The "Master swordsman” who was reincarnated, wants to live freely - Chapter 109

Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse

According to Ruino, battles are part of life.
If you live in a forest where monsters live rampantly, then you will sharpen your senses accordingly and strengthen yourself during. And for someone who’s strong, there is no feeling of fear — That’s how Ruino thinks about it, as she lives while throwing away emotions like fear.
By even overcoming the fear of all, the fear of death, she manages to live a life filled with strife.
And thus, she feels no fear, no matter what stands before her.
The red blood kept spilling. It kept scattering about, like a blade it cut their surroundings.
The Swordsman Gang member, Zenas Raadi — He would bathe himself in blood as he fought as a tactic. Something that would frighten any normal person as they laid eyes upon him.
But for Ruino, who did not feel any form of fear, it was different. She could look at Zenas and make his mouth look distorted as she did.

“Nihi, what a feeling. You want to keep killing and killing… That’s the feeling”
“Of, course. Ruino Tomura… I am, going to kill, just you, for sure”
“Nihihi, splendid! That kind of killer instinct is just perfect. But, why me?”
“You, killed, my friend”
“Your friend? Who would that be?”
“Roel!”

Zenas was filled with anger as he swung his blade. What flew out of the crimson blade painted in blood was — a blood sword.
Shaped like a crescent moon, it flew towards Ruino. She made herself small and managed to dodge the attack.
The moment the tip of her toes reached the ground she leaped forward and covered the distance between her and Zenas in a mere moment.

“Who is Roel again?”
“You little!”

Ruino’s blade clashed with that of Zenas.
The fresh blood that kept dripping from his crimson blade formed into small blades and grazed Ruino’s skin, cutting her flesh.
But this kind of attack does not make Ruino flinch what so ever.

“Nihihi, Sorry, sorry. I already remembered. He was quite strong eh? That friend of yours”
“Of course.”
“But even the Swordsman Gang members know friendships then. That’s why you’re after me?”
“That’s right… I wi.ll kill you, just you.”
“Just me, you say. Hihi, but you’ve killed plenty up and until now, no? So there must be plenty of people willing to kill you as well, right?”
“…What are you, trying to say?”
“Nihi, “The battlefield is the God of Death’s playground” – That’s all”

Ruino deflected Zenas’ blade and created a little bit of distance.
Soon after she kicked the ground and came up close again.
Their swords locked once more.
The blood spilling out of Zenas’ blade kept falling and started to crystalize, covering the area around them.
You could see a sort of pattern appearing on his body. A faint glow of magic it was. It seems that he has undergone some bodily change in order for him to use fresh blood as a weapon.
In response, however, Ruino still didn’t use any magic of her own. She uses plain sword techniques, and would only enforce her body with magic if need be.
Ruino’s body too got painted red slowly but surely.
But the pain of her skin being tormented like this was as good as not there for her.
Zenas was surely looking for an opportunity to swing his blade and end this.
(There’s really no distance between us, huh)
But it wasn’t as simple as that.
Zenas’s sword technique wasn’t really much to write home about. You could even say he’s on the lower end of the Swordsman Gang’s level. Ruino would even be able to say that, in comparison, the Swordsman Gang member she fought before, Roel Kruesta, was far higher in swordsmanship level than Zenas is.
That being said, Zenas left no opportunity for Ruino to strike.
If she were to create distance between him and herself, he would attack her by throwing blood by using the crystalized blood scattered around the battlefield.
Would she decide to stay close, then she would be attacked by these small droplets, shaving off her skin slowly… And Ruino can’t find much of an opportunity to strike him like this either.
Zenas too is looking for an opportunity to strike Ruino amid the fighting.
One strike would be enough to do the other in, so they both know that neither of them can make a foolish move now.
Ruino took some distance again. As soon as she did, Zenas responded with a  massive technique.
The droplets scattered around them, at a few ten meters or so, would rise up, and move towards Ruino.
She bent in order to dodge them.
Zenas’ technique had left him with a blind spot.
His crescent moon-shaped blade – Beneath it was a blind spot.
While keeping herself small, Ruino quickly covered the distance between them.
Zenas too must’ve noticed she did. He wanted to stop the swing of his blade, but he wasn’t able to do so immediately.

“I’ll take it!”
And soon a dry sound echoed.
She aimed for his neck, but at the very last moment, he sidestepped.
Still, she struck with her blade and took his arm.
She had struck his upper arm, and then passed him.
She quickly turned around.
Ruino had managed to take the hand he used to swing his blade – If that were the case then she could easily go for his neck next.
That’s what she reflexively thought, but what she saw instead – Was Zenas, with his arm still attached to him by the power of blood.

“—”
“Did you think you’d win by just taking my arm?”
He then turned the fresh blood into a blade again and swung with his should-be severed arm.
His attack range had increased, so Ruino was late in responding to this attack.
A blow striking for the shoulder – The blade once again flew towards Ruino.
With her great speed, she covered the distance between her and Zenas once more.

“…This might be the first time I actually had to fight for real. What a bother. Nihi”
Ruino said as she put a smile on her face. It might be obvious – But the Swordsman Gang recruits strong people. And among those people, Zenas, who was out for revenge, really seemed like a worthwhile opponent for Ruino.
That’s why Ruino laughed.
“What are you laughing about?”
“Nihi, I laugh because I am having fun. Don’t you Swordsman Gang people have the same?”
“When I fight, I do not laugh”
Zenas denied Ruino’s words.
Zenas’ severed arm, connected by blood, returned to him. – Back into his shoulder.
The fact that it was severed was visible by looking at his skin.
As a matter of fact, if you look properly you can see his body being full of scars.

“It’s fun fighting strong enemies, no?”
“It’s not. Fighting is work. There is no pleasure in it”
“Hmph, is that so?”
“So it is. I will laugh, when I have, killed you”
Zenas stared at Ruino intensively.
Unwavered, Ruino prepared her sword whilst laughing – She then asserted her gaze towards a girl over yonder.

“…You too seem to be not having any fun, do you, Iris Reinfell?”
“—That’s right. I use my blade to protect others. But I do not hate fighting for that matter”
Ruino asked the girl – And so she, Iris Reinfell, answered.
Zenas too looked over towards where Iris was.
A crisping sound occurred, as the area around Iris was filled with lightning.

“Ruino… I know you’re still in cooperation with the Knights Order. And as you know,  we are thus to work together at this moment. However, I can’t overlook the fact that you’re after Mr. Schweiss either… That’s why – I will fight on my own here. I will stop you. 

As she gripped her purple blade and prepared for battle, her face had gotten all the more serious as she spouted these words.