Chapter 146
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Blood Feud Among Kin
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The space that had been filled with roaring cheers just moments ago was now cloaked in an eerie silence so profound it was unbelievable.
My companions, who knew my condition, showed no signs of agitation... but Nazares Nemes, Arpe, Latipi, and the others who were unaware stared with eyes wide in shock.
"You... what the hell is that arm...?"
To Charhela's question, her eyes bulging wide, I exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke with utter nonchalance.
"Is that important right now?"
"Of course it is! What is that arm!? You... you're a demon, aren't you!? You stole Alzen's body and now this...!"
"Who said I'm a demon, you damned bitch."
I spat the words like chewing them out, and Charhela, who had been about to erupt in fury, froze in place.
"You're... not a demon...?"
I just stared at her blankly without answering, and she alternated her gaze between my arm and my face before raising her fist with a serious expression.
"...I need to hear everything about what's going on. After I subdue you."
"Ha..."
I chuckled softly and nodded, pointing at her with my arm—now densely covered in scales with sparse feathers sprouting here and there.
"As expected, simple and brutish. Charhela."
"......"
"Or are you pretending to be? You must have it tough. Living among those mismatched barbarian warriors—must be harder than it looks, right?"
"Shut up and get ready. Here I come."
Bzzt-crackle!
As brilliant blue lightning crackled around her after her courteous warning, I manipulated the Silk of Atonement at will and murmured softly.
"Rubias."
"Hee hee hee... I knew you'd call. My dear."
The lips and eyes that sprouted as if they'd been waiting drew joyful arcs.
Fortunately, it seemed Cubel's Soul Totem couldn't block even this.
...This was a method I really didn't want to use... but now I didn't care anymore.
What choice did I have? There was no other way to break out of this situation.
Even if Demon King Rubias pulled some unknown scheme and something went wrong with me... even in the worst case where I ended up siding with the demons, it wouldn't be my fault.
Goddess or whatever, screw them all.
"Cut the crap and do your job."
"Now you're commanding a Demon King without even asking for help first. But fine, what can this helplessly captured body do? Like a tragic heroine pining in love, or a devoted lover gazing only at you, I shall gladly serve and devote myself... By the way, about that date."
"What?"
"I plan to summon you soon—is that okay? Perfect timing seems to be coming up."
"What the hell are you talking about in this situation...? No, whatever. If you wanna die that bad, do as you please."
"Ku hu hu... So be it. I have so much I want to say... but first, we need to get through this."
Roll...
Rubias rolled the eyeball on the back of my hand and stared intently at Charhela.
She was crouching lower bit by bit, grinning ferociously as if ready to charge at any moment, enveloped in lightning.
"I'll warn you ahead—this won't be an easy fight."
"Wasn't expecting it to be."
"Kuh huh, indeed... If you steel your resolve, you might win somehow. Ah, of course, if you permit it, I could use all my power and authority?"
"Don't pull any shady tricks."
"Shady tricks? Such harsh words... Fine, get ready. She's coming soon."
Bzzt-crackle!
Immediately after, a precognitive vision flooded my mind like footage assigned there, and my left arm moved on its own, swinging at the front.
"Kuh!?"
Charhela, who had closed in unnoticed, clashed fists with me and was flung back, letting out a startled grunt.
But I'd already seen that scene, so without surprise, I moved the Silk of Atonement right away.
Shirr...
The strips of silk embroidered the air like pure white serpents, charging forward at speeds utterly at odds with their soft, flowing elegance.
"Krgh...!"
Pzzt-crackle!
Just before her limbs could be bound midair, Charhela unleashed dazzling lightning and flipped her body with beastly flexibility, then rocketed away emitting electric blasts.
"...Tch."
In Rubias's precognitive vision, the binding had succeeded... but the future had changed.
Probably because my reaction and movement were a bit slow.
"Seeing the future change firsthand is more annoying than I thought. Was it like this for you at first too?"
"Hee hee. A very good question, Kang Han-gil. Yes... exactly like that. It was for me too at first."
Her voice reminisced about the past with a nostalgic yet wistful tone as she rolled her eyeball to look at me.
"......"
"But once you grow bored of everything, you'll come to welcome those changed futures instead. That's why I can't help but like you."
"Cut the bullshit and focus."
"Ha ha ha! Don't worry! Even I have all my nerves on edge!"
Pzzt-crackle!
A thunderous roar accompanied a precognitive vision slamming into my head.
"...!!"
Charhela somersaulted midair, instantly taking my rear, and drove her knee like an awl into my side.
That was the future in an instant.
Of course, I couldn't react even after seeing it, but the left arm controlled by the Demon King moved on its own once more.
Crunch! Creak!
The arm whipped around in a motion clearly beyond its normal range, blocking Charhela's knee.
Boom!
A heavy impact shook my entire body, accompanied by an ominous tearing sound.
"Krgh...!"
My left arm was fine, but the rest of my body trembled from the shock.
"Hup!"
Of course, Charhela's attack didn't end there.
Before I could even suppress the vibrations, still airborne, she unleashed eight punches like a barrage of shells, then spun her waist for a whip-like kick sweeping my lower body, and followed up with an elbow strike using the remaining momentum.
Naturally, no matter how much the Demon King's will and power infused it, my left arm alone couldn't block that.
"Kaaak...!"
In that split second, I'd seen it via precognition and meticulously positioned the Silk of Atonement, but her aura fist slammed into my ribs and right leg, echoing with gruesome cracks.
"...That thing's no ordinary cloth, huh?"
Not even scratched despite her aura attack, Charhela heightened her wariness and charged again.
Kwaak!
Judging defense alone wouldn't cut it, my left arm moved on its own, grabbing her right arm with its pot-lid-sized hand.
A grip that seized the space preempted by foresight entirely.
"What!?"
It was as if she'd jumped right into her own open hand.
"Hrgh...!"
Caught.
Sensing the opportunity, I moved the Silk of Atonement.
Some to bind her, the rest... to patch my body.
Stab! Crunch! Snap!
The fully unfurled Silk of Atonement burrowed into my chest, grasping the shattered ribs and binding them tight.
In the same way, my right leg was forcibly fused back together.
This was one of the Silk of Atonement's functions: temporarily correcting bodily abnormalities like bleeding, fractures, defects, or unconsciousness.
...Truth be told, I had regeneration from the Permaflesh... but time was short.
A fracture would heal in minutes, but those minutes were enough for Charhela to kill me dozens of times over.
"Kahaap!"
It hurt like hell, but with no issue moving, I threw my fist with full power.
I knew nothing of martial arts, so no technique—just a straightforward, honest punch.
But my body, fed Permaflesh and the Fruit of the World Tree, infused it with immense force.
"Krgh!"
Surprisingly, even with her right arm grabbed, she twisted and spun her joints with cat-like flexibility, dodging both the Silk of Atonement and my fist entirely.
Absurd flexibility and agility.
"Haaap!"
Kwajajak!
And a counterattack to boot.
If I hadn't seen it in precognition, her kick would've exploded my head.
"Krugh...!"
Instead, my right arm was mangled, but no problem.
Slither, slither.
Broken bones, torn muscles—all could be replaced with the Silk of Atonement.
Pain? Endure it.
"You, what the...!?"
Charhela paled in confusion, trying to say something, but my ears, flooded with adrenaline and combat hormones, naturally ignored her voice.
Not only that—my narrowed vision and pounding heartbeat unleashed raw violence and impulse without restraint.
"Hrraaap!"
Kwang!
"Guhk...!"
The problem was she dodged all my attacks and even counterattacked with room to spare.
Even as the Demon King-controlled left arm gripped her, wildly flailing to disrupt her balance and stance.
The insurmountable gap was painfully clear...
"Kr, aaaah!"
I patched my shattered shoulder with the Silk of Atonement and charged blindly.
The Demon King-infused left arm ramped up its grip, pulling and shoving, while I unleashed a flurry of right punches and moved the silk.
"Tch!"
Pzzt-crackle!!
Sensing danger, she scattered storm-like lightning, her hands and feet deflecting my attacks repeatedly while pummeling my body.
Speeds I couldn't react to.
Precognition devolved into mere confusing footage cluttering my head.
"Ka, haak!"
I spat blood, clinging to my fading mind, forcing my creaking body to keep swinging.
"Haaaaap!"
She deftly evaded, and as if to finish it, concentrated lightning thrust at my solar plexus.
But right then, abruptly—at a timing no one but me could've predicted—a massive explosion erupted, devouring the lightning in one gulp.
The blast started from inside my gut.
"...What!?"
Hearing Charhela's startled cry, I grinned.
I never imagined I'd use the "suicide method" like this—or that it'd actually work. Neither did I.