Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: The Devil Squad's Stand
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The Devil Squad burst into the sanctuary, surrounding Boika.
“Get lost!”
Boika swung his fist.
Pa-pang!
A gale roared alongside the incoming punch.
The Devil Squad swiftly retreated, assuming counterattack stances.
At that moment, Dark kicked off the floor and charged.
He burrowed into Boika’s guard in an instant, stabbing downward at his chest with a dagger.
Klang!
It sounded just like metal clashing.
His skin felt as if it were clad in iron plating.
“Damn it!”
As Dark tried to pull away from Boika, a knee shot up from below.
Dark hastily leaped back to brace for the impact.
But it was too strong and too fast for him to handle.
Ppak!
Struck in the chest, Dark spun once in midair before crashing to the ground.
“Dark!”
Huluma and Bakun followed up with a pincer attack on Boika.
But Boika dodged effortlessly and grabbed one in each hand, slamming them into the floor.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwa-ang!
The two were brutally crushed and fell unconscious.
“Everyone, attack!”
Poshe and the rest unleashed a barrage.
Boika scowled fiercely as attacks rained in from all sides.
“All of you, get lost!”
Gray aura rose from his body.
It was ‘Aura Armor,’ one of a Sword Master’s signature techniques.
Every attack bounced off harmlessly.
“Damn it!”
That was when everyone’s faces twisted in frustration.
Someone charged in and rammed into Boika.
Kwang!
It was Latel.
He thrust forward his battered shield in a shoulder tackle, shouting.
“Attack!”
Just before colliding with Boika!
Puk!
Boika blocked it effortlessly with an outstretched hand.
Latel’s face contorted at the absurd scene.
“No way…….”
He pushed with all his might once more.
“Die……!”
Boika shoved back just as hard.
Latel was flung backward, and Boika threw a punch.
Kwang!
Latel flew back with his shield.
“Pathetic worms…….”
Boika growled, unleashing tremendous pressure.
His body suddenly swelled, shredding his clothes. Rock-hard muscles bulged as his face transformed.
His eyes slit like a snake’s, his mouth tore to his ears, and his tongue extended long like a serpent’s.
He was no different from a monster.
“W-what…….”
The Devil Squad recoiled in horror.
Even Aria, watching the scene, paled in dismay.
Boika’s form evoked ‘Matura,’ one of the evil incarnations mentioned in the scriptures.
A minion of Hera, one of the Demon King’s familiars, it boasted immense defenses that only Sword Masters could challenge—and even then, it took two or three working together to fell the top-tier monster.
“Kraaaah!”
Boika bellowed, smashing his fist into the floor.
The marble shattered, sending shards flying like daggers at the Devil Squad.
“Dodge!”
The Devil Squad dove for cover.
The debris flew toward Aria’s position as well.
Roth swiftly deflected the fragments with his sword and shouted to her.
“You must retreat.”
“I can’t leave the two of you.”
“Ugh…….”
Roth’s expression hardened.
Aria saw that though the Devil Squad was pouring attacks on Boika, they were struggling to hold him back.
“Please help them.”
“I must stay by the Saintess’s side.”
“If they fall, it’s all over. Just buy time until the Count awakens. I beg you.”
Aria bowed deeply.
Roth knew he shouldn’t leave her side, but if the Devil Squad collapsed as she said, it would spell disaster.
Given the dire circumstances, he decided to heed her.
“Understood. But promise me this: if it looks like the Devil Squad is breaking, you’ll flee without waiting for the Count.”
“I will.”
“I’ll be back.”
Roth charged toward Boika.
“Kraaaah!”
Boika, under Devil Squad assault, extended his right arm downward with a roar.
His rock-hard skin transformed, covered in scales.
“All of you……get lost!”
He swung his arm with full force.
Pa-pa-pa-pat!
Dozens of scales rained toward the Devil Squad.
“Dodge!”
They frantically evaded or parried the scales with their swords.
In that gap, Boika rushed in and struck.
Ppak! Ppak!
Dull cracks of breaking bone echoed as Devil Squad members collapsed helplessly.
Then, Roth’s sword, wrapped in reddish aura, flew stealthily at Boika’s chest.
Tak!
“……!”
Boika caught Roth’s sword in his hand.
“H-how with bare hands…….”
As Roth stared in shock, Boika snarled and gripped tighter.
The sword shattered to pieces.
“Damn monster.”
Roth’s face darkened sharply.
He drew a dagger from his waist and dove into Boika’s guard.
“By the power of Lord Karen, I punish you.”
He stabbed downward at the navel below the forming circle with his dagger, now cloaked in white aura.
Klang!
Again, it rang like striking iron plating.
“Kraaang!”
Boika roared and swung his fist.
Pang!
An explosive boom echoed through the air as the punch hurtled forward.
“Damn!”
Roth crossed his arms, infused with holy power, to block.
Ppak!
The horrific force sent Roth tumbling back.
Seeing even holy power fail shook Aria with dread; she didn’t know what to do.
Thud! Thud!
Each step Boika took toward Arthur made the ground tremble.
With every one, fear gripped her heart. Anxiously, she glanced at Arthur and Millerph.
Both still glowed with light.
The ritual wouldn’t end until they absorbed it all.
Aria clasped her hands and closed her eyes.
‘Lord Karen, please help us overcome this…….’
“Ugh…….”
The Devil Squad groaned, sprawled on the ground.
Dark gritted his teeth, enduring agony to block Boika’s path.
“I won’t……let you pass.”
He charged at Boika, swinging his dagger, but the feeble strike posed no threat.
“Over here too!”
Roth, seeking another opening, joined the attack.
But neither assault fazed Boika.
Dark flew limply from a punch, rolling across the floor.
“Ugh……too strong…….”
Puk!
Roth took a kick and crashed near Aria.
Spitting blood, he rasped.
“R-run……away.”
Thud! Thud!
Boika advanced on Arthur and Millerph.
“No!”
Aria rushed to block his path.
Roth’s eyes widened as he yelled.
“Saintess, no!”
“Kraaaah!”
Boika roared, punching at Aria.
Roth gritted his teeth, scooped her up, and dove aside.
They dodged by a hair, but excruciating pain twisted his guts.
“Argh, cough!”
As blood gushed from his mouth, Boika’s foot descended overhead.
“Damn it!”
Roth shoved Aria aside.
But he couldn’t escape; one leg was pinned under Boika’s foot.
“Arrrrgh!”
He screamed until his throat tore.
Aria, roused from her daze by the cry, was horrified.
“Uncle!”
Dark, summoning his last strength, climbed Boika’s back and stabbed his shoulder.
But the iron-hard skin didn’t budge.
“Please, just pierce!”
He stabbed repeatedly.
“Kraaaah!”
Boika snarled like a beast, reaching back to grab Dark and hurl him to the floor.
Kung!
“Cough!”
Dark spewed blood, his face turning deathly pale.
As Boika raised his foot to crush Dark’s head.
“Stop!”
Mulan appeared, hurling one of his Bastard Swords with full force.
The blade, wrapped in reddish aura, streaked like lightning into Boika’s back.
Klang!
It bounced off.
Boika halted, turning to glare at Mulan.
He growled, then roared.
“Kraaaah!”
Kasan charged next, swinging his sword with everything he had.
The reddish-aura-clad blade slashed at Boika’s side.
Klang!
He swung relentlessly.
Each clash sent shocks up his arm to his shoulder.
His arms felt like they’d shatter.
But to save Dark, he had to draw Boika’s attention.
Klang! Klang!
Targeting the legs made Boika wobble slightly.
Kasan seized the moment and bellowed.
“Aim for the legs!”
Mulan rushed in, gripping his Bastard Sword two-handed and swinging.
Whoooosh.
A gale accompanied the strike to Boika’s knee hollow.
Kwang!
“Kraaaah!”
Boika let out a roar—or scream?—and flailed punches wildly.
Latel, the first Devil Squad member to recover, blocked with his half-destroyed shield.
Kasan and Mulan followed with more attacks.
Meanwhile, Poshe regained his senses and ran to Aria.
He glanced at the glowing Arthur and Millerph.
“What’s the situation?”
“The ritual is underway.”
“When will it end?”
“We wait until the light fades. They can’t move until then.”
“Damn!”
Could they hold Boika until then?
As Poshe pondered, Mulan and Kasan were struck and flung away.
Kwang! Kwang!
They slammed into the wall and crumpled limply.
The others fared no better.
‘We’ll all die at this rate…….’
Poshe resolved to follow Arthur’s training manual.
“Fall back!”
He shouted to the Devil Squad, then to Aria.
“You need to evacuate now.”
“I can’t leave them.”
“You must.”
Poshe grabbed her shoulders and forced her up.
Hearing him, Ramni and Perry struggled to their feet, blocking Boika and yelling.
“Run!”
“Go!”
They swung at the murderously radiating Boika.
Pa-pa-pat.
Daggers flew like arrows.
“Kraaaah!”
Boika swatted them aside with his arm.
“Lure him outside!”
Ramni and Perry kept throwing daggers, drawing Boika toward the sanctuary entrance.
“Kraaaah!”
Boika swung nonstop.
He demolished anything in his path while pursuing.
Kwang! Kwang!
Walls and pillars crumbled, shaking the building.
Debris rained from the ceiling.
While the Devil Squad engaged Boika, Poshe tried to evacuate Aria to safety.
“We’re moving.”
“I said I can’t!”
As Aria resisted fiercely, Poshe pointed at Boika and the half-ruined wall beyond, shouting.
“Look at them!”
They clung to Boika’s neck and legs, desperately blocking with everything they had.
“Why would they…….”
Aria stared blankly.
“When we face a worst-case like this, we’re following the Count’s manual to the letter.”
“What the hell is that…….”
“No time to waste. Let’s go.”
Poshe hoisted her over his shoulder by force.
That was when Aria glimpsed the Devil Squad being mercilessly trampled.
Boika turned to Arthur and roared.
“Kraaaah!”
His savage aura crushed everyone.
No one left to block him.
Then, men staggered forward, barely standing, to stand in his way.
Huluma and Bakun.
They used their last reserves to block Boika.
Even if they couldn’t attack, they’d buy time with their bodies.
“Until the Count awakens…….”
“Somehow……buy time…….”
“Get lost!”
Boika swung his arm, sending them flying limply.
They crashed into walls and pillars, spewing blood as they collapsed.
Roth lay unmoving.
“U-Uncle…….”
It was hell itself.
Tears streamed endlessly from Aria as she instinctively looked to Arthur.
Then she screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Count! Please!”
At her cry, Arthur’s eyes snapped open.
But seeing him still enveloped in light made Aria’s gaze tremble violently.
“H-how…….”
Eyes opening mid-ritual meant responding to his will.
An impossibility.
Poshe frowned at her reaction, puzzled, when a powerful aura surged.
He turned instinctively.
“Y-Young Master…….”
Arthur fixed a chilling glare on Boika.
His presence grew ever more immense.
“Finally…….”
The Devil Squad noticed Arthur awakening.
Joy lit their bloodied faces.
Arthur took in their states.
“……!”
Boika halted his assault at the overwhelming aura, turning around.
Locking eyes with Arthur, he erupted in rage with a roar.
“Kraaaah!”
Arthur extended his arm toward Boika.
Golden aura bloomed, summoning the Sig Sauer.
“You……held out so well.”
Bang!