Chapter 180
Chapter 180
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Tree and Iron
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At Judah's words, she sneered unpleasantly.
"Hunter? No, more like an impostor! You little brat."
Judah's movement halted for a moment before other Radiance members could arrive nearby and kill her. Her single word—"impostor"—turned his suspicion into certainty. The Radiance had been chasing him, not the elf.
"This is surprising. So you were after me, not the elf."
"The elf was just a bonus. The Duke will be very pleased."
"No, he'll be sad. His cherished subordinates won't be coming back."
Judah opened <Bag> and drew out a thick crimson greatsword, the Flamberge Yakal, which looked stained with blood, as he spoke. More than the sudden appearance of the greatsword from thin air, his previous words grated on her ears.
"What?"
Anyone but a fool would understand the implication. Thus, Chellen, a member of Radiance, was dumbfounded. Radiance was Silan's most secretive group and its most skilled knight order. Unlike other orders, they even possessed unique abilities. To hear someone declare they'd kill its members...
She couldn't just dismiss it, though. The summoner Miloca had already warned her, and Enji, who had been walking ahead, was nowhere to be seen. That put her on high alert. Judah raised the Flamberge Yakal—perfectly balanced for one-handed swings despite its weight—and pointed it at her.
"Radiance or not, the dead are all the same humans, aren't they? Your blood is red, and so is everyone else's. You're not seriously thinking death won't come for you at your age, are you? Haha!"
The mention of her age made her eye twitch. She clearly minded it.
"That arrogance of yours really rubs me the wrong way."
"Of course. Why would I say such things to win your favor?"
"Arrogant indeed."
Judah glanced sideways. A shout echoed from afar, and he spotted a man kicking off the ground and leaping toward them. He knew him. A red dot on was racing in fast. Judah stepped back, and a fist slammed exactly where he'd stood moments before.
Boom!
The ground cratered, dirt and grass flying everywhere. He hadn't been hit, but he grimaced at the dust pelting his clothes. At the same time, a faint whirring came from behind. Glancing back mid-retreat, he saw thin threads suddenly appear in the air. Nearly transparent in the sunlight, they formed a net-like web.
'Silver threads?'
A trope from movies, novels, or comics. First time seeing them in real life, so he couldn't be sure, but they seemed similar enough.
'In that case.'
His feet hit the ground, and Judah charged forward again. Ignoring the dust, he slashed the Flamberge Yakal diagonally upward from low right. The man, retracting his fist, looked startled and raised his fists defensively.
A reckless move, enabled by gauntlets that looked alloy-forged. He probably thought he'd deflect the blade... but who knows.
The translucent mana blade darkened like a shadow. As Judah slashed with full force—
Slash!
The gauntlets daring to parry or deflect the Yakal were cleaved. Everything touching the blade tore like paper.
The alloy-hardened gauntlets,
The tempered muscles,
The mana-reinforced bones—all failed against the Yakal's edge.
The arm severed, and the Flamberge's elongated blade raked the man's throat. Blood sprayed like a fountain. Covered in it, Judah leaped toward Chellen, who stared wide-eyed from her tree branch.
"...Ah!"
Chellen had no time to cry out her dying comrade's name. Seeing Judah rise, she kicked off the branch and retreated, stringing threads in the air.
Her unique ability: crafting ultra-thin, sharp, nearly invisible mana threads and placing them anywhere desired. Their transparency made them hard to spot without focus, and their sharpness could slice metal at times.
She bit her lip as Judah hurled himself toward the web of threads. At his leaping speed, he'd hit them and become mincemeat plummeting to earth. That's what should happen. But it wouldn't.
Her pessimism proved right.
Judah's demon eyes caught the airborne threads. With an indifferent gaze, he unleashed [Shadow Swordsmanship 7th Form - False Slash]. A technique to cleave mana constructs, magic, abilities, illusions, or ghosts that physical attacks couldn't touch.
—!
The mana threads snapped like twigs upon blade contact.
'He cut my threads!'
Her mana threads didn't break easily. Blades dulled or shattered against them. Yet this red greatsword severed them effortlessly, closing in unscathed.
"You mad..."
She yanked a palm-sized dagger from her thigh holster and threw it, but in her panic dropped one. Glancing at the falling knife, she looked up to find Judah right in her face.
"Get back!"
Startled, she flailed both hands. Thread-whips lashed from her fingers toward him. But lines slashed the air, and they fell limp to the ground.
'No way. Impossible!'
For the first time, she felt powerless. Her strongest weapon, the ability that made her who she was, was useless. Useless. Facing Judah's approaching face, fear gripped her. Handsome, yet terrifying.
"Ugh...!"
The whites of his eyes flashing red then normalizing terrified her. His gaze fixed on her terrified her. Tears welled; she squeezed her eyes shut. The last sight: a sword wrapped in shadowy dark aura swinging at her.
"......"
Her headless body thudded down, crumpling grotesquely. Blood-soaked Judah inhaled deeply. No fresh air—just the fishy stench clinging to him. Mood sinking, lips tight, he turned away.
"Chellen!"
Had he seen the decapitation? A voice shouted from afar. Checking , ten of the remaining seventeen were heading here, likely drawn by the horn.
"Seven toward the elves, then."
He wished more would come. Hoping the elves held strong with the wraith knights, Judah leaped from the tree at the two glaring with resentment and hostility. Eight red dots on hurtled toward him at tremendous speed.
"Hmph."
No matter. [Shadow Movement] was incredibly useful. Mana-intensive, but <Valentine>'s [Efficient Mana Use] and [Mana Supply] let him use it without hesitation.
'One first.'
He closed the gap instantly, appearing behind one and swinging Yakal. But before finishing the swing, Judah ducked. A blade whistled over his head. He shifted his gaze; another held a longsword in thrusting stance.
"Thanks!"
The man, saved by his comrade, lunged a kick at the crouched Judah.
He knew. He knew.
Shadow Deployment and demon eyes fed him vast info, including the man's moves. Normal Judah couldn't process it all. But now, [War God] let him pluck the most urgent bits flawlessly.
Facing the incoming kick, Judah sorted his thoughts and activated Yakal's <Glow>. Red aura poured from the blade, strange mana flowing up his arm. He slammed the swinging Yakal diagonally into the ground, bracing it with his left foot.
Thud!
Using hand, foot, and earth to anchor Yakal, he blocked the face-targeted kick. Rather than recoil back, he held firm with strength. Then summoned Altemia in his left hand and unleashed [Shadow Swordsmanship 8th Form - Left Hand Sword Moonlight]'s subsidiary technique, [Crescent Moon].
Still low, Judah spun leftward, sliding sideways. Releasing Yakal from his right hand, rotation carried him toward the thrusting man. His right foot dangled within reach.
The man tried withdrawing it, but Judah was faster. Altemia's blade severed the ankle clean off.
"Argh!"
Ignoring the pained groan, Judah maintained spin momentum. He grabbed the grounded Yakal, spun again, yanked it free, and raised it overhead.
He brought it down precisely on the first man he'd targeted. The foe, who'd drawn his sword mid-spin, startled at Judah's moves, then doubly at the attack, raised his blade.
That was his mistake.
He shouldn't have blocked.
Dodging was the way to live, but he didn't know. The moment he met Judah's blade, he felt lacking strength. Before his sword cleaved, his arms buckled.
The blade plunged into his crown. Bisecting him afterward was effortless.
The ankle-severed man lay collapsed. An arm cut might allow resistance, but no legs meant nothing. As Judah moved to finish, three more Radiance appeared beside him. Demon eyes scanned, pinpointing positions and attacks.
Two behind, one front.
Swords thrust from three directions: solar plexus and dantian from back, heart from front.
"!"
But the three felt bafflement. No human flesh sensation. They'd stabbed an illusion!
Since becoming a Spirit Sword wielder, [Shadow Swordsmanship 4th Form - Phantom Sword] mimicked Judah perfectly. The illusion melted after taking damage. The real Judah had shifted behind the solar plexus attacker.
"You too."
A slightly trembling yet cold voice rang out, and one head flew. The remaining two retreated with tepid reaction despite the death, then charged without hesitation.
These two Radiance members synced flawlessly from long partnership—their linkage dangerously seamless. Dodge a head thrust, and a low slash follows. Parry that, and the first strikes again.
'Amazing...!'
Evading, Judah thrilled. A chill raced his spine—not just admiration for their combo, but self-admiration. Like facing Quake, the Spirit Sword wielder.
Then, he sensed an arrow from afar. Eyes flicked instinctively, body halting its retreat and lunging forward. The arrow grazed his occiput-spot, embedding nearby. Feathers quivered, but the linked swords left no glance.
Sst!
He'd dodged, yet his left coat sleeve tore, flesh grazed. He swung Yakal wide to shake them off. Sting from the wound, then numbness spread.
"Poison?"
A potent paralytic. Arm numbed, strength fled; Altemia dropped. But sensation returned quickly.
'3 seconds? 5?'
Thanks to Shard <Carpediem>'s [Resistance Increase], it'd wear off soon. But foes gave no time. They split upon landing, thrusting from both sides.
Dangerous, yet odd confidence surged. Judah grinned sinisterly, infusing Yakal with mana. Red aura like <Glow> effect, plus dense mana coiled the blade.
"Even with one arm useless!"
The blood-dark red blade blackened. Judah slashed full force. He bisected the right-side charger simultaneously as left paralysis lifted, strength returned. No time to summon Altemia for parry; he thrust his hand at the incoming sword.
Shadow Heresy 4th Form - Greater Black Artifact Creation.
Shadows cloaked his hand, forming a gauntlet. He deflected the thrust. Sparks flew; he blinked one eye, but no issue. The glancing blade nicked his left shoulder again, but before paralysis, he grabbed the Radiance's throat and squeezed.
"Gurk!"
The shadow gauntlet crushed flesh, snapping the spine between head and body.
==========
Author's Note ==========
Everyone!!! Great news!!!!!
My grades!
A+, A+, A+, A+, A, unreported ones came out!!!!
Sorry I couldn't post during exam period, but good grades let me hold my head high ㅠㅠ Woo-hoo!!!!