Chapter 92
Chapter 92
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Unmasked Power
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hah! Hah!"
Adel Richter gritted her teeth, searching the forest.
But the dense undergrowth made finding Camil a futile task.
After searching to no avail, she retraced her steps.
She felt she would get lost otherwise.
Just then, the first clash between the Four-Armed Knight and Ray Carter took place.
Claaaaang!
Sent flying back by the thunderous noise, he dug his feet into the ground to withstand the impact.
"...He withstood that?"
Seeing Ray hold his ground, Adel shook her head violently.
But that didn't change what had happened.
Frankly, it was a scene that was hard to comprehend.
It was a blow that even top-tier talents of Venderford like Frantz or Ellington would struggle to block, even if they joined forces.
Though her own combat prowess was somewhat lacking, her eye for skill was considerable.
"Just what is he?"
A student admitted by donation who defeated formidable rivals to claim the student council presidency.
And wasn't he said to have mastered only the Imperial Sound Lock Sword and the Velgart Energy Arts?
Could such a person fight on equal terms with the Four-Armed Knight, a guardian of the Titan?
No matter how she racked her brain, the only answer she could come up with was that it was impossible.
Just then, something strange happened to Ray Carter as he was pushed back.
Crack! Crunch!
Along with the bizarre sound of bones shifting, his face began to change.
"Ah!"
Adel Richter let out a gasp of astonishment.
The sunlight pouring through the canopy exquisitely illuminated Ray.
"He's... handsome? Why?"
His black hair and eyes stood in stark contrast to his pale skin.
From his gently sloping jawline to his perfectly measured facial proportions, he was flawless.
His gaze, enough to make any woman's guard falter, maximized his masculine charm.
The difference from before was so drastic that she felt an immense sense of disconnect.
As if sensing Adel's presence, Ray Carter's gaze turned her way.
Despite his true face being revealed, his expression was no different than before.
"Find him?"
* * *
"Ah, no."
At her answer, I tilted my head.
The forest was so dense, it was natural that the search would be difficult.
'But why does she look so dazed? It's not like I scolded her for not finding him quickly.'
As I stared at her, bewildered, I quickly realized the reason.
Adel's gaze was fixed on my face.
For a moment I thought, *oops*, but I didn't let it show.
Considering the Four-Armed Knight's power, undoing the Seven-Joint Face-Changing Technique was inevitable.
The chances of my real face being revealed during the fight were high anyway.
'Besides, I get to witness such a rare sight. Not a bad outcome.'
When else would I get to see the always-composed Adel Richter look so flustered?
Only in a special situation like this.
"Don't worry about me and go. If things get hairy, you can just escape."
Heh! A nice, self-sacrificing line.
I twitched my hand, almost raising it before putting it back down.
I had to stop myself from unconsciously facepalming.
If I showed any signs of narcissism here, I'd ruin the mood I've set.
Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice.
"But how can I do that?"
"Why? Can't bear to leave because I'm too handsome?"
"That's not what I meant."
"I'll pass on the excessive attention. I have my own circumstances."
"Ugh! Fine."
"Stop sighing and find Camil first. He didn't look like he was in good shape."
"Yes."
She nodded with a determined expression and disappeared in another direction.
Then, I turned back to the Four-Armed Knight.
There was no more time for jokes.
The time for the decisive battle had come.
Rumble! Thump! Shhhk.
The creature was moving its mount to retrieve the sword it had thrown at me.
But it couldn't find the spear that had disappeared into the forest.
'Three weapons left? This should be manageable.'
I only had to pay a little less attention to one of its four arms.
However, that thought was mercilessly shattered by the creature's next move.
Tssssssss! Grab!
When the Four-Armed Knight held out its empty hand to the side, a massive gray spear shot up from the ground.
It looked pristine, as if it had just been forged.
"What, that cheap bastard?"
Who generates weapons from the ground?
This is a total cheat.
As I stared in disbelief, the creature's movements changed abruptly.
The moment it pulled out the new spear, it hurled it right at me.
Shiiiiiik!
"I already predicted it this time, you bastard!"
Having already lowered my stance in preparation, I immediately launched myself forward.
To dodge an attack coming in a straight line, the safest direction was to the side.
But my body was instead charging forward.
Because moving sideways would mean I'd have to keep dodging.
No matter how strong the opponent, I had no intention of just defending.
'I have to beat it down to win!'
Offense is one of the best defenses.
As I shot forward diagonally, the massive spear grazed past my shoulder.
Whoooosh!
The fierce wind pressure battered my body, but I didn't lose my balance.
I had more than enough grit to endure this much.
After boldly diving in, an opening I couldn't see from a distance was revealed.
'Its lower left is open. If I pierce it there, it won't be able to move!'
Though its four arms made its anatomy a little different, the Four-Armed Knight was fundamentally humanoid.
Its weak points were probably not much different from a human's.
I thrust the Black Dragon Sword, intending to slice through its lungs and pancreas.
Swish!
With a writhing sensation, the Demonic Soul added a powerful aura.
The strike, filled with potent energy, shot out in a strange curve.
The third form of the Heaven-Severing Demonic Chain Sword, the Heaven-Severing Demonic Moon, was the ultimate in swift swordsmanship.
Combined with the stealth of the Demonic Wheel Kill, its power was doubled.
The shimmering, light-gray tip of the sword advanced smoothly and pierced the Four-Armed Knight's side.
No, for an instant, it *seemed* to have pierced it.
Kaaaaang!
"Huh?"
As a sharp metallic sound rang out and a strong repulsive force hit me, I let out a dazed sound.
I hadn't expected this result at all.
'Damn, it's ridiculously tough.'
To think its defense was this high even without armor.
I scowled and threw myself to the side.
If I just stood there blankly after a failed attack, I'd be crushed in an instant.
Shwaaaak! Kwwaaaang!
Just as I expected, the arm on its lower right swung a mace.
If I hadn't reflexively dodged, I would have been turned into scrambled tomatoes.
I had dodged the counterattack, but the crisis wasn't over.
Fwoooosh! Skwakwakwak!
Immediately after, the massive sword and saber fell, gleaming with sharp energy.
"Ah, right, this bastard has more than one or two arms."
Realizing I couldn't escape, I immediately unleashed the fourth form of the Heaven-Severing Demonic Chain Sword, the Heaven-Severing Ten Thousand Spirits.
There was no better choice to block the Four-Armed Knight's continuous attacks.
Charrrrr!
With a distinct, faint sound, hundreds of gray orbs were released.
But deep inside, a sense of unease was spreading.
'It's incomplete.'
Though I had barely managed to deploy it by relying on the Demonic Soul's power, the Heaven-Severing Ten Thousand Spirits was an unfinished technique.
Unleashed in a hurry, its full power couldn't be realized.
The moment it clashed with the enemy, my anxiety amplified.
Tudududung!
"Kuhk!"
As expected, the unstable orbs were shattered to pieces by the Four-Armed Knight's attacks.
Some of them dealt definite damage, but overall, they lacked power.
'Still, I have to get out.'
I tried to quickly pull back, using the brief opening created by the Ten Thousand Spirits.
But the Four-Armed Knight's offensive was not lenient enough to allow a safe escape.
Shupababak! Jjeoooong!
"Keoheok!"
The enemy's saber broke through the feast of gray orbs.
I tried to strike the blade as it came close, but I was the one who got wrecked.
I was sent flying back after taking a massive blow.
Kagagagak!
As I dug my feet into the ground to slow down, my eyes shot open.
A sticky, unpleasant feeling stimulated my sixth sense.
I kicked off the ground hard and leaped even farther away.
Then, a thunderous roar erupted from behind me.
Kwaaaaang!
"Ugh! Crazy!"
Glancing at where I had just landed, I saw the Four-Armed Knight's massive spear embedded there.
If I had landed there, my body would have been pierced vertically from the crown of my head down.
Landing after a somersault, I supported myself with the Black Dragon Sword.
Drip! Drip-drop!
At the same time, dark red blood trickled down my jawline and dripped to the ground.
'Internal injuries after just the second clash... If this isn't a quick fight, I don't stand a chance.'
I didn't know about its level, but the gap in strength, weight, and defense was stark.
On top of that, the damn thing didn't seem to tire.
No, I even doubted if it breathed at all.
According to Adel, it was some kind of gargoyle, wasn't it?
"I guess I have to take a risk."
I gripped the Black Dragon Sword firmly with both hands and held it close to my chest.
A part of my face was reflected on the clean blade.
A gray light was already pouring from my eyes.
It was proof that I was wielding an immense amount of aura.
Tssssssss!
My entire body was now wreathed in a burning aura.
After closing my eyes for a moment to focus, I snapped them open and lowered my stance.
Swish!
Then, my figure, which had vanished for a moment, reached the Four-Armed Knight's presence in the blink of an eye.
Heaven-Severing Extreme Supremacy.
Shiiiiik—! Fwoom!
What I unleashed was a new sword technique, a combination of the fifth form of the Heaven-Severing Nine Harmony Sword, the Heaven-Severing Extreme Fall, and the Dark Chain Kill.
The advanced assassination art hadn't been properly integrated yet, so it was quite noisy.
But what I needed now wasn't stealth, so I deployed the technique without concern.
The Heaven-Severing Extreme Supremacy was an extreme sword of dominance that focused all of one's power into a single point.
'I'll end it all with this one move!'
I was confident I could pierce through the enemy's defense, no matter how high it was.
The Four-Armed Knight must have sensed this as well, as it moved to block with all four of its arms.
First was the tip of its longest weapon, the spear.
Kwachang—!
Wreathed in gray flames, I pierced through the creature's massive spear in a single blow.
The moment it collided with the Heaven-Severing Extreme Supremacy, the victor was decided.
Immediately after, the second and third attacks were launched.
The sword and saber were swung repeatedly to cut me down, but the result was the same as the first.
Kwa-gwang!
With an explosive sound, the two blades shattered.
However, my charging speed and the power of the Heaven-Severing Extreme Supremacy had diminished slightly.
'This is the last one. I just have to break through this.'
The fourth attack was from the mace, the weapon with the largest and heaviest surface area.
Teeeeoooong!
This time, a fierce metallic clang erupted, and the Black Dragon Sword's movement came to a dead stop.
For a moment, it was as if time had stopped; even the surrounding sounds ceased.
'Was I blocked?'
It seemed that even an ultimate sword of dominance couldn't pierce through all of the Four-Armed Knight's weapons.
But just then.
Jjeojeojeok! Jjeok!
Cracks started to form where the sword tip met the mace, spreading across the entire weapon.
"Graaaaaaah!"
I let out a roar-like kiai and pushed the Black Dragon Sword forward with all my might.
The mace shattered, and at the same time, the tip of my sword plunged into the Four-Armed Knight's neck.
Chaeng! Kwajik