Chapter 107: Night of the Purge (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 107: Night of the Purge (6)
Time is relative.
It was something I had let slip through one ear during middle school science class.
To be honest, since I was far from being an intellectual, I didn't really know the deeper meaning behind it.
However, even without a scientific approach, I've experienced those words firsthand. Actually, not just me, but most men in South Korea have as well.
You know, like the saying that the military clock ticks slowly.
The same amount of time can feel long or short depending on the situation you're in. In short, isn't that exactly how it is right now?
The time allowed to me is roughly eight seconds.
Even that is a generous estimate; it's highly likely to be under eight seconds.
It's not like I have a timer implanted in my brain, after all.
'Roughly, I have to assume seven to eight seconds.'
It's an absurdly short amount of time. Normally, it's a mere blink of an eye—just enough time to yawn once and pat your mouth.
But in this urgent moment, where life and death are decided...
In this moment, with the two bastards I want to kill so badly right in front of me...
In this moment, with the Blessing of the Sword God active...
I should be able to do plenty within these fleeting eight seconds.
Even as I'm rambling to myself like this, not even 0.000001 seconds have passed.
I swallowed my breath. I cooled my head and calmed down.
To eliminate any wasted time, I needed to make a concrete plan.
I reconstructed the scene of the Professor casting his magic.
The thin line of mana connecting the condensed air bomb to the caster.
Snapping his fingers must be the signal for detonation.
Of course, there's no guarantee that he only casts bomb magic.
But there was a sense of incongruity I'd felt after facing quite a few villains so far.
While the Mermaid, who was a Majin, could use a variety of spells even within the same water attribute, the villains only ever deployed a single type of magic.
Villains are human by birth. Even if they were granted mana by a Corps Commander, they are fundamentally different from demons, so perhaps the magic they can cast is limited to just one.
It could be dismissed as a coincidence, but every single one I've met has been like that. The circumstantial evidence is clear.
I stared at the Professor. If my assumption was correct, he would only cast air bombs.
I had already demonstrated how to counter it just moments ago. That was why the Professor was currently frozen like a stone.
‘…Still, it's a pain.’
If he varies his casting timing even slightly, I'm done for. Conversely, if I'm too slow to cut the red line, I'm also done for.
It was tricky and threatening.
The casting time was so short and the range so wide that even Al'tair and Nox, who specialized in speed, would find it difficult to avoid.
I suddenly let out a smirk.
‘What useless worrying.’
I'll just cut him down before he can make any irregular moves.
If I crush him with overwhelming speed before he can even perceive it, he'll be completely helpless.
‘I have to move faster than usual.’
I took short, shallow breaths to minimize unnecessary respiration, and took a wide step to close the distance in an instant.
I immediately translated my decision into action.
Overthinking any further wouldn't yield a brilliant solution. In that case, I might as well just move my feet. Counting the numbers in my head.
‘Eight seconds.’
Tatap!
The soles of my feet left the ground. Only then did the frozen time begin to flow.
“……!”
The Professor's pupils, shaking wildly from side to side, immediately came into view. I had only put a bit more load on my legs, yet I reached him in a single bound.
The Professor's finger twitched once.
At the same time, I activated the [Blessing of Transfer]. Immediately, using the ground as a medium, I spread out my sensory domain, which had been honed by the [Blessing of the Sword God].
In an instant, the surroundings were dyed pitch black. It was a scene that brought a sense of déjà vu.
It was similar to when I had first awakened my Blessing on the first day of school.
I felt the artificially writhing atmosphere rising from the side.
That bastard of a Professor—his face was completely terrified, yet he still tried to catch me off guard from a blind spot. He really was no ordinary opponent.
‘Seven seconds.’
I stomped my foot. I tensed my waist to straighten up, resisting the inertia pulling me forward.
Rip.
Muscles all over my body screamed in protest.
A faint groan escaped me, but I clenched my teeth and held it in.
A single moment of weakness would lead directly to death.
Snap— The Professor snapped his fingers. A stream of mana flowed out, racing along the translucent line toward the air bomb.
‘Five seconds.’
It was a distance my arm couldn't reach. At this rate, it would be instant death.
At that moment, my arm moved without going through my brain.
Swish!
My right hand, gripping the cord, shot the Murasame forward. Even though it was thrown unconsciously, the trajectory of the blade was flawless.
Emitting a brilliant light, the blade pierced through the pitch blackness and sliced through the red lines drawn to the air spheres one after another.
—Bang!
The transparent spheres shattered into pieces just a split second before detonating.
A shockwave erupted, causing the airflow to surge violently.
“Damn it! What the hell is going on?!”
The Professor spat out a curse. His eyes were unfocused, clearly flustered. For someone who had the presence of a final boss when he first appeared, his reaction was like that of a low-level grunt.
He frantically snapped his fingers repeatedly. Numerous transparent spheres rose, cluttering my vision.
It was impossible to cut down all the spells popping up from everywhere within the remaining 'three seconds'.
But in times like this, one must keep their eyes on the enemy. I quickly shifted my gaze forward.
Right then, perhaps because he had forced the casting, blood began to drip from the Professor's eye sockets. With a panicked face, he suddenly rubbed his eyes.
A single opening. I instinctively knew it would put an end to this fight.
I tightly gripped the cord of the Murasame and flicked my wrist.
Whirrrrr—
Floating in midair, the sashimi knife swept through all the magic, drawing a bizarre, whip-like trajectory.
The vibration of the blade traveled up the cord, leaving a vivid sensation at my fingertips. It was a fresh, unconstrained sword path, as if it were a living creature. The blade trailed light as it roamed the empty air.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—!
Explosive sounds rang out in rapid succession. The air bombs that had densely filled the area popped mercilessly. Ripples formed in the atmosphere, and a hot wind blew.
Soon, the walls and pillars that had been barely holding on collapsed entirely. It was the exact moment the annex, which had practically reeked of money, was completely reduced to ruins.
““……!””
A storm of emotions crossed the faces of Al'tair and Nox as they watched the clash.
Since a complete pandemonium had unfolded in a mere three seconds, it was only natural that they couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Still, the fortunate thing was that neither of them had moved their legs.
It wasn't that I didn't trust the Auditore family's skills, but if they tried to clumsily lend a hand, our movements would only get tangled.
And besides, true style is always solo play.
“…H-How...”
The Professor's voice trembled. To his eyes, this phenomenon must have defied all logic.
I channeled my strength into my torn and broken calves. A searing pain that made my jaw shudder surged up from the tips of my toes.
Instead of crying out in pain, I kicked off the ground and lunged forward. An explosive boom, far more violent than before, echoed out.
My feet hovered slightly off the ground as my body charged forward. The sound of tearing air brushed past my ears at a terrifying speed.
Swish.
I stepped behind the Professor. He tried to quickly turn his head.
But to me, whose airtime was different, he seemed incredibly sluggish.
It felt as if I were standing alone in a different world. I let out a short laugh.
‘A different world.’
Those words resonated deep within my chest. Though in a different sense, I had become strong enough to afford to be relaxed even in a situation like this.
Before swinging my arm, recent events flashed before my eyes like a panorama.
The bastards who tried to slander and kill me were right before my eyes.
On top of that, in the end, even my club members who trusted and followed me were hurt because they got caught up in these sons of bitches' schemes.
I felt my mouth go dry and blood vessels burst in my eyes.
The Professor turned his head halfway. Even now, every single one of his movements was slow.
No emotion other than terror remained on the side of his face.
I reflexively licked my lips. As I took a deep breath, my chest swelled fully.
Like a discus thrower, I wound my waist all the way clockwise. Soon, my flank tightened stiffly.
With a heavy creak of contracting muscles, I twisted my upper body counterclockwise. The trajectory of the dual blades in my hands drew a smooth, full-moon shape.
Swoosh—
The blade, imbued with rotational force, made contact with flesh, drawing a crisp sound.
Slice—!
The cold, blue blade smoothly passed through his cheekbone and exited the other side. In my peripheral vision, the Professor's pupils dilated into perfect circles.
It seemed the fact that he had been cut hadn't even registered in his brain yet.
I stared at him and muttered.
“One second.”
Thud.
Damian couldn't close his eyelids until the moment of his death.
* * *
“…Ha.”
After a long silence, Al'tair finally let out a hollow breath.
He tried to gather his thoughts on how to react, but he had nothing to say other than a faint groan.
Cold sweat broke out down his spine without him realizing, soaking his clothes.
The old man suddenly glanced to his side.
Nox's face was calmer than expected. Of course, surprise was written on it, but his demeanor was far more composed than his own heavily shaken state.
“…Nox, you are surprisingly calm.”
“Ah, no, Patriarch.”
At the praise, Nox scratched his cheek awkwardly. Then, with a soft sigh, he turned his eyes back forward. Kang Geomma was where his gaze landed.
Keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead, Nox spoke to the Patriarch as if talking to himself.
“If you were surprised, Patriarch, how could I not be? It's just that I've gotten a bit used to it by now.”
“…Used to it? To what?”
Nox paused for a moment, slowly scanning the traces of the battle. The sword wounds carved here and there amidst the chaos, and the thick stench of blood.
Memories he wanted to forget came flooding back. Nox let out a soft, dry chuckle and continued.
“As you may have heard, at the beginning of the semester, I personally experienced his blade. Even now, it's truly embarrassing to think about. I was the one who picked a fight out of childish pride. I knew I shouldn't have, but I provoked him, calling him a lowborn.”
“…….”
“Despite being called a genius in our family, I couldn't inflict even a speck of a wound on him. Even after the duel, I was so furious that I ground my teeth for days on end.”
Nox was someone who rarely opened his heart, even among family members. Al'tair was inwardly surprised by this, but he silently listened to his grandson.
“…But as time passed, I began to understand. Why Chloe clings to him so much. Of course... I still want to tear them apart this very instant. But Chloe is incredibly stubborn, isn't she? She has a rather unique side to her, too. Though that's what makes her cute.”
Al'tair nodded at the word 'cute'. The image of his granddaughter swinging her blade with empty eyes occasionally flashed through his mind. As an assassin, she couldn't help but be delightful and lovely. Chloe was a child who had grabbed a dagger during her first birthday doljabi.
Al'tair was about to lose himself in old memories, but quickly snapped out of it. The shock of the clash had not yet faded, and he was in the middle of a serious conversation with his grandson.
Al'tair turned his gaze back to Nox. Then, as if understanding everything, he smiled gently.
At the warm response, Nox scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“…Chloe once said something like this. That Kang Geomma alone is stronger than the entire Auditore family. At first, I dismissed it as nonsense, but now I have no choice but to admit it. Kang Geomma is far stronger and more outstanding than anyone I have ever seen.”
A sharp brilliance flashed in Nox's eyes. The dark, murky energy from before was nowhere to be found.
“And knowing how to use that strength properly. I think that's why Chloe was drawn to that bastard.”
“Nox.”
Al'tair weighed his next words. Nox stared straight into the Patriarch's eyes and said,
“There is something you have emphasized to me repeatedly, Patriarch. Value the family's duty, but if your convictions are firm, follow them.”
“…….”
“I intend to become that bastard Kang Geomma's shadow.”
Al'tair looked at Nox. His grandson's face, now stripped of its childishness and filled with conviction. Suddenly, the old man asked his grandson,
“…Will you not regret this?”
“I won't.”
Nox answered without hesitation. Al'tair chuckled softly and stroked his beard. After all, there was no grandfather who wouldn't be pleased by his grandson's growth.
As their conversation ended, a faint cry, resembling a groan, came from ahead. The two turned their heads toward the source of the sound.
With his head hanging low, Cladi was trembling violently.
““…….””
A brief silence fell between them.
Schwing— Schwing—!
They each drew their weapons.
Along with assassination, torture was also the family business of the Auditores.