Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Demon Empress (4)
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Drake's blade was covered thickly in dragon scales.
Every time it trembled, the scales clashed against each other with a metallic clank, sending out waves of overwhelming energy.
It felt like gazing upon a living divine treasure.
It was as if a dragon from legend had appeared and was writhing in the air.
'I couldn't read it...!'
Dien, the assassin from the Black Shadow Sword Group, gritted his teeth.
The Black Shadow Sword Group was a guild of assassins who operated in the North.
He was one of the top experts in the organization, second only to the leader. He had absolute confidence in his stealth and concealment techniques.
But even he hadn't been able to read that previous attack.
Despite the blade harboring such intense energy.
It meant the energy was not only incredibly well-contained but also stealthy and swift.
'I can't win against this.'
While keeping an eye on Drake's blade, Dien scanned for escape routes.
Anyone skilled enough to hurl a sword like that left no chance of victory in a head-on clash.
At that moment, Drake's violently trembling blade shot fiercely into the air.
Dien jumped in shock and swiftly deployed his stealth technique.
[Black Shadow Art – Shadow Concealment]
A spell that pulled shadows up to wrap around the body, melting into the air.
Fortunately, the surroundings were filled with Barosa's white smoke, providing plenty of cover.
Barosa seemed to read Dien's thoughts and tried to thicken the smoke's density,
"Can't let you."
In that instant, Ray slammed his frost-covered white hand down onto the ground.
Crack-crack-crack!
Ice spread rapidly, thick frost settling in the air.
Even Barosa's white smoke suddenly condensed.
Naturally, Dien's stealth technique could only remain incomplete.
"Weren't you the one who said you'd cut off my air before the wolf bares its fangs?"
Selferd didn't miss that opening.
"But you failed. What now?"
"......!"
In Dien's widened eyes, Selferd came charging straight at him.
Selferd's appearance was slightly different from before.
In his right hand, the broadsword he always wielded; in his left, a short dagger about sixty centimeters long gripped in reverse.
His movements were naturally extraordinary.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
The aura-clad broadsword pursued Dien relentlessly, while the dagger shot out like arrows whenever an opening appeared.
The Gardner family's unique art, requiring perfect mastery of two distinct sword styles to deploy.
[Wolf Fangs – Tear and Rend]
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
Dien thrashed desperately to shake off Selferd, but the broadsword clung on, preventing the stealth technique from fully activating.
Then, the wolf's teeth sank into Dien's exposed neck in one bite.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed, covering Selferd's face.
"You should've struck when you had the chance. Now you've forced me to pull out my ultimate technique that I never wanted to use."
Selferd's eyes, dripping with red blood, burned with madness.
Resentment and fury poured from him.
He had never wanted to reveal anything reminiscent of the Gardner family.
But since it had come to this, he had to exact payment.
"You... are a rebel's...!"
"Save the chit-chat for hell."
Dien's lips mumbled as if trying to say something,
Slash—
But Selferd swung his broadsword without hesitation, severing Dien's head.
Then he charged again.
Toward the direction where Barosa's main body was likely hiding.
Splat!
Red footprints stamped clearly on the white ice.
Screeech—
"Damn it! I never even heard of this crap!"
Barosa maxed out the toxicity of his fog while desperately trying to escape.
If his judgment was correct, Selferd was no ordinary combat swordsman.
'That's definitely the Gardner family head's secret technique, said to be lost...! How the hell am I supposed to deal with a ghost that vanished with the Mad Dragon Emperor!'
The previous Ragnar family head, the Mad Dragon Emperor, had disappeared along with Kyle's rebellion.
And in that process, his loyal retainers vanished too.
People called them the [Mad Dragon Society].
Wolf Fangs was the absolute secret technique wielded by an old Gardner family head who belonged to that Mad Dragon Society.
But with the old family head's disappearance, Wolf Fangs was completely lost, replaced by [Wolf Canines] as the new family secret technique.
And now, Wolf Fangs reappeared after decades?
In the hands of some random White Dragon Knight?
It meant the Demon Dragon hadn't known, so they'd kept it hidden from the public eye.
The implication was clear.
-The White Dragon Knights had been hiding their claws all this time.
And revealing them here meant one thing.
-You've seen the secret technique, so you die.
That was why Barosa chose to flee.
He didn't want to die a dog's death here.
On the other hand, he thought that reporting the Mad Dragon Society's legacy remaining in the White Dragon Knights to Troyvan might ensure the One Sword Society's survival.
The problem was that Selferd, now unleashing his madness, was far faster than expected,
And whoosh!
Ray's 'Freezing' from the aquatic breathing technique he'd activated earlier was gradually intensifying.
At this rate, even his fog abilities were useless.
"I wouldn't recommend running."
Boom!
Selferd's broadsword was already at Barosa's neck.
Barosa barely blocked the attack by drawing a peculiar narrow-bladed sword.
"Urk...!"
"Your footprints are all over the ice below."
"You bastard!"
Barosa barely shoved Selferd back and retreated.
[Smoke Strike – Foggy Night]
Fwoosh!
His form scattered into smoke,
"Are you an idiot? Even with footprints, you do that."
Selferd sneered coldly and twisted his body sideways.
Even if it scattered into smoke, there was always a central point.
Shallow footprints of Barosa marked the ice.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Selferd's pursuit began.
Barosa tried desperately to flee, but Selferd caught him every time.
"Hey, do it properly. You gonna leave bloodstains too?"
"Miiiinnnggg!"
As wounds kept appearing, Barosa reached a point where using his abilities made no difference.
No, it was worse than not using them.
Without abilities, at least his mana wouldn't drain this fast.
"One Sword Societyyyy!"
Finally, Barosa screamed with bloodshot eyes, resorting to his last measure.
"Everyone! Protect me somehowwww!"
No reply came.
But the One Sword Society swordsmen responded with action.
Eyes rolled back, whites showing, foaming at the mouth, they charged at Selferd.
"Grraaah!"
"Grrraa!"
They looked like they'd lost all reason.
[Smoke Strike – Hallucination Party]
Barosa had been steadily dosing his subordinates with hallucinogenic drugs.
He mixed those components into the white fog, paralyzing their reason and turning them into brainwashed berserkers who obeyed only him.
"You crazy drugged-up bastards!"
While Selferd and Ray struggled to push back the One Sword Society swordsmen, Barosa burst into mad laughter and fled toward the entrance.
"Puhahaha! Yes! You lot fight it out among yourselves! I'll just—"
Barosa's laughter cut off midway as hands shot out from the entrance, grabbing his face.
"What the hell are you doing here, Barosa?"
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
Through the gaps in the fingers, Barosa's eyes widened in terror.
A desperate plea to let go.
But the hand's owner showed no such intent, gripping harder.
"This is even worse than the Rose family you mocked earlier. At least they upheld their pride."
"Mmmph!"
"I'll remember your pathetic sight right now and forget it."
That was the end.
Crunch!
Barosa's head exploded, chunks of flesh raining down.
"Arin!"
Selferd scowled at the one who killed Barosa.
In his left hand dangled Arin, limp and covered in blood.
Kant Toma.
The leader of the Wandering Knight Alliance slowly spoke.
"I'll return your friend."
Kant tossed Arin casually toward Selferd.
Selferd caught her swiftly, checked her breathing, while Ray stepped forward to block the enemies.
"No need to worry. She's just passed out from severe mana depletion. Her life isn't in danger."
Selferd confirmed Kant's words were true and looked up.
"What do you want?"
The man had betrayed Ragnar and now faced them sword-to-sword—a full enemy.
Keeping him alive meant he had a purpose.
"Cassandra, was it? Hand her over. Then we'll withdraw quietly without further trouble."
"What?"
"I understand. Hard to believe we'd just leave. But continuing this war is burdensome for us too. So let's negotiate at a mutually concessional level."
Kant had only turned on Ragnar due to his ties with Ed.
He had no intention of dragging the Wandering Knight Alliance into a war that offered no benefit.
And clashing swords with Arin had solidified that resolve.
'Ragnar, Troyvan... they all don't know. This war isn't just between two great families. Something bigger lurks behind.'
Arin and Selferd.
Seeds of old rebels who should have vanished with the Mad Dragon Society, still in the White Dragon Knights.
Staying here any longer was suicide.
Years of wandering the world had taught Kant many hidden truths,
Allowing him to vaguely grasp the 'truth.'
Once this mission ended, he planned to leave the North entirely with his group.
Of course, that required Cassandra's custody.
Selferd nearly told him not to spout nonsense.
Then he noticed Kant's gaze wasn't on him, but behind.
Step, step—
Splat, splat!
Theo crossed the shattered ice, standing before Drake's blade, which still wailed.
'He's changed again!'
Selferd could no longer read Theo's presence.
Perfect containment.
Stealthy like Drake's blade, yet condensed with even greater power.
"......"
Even Ray held his breath, silently watching Theo.
"Theo Ragnar, I've wanted to meet you once. Glad to finally do so. As expected, your reputation precedes you—far greater than the rumors."
Kant's grave gaze fixed firmly on Theo.
He was as shocked as Selferd—no, far more.
To see someone touching the 'brink of mortality' in such a young boy!
He placed his hand on his sword hilt to hide his slight tremble.
"This seems a fine condition to end things without further battle. What say you?"
Instead of answering, Theo drew Drake's blade into a high guard.
His slender frame no longer looked small against the massive greatsword.
"'King Slayer' Kant Toma. You killed the lord you served for over thirty years and burned a castle housing hundreds—the infamous mass murderer."
Kant's face hardened.
That past event, which gave him his dishonorable moniker, was a black history he never wanted to recall.
"Those who last saw you then all testified you were smiling."
......Baseless slander."
"Well, maybe. Truth is, I don't care much about that."
One corner of Theo's mouth curled up.
"All I'm curious about is how strong you are. They say you were already upper-class swordsman level when you sought refuge with the main family? You're diligent, never slacking on training. So you've improved since then. Let me see your skill. Come at me."
......What arrogance, unworthy of response. But fitting for a Ragnar."
Clank!
Shing—
"But you won't realize it's too late until that arrogance is broken."
Flash!
As Kant kicked off the ground fiercely, shards of broken ice sprayed into the air.
In the mirror-like reflections,
Kant was smiling.
Like a demon.
Just like they said on the day the castle burned.