Chapter 561
Chapter 561
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 561
Chapter Title: The Little Match Girl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The heretic swordsman radiated an aura of overwhelming strength at first glance.
His black clothes, etched with bizarre patterns, were impeccably neat, and the muscles bulging on his forearms screamed true warrior. He felt like a brute-force heretic through and through.
And he'd let that demon and shady woman escape from the back.
Whatever the hell he was, if I had to guess, that woman and the demon were probably core executives in the heretics' ranks.
Coming forward to cover their escape when paladins showed up? That made him a die-hard fanatic.
He was definitely strong.
No way around it—he had to be.
"...How the hell did the paladins find this place?"
A chilling voice slithered from his lips. His face was covered in curse tattoos so wickedly grotesque it was hard to see him as human. Yeah, that voice fit the face perfectly.
But his sword was crude.
—A purely practical killing tool, honed for battle.
I forced a grin and shot back.
"Heh heh heh, you're all in Buddha's palm, asshole. Don't underestimate the Brass Celestial Society's intel network. We've got your every move pinned down, you filthy heretic."
I pointed my sword at him as I said it, and he paused for a beat before replying.
"...Hard to believe."
"That shocking, huh? Reality hitting too hard? You hid well, I'll give you that. But you got caught anyway."
"..."
Pure bullshit, of course.
But luckily, my bluff worked—the demon, who seemed like their heaviest hitter, bolted through a gate. So now it was just me and Winia against the heretic swordsman and whatever other heretic was lurking behind him.
2 vs. 2.
"Last chance. Surrender and kneel. Then our god might show mercy."
"...Not really tempted by Verde's mercy."
Guess we fight, then.
Push thoughts of defeat aside. Victory's the only option. Fight with the intent to win, and you will. They don't know my full strength either.
Even playing field? No reason to lose.
"Soon your whole family'll be dragged before Lord Verde, heretic."
"..."
I gripped my sword and was about to kick off—
"Fire Bolt!"
—Fwoosh!
A fireball came flying from behind. Winia, timing it perfectly, unleashed her Fire Bolt.
—Boom!
I was about to cheer her perfect ambush when a shield popped up around them, blocking the flames.
—Whoomph.
Behind the heretic swordsman stood the mage who'd dealt massive damage to Bigfoot yesterday. Hands spread like he was shoving an invisible wall, he chanted nonstop to hold the shield.
—Fwoosh!
At the same time, purple flames ignited in the swordsman's grip. An offensive-defensive hybrid mage!
Better to split them up!
"Winia! Take the mage!"
"Darky, you grab the sword guy!!"
—Pew-pew-pew!
—Fwoosh!
Winia yelled back fiercely and fired off a barrage of small fireballs—Fire Blast.
—Focus on nothing else.
Kill the swordsman first, then help Winia with the mage!
I trust her!
"Long live Verde!!!!"
—Dash!!!
I roared fanatically and kicked off the ground. Whatever it took, I had to unleash my full power right now and drop him!
Letting them seize the initiative blind like this would put me on the back foot!
—Whoosh!
"Ngh!"
I charged the heretic swordsman, sword aura flaring, refined strike at the ready—when his form blurred for a split second—
—Clang!
He assumed a flawless defensive stance, parrying my attack perfectly. Sparks flew as our blades crossed.
A seamless shift in an instant!
His flicker threw off my timing—I couldn't build up the sword aura!
—Expert!
His face twisted into a demon's snarl as he counterattacked.
"Verde's hounds can't stop us!!!!!"
"You fucking prick!"
Just as expected—strong as hell.
—Scraaape!
Like it was devouring my blade, he hooked mine with a crossguard and unleashed a chain of lethal strikes!
"Kyaaaaaooo!!"
Fast. Heavy.
Top-tier technique among all my foes so far. Must've racked up countless kills honing that! I could feel the soul of a genuine warrior!
An equal in skill, blades locked, hunting for openings.
No room for sword aura here.
"For this world, I gladly burn this body!"
"Shut your dogshit mouth, you limp-dick!!"
—Greeeeend!
Of course, I parried his combo effortlessly. I'm no slouch at killing either. Mershin, Matellis, Bugal, the Laborers' Rights Prophet—they fueled my arms.
I've sworn to live bearing their lives. Defeat? Not on my watch.
Good technique? Mine's better.
"Irresistible impulse!"
My foundation? Karin—honed to perfection through her!
"Rip out the vermin—raaaaaagh!!!"
I twisted our locked blades, shoving to expose his neck. But this bastard was skilled too—countered instantly, blocked it.
"Ngh...! Strong! A true minion of Verde!"
"You dare!!"
But swordfights aren't just slashes.
"Taste my sword art's essence!! Divide! Verde-Reaper Slash!!!"
"What technique—?!"
—Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon.
I feinted another counter, surged mana to my legs, and stomped his instep hard.
—Boom!
True warriors turn their bodies into weapons! Easy prey when they're fixated on blades.
"Gaaah!!!"
He screamed in agony, trying to retreat. No chance. I pinned his foot, reached out, and clamped his neck.
—Crunch!
"Gack, guh—!"
"Heh heh heh, you're fucking trash. Off to your mommy!!!"
I yanked to rip his spine out——Fwoooosh!!!
Black energy erupted from his sword, twisting my wrist at a grotesque angle toward my chest—oh shit!!!
"Kieeeek!!!"
I released him and dodged——Slash! But not fully. His blade gouged my breastplate.
"Fuck my armor!!!"
This power! Sword aura?!
"Urk... guh! A paladin indeed... strong... kuhak!"
Only now did he stagger back, coughing blood, glaring. Damage landed.
Should've torn his vocal cords and esophagus too...!
But this cheating fuck!
"You bastard! Using sorcery?! You call yourself a swordsman?!"
"...No idea what you mean."
"Cheating, dipshit! Who uses that bullshit?! No pride as a swordsman? Typical evil heretic scum—no basics!"
"Wh-what the hell...! Urk!"
My mind games threw him off.
—Fwoosh.
His sword still burned with black aura.
Even from that awkward neck-grab position, it scratched my plate. Aura-level destructive power.
"Kuhuk...!"
He was vomiting blood nonstop from the neck grab—major injury.
—Boom!
—Bam!
Winia and the heretic mage were locked in a fierce exchange. Shields and attacks flying, dead even.
Still good.
But time dragging on? Dicey.
"Time to end this."
—Sizzle!
I flared my sword aura and closed in. Mana waste, sure—but better than getting disrupted mid-attack. Now or never.
I'm a sword aura user.
I know its deadliness intimately.
Armor or not, one slip and you're sliced clean through. I calmed my mind, achieving perfect clarity.
Heart still as glass, I kicked off.
"Come at me, hound—!!!"
"Raaaaagh!!!!"
—Boom!
Blue sword aura clashed with dark aura. Without his, I'd have cleaved the blade.
—Graaaate!
Blades locked, I feigned a push for a backhand slash——Clang! Blocked, but I knew his foot was mangled.
"Hey, hey! Foot! What happened to your foot?!"
"Wh-what?!"
I faked stomping it; he yanked it back frantically.
"Fake-out, moron!"
"Hngh!"
—Thud!
I drove my knee into his gut.
"Kahak...!"
Superhuman grit—he didn't collapse, stabbed at me instead. Weak from bad footing, though. I smacked it down, grabbed his forearm.
"Gotcha."
"Ngh!"
"My combat sense tops yours, heretic swordsman."
—Fwoom!
Arm locked,
—I hefted him up.
Like swinging a chain mace at empty air, his body arced—
—Boom!
Slamming into the ground!
"Kyaaaaak!!"
Grab an adult man's arm, smash him down. Impossible for normals. Only mana-boosted monster strength for us warriors.
"Executioner's Crash Inward!!!"
—Craaack!
"Kiyaaaaak!!!"
I snapped his arm instantly. Clang. Sword dropped. My win. His swordplay threatened me, but fist-and-feet basics, close-quarters? Amateur hour compared to me.
Especially against Karin—hundreds of spars. He was leagues below.
That's why I won.
Daily backyard execution fist training wasn't for show.
"Heh heh heh, heretic. Time for the torture chamber—spill everything."
"Grr... wh-what I know... so it ends like this... urk! But... weird..."
"What?"
"The paladin order... when the hell are they coming...?"
What bullshit is that?
Oh.
"Oh, that?"
Right, I bluffed that.
"Bluff."
"...?"
I said bluff, and he furrowed his brows like he'd heard something insane.
"...Bluff?"
"Total horseshit, idiot. Never happening."
"Th-that doesn't make—!"
"You fell for it."
"U, uwaaaaaah!!!"
"Shut up! Silence Asura Blood Palm!"
—Boom!
I slammed Asura Blood Palm into his face. Instant silence.
Held back to keep him alive.
"B-branch chief! Uwaaaaaah!!!!"
The heretic mage spotted it and screamed bloody murder. —Thwack! No mercy for mages. I charged; Winia exploited the gap with lightning.
"Chain Lightning!"
—Zzzzap!
"Gyaaaaaah!!!"
"Winia, you're the best!"
Electrocuted, the mage froze screaming. Shock risk? Skill covers it.
"Die, mage!!!"
I swung for his neck.
—Clang!
His ugly head tumbled easily. —Splurt. Black smoke rose from the stump.
"Darky, fire! We gotta bail!"
"Yeah!"
Victory, sure. But the lab was a inferno. Furniture, altars, tools—all engulfed from the magic clash.
Fuck! No loot like this!
Too focused on fighting—didn't notice the lab going to shit!
"Fuckin' asshole!"
Heading out, I spotted the passed-out heretic swordsman. No carrying him in this blaze.
Then!
"Mercy kill—raaaaaagh!!!"
—Stab!
I rammed Reincarnation Sword into his forehead. Now he'd respawn in hell for eternal torment.
—Splurt.
Black smoke poured from his brow. I sheathed my blade. —Fwoosh. The lab kept burning, devouring the mage's corpse too.
"O, oh...! Ohhh! Why... why this...!"
Like a slice of hell itself, the heretics' lab blazed.
As if, in her final moments, a match girl awakened to hatred, igniting the world with her own matches...
"Un-fucking-believable!!!!"
I fled the burning lab, Winia under my arm, out of the cave. Once safe, I clawed my hair and sobbed. Couldn't accept this nightmare as reality. No loot...