Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Extermination Squad (3)
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Numerical superiority belonged to the Extermination Squad, but positional superiority was with Vanexia.
"Come at me! You pigs of the Empire!"
As Vanexia formed her spell, over ten black magics manifested simultaneously.
A vicious chill assaulted them like a storm, and ice blades poured down without respite. Sharp spikes burst up from the ground in droves.
Demian could identify every black magic Vanexia used.
'All of them are rank-10 black magics.'
They were high-rank spells capable of killing thousands with just one activation.
On top of that, bolstered by the magic circles pre-installed in the lab, Vanexia's black magics were even more powerful.
But Rainy and Wilhelm were no pushovers either. Their hands blurred for a moment, and then innumerable slashes rained down.
The black magics were all sliced apart by the slashes. Watching the scene, Vanexia's brow furrowed.
"Ugh...."
Roger watched the two with a nervous expression. In contrast, Demian observed the battle with a stoic face.
'Both of them are incredibly skilled.'
The reason Demian hadn't stepped in despite it being a fight against a Great Fiend of Pandemonium was to gauge their abilities.
They were Sword Saint-trained experts, the third and fourth strongest in the Extermination Squad.
He couldn't help but be curious.
'With skills like these, they died before the War of Ruin?'
No matter how strong one was, bad luck could lead to sudden death—that was the way of the world.
In Demian's eyes, the two were talents too precious to die young.
"You pigs fight decently for what you are!"
Vanexia bellowed and slammed her staff into the ground. With it came a blizzard that whipped up a fierce snowstorm.
The moment a single snowflake grazed Rainy's cheek, her skin split open and blood spurted out.
"Huh...?"
Rainy looked up at the ceiling in shock. The snow falling from above wasn't mere ice crystals.
It was a deadly weapon carrying sharpness sharp enough to slice through body-protecting aura.
"Surprised, huh? This is my 'secret art.' It summons snow with extreme sharpness."
Vanexia raised her staff high into the air. The storm swirled, sucking up all the snowflakes.
"I'll kill you without leaving a trace."
Vanexia thrust her staff toward the two. A white blizzard hurtled toward them.
"Brother! Sister!"
Roger shouted in panic. A single snowflake was enough to sever body-protecting aura.
And now that had become a blizzard bearing down on the two.
"Wilhelm. Looks like we'll have to put in some real effort."
At Rainy's words, Wilhelm nodded.
In that instant, their eyes changed. They stared down the blizzard without so much as blinking.
Just before it reached them, the two swung their swords simultaneously. Then a strange phenomenon occurred.
The storm split left and right. It veered away from them, flying off in another direction.
'Amazing. To alter the flow of the wind at the Sword Saint realm.'
The Sword Saint realm of Universal Flow Insight allowed one to read and manipulate flows.
The two had escaped the black magic by using Universal Flow Insight to redirect the storm's flow.
"A Sword Saint... That drunkard really raised a monster!"
Even Vanexia couldn't hide her shock as her secret art was blocked so easily.
That led to a fatal mistake.
Rainy seized the opening and swung her sword. An Aurablade slash flew toward Vanexia.
"Argh!"
The Aurablade sliced into Vanexia's shoulder—the one holding her staff.
Her arm was severed, red blood splattering across the floor. Vanexia clutched her shoulder in agony.
"Wilhelm!"
Rainy and Wilhelm charged at Vanexia to finish her off.
Rainy immediately tried to plunge her blade into Vanexia's heart.
At that moment, something caught Demian's eye.
An enormous surge of black mana began erupting from the blood pooling on the floor beneath Vanexia.
"Both of you, watch your feet!"
Demian shouted instantly. The next moment, ice erupted from the bloodstains.
Ice blades sliced toward the two, piercing up to the ceiling.
"Urk!"
"......!"
Blood burst from wounds all over their bodies. The gashes were deep, and the bleeding was severe.
But thanks to Demian's warning, both narrowly avoided fatal injuries.
"......!"
Wilhelm, who had a bit more leeway relatively, endured the pain and swung his sword at Vanexia.
A sky-blue Aurablade severed Vanexia's neck. But Wilhelm's strike didn't stop there.
It split her face in half and carved her torso into several pieces. Only then did he halt his attack.
Vanexia, the Fourth Fiend of Pandemonium.
The Great Fiend met her end without even a death rattle.
"Hah... Hah...."
The moment they cut down Vanexia, the two collapsed to the floor. They clutched their wounds, writhing in pain.
"Sister! Brother!"
Roger rushed toward them. He opened his pouch, pulled out potions, and began treating their wounds.
"Q-quickly, drink this! I didn't realize your wounds were this bad...!"
In the meantime, their wounds were freezing over. The chill had seeped into their organs. Because of that, even the potions had little effect.
"D-Demian Haksen...."
Rainy spoke to Demian, suppressing her pain.
"Th-thanks for just now. If it weren't for you, we both would've died."
Victory had been so close that their vision had narrowed.
Vanexia had laid her trap exploiting that gap. The two had nearly fallen for it.
"You put on a good show, so that much repayment is only fair."
"Haha, we've already paid with our lives. We're lucky today."
Rainy burst into laughter. But the pain was intense—cold sweat kept beading on her face.
Suddenly, Wilhelm grabbed Demian's collar.
Demian turned to him with a questioning look. Wilhelm quietly gave him a thumbs-up.
Unable to speak, this seemed to be his way of expressing gratitude.
"Sister! Brother! We don't have time for this! Let's hurry to a priest! Potions can't heal these wounds!"
Roger cried out, on the verge of tears. Rainy patted his back, saying it was fine.
That was when it happened.
Footsteps echoed from the entrance where the four had come in. At the sound, Roger and Rainy unwittingly fell silent.
As time passed, the footsteps grew louder. With them, the group's sense of foreboding grew.
Soon, someone appeared from the corridor.
It was a woman of enormous build. But at first, the group couldn't help doubting if she really was a woman.
Her beautiful face confirmed she was. But her size was immense. And not only that—her entire body was rippling with muscle.
The muscles were so hypertrophied it seemed like they might have been chiseled from stone and grafted on.
"Hmm? What the hell is this?"
The woman tilted her head as she surveyed the interior.
"I came at a request to discipline Vanexia... but she's already dead? And there are Empire knights? What the heck is going on here?"
The woman cocked her head repeatedly, puzzled.
Rainy kept staring at the woman's face. Then suddenly, her expression hardened.
"...Salik of Tyranny."
"Hmm? You know me?"
"The Dark Knight who threw away his Great Fiend status after being seduced by Harlot Sla... Why are you here?"
Rainy's voice carried both shock and fear.
"Sla asked me to. Said Vanexia was getting cocky, so give her a beating. But she's already dead. What a pain."
Salik scratched her head as she spoke.
Unlike her relaxed demeanor, the group was anything but.
Their greatest assets, Rainy and Wilhelm, were battered from the fight with Vanexia.
They couldn't fight Salik in this state.
"Ah... Now I won't get my reward from Sla... It was my chance to spend a night with her for once...."
Salik sighed deeply, displeased.
"But I can't lie about it. Instead, I'll take your heads as proof."
At those words, the group's faces stiffened.
But there was one exception: Demian Haksen. From the moment Salik entered, Demian had been staring fixedly at her.
That attitude irked Salik.
"What's with you, staying so calm? You piss me off. I'll kill you first...."
In that instant, Salik's expression went blank.
"You don't mean... you're Demian Haksen?"
"You got it right."
"Ha... Demian Haksen... Demian Haksen... Who knew I'd hit the jackpot like this."
Salik smacked her forehead with her palm, delighted.
"You're coming with me. Sla's been dying for you. If I bring you, she'll be thrilled."
Salik unleashed her presence. Just that made the ground beneath her shatter. The entire cavern shook violently.
It was comparable to the combined presence of Rainy and Wilhelm. Meaning Salik alone matched two wall-surpassing master-class fighters.
"It'd be wise to come quietly. Otherwise, you'll regret it...."
That was when it happened.
A tremendous presence emanated from the ceiling. Everyone present looked up.
The stone ceiling rippled like waves. Soon, a young boy's head poked out from within.
"Ugh, finally found it."
The boy shook his head wildly. Dirt rained down.
Then, looking down below, the boy's face went blank.
"...Huh? Huh? Hiii?"
The boy descended from the ceiling. With a baffled expression, he spoke.
"Vanexia's dead... Empire knights? And even Salik? What the hell is going on?"
"It's Blade, right? What brings a brat like you here?"
"I'm not a brat. I'm older than you... Ugh, whatever. I came on Master's orders."
The boy sighed and continued.
"Master ordered me to come teach Vanexia her place... but it doesn't look like the atmosphere for that, huh?"
Rainy, who had been watching the boy silently, shouted once more in shock.
"Barche of the Fierce Blade... Even the Weaponmaster's prized disciple shows up?"
"You know me, huh?"
"How could I not? Do you know how many Empire knights you've killed?"
Rainy spoke in a voice thick with killing intent. Barche chuckled and replied.
"Can't help it if the Empire hates me for killing their knights. But showing that much killing intent openly... kinda pisses me off."
Barche clenched his fist. Iron plating extended from his shoulder, enveloping his fist.
"If you look at me like that, you pay the price, right?"
A horrific killing intent emanated from Barche. At that moment, Salik shouted.
"Barche. You planning to act on your own with me right here?"
"Why should I care about you?"
"Feels like you're ignoring me."
"Still spouting nonsense, I see."
The two glared at each other, growling. It seemed they had bad blood between them.
"...Hold on."
Then Barche spotted Demian.
"That guy's Demian Haksen, isn't he? Why's Demian Haksen here?"
"No idea."
"Whoa, what luck! If I bring him, Master might give me another suit of battle armor!"
Barche tried to rush toward Demian Haksen. At that moment, Salik swung her hand.
With a sound of slicing air, a line was drawn at Barche's feet. Barche's expression turned ferocious.
"Salik. What the hell?"
"I already staked my claim on Demian Haksen. Get lost."
"Bullshit. I'm taking him."
"Yeah, knew you wouldn't back down easy."
The two glared at each other. They raised their killing intents, facing off.
"...Demian."
In the meantime, Rainy whispered to Demian.
"We'll hold them here. You look for an opening and run."
Demian couldn't help but be baffled by the out-of-left-field remark.
"What are you talking about?"
"As Extermination Squad members, we're prepared to give our lives to kill Pandemonium's Great Fiends. But you're not an Extermination Squad member yet, right? You don't need to die here."
Rainy looked at Wilhelm and Roger as she spoke.
"So it's right for us to sacrifice ourselves. You all think so too, right?"
The two nodded without hesitation.
"You heard Sister? We'll hold their feet somehow, so you run and seek refuge with Master."
In that moment, an indescribable emotion gripped Demian.
Extermination Squad.
The Extermination Squad consisted of those who had lost their families to Pandemonium.
Thus, their creed was simple.
May no more people suffer at Pandemonium's hands.
It had been the same in his previous life. The Extermination Squad spared no effort with their lives. They gladly threw them away to protect fleeing refugees.
Demian had massacred those noble, beautiful souls with his own hands.
Even then, the Extermination Squad had fought desperately to hold him back. To save even one more retreating soldier.
"...No, we should do the opposite."
Demian spoke in a deeply sunken voice. His voice cracked as he suppressed his emotions.
"What're you saying?"
"I'll handle those two. You all escape in the meantime."
At his words, the three let out hollow laughs simultaneously. Demian's statement was so absurd it drew laughter even in this situation.
"Demian, those two are as strong as Great Fiends. For you to block them alone...."
Demian scratched his head. It seemed words alone wouldn't convince them.
"Changed my mind. Just take a good nap."
"Huh?"
Demian's body vanished. He appeared behind the three and struck their napes once each. The three let out short cries and fainted.
"Hmm? What was that?"
"You trying to betray us or something?"
Even Salik and Barche looked at Demian in surprise.
"Figured you wouldn't listen to words."
Demian cracked his neck side to side as he approached the two. They asked with bewildered expressions.
"You don't mean... you're planning to fight both of us?"
"Why not just come quietly?"
Then, suddenly, Salik looked at Demian Haksen with a strange expression.
"You... why do you look so happy?"
When he stood before them, a clear smile was etched on Demian's face.
"Can't help it. I'm thrilled."
Sla had defiled his sister's soul in the most horrific way imaginable.
The Weaponmaster had stuffed his father's soul into a rotting beast corpse and desecrated it.
And they had reveled in showing those atrocities right before Demian's eyes.
Demian had been forced to watch those horrors helplessly, trapped in his own body.
No one could know how furious Demian had been then, or the immense guilt he harbored.
"How could I not be thrilled to meet Sla's concubine and the Weaponmaster's prized disciple."
Even if the Extermination Squad hadn't tried to sacrifice themselves, Demian had planned to kill these two with his own hands.
A concubine and prized disciple meant they were showered with Sla and the Weaponmaster's favor.
"Killing you two will make Sla and the Weaponmaster suffer a little."
The thought filled him with joy. He could barely contain the laughter bubbling up.
"He's actually insane."
"I really hate being looked down on like this."
Salik grasped at the air. An Aurablade formed into a massive greatsword.
Barche clenched his fist. Iron plating burst from the air, wrapping around his entire body.
In that instant, Demian's body vanished. He appeared between the two.
"Huh...?"
"Uh...?"
Demian swung both arms left and right, smacking them. He released mana simultaneously.
With a massive boom, the two flew left and right, crashing into the walls. They embedded deeply amid an explosion.
"You still don't get the situation, huh."
Demian murmured quietly.
"Come at me with everything you've got. Otherwise, there's no fun in stepping on you."