Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Blood Soaks the Sand (8)
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"Yeah, let's end this."
Teranil's arms hit the floor. Splash! Hot blood spurted from the severed stumps. Ronan, who had swung his sword at the man's neck, raised an eyebrow.
"Dodged it?"
"Hurk...!"
Teranil's face went pale. Instinct had saved his life. If he hadn't instinctively assumed a defensive stance before hearing the voice, his head would surely have flown.
But losing his arms was no small matter either. He felt nothing from below the elbow on his right arm, and from just below the shoulder on his left.
The belated agony raced through his entire body. A wretched scream burst from Teranil's mouth.
"Gaaaargh!!"
His squeezed-shut eyes snapped open. Sticky blood trickled down his cheek.
He wanted to wipe his face, but with no arms, it was impossible. Regulating his breathing, Teranil drew the mana from his body into his eyes.
"Huuu... Huuugh...!"
The wound on his cornea began to heal slowly. No sooner had his vision returned than he spotted the blade flying toward his throat.
"Kuh!"
Teranil hastily bent backward at the waist. Whoosh! Ramancha sliced horizontally past his crown. Ronan tilted his head.
"What, can you see now?"
"What... what trick did you use?!"
Teranil stammered. He'd lost too much blood; his head spun. His barely restored vision showed only Ronan's silhouette.
"That's none of your business."
"W-Wait!"
Ronan replied indifferently and swung his sword. Razor-sharp strikes poured down like a torrent. Slash! Teranil barely avoided losing an ear by a hair's breadth and bit his lip.
"Damn it...!"
With his arms gone, keeping his balance was impossible. He had to dodge even more precariously than before. Strikes he couldn't fully evade left large and small wounds all over his body.
A blunder. To think I'd make such a mistake.
The offense and defense had completely reversed. It was like being bitten and crippled by the rat he'd been chasing. Teranil ground his teeth.
He'd wanted to savor the fight with Ronan, so he'd delayed restoring his sight even temporarily. That had been his downfall.
How the hell did he do it? Erasing his presence like that...!
He couldn't fathom the principle. Even now, Ronan's mana flickered in and out of existence. Groaning, Teranil steadied his stance.
This is bad. I need to retreat.
Separate from the burning pain of his wounds, his mind was cooling rationally. He couldn't keep this up forever. No amount of regret would bring back his arms.
Escaping the situation came first. Seizing an opening, Teranil gathered his breath and roared.
"Begone!"
His divine power activated. Translucent wings unfurled, unleashing a gale as they spread fully. Kwaaaa! The wind swept through the room, blowing everything away. Teranil's eyes widened in shock.
"Grraaah...!"
"Wh-What?!"
An unbelievable sight unfolded. Ronan didn't budge. He gripped two swords deeply embedded in the floor, holding firm.
And that wasn't all. Mana roots had suddenly erupted, coiling around Ronan's body and anchoring him to the ground.
The grotesque roots regrew every time they snapped, preventing him from being swept away. At last, the wind died down. Teranil's face twisted in horror.
"N-No... Impossible!"
"I won't fall for that three times."
Grinning, Ronan swung both swords at once. Teranil hurriedly leaped back, but a beat too slow. Slash! A red cross slashed across his chest. Blood surged along the cuts, splattering Ronan's face.
"Kuhuk!"
Blood sprayed from Teranil's mouth. Instant death flashed through his mind. This wound was bad. He could feel the blade had torn into his organs.
"B-Bishop?!"
Yuria, locked in combat with Schlieffen, finally turned her head. Teranil, who had been fine moments ago, was coughing up blood with both arms severed. She cried out in alarm.
"Y-Your arms...?! How did that happen?!"
"Yuria! Ngh, retreat...! The scroll...!"
"You're not going anywhere."
Ronan spun his sword once and slashed. Teranil focused his mind and kicked off the ground in a sudden leap. Boom! A violent shockwave engulfed Ronan.
"Ugh!"
It hit dead-on. The roots supporting Ronan tore away instantly. Crunch! He tumbled five rolls before crashing into a pillar and stopping.
"...Damn it."
No matter how many times he took hits, he couldn't get used to that power. Spitting, he ejected a dark red clot.
In truth, Ronan's condition wasn't great either. His body screamed from the shockwave's havoc. He'd seized momentum, but the prior damage had accumulated fully within him.
"Kuh... Stay... put...!"
But he couldn't let them escape. Shuddering, Ronan rose and charged. Teranil had already slipped into the range of Yuria's Star's Benediction.
"Come out here, you bastard! You call yourself a bishop?!"
Ronan shouted. It was too far for his sword aura to reach. Teranil predictably ignored him. Yuria stroked her panther and spoke.
"Give him everything you've got."
"Grrrrowl...!"
The panther, which had been firing metal at Schlieffen, turned to Ronan. Swelling fully, it unleashed a thunderous roar.
"Raaaaargh!"
At the same time, gashes opened across the panther's body, launching metal shards. Clang! Sparks flew wildly with every swing of Ronan's sword.
"More bullshit...!"
The firing interval was too tight to advance. Yuria was pulling out a return scroll. Leaning on her, Teranil glared at Ronan and spoke.
"From now on... Hurk, you're our prey. Lycophos... Hek, will hunt you."
"Shut up... Stay right there...!"
Ronan ground his teeth. This was hopeless. Too far for sword aura, Schlieffen's attacks couldn't pierce Star's Benediction. To top it off, Bajura's core was running out of energy.
"Hey... What are you doing? Snap out of it!"
Ronan turned to Schlieffen and yelled. Having paused the fight, he stared blankly into space like a man entranced. His body bore large and small wounds from enduring the onslaught.
What's wrong with him? Did he take a hit to the head?
Ronan twisted his lips. Hum! Then Yuria's scroll unfurled, creating a dark blue portal. Smacking her lips, she looked at the boys.
"Well, too bad, young masters. I'll kill you properly next time, so see you then."
"Damn... Kuh, filthy dogs...!"
"Just hold on a bit, Bishop. Lady Alibrije can whip up another amazing prosthetic...!"
Yuria was about to guide Teranil into the portal first. Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the world from behind. Startled, she flinched.
"Kyaa?!"
At the same time, an intense mana wave crashed over the four. The mana invaded their bodies arbitrarily, feeling unlike any energy they'd experienced.
"Urk!"
Ronan retched. It felt like every mana potion in existence had been force-fed down his throat. His stomach churned, the air tasting unbearably bitter.
And the others fared the same. The intense mana pierced Star's Benediction, affecting even Yuria and Teranil.
"Uegh! Ueeek!"
"Keurk!"
The two vomited uncontrollably, unable to even think of entering the portal. Only Schlieffen maintained his entranced gaze into the void. Sensing a change in his body, Ronan lifted his head.
This is...!
His breathing was steadily stabilizing. Despite the nausea, he felt his mana recovering. His two nearly depleted power sources pulsed rapidly.
Ronan turned. The magic stone floating in the ruin's center blazed with radiant light. Immeasurable mana poured from it.
Weeeeeeng...!
The area warped by mana expanded. The ceiling lights, dimming with each fight, now blazed too brightly to behold. Then, a woman's voice echoed through the space.
"Security system...?"
The artificial voice sent chills down his spine. Frowning at the unfamiliar term, Ronan couldn't grasp what was happening amid the string of bizarre events.
"Ughhh... Huh?"
But that wasn't important now. Yuria and Teranil were recovering from their vomiting. Wiping her mouth, she exclaimed in admiration.
"...Doesn't it feel like your power's surging? Should we just kill them all and go?"
"No, Yuria. Hurry...!"
Teranil urged her. His injuries weren't something mere mana could heal.
"Y-Yeah."
Pouting, Yuria pulled out another return scroll—the previous portal had vanished. Glancing at Ronan, she waved.
"Bye for real then."
The moment Yuria unfurled the scroll, Ronan gripped Imir. His two power sources thrummed as if ready to burst.
Last chance.
It felt possible now. He'd never tried it, but instinct said it would work. Suddenly, golden energy climbed Ronan's arm—Baren's aura amplifying his strength.
"Huuu...!"
Ronan took a deep breath. Hum! Yuria's scroll opened a portal. Aiming Imir at Teranil, he swung.
Imir shot forward trailing white light and mana. Paang! The delayed whoosh echoed.
Teranil was stepping into the portal. Thunk! Imir tore through Star's Benediction and embedded in his side.
"Kuhuk!"
"B-Bishop!"
Teranil toppled like he'd been roundhouse-kicked. The forceful throw and dagger's heft made it devastating.
"N-No. This can't... happen...!"
Imir's blade was buried up to the hilt. With superhuman resolve, Teranil lifted his head and crawled toward the portal.
Ronan stomped the floor with his right foot. Boom! Roots shot from where Imir lay, ensnaring the two.
"Eek, what is this?!"
Yuria cried out in confusion. Thrashing her limbs yielded nothing. The mysterious mana-reinforced roots had grown thicker and denser. Fixing his gaze on them, Ronan spoke.
"I told you."
Shiiiine—Suddenly, Imir in Teranil's side glowed. Yuria's eyes widened. The energy from the dagger was unmistakably Teranil's own aura.
"Th-This is the bishop's...?"
Teranil's face drained of color as he foresaw the future. Gathering all remaining mana, Ronan murmured low.
"You're not going."
"Gaaak! Stop!!"
A bone-chilling scream rang out. Ronan clenched his fist. KABOOM!! The simultaneously unleashed shockwave detonated inside Teranil's body.
"Kyaaaaak!"
His shredded torso scattered everywhere. Yuria screamed as a bone shard pierced her eye.
The glowing roots tore away, dispelling Star's Benediction. Sprayed blood and entrails bloomed red flowers on the cold metal floor. Teranil's upper body was gone without a trace.
"How dare you!"
Furious, Yuria drew her whip. Whoosh! Violent mana evoking a conflagration surged over her shoulders. Ronan grimaced bitterly and cursed.
"Shit."
"I'll tear you to a thousand pieces!"
He had no strength left to face that. As she leaped, Schlieffen—who had stared into space—drew his sword hilt.
-Slash.
He swung at Yuria. The diagonal downward cut crossed the air.
Contrary to expectation, no sword aura fired. Not even a whoosh sounded. Just a cold breeze grazed Yuria's neck.
"What?"
Finally noticing Schlieffen, Yuria turned. In that instant, the breeze's path split open, flipping her world upside down.
"...Huh?"
Thud. Yuria's head hit the floor. Her headless body slowly tilted.
That was the end.