Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Chapter 4. Uruun, the Land of Revelry and Culture
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Boom! Rumble! Crash!
Judah's eyes widened as he spotted three stone serpents barreling toward him, shaking the ground. His heart pounded in sync with the earthquake-like tremors. Even though his body had experienced death multiple times, he couldn't help the tension surging through him.
"Hup!"
He drew in a deep breath and summoned Altemia to his left hand. The dagger appeared with a flash. Gripping it according to Mercenary-Style Left-Hand Dagger Techniques, he snapped his wrist and hurled it at the leftmost stone serpent first. Then he summoned another and flung it in quick succession at the one approaching from the right. Altemia sliced through the air, unleashing red lines in all directions as Judah's mana released its power.
He kicked off the ground and charged straight at the serpent lunging from the front. The beast tore up the earth as it advanced menacingly, its maw gaping wide with a roar like "Kyaaah—". No throat was visible—just a void intent on swallowing and crushing anything shoved inside.
'Brutal thing.'
But who would die remained to be seen in the clash. Judah's eyes flashed as he dropped into a low stance, then exploded upward using the power in his knees. At the same moment, the red lines from the two earlier Altemias rent the left and right serpents apart.
Thud! Thump!
The earth-shaking advance turned into the sound of stone rubble hitting the ground. No need to glance back to confirm. Far off, Asmodeus recoiled in surprise at the sight. When Judah summoned more Altemias and lobbed them her way as a "gift," the serpent at her feet lunged toward him in fury.
His airborne body succumbed to gravity, plummeting back down. Judah gripped Yakal with both hands and raised it overhead. Mana flowed in, and the blade shimmered with a deep purple aura, taking on the form of a flamberge.
But he didn't swing down. Even knowing the serpent rising with its jaws agape wasn't truly alive, Judah shouted gleefully.
"It's a fake, you moron!"
—Shadow Sword Arts 4th Form
—Phantom Sword
Just as it was about to collide, a shadow extended forward from Judah's body while he rebounded backward, soaring higher into the air. The serpent's gaping maw clamped down on the shadow mimicking Judah's form with a crunch. Its teeth shattered under the force with a dull snap.
It looked foolish, but that made it all the more terrifying. Judah landed on the serpent's snout as its jaws snapped shut, then bolted forward. Racing down its rigid, vertically reared body was insane. But for Judah, who couldn't fly, it was his only option. Wind rushed up from below, whipping his cheeks.
The serpent was longer than expected. As he reflexively bounded downward, Uruun's blazing castle came into view. Only then did the cries of beasts and human screams reach his ears.
Jeanne would be...
'She's fine.'
With Sword Saint Wolfram by her side, and Viscount Genue likely at the manor by now, there was no need to worry. Trusting she'd be okay, Judah rode the serpent's back all the way down. Asmodeus scowled at the sight, then snorted derisively. She'd dismissed him as unworthy of a fragment, but he clearly had some skill.
"You've got some tricks."
But that was it!
"Let's see how long you last!"
As Asmodeus moved, the serpent whipped its body and tail violently. A quick glance back showed its stone form surging like a wave. Judah stepped forward with his right foot and leaped again. Nearly at ground level anyway, there was nothing to fear. The moment he landed on the quaking earth—as if an earthquake had struck—Arhil's worried shout rang out from behind.
"Judah! It's dangerous!"
At the same time, a faint golden light seeped into his body, making him feel lighter. But he knew it was dangerous without her warning. Through the glowing orbs she'd scattered with holy power, he sensed a massive shadow looming overhead. He could feel something descending above him without looking.
'Glorification.'
Judah inhaled sharply and activated the skill embedded in Yakal. An overwhelming power surged from the sword into his body. Strength to shatter anything boiled within him. A far more potent illusion lunged to devour his flesh, but it shattered against his mental barriers without piercing them. Yet Yakal persisted. His vision flickered red like wearing tinted glasses, then cleared repeatedly.
Annoying.
But the power was worth enduring it. As the enormous tail plummeted from above, Judah swung Yakal wide—its unruly red aura intertwined with solidified black mana. Glorification didn't just amplify strength; it enhanced skills too. The Shadow Sword Arts unleashed were far stronger than usual.
—!
The moment the blade met the tail, the mana coiled around it expanded, slicing a wider arc. The mana-driven stone tail severed cleanly, its cross-section exposed. The flamberge's elongated blade glowed faintly red, like an overheated barrel.
"......"
Whoa. He hadn't swung expecting that.
The severed tail crashed down, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. Then Asmodeus's spells pierced through it. She gave no time to recover. Hundreds of spells streaked toward him like fireworks, a spectacular sight.
But no time to gawk. He swung his greatsword. Yakal's passive Magic Defense erased spells on contact like rubbing them out. She'd focused on quantity with low-tier spells—easy to cast, no damage got through.
Still, their raw power was immense. Impacts around him exploded or burrowed deep into the earth, laying waste to the area.
'Surely she doesn't think this will take me down?'
Arhil's spells hovering in the air couldn't shine through the dust. Even without it, the multicolored barrage would obscure everything. Then the tailless serpent thrust its head through the haze.
Fwoosh—!
Judah hurled a pre-summoned Altemia at it, releasing its power, then plunged forward through the pouring spells. Visibility near zero, but the Map skill guided him straight to Asmodeus.
After dashing some distance, just as he broke through the dust and smoke, he sensed a blazing mass hurtling straight at him. He urgently raised Yakal's flat. A shock slammed him backward like a blow.
"Urk!"
Sparks erupted right in front of his eyes with a metallic clang. His mana-enhanced vision saved him; otherwise, the flash would have blinded him temporarily. The thing leaping through the air was Asmodeus's burning whip!
"How dare you approach!"
With her words, the airborne whip cracked the air wildly, then split into six tentacle-like strands, lashing indiscriminately. Flames trailed each strike, gouging the ground. Judah precisely dodged the ones aimed at him, then severed them with Yakal and Altemia. Threatening, but his overpowered weapons made it manageable.
"Hmph!"
But Asmodeus showed no panic. She snorted arrogantly, retracted the severed whips, and slammed the ground again.
"Those who wield mysteries always prepare several moves."
A massive magic circle etched itself on the ground. Unknown runes and symbols glowed as if this were her final strike. She smirked triumphantly. Judah met her gaze and smiled back.
"...?"
"Too bad."
He stepped onto the glowing circle and activated Valentine's Dispel. It wasn't ordinary magic—the mana drain was massive. Only after exhausting his reserves and recovering once via the fragment's power did the circle's activation halt.
"What have you done!?"
Her face showed genuine shock for the first time. Judah closed the gap in a burst, batting aside her extending whip with Altemia in his left hand. He pulled Yakal close and unleashed Shadow Sword Arts 3rd Form: Single Point, thrusting with all his might. The flamberge greatsword morphed into a lance, plunging between her ample breasts.
But Judah's blade pierced empty air. As if her body wasn't of this world, it phased through the attack. As she retreated, Judah tossed Yakal aside and advanced.
"!"
"I expected it. Knew you'd slip away like that."
He didn't know the spell, but he'd anticipated evasion. The fragment's power disrupted her magic but couldn't nullify it outright—his mana paled compared to hers. Still, it was enough.
Altemia's blade solidified and slashed below her breasts, carving her abdomen. Unlike before, she couldn't phase through. Her violet hair fluttered as blood poured from her gut.
"Hngh!"
She grimaced in pain, clutching the deep gash with her palm before collapsing weakly to her knees. He'd cut deep—organs, even spine likely nicked by Altemia's edge. Agony must be excruciating. Yet she lifted her head, forcing a smile at Judah.
"Th-this is... unexpected. To think I'd suffer such humiliation...!"
"Still think I'm unworthy of a fragment?"
"W-well...! You don't think... this is the end, do you? Regrettably, even if you kill this body... the door won't close!"
Judah crouched before her, meeting her eyes.
"I know. Got something to say too."
"...?"
He extended his left hand. Power from the obsidian-like fragment, Karpediem of Subjugation, coiled around her. The minimum conditions for domination were met.
"What... what are you trying to do to me!"
She glared in alarm, but he didn't answer. One question: the body before him was an avatar.
Would subjugating the avatar bind the true body?
If the avatar died after subjugation, would it release when she returned?
An ability begging experimentation.
"Don't... toy with me!"
A shockwave erupted from her, blasting Judah away. Rolling across the ground twice, he rose and looked. Flames engulfed her body.
"Not sure if that's Valentine's power...! But daring to subjugate me? As if!"
Her voluptuous form blackened like paper in the blaze. Unfazed amid the ashes, she glared murderously at Judah.
"Fine. I'll let you hold the fragment for now. If you seek the others... if you truly want to subjugate me... come find me. You know my name, my power, my state! You must know where I am!"
With that, flames consumed her entirely.
She was gone from the roaring inferno.