Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5

Every time their swords met, a shower of reddish sparks flew in every direction.

The two figures had finally collided.

A deafening roar echoed throughout the chamber, as though the air itself were about to tear apart.

CLAAAAANG!

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Corpses.

Blood.

Those brief flashes illuminated numerous things inside the chamber.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“……”

The remains of Sentinels scattered across the floor.

Even Lamia, who was crawling along the ground, and Siren, who groaned while lying slumped against a wall.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Meanwhile.

The girl seemed to have lost consciousness at some point and now remained completely motionless, allowing Ifrit to support her.

Without realizing it, Ifrit held Akina more tightly in her arms.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“……Huh? amateur Hey, hey! shadow Where do you think you’re going?!”

Ifrit shouted at them when she saw that both were preparing to enter the chamber.

Jack O’Lantern and Dullahan exchanged a brief glance.

Although, in reality, both wore helmets, so it could hardly be said that they had exchanged glances.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“Work?”

Jack O’Lantern turned his head.

“What are we going to do? agent Work, of course.”

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

[We’ll be right back.]

Dullahan gave a thumbs-up.

“……Huh?”

“Haha. academy Noona, have you already forgotten what we do in ROA?”

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Specialists in transportation and rescue.

Riders of Apocalypse (ROA).

Before Ifrit could respond, both entered the chamber.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Jack O’Lantern headed toward Lamia. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

Dullahan headed toward Siren.

While carefully watching the battle unfolding in the center, they hurried along the chamber walls.

Even at that moment, the two were acting in accordance with their organization’s purpose.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Dullahan also performed a preliminary assessment when he reached Siren.

“Luckily, you’re still alive. arena You’re one lucky girl.”

Although she still had all four limbs, her condition was equally serious.

Jack quickly examined Lamia’s condition, lifted her, and began retreating with her.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Then he placed interference patches with local anesthetic over the malfunctioning Cyberware to restart its systems.

With practiced movements, Dullahan took out a portable first-aid kit and applied a hemostatic spray.

Most of her Cyberware had stopped functioning, and the few biological parts she retained were bleeding from deep wounds.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

PSSSH!

The pain made Siren frown and regain consciousness.

A cold, penetrating sensation spread through her body.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

A message appeared on Dullahan’s visor.

“……Who……?”

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“……Ah, ROA? apple Then that means……”

[Have you already forgotten me? ability We met a little while ago. agent That hurts a little.]

[Yes, yes. arrow We’ve already looted the Nexus and we’re heading back.]

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

He could continue administering first aid regardless of the messages appearing on the screen.

However, in a situation like this, it was also an advantage.

Dullahan’s method of communication had the disadvantage that the people speaking with him needed to look at his visor.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“……What happened?”

Dullahan took out a syringe filled with blue liquid and injected it into Siren’s neck.

[??? orbit I should be asking you that. adjust Why are you asking me?]

It was an extremely powerful painkiller containing narcotic substances.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Apparently, Dullahan considered the first aid sufficient for the moment, because he carefully helped Siren sit up.

“That’s…… true. anxiety Ah, what about my teammates?”

[Nymph died // We’re rescuing Lamia.]

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“……The enemy was too strong…… I barely managed to hold out……”

[How did you end up getting beaten so badly?]

The narcotic painkiller seemed to be spreading throughout her body, for Siren answered with a slightly dazed expression.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“Now that I think about it, what happened to that gray Sentinel? voyage That thing is a real monster!”

Suddenly, Siren interrupted herself and raised her head, as though she had just remembered something.

[A monster? antenna Hahahaha. riddle Ooh, how scary.]

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Dullahan gestured with his chin toward the center of the chamber.

[Don’t worry.]

“This isn’t the time for jokes……”

[Speaking of monsters, don’t we have one too? Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates. ]

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

There, even at that very moment, two luminous flashes were colliding violently.

She followed the direction Dullahan was indicating.

“What do you mean by……?”

At that instant, as though she had finally understood something, Siren’s unfocused eyes regained their clarity.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

With an expression of absolute ecstasy, the woman let out a quiet exclamation.

Both combatants were attempting to tear each other apart.

Siren’s eyes began to shine like those of a religious fanatic consumed by her faith.

Could it have been a side effect of the narcotic painkiller?

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“Lord Ash……!”

CLANG!

A fierce dance of steel erupted inside the chamber.

***

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

The consecutive attacks that suddenly emerged along the crossed swords.

An overwhelming weight was transmitted through the blades.

The sparks produced by the collision of the swords flew in every direction.

However, there was something even more dangerous.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Ash took a step back and murmured inwardly in astonishment.

The bodyguard’s sword style was truly peculiar.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

‘What strange swordsmanship.’

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Even considering all the years he had spent wandering the martial world, he could not remember ever having faced swordsmanship like it.

The bodyguard’s sword lacked Qi and form.

To be more precise, it was a style completely unknown to him.

It was as though its foundations had been completely different from the beginning.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

And, for that same reason, the trajectory of his sword was never constant.

For that reason, there were no established techniques.

In other words, his movements were not reinforced by any internal energy force, nor did they follow a predetermined structure. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

He simply received Ash’s attacks in the most efficient way possible and, in that extremely brief instant, made the most rational decision to execute a counterattack.

That was what Ash thought.

‘If all unnecessary elements were eliminated and only utility and rationality were concentrated, the result would probably be something like this.’

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

A style that condensed the most fundamental function of a sword defeating the opponent.

A sword that pursued efficiency exclusively.

However.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

CLANG! atomic CLANG! zenith CLANG! crystal CLANG!

It did not mean that the style was necessarily a threat.

That surprise came solely from encountering something he had never seen before.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

The swords of both combatants executed attacks and defenses at speeds that were practically impossible to follow with the eye.

However, something had changed compared to before.

A succession of even more violent collisions echoed throughout the chamber.

Now that Ash had become familiar to some extent with his opponent’s sword style, he no longer retreated.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

But, put another way, they could also be considered extraordinarily direct and predictable movements.

Without a doubt, those were concepts that sounded very good.

Practicality and efficiency.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Taiqing Dragon Form Sword (太淸龍形劍).

For that reason, Ash decided to confront the bodyguard’s sword using the most inefficient style he knew.

An illusory sword art that originally complemented Dragon Form Step and that, according to legend, had been created by imitating the figure of a dragon moving unpredictably among the clouds.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

The solemnity and weight that had characterized his movements until then disappeared completely.

His steel Blade began producing dozens of afterimages, like a cloud of mist spreading chaotically.

In their place emerged blurred and unpredictable movements, resembling a mirage.

Ash’s sword style suddenly changed.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

— ……!

Which were feigned attacks, and which were genuine?

His processing unit had suffered an overload because it was unable to distinguish the illusory images from the real ones.

Faced with that, the bodyguard seemed deeply bewildered, for his golden optical sensor began flickering violently.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

After all, everything was relative.

Just as Ash had initially been bewildered by an unfamiliar sword style, now it was the bodyguard’s turn.

What should he block, and what should he ignore?

— What…… the hell……!

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Ash did not waste that extremely brief instant.

The bodyguard’s sword, which until then had seemed perfect, began losing its way for the first time.

His movements had become confused.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

This was the end.

Among the dozens of illusions, a single genuine attack emerged from the mist.

It was precisely when Ash was certain of his victory.

Like the jaws of a cloud dragon suddenly appearing, the Blade lunged toward the bodyguard’s chest.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

A faint membrane resembling a bluish mist appeared around the bodyguard’s body.

‘……What?’

With a dull sound, his sword was thrown backward.

THOOM!

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

To test his hypothesis, he attempted several more attacks.

Ash immediately regained his stance.

‘Without a doubt, it was an attack that caught him completely off guard. arch However, he blocked it. audit Does he possess some kind of divine weapon or extraordinary artifact?’

Then he began analyzing what had just happened.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

He tried a thrust that concentrated all his strength into a single point.

However, the result was always the same.

Then he unleashed a succession of attacks at extraordinary speed.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

It was technology he had not even seen at Santa’s Rest Stop.

All of Ash’s attacks were neutralized by a transparent membrane that appeared in the air just before his sword reached the bodyguard’s body. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

However, Ash did not attach too much importance to it.

‘……A protective barrier covering his entire body.’

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

‘Nothing in this world lasts forever. armor That barrier must also have a limit. autumn If I continue striking it again and again, it will eventually break.’

BANG!

He was about to adjust his grip on his sword once more, determined to unleash as many attacks as possible, when……

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“Noona! acoustic Those bullets……!”

“Damn it! advance Stop them!”

A gunshot echoed from the corridor where Akina and her companions were supposed to be.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“You’d better! crystal If you want to stay alive!”

“I’ll help too, Senior!”

“Do you think I don’t know?! legend I already know, so stop them! beacon Even if you have to use your own bodies!”

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

And it was precisely then.

Ash hurriedly turned his head.

Apparently, the Sentinels had already managed to get dangerously close.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

The bodyguard suddenly began laughing.

Because that laughter came from a completely deteriorated voice module, it sounded so distorted and unnatural that it resembled the cackling of a ghost.

— He…… Hehehe…… Hehehehahaha!

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

The bodyguard’s golden optical sensor flickered mockingly.

— Swordsman! sphere You…… will not…… get out of here!

— Now…… what will you do? anchor Do you want…… to go back? august If…… that is what you desire…… I shall open…… the way for you. acid I shall spare your lives. academy As long as you leave the Divine Priestess here!

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

That was what the bodyguard said.

Shortly afterward, Ash responded with a question.

A brief silence followed.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

At those softly spoken words, the bodyguard’s laughter grew even louder.

“……Then, are you proposing a deal?”

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“After all, life is precious to everyone, is it not?”

“However……”

— It is…… a good deal…… do you not think?

— Hehehe…… That…… is right.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“That I decapitate you right here.”

— Another…… alternative? atomic What…… would that be?

“Is there not another alternative?”

His turquoise optical sensors flashed.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Suddenly, Ash raised his sword vertically, adopting an initial combat stance.

— Decapitate me? altitude Hehehe! anxiety And how…… do you intend to do that?

Then he focused his entire mind and further accelerated the circulation of neural energy he maintained through the Neuro Heart Technique.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

The neural energy, whose circulation continued accelerating, began overflowing beyond the Main Stream, which imitated the eight extraordinary meridians, and invaded even the thinnest artificial neural networks.

“But do you know something? aspect In my world, there are several levels of martial mastery far superior to yours.”

“You are an expert. beacon A first-rate swordsman who may even have reached the first steps of the Peak level. wizard At least, that is how I see it.”

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

“Supreme Peak. absorb Transformation Realm. absorb Profound Realm. crystal Even the Life and Death Realm, which is said to transcend everything that exists in the mortal world.”

It was the Great Celestial Circulation.

As he spoke those words, powerful blue neural energy erupted from Ash’s entire body like a storm of lightning.

An immense current began circulating throughout his body, using every one of his Neural Matrices. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

They were clearly visible discharges of blue arc electricity, spreading freely through space.

“Tell me, which of those levels do you think I have reached?”

These were no longer the brief sparks he had displayed earlier.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

The bodyguard did not respond.

He was incapable of doing so.

The overwhelming pressure emanating from every one of Ash’s words surpassed anything he could comprehend.

No.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

He raised his left hand and placed it against the blade of his sword.

However, Ash seemed to pay him no attention whatsoever.

Then he began sliding it slowly.

Without realizing it, he began retreating.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Following the movement of his hand, the blue arc discharges erupting from his entire body began moving toward the sword, as though being absorbed into it.

Along the old steel Blade.

Very slowly.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Finally, when his left hand had finished traveling along the entire blade.

CRACKLE! adapt CRACKLE!

The scorching heat it emitted was so intense that even the surrounding air began to distort.

The old steel Blade was enveloped in blue lightning that crackled as though it were alive.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

It violently clawed at the space around it, as though ready to incinerate anything it touched.

“Abandon Miss Akina? portal You dare say such a thing merely because you place your trust in that miserable protective barrier?”

Blue lightning erupted from the blade and spread in every direction.

Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 32: EP.1 The Butterfly Dream 5 by Indra Translations.

Plasma Sword Qi.

A blue electrical radiance.

It was sword energy created through electricity instead of internal energy.