Chapter 114
Chapter 114
114
EP27 - Star Gazing Mountain Redevelopment (4)
The assassins' intelligence network operates as follows.
As soon as the commotion erupted at Star Gazing Mountain, a Faculty Member who had already arrived nearby sensed unusual Mana. He, too, was a former assassin. He deployed [Stealth] and could use the Level 5 Footwork called 『Levitation』. It was a Superpower that allowed him to fly high into the sky, albeit slowly.
Mana is inherent. It is not revealed until it is projected, but once its inherent nature is lost, it can be observed.
Thus, the Faculty Member who ascended high into the sky grasped the general location and transmitted those coordinates to the Kashan Knights, with whom he had a ‘transactional relationship.’
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Confirmed.
Kashan replied.
A beat later, an elderly office worker in the Royal Special Duty Department management office, including the Kashan Knights, belatedly confirmed the abnormal dispatch of the Kashan Knights. Unlike other dispatches, the objective was clearly not recorded. That communication record was linked to the Princess’s Guardian Knight.
So, the office worker decided to inform a man who was his ‘friend’ of this fact.
In truth, he knew nothing of the Knights' objective or intent; he just decided to inform him. Because an execution squad specializing in assassins was heading toward a school full of assassins.
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My friend. Hohoho…. Hmm? What did you say?
The playfulness vanished from the voice of Shaman Dean, who was letting his jowls wobble over the receiver.
-
Where.
Tick, Ticking-
The bullets were ineffective. After firing three shots, I realized it. The Witch hastily ducked to avoid them. She widened the distance, and just as I thought I had read her trajectory, she deflected them with the back of her hand.
But can she see this?
An invisible giant sword slammed down upon the Witch. I operated it as secretly as possible. So that she wouldn't notice.
Even so, perhaps sensing the Mana, the Witch threw herself aside in haste and rolled on the ground to evade. From that, I realized. That Demon was not an assassin.
She was an incredibly fast ‘Warrior.’
KWA-AH-AH-AH-ANG!!!
The entire area sank and exploded, and the Witch also pulled out a sword from somewhere—a crude iron sword.
It’s useless.
『 World Fabrication: Shape Fabrication [Mana Distortion Field] 』
『 World Fabrication: Phenomenon Fabrication [Ambush Strike] 』
『 World Fabrication: Space Fabrication [Sword Tree Forest] 』
『 World Fabrication: Recognition Forgery [Near Death] 』
Round spheres burst out from all directions, and the Witch, sensing ill omen, threw herself aside instantly.
At the same time, all the trees in the area transformed, their leaves turning like blades and aiming for the Witch. The Witch, who had leaped high trying to get onto the trees, lost her balance and crashed onto the ground, just as the 『Mana Distortion Field』 was about to strike her.
At this moment, a pure white aura began to form at the tip of the Witch’s sword, and I was inwardly horrified.
It was [Sword Aura]. But it wasn't ordinary Sword Aura. Having witnessed Warrior training several times, if others’ Sword Aura was sand, this was like milk. Uniquely pure [Sword Aura] was condensed on a crude sword.
Kagagagang!!
With that, the Witch shattered the Distortion Field.
Simultaneously, numerous assassins rushed in. A phenomenon materialized with the [Ambush Strike] modifier.
Thud, Thud-
Every time the Witch swung her heavy sword path, one exploded with a Clang!! But it wasn't enough. That monster could still evade my strike.
The Colossus’s arm lifted slightly higher.
As I gauged the timing.
Assassins wielding swords swarmed cunningly around the Witch.
The Witch found the exact solution. She smashed a few of them and leaped high, escaping the location entirely.
It was astonishing. Her combat sense.
Because I had thrown it ambiguously, if her senses were dulled, it could have gone against my plan, but fortunately, she played along as planned.
Generally, a Warrior whose feet have left the ground cannot change direction.
───── .
The Great Weapon’s sword poured down upon her. A blow capable of smashing through a city gate, or perhaps shattering Jinxite’s forearm.
I did not doubt that this would kill the Witch. So I doubted my own eyes.
── Kaang!!!
The Witch blocked my strike with that scrap iron sword. While keeping both feet planted on the ground. Like blocking a cannonball with a toothpick.
Does this make any sense? To use an analogy, it was like several apartment buildings falling, only to stop at the tip of that blade!
Kwkwkwkwkwkwang ──
However, she couldn't stop the aftershock, and the area exploded once more. The trees from the [Sword Tree Forest] modifier, the ground, and the entire space where the Witch stood—about ten meters—were scorched earth.
The Witch deflected the sword and moved away. But there must have been some impact, as blood began to stream from her nose.
She hastily dropped the sword and grabbed it with her opposite hand, suggesting her wrist was also broken. The aftermath of blocking a siege weapon of a different damage tier.
Her upper body swayed. I rushed forward hastily. But I am not a lunatic who engages a Warrior head-on. Numerous [Dante] and [Ambusher] units moved together.
Clang!! Kakakang! Clang! Kakang!
The Witch moved wildly. Deflecting swords, dodging throwing stars. Deflecting targeted bullets.
She tried to create distance by leaping ten meters at a time, stepping on trees, but my Illusion Magics instantly caught up.
Kwkwkwkwkwk!
In an instant, the light of the miniature 『Kaleidoscope』’s 「Liberator⁺₊⋆」 swept toward her. But the Witch shattered the mirrors and escaped outside.
As a Demon, she was struck in the leg by the light of Bright Star⁺₊⋆. The area below her thighs was shredded, and her leg was burst open in places, bleeding like it had been put through a washing machine along with glass shards.
But where the Witch threw herself, thinking she was safe, I had unleashed a powerful strike half a second earlier.
Ka-ah-ang!!
To think even this was blocked.
The Witch received the force of my two hands with just one.
The struggle of strength continued.
As we got closer, her expression, contorted in distress, came into view again. The look of someone squinting, unsure what to do.
Just as the Witch was about to reach out her hand.
I kicked her away.
Simultaneously, I attacked the Witch in succession. A blow incomparable to a Phantasm. Kaang! Ka-ah-ang!! Realizing the weight of this offensive, the Witch’s expression began to show a little more anxiety.
It must be frustrating. She must have realized that counterattacks were meaningless after shattering several Phantasms.
But I was frustrated too. Despite my Stats having increased significantly, my attacks weren't landing.
Even if weak, she was a Two-Horned Demon. The Witch was damn strong. At this rate, landing a fatal blow was impossible...
Swaeeeeek—
The anomaly was created by Ran.
Kwa-ah-ang!!
The Witch deflected the sword with the back of her hand. It was Ran’s strike, which flew like lightning.
But from that strike, blood burst from the back of her hand.
“I will help!”
“I told you not to come!”
“It’s fine!”
With the Excalibur Headband stuck on her head, Ran began to herd the Witch.
I decided not to waste this opportunity.
I switched my sword again, grasping the 「Colossus Soldier's Sword○」 in my hand.
At this moment.
Ziiing….
A sinister vibration was felt from the tip of the blade.
After being blocked several times by toothpicks, the damn thing started blaming me.
< ○ The sword doubts your aptitude and tests you. >
‘This worm-ridden sword.’
Was it my fault it was blocked? I perfectly set up the stage and timed it. The Witch blocked it with insane raw physical power.
< ○ Destroy your enemy. >
But this time, I found a strategy; the unexpected Ran became the masterstroke. Ran, wearing the Excalibur Headband, was a Footwork-type assassin, fast enough to match several Master-level Faculty Members.
“I will draw her attention!”
That speed is what Warriors find most difficult. In-and-out. Stabbing, withdrawing, reading angles—they can’t react. Here, the ‘density of Time’ was different between the Witch and Ran.
The fleeting doubt was why the Witch wasn't counterattacking. But how would I know? What strange hobbies a Two-Horned Demon might have. Since she claims not to kill, she probably isn't counterattacking either.
Again, numerous 『World Fabrications』 poured out.
[Tree]
The Witch, who had been stepping back, stopped as a tree materialized behind her.
[Near-Death Experience - Severance]
Immediately after blocking Ran’s sword somehow, she felt as if her arm had been severed.
[World Inversion]
Feeling the world’s up and down flip and fall, she clung tightly to a branch. Her left hand was severed, and simultaneously gripping the sword hilt with her right hand. She steadily fell into the Trap I had set.
Even if she blocked the Colossus’s blade, a thrust would be different.
Once more, the invisible sword began to pour from the tip of that blade toward the Witch.
───── .
It pushed away the surrounding atmosphere, pushed away the Mana, and pushed away the entire world as it struck one point. Neither lightning dropped by Zeus, nor a staff of God, nor even a missile could possess this much destructive power.
This was a blow capable of destroying an underground fortress hidden within 50 meters.
Die.
KWA-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH!!!!!
While the mountain range, the graveyard, the mound Eve stood upon, the trees, and the vast land were all torn apart thread by thread.
The Witch raised her sword again and blocked it.
Is she insane?
I pressed down harder and harder.
Under that force, the Witch’s body bent. Unbelievable strain must have been placed on her legs, spine, and forearms. Yet, she was blocking it.
This is not the realm of brute strength. It is Mana. How strong must her Mana be to withstand this?
My pure combat power is only at the [Master] level, but my weapons are not.
If hit head-on by the previous strike, a [Grandmaster] would perish, and even a [Challenger]-class would suffer a fatal wound, or a Mage would die.
Even a [Constellation] could not emerge unscathed. That was the calculated damage.
Thump, Thump-
The Witch’s eyes began to bleed, unable to withstand the pressure.
I thought this was the last chance. While pinning the Colossus down, I stopped moving and surged into space. There was no time to switch swords.
I stabbed her directly.
But the Witch would evade, and Ran on the right would change the trajectory once more from behind, and then the final blow...
Puuuk—
The sword sank into her abdomen.
The Witch did not evade.
Huh.
What?
“……”
For a moment, silence descended.
Something was strange.
In fact, I had felt it was strange all along, but that suspicion grew stronger the moment the Witch blocked the previous strike.
It felt like the Witch was going easy on me...
No,
It felt like she had no intention of fighting me...
I thought her tier was high, but I didn't expect it to be this high. If she were at this tier, the moment the Witch charged and attacked, I would have no way to defend. I could only buy time.
Yet, the Witch didn't attack me. So it wasn't that she had no ‘intention’ of fighting me.
It seemed like she ‘absolutely could not attack me.’
For example... like an elephant that loves a poacher. I don't know why such a bizarre analogy came to mind. But that was the feeling.
This elephant,
It just takes the hits even when I shoot it with a gun.
As that realization dawned, the blood that had been boiling since recognizing her as a Demon rapidly cooled.
What is it?
Why on earth?
What is she trying to do?
Does that mean her caution when we first met wasn't an act?
At this moment, Ran began to move stealthily.
“…Halt.”
“Yes.”
The sword embedded in the Witch’s abdomen was the deepest of all the attacks I had launched against her so far.
I tried pushing it a little deeper. The tip of the blade gradually sank into her belly. ‘…….’ Her expression twisted, and her upper body hunched over as pain overwhelmed her. Even in this state, the Witch looked up at me and made the same expression as before.
She was sad.
“If not now, there will be no chance. Shall I kill her?”
Ran asked.
What should I do?
I don't know.
This was unprecedented in my life.
Why is she acting like this?
If she’s a Demon, she should attack humans like a Demon. What is this?
Then the Witch moved her hand.
She reached out toward me. Slowly.
Perhaps she intended to tear off my wrist. I raised my hand to block the advance of that hand. Stop touching me.
The tip of the Witch’s fingers brushed against my palm.
My refusal was conveyed.
Her expression hardened.
“……”
Nevertheless, the Witch moved her hand again.
While holding the blade of my sword with her left hand, she began fumbling for something at the waist of her ragged hood with her right hand.
Soon, she pulled something out.
It was a knife.
Ah, of course. I must kill her immediately...
The Witch tilted her head, put the knife down, and then fumbled at her waist again, pulling out something else.
It was a ‘bell.’
What the hell kind of bell is this....
An object so artificial that it completely lacked context.
In an instant, my gaze fell upon the Witch’s name tag. [● Eve 『Curse of Oblivion』] Then, from the name of the Curse, something... a shocking hypothesis began to form.
The Curse of Oblivion is a curse that makes one forgotten by the world and people.
Does that mean...?
Ah.
Shit, no way...
It’s because I am a Player. I am almost perfectly immune to the spiritual contamination of this world, so I never imagined something like this could happen to me.
“Professor. The Witch’s recovery is starting.”
“……”
“Shall I kill her? I can do it now.”
At that moment, Ran pressed me for a choice.
In an instant,
I thought about many things.
And I looked into the Witch’s eyes.
The round eyes that showed no aggression even at this moment.
The bond formed could not have been created overnight.
This Witch clearly remembered something that I did not remember.
I pulled out the sword.
“…First aid kit.”
“Pardon?”
My voice trembled.
“Bring a first aid kit. A first aid kit...”