Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: White Beast Festival (6)
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"Die!"
A red aura enveloped Arondale's body. Kagak! Dozens of slashes raked across his entire form. The sensation of cutting into frozen meat transmitted through Ronan's fingertips.
"Fucking tough."
Ronan furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar feel. Its hardness had multiplied several times in an instant. The blade hadn't even reached bone, merely shredding muscle uselessly.
'Annoying. Body enhancement type, huh.'
Ronan twisted his lips. Of all things, the most troublesome kind of ability.
Magic barriers could be sliced like paper, but when the flesh itself was fortified, there was no choice but to find a specific countermeasure. As Ronan gathered power while slashing, Arondale unleashed a punch.
"You little punk!"
Whooosh! A fist like a cannonball hurtled toward Ronan's face. The streamlined strike far surpassed the speed of sound. Ronan, mid-slash, sucked in a sharp breath.
"Shit...!"
Too late to dodge. Ronan laid Lamancha flat against his back in a defensive stance. Thwack! His body rocketed backward like it'd been hit by a raging bull.
"Guh!"
Bang! A delayed sonic boom echoed. Ronan gritted his teeth. Even a Twin-Head Ogre's punch hadn't packed this much force. He jammed Lamancha into the ground to halt his flight.
"...Fucking boar bastard."
It didn't seem like he'd bought his Triad position with money. A circular crack marred the center of the blackened blade. If it'd hit his body, instant death without question.
"Urk."
Suddenly, a glob of dark red blood surged up his throat. He'd blocked, but apparently taken some internal damage.
Ptui! Ronan spat the blood onto Lamancha. The crack mended as a hazy aura began to rise. Arondale, inspecting his own wounds, muttered in a voice half fury, half admiration.
"Sharp blade. What are you?"
"What else? A student."
"Don't make me laugh. A mere student wounding my aura-clad body?"
"As you see."
Ronan frowned at Arondale's sturdy form. Blood trickled from rents in his tattered clothes, but most were light injuries.
The only effective hit was the initial sword-qi gash. A long, deep wound crossed his shoulder blade. Gleaming white bone peeked from the parted flesh.
The sole strike landed before the aura manifested. A groan escaped Arondale's lips, his voice dropping lower.
"No interest in joining Caribolo's Snare? I stake my name on giving you the best treatment. Wealth even the Emperor would envy."
"Suck my dick."
"Pity."
Roar! Intensified aura swirled around him. His already massive frame swelled, morphing into something near a werewolf's build. Arondale glared down at Ronan with a growl.
"Then die."
Ronan twisted his lips. Aura alone rivaled Nebula Klazje branch leaders. This wouldn't be easy.
'Just my luck.'
Ronan used Lamancha as a crutch to rise. Suuu... An eerie breath slipped from his lips. Red energy climbed Lamancha's blade once more.
"Let's end this quick."
"So it shall be."
Arondale widened his stance. Looked like the fist-fighting style passed down among Valkar warriors.
Ronan scowled. White Beast Festival be damned; everything was about to get smashed. As Arondale crouched to leap—
"I'll remember you... Hm?!"
Puk! A gruesome sound rang out. The noise of a spear piercing flesh. Both froze. Arondale slowly turned his head.
"...Huh?"
A stake-thick scorpion stinger was buried deep in his shoulder blade. The one spot not covered in aura—the direct hit from Ronan's sword-qi.
Purple venom bubbled into the wound. Regaining his senses, Arondale screamed and shook it off.
"Graaaah!"
He recoiled, but too much poison had already seeped in. The aura cloaking his upper body rapidly dispersed. Heaving breaths sprayed blood like a bucket overturned.
"Kuhuk!"
"Why this..."
Ronan traced the stinger upward. The long, thick tail led inside the bent iron bars from the clash. The awakened manticore glared at Arondale.
"Grrrrr..."
The low growl echoed. Ronan's eyes widened. The manticore's eyes, meant to be yellow, were clouded gray.
'No way.'
Ronan whipped around. Adeshan lay prone, hand extended toward the manticore. Eyes fixed on it, she spoke.
"...Ronan."
"Adeshan."
Chills raced up his spine. She was clearly controlling the manticore. Sleep gas lingered; her eyelids drooped repeatedly.
"......Hurry."
Seconds later, her head drooped. The manticore flopped over. Snores resumed.
"Krrrk!"
Seemed she'd woken it with shadow mana. Ronan gave a hollow laugh at the fallen Adeshan. Controlling a manticore, even briefly—unbelievable progress. Then, groaning in agony, Arondale charged.
"Graaaah! Graaa!"
No trace of earlier composure on his rampaging face. Hellish pain, no doubt. Surviving that much manticore venom was miraculous.
His body from the ambush was grotesque. The sting site swelled black-purple. Veins bulged like bursting skin across his body.
Uncontrollable aura shrouded him. Ronan realized he was burning his remaining life force. Ronan fired sword-qi to intercept.
"Half-dead fucker!"
Kwaang! Massive sword-qi slammed Arondale. Ronan leaped, unleashing dozens more slashes. But the aura-fortified flesh repelled most.
"This can't... can't happen...!"
Arondale thrashed like a mad monkey, punching wildly. Kwaang! He leaped short, smashing the floor. Exploding dirt soared to the ceiling.
"Damn, even dying he's a pain."
Ronan cursed. Left alone, he'd die, but couldn't let him rampage.
Had to kill him. But no way to cleave aura-hardened flesh. Then—a flash of insight.
'That technique.'
No guarantee, but worth trying. Ronan switched power source to the Bajura-made core. Lamancha's red blade glowed pure white.
"Hraaah!"
Suddenly, Arondale leaped vertically. Kwajik! Red-hot flesh tore through the ceiling. Stars poured through the hole. Arondale's presence rapidly closed from above.
'One chance.'
The second heart pulsed fast. Ronan crouched in iaido stance. Golden afterimages wrapped his right arm. Faintly flickering, like Baren's—a beast's forepaw.
"Grrrrr..."
Ronan gritted his teeth at the overwhelming sensation. Unprecedented strength churned in his swollen arm. He muttered in awe.
"You're the real deal... Baren."
"Graaaah! Die!!"
A bellow thundered from the sky. Aura-wrapped Arondale plummeted fists-first. Red trail like a meteor.
"Come."
No dodging. No intent to. As distance shrank to a step—Ronan's arm vanished from sight. Lightning slash burrowed into Arondale's face. Herculean swing carved a graceful arc without pause. Arondale's eyes bulged.
"H-?!"
"Fitting death for a poacher, right?"
Ronan smirked. Sschwick. A white line traced Arondale's body. From crown to groin, it slowly parted.
The moment of collision—Shraaack! Body bisected vertically, blood and guts spraying. Thud! Thud! Severed halves bounced off Ronan's feet.
"Hah...! Huuuh..."
Ronan exhaled held breath. Golden aura faded; agony hit. Price of overexertion. Breathing steady, he murmured.
"...It worked."
Faint, but success. What wrapped his arm was unmistakably Baren's aura. Emptied core brought crashing fatigue.
Ronan switched power sources. Noticing Adeshan belatedly, he turned.
"Damn, Senior."
She lay covered in Arondale's blood. Ronan staggered over, lifting her. Just deep asleep, no injuries.
"...Owe you one."
Without the manticore ambush, it'd gone south. Loss more likely; even victory would've wrecked the tent.
Ronan smiled softly, wiping blood from her cheek. Then—reason for coming flashed.
'...The doppelganger?'
Ronan scanned urgently. Doppelganger lay unchanged. Gently laying Adeshan, he approached the Baren-shaped one.
"Hey, wake up."
-Grr... grrr...
Left hand blade to throat, right slapped cheeks. Groaning doppelganger opened eyes. Meeting Ronan's gaze, it bristled and struggled.
-Huh?! Ronan?!
"Just like real Baren. No bullshit—come on."
Ronan thrust Lamancha deep. Soon, its body bubbled like foam. Back to himself, Ronan's face shadowed.
'As expected... me from back then.'
Perfect likeness to his past life's self. Precisely, from the final battlefield slaying Ahayute. Eyes on clinging shadows.
'Curses, huh.'
Identical to those in his mental world. Shadow-formed curses steadily gnawed the doppelganger. It spoke, staring at Ronan.
-I protected nothing.
"...I know."
Ronan wryly smiled. No wonder Ahayute didn't appear. What he truly hated was his failure of a self. Wasting time and talent on pathetic pursuits.
Drained, the doppelganger stopped fleeing. Long silence, then Ronan spoke.
"That's why I'm working hard now."
"I-Is someone here?!"
A familiar voice echoed. Thud! A huge shadow landed through the ceiling hole. Baren Phanasir, alerted by noise. Note from Ronan in his left hand.
"Poachers? What the... Huh?!"
Witnessing carnage, Baren froze. Blood and guts everywhere. Bisected corpse at his feet.
"Wh-What happened...!"
Hellish scene. Yet festival beasts slept soundly.
As Baren looked around—a familiar boy knelt in the inferno's heart. Problem: identical youth crushed beneath. Baren asked, bewildered.
"R-Ronan? The other one..."
"A bit late, Baren."
Ronan turned, pinning the doppelganger. His lips curled.
"Now, we can have the festival, right?"