Chapter 191
Chapter 191
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: Death Knight (3)
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Perpetuo shouted arrogantly.
But Demian simply stared at him with a bewildered expression.
‘A troublesome guy has shown up.’
Now he remembered. It had been the same in his previous life. Perpetuo was a Holy Knight so rigid he seemed somewhat lacking somewhere.
‘Come to think of it, the “Bound Wind” I saw in my previous life were all like that.’
It wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
Thanks to this rigid personality, the “Bound Wind” enjoyed the full trust of the Church.
That was why the “Bound Wind” were always deployed on important missions.
‘How should I handle this guy?’
It was annoying, but he couldn’t kill him.
It would be a waste of Perpetuo’s talent, and he couldn’t kill a Church Holy Knight over a misunderstanding like this.
‘My original plan was to stall until the Church arrived and then escape.’
But because Perpetuo had arrived late, the plan went awry, and Demian had no choice but to unseal his past realm.
‘Since it’s come to this, I’ll have to finish it with my own hands.’
He would take Hedoniak’s life. As for Perpetuo...
‘I’ll beat him up a few times to vent and then toss him aside.’
Simply knocking him out quietly wasn’t enough to satisfy all his grievances.
Demian looked at Perpetuo while cracking his knuckles.
At that sight, Perpetuo burst into loud laughter.
“Kuahaha! A heretic like you, yet so brave! To dare fight me!”
“Didn’t you tell me to come at you first?”
“Even as an enemy, I have to respect that courage!”
Perpetuo showed no sign of listening to Demian.
“Brave heretic! As reward, I shall show you everything I have!”
Perpetuo raised his greatsword high toward the sky. Then, wind began to blow from somewhere.
At first, it was a faint breeze, barely enough to ruffle his hair.
But it grew stronger, soon shaking the distant trees.
‘Impressive.’
This wasn’t natural wind. It was wind conjured by Perpetuo.
The Holy Knights of the “Bound Wind” sect had the power to convert holy power into wind.
As a master-class of the “Bound Wind,” Perpetuo was generating a storm just by releasing his presence.
“Now then... try withstanding this!”
Perpetuo swung his pair of greatswords simultaneously.
In that instant, a vortex formed in the path of the greatswords.
The vortex stretched out like a snake. It tore up the ground and surged toward Demian.
Demian lifted his foot and stomped down hard. The ground flipped up, forming a barrier.
The vortex clashed with the barrier. The barrier was shredded, and the vortex scattered.
In that moment, Perpetuo appeared behind Demian.
There was no presence, no movement—it was as if he had teleported.
‘He’s using that tricky footwork freely.’
Demian wasn’t particularly surprised by Perpetuo’s arrival.
The Holy Knights of the “Bound Wind” sect had the power to convert holy power into wind.
They could not only send wind to slice enemies but also imbue weapons and armor with wind properties.
Furthermore, like Perpetuo, they could transform their bodies into wind to move.
It was an extremely effective footwork, but incredibly difficult.
Among the “Bound Wind” Holy Knights, only high-class ones could use it, and even then, only in straight lines.
In contrast, the master-class Perpetuo used it so proficiently that he could move behind Demian.
“Hrah!”
Perpetuo swung both hands toward Demian. The two greatswords came slashing down at him.
Demian twisted his body to dodge the greatswords. Perpetuo immediately followed up with thrusts.
Despite being greatswords, Perpetuo’s attacks weren’t brutish at all.
They were soft instead. Every motion flowed smoothly, flexible and light.
That made them all the more eerie.
Because every attack was soft and flexible, he could change trajectories freely.
He would swing down with a greatsword only to slice horizontally. He would slash diagonally downward and then sweep upward.
‘As expected of the Bound Wind.’
The Holy Knights of the “Bound Wind” all wielded swords.
From the sect’s founding to the present, they used no other weapons.
Thus, the swordsmanship of the “Bound Wind” was renowned not just in the Church but across the Empire.
But Perpetuo’s opponent now was Demian.
Demian could make any technique he saw once his own. And if he wanted, he could develop it further.
Moreover, Demian had already encountered Perpetuo in his previous life.
He had already mastered Perpetuo’s swordsmanship down to his bones.
Demian retreated step by step. Perpetuo’s attacks grazed past without even touching a hair.
At that sight, anger rose on Perpetuo’s face.
“To dare evade this sacred judgment, heretic!”
Perpetuo’s attacks sped up. The number of strikes increased. Slashes poured in from all directions, pressuring Demian.
But the result was the same. No attack reached Demian.
“You even dodge this...?”
Shock appeared on Perpetuo’s face.
“You’re no black mage—you’re master-class after all!”
If Demian had been high-class, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge even knowing Perpetuo’s swordsmanship.
That was what master-class meant. They transcended humanity, perceiving and sensing far more. High-class couldn’t even touch them.
But now, Demian had regained master-class realm by wielding black magic power.
Of course, it wasn’t permanent. Once the black magic power was expelled, he’d revert to high-class.
Even so, temporary or not, master-class was master-class.
At the same level, Demian would never lose to another knight.
“Had enough fun? Now it’s my turn.”
“To dare deceive me! You’ll pay for this... Gahk!”
A scream burst from Perpetuo’s mouth. Somehow, Demian’s fist had already buried into his side.
“Y-You bastard!”
Perpetuo swung his greatsword down at Demian’s head.
Demian struck the flat of the greatsword with his forearm. The greatsword bounced away powerlessly.
That exposed Perpetuo’s torso wide open. Demian immediately kicked off the ground and lunged forward.
“Guhk!”
Demian’s extended fist slammed into Perpetuo’s solar plexus.
Perpetuo doubled over, staggering, struggling to breathe.
Just as Demian moved to finish with an uppercut to the jaw—
A wave of mana erupted from somewhere. Soon, massive black magic power swirled.
Demian looked in stunned surprise toward the source of the mana.
Even Perpetuo, too flustered, forgot his pain and stared in the same direction.
Black magic power gushed out like a geyser. So dense it seemed like black oil erupting.
-Uhahaha!
From there, a strangely shaped human laughed maniacally.
It had a vaguely human form, but fur covered its entire body.
Thick horns like a bull’s protruded from its head, and a sleek, snake-like tail swayed from its hips.
In the monster’s hands were familiar faces.
Sucule and Winston.
Both had their necks snapped, dead.
The monster tossed their corpses aside. Then it opened its mouth wide in glee.
-Finally, I’ve descended to the mortal realm!
* * *
“Hah... hahk...”
While Demian and Perpetuo fought, Winston barely regained his senses.
Until moments ago, he had been overwhelmed by the killing intent Demian Haksen exuded, his body frozen stiff.
“Hahk... haaahk...”
Winston panted heavily. A master-class like himself, overpowered by mere killing intent.
“M-Monster... a monster... I-I have to run... have to escape...”
But his legs wouldn’t move.
Instinct told him escape was futile.
Like an ant no matter how fast it ran, unable to escape a human’s sight.
He couldn’t run. Nor could he just surrender his life.
Winston still had much he wanted to do. Many desires left to fulfill.
“S-Su... Sucule... Sucule!”
Winston searched for Sucule. She was still out of it.
“Our little kitten... this isn’t the time to sulk...!”
Winston pulled a large needle from his pocket.
An awakening agent solidified into a dart. Just stab it into the body, and the drug would dissolve and take effect.
“Little kitten, forgive me for this.”
Winston immediately jabbed the needle into Sucule’s neck.
The moment it pierced, Sucule’s body convulsed like a fish on land.
“Aaahhh!”
Sucule let out a long scream. Her trembling eyes darted around.
“T-That wolf? That monster? I-I...”
“Sucule, snap out of it. You’re fine. For now.”
“A-For now...?”
Winston grabbed Sucule’s head and forced her to look toward Demian.
“Little kitten, see that? If we stay like this, that monster will kill us both.”
Sucule’s pupils shook violently. She had nearly died to Demian just moments ago.
“R-Run? We can just run.”
“Useless. He’ll catch us right away.”
“T-Then...”
“Now’s the time to use that thing.”
Sucule’s face hardened instantly. She shook her head.
“N-No... that’s something I took without Master knowing... If I use it recklessly, Master might kill me!”
“Our foolish little kitten... if we don’t use it, we die now. You think that monster will let us live?”
Countless conflicts flashed across Sucule’s face. Then suddenly, she opened her sub-space.
What Sucule pulled from the sub-space was a leather book.
It was extremely thin and so worn it seemed it might crumble any moment.
“I-If I unseal it, y-you grab me and run right away. O-Otherwise, we’ll die to the demon too...”
Winston nodded with a tense face.
Sucule drew a dagger and sliced her finger. She dripped a few drops of blood onto the book.
Then, complex letters appeared on the book’s surface. They slowly faded from the edges inward.
“R-Run!”
Sucule said to Winston. He immediately embraced her and tried to flee the scene.
-Where do you think you’re going?
At that moment, a voice echoed in their minds.
Winston’s body froze. Sucule’s too.
The only parts they could move were their eyes. Filled with terror, they stared at the book.
-Opening a demon’s book without proper ritual?
The book flew open. Two hands burst out from within.
The hands stretched like rubber, grabbing their necks.
-Just when I needed nutrients for a clone. Thanks, you idiots.
Crack.
Their necks snapped at grotesque angles.
Through their arms, souls, black magic power, and life force were sucked in.
Soon, something emerged from the book.
* * *
-Sniff.
The demon took a deep breath.
-Breathing the mortal realm’s air after so long.
The demon turned to Demian and Perpetuo. Its pupils were vertically slit like a snake’s.
-You’re useless. You reek disgustingly.
Suddenly, the demon vanished.
The next instant, a fist smashed into Perpetuo’s face. He was slammed into the ground.
An explosion shattered the earth. Perpetuo sank deep into the dirt.
-You smell just like me.
The demon turned to Demian and said.
-Handsome face, decent skills... perfect. I could use a lackey.
Heh.
The demon’s mouth stretched into a long grin.
-Become my slave. Then I’ll at least spare your life.
Demian stared blankly at the demon.
Judging him frightened, the demon spoke softly.
-No need to fear. I’m very generous to slaves. But refuse my request, and I’ll show you hell...
“I wondered what demon had descended.”
Demian said in a bewildered tone.
“Just some worthless small fry.”