Chapter 96
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Final Gamble
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Having unleashed several bolts of lightning from the air, Bin fluttered in the wind, his fine hair whipping about. Amidst his fluttering hair, a pure white light flared and vanished in an instant, repeating several times. His once limp and fine hair had transformed into a voluminous mane of curls.
Opposite Bin stood Maltiel, wearing a sinister smile so chilling it sent shivers down one's spine.
A distance of about fifty meters separated the two. It was a distance Maltiel could close in a single bound if he wished, but the cautious Mazoku refrained.
He didn't know the extent of Bin's 'Overload' domain.
The boy's reflexes currently far surpassed those of any living creature. No matter how swiftly Maltiel threw a punch at the boy, it would only graze his skin, never inflicting a fatal wound.
Of course, Maltiel's poison could seep into any open wounds on Bin, dealing significant damage, but…
*'There's no time.'*
Two minutes had already passed since the battle began.
The Sword Saint would have seen the baptism of lightning embroidering the sky and would be rushing in this direction.
It wouldn't be surprising if a cold blade pierced Maltiel's neck at any moment.
*'What I need is a decisive blow.'*
Time was on Bin's side.
If the fight dragged on, Maltiel's defeat was certain. What this monster needed now was a bold and dangerous move to end it all at once.
"This is the last gamble of my life, you brat."
Having composed himself, Maltiel began to gather a jet-black light at his fingertips. He had no reason or leisure to conserve the remaining thirty percent of his mana.
The boy's eyes, watching him flutter down toward the ground, flashed a brilliant blue. The boy intended to counter the black beam Maltiel was about to unleash with another massive bolt of lightning.
Like two tanks facing off on thin ice, a tense and perilous standoff unfolded.
"Biiiiiin!"
Piercing through that momentary standoff was the desperate cry of an orc.
Maltiel reflexively turned his gaze toward the source of the voice.
*'That bothersome artifact.'*
For a fleeting moment, Maltiel's thoughts wavered.
Maltiel still didn't know the exact effects of Rex's artifact, its recoil, or its limitations.
The monster was once again forced to confront the completely unknown.
For an instant, his eyes flickered with uncertainty.
"Extend."
The boy did not miss the fleeting opening the monster revealed as it faced the unknown.
The robe fluttered along the boy's arm. A small current first touched Maltiel's chest, and in the next moment, a massive beam of light, a condensed mass of billions of volts, shot out like an arrow, following that current.
A flash of light descended upon the battlefield.
*'Sharp.'*
Maltiel was an Overlord who had survived for the past thirty years by fighting countless types of enemies. His past opponents included battle-hardened veterans, incomprehensible monsters beyond common sense, and promising prodigies who had suddenly made a name for themselves, like the white-haired boy before him now.
*'He has many physical flaws, but his judgment is not lacking. His thoughts are instantaneous, his decisions always swift.'*
Bin had grown incomparably stronger than when they first met. From summoning a spirit and borrowing its power, the might and perfection of his already formidable lightning magic had skyrocketed. Above all, he had shown the creativity to compensate for his weaknesses, albeit crudely, by manipulating his 'bio-currents'.
Considering his age and current trajectory, at this rate of growth, he would undoubtedly become a threat on par with the Sword Saint within three years... no, perhaps as soon as two.
The boy was growing at a terrifying rate with every passing moment.
Even in the midst of this battle.
*'That's why I believed you wouldn't miss this opening.'*
The slight flicker of uncertainty in Maltiel's eyes was a tremor that only someone of exceptional skill could perceive.
A faint, small tremor that would vanish before an ordinary soldier, or even a reasonably skilled fighter, could register it as an 'opening'.
*'You must be in a highly elevated state right now. The enemy's movements seem clearer than usual, and even a faint tremor feels like a massive opening.'*
Maltiel began to run straight toward the light emanating from the boy's hand.
*'It's not your fault. All those who are called geniuses fall into such arrogance at least once. The sense of accomplishment from reaching a higher level can even grant a fleeting feeling of omnipotence, as if one has grasped the principles of the universe.'*
Maltiel's upper body was pierced by the immense light.
The immense heat from the light instantly vaporized the blood in his arms and wings. His blood vessels expanded, and soon, small explosions erupted all over his body. The shattered flesh and muscle were then touched by the tendrils of lightning and turned into black dust.
*'There is only one reason for your defeat. The gap in experience between us, which you could not close.'*
Even as the immense flash of light ravaged Maltiel's upper body and head, his legs did not stop running.
Those grotesque legs, having covered a fifty-meter distance in less than a second, were already aimed at the boy's side before the flash had even faded from the battlefield.
New flesh and muscle sprouted from his legs in an instant.
Maltiel prioritized restoring his right arm and chest, and a jet-black light was already gathered at the tips of his thin, filthy fingers.
"It's over."
With half a face, Maltiel smiled unsettlingly.
The delayed sound of thunder rumbled. It came from behind Maltiel.
***
About 0.5 seconds before Bin unleashed the massive bolt of lightning.
The orc, Rex, with a large hole in his stomach and his flesh rotting away, held the horn and let out a loud shout.
It was clearly a strange thing to do.
There were surely better ways to launch a surprise attack than foolishly shouting and announcing, 'I'm about to provide support now.'
Rex was a veteran with extensive experience on the battlefield. He was not the type to make such a basic mistake out of self-pity for his own weakness.
"Biiiiiin!"
Therefore, it was reasonable to assume there was a hidden meaning in his desperate, loud cry.
*Clank, clank!*
Corroded screws and parts spilled from Rex's prosthetic arm like wheat pouring from a basket with a hole in it.
Rex's shout had two hidden intentions.
First, it was to confuse the enemy.
He deliberately shouted Bin's name to draw attention instead of blowing the horn. An enemy like Maltiel, who planned and judged everything rationally and meticulously, would likely deduce from this foolish action that 'for some reason, he is unable to summon the bone legion.'
If he could summon the bone legion, he would have blown the horn; he wouldn't do something as foolish as holding it and shouting a name loudly.
*Piiiiii—*
As Rex charged toward Maltiel, a loud ringing sound reached his ears first. Immediately after, the light burst from the boy's fingertips, completely incinerating Maltiel's upper body without a trace.
The immense flash of light assaulted his eyes. Any living creature would reflexively squint and turn its head away, but Rex did not.
Rex watched with his eyes wide open as Maltiel, instead of fleeing from the light, charged straight into it.
The second reason was to calm the young and talented mage, who was currently caught up in the heat of battle.
Since Bin's appointment as general, Rex had never called him anything other than 'General.' To deliberately call the boy by his name, instead of his usual title, in this precarious situation where every moment was precious, was for a specific reason.
*'Calmly assess the situation. We have the advantage.'*
In Rex's eyes, the current Bin seemed to have entered a supreme state for some unknown reason. He pressured Maltiel, unleashing massive currents capable of incinerating an Overlord's body in an instant as if they were his own limbs, and had even driven him to the brink of death.
However, that opportunity was thwarted by the sacrifice of the High Lord Samael, and Maltiel had fully recovered his strength.
It was a situation where it wouldn't be strange for Bin, with his limited combat experience, to feel impatient.
Thus, there was a need to calm the young prodigy's potentially agitated mind.
"It's over."
From Maltiel's legs, which had broken through the white light head-on, flesh and bone began to grow. They formed a jet-black arm and half a face, and Maltiel, without delay, gathered a jet-black light in his hand.
He didn't know if his shout had reached the boy. All Rex could do was trust his general and bring the horn to his lips.
*Rumble—!*
Using the delayed clap of thunder as cover, the vibrations created by the horn spread through the air toward where the boy and Maltiel stood.
A faint crack shimmered right beneath Maltiel's feet. Countless finger bones crawled up his body.
The Overlord of logic and reason noticed the sudden anomaly too late.
The jet-black light was still gathered in the Overlord's hand.
*'So it was a feint, pretending he couldn't use the horn. Or were the conditions for its use met just now? Either way, it doesn't matter.'*
There was no reason for Maltiel to stop his attack now.
Although he would be briefly bound by the bones sprouting from beneath his feet, his fingertips were aimed squarely at the boy's chest, and the magic was about to explode.
As long as the boy died, he didn't care what happened to his own life.
*'Instead of trying to hold me down, you should have made a shield.'*
Scoffing inwardly, Maltiel paid it no mind and released the magic from his fingertips.
A light akin to darkness enveloped the battlefield.