The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 458: Now, Time to Shine (2)

Belinda...

Ghislain had always provided others with new mana techniques and combat methods, but for Belinda, he had only created a space for her to train.

Her mastery of mana techniques and combat skills was nothing short of excellent.

Yet, she was missing just one thing.

“She’s spent her entire life taking care of me and Elena, barely even training herself.”

In the past, she had no time for proper training because of the responsibilities of raising two children. Now, she served as Fenris’s head steward, ensuring the well-being of others while carving out mere scraps of time for her own practice.

“Even so, she matches Gillian, who has spent his entire life on the battlefield.”

That alone spoke volumes about her exceptional talent and the sophistication of her techniques.

But in her youth, Belinda had chosen to abandon her dazzling potential to care for Ghislain and Elena.

“Hah...”

Every time Ghislain thought of her, he felt a pang of guilt. She had sacrificed her own aspirations for the sake of raising two siblings, dedicating her life to fulfilling a promise she had made to their late mother.

“Belinda probably thinks of us as her own children.”

Even if it had started as a promise, her devotion had become a fundamental part of her life.

“So... now it’s time for her to live for herself.”

Ghislain wanted to repay her sacrifice by helping her find peace and fulfillment.

As he observed her struggle in battle, an idea sparked in Ghislain’s mind. Quietly, he spread threads of mana throughout the area.

He wasn’t planning to directly interfere in the fight; instead, he aimed to guide her toward a breakthrough.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sharp sound of their blades clashing echoed as sparks flew in the dark. The radiant flashes were like stars dotting the night sky, but they were diminishing in number.

Belinda’s body was covered in wounds, and all but one of her daggers had fallen to the ground.

“Hah... hah...”

Bloodied and exhausted, she panted heavily. In contrast, Melkir looked relatively unscathed, his breathing only slightly labored.

Melkir glanced at Ghislain once more.

“Is he really not going to step in?”

Perhaps he just needed a little more time to find out. Deciding to end things, Melkir resolved to strike the final blow.

“Keep underestimating me. See how that works for you.”

With a faint sound, Melkir poured more mana into his dagger, causing it to gleam like a flash of lightning. Belinda leapt back, attempting to evade.

At that moment, she heard Ghislain’s voice in her ear.

“A little lighter.”

Whoosh!

To her surprise, her retreat carried her farther than she had intended. She immediately sensed that Ghislain’s mana had intervened.

“Young Master...”

“Your movements are too heavy, Belinda.”

“What...?”

Before she could fully process his words, Melkir launched another attack, forcing her to dodge again.

“Ugh!”

Once more, an unseen force aided her, allowing her to evade.

She tried to increase her speed as best she could, but Ghislain’s voice corrected her.

“Not just faster. Lighter. That’s the key.”

Even Ghislain, as skilled as he was, couldn’t completely analyze Belinda’s advanced techniques after seeing them only once. But as he observed, he began to understand their ultimate purpose.

“You already know what to do, Belinda. Think back. You’re not lacking in mana; you absorbed part of a Dragon Heart, remember?”

Slice!

Another cut appeared on Belinda’s cheek, blood spraying from the wound. Despite her injuries, she focused on Ghislain’s words while dodging Melkir’s relentless attacks.

With his subtle assistance, her movements began to feel slightly easier, her body lighter.

“Not faster... lighter? Remember?”

Ghislain’s voice rang out again.

“If you’re truly the sole successor of that organization, you must have seen the ultimate form of this technique at least once. Isn’t that right?”

Belinda closed her eyes briefly as she evaded another strike, searching her memory for the answer.

Now wasn’t the time to focus on written teachings, diagrams, or verbal instructions. Instead, she recalled the vivid image from her childhood.

“Lady Anette...”

In her memory, a golden-haired woman danced. Bright, star-like motes of light orbited her, moving with grace in response to her every gesture.

As a young girl, Belinda had watched the dazzling scene with awe and admiration.

She had longed to reach that level of mastery, to achieve the same elegance and power.

But she had never been able to.

Slash!

A fresh cut appeared on Belinda’s arm, blood spilling onto the ground. Even as her body sustained injury after injury, she remained moving.

In her mind’s eye, the vision of that unattainable dance replayed itself.

“Ah, I remember...”

Somewhere along the way, as her life grew busy and burdensome, she had buried that memory deep within her heart.

The voice of the golden-haired woman echoed in her mind.

“Did you see that? Someday, you’ll be able to do this too. Never forget this feeling.”

Belinda had tried to master Anette’s technique after absorbing the Dragon Heart, dedicating all her spare time to training. Yet no matter how hard she worked, she couldn’t recreate it.

It hadn’t been an issue of mana or technique. She simply couldn’t grasp the essence of the skill.

Halfway through, she had almost given up, assuming that it would require more time or experience.

Ghislain’s voice brought her back to the present.

“Your movements feel different now. I’ll help you a little more.”

Whoosh!

Once again, Belinda’s body darted farther than she anticipated as she evaded another attack. With Ghislain’s aid, her movements felt almost feather-light.

“Can I... really move like this?”

For the first time, she felt like she understood the essence of the technique. It wasn’t just about speed; it was about a different kind of movement altogether.

“So why couldn’t I do this before? What was holding me back?”

Ghislain’s voice cut through her thoughts once more.

“Your heart is too heavy, Belinda.”

“Heavy?”

“Like my father, you’re always carrying the weight of worrying about Elena and me.”

“But, Young Master, it’s my duty...”

“Right now, you need to let that go. Be like the stars in the sky—free and untethered. At least for this moment.”

“I...”

“Don’t bear any burdens. Don’t shoulder any responsibilities. Just be.”

Tears welled in Belinda’s eyes as Ghislain continued.

“I’ve always felt sorry and grateful to you, Belinda. You gave up your own life to raise me and Elena.”

“It was my choice, Young Master. I’ve never regretted it.”

“I know. But just for now, put that choice aside. It’s holding you back from becoming who you’re meant to be.”

Tap.

Belinda pushed off the ground, evading Melkir’s strike. Unlike before, her steps were nearly silent, leaving no trace behind.

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Her movements had changed. It was as if she were floating, gliding effortlessly through the air.

“This feeling...”

Thanks to Ghislain’s mana, she could move with minimal effort. The tension in her body began to release, replaced by a sensation of weightlessness.

It felt as though someone else was lifting her, defying gravity for her. For a brief moment, it was as if no force could hold her down.

“This is it...”

The memory of Anette’s dance resurfaced in her mind. An unrestrained, ethereal grace, drifting freely among the stars.

Her former organization had been a shadowy protector of the Ruthania Kingdom for generations. However, their ultimate technique could only be mastered by those who freed themselves from the chains of obligation and contradictions.

“Ah... so this is what it meant.”

Now that she understood the feeling, the elusive level of mastery she had longed for seemed within reach.

Even the mana Ghislain used to assist her began to feel unnecessary.

As if on cue, Ghislain’s mana dissipated. Belinda’s movements grew lighter and faster.

But it wasn’t perfect yet. She needed to push further, to completely step into that realm.

There was still something lingering in her heart, obstructing her path.

Ghislain’s calm voice echoed in her ear.

“Belinda.”

She had lived her life hiding her brilliance, suppressing everything she had to dedicate herself entirely to Ghislain and Elena.

Her endless love and devotion had always been there, quietly supporting them from the shadows.

Ghislain couldn’t help but feel both gratitude and guilt for her sacrifices.

“You don’t need to worry so much anymore. Let yourself rest.”

It wasn’t easy. For Belinda, who had lost so much, Ghislain and Elena were her entire world. How could she simply stand by and let go of her vigilance?

As if understanding her hesitation, Ghislain’s voice became more confident, filled with unwavering resolve.

“I’m grown up now, aren’t I? You can trust me. Everything will be fine.”

Belinda smiled softly, her eyes glistening with tears.

But these weren’t tears of sadness—they were tears of pride and joy.

Slash!

Melkir’s dagger sliced through the air again.

Belinda arched her back and twisted, narrowly evading the strike. At the same time, her hand moved ever so slightly.

Whirr...

The discarded daggers littering the ground began to tremble.

Melkir’s expression darkened as he sensed an unusual shift in the mana around him.

“What are you doing, you wretch?!”

Belinda dodged another attack and moved her other hand. Her movements began to take on a rhythm, resembling a graceful dance.

Whirr...

The trembling daggers slowly began to lift into the air.

Melkir’s eyes widened in shock.

“You... you can’t possibly...”

Panicked, he poured more mana into his blades and lashed out with ferocious speed. Dark smoke poured from his mouth, a clear sign he was overexerting himself.

Yet, not a single strike touched Belinda.

Her movements were weightless, like a feather drifting on the wind. It was as if Melkir was fighting a ghost.

“This movement...!”

Realization dawned on Melkir. Belinda had broken through.

Her motions were identical to those of Anette, the woman who had once brought him to the brink of death.

In that moment, Belinda’s lips moved, her voice quiet yet resolute.

“The Resonance of Starlight.”

Whoosh!

As Melkir twisted around to strike, a damaged dagger surrounded by brilliant blue light flew toward him.

Clang!

He managed to deflect it, but the blade didn’t fall. Instead, it continued to press against him, unyielding.

“What... what is this madness...?”

He found himself locked in a contest of strength against a single floating dagger. But what truly shocked him was the blade’s nature.

“An... aura blade...?”

It was unthinkable. The dagger attacking him was cloaked in a short but unmistakable aura blade.

And Belinda wasn’t even holding it.

Shiiing!

More daggers, each wrapped in glowing aura blades, shot toward Melkir.

One by one, the daggers floating on the ground joined the attack, their numbers steadily increasing.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Melkir frantically deflected and dodged the barrage, but there were simply too many.

Each individual dagger’s power wasn’t overwhelming, but their collective force was akin to facing an entire squadron of elite knights.

Fear flickered in Melkir’s eyes as he muttered under his breath.

“She... she’s really using it...”

Countless trails of light filled the space, carving brilliant arcs into the darkness.

Melkir was completely trapped, unable to escape the radiant cage Belinda had created.

This was the melody of the moment, the joyous harmony of infinite space.

The legendary technique of Anette, the Shadow Knight Commander once hailed as the kingdom’s strongest, was being flawlessly executed here and now.

Crash!

The daggers moved with blinding speed, dominating the battlefield. The glowing trails they left behind surrounded Melkir, slicing through him relentlessly.

“Aaaaagh!”

Unable to block every attack, Melkir’s body was slashed and torn apart.

As the barrage subsided, Belinda stopped moving, her fiery gaze fixed on her wounded foe.

Clang!

Two daggers, previously concealed at her waist, slipped into her hands.

In her mind’s eye, Belinda saw the image of Anette finishing her dance, smiling warmly.

“Like the stars above... now, you can shine.”