Chapter 129
Chapter 129
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Beast Sword
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It didn't feel like a punch from a human fist—it was as if I'd been struck by an iron club.
My body, unable to withstand the impact of the collision, bounced away and slammed straight into the ground.
Kuuaaaang!
"Kuhk!"
A spray of blood burst from Baek's mouth.
Unlike before, Baek couldn't heal his wounds easily.
"Y-You bastard...!"
Baek staggered to his feet, as if he couldn't shake off the shock easily.
It was clear he'd taken a major hit from the unexpected attack.
"I'll finish you off."
From the left, Beskin charged in, while from the right, Marquis Crank and Dingo flanked Baek's sides and lunged forward.
"Kuh!"
Baek tried to buy time by erecting an earthen wall and defensive magic, but it was futile.
Now, all it would take was one outstretched hand to slay this dangerous Baek of Jenos.
Right then.
Shweeeek!
My retinas, filled with Baek of Jenos, were suddenly overwhelmed by a jagged blade that looked like a sawtooth filling my vision from all directions.
"!"
Kaang!
Even though I'd swiftly raised both arms into a defensive stance and deflected it, the shock reverberating through my body churned my organs.
Turning to look beside me, I saw Beskin desperately parrying Dingo's sudden knuckles in a frenzy.
"...Marquis, what is the meaning of this?"
Marquis Crank didn't answer me. He just stared at his own sword.
"...Hmph. That was a full-force swing on my part. And he blocked it."
Marquis Crank showed a surprised reaction, then soon after.
"Ah, as for what I mean."
Sslash!
"!"
Thud! Roll, roll, roll!
He lopped off Baek's head.
The marquis shook off his blade lightly, as if brushing away roadside trash, then smiled at me.
"This is what I mean. That reagent you scattered—I don't know what it was, but thanks to it, this old man thought he could dispatch him easily without breaking a sweat. But."
And then, his greatsword turned toward me.
"It doesn't seem like that's all there is to you. If a young man of your caliber were truly just a simple monster hunter, this continent would have already fallen to the monster hunters long ago."
A beast-like sharpness crept into his killing intent.
"If there were talents like you on the Third Princess's side, I would have known about it. The fact that I don't means you're probably from the Alliance side. This old man isn't generous enough to let an enemy sprout from an enemy nation grow. Sorry, but you'll have to die here."
'Damn that superhuman sense of his.'
Marquis Crank's senses had fully activated, it seemed.
He must have judged that eliminating me was more profitable than dealing with Jenos's Baek, whose immortality was weakened by the reagent from Honi.
I glanced at Baek's sprawled corpse.
"...Very well. We were planning to take you out anyway."
Rumble!
As I drew up my aura and steel, my body transformed into unyielding iron armor itself, assuming a stance.
Creeeak!
Marquis Crank grinned.
"Pankration, eh? Yes, seeing that stance confirms it. You're the third son of the Shield Family, the one whose rumors have been flying around lately."
"You already knew."
"Of course. It's already famous news that the Shield Family's third son travels with puppets."
I naturally glared toward Saladin.
It seemed Mimi and Nene had given us away immediately. Those useless kids.
"Well, thanks to all the trouble you've caused the Third Princess lately, it's been helpful for our side too."
Whoooosh.
Fierce aura began dancing wildly above his greatsword.
"Once we take you out and grab that wyvern egg too, we'll be able to land an even bigger blow on the Third Princess."
"We'll see who lands the blow on whom."
Kuuaang!
I deflected the greatsword with my left hand and unleashed an iron-leg kick toward Marquis Crank's waist.
"...We'll have to see about that, won't we?"
"No need to wait and see."
Marquis Crank, blocking my leg with his knee and elbow, replied leisurely.
"My senses aren't picking up any danger signals from you."
Among the Twelve Archbishops, Dingo—positioned in the Treasure Bottle Palace—was a battle-specialized bishop, a monk, as evident from his primary weapon being knuckles.
Kuuaaaang!
After knocking away Beskin's sword, he smacked his lips regretfully while looking toward Jerome and Crank.
"What a shame. I really wanted to test the Shield Family's Pankration."
At such a young age, charging fearlessly at an old man dangerous enough to send shivers down his spine—with that courage and spirit.
Jerome von Carviot was more than qualified to face his fists.
"Tch, since Marquis Crank claimed him first, can't be helped."
Still, the regret lingered.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
At that moment, the fallen Beskin rose and turned his head.
"Why act like you've already won?"
Pfft!
Dingo let out a scoff.
"Jerome of the Shield Family being here means you're one of the Six Shields, the Ice Knight, right? I don't wanna waste energy on weaklings, so just lie there."
Dingo didn't even consider Beskin a threat.
The lofty name of Shield Family led to all sorts of praise—Six Shields, Hexagon, whatever.
In reality, aside from Light Knight Arandal, none had even reached Master level; they were just ordinary knights you could find anywhere.
Of course, one family producing five top-tier Experts was impressive, but on an empire scale, Experts were a dime a dozen.
Where Dingo turned his head, Set and Aria had already clashed with Luna.
"Looks like they've started over there too... Guess I'll play with the puppet."
Fighting such a common knight was boring; battling the famed puppeteer sounded more unique and fun.
The moment Dingo moved to step forward.
Shaaaa!
"Hm?"
Dingo felt the surrounding air grow chillingly cold.
His gaze naturally dropped to his knuckles at the cold sensation from his fists, revealing frost-covered metal.
"It's really laughable, you empire bastards."
A deep blue aura billowed thickly from Beskin's raised sword.
"Do you think the Carviot Count family could have held off your empire's forces all this time by relying entirely on a single lord?"
The air around Beskin's aura froze solid.
"I'll correct that arrogant delusion right here. The tuition? Your life."
Plop!
The frozen air fell to the ground as transparent crystal.
"Stage 1, Release."
Beskin tore off one of the bracelets on his wrist.
Whoosh!
Explosive cold air began spreading around Beskin.
"Flame Dragon!!"
A dragon wreathed in flames shot from Set's hand toward Luna, baring its fangs.
"Explosion!!"
Aria's explosion-packed fire magic surged up from beneath Luna's feet.
Anyone ordinary would have vanished without a trace in the harmony of their scorching heat.
"Hee hee hee! How cute."
Luna calmly extended her hand, and the flames were blocked by a translucent barrier, losing their way.
Fwoosh!
The scattered flames ignited the earth and forest around them.
"Ugh!"
Set groaned.
'Damn it!'
Ever since teaming up with Jerome von Carviot, he hadn't accomplished a thing.
This helplessness. At this rate, the name of the Vulcan Marquis family of Osiris Kingdom would weep.
'What do I do... Can't go on like this.'
Aria bit her fine lips, thinking the same.
But Luna just stood there, smiling brightly at them.
"...?"
Sensing something off, Set and Aria glared at Luna, but she raised both hands instead.
"Hee hee! Don't glare like that. I have no intention of fighting you."
"...What do you mean?"
"What are you doing?"
Set and Aria both asked in confusion, but Luna didn't answer.
"Who knows? What could I be doing?"
She just smiled and maintained the standoff.
True to his moniker, Marquis Crank's greatsword wielded like a beast.
Shweeeek!
Roaring like a tiger to devour its prey, his greatsword targeted my neck with beastly fangs.
I tilted my head to deflect the greatsword, twisting my body to attempt a back kick to Marquis Crank's abdomen.
Already airborne. No way he could dodge this kick, I thought.
But the marquis's left hand gently grabbed my ankle and flung my body again.
Whirrr!
Marquis Crank spun like a top with his greatsword, targeting spots all over my body.
Clang, clang, clang!
My diamond-hard form—fusing aura and heterogenous power—clashed fiercely with the greatsword, sparks flying.
Grabbing the greatsword's blade, it pierced through my steel-clad fingers into my body.
But against my blood, hardened to Iron Organ realm with internal organs steelified, it fell short. Ignoring the intruding greatsword, I yanked Marquis Crank toward me with all my might.
"!"
"Vortex!"
Kuwoooo!
Rotational force packed into my right hand.
At this range, it could kill instantly.
Yet he released the greatsword and blocked my Vortex with both hands.
No—beyond blocking, he kicked my hand away, retrieved his greatsword, and used the Vortex's momentum to create distance.
Catching his breath with the greatsword in hand once more, Crank clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Hah! They say the Shield Family's third son has come into his own, but this is beyond excessive."
"You're too kind, Marquis. I'm still just a novice."
I fiddled with the hand that had gripped the greatsword as I replied.
'Still... not enough.'
I'd regained my past realm and even advanced a step further.
But the Four Marquises were the strongest swordsmen among Masters, always one step behind the throne's occupants.
Thanks to my heterogenous power of steel, I could fight evenly, but in pure aura and martial prowess in a one-on-one, I was still outmatched.
Drip, drip.
The steel on my right hand that had gripped his greatsword cracked, blood flowing.
"Hah! Excessive humility is poison. At your age, there are few in the empire who could hold out this long against me."
Marquis Crank's killing intent thickened further, as if pleased.
"Which is exactly why I can't let you live. If I spare you, the empire's grand ambition will never come to fruition."
Not just Ivarella—the First or Second Prince were the same. Their desire to conquer the continent, the empire's long-cherished wish.
"Same to you."
Squeeze!
I clenched my bleeding right hand and reset my stance.
"With men like you—four of them, no, now three—the empire's power holding four throne-worthy figures is chilling."
"Then, how about surrendering to the empire? If you're worried about your origins, don't be. I'll personally recommend to the First Prince that he put you to good use."
Marquis Crank, taken by my defiance at such a young age, made an absurd proposal.
"Talk sense. Even I am a direct descendant of the Shield Family. Besides..."
I didn't voice the rest.
'I don't have a hobby of boarding sinking ships.'
Though Ivarella's position was narrower than in my previous life, her path to empress was unchangeable.
Not just because of the three dukes—her absolute charisma was inimitable.
No matter how much I tarnished her fame and position, that fact wouldn't change.
"As expected."
Marquis Crank chuckled, as if he hadn't expected otherwise.
"So, what's your plan? You're capable, sure, but you must realize one-on-one against me is still beyond you."
"Of course."
I didn't deny Marquis Crank's words.
No matter how I sliced it, winning a frontal battle against one of the Four Marquises right now was impossible.
"In a one-on-one, that is."
'But.'
What about two-on-one?
"Marquis, aren't you forgetting someone?"
"...?"
As Marquis Crank pondered my words for a brief moment.
Fwoosh!
"!"
Suddenly, Nene emerged from beneath Marquis Crank's feet, spewing poison.
'When the hell?!'
As Marquis Crank quickly covered his mouth and retreated.
Clunk!
Mimi descended from the tree on threads and flung her body wide open.
"Die, you wild beast bastard!"
Kiririririk!
With Saladin's shout, countless hidden weapons—sickles, nails, darts, needles, daggers—readied from Mimi's body, aiming like arrows at Crank's vital points.
Crank couldn't comprehend the situation.
His senses, called Beast Sword, had long surpassed human limits.
He'd even dodged that monster old man's lightning-fast magic.
So why?
Why hadn't he sensed these puppets?!
Crank set aside his thoughts for now and focused on countermeasures against the barrage of projectiles.
Whoooosh!
Green aura rose around his body.
'Those projectiles came from the puppet. They can't pierce aura.'
"...is what you're thinking, you bastard! I calculated everything!"
For some reason, Saladin bellowed and extended his hand, leading to something astonishing.
Along the thread connecting him and Mimi, Saladin's aura flowed past Mimi into her projectiles.
"Die!"
Shwaa shwaa shwa!
Mimi's aura-infused projectiles pierced through Marquis Crank's aura like salmon swimming upstream, seeking his flesh.
Puuk!