Chapter 439: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (29)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 439: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (29)
The moment Marienne saw the colossal figure approaching from the edge of her vision, her breath caught in her throat.
…What… is that…?
A massive orc, its footsteps shaking the very ground. Madness flickered like flames in its red eyes. It was charging straight for her.
Her first thought was to run, but her legs wouldn't move. And behind her stood a refugee woman, her face hidden by a veil, frozen in terror.
…If I move, that woman will…
She forced her body to move, raising her sword with a trembling hand. It was an absurd opponent to face, but she couldn't run.
And then the orc was right in front of her.
“Hero—!!”
A roar that threatened to tear her ears apart.
In an instant, it raised its hand, about to bring it crashing down on Marienne—
“Dammit—!!”
Someone shoved her from the side.
-Squelch!
With a scream, the man who had pushed her was crushed in the orc’s grip. A spray of blood erupted as his body, twisted like a slab of meat, slammed into the ground.
He was… a member of the Seven Nights Knights. The man who had always seemed to hate her the most. A man who always had a vulgar joke on his lips. That rude, ill-mannered man…
Had saved her.
…Why, you of all people……
As Marienne stared up at Graz with a vacant expression, the orc slowly licked the blood from its hand.
“Krrrk… A tasty-looking female… But the Hero comes first.”
“Ah, ahh…”
Overcome with extreme terror, Marienne’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. But Graz’s gaze was no longer on her.
His red eyes slowly shifted. There, a blonde-haired woman in a veil was trembling with fear.
“……Hero. I’m curious to see that face of yours. Kukukuku.”
Graz took one step, then another.
“P-please, spare me…”
The blonde woman fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes, filled with despair, trembled, and her body seemed paralyzed with fear, unable to move.
At that moment—
“You orc bastard!!”
The knights and soldiers nearby charged at Graz all at once.
Their swords, imbued with light, flashed with aura. Graz grinned, baring his sharp teeth.
“Krrr… A bunch of insects! Don’t get in my way!”
-CRASH!!
The moment he swung his mace, the ground shook. A shimmering red energy enveloped the weapon, and the three knights who had charged in were sent flying, spewing blood as they crashed to the earth.
“Kuaargh—!”
“Uwaaaah!!”
In an instant, the battlefield descended into chaos.
“Marienne!! Don’t just stand there, move!!”
A knight’s shout snapped Marienne back to her senses. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, and her hands were shaking. But then, the refugees huddled behind her—unarmed women and children—came into her view.
‘Don’t just stand there like an idiot!’
Her master Bi-yeon’s scolding echoed in her mind. Marienne gritted her teeth and stomped her trembling foot hard against the ground.
She tightened her grip on the sword in her hands and took a deep breath. Recalling the breathing technique her master had taught her, she slowly, carefully, controlled her breathing.
Hooo…
Marienne leveled her sword, refining her stance. Her body still trembled, but her eyes were filled with resolve.
I’m scared… but I’d rather die than be a hindrance.
At that moment—
-FWOOSH!
An aura so dense it made even the other knights’ eyes go wide erupted from her sword.
Marienne felt a searing heat ignite in her Dantian. Thanks to her sex with the Marquis, an unbelievable amount of mana had accumulated inside her body.
…Master said this amount is comparable to a High-Level Sword Expert.
It wasn’t mana, but internal energy. A strange power unknown to anyone in this world, but she had been told its essence was the same as mana.
I will stop him with this power!
Marienne gritted her teeth and regulated her breathing. The pounding of her heart echoed in the brief moment of calm.
“Haaahp—!!”
Hegemonic Shadow God Step.
The moment she took a step—
-BOOM!!
The ground cracked, and a circular shockwave spread out, kicking up a cloud of dust.
It was a bizarre footwork technique that seemed to tear through the very fabric of the earth.
…I’m still a long way from Master’s level, but—
A red aura began to gather at the tip of her sword. It was as vivid as blood and burned as hot as a flame—
SHWWOOOOOOOSH—!!
The explosive energy surged, enveloping the entire blade.
And, in the next instant.
“One Flash—!!”
She shot forward, aiming precisely for Graz’s side.
-SHIIING!
A thin red line was drawn across his leathery skin, which immediately gushed blood.
“……Krrrrrrrrrr.”
Graz slowly turned his head, and Marienne felt her breath catch. His bloodshot eyes pierced through her, and a grin more bestial than any beast’s spread across his lips.
“Not bad for a female.”
A deep gash remained on Graz’s massive side, but the wound was already healing with impossible speed, closing up like smoke.
“N-no way…”
The spot that had been dripping blood was already regenerating into untouched flesh.
“You look like you could bear some decent offspring, too.”
His gaze slid down her body, openly scanning her chest and hips.
“Krrrrk…”
A disgustingly long tongue licked his lips, and Graz’s massive arm slowly rose.
Marienne instinctively backed away.
…I have to buy as much time as possible.
Taking a deep breath, she timed her move and swatted his arm away. The beast wasn’t using the weapon in his hand.
His goal is my body. He’s not trying to kill me, he’s trying to capture me.
That was her only opening, her only chance.
Just then, the knights surrounded them and shouted.
“Marienne! We’ll attack together!”
“Right!”
Marienne gave a short reply and raised her sword. Aura gathered on the blade once more as she kicked off the ground and lunged.
Graz scowled as the knights joined the fray. He immediately coated his hands in a sinister aura and parried the knights’ attacks.
—CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of bare hands blocking sword blades rang out repeatedly. Sparks flew as auras collided, but Graz remained completely at ease.
“So many insects swarming around.”
He swung one arm wide, and his aura shot out like a whip. Two knights were sent flying by the blow, tumbling to the ground.
“Keuk!”
“Ugh!”
Marienne gritted her teeth. As the knights fell one by one, Graz remained completely unscathed.
This isn’t working. There has to be another way…
Marienne glanced around. Graz was still busy fighting the knights, his attention diverted from her. And behind him…
That blonde woman! That monster definitely called her the Hero… He’s after her… If that’s the case…
Graz’s real target was that woman.
I have to buy time.
The main force of the Seven Nights Knights was currently dealing with the other monsters. The forces here alone were not enough to stop this monstrous being.
Marienne ducked low, slipping out of Graz’s line of sight. While the knights continued to draw his attention, she quietly approached the blonde woman.
“Are you alright?”
“…Ah, ah…”
The woman looked at Marienne with tear-filled eyes. Her face was a mask of terror.
“I’ll take you somewhere safe. Can you stand?”
“Yes… yes…”
Just as Marienne carefully took her arm to help her up—
“Where do you think you’re going, female!”
Graz’s voice boomed from behind her, shaking the ground.
Even before she turned, Marienne knew. He had defeated all the knights and was now rushing toward them.
“Hurry!”
Without hesitation, Marienne grabbed the blonde woman’s hand and started running at full speed.
—THUD! THUD! THUD!
The sound of heavy footfalls striking the earth grew closer and closer. She was out of breath, and a crushing pressure weighed down on her back, making her ears ring.
No… at this rate, he’ll catch us both!
Marienne didn’t hesitate. She swept the blonde woman up into her arms. Instantly, she focused mana into her legs, explosively circulating the qi and blood throughout her entire body. Gasping for air, she kicked off the ground and shot forward.
CRACK—!
The ground beneath her feet shattered, sending dust into the air.
Please… just one more step—!
She struggled to maintain her speed. But the endless chase was leaving her breathless, and her entire body was screaming in protest. Her legs, in particular, were taking a beating. The lightness skill and footwork her master had taught her were powerful, but the longer she used them, the more strain they put on her knees and tendons.
Her knees throbbed as if they were being torn apart.
“KRAAAAAAAAH!”
A monstrous roar echoed from behind her.
-WHAM!
A massive boulder narrowly missed her head and slammed into the ground. Shards of rock flew out, scratching Marienne’s cheek.
“Hand over the Hero now!!”
Graz’s breathing grew even more ragged as he lifted another rock the size of a boulder.
“Ugh…!”
Just as Marienne gritted her teeth and prepared to leap again—
-THWACK!
An explosive pain engulfed her entire body. Her center of gravity collapsed, and she tumbled forward. The woman in her arms screamed as they fell together.
“Kyaa!”
Tumbling across the ground in a cloud of dust, she gritted her teeth and tried to get up, but her knees wouldn't straighten.
I’m done for…
Marienne’s heart sank. Through the rising dust, a giant shadow slowly took form.
“Hah… hah… You dare make me work this hard?”
His lips twisted into a sneer. His eyes were bloodshot, and the tattoos on his body writhed grotesquely.
“As punishment, I’ll throw you into the goblin breeding pits.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Graz’s massive foot slammed into Marienne’s abdomen. Her body was thrown helplessly against a tree, and a dull thud was followed by a choked groan.
“Ugh…!”
But Graz was no longer interested in her. His gaze shifted to the fallen blonde woman. A massive hand reached for her still form, her face hidden by the veil.
“Hehe… I was already excited, but I can’t hold back any longer. I was planning on enjoying you publicly in front of my subordinates… but I can’t wait.”
His breathing was a hideous gurgle, and the vile member beneath his loincloth twitched. His hand roughly tore the veil away.
The moment he saw the revealed face, his pupils wavered.
“…What is this face…?”
One side was the form of a stunningly beautiful woman, but the other bore the features of a man.
The sight of femininity and masculinity mixed together in a single face was so strange and bizarre that it left him speechless for a moment.
“Tsk… Still, it’s not enough to kill my mood.”
No, the man’s face wasn’t bad either. Graz’s lips twitched again as he tilted his head.
“Well, I’ve seen enough of the face…”
Graz’s hand slowly moved toward the blonde woman’s clothes.