Chapter 322: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 322
Barre grabbed Smaurne's hand and threw her down hard. A deep crater formed in the ground as buildings collapsed.
"Ugh!"
Smaurne couldn't breathe due to the pain of her ribs crushing her internal organs. Barre grabbed Smaurne's ankle and threw her toward the collapsed building debris.
Smaurne was buried under the building rubble.
Even so, Barre didn't stop. Barre managed to find Smaurne buried in the rubble and drove his fist toward her face.
Thump!
Barre's fist was caught in Smaurne's hand and couldn't advance.
"Impressive. Did you have a hidden move?"
Barre put in intense force and pushed away Smaurne's hand. Smaurne avoided Barre's fist and stepped back.
But Barre rushed in like a wild boar. Barre's mind was very simple yet clear. Kill Smaurne. He couldn't think of anything else. Barre was currently in a state of using Berserker in 8 stacks, so he was intoxicated by the dizzying pain and unprecedented power.
Smaurne deflected Barre's punches and kicks, slowly backing away. Barre's attacks were faster and more powerful than Caesar's, but they were easy to read. If they're easy to read, the countermeasure is even simpler.
Smaurne deflected Barre's fist and delivered a punch to his side.
Thud!
The guy should now kneel before Smaurne...
BAANG!
Smaurne was hit by Barre's fist and was driven into the ground. Despite taking a direct hit, Barre acted as if he hadn't been affected at all and drove his fist into Smaurne's face. It wasn't that Smaurne's punch was weak, but it was incomprehensible how Barre had endured it.
Barre mounted Smaurne and continued punching. As Barre kept punching, the City of Sin began to collapse rapidly. Water had already risen to ankle level where Barre and Smaurne were fighting.
Smaurne blocked Barre's fist and kicked him away but Barre immediately picked up Thunder, which had fallen to the ground, and charged.
CRACKLING!
Smaurne picked up a golden needle that had fallen nearby and faced Barre.
Smaurne calmly received Barre's attacks, which came like a wild horse.
However, the golden needle was thin and not very durable, so it easily broke after a few uses. When that happened, Smaurne would find and pick up a new golden needle to face Barre.
"It's hard to see you as the same person."
Caesar's attacks had order within their wildness. That's why it was difficult for Smaurne to handle Caesar's attacks, but the current Barre was different.
Barre simply drove Smaurne back as if chopping firewood. The visual pressure from his large build and his unimaginable strength were somewhat troublesome, but blocking wasn't too difficult.
Rather, what was troublesome was Barre's sturdy body. When Smaurne struck Barre's knee with the golden needle, Barre instinctively concentrated aura on his knee, completely nullifying Smaurne's attack.
This was because Barre was using his original technique 'Annihilation'.
A technique that could even withstand Moon Knight's sword energy, and while it consumed an enormous amount of aura, it could nullify all physical attacks coming into the body.
"This is more difficult than I thought."
Barre was confident he could counter all of Smaurne's attacks with Annihilation, so if a counterattack came, he intended to smash Smaurne's head.
Hmmm.
A green aura appeared around Barre's body. Raven had cast a one-man support magic on Barre.
Barre's attacks became even faster and more complex.
In this situation, it seemed there was nothing Smaurne could do, but Smaurne was fine. Because she knew time was not on their side but on her's.
The City of Sin was collapsing.
The water had already risen to Barre's shin.
As this happened, Smaurne's expression was filling with unbearable delight.
"As you said, strictly speaking, I am indeed Smaurne's avatar."
Smaurne received Barre's attack with the needle and then thrust it in. The needle slipped along Barre's skin.
"Smaurne asked me to do only one thing. To punish the greedy humans who enter the lair of the traitor Grezawa."
Barre grabbed Thunder with his left hand and drove Smaurne back more intensely.
"You've probably already noticed, but I was getting tired of guarding this City of Sin. But I couldn't abandon or destroy the City of Sin myself."
Smaurne's lips twisted.
"Because Smaurne's damn dragon speech was binding me."
It was unknown how long Smaurne had lived as the king of a city without citizens. In a forest of concrete heaps, all gray, where neither sun nor moon rose, all she could do was close her eyes in boredom and wait.
"But if the City of Sin is gone, I will gain freedom in the true sense."
Smaurne stepped back. A rock falling from the sky crashed down on Barre. But Barre shattered the rock in an instant and attacked Smaurne.
"Then I will let you taste the 'Age of Dragons' that dragons once ruled. Under my knowledge and wisdom, you will find peace of mind, and you will escape the curse placed upon you."
Smaurne struck the ground where Barre was stepping with her needle.
The ground collapsed and Barre lost balance and staggered. The needle pierced into Barre's heart. Barre ignored the needle and pushed in the thunder. Smaurne pushed dragon words into the needle and flesh.
『Penetrate.』
Ugh!
Blood flowed from Smaurne's mouth, and every muscle and joint screamed. Blood leaked from the palm holding the needle.
The magic stimulated Smaurne's body and the golden needle to adjust so it could pierce through Barre's solid flesh.
Even for Barre, it was difficult to ignore the power of the needle mixed with dragon language.
Barre twisted Thunder to hit the golden needle and twisted his body sideways.
Stab!
The golden needle pierced through below Barre's shoulder.
"Uriyaaaaaaaa!"
Barre swung lefty toward Smaurne's stiffened head.
Thud!
Smaurne barely avoided it by escaping, but gave up her left shoulder.
Blood gushed out and bone was exposed. If asked who had the more fatal wound, it was Smaurne. But it was Smaurne who seized the next opportunity to attack.
Smaurne picked up the spear of penetration while withstanding the attack. And threw the spear.
"Stop struggling now...!"
The direction the spear was heading was not toward Barre.
It was Raven. Raven was surprised to see the spear of penetration flying toward her and prepared to blink. But she was in the middle of using one-man support magic on Barre, and moreover, Raven's physical condition was not good due to excessive use of dragon language.
And the dragon language 『will definitely penetrate』 imbued in the spear of penetration bound Raven, making it impossible to deploy the technique.
'Can't avoid it...'
Raven closed her eyes tightly. At that moment...
Stab!
Hot blood splashed on Raven's face.
She thought it was her blood, but it wasn't Raven's blood. It was Barre's blood. The spear of penetration protruded through Barre's back.
"Ba, Barre..."
Barre knelt on one knee. The spear of penetration was a spear imbued with Grezawa's dragon language. If it hits when thrown, it will definitely penetrate.
Barre tried to block the spear of penetration using annihilation, but it was impossible to block dragon language even with Barre's body.
Raven's hands trembled.
"Are you okay? Your blood..."
"According to human sayings, it goes like this. If you want to bring down a dragon, hit its wings."
Smaurne slowly walked toward Barre and Raven.
"It's an extremely disrespectful statement, but it's not wrong."
Barre swung Thunder but Smaurne caught Barre's Thunder with her hand.
"Stop it. I know that your fighting spirit rivals Akim's."
Raven stood in front of Barre and held up her wand. Fresh blood flowed from Raven's mouth.
"How unfortunate, girl. If only you hadn't opposed me, I would have valued you."
As Smaurne reached out to Raven, Barre pulled Raven back and retreated.
"...Run away. Raven."
"What? Are you telling me to run away?"
"You can. Run away with Gloria."
Barre pulled out the spear with all his might. Blood poured out profusely.
"It's my miscalculation. I shouldn't have brought you guys here."
"What are you saying? I insisted on coming here..."
"You didn't insist, I persuaded you. So this is all my responsibility."
Barre let go of his lefty and firmly grasped the spear of penetration.
"I'll take her with me, so get out of here."
Barre pointed to the pillar supporting the city of sin.
"If you climb that pillar, you'll see an exit. Run away with Gloria."
"Absolutely not."
Raven prepared magic.
"If we die, we die together. Don't make me survive alone."
"Why are you trying to do something stupid? You're a magician. You should think rationally."
"I've never been rational in front of you."
Tears flowed down Raven's cheeks.
"I thought you might be a doppelganger, but I deliberately ignored it hoping you weren't."
"I felt betrayed when you revealed you were a doppelganger, but I still chose to be with you because I liked you."
"I actually didn't like it when you asked me to protect Gloria, but I hoped you would throw me a convincing story. That's why I'm here."
Magic circles began to form from Raven's wand.
"So don't say so coldly that it's all your fault, that you have to take all the responsibility. I'm standing in front of you by my own will."
Smaurne picked up one of the golden needles that had fallen to the floor.
"Have you exchanged all your last words?"
Smaurne's two legs swelled up tightly.
"I'll end it in one breath."
『Will definitely penetrate.』
As soon as Smaurne uttered the dragon language, Raven immediately activated magic.
She instantly froze the water on the floor to create walls.
Crack-!
The first to fifth ice walls broke too easily from Smaurne's charge.
Crack!
The next ice wall also shattered, and
Crack!
The next ice wall also broke and scattered in all directions.
"Cough!"
Blood gushed from Raven's mouth and nose. Yet she did not stop calculating. She created thicker and stronger ice walls.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
But they couldn't stop Smaurne's charge. When the last ice wall broke, Smaurne appeared. Smaurne holding the golden needle looked like a monster. Caesar's spear flew toward Smaurne and Smaurne was hit by the spear of penetration.
However, she twisted his body to give up her damaged left shoulder, not her heart.
Thud!
Smaurne's left arm was cut off, but the charging force did not stop. This was because she had charged it with the intention of giving up her left arm from the beginning.
Smaurne's golden needle flew straight towards Raven.
"Ah....."
Thud!
Raven saw the needle stop right in front of her face but Barre had intercepted Smaurne's needle with his body.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
Barre grabbed Smaurne and charged forward. Smaurne stopped Barre and tripped him. Then she stabbed the golden needle into Barre's body.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Fresh blood spurted from Barre's body five times. Smaurne stepped on Barre's body and laughed.
"Taking my left arm may be hailed as your greatest achievement in your lifetime. When I escape from this place, I will let others know there was a warrior like you."
Smaurne's needle plunged down toward Barre.
"Farewell."
At that moment, Smaurne's body suddenly froze. Judging by the trembling needle tip, Smaurne was clearly exerting force. But something seemed to be stopping Smaurne.
Smaurne's gaze turned toward the pillar supporting the City of Sin.
"......You."
Gloria was glaring at Smaurne while breathing heavily.
"Stop. Smaurne."
Smaurne's gaze focused on Gloria's head. A golden headband identical to Smaurne's was placed on Gloria's head.
"How dare you... Give me... Orders?"
Sparks flew from Gloria's golden headband. Gloria staggered for a moment. Smaurne's needle moved closer to Barre. Gloria felt dizzy but gritted her teeth.
"I said stop!"
Smaurne stepped back and trembled.
"How dare a lowly human... Try to control me, the true king...!"
Smaurne immediately took a throwing stance.
"You wish to die."
Gloria's head felt like it was about to split open. Bringing the golden headband that controlled Smaurne and actually being able to control Smaurne were two different matters.
"I'll tear you to pieces...!"
Thud!
Smaurne's back burned. Looking back, Raven was pushing the spear with all her might.
"Die...!"
But Raven's strength alone wasn't enough to pierce Smaurne's back.
At that moment, Barre approached from behind and grabbed the spear. And pushed it strongly.
Squelch!
The Spear of penetration pierced through Smaurne's heart.