Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Throwing a Tempting Bait (8)
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'Cader, huh? It's been a really long time.'
That place right next to Ovest Territory. Memories of using Requiem there for the first time came flooding back vividly.
"Why is that territory coming up here?"
"Don't play dumb. Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?"
Ethan ground his teeth with a crunching sound.
"It was you who raided the slave market and brothel managed by the Mare Guild, wasn't it?"
"Eh? That place belonged to the Mare Guild?"
It was like catching a rat while backing away.
He had just raided whatever was in sight—who would've known it was under Mare Guild management?
'The empire's got its fingers everywhere, huh.'
He clicked his tongue and stared Ethan down.
"So, what?"
"So you've been moving under Vendetta Guild's orders all this time. Steadily, for so long."
Ethan glared at me with eyes burning fiercely.
"To dare target the Mare Guild, a puny little guild like yours..."
He straightened his stance with sword in hand. Sinister killing intent began to creep up toward me.
'Hoo.'
Looks like this guy had been tracking my traces since Cader Territory. His fiercely gleaming eyes held strong hostility.
"I'll make you regret it to your bones."
"Oh, really?"
He didn't seem like someone worth regretting.
I conveyed that with my eyes, and Ethan snorted in anger.
"You think you have a chance? No one among them can help you."
His sword twitched threateningly like a snake's head.
"That's too bad. You rushed here in a panic to save your guild leader."
"Nope."
At my response, not only Ethan but even William looked utterly bewildered.
"Why would I bother saving someone who got stupidly captured?"
"Then..."
"There's only one reason I'm here."
I raised Requiem and pointed it at Ethan.
"To crush the bastard who messed with my snake."
"What snake? You don't mean that blue reptile from the tavern, do you?"
"Yeah."
Ethan's face crumpled.
"Nonsense!"
No sooner had he spoken than he kicked off the ground and charged at me.
"I'll drag you back and kill you myself!"
Whoosh!
His sword sliced through the air menacingly.
"Oh, not bad."
Fast and sharp.
"Let's see."
I lightly thrust Requiem forward to meet the attack.
Clang!
The force from the blade clash and the following pressure were both impressive.
Ethan's attacks were on a different level from anyone I'd faced so far. He certainly deserved his high position at such a young age.
"Tch!"
Ethan twisted his sword for the next strike. A sly movement like a snake slithering.
Unlike knight order swordsmanship.
Dirty, underhanded attacks honed in the back alleys, meant to bring the opponent down and trample them.
Ka-clang!
Of course, they were all blocked by Requiem.
"Is that all you've got?"
My leisurely tone made veins bulge on Ethan's forehead.
"Arrogant bastard!"
His words were rough, but his attacks didn't falter. He coldly sought my weaknesses and targeted them relentlessly.
So he wouldn't fall for this level of provocation.
Thud!
Ethan's sword grazed past my side and stabbed into the floor. He yanked it free and pursued me immediately.
"Slippery bastard!"
Whoosh!
He swung,
Swipe!
Thrust,
Kak!
Slashed.
But not at my body—at empty air.
Not a single one of Ethan's attacks landed effectively. We maintained a razor-thin distance, close but never touching.
I deliberately dodged without blocking. Like a game of tag.
"Eek!"
Ethan gnashed his teeth and increased his speed.
Kak!
Sharper attacks came in succession. But that was it—no real intent to kill.
A slight head tilt, shoulder turn, or light step was enough to evade them.
It was dreadfully boring and tedious.
'Ah, this is no fun.'
At first, his decent skill had piqued my interest. He definitely could've overpowered William and Dexter.
Dodging his attacks by a hair's breadth was starting to tire me. My standards had risen too high from facing real powerhouses.
"Let's wrap this up."
My annoyed remark twisted Ethan's face into something ferocious.
"Who says...!"
"I do."
I tensed the arm I'd been dangling loosely and blocked his thrusting sword head-on.
Clang!
"Hmph, that's all—"
Ethan opened his mouth to sneer, but
Ka-gang!
As his sword was flung back toward his own throat, he clamped it shut.
"Urk!"
I pressed the retreating Ethan relentlessly. The immense pressure from our clashing swords pushed his body back steadily.
"Ugh!"
Finally, Ethan's back hit the wall. Unable to endure, he twisted his wrist to shake off Requiem.
"Where do you think you're going?"
It was futile. My arm didn't budge, and I twisted Requiem to match, closing off any gap.
"Grk..."
Ethan's arm trembled. Sweat beaded on his forehead before long.
"Oh, putting up some strength?"
I grinned and added more force to my arm. I wasn't even using half my max power.
"Urgh..."
Ethan clenched his teeth. His strained face turned beet red.
An overwhelming gap, like a child versus an adult.
"Ugh."
Ethan's knees slowly buckled.
With his back to the wall, he couldn't retreat further, so he had no choice but to sink downward.
Otherwise, his own sword would slice his throat.
Ethan took a deep breath,
"Let... go of this!"
And shoved me with all his might.
Ka-gang!
Our swords screeched as they slid apart.
Thanks to me pretending to be pushed back. I had no intention of killing him like this anyway.
"..."
Ethan bit his lip and glared at me. His breathing had grown ragged, leaking through his teeth.
"...Impressive. No wonder you walk around killing openly."
"..."
"That means you're that confident."
As he spoke, he subtly shook his arm. Clearly trying to loosen numb muscles.
'He hasn't given up yet.'
Sharp thinker, for sure. He quickly realized the gap and sought a way out.
"So?"
My slimy smile made Ethan's face harden coldly.
"How long do you think you can stay so smug?"
He calmly regulated his breathing, then suddenly lowered his stance.
Whoosh!
Ethan's leg swept at my foot.
"Hmm."
I hopped back, and his sword surged up. The flat of the blade rushed to smack my arm.
Cleng!
I bent my arm to block, then retreated.
"Stand still!"
Ethan charged without giving me time to recover. His attacks felt oddly desperate.
Creeeng!
'Hm? Something's different from before.'
I calmly parried while observing him—his gaze, attack direction, flow.
I reached a conclusion soon.
'He's after Requiem.'
No chance in a straight fight, so he aimed to disarm me. That explained the greed in his eyes when he looked at Requiem earlier.
'Shall I go fishing?'
The best part of baiting prey was dangling the lure.
Cleng! Creeeng!
I pretended not to notice, focusing purely on defense. Then I deliberately exposed an opening.
"—!"
Ethan's eyes gleamed. He struck at my unguarded wrist.
Just before his sword reached,
"Hmph."
I snorted and withdrew Requiem.
"Wha?! "
Ethan gasped at the sudden change. His frantic eyes captured my now-empty hand.
While he hesitated,
Bam!
My fist smashed into his forehead.
"Gahk!"
Ethan staggered back several steps, clutching his head as if it were spinning.
"U, ugh."
He groaned lowly but lifted his head. He spotted Requiem back in my hand.
"H-How..."
Ethan's face paled. I whistled and replied.
"How?"
I waved my hand through the air, and Requiem vanished again.
"Like this."
"Th-This..."
Ethan's lips twitched in disbelief. I stepped toward him.
"Wanted this, huh?"
I drew Requiem again and dangled it teasingly.
"Y-You bastard..."
Realizing I'd toyed with him, Ethan's face flushed red.
"Die!"
He roared and charged wildly.
"Whoopsie."
I had no more interest in playing.
Kak!
I deflected his reckless attack, then drove Requiem into his wrist.
"Urk!"
Ethan's arm shuddered. He clung to his sword desperately, but it was no use.
Fsssh—
Requiem greedily devoured his life force. His nails withered, skin blackened and charred, veins cracking dry.
"U, urk..."
Clang.
Ethan's sword finally slipped from his grasp.
"U, ugh..."
Staring at his lifeless hand, he groaned. Terror finally flooded his eyes.
"N-No..."
The swordsmanship that let him dominate in the Mare Guild—gone. He would never wield a sword again.
"No!"
I withdrew Requiem from his screaming form and stepped back.
"No! Nooo!"
Ethan clutched his wrist with his good hand.
Requiem sucked life force ravenously upon contact with another's body, to the absolute limit.
"Nooooo!"
As a result, a sinister black flame remained on Ethan's wrist—one his other hand couldn't extinguish.
The void flame steadily crept down from his wrist.
"P-Please!"
Ethan wailed, but the flame had no ears.
The black flame stopped only at his elbow. Half his arm had become like a corpse rotting in a grave for decades.
"Ah, aaah..."
Thud.
Ethan collapsed to his knees. Despair poured over his dazed face.
"See,"
I sneered down at him.
"You should've picked your targets better."
"Ah..."
Ethan's hollow eyes turned to me. Desperate, primal survival instinct gleamed there.
Tap!
Ethan bolted up and fled.
"Tch."
Flight was his choice, after all.
I leaped after him, slamming a kick into his back with his running momentum.
Whack!
"Ack!"
Ethan rolled messily across the floor.
"Come on, up you go."
I grabbed his collar, hoisted him, and plopped him into the remaining chair.
"Wh-What are you... "
Stab!
I rammed Requiem into his thigh.
"Aaaaagh!"
Ethan's body convulsed wildly. With a blank face, I pulled it out and stabbed the other thigh.
"Aaagh! Aaaaagh!"
After screaming for a while, Ethan slumped, head drooping. Only faint, ragged breaths escaped his lips.
"K-Kill... me..."
A spiritless voice of total surrender. Completely unlike his earlier murderous charge.
"Now you're behaving."
I chuckled softly and glanced aside.
"M-Master..."
William stared at me blankly, face ashen. Blood streamed from his torn nails.
Unclear if from blood loss or the scene before him.
"Oh, yeah."
I smiled warmly at William.
"Don't worry. I'll avenge you."
"N-No, you don't have to..."
"Hey now. Save the mercy."