Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Whose Hand Do the Gods of War Raise?
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My brain felt like it had short-circuited from the sudden turn of events.
Just moments ago, this giant had been grabbing me by the collar, snarling like he was about to swallow me whole. Now he was rolling around on the ground like a fool.
『Y-You bastard! I-I won't go down like this…!』
After tumbling for what felt like forever, the ashen giant pulled himself together and charged at me, shaking the earth with every thundering step.
『Graaaah! D-Death Charge!』
It felt like a runaway truck barreling down on me, every hair on my body standing on end.
I rolled aside to dodge that net-like hand reaching for me, but despite his massive bulk, the bastard was insanely fast. I got snatched up again in no time.
『I'll crush you flat—! Death Squeeze! This is an merciless hellish technique infused with immense power—no one can escape it!』
Crunch.
Tendons bulged in the giant's massive grip clamping down on me. His forehead throbbed with veins, like he was putting everything he had into it.
Normally, I'd have burst like a mouse pinned under a lion's paw. But somehow, I felt nothing.
『How's my Death Squeeze feel?!』
For some reason, there was zero pressure from his hand.
What the hell was going on? Had all my recent level-ups made my body tougher? Was it the new armor?
Or maybe the stamina potion Luna gave me?
A bunch of explanations popped into my head, but right now, none of that mattered.
This hulking monster was trying to kill me, and my only option was to kill him first!
“Raaagh—!”
I poured all my strength into my arms to pry free from his palm. The giant ground his teeth with a growl.
『N-No way! Y-You think I'll let go—! Ngh, ugh! S-So strong! My grip's slipping!』
Straining until my vision went red, I finally broke free. But I wasn't done—I yanked the club from my belt and lunged at the giant, now slumped on the ground gasping for breath.
I had no idea where this confidence was coming from, but with all my buffs, maybe I was stronger than this guy.
『W-Where do you—!』
He swung his arm again, refusing to go down easy. But his movements were way slower now, so I barely dodged the palm.
Looks like yesterday's brutal training session with Hippolyte had paid off.
『W-What!?』
With both his hands dodged, all that was left was his gaping chest and enormous head. I swung my club with everything I had at that head the size of my torso.
Swinging my Terror crusher from low to high like a pro golfer, it rocketed toward the center of his forehead.
Whoosh—thwack!
『Gwaaaah! That actually hurts! You fearless little shit…!』
“Ughhh.”
His thunderous scream made my knees buckle for real—my legs went numb, threatening to give out.
Shit, did I overdo it!? Should've just run!
『N-No, ngh, ahem, th-that hurts too much! I-I'm gonna die!』
I'd braced for a counterattack that would rip me apart, but luckily, the giant collapsed with a bizarre wail.
Seizing the moment, I hammered him relentlessly with my club.
『Ugh, ack! Uwaaaah—! N-No! At this rate, I'll vanish!』
"Moros…! Damn it, this can't be happening. How can a mere mortal stand against an ancient god's power? What are you all doing!? Save Moros now! Charge! Charge!"
The eerie voice from the sky faded, and the ground began to rumble.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Couldn't think of a better way to describe it.
Groooar!
Crack, crunch!
No time for fancy words anyway—the horde of undead I'd spotted in the distance was charging at me full tilt!
“We'll rescue the young lady! Charge! Charge!”
“Hurry—gotta beat them there! Gale tactics!”
And not just them—soldiers who'd been waiting behind me rushed forward too. My mind went blank, panicking over what was about to unfold.
“Raaargh—! You filthy boneheads!”
Groooar!
Slam, crash, boom—crack!
Finally, the undead ranks collided with our soldiers, explosions of impacts and shattering echoing everywhere.
“Fuckin' hell!”
Clang, clack, crunch.
Armed soldiers swung swords and clubs, smashing rotten zombie skulls and bare skeletons.
But soon they were overwhelmed by skeletons piling from behind, pinned to the ground and torn apart by grasping hands.
The stench of blood was nose-curling, mixed with shouts, clanging metal, flying bone shards, and screams—it all scrambled my thoughts.
Graaaar!
That's when a fang-toothed skeleton lunged at me from the front. I snapped back to reality, gripping my club tight.
Swoosh—.
One mighty swing pulverized two or three skeletons into dust scattering in the air.
Back in Kalan's swamp, I'd barely handled one. Now two in a single blow! My growth wasn't for nothing.
“Die, you fuckers!”
Confidence surging, I bashed away the skeletons swarming me, then slammed my club down hard on the giant's head under my foot.
“Earth Shatter!”
Boom—!
『Gaaah! I-I'm vanishing… Th-This time, I'm really dead…』
My full-power strike worked—the giant went limp, body sagging.
At the same moment, the neck and torso that had split once before glowed vivid red and separated cleanly.
"Moros…! Damn it, Samaritan, always getting in our way—Betulus, Delmo, Grandesimo!"
Weird, jumbled words boomed from the sky. Someone yelled back.
“Magic incoming! Everyone, watch out!”
“Mages, do something! Disrupt the chant!”
“Srutube, model, mosiderang—.”
Our mages started chanting backward to counter the skyward spell. Anxius growled in frustration.
"The spell-slinging guests of House Sardici, huh? Hah! Bunch of amateurs. They can't beat me, Anxius! Meteor!"
Fweeee—boom—.
Something sliced through the air and smashed into the ground, cratering it.
“What the hell? What's flying at us!? Actual meteors!?”
“No, look over there! Trebuchets by the mountain!”
“Shit, these cult bastards even have siege engines!?”
Groooar!
The battle was dead even. Our gear was crap, but the undead felt no fatigue or fear. Our side? A ragtag mob scraped together in a day.
They butchered each other endlessly.
But at this rate, the living would lose ground.
Groooowl.
“W-What the fuck!? Dead bodies are moving! Corpses are coming back to life!”
Why? Because the fallen were rising as new undead. Turning the dead to your side—that's one of the horrors of the undead.
Cackle.
Groooar!
No time for reflection, though. I was too busy flailing at endless charging skeletons.
“Take this, you zombie shits—!”
My head was nothing but curses and survival instinct.
Overexcitement or exhaustion—my ragged breaths rose to my chin.
“Hah, huff—.”
Even the sense of moving my own body was fading; I felt like collapsing.
Crunch, cruuunch.
Even with shattered torsos, skeletons kept lunging.
Bare skulls clamped onto my ankles, arms, legs—my body grew heavier by the second.
Fweeee—boom—.
Worse, catapult boulders turned the ground to mud, hindering movement.
Grah!
“Get off! Fuck off already!”
Why the hell are they all targeting me? Assholes!
I was shaking off clinging skeletons when—
“Kyaaah!”
A high-pitched, feminine scream pierced the battlefield, drilling straight into my brain.
Instinct drew my eyes despite the chaos—I glanced toward one corner of the field.
There, a woman in an owl helmet was slumped on the ground, fighting off attacking skeletons.
“I, Enya, guardian of Sodomora…! I won't go down like this!”
Crunch, snap.
Using her longsword from the ground showed skill, but against the horde? Not enough. She soon curled up, screaming as they bit and clawed.
“Kyaaah! Y-You hideous monsters!!”
“Young lady! Someone, save the young lady! Hurry!”
Soldiers and knights tried to reach her, but undead walls blocked them.
“G-God—! Look upon Enya with mercy!”
Covered in bones, she reached skyward. But gods rarely answer prayers.
I was different.
I was close enough to hear her, just a few steps away.
Didn't like her much, but she was the commander. If she died, this mess would get stickier.
And Luna waiting back at the hut would slip further away.
So I ran.
Leaped in strong, swinging my club at the skeletons piling on her.
“Hup—!”
Gripping with both hands, it arced in a massive full swing—
Crack-crunch—.
Three or four skeletons shattered into fragments.
“Fuck, so damn many!”
But the pile on Enya was like squashing wasps—bees everywhere. Reaching the bottom was tough.
Damn, what now? Ditch her?
As I pondered seriously—
Boom—!
Shatter—.
The skeleton mound exploded outward like a bomb.
There lay Enya, armor and undergarments torn, exposing pale skin.
Shocking, but weirder: her longsword blade hummed and glowed yellow.
I'd seen Hippolyte use something like that—warrior magic, aura or whatever.
Did she break free with it? Good for her!
“Young lady! Here to save you!”
“Y-You're Hassan of Samaritan!”
“Run—quick!”
“Problem. M-My legs won't move.”
“Lost strength in them?”
“Different. No feeling in my lower half… Probably from that weird power earlier.”
Graaah!
She swung at a charging skeleton—her blade sheared bone clean like a machine, shattering it.
Enya slashed at the horde.
“Samaritan! B-Be my steed!”
“Steed…?”
“Carry me! Hurry! Only way out of the center!”