Quite Impressive
The explosion of the flame blast mine echoed in my ears.
The Holy Knight Commander came back into view.
Her slender wrists looked so out of place.
The parts of her body melted away by torture caught my eye.
My mistake in blocking her retreat, even if unintentional.
'Fuck.'
Would you like to expand your minion slot using Hunter Points?
Points required: 1
The message popped up.
With S-rank crafting hunter knowledge enhancement right in front of me?
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Enhancing in this shitty mood wouldn't be fun anyway.
Not fun at all.
I can just save up the points.
'Invest. 1 point.'
No hesitation.
Leaving regrets behind is poison.
A hunter who faces life-and-death like it's breakfast can't afford regrets.
Of course, I'm not a hunter now.
But people don't change that easily, it seems.
Some might call it pointless guilt.
But.
'What can I do? It's how I'm wired.'
Minion slot has been expanded.
Minion registration is beginning.
The eyeball undead whipped its tentacles.
Acidic solution poured into the Holy Knight Commander's body.
The black fluid leaking from her body could hardly be called blood anymore.
No time.
Minion registration complete.
Outputting minion information.
'S-grade and still quite impressive.'
Her special abilities are top-notch, befitting a Holy Knight Commander who's seen countless battlefields.
Even compared to Camilla, the SS-rank assassin, I couldn't call the match easily.
'In a head-on fight, the Holy Knight might even dominate?'
Camilla shows weakness in direct confrontations.
Assassination is a different story, though.
Plus, looking at her mana circuits, the message wasn't exaggerating.
"Gaaahhh!"
The eyeball undead whipped its tentacles, spraying acidic liquid.
The now-minion Holy Knight Commander screamed.
Deal with this guy first.
"Lena, Sunogi—no, set up the sniper Sunogi."
"Right now?"
"Yeah. Hit it with a big one and let's get started."
Lena nodded.
While she aimed the sniper Sunogi, I checked on the Holy Knight Commander.
Despite her pitiful state, her mana circuits surged with even more power.
Her flow was a mess—any normal person would've exploded already.
Her body truly was on another level.
But the minion info nagged at me.
'Undeadization in progress... Damn. Have to leave it to luck.'
Lena was ready.
I gripped a Rage Flame Potion.
One big hit, then go.
"Now, Lena!"
Crash—
Gurgle?
The potion shattered on the eyeball undead's sclera.
Before the Rage Flame Potion could ignite, Lena's sniper Sunogi roared.
Thwoooom—
Screeeee—
Splat!
The arrow sliced through the air, burrowing between the special entity's tentacles.
I'd aimed for the optic nerve, but tentacles webbed together, wrapping the arrow.
'Melting it with acid?'
The arrow didn't penetrate fully; the shaft began to melt.
Not as expected.
The giant eyeball's tentacle coiled around the arrow and hurled it back.
Whoosh—
Thud!
Smoke rose from the arrow embedded in the wall.
It was melting away.
"Arrows are kinda iffy. But... aren't you hot?"
No point hiding now.
Flames of quiet rage spread across the tentacles and the eye's sclera.
Grrrrrrumble!
The thing thrashed like a colt on fire.
But undead was undead.
Despite unbearable pain, it whipped tentacles indifferently.
Snap—
Tang—
Whip speed was impressive.
Each swing sounded like an explosion.
But not a single one hit me.
Rat-a-tat-tat-boom—
I rapid-fired the Sunogi to draw its gaze.
Arrows imbued with Touch of Purification slammed into its tentacles.
Splat-splat-splat-splat—
Impact wasn't huge, but they stuck.
Touch of Purification worked.
Crash—
Crash—
Crash—
I hurled fake holy water everywhere.
Didn't matter if it hit.
I drenched the entire area.
Grrrrumble—!
'Rage Flame Potion's working.'
Continuously burning, the whip-like tentacles slowed noticeably.
So I pressed harder.
"One more shot!"
Thwoooom—
Lena's arrow flew.
At the same time, I drew a greatsword from the shadows.
Ability shared from Camilla.
A weapon materialized from darkness.
Shiiiing—
Broad and massive enough to pass for steel plate.
Formed from shadows, imbued with magic.
So it lacked the usual weight.
'Might not feel like the old days... but I have to slice it myself. Starting with those annoying tentacles!'
I gripped the shadow greatsword and flexed.
Crunch—
Gripping tight made an eerie sound, but it felt off.
My body's condition wasn't up to hunter days.
Still, an eyeball should be doable.
"This'll be different."
I dove into its guard while it focused on the sniper Sunogi's massive arrow.
Slash—
One tentacle severed.
Felt like chopping an octopus leg.
Squishy.
Grr rumble—
Bloody tears welled in the eyeball.
But it didn't stop.
Slash—slash—slash—
The weightless greatsword danced wildly, tracing black blood trails.
Rotten blood—actually acid-filled—splattered, soaking me.
Didn't matter.
'This level of acid... just spit and it'll heal.'
Potion later.
The Holy Knight Commander was in sight.
Even covered in acidic blood, end it quick.
"Lena! Cover me!"
Thwoooom—
Thwoooom—
Thwoooom—
Every time the eyeball undead lunged, sniper arrows intercepted.
When it targeted Lena.
Slash—
I severed a tentacle.
As tentacles dwindled.
Now, the pupil itself.
The giant eyeball gathered remnants for defense, but sloppy.
"Short on octopus legs, eye-boy?"
Grrr rumble—!
Snap—
Tang—
While taunting, a tentacle grazed overhead.
Bad idea to provoke.
Almost lost my head.
"Th-Theo-nim! Be careful!"
The Holy Knight Commander twitched and writhed.
Seeing the fight, she wanted to join.
Impossible, bound as she was.
"Don't rush! Wait a bit! It's almost done."
She was still a wreck.
Undeadization progressing too.
Can't move rashly.
'No time.'
If her undeadization goes too far, who knows the outcome.
Plus, dragging this eyeball fight benefits no one.
Lich could show anytime.
That'd complicate things more.
Time to push.
"Lena, fall back! It's gonna blow!"
"Pardon? But that's..."
"Fall back!"
The shadow greatsword's imbues were at limit.
Forced more.
Magic Imbue - Touch of Purification
Magic Imbue - Rage of Flames
Attempting imbue on item at imbue limit.
Reflecting properties of special material (Shadow).
Imbue partially successful.
Success in high-risk imbue.
Title 'The One Who Chooses Destruction' added.
Item is unstable.
Cannot maintain form.
Item may explode.
Cannot guarantee creator's safety.
Strongly recommend evacuation.
Strongly recommend evacuation.
Strongly recommend evacuation.
Messages kept popping.
No time to read.
Even without, the greatsword's state was clear from feel alone.
Crack—
White cracks spiderwebbed the black shadow greatsword.
Waited for this.
Stab—
Plunged it into the eyeball's center and pulled out.
Grrrrumble!
It thrashed, trying to extract the shadow greatsword.
That instant.
KABOOM—
Screeeee—
Explosion roared, dust clouding vision.
'My fault. All my fault. This pain...'
Everything was my fault.
I misjudged the undead forces from the start.
And the retreat was blocked.
Explosion sound, blocked path.
'Just excuses. Couldn't retreat anyway...'
Should've secured another route first.
Or called support before entering.
Failed.
Believed in Seras's blessing.
Believed in the knights' unyielding faith.
And I ruined it all.
'Aydin, Don, Carlton, Sets, Karena...'
Recited my knights' names one by one.
Etched their deaths into my mind.
'Seras, if you pity your lamb, grant one more chance...'
Pain erased thoughts.
The vile lich rattled bones, blabbering.
The grotesque creation spewed black blood.
Blood defiled my body.
"Kuhhh—."
Scream escaped.
Mind went white.
No need for another chance.
Just pray.
Only I suffer this.
Fellow knights went to Seras's embrace.
But if their flesh falls to vile undead.
They won't rest, raised again.
Can't allow that.
Even if I suffer eternally alone.
Can't disturb my comrades', my knights' eternal rest.
Something felt then.
Mind blurred.
Death beckoned.
No.
Can't die like this.
Death's peaceful slumber isn't for me.
I, who drove my comrades, my knights to death—no right.
"Even a devil... fine. I'll offer my soul!"
My goddess Seras never answered to the end.
Disappointed, surely.
Doesn't matter.
Any being granting my wish.
Whatever it is.
Tang—
Tentacles moved.
Slash—slash—
Grrrrumble!
Grotesque entity's screams spread.
Its endlessly regenerating tentacles wouldn't now.
'Black... greatsword... As expected, a devil... Seras abandoned me.'
No resentment.
Deserved abandonment for my sins.
Sin of hubris.
Price paid fully.
'Even a devil is fine. If it fulfills my wish...'
My devil battling the grotesque.
My devil drenched in its blood.
'Must hurt...'
Bit lip tight.
Knew that pain well.
My devil swinging black greatsword through agony.
'Please...'
Devil sacrificing body to save me.
Those protective moves.
Devil's sword path in view.
'A devil... sacrificing?'
Doubt rose again.
Yet realized I cheered the devil.
Not ashamed.
Even if devil.
If only my comrades rest eternal.
"Fall back!"
Devil shouted.
That moment.
Crack—
Light exploded.
"Ahh..."
Holy goddess's light.
Clearly purification power imbued explosion.
"Ahh! My lord Seras! Your apostle to this unworthy servant... for me!"
Holy light bursting from black greatsword like hatching egg.
Light's explosion.
Blinding holy radiance.
Not abandoned.
In despair, unworthy me forsook faith myself.
Seras never once forsook me.
All part of Goddess Seras's plan.
Imprint that light.
Blindness fine.
Grr rumble...
Grotesque fell.
Before holy light, it tore apart.
From light, blood-soaked man emerged.
My devil.
Devil covered head to toe in grotesque's blood.
Grotesque's acidic solution melted devil's body, smoking.
Through that pain, devil asked.
"Name."
Throat choked at blood-drenched form.
Devil who brought Seras's light from darkness.
No, my apostle.
Seras's apostle.
Seras-sent apostle for me alone.
Told him.
"Pe... tra."
Bloody rasp, insolent voice.
Pray my apostle not angered.
"Petra it is, O Apostle of the Holy Light."