Voice Villain #3
Why did it have to come to this?
Doyun faced the Hunters, their eyes half-crazed. This wasn't like the movies or dramas where they would politely take turns attacking one by one.
Simultaneously.
—Whoosh!!
They lunged at him all at once, leaving Doyun no room to maneuver. However, even though Doyun disliked unnecessary killing, he hadn't come unprepared.
The relaxed, leisurely voice of a young girl asked in the midst of the tense situation. To a stranger, it might have been infuriating, but to those who knew her identity, it would sound like the whisper of a devil.
—Clatter.
"W-what is that!"
"Didn't you hear the intel?! He has a skill that manipulates chains!"
With a single swing, the manifestations of death that had been closing in on Doyun vanished in an instant. In their place, ominous blood-red chains swept through the area with violent force.
—CRASH!
Doyun stood still as the terrified Hunters scrambled to exchange information. After catching his breath for a moment, he looked at the Hunters who had tried to attack him. One was short and hairy—perhaps a Dwarf. There was also one with long, elf-like ears, a Beastman, a human, and even one of an unknown race. A diverse array of species, all working together quite happily to gang up on him.
'Is this what they call ethnic integration?'
This was certainly not what he had wanted. Perhaps his cold treatment of them earlier had been intended to make them come to their senses and do their jobs properly.
"This bastard, I've hated him since the 9th floor! We all die the same way once a blade hits us, so why does he have to act so high and mighty!"
"When did I ever—"
"Let's show him the bitter taste of life today!"
Doyun looked at them with an aggrieved expression. Had they lost their minds? Like those guys back then? The image of the crazed Hunters who had hunted others flashed through his mind, but this didn't feel like that. It felt more like the desperate, stubborn thrashing of people pushed to their absolute limits. If there was one commonality, it was that the time for conversation had long since passed.
"So, you're going to keep doing this?"
"It's already too late! We'll kill you here, compensate for our shortcomings, and clear the floor!"
—Whoosh!
The attack began again. First, the hairy Dwarf raised his axe and charged at Doyun. He looked small, but his physical strength was no joke. It seemed his entire body was made of muscle. Still...
'He's much slower than Lakiya Belz.'
Doyun, having committed every movement to memory, leisurely dodged the Dwarf's attack.
"What!"
"Did you think you'd hit me?"
"Grrr...!"
At that moment, another Hunter who had been timing his move lunged at Doyun. It was a Beastman Hunter, slim and covered in fur.
"Die!"
Doyun suddenly felt melancholy. Hearing nothing but orders to die all day made him wonder if he should have become a Hunter in the first place.
'That's too much.'
With that heavy heart, he twisted his upper body. The Beastman's dagger grazed his chest by a hair's breadth.
"...?!'
—Grab!
He didn't miss the chance; he decided to catch the exact timing of the heavy attack.
"Ah."
The Beastman Hunter, whose arm was caught by Doyun in an instant, let out a hollow breath. Should he cut him here? Where? The arm? The chest? Or the neck? Doyun briefly weighed his options. Was this the effect of his increased Agility stat? He began to have room to think. Ignoring the malicious glares of the Hunters, he decided on the treatment for the Beastman Hunter in front of him.
"Aira."
"Yes!"
—Clatter!
He connected the Beastman Hunter to Aira's chains. Come to think of it, this was Doyun's most proficient combat style—a technique that didn't let the opponent go after a single attack, driving them to the brink of death.
"U-uh...!"
The eyes of the Hunters who had rushed in to save the Beastman were filled with despair.
"Ah."
The Beastman Hunter, his waist bound by the chain, realized too late what had happened to him. The chain was fixed, unyielding even after his frantic movements. Realizing what could happen to him, the Hunter looked at Doyun with eyes full of terror.
"Goodbye."
Doyun offered a simple farewell and left him entirely to Aira's touch.
—WHOOSH!!
The Hunter who had been in front of Doyun a moment ago was launched into the air in an instant.
"Y-you crazy!"
"Lainen!"
Lainen. It seemed that was the Beastman Hunter's name. It was natural for them to know each other. Doyun decided to respond in kind. The Beastman Hunter, who had been launched into the air, was instantly brought close to another Hunter. It was the usual swing of the chain, but this time, it came with a Beastman garnish.
—THUD!
"Gah!"
The Hunter who had been worried about his comrade's safety was struck directly by the chain.
—CRASH!!
The Hunter, sent flying into a massive wall, slumped to the floor in a bloody heap with a wet thud. It shouldn't have been a speed he couldn't dodge. After all, he had dodged the very first attack just fine. But he hadn't been able to imagine the very idea of swinging a Hunter alive while wrapped in a chain. It was a moment where Doyun's imagination triumphed.
"Damn it!"
Two Hunters were retired in an instant. Only then did the remaining three Hunters realize that the situation was taking a strange turn, and they hesitated. They felt the loss of their depleted combat power.
"Let's stop."
"...What?"
"We were wrong. Please, stop here."
"Now that you're all dying, you're finally starting to think?"
Doyun couldn't help but let out a dry laugh at the Dwarf Hunter's suddenly servile attitude. Was it possible to be this shameless? Wouldn't the comrades who had gone first feel quite aggrieved by this?
"If you let us go here, we'll lay down everything we have and leave."
"This is truly insane."
Was this the madness of Hunters? Doyun felt a momentary wave of dizziness at their attitude, which changed as easily as swapping masks.
"Let's make a deal."
"Deal, my ass."
A desperate look flickered in the eyes of the other Hunters, but Doyun knew. He knew the malice hidden behind that servile attitude. They were likely planning to launch a surprise attack the moment he turned his back.
"Try hiding your mana a bit better when you talk."
"...!"
Eventually, the Hunter whose plan was exposed launched an attack again. How many times had their attitude changed in just a few minutes? As he thought this and moved his body, he felt his feet becoming heavy.
"Slow!"
The Hunter at the very back, a human, was sweating profusely as he tried to seal Doyun's movements. It was certainly harder to take a step. If it had been before, this might have been truly dangerous.
"Now! Quickly...!"
The human Hunter shouted as if he were coughing up blood.
"I'll tell the Upper Council like this! That you went half-mad and tried to kill all of our comrades!"
The Dwarf Hunter, already certain of victory, raised his axe once more.
—Clang! Crash!
Doyun managed to clear away the blood-red chains that were lunging like angry snakes, and then he launched an attack simultaneously with the remaining Hunter. An axe and a spear. It was clear that his life would be in danger if he took even one of those attacks. But...
If he couldn't dodge it, he wouldn't have been standing his ground in the first place.
"Die!"
"I don't want to."
His feet were heavy, but there was no problem moving his upper body.
—Whoosh...!
He drew up his mana.
'Skin of Tyrasilis' has been activated.
He used the skill he had obtained by catching a boss mob some time ago. Only now did he finally use it. He could feel an unknown mana coating the surface of his skin. He would be able to block at least one attack. He left the lunging spear to the skill and focused his gaze solely on the Dwarf's massive axe.
—Thud!
The spear, aimed precisely at his heart, was blocked by something. The recoil was enough to lift the opponent's body. He had pierced the leather armor, but he hadn't been able to pierce the mana within.
"....!!"
All that remained was the axe. When he turned his head toward the Dwarf, the guy was focused entirely on Doyun. He briefly weighed his options. What was the probability that mana was imbued in that axe? At first glance, he felt nothing. Since no mana was flowing, he had to consider the possibility that it was an artifact imbued with a special power.
'Luck? Or play it safe?'
Should he take the hit, or dodge? Doyun, having pondered for a split second, made his decision.
—Grab!
The action he took after his decision was to slightly shift his shoulder and grab the handle of the axe.
"W-what?"
The flustered Dwarf tried to quickly retrieve his axe, but Doyun's superior stats stopped him.
"D-damn it. Take him down! Take him down!"
The Dwarf nagged the Hunter next to him. Startled by the shout, the Hunter lunged with his spear again, but it still didn't work on Doyun.
"T-this...!"
"Are you kidding me! Do something, quickly!"
"Damn it! I want to, but my attacks aren't working!"
"What are you guys doing?"
Eventually, Doyun, unable to watch any longer, decided to offer a solution.
"Hehehe."
Aira, who had been quietly waiting for the timing, realized the moment had come. She had discarded the tattered Beastman Hunter and was certain that a new toy had arrived.
—Clatter.
The two Hunters, who had been bickering, finally heard the sound of chains coming from hell.
"Ah."
They let out a sigh of despair, but it was already too late. Far too late. The last thing they discovered was the red chain coiling around their ankles.
#
"P-please, spare me."
The last remaining human Hunter prostrated himself at Doyun's feet, begging for mercy.
Experience points acquired.
Experience points acquired.
Experience points acquired.
....
"So that's how it is."
Doyun looked down at the trembling human Hunter with a mix of pity and regret.