I Was the Strongest Sword God in My Past Life

part 57

[Free the Dragon Slayer.]

At the same time, the gun burst into flames.

Tang!

The bullet, which could be said to be moving at the speed of light, left a straight line as it flew. With its magical energy trailing behind it like a tail, the bullet soared beautifully through the air.

And then, it hit its mark.

The participants who had crossed the bridge fell to the ground, defeated.

[Kooo!]

There, a massive dragon, the Sea Serpent, emerged from the water, its head held high. With Si Serpent and Iceph together, they defended the bridge.

[aaa!]

The two people hit by the bullet turned into particles and disappeared, and Si Serpent swallowed the remaining one whole.

This seemed like a one-sided hunt, but the Croix Academy had perfectly entered the rivalry between Arakna and Selya.

Iceph, with his overwhelming magical tools, destroyed the balance. The unexpected participant’s outstanding performance left the audience in a frenzy.

“What happened? Three people died on the bridge, and the boss monster is being controlled! Is this magic even possible?”

“I’ve never seen a set of magical tools like this before. It’s amazing.”

As Vernal and Bluma watched the screen with excitement, the scene showed the Croix Academy.

Although one person had fallen out due to Lucia, the two people from the Croix Academy were the strongest combination, limited to the bridge of despair.

Vernal gave them the name “Absolute Defense”.

“It’s a strategy that’s almost perfect, with synergy, magical tool operation, and position selection!”

Iceph, hiding his position with the artifact [Cloak of Invisibility], shot from a distance. Meanwhile, Roman, a party member, controlled the Sea Serpent with his magic.

To cross the bridge, they had to avoid Iceph’s sniper fire and defeat the boss monster.

“This line of attack seems impossible for any participant.

But the director, Vernal, knew that there was a team left outside.

‘Arakna Academy!’

It was the meeting of the two main characters, introduced by the PD.

‘Iceph and Jien? I’m also curious about the outcome…’

Of course, 30 minutes ago, Vernal would have predicted Jien’s victory. But the situation was too perfect, with terrain and strategy.

‘Can we break through this defense with a sword?’

How did they manage to cross the bridge of despair without any concealment, just running and jumping?

Vernal couldn’t think of a way.

‘If Arkana were to fall here, would it be a rivalry between Croa and Selya? Then, I’ll say it now…’

At that moment, the scene on the main camera changed.

Three people standing confidently in front of the bridge, their familiar appearances now too familiar to be seen. Vernon shouted loudly, as if leaving the game arena: “Arkana and Croa have clashed!”

The battle survival was nearing its end.

***

A barricade made of stacked boxes.

Eclipse was hiding behind it, staring fixedly at his opponent without fear.

‘Who is it?’

The three people, each wearing a different costume, but there was only one person crossing over.

A bit more zooming in on Eclipse’s scope.

The opponent was someone familiar, with a face he had seen before, thanks to Timothy.

“Jean Russell… …Arkana Army.”

“What? You’ve been hiding outside until now? Those guys are really unlucky, aren’t they?”

Roman’s words, holding a rifle, made Eclipse smile sarcastically.

“Unlucky?”

At only 17 years old this year, Eclipse’s expression was as stern as an old veteran returning from the battlefield.

“I don’t believe in luck. Whatever happens, there is no such thing as coincidence.”

A magic tool in the shape of a sniper rifle.

Eclipse attached Dragnov to his shoulder. The scope showed Jean’s face. Eclipse calculated the wind speed and adjusted the angle.

“The conclusion is already set, and we’ll just follow that path.”

“Ah, I see…”

Eclipse’s monologue made Roman raise his eyebrows, thinking.

‘After this competition, I’ll definitely withdraw from the party.’

But Eclipse didn’t give in.

He took a deep breath, focusing only on shooting, and became one with the gun.

When I feel this way, Eclipse’s shots have never missed.

‘I’m sure to hit it.’

Bang!

Eclipse’s aura shone, and Dragnov emitted a burst of flames. The bullet flew across the distance, leaving a trail of sparks like a shooting star.

A bullet that had broken the sound barrier in an instant, leaving a trail of high-purity mana.

Ifeon sensed victory.

But Jien was still unscathed.

“What’s going on? Did I miss?”

Ifeon’s expression turned pale, his calm voice at odds with his racing heart, as he failed to notice Jien’s movement. The distance was so great that even with a scope, Jien would be hard to see.

“What’s going on? What just happened?”

Roman, still bewildered, looked at the opponent who hadn’t fallen yet, and then at Ifeon, who was re-shouldering his rifle.

“It won’t happen twice.”

Ifeon was channeling his unique characteristics as the “City Hunter” and the buffs he had received, his mana, senses, and concentration all maxed out.

“This is stronger than ever.”

Ifeon pulled the trigger again.

Bang!

As the bullet was fired, Jien’s armor was shattered, and the black sword flashed with lightning-fast speed.

“What’s this? A sword against a bullet?”

Something was wrong.

A shiver ran down Ifeon’s spine as he sensed something was off. The bullet hadn’t missed.

“Roman! Loryung! Hurry up and get that guy into position!”

Ifeon’s voice was thinner than before, his concept forgotten as he panicked.

“Now? My mana is…”

“Are you going to get wiped out? Hurry up!”

Ifeon’s commanding tone was intense.

But Roman didn’t seem upset.

“The tone has changed.”

As the crisis loomed, Ifeon regained his composure.

On the broken road, Roman gazed at Jien approaching alone, and then swung his staff.

“Take him down!”

The sea master, Sea Serpent, created a tidal wave as it emerged from the depths, its massive body revealed.

Thanks to the distraction, Ifeon re-shouldered his sniper rifle.

“I don’t know how I blocked it last time…”

As the manifestation of the magical artifact began, Ifeon’s aura shone brighter than ever.

“This time, it’s really over.”

* * *

5 minutes before the battle begins.

Jien pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket. It was the S-grade artifact [Knight’s Oath] he obtained by defeating the boss monster in the dungeon.

“Oath.”

“Oath.”

Jien and Kris looked at each other and shouted, and the paper ignited with a burst of flames.

[The oath has been sealed.]

[Target: Kris Arun]

With this, Jien could use Kris’s magic for the first time.

“Give me a signal. I’ll provide backup right away.”

Isabel said, striking the rosary on her ear with a gentle tap. The communication artifact, rosary, was similar in shape and performance to an earpiece.

“Okay.”

Jien slowly walked towards the Ifrit, his eyes fixed on it.

It was only Jien who could counter the Ifrit’s bullets. Isabel and Kris were waiting at the entrance of the cave, prepared to respond to the [Serpent’s Sign].

Boom-boom.

The Ifrit was firing bullets.

It was a feat that even Jien had never attempted before – to deflect bullets that exceeded the speed of sound.

But now, Jien had Kris’s eyes. From behind the barricade, Jien could see the Ifrit’s movements and the trajectory of the bullets, and he could feel the flow of mana from the Ifrit’s eyes and sword.

‘Focus.’

That was not the end.

Jien was now using the [Extreme Sensory Enhancement] skill, which had reached its peak. Jien’s world was slow and quiet, like a black-and-white world.

In this world, Jien could only feel the flow of mana from his eyes and sword.

From noble mtl dot come

‘If I make a mistake once, it’s over.’

If Jien, the party leader, failed, the entire party would fail. There was no second chance.

But Jien was not nervous at all. Compared to the dangers he had faced in his past life, this situation was nothing.

Then, the Ifrit cocked its gun.

The bullet was fired. The senses had become more acute, but the body’s speed had not increased. To deflect the bullet, Jien needed to move ahead of time. For example,

‘Predict the trajectory.’

Jien swung his sword almost simultaneously with the bullet’s launch. The miracle achieved by Kris’s eyes and Jien’s swordsmanship. The sword that predicted the bullet’s impact point accurately deflected the bullet.

It seemed like nothing was happening, but Zhen walked straight down the road.

The waves crashed fiercely beneath the bridge, and the sea breeze whipped through, causing Zhen’s clothes to flutter.

Icep felt a surge of unease and took another step back, but since Chris’s eyes were watching, Zhen couldn’t be attacked.

[Amy: Ahhahaha, I’m going to shoot nowㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Amy’s message and the audience’s reaction were similar, exceeding expectations for Zhen’s moves.

However, there was still one more artillery piece prepared by Croix Academy.

“Guo!!”

The sea serpent, like a legendary dragon, roared with a mighty voice, causing waves to crash.

“Ready?”

– Leave it to me.

Isabel responded to Zhen’s signal.

At the same time, the sea serpent began charging its breath.

Tsutsu!

Zhen drew her sword, and it emitted a spark, causing space to distort. [Counter Charm] created a rift, forming a kind of warp portal. Zhen utilized this.

“Kwwooo!!”

The sea serpent’s breath shot out.

However, the rift in front of Zhen absorbed the breath.

– Casting is over.

Now it’s Isabel’s turn.

Isabel, like a pitcher, took a stance, and threw a fireball. Although small, it was compressed with high-density mana.

Phew!

The fireball ignited, and the sea serpent roared again, its despairing cry echoing.

Now Zhen was charging towards Icep.

The sensation of dodging bullets had become second nature, and Zhen no longer needed to rely on skill power.

[Mp has been depleted.]

[Current Mp: 3/3300]

Although Mp was now dwindling, it didn’t matter.

400m.

300m.

The distance was rapidly decreasing, like a madman’s pace.