Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Boika's Defeat
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He swung his sword at the incoming aura blade.
Boom!
The blade split apart with a deafening explosion.
"If that's how you want to play it..."
Arthur thrust his sword forward with all his might.
Whoosh-.
The aura blade shot straight ahead like an arrow.
"It won't work!"
Boika swung his sword.
Flash!
He countered with a grayish-white aura blade.
KABOOM!
A shockwave poured over the two of them.
But neither dodged it—they charged straight through, swinging their swords.
This time, sword clashed against dagger.
Boom! Boom!
A duel between sword masters was no joke.
Explosions like bombs going off sent shocks racing from wrists to shoulders.
Arthur's face twisted.
'What insane power.'
Boika grimaced hideously, inwardly panicking.
Even after taking the awakening agent, he hadn't overwhelmed the bastard.
No, the fact that they were trading blows evenly was unbelievable.
"I'll get serious now."
Boika suddenly gripped his sword hilt with both hands and swung with full force.
Whoosh-.
It came howling like a gale.
Arthur clenched his dagger tight and whipped it out like lightning. Aura flames blazed fiercely.
Boom!
The moment he blocked the attack! Boika's sword split into two.
"......!"
Arthur's face hardened.
"Die!"
Boika swung and thrust his twin blades.
Grayish-white aura blades flew toward Arthur's chest alongside the swords.
"That all you got!"
Arthur summoned all his mana and unleashed 'Aura Armor'.
Golden aura rose, enveloping his entire body.
Then the grayish-white aura blade struck.
KABOOM!
Amid the explosive boom and billowing dust, Boika's sword pierced through the aura armor.
'Fool!'
Just as Boika thought his sure-kill strike had landed.
Thud!
A dull, alien shock traveled up his wrist.
It felt completely different from clashing with the dagger.
'What the—?'
As Boika tried to leap back, Arthur's chilling voice rang out.
"That's far enough."
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-.
Dozens of aura bullets flew at him.
"......!"
He heard what sounded like gunfire and tried to dodge, but the auras had already embedded in his body.
Bang-bang-bang-bang-!
"Argh!"
Boika flew backward.
Pushing down the surging pain and fear of death, he staggered to his feet.
But Arthur was already in his face, swinging the dagger.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
A blow to his side sent him tumbling forward, and a knee rocketed toward his face.
He desperately raised his arms.
Thump-.
He barely blocked it, but the impact flung his arms—and his face—upward.
His nasal bone crumpled, teeth shattering with cracks.
He barely kept from falling backward and tried to counter when Arthur's dagger slashed at his throat.
The attacks came relentlessly.
"Get lost!"
Boika gritted his teeth and thrust his sword.
Its blade was longer than the dagger—he figured he wouldn't lose.
But Arthur, having anticipated it, fired his summoned K1 Rifle.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-.
"What the hell..."
Boika was dumbfounded by the pea-sized auras battering his sword.
Then he felt something searing his throat.
"Urk!"
Hot liquid gushed out at the same time.
Touching his throat, he saw red blood staining his hand—his face contorted grotesquely.
"You bastard!"
He wildly swung his twin swords.
Crescent aura blades flew nonstop.
Arthur calmly picked them off one by one with precise K1 shots, like target practice.
Boika ground his teeth at the absurd sight unfolding before him.
"What the hell are you!"
He charged at Arthur.
Pouring all his power into the twin swords for a finishing blow.
Aura whipped fiercely around the blades.
"Die!"
He slashed an X-cross like lightning.
Aura blades whirled toward Arthur like a tornado.
Not to be outdone, Arthur poured everything into his aura armor and switched his K1 to the Benelli M1, blasting ahead.
Bang-bang-!
Over ten auras fired out.
Not only blocking Boika's attack but countering as well.
"What the hell!"
Boika vented his rage, batting away the pea-sized aura blades with his sword.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their power belied their size.
After deflecting them all, Arthur was nowhere in sight.
A bad premonition hit as he spun around—something hard jammed into the back of his head.
Then the bastard's chilling voice.
"Move and your head explodes."
"Damn it!"
Boika's face twisted.
"Kneel!"
Arthur kept the K1 trained on his head and kicked his calves, forcing him to his knees. Then he scanned the surroundings.
Clang! Clang! Boom!
"Die!"
"Attack and defend at the same time!"
Following Kasan's orders, the Devil Squad moved in perfect unison, pressing the enemy.
Seeing that, Boika's eyes shook violently.
"H-how..."
He'd assumed his men were handling the foes while he fought Arthur.
But it was the same here.
Even with awakening agents, they weren't just failing to win—they were being pushed back. The shock was immense.
Despair washed over him; strength drained from his sword grip unbidden.
Drop.
His feral momentum faded.
Arthur, watching him closely, spoke in a chilling tone.
"Watch closely."
He sheathed his dagger at his back and summoned the Sig Sauer. Then he squeezed the trigger at the enemies blasting the Devil Squad.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
With each gunshot, Boika's men crumpled, heads exploding.
"This is!"
The Devil Squad whipped toward the shots. They spotted their leader kneeling before Arthur.
"The enemy's leader is down!"
"C-Captain..."
Shock filled the enemies' faces; killing intent surged from the Devil Squad.
Mullan shouted.
"Latel!"
"Got it!"
Latel charged with shield forward; Mullan followed, swinging his bastard sword.
Thwack-.
"Argh!"
Then Kasan yelled.
"Sweep them!"
The Devil Squad unleashed a barrage.
What had been a slight advantage now became a one-sided rout.
Boika's men lost all will upon seeing him fall.
"H-how..."
"No way..."
"This can't be..."
Stab-.
"Gah!"
They collapsed helplessly.
Boika gritted his teeth, watching his men fall.
"Like this..."
As he tried to muster mana, a 'bang' and searing pain hit his shoulder.
"Aaaagh!"
He screamed, rolling on the ground.
Arthur pinned his chest with a foot and pressed the Sig Sauer's muzzle to his face.
"Do that and you die."
"J-just... kill me..."
Arthur noted the man hadn't died despite his throat being slashed.
Examining the wound closely, the bleeding had stopped, and it was healing very slowly.
"You're different from the others."
"What..."
"You're from Artisan too, right?"
"......!"
Boika's eyes widened.
"No need for answers."
Arthur shot him in the side.
Bang! Bang!
"Guh!"
Boika's eyes bulged before he passed out.
Having seen the self-healing, he'd survive unless vital spots were hit.
With him down, Arthur turned to clean up the rest.
He aimed at the enemies opposing the Devil Squad.
Bang! Bang!
Bang!
Ten minutes passed like that.
The blood-soaked Devil Squad gathered around Arthur.
They glanced at the fallen Boika before focusing on him.
Arthur looked past them to see Dark approaching with Millerph and Aria.
"You lot, stand guard. Report any reinforcements immediately. Bind this one—he's alive—so watch him closely."
"Yes, sir!"
The Devil Squad scattered to their tasks.
Dark hurried over.
"Are you alright?"
Arthur nodded and said to Millerph.
"Take a look at him."
Millerph eyed the collapsed Boika before Arthur.
He looked half-dead.
But as time passed, wounds began healing—Millerph tilted his head.
"Did you use a potion?"
"Heals on his own."
"Hmm. Seems like another type of awakening agent."
"I was gonna kill him at first, but this changed my mind."
"We'll interrogate him once he's recovered."
Millerph's eyes turned cold.
"Dig into everything, especially ties to the Namshar Empire."
Arthur turned to Aria.
"Shall we go in?"
***
The sanctuary inside was bright and warm.
Especially the center, where a pillar of light from the ceiling shone intensely, illuminating everything even more brilliantly.
There, the Seven Priests encircled something, murmuring prayers softly.
Clunk.
The sanctuary doors opened far away.
Aria, Millerph, and Arthur entered.
"Hmm..."
It was as if heaven's light converged here—blindingly bright. Yet strangely, it wasn't uncomfortable.
Instead, a reverent calm filled the heart.
Arthur followed Aria down the straight aisle to a golden line before the Seven Priests and stopped.
What caught his eye was a white coffin.
Inside lay an elderly woman with white hair. Millerph's eyes widened at the sight.
"Th-that's..."
'Who is she?'
As question marks clouded Arthur's face, the Seven Priests lined up and bowed in greeting.
As Millerph opened his mouth, Aria approached them.
The Seven Priests stepped aside reverently.
Before the white-haired elder, she knelt politely, clasped her hands at her chest, and bowed her head.
"I have returned, upholding Lady Karen's will."
At her words' end, white snowflake-like specks glowed brightly from the elder in the coffin, floating into the air one by one.
They were drawn into Aria like absorption.
Aria's body shone ever more intensely.
The Seven Priests knelt in prayer, chanting; Arthur and Millerph couldn't open their eyes against the glare.
Then, a cross-shaped light appeared on Aria's forehead.
Millerph frowned puzzled.
"Why the stigmata..."
Sensing something extraordinary, Arthur's face hardened.
'Why's she suddenly...?'
"Oh, such a blessing..."
Millerph realized something, knelt, and bowed to Aria.
A moment later.
Aria rose and turned.
Seeing her, Arthur gasped involuntarily.
"Ah..."
Aria shone dazzlingly bright.
A beam from the ceiling highlighted her.
Still eyes closed in prayer, she gleamed like a jewel; pure white aura bloomed.
As the aura sharpened, a springlike warmth enveloped all.
The cross-shaped stigmata on her forehead grew to body-size, floating up into the light pillar.
Then Aria opened her eyes.
Arthur met her deep, lake-clear gaze.
"......!"
It felt like being stripped bare—yet also cradled in a mother's arms, utter peace.
Malice in his heart seemed to vanish.
'What is this...?'
Question marks clouded Arthur's face.
The Seven Priests rose, prostrating worshipfully before Aria with reverent voices.
"The Seven Priests greet she who inherits Lady Karen's will."
"World Tree's heir, Millerph, greets the Saintess."
'Saintess!'
Arthur's eyes flashed.
Aria scanned everyone before extending a hand to Arthur.
"Heir of Teheran, take my hand."
A low, dignified voice.
Not her usual one.
Arthur approached calmly and took her hand. Sparks like an electric shock jolted his mind.
He blanked out like a dazed fool.
In his head appeared a noble woman.
The white-haired elder from the coffin.
She bowed courteously.
-I have been waiting.
"You know who I am."
-I longed to meet you. The one even the Demon King fears.
"......?"
As Arthur tilted his head, the elder smiled faintly and continued.
-Lady Karen said only Kang Tae-su can save this world from the Demon King.
"What!"
Arthur's eyes bulged in shock.