Chapter 288
Chapter 288
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 288
Chapter Title: Chapter 6-4. Blue Lance Knight
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By a hair's breadth, she yanked her foot free. There was no sense of regret. Even when she had taken a direct hit from [Shadow Heresy 8th Form, Punishment - Execution Hound] in the underground labyrinth before, she had shaken it off without a scratch. Unless a skill had a 0.1% instant-death effect, it was safe to say no such thing existed outside of the Six Monarchs and Bell-Terza, so toppling her unscathed with heresy arts would be a miracle in itself. Still, the move wasn't entirely useless. Her gaze had shifted from Iris to him.
She turned her head and flinched as she looked his way.
"......!"
Her face was hidden by the helmet, but she was probably wearing a startled expression inside. The supreme commander of the Blue Lance Knights, a famed general of the Byron Empire, would never have imagined falling so easily. Naturally, the surrounding knights, refusing to believe it as they encircled the area—save for those facing Lucien Ardahan—were readying their javelins.
If he acquired the fragment Moonlight that Calicter possessed, those javelins would pose no threat at all. Extracting the fragment from Calicter, who lay sprawled on the ground with his right arm and leg severed, bleeding profusely, would be a simple task. But taking it from him here would mean he couldn't save Arhil.
Iris had already charged back at Organ, swinging her scythe. Each swing left an afterimage trailing in the air like a lingering path. Just as he was about to leap forward, Calicter's voice rang out from behind.
"Wait!"
It was a scream close to a wail. He turned to see the man face-down on the ground.
"Why... won't you kill me? Isn't this your chance to take the fragment!"
The pain was evident in his strained voice.
"Do you want to die? Don't worry. I will kill you. Just not right now."
"......"
"Oh, let me ask one thing. Did you kill Arhil and Lime?"
Calicter didn't answer the question. Whether he had no intention of speaking or was denying it, he could just confirm with Organ later. As he started to turn away, he sensed holy power gathering around Calicter's body. Someone was trying to heal him. He glanced back, thinking it might be Organ, but she was locked in combat with Iris.
'Who is it?'
Scanning the surroundings in confusion, he spotted someone near where Lucien Ardahan was wreaking havoc, channeling golden holy power—like Arhil's—to heal Calicter.
A golden barrier enveloped him, and inside it, Calicter's wounds began to mend. His severed arm and leg transformed into light and regenerated before his eyes. Judah furrowed his brow. This level of healing wasn't from a high priest. The fact that it could be done from that distance meant it had to be a saintess.
Judah picked up the yakal he had thrown earlier and approached Calicter. The severed limbs looked like they would be fully restored in about ten more seconds.
Whoosh!
He raised the yakal high above his head with force. He activated the skill [Sword Demon's Secret Art, Vertical Slash - Falling Moon], which he had been forcibly made to acquire upon being recognized as its master. As he brought the blade down, acceleration built up, smashing into the barrier. The skill enhancement was still active, and the yakal itself had [Swordsmanship Correction], so it unleashed more power than expected.
Boom!
With a sound like an explosion, cracks spiderwebbed across the golden barrier protecting Calicter. He kept the sword pressed down, crushing it with raw strength. The barrier tried to auto-repair, but it couldn't withstand the relentless pressure and shattered. The golden mana fragment crumbled inward, dissolving into the air. Judah sliced off Calicter's regenerating arms and legs, still bound by chains.
"Kugh!"
Watching him stifle a groan, Judah curled his lips into a sinister smile. Then he severed the left leg as well. Blood soaked the ground thickly.
"Grraaah..."
Stepping back to keep his distance in case of shock or excessive bleeding, Judah glanced at the distant saintess.
'Krahas?'
Knights bearing the insignia of the Holy Kingdom Krahas shielded her, guarding against potential attacks. Judah commanded Lucien Ardahan, who was fending off the spirit sword wielders. The fragment-turned-massive golem immediately dashed toward the saintess.
Some of the holy knights quickly assessed the situation and formed a protective formation around her. He saw her retreating, but if he went after Organ, she would likely seize the chance to heal Calicter again. It didn't matter.
"Even if she heals you, just sit back and watch quietly."
Now, only Organ remained. He would vent his rage on her, and whether she killed herself or died, he would return to the time when he had obtained Ludmilan. Some Blue Lance Knights, seeing him spare Calicter and head for Organ, charged at full speed, but he ignored them.
Organ, clashing with Iris, wielded her heavy lance effortlessly in one hand while manipulating countless iron leaves with the other to press Iris. Before using Shadow Shift on Organ, Judah checked his remaining mana.
Roughly 5% of his total mana, nearly depleted. Part of it was his low mana stat, but Ludmilan consumed far more than anticipated. He unsummoned the chains binding Calicter and used the fragment Valentine to recover his mana once more.
The pure mana flowing from the ring seeped straight into his body. The satisfaction of his mana replenishing felt almost orgasmic.
"Haaaaah—"
He exhaled deeply, steadying his mind. His heart pounded wildly. The yakal in his grip sent faint pulses of savage mana through his fingertips, as if whispering to smash that bitch dead right now.
'I'll do it even without the urging.'
So give me more of that power. More, stronger power.
Judah strode forward with heavy steps, then used Shadow Shift on Organ. His vision dipped low as he melted into the shadows. It wasn't a pleasant sensation. The moment he fully submerged, his view flipped, forcing him to blink— and there was Organ's back. He raised the yakal.
"!"
Sensing his presence, she twisted right, swinging her long lance like a club. But suddenly, the scythe shot out, hooking the swinging lance and slamming it downward. However, Organ's strength proved greater; Iris couldn't withstand the force and her feet lifted off the ground.
"Judah!"
She called his name. He immediately summoned five chains. Three erupted from the ground to wrap around her lance, while the other two seized her ankles.
"It's useless!"
Stronger than Calicter, she swung the lance chains and all. The chains pulling her were yanked out in reverse. The lance swung toward his upper body; though lowered by Iris's scythe and chains, it still reached him.
'Block it?'
No, he wasn't here to kill her and take her fragment—he was here to vent on her. He had come to die anyway. No need to conserve mana or worry about injuries. He summoned more chains to grab the lance. Feeling the swing weakened, Organ switched tactics, supporting the lance with her idle left hand to block the descending yakal.
Clang!
It was blocked. Iris, dragged along with the hooked scythe, slipped free with agile footwork. One hand wasn't enough, so he gripped the yakal with both. A contest of strength began, their arms, lance, and sword trembling.
Excluding the fragment and massive golem Lucien Ardahan, fragments couldn't damage or seal each other. This struggle was pure waste of energy. Through the gap in her helmet's visor, he glimpsed Organ's eyes.
"You killed Arhil, didn't you?"
She wouldn't know the name Arhil. But from the context, she seemed to understand, pausing before replying.
"...Yes. I killed the saintess and the sorcerer too. Got a problem?"
"A problem? Plenty. I really shouldn't have let you slip away in the labyrinth."
Judah grimaced, baring his teeth in a grin, and Organ's brow furrowed in kind.
"That was just me letting my guard down. You won't get that chance again."
Confident in her tone, she manipulated the iron leaves. Countless leaves rose behind her like swarming insects, spinning in the air to form a circle, then coalescing into a massive lance that plummeted toward Judah. But Iris saw it from behind and swung her scythe, shattering the falling mass. The broken pieces decomposed back into leaves targeting Iris. Sorry, but he had no intention of helping her.
He rebounded the sword and retreated, then charged Organ again. She used the opening to snap the chains with brute force and back away, assuming a stance. She thrust high, mid, and low in rapid succession with minimal delay. The conical lance, impossibly fast for its weight, struck like a porcupine.
Shadow Heresy 3rd Form - Afterimage
"I'm not falling for the same trick twice!"
Ripping through the illusion, she extended her left hand toward him. He felt holy power condensing above his head. Light gathered into a massive cross and fell. Rather than dodging, Judah used Valentine's <Dispel> to erase it and collided with Organ.
The exchange was fierce. Even with Iris joining, Organ held her own impressively. Though his strength had risen since being acknowledged as the yakal's master, her stats must have been higher—her attacks couldn't be blocked head-on. Bracing naively resulted in a broken arm from the shock.
Yet he didn't yield to her power. He lunged at her relentlessly. Caught off guard by his mana-fueled recklessness, Organ retreated, but he pressed without mercy.
"Leech!"
"I'm glad it feels that way!"
Judah hurled Altemia at her. Iron leaves circling overhead formed a lance to swat the thrown dagger aside, then swarmed toward him in a cluster. Like a tidal wave, they threatened to engulf him. Before Iris could swing at them, Judah extended his hand and hit them with Valentine's <Dispel> again.
It consumed a massive chunk of mana. Startled by how quickly it bottomed out, he recovered once more. Then he didn't dodge her thrusting lance. It pierced his left shoulder, shredding his arm. Agonizing pain nearly flipped his eyes back, but he gritted his teeth.
Altemia and the yakal frantically tried to heal the wound. But without recent blood for Altemia to absorb, recovery was sluggish. Blood sucked back in, new flesh sprouted, vessels reconnected—but the lance drove deeper, tearing the wound anew.
"What!?"
Never expecting him to take it head-on, her eyes widened in shock behind the helmet. Judah grinned through clenched teeth. Seeing her gauntleted left hand reach out, he slashed upward with the yakal. Like Calicter, her left arm severed and flew into the air.
========== Author's Note ==========
1) Ah, #1 on Tuben is thrilling, but I'm in exam period with three subjects on Thursday, so time is so tight. I might not be able to post on Wednesday or Thursday. Boo hoo, back to studying...