Chapter 239: Aestrea Against The World (XVI)

BOOM!

A shockwave burst through the trees as their bodies clashed in mid-air.

Aestrea’s fist crashed against Cecilia’s elbow in a deadlock.

Their feet slammed against branches and snow-covered ground, leaping from place to place, each movement sharp and violent.

WHAM!

Cecilia ducked low, spinning around and throwing a roundhouse kick at his head.

Aestrea lifted his arm, blocking the strike with his forearm.

The impact sent a harsh jolt through his body, but he didn’t move back. His hand flew up, knuckles glowing with icy mana.

FWOOSH!

He slammed his fist into her side.

THUD!!

Her body flew sideways, crashing through a tree, but then, she twisted in midair, landing on one knee, then shot forward again.

Fssh!

She was somehow faster now.

Aestrea narrowed his eyes as she spun in with a low sweep, then twisted her body up, copying his movement from a fight he’d once used against a knight.

SHIK!

Her blade, one made of purple energy, appeared in her hand, identical to his Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword style.

He deflected the slash with his wrist, but then…

CRACK!

A hard punch slammed into his jaw. He skidded back in the snow, boots carving deep lines into the frost.

She didn’t stop.

She rushed him again.

Each movement… perfect.

His movement.

His steps.

His swings.

His footwork.

Copied.

Exactly.

Blades clashed again and again.

CLANG!

CLANG!

SHIK!

WHAM!

He slashed with an upward arc. She twisted her wrist, mirrored the strike, and slid under his arm.

THWACK!

A knee slammed into his stomach, forcing a grunt from his lips. He stepped back, breathing out.

But then…

BAM!

A hard kick hit his chest, full force.

He flew back this time, skidding across the snow, leaving a trail of broken ice until he dug his heels in and stopped.

Panting lightly, he stared up at her.

“…That form…” he muttered.

He could feel it.

The aura behind it… it wasn’t just similar.

It was his.

“You’re using my own power against me?”

Cecilia landed softly, the snow under her barely disturbed.

Her violet eyes sparkled with joy.

“Why, of course, my little brother~” she sang sweetly. “If I fight normally… this big sister won’t be able to win against you~”

Aestrea frowned at her words.

She was literally copying his fighting style and using it against him. So… for him to be able to win, he just needed to change his fighting style, no?

Of course not.

Seh would probably copy it over and over again.

So, how was Aestrea supposed to win?

By using 8th-level magic?

Kagetaro would probably intercept him before he could muster a spell. And because of that, Aestrea could only win in a fist-to-fist fight.

Slowly, Cecilia leaned forward just slightly, her smile never fading; instead, it seemed to have widened even more.

“So…” she said softly, her voice full of sugar and knives, “don’t hold back, Asta~”

Her hands raised slowly, forming his exact same stance.

“Let big sister play with everything you’ve got~”

As soon as she did that, Aestrea’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Cecilia mimicked his stance perfectly, his left foot slightly forward, hands raised just like how he always positioned them during the opening of his Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword art.

She even had the same calm look in her eyes… the same calm he used to hide his killing intent.

But there was one thing that Cecilia didn’t know… and it was that the Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword art… was perfectly modeled to his body.

So, if she tried to recreate a move… she’d probably die.

However, Aestrea was a bit worried about using his sword style, not because it could cause disastrous damage, but because Cecilia wouldn’t die the normal way as he had tested before.

So, there was only one thing left to do.

Something so utterly stupid, so unrefined, so pathetic, that even she wouldn’t think to use it.

He dropped his stance completely, his shoulders slouched, and he tilted his head lazily to the side.

And then, with both hands?

He raised his fists like a child pretending to box in a mirror, sloppy, weird, arms swaying like noodles.

Cecilia blinked once.

“…What?”

Aestrea just smiled at her and then charged towards her.

There was no technique, no aura, or no proper technique.

Just brute strength and raw body weight thrown at her like a poorly-trained street brawler.

BAM!!

He threw a wild, ugly punch.

Cecilia tilted her head, dodging it easily.

She tried to counter with a clean jab to his neck, something he would normally do himself, but Aestrea leaned into the hit on purpose, letting it strike his shoulder.

THWACK!

Pain pulsed through his nerves, but he didn’t care.

Instead, he used that moment to twist his hips and slam his forehead into hers.

CRACK!!

Her eyes widened.

“KAGH!”

The hit landed clean, making her stagger slighly.

Aestrea didn’t stop.

He spun like a drunk, throwing his elbow in a clumsy, delayed arc that made no sense. It didn’t follow any flow, rhythm, or form.

But that made it impossible to read.

WHAM!!

It crashed into her ribs.

THUMP!

She grunted, spitting out a bit of saliva, flying back three meters and hitting a snow-covered rock.

Cecilia coughed and looked up, stunned.

“You… you’re not using a style at all…”

Aestrea cracked his neck, stepping forward casually.

“Yep.”

He stretched both arms outward and rolled his wrists lazily.

“I call this one…” he paused, smirking slightly.

“James Style… ahem, I mean… ‘The Dumbass Style.’”

She stared at him, wide-eyed.

“You’re serious?”

He nodded.

“Only works if you’re stronger than the idiot you’re fighting.”

“And you think you’re stronger than me?”

“Obviously.”

She lunged again, faster this time, angrier.

She tried to grab his arm with a mirrored move, but he just let her.

Then headbutted her again.

THUNK!!

She reeled, but then…

SMACK!

A backhand slap sent her spinning.

CRASH!

She tumbled across the snow, hitting a tree, cracking the bark.

“Cough, cough!”

Cecilia dragged herself up, strands of white hair clinging to her cheeks as blood trickled from the corner of her lip.

Her eyes twitched slightly. It wasn’t pain… it was pure confusion.

She had copied his stance, she had mirrored his form… shit, she even mimicked his aura flow.

And yet… she was losing.

Getting overpowered.

Aestrea didn’t wait.

He ran at her again, raising both fists, and threw them straight down at her like hammers.

BOOM!

Cecilia blocked with both arms, but the raw force sent her sliding backward, heels carving deep lines in the snow.

She tried to regain her balance, eyes sharp again, and lunged with a piercing palm strike straight to his heart.

A clean and precise move.

But he didn’t dodge.

He just twisted slightly so the strike landed against his ribs, and the moment her palm connected…

CRACK!

His knee slammed into her stomach.

Her eyes widened.

“ARGHH—!”

The air left her lungs in a choked gasp.

WHUMP!!

Her body curled forward from the impact.

Before she could even breathe, Aestrea grabbed her face with one hand and shoved her down into the ground like throwing out trash.

BAM!

Snow exploded around her as her back slammed against frozen dirt.

She growled, trying to rise, but Aestrea grabbed her ankle and spun in a wide arc, dragging her body through the snow.

SKRRRCH!!

She twisted free mid-spin and flipped in the air, using her momentum to kick at him with both feet.

But he just raised one arm and let it hit.

THUD!

The impact was strong, but Aestrea’s body didn’t move. Instead, he reached out with his other hand and grabbed her leg again.

WHAM!

He slammed her sideways into a tree.

“Cough… agh…!”

Cecilia coughed blood.

Still, her voice came out sweet and sugar-laced even as she hung there, dizzy.

“W-wow… big brother got a little meaner~”

Aestrea didn’t respond, and simply took a deep breath.

Snow began to swirl again, tighter now, forming a vortex around his body.

Cecilia tried to copy it, tried, but she winced.

“…W-what…?”

Her hands trembled slightly as she was lagging now. Her body wasn’t strong enough to keep up with the pressure.

“Pfff… did you really think that beating me was going to be easy?” Aestrea slowly approached her, cracking his neck slightly.

“Dream more… Big Sis.”

He clenched his fist, and the snow around him responded, tightening into sharp needles, spinning around his arm.

Cecilia pushed herself off the tree with both feet, trying to fake another mirrored strike.

But Aestrea’s hand met her jaw with a rising palm.

CRACK!!

Her head snapped back violently.

She barely saw the next attack coming.

A left hook to her ribs.

THUD!!

“Kugghh!”

She was so surprised that Aestrea suddenly started using proper fighting technique that she didn’t notice a spinning elbow coming towards her temple.

WHAM!

She flew back again, skipping across the snow like a broken doll.

“Agh…!”

She gasped, landing hard and clawing at the ground to sit up. Her arms were practically trembling, blood flowing down her nose, and her cheeks were puffed red and bruised.

And yet, she had the same annoying smile as Kagetaro.

“Hehe~ you’re not bad… little brother~”

Aestrea stopped a few steps away, before his lips parted in a small sigh.

“You are finally done copying me.”

“…Maybe,” she said, her voice soft and hoarse.

“But I’m not done playing yet.”

Her body began to glow faintly.

But in a different light, not his own power or hers, but…

“…Kagetaro,” Aestrea muttered, his eyes narrowing.

It was Kagetaro’s power… intertwining with hers and enhancing her.

And from the treeline, a familiar chuckle echoed.

“Can’t let my favorite girl lose too soon, can I?” Kagetaro stepped into view, clapping slowly.

His ribbons swayed gently behind him, twitching like snakes.

“Round two, dear Aestrea~” he purred.

“Shall we?”

Unfortunately for him, Aestrea suddenly smiled.

A warm smile.

“I’m sorry… but this ends now.”

His words reached their ears, making both of them confused.

But then, Aestrea raised his index and middle finger before pointing them in some kind of gun motion.

“Bang!”

He said excitedly, and at the same time, a white glowing rune appeared beneath them.

『✦ Winter Series ✦: Avalanche!(✯ 8th-Level Spell ✯)』

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep