Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Sing, Play Music, and Dance (1)
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The moment that monster appeared on the battlefield, the crossbowmen atop the walls swiveled their weapons in unison.
"Fire!"
The knights, who had been watching it intently, barked the order. But before the crossbowmen could loose their bolts, the Night Slayer was already on the move.
Crunch.
"Guuk?"
The Night Slayer clamped its jaws around an orc in front of it and jerked its head up. The orc flailed wildly in midair, caught off guard by the sudden attack.
"Kugh!"
The Night Slayer seized two orcs, one in each hand, and hoisted them high. That was when the arrows rained down.
Dozens of projectiles sprouted from the living olive-green shields.
"Keep firing!"
Using its own kin as shields without mercy—but the crossbowmen didn't flinch and unleashed another volley.
The Night Slayer weathered the storm behind its orc barriers.
Grrr.
Its gaze remained fixed on me. No, more precisely, on the soul-soothing flames I had lit.
These flames, burning the orcs' bodies to comfort their spirits, were an affront to their very existence, provoking them just by being there.
Whoosh.
I ignited the blaze even brighter, pouring more fervent intent into it.
Spears hurled by the orcs below the walls whistled past me. Crude swords and axes flew toward me in endless numbers.
Zing, zing.
My entire body tingled. The malice and killing intent pouring my way made the nape of my neck stiffen.
"Ah!"
That repulsive sensation felt unbearably good.
"Your Highness! It's dangerous!"
"Your Highness!"
Arwen and the royal infantrymen's screams pierced my ears. At almost the same moment, a spear came hurtling straight at me.
Whiiiish!
It carried killing intent fiercer than anything before.
Fwoosh!
I threw my chest back. The spear grazed past, carving a long gash across my sturdy leather armor. My face burned as if it had been torn open, even though it hadn't touched.
I lowered my head.
Grrrrr.
A mutant orc had closed in right beneath the walls, glaring up at me.
I smirked and beckoned it with a finger.
"Come on up."
The Night Slayer grabbed the top of a ladder. Each step it took shattered the structure, unable to bear its weight, with a scream of splintering wood.
"Kugh!"
The orcs already climbing let out cries. The Night Slayer, annoyed, grabbed their feet and flung them aside.
"Kweuk!"
"Kraaaargh!"
The Night Slayer drew closer, fast.
Its gleaming scarlet eyes sent chills down my spine. The foul stench from its ragged breaths was utterly menacing.
My hair stood on end.
Feeling the overwhelming hostility charging at me, I tightened my grip on Dusk.
Thump, thump.
My heart pounded like mad.
"Everyone, fall back from the walls."
The royal infantrymen, frozen by the Night Slayer's aura, snapped to attention and retreated.
Thud.
A massive, fur-tufted hand appeared over the wall's edge. Larger than any orc's by two or three times, its palm clamped onto a protruding stone.
Crunch.
The solid stone wall groaned, and a gigantic head rose into view.
Grrrrr.
The head fixed its gaze on me.
『You must be the one.』
A grating voice, like metal scraping, leaked from between lips jutting with jagged fangs. Though not loud, it drowned out the chaotic shouts and clashing weapons.
Leap.
The hulking body soared into the air.
Boom, and it landed between the royal infantrymen and me.
『So you're the one the king spoke of.』
In my past life, I might have scoffed, but now its presence made my neck hairs bristle.
『Do you know me?』
I rubbed my throat and asked.
The Night Slayer clasped its hands behind its back, scanned the surroundings, then turned back to me.
『The king said...』
It spoke with feigned solemnity.
『...that there's someone here igniting profane flames.』
Its scarlet eyes bored into me. Savage, ferocious energy exploded outward.
In response, powerful auras surged from various points along the wall. The knights watching us had heightened their presence.
"Don't come any closer!"
I shouted, infusing mana to carry my voice.
To keep Winter Castle's knights from rushing in recklessly.
Its roving eyes, still scanning the castle's nooks and crannies, showed it was holding onto its reason.
If the knights swarmed, it would just rampage lightly and flee outside the walls.
I had to prevent that.
My uncle had mentioned a week, but I had no intention of dragging the fight that long. I knew better than anyone how nightmarish it was to battle an army led by the Night Slayer for days.
I planned to end it here, no matter what it took.
How could I shatter that absurd solemnity and make its eyes roll back? How to draw out its feral instincts? How to stop it from even thinking of escape?
I pondered.
『And the king commanded...』
But it was pointless worry.
『...above all, to behead that one first.』
It had never planned to turn away from me. And I had no intention of letting it go.
『That's music to my ears.』
Now, only one thing remained: fight until one of us dropped dead.
Snap!
In that instant, a black shape loomed behind the wall. A wolf with a massive sword in its jaws.
The wolf dropped the sword. The Night Slayer reached out. The blade flew into its hand like it was drawn by a magnet.
Tangible hostility rippled out. A blood-red, eerie aura bloomed over its shoulders.
『I shall offer your head before the king.』
It was no longer language—just a savage growl.
Seeing that, I raised my hand.
I readjusted my grip on Dusk. Kicked off the ground.
I thrust. The Night Slayer's sword blocked as if waiting. I twisted my wrist. Dusk slid along the crude blade's flat.
Scraaaape.
The masterfully forged sword gnawed at the rough edge. Red hostility burned away before the blue flames.
It swung to shake off my blade.
I released my wrist tension, shoving the hilt forward. Dusk lay flat. I leaned back as if falling.
Crack.
Red hostility grazed past my nose.
Whoosh!
Eyes wide against the wind pressure that felt like it would rip my face off.
A ferocious strike that blurred my vision for a split second.
I kicked the ground. Using the recoil, I slashed.
Slice.
The faint sensation of flesh parting. But it was shallower than a paper cut on my pinky.
The enraged Night Slayer raised its foot to crush me.
Thud.
I kicked the floor and rolled.
Boom.
Its foot slammed down, cratering the wall.
『Such petty tricks won't fell me.』
It growled at me.
It seemed displeased by my evasive maneuvers, like a coward fleeing.
『Fight honorably with all you have.』
As if in reply, I surged my aura.
Fwoosh!
My fully ascended extraordinary presence unleashed. A wind whipped across the wall.
『Splendid!』
The Night Slayer let out an exclamation. It stuck out its tongue to lick its lips—like a starving beast before a meal.
But too bad. It wouldn't even get a taste.
I raised my hand. The one not holding Dusk.
The Night Slayer stared blankly at me, then suddenly looked up.
Iron nets plummeted from the sky, several at once.
The waiting crossbowmen had hurled monster-capture nets.
『You flared your aura to draw my eyes.』
It lowered its head, glaring at me.
Plop.
A net draped over it.
"Pull!"
The crossbowmen yanked with all their might.
But of course, it didn't budge. Even as the net's barbs dug into its hide, it remained utterly calm.
『Don't sully this honorable fight.』
It merely scolded me solemnly.
『Show me a form worthy of your spirit...』
Mid-sentence, its eyes widened. Something yanked its ankle like a snare.
Boom!
It toppled and was dragged away.
『You bastard!』
Kroooar!
Thus dragged, it vanished into the castle interior with a thud.
Neigh!
I followed the horse's whinny and looked deeper inside the walls.
The royal cavalrymen I'd brought with me waved from below. Ropes tied to their saddles were taut.
"Arwen."
I reached out. Arwen approached, face pale, and handed me a cloth scrap.
Wipe.
I cleaned Dusk's blade with it.
The cloth turned red from the shallow cut on its body.
I tucked the red stain into my bosom.
I raised my hand. Seeing my signal, reserve crossbowmen and knights rushed over from another wall section.
"Hand over control and pull back immediately."
Arwen tried to say something, but I ignored her and leaped down from the wall.
The dizzying freefall was brief; my body landed on the prepped straw pile.
"Urgh."
They'd piled it thick, but it couldn't fully absorb the impact. I shook my head, pushed through the straw, and stepped out.
Neigh!
"It's at the limit! Cut it loose!"
The first sound was the royal cavalry's urgent shouts.
Grroooowl.
Then came the Night Slayer's low rumble.
I brushed straw from my eyes and blinked ahead.
The scene finally came into focus.
The monstrous Night Slayer looked relatively unscathed despite the fall from such height. One leg seemed off, but not unusable.
What a damn tough body.
Roll, roll.
Its red eyes halted right before me.
Sniff, sniff.
Its ugly nostrils flared, exhaling hot breath.
"There we go. Now you look like an orc."
An orc pretending to be solemn? Absurd.
Orcs were at their best charging like thunder-struck boars, heedless of direction.
"Kraaaaaaargh!"
Just like the Night Slayer now.
Its eyes fully rolled back, it lunged at me. Or tried to. But first, a streak of blue sword-light engulfed it.
"Up close, you're even more hideous."
It blocked the sword-light with its hostility-smeared blade and turned. A fully armored middle-aged knight approached.
"Uncle."
My uncle, waiting in reserve, had finally shown himself.
"Good work. I'll take it from here."
Uncle's sword began to glow blue.
True swordmaster aura blade—qualitatively different from an amateur's sword aura.
Grroooowl.
It glanced between me and Uncle, then turned toward him. Judging Uncle the greater threat, it seemed.
It stung my pride.
"Not handing it over completely. I'll be back soon."
I grumbled, and Uncle chuckled.
"Don't take too long."
Then blue light exploded from Uncle's eyes.
"I might not leave it alive that long."
Uncle kicked off. Boom, dirt flew; simultaneously, the Night Slayer stomped and roared.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out in sequence. Red and blue energies clashed endlessly in the air. Their scattered auras and hostility ravaged everything. In a blink, the area was a wasteland.
I narrowed my eyes, watching.
Uncle's movements, too fast to track visually, proved a Quad Chain knight rivaled swordmasters.
And that intense aura blade.
But that was it.
The Night Slayer perfectly blocked Uncle's assaults.
Expected.
Uncle was at the Unity realm—will guiding the sword, mana following will.
The Night Slayer sensed such energies supernaturally; Uncle's fierce strikes weren't tricky for it.
I needed to hurry.
I rushed to the camp.
The camp was empty. Or seemed so.
In the farthest corner, a woman huddled with eyes shut and ears covered, trembling.
A chaotic being with [Timid], [Slaughterer], and [War Maniac] traits was there.
"Adelia."
She looked up at me, trembling. Her terrified face was pitiful, but I offered no comfort.
"Time to fight."
She stared blankly at my words.
I held out the cloth scrap. She took it reflexively and dazedly eyed the red stain.
Sniff.
Her nostrils widened.
The shaking subsided.
Her pupils dilated.
"That's your prey."
Ping.
A thin string snapped somewhere.
Swoosh.
Adelia rose. I handed her a sword.
She smiled brightly at me, sword in hand.
Whoa, scary.
Her whitened eyes were utterly chilling.
* * *
No sooner had we left the camp than Adelia bolted.
Not training, not on my order. First time seeing her run of her own volition. And running by her own will, she was truly...
Insane.
Her neat hair disheveled into a wild mane as she suddenly halted.
She looked around.
Spotting one direction, she dashed off again.
Boom! Boom!
Toward the horrific explosions.
Somewhere below the walls, where Uncle and the Night Slayer clashed fiercely.
I followed her.
Adelia drew her sword. Golden runes formed at the tip. An auspicious aura unfit for her madness. The Night Slayer turned.
She charged it.
And I realized.
Which of her two traits—[War Maniac] or [Slaughterer]—had awakened.