Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Human Sacrifice
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“Black Sword, can you help?”
It was Collan’s utterly nonchalant voice.
“I’d like you to throw yourself into this barrier.”
But the words that followed were nothing short of despairing.
There had been a question as to why Collan was requesting aid from Dante.
“What do you mean by that right now?”
Valak spoke without hiding his bewilderment.
It was a barrier that even Collan couldn’t withstand.
“Do I need to explain?”
Collan didn’t even bother with an explanation.
“…….”
A barrier that even Collan couldn’t endure. Collan intended to offer a human as a ‘sacrifice’ to create a gap in it.
“This is a mission.”
Collan said in a languid voice.
“Did you really think I brought you here to use you for taking down humans who are no better than logs of wood?”
This had been Collan’s purpose in requesting Black Sword’s support from the start.
A human sacrifice.
Moreover, the reason he’d asked specifically for Black Sword, of all forces.
‘A barrier of that level won’t yield even a crack to ordinary mana.’
It was because the required caliber of human sacrifice was exceptionally high.
“Pathetic.”
Sein muttered to himself.
To think it would be this stupid.
No.
‘So this is what it means to have no magic.’
It was due to the penalty of being unable to use magic.
Blacks couldn’t use white magic, and black magic was practically monopolized by the Immortals.
While Demorus had put much effort into raising black mages of its own, they hadn’t reached the necessary standard.
The barrier before them was clearly top-tier at a glance.
Thus, this brute-force method might have been the only way to smash through it.
“…….”
Silence descended.
No one moved easily.
The outcome of touching that barrier was obvious.
“How long do you intend to keep me waiting?”
Even as Collan demanded they offer their lives, he gave them no time.
“I brought Dante’s Black Sword because they were said to be competent.”
Disappointment twisted Collan’s face.
“But it turns out that’s not true at all.”
His assessment of Black Sword quickly became an assessment of Dante.
And that assessment of Dante...
“I’ll...”
...was also an assessment of Rohan.
Finally, someone stepped forward.
“I’ll do it.”
Sebu.
He spoke with a face full of resolute determination.
“Sorry for making you wait. I was thinking about our future missions.”
“I see. I understand.”
Sebu walked forward without hesitation.
But it was only natural that his fingertips trembled faintly.
“This is an important mission for Demorus. Your sacrifice will be properly rewarded.”
Collan spoke soothingly to Sebu.
Yet that offered no real comfort.
“Hurry up. We don’t have time.”
Collan even urged Sebu on.
This was the treatment of a successor candidate.
No matter if it was one of the three great organizations or Black Sword—they were ultimately disposable pawns to be used and discarded.
Their worth didn’t even match that of a key to open the barrier.
“Kick.”
How utterly ridiculous.
Gulp.
Ignoring Jane’s stifled laugh, Sebu stood right before the barrier and swallowed dryly.
“I told you to hurry.”
Collan’s urging came again. Sebu quietly turned to look at Jane and Valak.
It wasn’t so much a plea for pity as a face entrusting them with his resolve and his comrades’ future.
“I was originally planning to just let you die.”
Jane muttered in his habitual tone as he stepped forward.
“I’ll join you.”
There was no need to weaken his own forces unnecessarily.
*
*
*
“Join him?”
Collan’s face showed puzzlement.
“Yes.”
Jane’s response left him looking as if he couldn’t comprehend.
“One Black Sword member should be enough to create a gap in the barrier.”
Unlike Sebu, Jane advanced without hesitation.
“But you’ll definitely die.”
Collan didn’t deny it.
“However, two might make a difference.”
Two.
“Three.”
Valak had already stepped up alongside Jane, approaching the barrier where Sebu stood.
One would have sufficed, yet three were throwing themselves into it.
“Hoo.”
Interest flickered across Collan’s face for the first time.
“So you mean to share the burden among three.”
Jane’s words seemed to suggest minimizing damage not through one sacrifice, but three—implying Sebu wouldn’t have to die if it worked.
“But to do that, you’d need the ability to disperse the barrier’s mana, wouldn’t you?”
Control and understanding of mana.
Smirk.
Jane boldly curled up the corner of his mouth in a grin.
“Didn’t you bring Dante’s Black Sword for this?”
Collan had chosen Dante’s Black Sword as the key to the barrier.
It might have been because the sacrifice needed to be of high caliber to open it, but that likely wasn’t the only reason.
‘Weakening their forces.’
Dante had declared support for Sein.
Moreover, knowing Valak was like Sein’s right hand, Collan probably thought having him die would serve as a fine warning.
Even if Rohan had known, he couldn’t have refused.
As long as there was a pretext, no one in Demorus could defy Demorus’s orders.
Jane said no more to Collan.
“Match it to me and press your hands to the barrier.”
He instructed Sebu and Valak.
“The instant you touch it, release all your mana at once. Pour your aura into the barrier... as if igniting the greatest, most powerful aura you’ve ever unleashed in your life.”
“Jane. There’s no need for this.”
“Senior.”
Jane looked at Sebu and said.
“Consider yourself lucky.”
“……?”
But Sebu could say no more to Jane.
Even though the outcome might be death.
Pat!
It was because Jane had so casually pressed his hand to the barrier.
In that instant.
Fwaaaah!
A flash erupted, blinding everyone.
“Now!”
At Jane’s voice from within, Valak and Sebu immediately thrust their hands toward the barrier.
“Guhhh...!”
The moment they touched it, Sebu groaned from the pain.
The agony was so immense no scream could escape.
“Grrk!”
Valak fared no better.
“Mana!”
At Jane’s call, Sebu and Valak instinctively unleashed their mana in a frenzy.
Mana spun wildly, crushing organs and tearing at veins in excruciating pain—but it was better than the barrier’s torment.
In that fleeting moment before reason snapped.
A question arose.
‘He shouted through this pain?’
Jane’s display.
‘Through this pain...’
And the face of Jane he’d seen.
‘He’s... smiling...?’
But the thought didn’t continue.
Fwaaaah!
Another burst of light poured forth.
“Well done.”
With Collan’s voice, his hand reached the barrier between them.
*
*
*
“Groan.”
Sebu barely regained consciousness amid the pain.
“You’re awake? Senior?”
Opening his eyes, he saw Jane’s face.
Regaining his senses, he realized he was being carried on someone’s back.
“Huh! Captain!”
It was Valak’s back.
“Stay put. You drank a potion, but you’re not fully healed yet.”
Valak’s words brought fresh pain surging through Sebu’s body.
A quick check of his condition revealed it was the worst imaginable.
‘My mana...’
It wouldn’t move.
Half his body was charred black, melted away.
“…….”
But he knew.
“Thanks... Jane.”
He had survived.
Without Valak, without Jane, he wouldn’t have.
Even if he was half-crippled, the fact remained: he was alive.
“However...”
Sebu curled the corner of his mouth and said.
“Why is the captain carrying me... Jane..., you should be the one...”
“Looks like your condition isn’t as bad as I thought, huh, senior?”
“Kek...”
Sebu lost consciousness again.
When he opened his eyes once more.
“……!”
Sebu felt as if he were dreaming.
“Black Sword members aren’t easy to replace. Besides, there’s hardly any mana left in him anyway, so we wouldn’t get the result you want.”
Behind Jane, who was speaking, stood another barrier similar to the one from before.
Jane was persuading Collan in front of it.
“On top of that, do you know how many more barriers lie ahead? From what I can tell, you seem to think there’s only this one.”
Even against Collan, Jane spoke his mind without hesitation, making Sebu wonder if this was truly the Jane he knew.
That figure seemed almost...
Twitch.
Like the Sein he’d only heard about.
Sebu rubbed his eyes.
“Lie still.”
Valak laid him back down and signaled to watch quietly.
“So what do you propose?”
“Let’s do it this way.”
Having earned merit, Collan listened to Jane.
“Your subordinates will take Black Sword’s place from earlier.”
“…….”
“Otherwise.”
He seemed to be smiling.
“You can do it yourself, Lord Collan.”
“You brat.”
Collan’s guards bristled at Jane’s words.
“Very well.”
But Collan agreed readily.
Jane’s suggestion held no flaws when considered rationally.
Especially since Jane himself had volunteered to be the central pillar breaking the barrier.
The greatest burden in creating the gap fell to Jane.
“Zigro. Parmoye. Open the barrier with him.”
This hadn’t been part of his original plan.
“Yes.”
Yet Collan’s subordinates moved without hesitation at his command.
“Jane, was it?”
Collan addressed Jane, who stood before the barrier.
“Let’s talk again once we’re out of the dungeon. You’ll need to survive until then.”
“Who knows.”
No one barked at his impudent reply.
Fwaaaang!
Jane had pressed his hand to the barrier again.
“Now.”
Collan’s subordinates matched Jane’s signal and placed their hands on it.
“Guhhhk!”
“Kuh!”
Amid the onslaught of pain, they had to see it nonetheless.
Jane’s smiling face.
‘Remember this well.’
Jane thought.
‘If you try to take what’s mine, yours can be taken too.’
He began altering the barrier’s flow.