.
Yet, Aster was clearly floating above the lake.
Just a moment ago, his feet had touched the water's surface.
But the moment he gripped the sword, the lake receded, and Aster remained suspended in the air.
“...Amazing.”
Renzo's admiration was genuine.
‘He's pushing the lake away with the pressure of his aura... No, is the lake responding to the sword?’
It was as if the very space Aster occupied was being provided by the lake, like a monstrous domain.
‘So this is Excalibur, said to be among the most powerful of hero's weapons.’
According to the legend of King Arthur, there were two Excaliburs.
One was the sword in the stone, awaiting the worthy.
The other was the sword bestowed by the Lady of the Lake, slumbering beneath the water.
‘It's definitely different from the one Frondier had.’
Renzo examined Aster's sword.
Its shape and the energy it emanated were distinct from the one Frondier wielded.
Unlike Frondier's Excalibur, which was nothing short of ferocious, this one was far more subdued.
Of course, neither should be underestimated.
“...Ah, this is annoying.”
Renzo suddenly lowered his head and sighed.
Then, turning to the side, he said, “What are you trying to run away from now? You should be ashamed of yourself, for a God.”
Aster witnessed this.
‘...Don't tell me he's talking to Ares?’
That Ares wanted to run away?
The God of War?
‘Is Excalibur somehow related to the God Ares?’
No, that's impossible.
There's no connection between Excalibur and Ares in any story. It's only natural. They're from completely different worlds.
‘Let's confirm it.’
Aster raised his voice.
“Are you scared?”
“What?”
Renzo reacted instantly. His veins were bulging.
“Who's scared of what? Of a single sword?”
“No, I’m asking you.”
“Ah, you mean this guy?” Renzo pointed a finger next to him.
Aster thought, ‘It's a good thing it’s Renzo.’
It was a thought strikingly similar to what Frondier had.
“What is Ares saying?”
“Well, I can't really tell you even if you ask. Ares made me swear on it.”
Indeed. Conversations with Gods are confidential.
However, since Renzo couldn't communicate with Gods without speaking, Aster unintentionally gained quite a bit of information just from Renzo's words.
“But it seems you are scared?”
“Well, yeah.”
Renzo answered Aster’s twenty-questions style interrogation, and he wasn’t particularly lying.
‘...In that case.’
Aster took a stance.
Ares was scared. He would deny it if he heard it, but he wanted to get out of this place.
Ever since Aster grabbed Excalibur.
‘I need to know why.’
Aster’s gaze changed.
‘Hmm.’
Seeing that, Renzo immediately pulled out his shield.
The God's shield, Lynotoros. There was no reason to hold back against the current Aster.
Aster stood still, poised in the center of the subsided lake.
Renzo, wiping away cold sweat, smirked.
“Ha, and here I thought with that sword in your hand, you would...”
Whoosh!
The sword touched Renzo’s forehead.
“?!”
Clang!!!
Immediately after, Excalibur and Lynotoros clashed.
Kaboom!!
A gust of wind erupted.
Between their attacks, stones and trees shattered endlessly, swept away by the wind.
“You…!”
“Ugh…!”
Renzo and Aster were locked in a struggle of strength.
Screeeech?!
Simultaneously, their feet slid back, pushing each other away.
Even as the distance between them grew, the clash at the center refused to yield.
An aura clash that kept their blades and shield from touching.
Renzo recalled the chilling sensation from a moment ago.
‘It touched my forehead!’
Lynotoros was a shield that blocked everything in front of it, centered around the shield itself.
In other words, regardless of its appearance, it was the largest shield in the world. Even if Renzo didn't actively block with the shield, it would stop any attack as long as it came from the front.
Yet, Aster's flash, albeit for a fleeting moment, had grazed Renzo’s forehead.
‘His attack is faster than a God’s attribute? How is that possible!’
Grip.
Renzo grasped his spear.
Unlike Aster, who unleashed his flash with both hands, Renzo had one hand free.
‘Take this!’
With Aster already in the middle of his flash, dodging Renzo’s attack would be incredibly difficult.
Moreover, an immense amount of aura was clashing between them. If the balance crumbled, the backlash would be entirely on Aster.
‘If that’s the case, then he…’
Renzo grinned.
And just as he was about to throw the spear,
“...”
Renzo looked into Aster’s eyes.
Aster, who had come purely for a head-on confrontation.
The clash of strength that Renzo had yearned for.
‘…What is this? Me.’
A sense of dissonance washed over Renzo.
Something wasn’t right.
What was it?
Did Aster employ some kind of trickery? Like Frondier?
…Frondier?
??
Just like you, Renzo.
“...Hah!”
Renzo threw the spear.
He plunged it into the ground, right next to him.
“...?”
In the instant Aster felt puzzled,
Whoosh!
“What!”
Renzo threw away even the shield he had been holding.
In other words, Renzo was now,
‘No!’
Aster’s flash was about to engulf the defenseless Renzo.
Renzo’s divine power gathered to block the sword, but.
Fizzle!!
“?!”
His divine power scattered with ridiculous ease, and
“Ugh!!”
Aster twisted his left foot backward.
The trajectory from his right shoulder to his left lower abdomen became completely distorted.
He was forcefully altering his flash mid-strike. His joints and muscles screamed in protest.
Slash?!
Aster struck.
Renzo’s right arm, his prosthetic, was severed.
Crackle, boom!!
The remaining aura, unable to find its target, crashed into the ground, scattering in all directions.
Behind Renzo, the ground and surrounding trees were torn to shreds like paper.
“Gasp! Gasp! Ugh!”
Thud.
Aster fell to his knees.
Pain shot through him, from his right ankle to his left hip, as if they were split in half.
Aster’s flash was always a straight line. It was a technique that concentrated all his muscles, aura, charging posture, and his entire skillset.
If he could change its trajectory mid-flight, he would have done it long ago.
He had forced a change upon something that wasn’t meant to be. It was like ramming a speeding truck from the side.
The result.
‘I don’t even know what hurts where…!’
Aster gritted his teeth. His body screamed. He couldn’t tell if it was his muscles, bones, nerves, or all of them.
Renzo looked down at him.
“...What are you thinking?”
“What are you thinking…!!”
Aster retorted, his voice thick with anger and pain.
“Turning defenseless in that situation, are you insane?!”
To Aster’s outburst, Renzo simply asked,
“That was the perfect chance to kill me, wasn’t it?”
“Killing you, ugh!”
Aster’s words were cut short by the pain. But even as he winced, he kept his eyes on Renzo.
From the moment he first met Renzo until now.
His gaze remained unchanged.
“What chance would I have by killing you…!”
“...What?”
“Why should I kill you?!”
Clench.
Aster dug his foot into the ground and slowly rose.
Every inch his body moved felt like it was twisting in the wrong direction.
Renzo watched him with wide eyes.
“...You’re saying you’re not going to kill me?”
“Did I ever say I would? Never in my life.”
“Frondier will die if you leave me be.”
“You seem to be mistaken about something.”
Thump!
Aster planted Excalibur into the ground, using it as a crutch to steady himself.
“Frondier won’t die. He’s not someone you can kill just because you want to.”
“If you truly believe that, why stop me?”
“What kind of question is that?” Aster said, as if he couldn’t comprehend.
“I’m stopping you because you’re trying to commit murder. Whether you succeed or fail doesn't matter.”
“...You.”
Renzo started to say something, then stopped.
If someone were to ask Renzo what he thought of himself, he would answer without hesitation:
I’m a madman.
At least Renzo was self-aware.
‘…This guy is crazy.’
However, Aster seemed oblivious. To just how insane he was.
To confirm it, Renzo said, “Look at yourself. You’re battered and bruised trying to save the guy you were fighting moments ago. Meanwhile, I'm still standing, even with one arm gone. Killing you now would be child’s play.”
“So?”
Aster’s reply made Renzo’s lips twitch.
“I guess you’ll learn your lesson in the afterlife.”
Renzo made a fist. His aura surged.
Aster laughed at the sight.
He lifted his sword, no, he dragged it up, and stood tall.
His body trembled, his feet felt heavy without the flow of aura.
“Even if I were to die here today,”
Aster declared,
“I would make the same choice.”
“...You’d repeat the same foolish act, knowing full well how it ends?”
“Says the fool who threw away his spear and shield first.”
Aster couldn’t understand Renzo’s actions.
Why did he suddenly discard his weapons?
Was it a ploy to cripple Aster at the cost of his own life?
He didn’t know. But,
“My choice won’t change.”
That’s when Renzo realized.
Aster’s eyes, devoid of any killing intent throughout their fight.
This was Aster Evans.
Pure and simple.
And terrifying because of it.
‘…I…’
Renzo lowered his fist.
From the very beginning, he never intended to strike Aster in his current state.
He turned and walked away.
“...Where are you going?”
Aster asked from behind.
“None of your business.”
“I’ll be watching, ugh.”
Aster collapsed before he could take another step.
It was a small amusement in this situation, and Renzo couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Hahaha. You can do nothing but watch.”
It was a dry, humorless laugh.
Step, step. Renzo walked on.
With each step, rage swelled within him,
And with the next, killing intent followed.
‘That was…’
The reason Renzo discarded his weapons.
It was, in fact, the same reason as Aster’s.
‘To think I would do something so foolish.’
In the middle of a life-or-death struggle, he had actually considered throwing his spear at his opponent.
As if he were running away from a fair fight.
Like a coward who acknowledged his weakness against his enemy’s strength.
‘Such a despicable act…!’
What was it like when he fought Frondier?
When Frondier unleashed his full-powered aura attack, what did Renzo do?
Did he cower? Did he think of exploiting an opening to throw his spear?
No.
That wasn’t Renzo.
He had endured that power, and only then, reaching his peak, did he become stronger.
And yet, what was he doing now?
‘Is this amusing, Renzo?’
Grit.
He ground his teeth. Fueled by self-directed rage, Renzo’s killing intent intensified.
Boom!
Renzo shot into the air. His usual mode of movement, creating platforms of aura to traverse the sky at high speed.
He needed a new prosthetic arm.
Meeting Frondier would come after.
“…Haah.”
Left alone, Aster slumped completely, drained of all strength.
“…Huh.”
He let out a sound as he noticed what was before him.
Ares’ spear and shield.
“…He left them behind.”
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