Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Next?
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*Rumble! Whoooosh!*
A heavy tremor started from the ground, and simultaneously, a powerful flash of light erupted.
The searing light would have made it impossible for an ordinary person to open their eyes.
But even in that situation, Kroll Karim and I could still exchange deadly blows.
Superhumans like us don't rely solely on sight, after all.
‘No reaction. I can't tell if it landed.’
Normally, living creatures react in some way when attacked.
Their nerves respond, even unconsciously.
But my opponent was a death knight.
Already dead, moved only by dark mana.
A body with no sense of pain.
So even after driving the Nine-Ring Annihilation into him, I couldn't tell if it had been effective.
The undead can move around just fine even if parts of their bodies are destroyed.
“Then I'll just have to grind you into dust.”
*Clank!*
I pulled back the Black Dragon Sword and then thrust it forward.
It was a thrust as swift as lightning.
Just now, he was caught completely off-balance; no matter how skilled he was, there was no way he could react…
*Clang!*
“…or so I thought. But he did?”
What is this?
Dozens of golden question marks popped up in my mind.
To my surprise, Kroll Karim had parried my strike.
Setting aside the fact that he'd overcome impossible timing, to block the light-speed Nine-Ring Annihilation…
I was a bit surprised inwardly, but I didn't let it show.
I figured out the problem quickly enough.
‘I was too focused on the perfection of the technique.’
Besides, wasn't this the second time that bastard had faced the Nine-Ring Annihilation?
A superhuman of Kroll Karim's level wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.
I should have anticipated that and varied my attack from the start.
“Hahaha! What good is power if you can't land a hit? It's just swinging at empty air.”
*Thwung!*
The man let out a triumphant laugh and forcefully pushed away the Black Dragon Sword.
It seemed the lingering effects of the Nine-Ring Annihilation made him reluctant to keep our blades locked.
The moment I observed his action, I realized something.
‘Right. The power. There's that.’
My attack was blocked, but it wasn't as if it had no effect on Kroll Karim.
He had blocked the Nine-Ring Annihilation head-on, so he must have taken considerable damage absorbing the force.
It was only because his body was undead that he could pretend to be fine.
If he were truly unscathed, he wouldn't have needed to withdraw his weapon so hastily.
“That creates an opening, you know!”
*Whoooosh!*
I channeled my Demonic Soul to its peak and thrust the Black Dragon Sword once more.
Aiming for the subtle crack in his defense that appeared as he retreated.
But his response was just as monstrously fast as before.
It seemed he had already predicted the opening would appear.
*Craaaack!*
Kroll Karim pulled back his cleaver, intending to strike down the Nine-Ring Annihilation.
Just as I had struck its side to block his blow.
‘But will it be that easy?’
Changing the trajectory of a thrust was a very basic defensive maneuver.
But that's only possible if the weapon is intact, isn't it?
You can't just slap away the Black Dragon Sword while it's radiating a powerful aura with your bare hands, can you?
*Crack! S-crack!*
The moment a triumphant smile formed on my face, an unexpected cracking sound rang out.
It was coming from my opponent's massive cleaver.
Kroll Karim stared at his weapon with a look of despair.
But that wouldn't bring the shattered blade back.
“Damn it!”
The man spat a curse and swiftly turned to flee.
He must have decided he couldn't face me empty-handed.
Retreating here would cause morale to plummet.
Still, it was a hundred times better to survive and contribute to the siege than to die a pointless death.
He may have lost to me, but Kroll Karim was an incredibly skilled fighter.
‘Of course, I can't just let him go.’
*Thud!*
Realizing he was trying to escape, I kicked off the ground and gave chase.
The distance to the enemy line was about 600 meters.
At that distance, I was confident I could catch him without much trouble.
But just as I was about to strike the back of his head…
*Whoosh!*
Kroll Karim suddenly spun around and drastically reduced his speed.
A triumphant smile was already playing on his lips.
‘What?’
*Whoooosh!*
A question flashed through my mind, but my body didn't stop.
I'd deal with this death knight bastard first and think later.
But Kroll Karim actually charged toward my incoming attack.
He didn't seem to care whether the Nine-Ring Annihilation pierced his body or not.
*Thwump! Grab!*
“Huh?”
“Heheheh! Got you!”
The moment the Black Dragon Sword pierced his armor and flesh, he grabbed my arm with both hands.
At the same time, he pushed his body forward, driving the blade deeper.
*Kwagagak! Sizzzle!*
In that state, his body began to glow red-hot.
“Let go of me, you bastard!”
“If I was going to just let you go, why would I have bothered grabbing you? Just die quietly, you hopeless little brat.”
Kroll Karim's grip was inhuman.
No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't break free.
Moreover, his skin was turning from red to a searing yellow.
The waves of heat rolling off him suggested something was about to happen.
‘I have a feeling… he's going to explode…’
The moment that thought occurred to me, a strange sound started coming from Kroll Karim's body.
*Crack. C-crack!*
It was the sound of his glowing yellow skin cracking apart.
Then, when the heat reached its peak…
A blinding flash and a deafening roar erupted from his crumbling body.
Like a burning sun.
*KABOOOOOM—!*
***
“Oh, no!”
“It can't be!”
Meanwhile, chaos erupted at Ermac Fortress.
A massive pillar of fire had engulfed Ray Carter.
His unauthorized sortie couldn't be helped.
He wasn't the type to listen to orders in the first place.
But an ending where he died in an explosion along with his opponent was completely unacceptable.
That was how high Ray Carter's standing was within the Third Prince's army.
“We have to put out the fire, now! That's the only way he might have a chance of survival!”
“I'll go down.”
As Adel spoke, stomping her feet in frustration, a grim-faced Sophia prepared to step forward.
But their movements were stopped by Ellington.
“You can't do that.”
“But…”
“It would only show weakness to the enemy, leading to disaster. Remember, this is a war where justification is everything.”
A third party intervening in a duel was tantamount to admitting defeat.
No, it would bring dishonor as grave as refusing the duel itself.
Naturally, Frantz would use the situation as a pretext to exert stronger diplomatic pressure.
‘This guy did all this! He's a dishonorable, awful person, so you should all join me, the good and handsome one!’
Something like that.
Losing Ray Carter was a painful blow, but they had to prevent an even greater loss.
Ellington gritted his teeth and glared at the pillar of fire soaring high into the sky.
What kind of grudge could a master from Corint possibly hold to go to such lengths?
“There was no disruption operation… huh?”
Come to think of it, there was something strange.
As had just crossed Ellington's mind, it was normal for those two to have never met.
That was the only way Ray Carter's report could be false and Kroll Karim could be proven to be alive.
But what had that bastard said when he requested the duel?
“He called out Ray by name. While cursing him out.”
There must have been something between them for him to act that way.
As if noticing Ellington's deliberation, Adel followed up with her opinion.
“What if the Student Council President's report was true?”
“But Kroll Karim looks perfectly fine for that to be the case, doesn't he?”
“Sir Ray probably didn't expect him to return alive. For example, maybe he healed a fatal wound with an ultimate elixir or something…”
“Or?”
“He could have returned from the dead.”
“Ah! You mean an undead.”
Ellington furrowed his brow and nodded deeply.
After the Kraus Holy State united the clergy, those who practiced black magic had all but vanished from the northeastern part of the continent.
But it was a different story in the western nations, including Corint.
The Holy State's influence didn't reach this far.
And with so much uncharted territory, it was easy for black mages to hide.
“A death knight…”
“I think so too. If it's magic, that would also explain the giant pillar of fire.”
“Unfortunately, we won't be able to use that as justification.”
“Yes, because it was done within the Kingdom of Corint's forces.”
Frantz was also quite sharp, so he must have noticed Kroll Karim's undeath.
But he'd deny it to the end, claiming ignorance.
Besides, if the body was completely incinerated, all the evidence would be destroyed, which would be perfect for him.
Ellington scanned the battlefield with an uneasy gaze.
The enemy's morale was already soaring.
From the outside, it looked as though Kroll Karim had grabbed Ray Carter and pulled off a brilliant move.
“Damn it, we can only hope the Student Council President survives.”
“The flames are too intense for that.”
With that one negative remark, Adel squeezed her eyes shut.
She could already envision a grim future for the Third Prince's army.
No matter how excellent the fortress walls were, the gap in top-tier combat power was too great.
The enemy would surely use their skilled fighters to create an opening.
And naturally, their high-morale troops would pour through it.
Ermac Fortress would fall that very day.
“We have Mac Ties, so we can certainly build a new fortress.”
“So you're planning to retreat?”
“It seems we'll have to…”
Ellington looked back at Adel, then hung his head low.
The reason he couldn't finish his sentence was simple.
Damaged pride.
Until now, hadn't he been forced to retreat time and again by Frantz's grand army?
He had fought well enough, but that didn't mean he was winning.
The enemy's strength only grew, while the Third Prince's army was in decline.
“Damn it.”
A profound sense of self-loathing struck Ellington's heart once again.
But despite his lord's poor mental state, no words of comfort came.
Normally, Adel would have offered encouragement, telling him not to worry.
Feeling something was off, he snapped his head up and saw Adel's face, her mouth agape.
She wasn't looking at him, but staring at something behind him.
“What in the world are you looking at…”
Ellington casually glanced back at the battlefield and, like Adel, found his own jaw had dropped.
An unbelievable sight was unfolding there.
Soon, a confident voice boomed out from between the two armies.
“Who's next? Cut the crap with the shabby corpse and send out a real fighter, you cowardly bastards!”