Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Thorn Tree (2)
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“Hah.”
Alexander Apple let out a scoff. He shook his head in disbelief.
“I don’t even know how to describe how I’m feeling right now.”
-Keh heh het, want me to guess? Pissed off like a dog after getting dissed by some snot-nosed kid?
“Yeah, that sums it up perfectly. To think a mere Middle-Class nobody killed me... trash...”
Alexander Apple rubbed the back of his neck. It ached from the sheer rage.
“I’m curious how you can use black magic, but... now’s not the time to grill you on that. No. There’s something else I need to do right now.”
Alexander Apple raised his demon sword, pointing its tip at Demian Haksen.
“I’ll show you exactly what a High-Class is, you insolent brat.”
“High-Class?”
A sneer curled at Demian’s lips.
“And here you are, strutting around all high and mighty when you’ve only reached that level by borrowing the power of your demon sword.”
Alexander Apple’s power wasn’t truly his own.
“Even that, you can’t wield properly. It’s like a child gripping a longsword. You don’t even know how to use it, and even if you did, you couldn’t swing it right.”
Demian could see it all.
The fact that Alexander Apple was just wearing the empty title of High-Class like a facade.
“That’s why Sir Liam kept overwhelming you. Why? Because you’re not a proper High-Class. You don’t know how to use that power.”
Alexander Apple’s eyebrow twitched at the barrage of taunts.
“You’re as blind as a bat despite having eyes. Didn’t you see Liam Bluegreen lose to me?”
“That was only because he got caught off guard by your demon sword’s ability. Without that, you would’ve lost to Sir Liam in the end.”
Alexander Apple’s face twisted, but the demon sword burst into loud laughter.
-Keh heh het, this kid knows his stuff. I’d be dead to that Liam guy without me.
“Shut up.”
-Partner, getting mad now just makes you look pathetic. At least keep your pride, right?
“I said shut up.”
Alexander Apple glared at Demian. Rage turned his eyes bloodshot.
“I sensed it from the first moment I saw you, but you really are an annoying bastard.”
“Great minds think alike. I thought the same when I first saw you. Annoying and nosy as hell.”
“You insolent little punk! I’ll beat some manners into you right now!”
Alexander Apple roared in fury and charged. He swung his demon sword at Demian.
Demian rushed forward as well, effortlessly parrying the attack.
The moment Demian blocked the sword, Alexander Apple unleashed a flurry of follow-ups.
Demian blocked those too.
“Not bad! Fine, I’ll get serious now!”
-Keh heh het, leave it to me, partner!
The sword injected even more black mana into Alexander Apple.
Veins bulged prominently along the arm gripping the demon sword. At the same time, Alexander Apple’s movements sped up dramatically.
“Kra ha ha ha!”
Alexander Apple cackled maniacally as he pressed Demian even harder.
The demon sword slashed through the air without pause. Demian’s hands moved frantically.
Both were moving so fast their hands were a blur. Only the sparks exploding in the air betrayed their fierce exchange.
Then, their swords crossed.
The holy sword and demon sword aimed for each other’s throats.
Just before the demon sword could slice his neck, Demian tilted his head back. It only cut his collar.
Demian’s holy sword, however, struck Alexander Apple’s neck. It rang like metal on metal and bounced off.
Both attacks failed. They leaped back simultaneously.
“This is the first time my clothes have been cut.”
Demian touched his collar and said. Since his regression, Alexander Apple was the first to even graze his garments.
“Your demon sword’s power is far more impressive than I thought.”
Demian eyed the demon sword. But Alexander Apple had no room to respond.
“You...”
Thanks to absorbing the demon sword’s black mana, Alexander Apple’s speed had increased further.
In truth, his strikes were much faster than Demian’s.
Yet Demian Haksen blocked every single one. As if he could read Alexander Apple’s mind.
That wasn’t all. He even counterattacked at the end, targeting the fatally vital neck.
If the demon sword hadn’t hardened his body enough to withstand aura, he surely would’ve died.
In short, Alexander Apple had been overwhelmed.
Outmatched in skill and experience.
“How can a mere Middle-Class... This is impossible... What the hell are you... What are you!?”
“Nothing impressive, and yet you’re freaking out.”
Demian said dismissively.
“I told you. You’re just borrowing someone else’s power at best.”
What was a High-Class?
Someone with superhuman physical abilities? Someone with vast mana?
No. A High-Class was one who had reached the pinnacle of technique.
“You call yourself High-Class without understanding your own swordsmanship? Even a stray dog would laugh.”
Demian’s abilities weren’t so meager that he’d lose to such an idiot.
“You little shit...!”
Veins bulged on Alexander Apple’s face. He looked ready to pounce.
-Partner, calm down. Falling for his taunts gets you nowhere.
At that moment, the demon sword held him back.
-So what if he’s not ordinary? He still can’t hurt you.
It was true. Demian’s sword hadn’t severed Alexander Apple’s neck.
-Drag it out, and we’ll win eventually. Plus, his weapon’s already wrecked.
As it spoke, a massive crack appeared in Demian’s holy sword.
Holy power leaked from it, and in an instant, it turned into an ordinary blade.
“......”
Demian stared at the holy sword in shock. He knew the demon sword’s sharpness was no joke, but he hadn’t expected it to destroy a holy sword.
-Keh heh het! Look at his face! Eyes wide like saucers! You pay a price for touching my body!
The sword crowed gleefully. Seeing Demian take a hit lifted Alexander Apple’s spirits too.
“Krahaha! Your precious holy sword’s scrap metal now! Serves you right!”
Demian stroked the holy sword apologetically. It had been an excellent blade. He hadn’t expected it to break so absurdly.
“Sorry about that. I’ll let you get revenge with your own hands.”
Though cracked and stripped of holy power, it was still a fine sword.
Demian gripped the holy sword firmly. Alexander Apple and the demon sword sneered at the sight.
“Looks like he wants another round.”
-Keh heh het, let’s show him what for this time.
Demian charged. Alexander Apple met him with the demon sword.
“I’ll smash that sword first!”
Alexander Apple swung the demon sword diagonally downward.
But Demian didn’t parry. He leaned aside, dodging. Alexander Apple immediately swept it horizontally.
Demian arched back slightly, and the demon sword whistled through empty air again.
“You dodge well!”
Alexander Apple slashed relentlessly. But Demian evaded with absurd ease.
As his attacks kept missing, Alexander Apple’s expression soured.
It was weird.
His strikes were clearly faster and stronger. Yet they didn’t connect.
“Curious how I’m dodging?”
Demian even had the leisure to speak.
“I’ve already memorized it all.”
Demian could master any swordsmanship after seeing it once.
Once against Liam Bluegreen, and again in their recent clash.
He’d seen it twice now. He had already perfectly dissected the demon sword’s style.
“Spouting nonsense...!”
“We’ll see if it’s nonsense soon enough.”
“Fine, try it!”
Alexander Apple raged and brought his demon sword down. Demian twisted aside.
The demon sword grazed past by a paper-thin margin.
In that instant, Demian thrust his holy sword. The extended blade nicked Alexander Apple’s shoulder.
“Useless...”
Flesh tore from his shoulder. Blood spurted.
“...Huh?”
-...Huh?
Alexander Apple and the demon sword were equally baffled.
In the meantime, Demian retracted and swung again, slicing his forearm.
Flesh parted, blood sprayed. Alexander Apple grew even more flustered.
“This is ridiculous... What trickery is this!?”
Veronica Sanchez.
In her past life, known as the Wraith of Slaughter, she had reached mastery in the Robbery Killing Sword after obsessing over murder.
Once attained, Veronica Sanchez could slice through flesh like water even with a blunt stick.
No use hardening the body with a demon sword. The Robbery Killing Sword would carve it away.
“Kaaak!”
Demian slashed repeatedly, carving into Alexander Apple’s body. Alexander Apple screamed.
“No... Impossible! To a mere... Middle-Class... I, me! I!”
Terror crept into Alexander Apple’s eyes.
He was starting to feel it. Death looming right before him.
-Partner! What’re you scared of? I’m right here!
The demon sword shouted then. Alexander Apple snapped back to his senses.
-Use me! Let’s skewer him!
Immediately, Alexander Apple reversed his grip on the demon sword and slammed the tip into the ground with all his might.
Right after, thorn trees erupted across the entire ground where the two stood.
* * *
From the start of the battle, Demian had been wary of the demon sword’s special ability.
The demon sword ‘Thorn Tree’ lived up to its name, summoning thorn trees over a wide area to impale enemies.
They were fast and devastatingly powerful. Enough to shatter weapons clad in High-Class aura.
Too dangerous to face head-on.
That was why Demian had prepared a countermeasure in advance.
-Use me! Let’s skewer him!
Just before Alexander Apple plunged the demon sword, Demian activated his Feral Hyperperception Technique.
Mana stored in his muscles instantly supercharged his body. His senses sharpened to the extreme.
With senses razor-sharp, the flood of information to his brain surged.
Alexander Apple’s every movement filled his vision. Facial muscle twitches, gaze direction, even hair swaying.
Alexander Apple’s actions began to slow. The demon sword touching the ground, black mana spreading into the earth—it was all crystal clear.
Demian stepped forward. Thorn trees burst from the ground, heads emerging.
He picked only empty spaces to tread. Dodging the thorns, he closed in right to Alexander Apple’s face.
Even as Demian reached his nose, Alexander Apple didn’t notice. The world had frozen for him.
Demian released the Feral Hyperperception Technique. The halted world resumed. Thorn trees shot up long, blanketing everything.
“...Huh?”
Only then did Alexander Apple spot Demian. Even after seeing him, he remained dazed for a while.
-Partner! Dodge!
As the demon sword yelled, Demian swung his holy sword.
Alexander Apple’s head flew into the air.
* * *
At that instant, Alexander Apple’s hand moved, grabbing his head. He reattached it as if nothing happened.
Simultaneously, he swung the demon sword wide. Demian dodged and retreated.
Black smoke rose from the severed neck. The wound regenerated in seconds.
“Kuh, keheok! Kraaack!”
Alexander Apple screamed.
“Thanks to you, I survived! I would’ve died otherwise!”
Hearing that, Demian realized the one who’d moved wasn’t Alexander Apple.
The demon sword had controlled the body to grab and reattach the head.
-Keh heh hek, I can’t have my partner dying, so I helped out special.
The demon sword laughed loudly.
-Partner, I just realized. That guy’s too dangerous. We can’t win like this.
“You suggesting we run?”
-Keh heh hek, as if. After this humiliation, we’ve gotta pay him back.
“Then you have a way to win?”
-Keh heh het, I do. Oh yeah.
Alexander Apple brightened at the demon sword’s words.
“If you had something like that, use it already!”
-The time wasn’t right yet. I was planning to save it for later.
“Just do it! Kill him now...”
Alexander Apple’s body froze stiff. He looked down in disbelief.
The demon sword was impaled in him. Piercing his chest and protruding from his back.
“W-What... is... this... kuhk.”
Blood poured from his mouth. He couldn’t speak properly.
-Sorry, partner. It’s just... this was the only way.
The demon sword liquefied and absorbed into Alexander Apple’s body.
Immediately, changes overtook Alexander Apple. Metal resembling the demon sword’s material began covering his entire body.
“Y-You bastard... What’re you... doing to my body...!”
The metal fully encased his face, erasing all features.
Moments later, a vertical slit formed in the center. Then a horizontal one below.
The vertical slit parted left and right, revealing blood-red pupils like congealed gore.
The horizontal slit opened up and down, baring jagged shark-like teeth.
The demon sword—now in full control—stroked its palm over its face. Slowly, it spread its arms wide.
-Haa...
Ecstasy washed over its expression as it sighed in admiration.
-Having a body really is amazing. Don’t you think?