Chapter 566: Best Condition
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 566: Best Condition
At an hour of dawn when thick, dark clouds had swallowed even the full moon.
Two shadowy figures, cloaked in darkness, approached Valentina’s mansion.
Dark red hair and blonde locks that shone like the morning star fluttered in the wind.
They were Flema Lowrecini, the Tenth Apostle of Belmoras, and Dmitri Chernov, the Eleventh Apostle.
Flema scowled at the back of Dmitri, who was flying at full speed.
Tsk, a geezer well over a hundred years old, and he’s still obsessed with a woman.
Based on appearances alone, Dmitri was a handsome, well-groomed man who looked to be in his late twenties at most.
But Flema knew better than anyone that a sinister serpent lay coiled within that shell.
She had disliked Dmitri for a long time.
Of course, the demon she had contracted with had some influence on her feelings, but even so, Flema simply hated the man Dmitri was.
The reason?
There were too many to list them all.
Just look at him now, flying at top speed, terrified that the White Tower Lord might be having sex with that man, Kang Hyun-woo.
To think I have to work with a fucking idiot like him... The Master can be so cruel...
While Flema lamented her fate, she was inwardly relieved that the mission wasn't particularly difficult.
Normally, two people known for having the worst relationship within Belmoras would never have been paired together.
But after their plan in London had failed a short while ago, Belmoras was suffering from a severe shortage of personnel.
Yet, the mission was far too important to entrust entirely to Dmitri.
It was in no way less significant than the London terror attack.
Moreover, it was an opportunity to eliminate the person of interest, Kang Hyun-woo, which was why Flema, a specialist in mass slaughter, had been deployed.
Well, it should be fine. Even the greatest archmage in the world can’t fight back when her own daughter is essentially a hostage, can she?
Flema wore a confident smile, but an undeniable shadow lingered on her face.
During the London terror attack, she and Kargasan had been tasked with acting as decoys to buy time against the two dukes.
But even with the help of numerous artifacts and holy relics, they had been pushed to the brink of death in just over ten minutes.
Duke of Rutland, who wielded power greater than a 7th Circle Mage with sheer physical force alone, was a monster in his own right, but Duke Winchester was on a completely different level.
He was truly inhuman.
Shudder...
Even now, if she closed her eyes, the terror of that day returned with vivid clarity.
And that feeling had been driven deep into her heart like a wedge.
It was only natural for her to be terrified, knowing that Valentina, whom she was about to face, was even stronger than Duke Winchester.
Grit—
...Don't be ridiculous. There's no way I'd be scared of a fool who'd throw away her own life for a mere blood relative.
Flema clenched her jaw to suppress her emotions, but contrary to her resolve, her fingertips trembled faintly.
Meanwhile, Dmitri flew toward Valentina’s mansion, his killing intent radiating menacingly.
How dare he, how dare a yellow monkey...!!!
His mind was consumed by a single thought: to kill Kang Hyun-woo.
Dmitri had lived for nearly two hundred years in a human body, but the humiliation of having a woman stolen from him for the first time in his life was enough to make him lose his mind.
I'll tear you limb from limb, then I'll fuck the Tower Lord right in front of you.
A vicious smile touched Dmitri’s lips as he increased his speed.
Flema, following behind him, cursed under her breath, but he paid her no mind.
Just as they were a mere two kilometers from the mansion.
Fwoosh—!!
““?!””
An explicit killing intent, flying from the direction of the mansion, washed over them.
It was an ominous energy, so potent it felt as if every one of their senses was standing on end.
Without a word, Flema and Dmitri came to an abrupt halt in mid-air.
“...What was that just now?”
“The Tower Lord...? No, it’s not that strong...”
Flema fell silent for a moment.
The energy was clearly far below the level of an archmage.
And yet, she distinctly sensed a fragment of the same inhuman realm she had felt from Duke Winchester... something that had completely transcended the domain of mortals.
Shudder...
The unforgettable terror of that day began to slowly consume her.
Dmitri, on the other hand, calmly collected himself and stared ahead.
Soon, a figure streaking across the night sky came into his view.
“Is that... No way?!”
This, too, was an energy Dmitri could never forget.
The sensation of his organs twisting and his blood boiling in reverse coursed through his entire body.
Grind—
“Kang Hyun-woo...!!!”
Craaaash—!!!!!
At that moment, something plummeted onto the pure white snowfield at an incredible speed.
The snow that scattered in all directions was quite beautiful, but no one present was in the mood to appreciate it.
Presently, the figure who emerged through the cloud of white snow was none other than Kang Hyun-woo.
He looked at Dmitri and let out a low laugh.
“I never thought I’d see you in a place like this. I hope we don’t get too attached, Vice Tower Lord.”
“...You bastard.”
“And next to you... Hmm, I don’t believe we’ve met?”
The moment her eyes met Kang Hyun-woo’s, Flema trembled involuntarily.
Contrary to his friendly tone, the look he gave her was utterly cold.
“Of all things, red hair. Red hair reminds me of Hyena, which makes it a bit awkward to kill you—”
Boom!!
Before he could finish his sentence, a beam of light filled with killing intent shot toward Kang Hyun-woo.
Behind a sturdy barrier, Kang Hyun-woo stared at Dmitri with piercing eyes.
“...awkward. You have terrible manners during a conversation.”
Sensing the killing intent directed at him, Dmitri let out a small, derisive laugh.
Wooooong—!!
Then, as if to show off, he revealed his golden magic power.
“I have nothing to say to you. I don’t know what gives you the confidence to show yourself instead of running, but...”
Dmitri’s lips twisted.
“You will soon come to regret that choice.”
“Well... we’ll see about that.”
Kang Hyun-woo didn’t back down, grinning back at him.
Dmitri’s brow furrowed in displeasure.
But at the same time, he was wary of Kang Hyun-woo.
...Just the other day, he was only a 5th Circle mage, and now he’s 6th Circle.
It was absurd.
The 6th Circle was the standard for being classified as a high-ranking mage in the magic world, and the path to reaching that realm was incredibly arduous.
In fact, Dmitri, who was once called a genius, had only managed to reach the 6th Circle at the age of thirty, and that was after squandering his family’s fortune on all sorts of shortcuts.
And Kang Hyun-woo?
Hadn’t it been said that he started learning magic less than a year ago?
It was unfair.
It was impossible.
This shouldn’t be happening.
“Geniuses die young. Do you know why?”
“Do I really need to know?”
“Because they don’t know their place. They act with such arrogance, as if they were an omnipotent god, only to die a miserable death before their talent can even blossom.”
Fwoosh—!!
As soon as Dmitri finished speaking, Flema made her presence known.
The intense heat instantly evaporated the snow in the surrounding area.
“I’ll admit, you’re my type... but you’re too dangerous to be left alive. Besides, the Master wants you dead.”
“What a coincidence. I find you quite to my liking as well.”
Shing—
Kang Hyun-woo drew the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword.
The ink-black blade reflected the moonlight, emitting a soft glow.
“But I have no intention of letting you live.”
Faced with Kang Hyun-woo’s formidable aura, Flema suppressed her emotions and let out a small laugh.
“...There’s a limit to how much you can bluff. A mere 6th Circle mage thinks he can take on two 7th Circle mages at once?”
As Flema said, it was nothing short of a suicide mission.
The higher the realm, the greater the gap, and it was not something that could be bridged with mediocre power.
For instance, if the difference between a 2nd and 3rd Circle mage was a small hill, the difference between the 6th and 7th Circles was a massive mountain range.
It was only natural for Flema and Dmitri to be suspicious of Kang Hyun-woo’s confident appearance.
“We won’t know until we try. Besides, you’re just a couple of vermin who borrowed a demon’s power to raise your realm. I don’t think it’ll be that difficult.”
“...Is that so?”
Fwhoooosh!!!!
“Then die.”
In that instant, a massive fireball flew toward Kang Hyun-woo.
It moved at such an incredible speed that it was difficult to even see and dodge.
Craaaash—!!!
But where the magic struck, only a large crater remained; Kang Hyun-woo himself was nowhere to be seen.
As his presence vanished in an instant, Flema couldn’t hide her bewilderment and quickly looked around.
“You shouldn’t let your guard down in a fight.”
“?!”
In that moment, Kang Hyun-woo, who had already appeared behind Flema, swung his sword without any warning.
Even for a mage, reaching the 7th Circle granted physical abilities on par with a peak martial artist.
Furthermore, their refined mana detection could automatically track the movements of an insect smaller than a grain of millet.
In effect, the concept of a blind spot simply didn't exist.
Despite this, Kang Hyun-woo had brazenly succeeded in penetrating Flema’s domain.
I-Impossible...!
It was the result of Flema’s carelessness, as she had never imagined a mage could move at such a speed.
But after a moment of shock, she didn't panic more than necessary.
After all, unless he was a Sword Master, it was impossible to destroy her barrier with a single sword strike.
My barrier has an automatic counter-attack magic built in. The moment his strike is blocked, it will turn him to—
“You should have dodged instead of blocking.”
Ting—
[Would you like to change your title?]
[Pure Love Knight > Devil Slayer]
[Y/N]
[Y]
[Devil Slayer has detected demonic energy.]
[The Blessing of the Demon Hunter descends.]
Kiiiiing!!!
A golden Aura Blade, imbued with a brilliant radiance as if it had gathered all the starlight from the night sky, surged toward Flema.
Formless Sword Art: Heavenly Light.
The moment the beautiful sword strike, captivating enough to steal one’s gaze, collided head-on with Flema’s barrier—
Crack—!!
“...Huh?”
Like the thinnest sheet of glass, the barrier shattered into a thousand helpless pieces.
