Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: When Meeting the Dead (3)
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Among the group, only Azel showed no sign of intimidation whatsoever. With a peculiar expression, he gazed at the black-haired woman and asked,
"Why go to the trouble of wasting your energy disguising yourself as a human? Do you have an attachment to your human form?"
"...What are you talking about, Sir Azel?"
Arieta looked at him in surprise. But Azel didn't respond, keeping his eyes fixed solely on the black-haired woman.
The black-haired woman also seemed somewhat taken aback.
"Impressive. You're the first human—at least among humans—to see through my disguise."
"I doubt you've met that many humans... Am I wrong in my guess?"
"Heh heh. They say you're a genius at getting under people's skin, and it seems they're right."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Dragon demon."
"Dragon demon?"
Arieta was startled. She stared at the black-haired woman in disbelief. No matter how she looked, the woman possessed immense mana, but there was no trace of dragon demon energy.
However, Azel was certain the enemy was in disguise. Through the Dragon Slaying Ritual, while tempering his Dragon Spirit Weapons, he had acquired the ultimate vision that pierced through all illusions: the Eye of Truth.
'Looks like it still works even after losing my Dragon Spirit Weapons.'
Of course, the Eye of Truth wasn't so much a special ability as it was the pinnacle realm pursued by Spirit Order techniques. Even without tempering Dragon Spirit Weapons, one could reach it by pursuing absolute perception in their training, so it was only natural it hadn't vanished.
She spoke.
"My name is Niberis."
At the same time, her appearance began to change.
Two pitch-black horns sprouted from above her ears. Unlike Arieta's, they had a glassy texture but curved menacingly toward the sky, and there were two of them. Her ears grew even longer and sharper than a dragon demon hybrid's, and a radiant red Dragon Demon Stone gleamed on the back of her hand.
That was all. Just as the physical differences between dragon demon hybrids and humans weren't vast, the same held for pure dragon demons. But anyone could tell she was no human.
Simultaneously, the aura of her mana waves completely transformed. Into the power that dominated phenomena through will alone: dragon demon energy.
"You who bear a sinful name, consider it an honor to have heard mine. You've received a gift far too precious for the road to the afterlife."
"Hoo."
Azel's eyebrow arched.
"With that arrogant tone, it really hits home that I've run into a dragon demon."
"Heh heh. Have you ever fought a dragon demon before? Though, from the sound of it, you've only experienced fleeing in panic..."
"I've killed one too."
When Azel replied indifferently, Niberis fell silent. She furrowed her brow.
"For a worthless sinner, that's too much bravado."
"Believe it or not, I don't care. No, please, I beg you—keep thinking it's a lie. You can come to your senses after you're dead."
"Hmph."
Nibers laughed. But beneath it burned anger.
Rumble! Crack!
In the next instant, lightning struck. Azure bolts poured down on Azel, kicking up clouds of dust.
Arieta was aghast.
'Fast!'
She hadn't detected even the slightest sign of a spell or magic being cast. Yet this woman unleashed such powerful magic?
But the most astonishing thing happened next.
"Kieeeek!"
"Kraaak!"
Screams suddenly echoed from nearby.
Startled, Arieta whipped around to see Azel already weaving through the monsters that had formed a encirclement in the darkness. The beasts, who never imagined he'd launch a surprise attack like this, collapsed one after another.
Nibers raged.
"Are you looking down on me?!"
Azel didn't even bother replying. He darted through the panicking monsters with Flash Step, slaughtering them!
In the darkness, his form flickered like a ghost, appearing and vanishing repeatedly, leaving afterimages. And before those afterimages faded, the monsters sprayed blood and crumpled amid falling droplets.
Enraged by his complete disregard, Niberis seethed.
"How dare you!"
She unleashed her magic. It was an attack visibly brimming with intense power.
"You who do not belong to the darkness, die."
The ground trembled faintly as waves of darkness rippled outward. A curse that slew those who escaped specific conditions. In a chaotic melee where allies and enemies mixed, it could strike only the desired target.
The spreading waves of darkness halted at a certain point, then rapidly converged on a single spot. Naturally, the target was Azel.
Arieta shouted a warning.
"Danger!"
At the same time, she activated her Dragon Spirit Art, attempting to slash the encroaching curse waves aimed at Azel. But they passed through her attack like an illusion.
"You dragon demon hybrid who doesn't even understand true magic—do you dare dirty my spell with your filthy sword?"
Nibers mocked Arieta.
Azel snorted derisively as well.
"With something like this?"
Splurt!
A gruesome tearing sound echoed from the darkness as seven geysers of blood erupted, and seven monsters perished. The curse's unavoidable strike then hit its perpetrator dead-on.
Hummm...
And nothing happened.
Nibers was stunned.
"What?!"
There had been no mistake. Her curse was flawless. It had felled countless high-ranking Spirit Order practitioners!
Azel looked up at her with bored eyes.
"For a second there, I thought I'd met a real heavyweight, but you're just a novice who's only learned fancy unused tricks. Disappointing. Was all that arrogance backed by this level of skill?"
"What... did you say?"
Nibers's voice trembled with fury.
Never in her life had she been so utterly dismissed. Throughout her studies in the dark wastelands, everyone praised her talent. On missions, she'd effortlessly dispatched humans and dragon demon hybrids alike. Yet this human, whose mana didn't even seem that strong!
About to lash out in rage, Niberis hesitated.
'What trick is this?'
Young as she was for a dragon demon, she was also a seasoned high mage with ample combat experience. Exercising strong self-control, she suppressed her impulse and regained her cool judgment.
'A technique I've never encountered. But... high Spirit Order practitioners possess skills rivaling great magic.'
Spirit Order practitioners were fundamentally warriors. It was easy to dismiss them as brute force, but their techniques, prioritizing mental and sensory refinement over the body, were as varied and profound as magic.
Regaining her composure, Niberis said,
"...Just as Regina described, you're a man whose depths can't be fathomed."
"Not flying off the handle means you're no total greenhorn, miss."
"If I've met an incomprehensible foe... I suppose I should get a taste first."
Nibers said, raising her hand. The darkness vibrated.
Whooooom...!
Azel clicked his tongue at the sight.
'Tch. Too obvious? My mistake.'
He'd erred. He'd attacked the monsters to provoke Niberis into revealing an opening and thin the enemy numbers, but dodging the curse too spectacularly had heightened her alertness.
The defense Azel used was simple. Since Niberis's curse targeted those 'not belonging to the darkness,' he'd simply cloaked himself in dark energy.
Of course, simple didn't mean anyone could do it. Only Azel, who during the Dragon Emperor War had mastered transforming his mana into any attribute implementable by magic, could manage it.
'Even if she figures it out, no issue... but it's dangerous. Fine for me, but the others...'
He'd kept up the taunts, but Niberis was no pushover. Completely sealing off hundreds of meters from the outside to create her own magical domain required immense mana, even with prior preparation. Yet she showed no strain?
Then Niberis voiced exactly what Azel feared.
"Block the one with the sinful name. I'll take the dragon demon princess first."
She snapped her fingers.
"Since you might struggle, I'll lend you some help."
A chillingly dense, sinister energy swept across the ground. The corpses of fallen monsters slid across the floor, gathering in one spot.
Azel's eyes widened at the sight.
'No way this is...'
It was exactly that.
At the center where the bodies were drawn, a dark swamp drawing violet ripples emerged.
A swamp of impossible natural coloration. The dragged-in monster corpses melted directly into it, becoming part of the mire.
Groooar...
The air quivered as a giant's silhouette rose from within. Composed of pitch-black darkness, wreathed in violet flames across its body—a grotesque entity. Just looking at it induced extreme revulsion and chest-tightening unreality from its alienness.
"To summon an impure entity... you're quite the black mage."
Azel tensed.
This was grand black magic even high black mages couldn't wield easily. She'd likely prepared for this scenario in advance. Even so, to cast it as effortlessly as Niberis required not only vast mana but also exceptional skill as a mage.
The black magic kin born by melting flesh with the pain, grudges left by the dead, and impure energy from death itself: the impure entity.
An abomination whose mere existence was intolerable in this world, it could only manifest in darkness for a limited time. But its power was accordingly extraordinary.
Nibers smiled coldly.
"You've got some discernment after all. Far too advanced a spell to show riffraff like you."
Grrrrraaaah!
The impure entity with a giant's silhouette bellowed. The roar, laden with raw vibration, attacked all present beings indiscriminately. For a moment, allies and enemies alike froze in place.
Nibers remarked,
"Hm. Forgot about that."
Seeing her own forces paralyzed too, she layered additional magic. Now the impure entity's roar targeted only Azel's group with hostility.
Azel was impressed.
'Not ordinary at all?'
Nibers handled the oversight casually, but refining a 'sound' inherently aggressive to distinguish friend from foe was incredibly advanced magic!
Grraaaawr...!
The impure entity began approaching Azel. Despite its over-three-meter frame, it glided with eerie smoothness, like skating on ice.