novelraw Chapter 209 : Chapter 209
Chapter 209 : Chapter 209
Chapter 209: Subjugation Battle (9)
A sword came flying.
It was a mere longsword, not even coated with an Aura Sword that even the team’s lowest members could wield.
But it was astonishingly fast and stealthy. So much so that Duke Muel’s hair stood on end from tension.
That saved Rough Schroeder.
“……!”
Duke Muel’s gravely shifting expression was a warning, and Rough didn’t ignore it. Confirming no threat ahead, he swiftly threw himself forward, saving his life from the assassin’s blade.
Slash-!
“Ugh!”
But he wasn’t unscathed.
Despite his armor, a long gash marked his back.
Whether due to dark energy or some other trick, the wound was far more painful than expected. He needed treatment quickly.
But he couldn’t.
The assassin had fully revealed himself.
Rough Schroeder realized this was no ordinary foe.
“……Looks like we need to fight together.”
“Absolutely.”
Duke Muel nodded in response.
One-armed, old, clad in plain cloth, wielding a common longsword you could buy at any forge. He lacked the battle-hardened presence or killing intent typical of a swordsman.
That was the problem.
‘Harang was like that too. The higher the level, the less you feel!’
‘A monster like this on the Red Magician’s side? An assassin so skilled that even a Master like me could lose their life if careless….’
Swallowing hard, the two Masters drew up their full Aura. Blue and yellow energy sharply enveloped their blades. The Color Sword, a Master’s hallmark.
The problem was, the one-armed old man, watching silently, manifested a Color Sword with a nonchalant expression.
Rumble-!
“Hmm.”
“As expected…”
It wasn’t surprising. Given his ambush skills and ability to perfectly control even a shred of killing intent, it would’ve been stranger if he wasn’t a Master.
Glancing at Rough Schroeder, Duke Muel shouted with a tense voice.
“I’ll take him from the front. Strike from behind when you see an opening!”
Dash-!
As soon as he spoke, Duke Muel charged forward with terrifying speed.
His Blue Sword sharply aimed for the old man’s heart. The attack was so precise it sent chills, but the old man lightly stepped back with his right foot, twisting his torso to nullify it.
Whoosh-
In that stance, he sidestepped and swung at Duke Muel’s side. A simple, straightforward, almost crude motion. But its terrifying speed made it impossible to underestimate.
Duke Muel quickly retracted his sword to parry.
Boom-!
“……!”
‘This guy… he’s far stronger than I thought!’
One clash was enough to tell.
He was superior. Far superior.
The impact through his hand was immense. Grimacing at the bone-jarring pain, Duke Muel instinctively stepped back three paces to regroup. But the old man had no intention of letting him, closing the gap with even faster steps.
Then, Rough Schroeder aimed at the old man’s back, launching an Aura projectile.
Crackle, crackle-!
A yellow Aura projectile shot with an erratic, lightning-like trajectory.
The old man, charging at Duke Muel, halted abruptly. Turning with imperceptible speed, he swung his sword, creating a circular Aura Shield. Rough Schroeder’s projectile struck it, and another roar echoed.
Kaboom!
Crack, crack…
Boom, boom, boom!
A counterattack followed immediately. The old man struck the cracked Aura Shield, causing it to explode and scatter forward. Hundreds of Aura Shield fragments flew like hidden weapons. Rough Schroeder dove aside in panic, but some team members couldn’t dodge and perished.
There was no time to mourn. The old man, kicking away Duke Muel who had targeted his back, slid forward with ghostly movements like gliding on ice, standing before Rough Schroeder and swinging his sword down like an axe chopping wood.
Bang!
Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Ugh!”
Rough Schroeder barely dodged by rolling on the ground.
A few more seconds, and the assassin’s sword would’ve cleaved him apart, but Duke Muel’s intervention bought him time.
Whoosh-!
Duke Muel charged at the old man, moving as if his sword and body were one, displaying awe-inspiring presence.
Even the old man couldn’t ignore it, turning from Rough Schroeder and lowering his stance steadily.
Then, a vertical downward slash.
Raised so swiftly it was imperceptible, the sword fell with twice the ferocity, striking Duke Muel’s attack with force.
Clang!
Boom-!
“Ugh, ha…!”
Duke Muel, who seemed one with his sword, was pushed back, leaving a deep trail in the ground, coughing violently.
Leaning on his sword, staggering to his feet, he muttered in shock.
“No way, this… this is impossible…!”
“…….”
Rough Schroeder, saved by Duke Muel, felt similarly.
They weren’t among the continent’s top Masters. Rated mid-tier in the south, they’d be barely mid-low tier among all Masters.
But still, a Sword Master was a Sword Master.
One of the world’s top swordsmen, fewer than forty in number.
And yet, fighting together, they were at such a disadvantage?
With no hope of victory, forced to fight so desperately?
Who…
‘Who is this old man?’
‘Where did this one-armed old man come from? I’ve never heard of such a person!’
Despair crept into the two Masters’ expressions.
It was only natural.
Their target was the Red Magician. Yet, before even facing him, they encountered a monstrous foe, putting a quarter of their forces at risk of annihilation.
Worse, their subordinates weren’t faring well either. Unknown Creatures of the Red Magician were slowly encircling them. Tension, fear, dread, and despair crept into everyone’s faces.
‘…What do we do?’
Duke Muel thought.
The answer was clear. Defeat this one-armed assassin leader somehow, then lead the subordinates to deal with the Creatures. That was the best and only way to survive.
But how?
How could they gain the upper hand and secure victory against this monster?
Step, step.
Swoosh…
While thinking this, the one-armed old man slowly approached.
A chilling coldness washed over them. The frost blooming with each step, the ice scattered with each swing, cooled the cave. Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder quickly circulated their Aura. It pained them to waste energy, but without it, the cold would stiffen their bodies.
Then, for the first time, the old man’s voice rang out.
“Time to die.”
“…….”
“No way…”
Rustle-
As Rough Schroeder spat out a response, the old man appeared before him like a ghost, thrusting his sword indifferently. Rough, startled, parried reflexively, but another blade, faster than before, sliced at his side.
Slash-!
“Argh!”
Despite his best efforts, Rough Schroeder suffered another deep wound. Clutching his side with his left hand, he staggered back. Seeing this, Duke Muel charged forward with all his might to aid him.
But his eyes were already filled with emptiness.
They couldn’t win.
They absolutely couldn’t win. In the end, they’d be buried here without achieving anything.
With such thoughts, his sword lacked strength.
Clang-!
Whoosh… clatter!
His sword was flung far by the old man’s parry.
As it fell powerlessly to the ground, the old man prepared his next move.
His sword rose high again.
Like lightning falling from the sky, yet dark and stealthy without a hint of light, it descended toward Duke Muel’s head.
Duke Muel, seeing his life flash before his eyes like a panorama, gave a hollow laugh.
But then.
Whoosh-!
Clang!
“Hmm!”
A hidden weapon from afar struck the old man’s sword, altering its trajectory.
Dodging it narrowly, Duke Muel looked toward the source with a startled expression, then smiled brighter than ever.
Allies.
Heitz and the Acanthus members, Gael, the Mercenary King, and other powerhouses.
A timely arrival, like an army of reinforcements.
‘Good, now we can win!’
‘Somehow… we’ll make it….’
Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder thought simultaneously.
With Gael and Heitz, two more Master-level forces joined. Not just them—Mercenary King, Konjinyu, and other formidable fighters had arrived. This fight was as good as won.
But.
As if mocking their thoughts, reinforcements arrived for the one-armed old man too…
“Greetings, everyone.”
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
The calamity of the south.
One of the top three most dangerous figures on the continent.
A being who sought to transcend humanity’s limits to become a Demon, Greg Pellegrino.
He bowed politely to everyone, then raised his head.
In his sight was the intense blue light unleashed by Heitz, the strongest of Acanthus.
Thud-
Boom-!
Struck by the Aura projectile, the Red Magician’s form exploded spectacularly, his severed head rolling like a broken doll to the center of the subjugation team.
The head, stained with black blood, spoke.
“Shall we start the party?”