Chapter 127: Beris and Kuzan (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 127: Beris and Kuzan (2)
Boom!
A deafening explosion shattered the air as their auras collided, the shockwave ringing in their ears. Jin and Kuzan became a blur of afterimages, locked in a relentless exchange, while Beris’s magic struck with surgical precision, targeting Jin without a single margin of error.
Was this the same woman who had been half-crazed with excitement only a moment ago?
Shred!
The tip of Kuzan’s blade grazed Jin’s sleeve by a hair’s breadth. Instantly, the fabric began to char and blacken, as if the material itself were rotting away.
Jin tore the sleeve off and threw it to the ground. Had the coat been any tighter, the poison would have seeped directly into his skin.
“Whew. Isn’t it a bit much to use poison like that when it’s already two against one?”
Kuzan offered no reply, continuing his relentless pursuit.
On the surface, Jin appeared to be on the back foot, but Kuzan was growing increasingly confused.
His aura feels like it’s only at the 6-star level, yet his swordsmanship is unnervingly superior. And the physical strength backing it up… Is he hiding his true aura? Or is it because he’s a Magic Swordsman?
Back in his days training as a hound, Kuzan had heard rumors of the "Magic Swordsmen" active in the distant past. They were said to utilize power with a mysterious level of efficiency, unlike those who mastered only martial arts or magic. While that wasn't entirely wrong, Jin simply possessed the superior physique of a Runcandel. Naturally, Kuzan could never have guessed that.
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Beris was equally astonished.
That slippery little rat! He’s parrying Kuzan’s sword while dodging my magic? I can’t even get closer because I don’t know when he’ll use that light magic again. He’s the most annoying brat I’ve ever faced…!
Beris and Kuzan were clearly the ones dominating the fight. Yet, an inexplicable sense of urgency made them even more cautious. Jin, meanwhile, was feeling more than just urgency; he was sensing the constant threat of death.
The magic is pouring in at an increasing frequency. She’s narrowing her aim as time goes on. If her precision gets any sharper, I’m done for.
Even with depleted mana, Beris still demonstrated the true caliber of an 8-star mage.
Bang! Bang!
Each streak of her mana wind hit like a cannonball. Jin was being forced back, unable to find an opening.
It’s a waste, but I have no choice. Time to play one of my winning cards.
Whoosh! A small blue flame flickered in Jin’s palm. Kuzan flinched, halting his charge.
It was the Master of the Fire Realm, Tess. The blue flame signaled the opening of a dimensional gate.
Blue flames?!
As if a curtain were being torn, Tess’s long neck emerged from a rift in space. Beris’s pupils dilated.
“Madness. That’s Tess?! Kuzan, get away from him! Don’t get caught in the Pressure!”
Pressure—the unique, transcendent power possessed only by Tess. Mages understood the danger of that power best, and Kuzan could recall few times he had heard Beris scream with such desperation. He retreated, forming sword energy to keep Jin at bay.
Hook, line, and sinker.
They assumed Jin would fire the flames of Pressure at Kuzan to neutralize the 8-star knight.
Screeeech!
Instead, Tess’s first breath swept toward Beris like a tidal wave of blue fire. Jin didn't miss the moment Kuzan’s eyes wavered. As Kuzan turned to rush toward Beris, Jin unleashed a spray of sword light at his back.
“I guess I’ve been underestimated. I didn’t think I was the type you could just show your back to.”
“You bastard…!”
Clang!
Jin poured every ounce of saved aura into Bradamante. The blade erupted in "Sword Flame." While Jin pinned Kuzan, Tess flapped his massive wings, ensnaring Beris in a torrent of blue fire. The blue breath repeatedly struck the ground where she stood.
Kieeeeeek…!
The roar threatened to crush their very brains. Blood trickled from Beris’s mouth as she frantically cast layers of mana shields.
It’s a Backflow Reaction! She’s paying the price for wasting her mana killing the survivors of the Moon’s Sacrifice. A stroke of luck!
However, maintaining Tess’s summon was a massive burden for Jin.
How long can I keep this up? Ten minutes at most. If Beris doesn't fall completely into mana backflow by then, I’ll have lost one of my greatest weapons.
It was a gamble. Although he had recently gained the mana of a 7-star, Jin had also lost a significant amount from using the Flash Cannon earlier.
I have to settle this with Kuzan while Beris can’t support him. Or, I have to finish him when he’s forced to go protect her and leaves an opening.
The latter was the scenario Jin wanted. Defeating an 8-star knight in a head-on clash without Tess was still too much.
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Clang, clash, boom—!
A look of intense agitation crossed Kuzan’s face. The moment Beris was in danger was the only time a man like Kuzan lost his composure. Should he save Beris even if it meant taking an injury, or should he trust her and kill Jin?
After a brief deliberation, Kuzan’s blade flashed.
“I don’t know who sent you, but if anything happens to Beris, I will find your master and kill them without fail.”
“What a shame. Unlike you two, I don’t move on anyone’s orders.”
Shhhhk!
Kuzan’s swordsmanship changed. He abandoned caution, adopting a destructive style that pushed forward recklessly, ignoring defense to kill Jin in a short time, even if it meant sacrificing his own flesh.
Dammit, I thought he’d go save the mage.
The sudden shift sent a shiver through Jin. He was forced to match the tempo, but Kuzan’s rapid, supreme swordsmanship was overwhelming. Openings appeared, but Jin couldn't exploit them—a single scratch from that poisoned blade would be fatal.
As if having made up his mind, Jin stepped forward and lunged with Bradamante, activating the Rune of Mul-ta to pierce Kuzan’s throat.
Kuzan twisted his neck to avoid a fatal wound, his own poisoned sword lunging like a wedge toward the space between Jin’s brows.
Helm Release!
Thud!
Kuzan’s blade was blocked by the helmet that suddenly formed. The impact was like being struck with a massive hammer, nearly making Jin lose his balance.
“Urgh!”
Kuzan prepared a follow-up, ready to end it—but he couldn't swing his blade.
Just as the poisoned sword was about to fall, Bradamante exhaled a pitch-black darkness.
Vwoooom…!
The entire landscape was dyed in jet-black, cutting off everyone’s vision except for Jin’s.
Is this… Spirit Energy?!
Kuzan hadn't lost his composure when he realized Jin was a Magic Swordsman, nor when Tess was summoned. But this was different. The darkness possessed a bizarre power that made one’s heart tremble with fear.
The blackout lasted for barely a second. But it was enough.
Swish!
Bradamante, assimilated into the darkness, lunged into Kuzan’s chest.
That one second of hesitation had delayed his reaction. As the black blade pierced Kuzan’s chest dead center, thick blood sprayed out.
“Guh!”
It wasn't where the heart was located. If Jin twisted the handle and rotated the blade, no matter how much Kuzan relied on the power of poison, he wouldn't be able to survive.
If he just put strength into his grip and turned it.
If he just turned it…
Huh?
Suddenly, the strength drained from Jin’s body. Kuzan’s figure began to feel infinitely distant. A wave of vertigo hit him.
His vision blurred, and the sound of his own gasping breath became a sickening echo. Jin had been cut as well, by the poisoned sword Kuzan had swung. It was nothing more than a slight graze at his waist, but the deadly poison had already penetrated his skin.
“Kh…!”
Staggering, Jin retreated, and the blade slid out of Kuzan’s chest. Kuzan spat out blood and fell to one knee, a faint smile on his lips.
The mana link between Tess and Jin was severed. As the summon vanished, Beris collapsed, twitching convulsively. Kuzan pulled out a glass bottle with trembling hands; he intended to heal his wounds and take Jin’s life.
I have to… stay conscious. Or I’ll die.
Huff, huff, huff. Exhaling ragged breaths, Jin stabbed his blade into the ground to steady himself. His entire body felt like it was burning, but he couldn't even squeeze out a scream. It was the deadliest of poisons; if not for his Runcandel physique, he would have already died.
For a while, none of the three could move.
Just as Kuzan was the first to rise on shaky legs and Jin barely managed to take an offensive stance—
“There they are!”
“The black hood! It matches the description given by the commoners. Prince! It’s the suspect!”
“Archers, prepare for aimed fire! Knights, follow me!”
In the distance, a group of knights was galloping toward them on horseback.
The mysterious serial killings that had been occurring in Delki since early yesterday morning.
It was the army of the Delki Kingdom’s Royal Faction, who had been pursuing the suspect.