Black Badger

Chapter 471: The Knight of Reversed Eyes

“Wow.”

Jaeyeon let out a sound like he couldn’t believe it.

“He’s forcing his way through that like an idiot.”

Colton didn’t react.

They hadn’t moved since the Core swallowed up Zone X. But now, the only one left near Colton was Jaeyeon. Every other limb and underling had gone out to deal with Hildebert, who was cutting straight across the garden and coming in.

They were pouring every bit of usable force into stopping Hildebert.

Even though they knew full well that, even if they emptied out almost everything, it would likely still be not enough. Still, they sent out every last underling they had.

Everyone they sent out boasted respectable skill.

None of them were on the level of Lee Seunghyun or Jaeyeon, but most were strong enough to be the head of an underling cadre serving the lower Elders.

You could say they were on par with Erich Erhart’s underling Levi, or just a notch below.

If Hildebert had marched their knight forward carrying a sword with its edge blunted, Colton’s underlings would have at least enjoyed the pleasure of taking its head.

Then they could have thrown more kindling onto the flames of victory, too. But the one shown on the screen right now possessed monstrous strength and, unlike a Core, also had a personality—meaning if you shook his mind, you might glimpse a path to victory.

Yet whether out of arrogance or caution, Hildebert chose to enter the field alone.

No.

Was it wisdom?

Bzzzt!

With every step he took, the ground beneath him charred pitch-black.

His steps were slow and heavy. The marks he left behind were vivid. As if poison were spreading, the place where his foot had lingered died into a black hue.

Smoke rising from his body.

Only the sound of footsteps—then the light on the screen shifted slightly.

The frame of the massive wall-filling screen began to tint blue.

Edges dyed by an artificial light, as though someone had sprayed an effect over them.

Paaang!

With a tremendous bang, the screen filled with smoke.

Paang! Papapapapapaang!

Hildebert’s figure drifted down slowly from the top of the screen to the bottom. And at him, from the left, the right, and below the screen, dense laser cannons flew in.

[Captain!]

Ah, right.

It’s only fun if you get the proper reactions from the audience.

But what followed didn’t make Jaeyeon’s indifferent eyes shine. With the clock blurred, there was only the sound of air tearing.

From all through the hazy smoke, blue and white sparks burst out.

Each time, the arc of those sparks that lit the screen differed a little—appearing in a clean semicircle, then bursting into a cross shape, and later, somehow, the entire screen was evenly covered in a halo of light.

A semicircle or a cross, sure—you’d say he swung his sword like that.

But what was it supposed to mean when the whole screen turned pale and bluish?

Jaeyeon lifted one eyebrow, but he didn’t find the answer.

When the smoke cleared, Hildebert appeared—his clothes torn in places, yet thanks to rapid regeneration, not a single wound on him.

The man with white hair fluttering let out a slow breath.

“Haaah...”

White vapor rose.

[Aim.]

A dry voice came not from the screen in front, but from a speaker behind them.

Sound spilling out of an underling’s comm.

[Fire.]

Tadadadadadadadaang!

Instead of laser cannons, bullets rained down.

This time, you couldn’t catch the attack with your naked eye on the screen. You only saw Hildebert set the flat of his sword, then swing it.

Bullets that struck the flat of the blade ricocheted away, and the rounds he couldn’t block with the blade’s flat punched through the knight’s body.

Tsssss!

Flesh blown away along with blood regenerated through smoke.

As though he were strictly controlling the speed of regeneration, the process was visible. Resting his chin in his hand, Jaeyeon watched as the area around Hildebert’s eyes darkened slightly.

If an ordinary Child of the World Tree were standing there, he wouldn’t have lasted even a minute before scorching his sclera pitch-black.

But Hildebert was a Swordmaster.

Those who control every muscle in the body—from fingertips to toes—with absurd meticulousness.

The sclera darkened, then stopped short.

Amid the torrent of gunfire, Hildebert lowered his upper body.

A thin sword stroke swept across the screen like a wave.

Woom!

Srrrk...

From the speaker behind them came the sound of the person struck by that sword stroke being cut apart and dropping to the floor.

That no panicked screaming followed—only that—proved how capable the underlings were.

Tsssss!

Regenerating again and again, Hildebert calmly continued approaching the mansion.

“Can’t even use missiles because of the explosives buried under there. Boring.”

Jaeyeon muttered.

He was slumped down on the floor beside Colton’s chair.

“And it doesn’t look like he’s planning to throw any nice, clean sword strokes either.”

[I will release the sword.]

A report came through the speaker.

Colton set down the glass with valentine inside.

“Do so.”

[Captain!]

From the speaker came the sound of a cage being opened.

Every time, that sound reminded you of the sound the mafia opened cages with when they staged matches against Creatures. Because in practice, it was almost the same situation.

Listening to the kiiiik, sound, Jaeyeon recalled his enjoyable police days with Asil, and the fun Colosseum show.

Badgers flopping on the arena floor like fish, corrupt cops and mafia pointing guns at each other, Asil charging at him veins bulging the instant he saw him—

The most enjoyable part was the absurdly convenient amnesia. Among eyes gleaming with fury, Hildebert’s clear, guileless face, knowing nothing.

Suddenly, he wanted to see everyone who’d been in that chaos, all at once.

It had been a noisy, exhilarating party.

Lifting the chin he’d been resting on his hand, Jaeyeon smiled.

Instead of fireworks, gunpowder smoke had bloomed, but that show—certainly more than gunfire—had been a pleasant game where emotions made the air tremble.

And as a bonus, there was the thrill akin to an artisan’s delight at watching a twisted stage move perfectly as intended.

[It’s a living sword!]

“I’d have preferred the Usurper, honestly.”

He muttered—he, who had somehow obtained the Emperor’s memories.

An upper-rank monster called the Usurper, which had once infiltrated the Black Badgers’ research wing. Even now, it was alive outside the Core. Back then, the Usurper had been caught up in the self-destruction of the AI made by ‘beloved’ Yun (borrowing the feelings of an ex-fiancée), but it hadn’t been pulverized—rather, the blast had shoved it out beyond the teleportation array.

But unfortunately, they didn’t have the power or the breathing room to capture a monster of that caliber.

“What a shame.”

Clang!

Swords met.

Hildebert faced the floating monster’s sword in midair.

Two blades, motionless for an instant.

Claaang, clang!

Claaang!

Jaeyeon couldn’t follow the trajectory of the blades.

He only understood that the two swords locked in opposition had exchanged blows five or six times.

And that Hildebert lowered his silver blade, then—with a clang!—forced the floating sword down toward the ground.

The ‘living sword,’ shoved as if it would be driven into the floor, then shooting upward into the sky, whirled and stood upright in midair—then plunged down at Hildebert like a cross.

Claaang!

If Hildebert had dodged and the ‘living sword’ had been driven into the floor, the bombs would have detonated.

But the white-haired knight didn’t dodge. Instead, with the tip of his blade, he stabbed the tip of the ‘living sword.’

The impact must have been enormous, yet the one that went flying was the upper-rank monster.

[Captain!]

An excited shout rang out.

[Captain! So cool! Captain’s sword! Captain’s swordsmanship!]

“Was it Rose?”

Colton murmured.

The instant Jaeyeon heard it, a violent jealousy surged up.

An emotion Jaeyeon never managed to fully understand. No—an emotion he didn’t want to understand. The greed that Colton Wiseman’s ace card should be him, and there must not be another.

An emotion that, after it raked fiercely through his body, left behind self-loathing and shame.

He shot back softly.

“What a small vessel.... Didn’t know you’d take a liking to them.”

“I found it interesting.”

“Ugh, amore—disgustingly enormous love! You hate those types of humans too, don’t you.”

“Romance is precious.”

Jaeyeon rose, then placed his hand to Colton’s cheek and let out a slick smile.

Then he moved the hand on Colton’s face and held him so their foreheads pressed together.

“Wouldn’t it be fine to soak in sentiment after you’ve stopped breathing?”

Colton shoved Jaeyeon away.

“You’re getting above yourself.”

Jaeyeon flared for an instant, but this wasn’t the time to sulk like a child. He grabbed Colton’s face again, and with a grimly resolute expression, seized his tie.

But his teasing voice stayed refreshingly shameless.

“Because you don’t feel any impulse toward a dog that’s lying flat on its belly.”

As Colton, without looking at him, straightened his own tie, Jaeyeon frowned and added one more line.

“I pretended to get jealous over someone who’s about to die anyway.”

Only then did Colton let out a faint chuckle.

“At the very least, you and I will die on the same day.”

Jaeyeon bared his teeth, about to throw a tantrum—

Clang!

—but the sharp sound from the screen pulled their attention away.

They lifted their heads and took Hildebert in once more.

The monster called the living sword was still intact.

Hildebert’s white hair, scattering with every movement, remained unscathed. The blade sliced freely through the air as it lunged at him, yet Hildebert elegantly knocked aside the descending, razor-edged strike. When it curved behind to aim for the back of his neck, the knight whipped his upper body around and flicked the sword away.

But in a situation this close to a deadlock, if many rushed in at once, things would change.

[Move in.]

The order dropped.

The underlings obeyed immediately. Instead of giving crisp verbal responses, they rushed straight toward the knight fighting the living sword.

The gunfire that had sounded each time the upper-rank monster shot into the sky abruptly stopped.

Instead, several men gripped knives and machetes and charged Hildebert.

Standing on ground that charred black beneath him, Hildebert turned his head sharply, expressionless.

Golden eyes fixed on the five humans rushing him at once.

Seizing that opening, the living sword dropped from the air.

Thud!

Hildebert stepped back, avoiding the monster plunging toward the crown of his head, and caught the living sword with the pommel of his blade.

The instant the tip of the living sword embedded itself into the tip of the greatsword, Hildebert swung the greatsword together with the upper-rank monster pinned on it.

Three of the rushing attackers lost their hands.

Those whose hands fell drew guns with their remaining ones and aimed at the Titan. The ones whose hands were still intact ducked low and drove inward toward Hildebert.

The knight changed the angle of his swinging blade and retracted it, slicing through those forcing their way in.

Srrrk.

Bodies split cleanly in two, as if struck by laser cannons.

Bang!

Someone outside the sword’s arc fired at his face.

Pshhk!

The shot blew away part of Hildebert’s left ear and head.

But the ear and skull slowly regenerated. Tadadadadadaang! The underlings on standby unleashed gunfire without regard for the men standing directly in front of the Titan.

Hildebert seemed to decide not to deflect the bullets this time, choosing instead to deal with the monster plunging down again.

Dozens of holes opened through his body.

Isn’t that already beyond the state of being alive?

Zzzzzzt!

The thought had barely ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) formed when the sound of absorption followed.

The smoke deepened.

Shrrk!

The underling who hadn’t even fallen while taking bullets was cut cleanly in half.

Hildebert, looking almost as though he were made of foam, muttered:

[It’s been a while since I fought without being able to use large sword strokes.]

One eye darkened further.

[That’s not bad either.]

[Don’t give him breathing room. Press in.]

The underlings kicked off the field and rushed him.

Those who confirmed that the barrage of bullets did nothing shifted tactics immediately.

Standing with one leg cocked, Jaeyeon watched as the underlings surged in disciplined unison toward the smoke-wreathed Titan.

He watched Hildebert swing the silver greatsword, pulverizing the enhanced humans charging him like a processed-meat grinder.

Zzzzzk.

They’re all going to die.

Jaeyeon assessed coldly.

Because Hildebert wasn’t being pushed back—he was walking toward them.

He walked forward, splitting the charging underlings apart with nauseating cutting power. One came apart into head, torso, and legs as if placed inside a magician’s box. One was cleanly severed at the waist. Another lost everything above the shoulders, as if decapitated.

Corpses piled up.

Blackened death-marks spread wider across the ground.

Slowly.

One step.

Another...

They did not expect Hildebert to be riddled with bullets and die.

Their ultimate goal was to increase the speed of absorption and accelerate his rampage.

To make him lose the reins of control.

Turn to ash.

Jaeyeon thought as he watched Hildebert advance, one arduous step at a time.

Burn black and finally rest.

***

A dark space with one entire wall covered in screens.

At Colton’s feet lay Luke Lyle, asleep like a corpse.

Beside Colton, Jaeyeon sat slumped on the floor, chin propped in his hand, letting out a sigh.

And in front of Colton—beneath Luke Lyle’s body—an ashen stretch of ground spread out.

Roughly oval. Just about that size.

Within that patch of ashen earth, futile ash-like sand rose in a faint breeze, lifting and vanishing somewhere, over and over.

But no one paid attention to the strange sight, as if a glitch had torn through space itself.

Neither Colton nor Jaeyeon gave it a glance. They simply waited for the owner of the approaching footsteps drawing nearer to the theater.

Ah, that nostalgic scent.

The scent of rampage.

The smell of a Titan blessed by the World Tree burning and burning his own nerves.

Thud!

The door opened.

Blood and the stench of iron rolled in. Drops of blood dripped to the floor.

The mansion, too, lay within the field; the instant the visitor stepped inside, the floor beneath his foot shriveled black.

Expensive carpet.

Jaeyeon grumbled inwardly.

Sloppy. Staining the floor like that.

Step.

The other foot entered the theater fully.

Sclera almost entirely burned black.

Clothes soaked in blood, smoke rising.

His beautiful greatsword gleaming as though it emitted light in the darkness.

The half of his heart exposed outside his chest proved that he still hadn’t lost control of the rampage. The red organ beat—thud, thud—gradually being covered by regenerating flesh.

White hair clung in blood-stiffened strands.

Blood and sweat dotted his pale brows.

Hildebert stopped in front of the screen that now showed nothing but the garden covered in the corpses of underlings.

“Colton.”

Hildebert greeted him.

“My old adversarial friend.”

Colton accepted the greeting calmly.

“My old friend.”

Hildebert did not answer for a moment.

Then he lifted his sword and brought it to his face.

The blade gently scraped across the scar on the man’s neat face.

Two streams of blood ran down from the twin scars.

Zzzzzzt!

The wounds that had poured blood across his face sealed instantly.

The scars vanished without a trace. The man standing opposite them returned to the face they knew.

His eyelids lifted slowly.

Hildebert looked at them with a familiar face.

The reversed eyes shone.