novelraw Chapter 203 : Cruel Touch (3)
Chapter 203 : Cruel Touch (3)
Chapter 203: Cruel Touch (3)
Pajijijijik!
As the cracks engraved across the entire Pitch-Black Coffin shattered, white lightning burst outward.
It resonated with the lightning of the ‘White Castle’ that filled the sky, then poured down ten thousand thunders into it.
Kwa-kwaang! Kwa-kwa-kwaang! Kwa-kwaang!
The lightning bolts that had been striking in all directions began, at some point, to converge on a single spot.
“Kuaaaaaaagh!”
The number of lightning bolts increased exponentially.
As the lightning multiplied, Kamio’s screams grew louder.
Pasusseuk. Pasuseuk.
From within the Pitch-Black Coffin that was crumbling away into dust, I walked out.
“I really almost got beaten to death. Ah…….”
Was it because my face had taken most of the hits?
I felt something flowing, wiped it with my finger, and noticed it.
“…A nosebleed?”
And it was flowing from both nostrils.
With my pride hurt, I wiped under my nose once with the inside of my right sleeve and looked at Kamio.
Even now, Kamio was continuing to take the falling lightning like a lightning rod.
At that, I forcefully slashed my raised index finger downward.
Kururururung! Beonjeok!
For a moment, it seemed as though silence fell, and then a gigantic light—like all the lightning combined—came crashing down.
It was as if the spear of a god was being driven down.
The sound that followed came a beat later.
Kwaaang—!
“Ah!”
It even made me wonder if this was the kind of sound a nuclear bomb would make when it fell.
Of course, back when I lived in the Republic of Korea, I had only ever seen such things in videos, so it was just a guess.
That was how immense the lightning I manifested was—it spread outward, bringing with it a tremendous storm after the flash.
Hwaaaaaak!
Fortunately, the aftermath of the storm couldn’t escape outside thanks to the ‘White Castle’.
But those inside had their vision obscured once again by dirt and frost whipping in from all sides.
“Ptoo! Ptoo! Dirt got in my mouth! Ueuk!”
Who knew how much blood and flesh from people and monsters had clung to that dirt.
If I’d had the leeway, I might have vomited.
But setting Kamio aside, the Marquis of the Demon Realm, Zelphinia, was still there.
“Next time, I should consider situations like this before using magic.”
The explosion earlier and the aftermath now both came back in such a filthy way.
Unable to allow even the slightest opening, I swung the sword I was holding.
As the wind pressure from the blade split apart the swirling dirt and frost, they were blown away in all directions.
At the spot where the lightning had struck, a pitch-black object stood, smoke rising from it.
Shiiiiiiik!
As it rapidly cooled from the frost’s chill, a dull, charred stench spread.
“Is it still alive?”
Valam and Agares had vanished immediately upon dying.
So I didn’t loosen my guard and slowly approached.
At that moment, the ground undulated, then rose up like the mouth of a sea anemone and swallowed the pitch-black mass that was Kamio.
“What is it trying to do? More importantly, wasn’t it only using wind? No. It seems to use earth even better.”
The feeling was different. In the meantime, Kamio’s presence, which had gone underground, began to fade.
No—if my senses were right, it was more accurate to say it scattered like air.
Then, gradually, I began to detect a presence that was growing stronger.
As the mound-like earth sank down, Zelphinia revealed herself.
“To make Kamio like that. Truly……, that was unexpected.”
As the skin that had been like white jade darkened, pitch-black light flashed in her eyes.
The swelling aura surpassed the level of awakening.
Without realizing it, I frowned.
“Did you eat him? Do demons eat their own kind too?”
“We do not eat our kin. What this is, is called a sacrifice.”
“That’s some serious double standards.”
A phrase I’d heard back when I lived in the Republic of Korea slipped out.
Of course, Zelphinia didn’t understand its meaning and only tilted her head.
“You’re the type that pretends to be dignified while doing who knows what behind the scenes.”
“Do not insult the demon race.”
“You eat each other and talk about insult?”
Hearing that, Zelphinia erupted with a fierce pitch-black aura.
The ground heaved under the pressure of her energy, shaking the waves of the surrounding ‘White Castle’.
‘If things go wrong, the barrier might break.’
That was also because I had poured an enormous amount of lightning onto Kamio earlier.
“The being who slew three great demon races.”
“One of them was eaten by you.”
“In the name of Zelphinia, Marquis of the Demon Realm, I shall pass judgment upon you.”
“No. One of them is you. Are you ignoring me?”
Despite our eyes meeting continuously, Zelphinia only spewed what she wanted to say and unleashed a terrifying presence.
The ground around us was already surging like waves. There was no telling what might burst out at any moment.
Shuaaaaaak!
Cha-cha-chaeng! Cha-cha-cha-chaeng!
I deflected the suddenly flying blue blades with my sword imbued with aura.
There was a heavy weight and a sharp chill to them.
‘Can she also wield the authority of ice that Kamio possessed?’
I thought she’d only devoured his power……, but I felt the need to be even more cautious.
‘Even if I need time to recover later, I can’t afford to conserve my strength now.’
I saw Zelphinia raise both hands.
At the same time, the undulating ground surged upward from both sides, presenting sharp spikes like a trap.
Kwa-kwaang!
The speed was terrifyingly fast.
If I hadn’t immediately used Absolute Step and Shrinking Ground, my entire body would have been swallowed by a trap made of who knew what.
Of course, Zelphinia’s attack didn’t end there.
Chwachang! Chwa-chwa-chwachang!
Thousands of swords, spears, and other metal weapons—mixed with various minerals and frigid energy—rose up, densely surrounding me.
“Your swordsmanship and movement are quite decent. Then let’s see how long you can keep blocking and dodging.”
It wasn’t even a test worth calling a test.
The moment her words ended, the metal weapons that had been floating began to move.
Swaaaaaak! Cha-cha-chaeng! Cha-chaeng! Cha-cha-cha-chaeng!
As the sharp metal pieces collided with one another in midair, a deafening noise rang out.
Raion was pushing through the gaps, advancing while knocking away swords, spears, and arrows that flew in through the openings.
True Martial Art Hand-to-Hand Combat Shining Dragon
With the aura of White Lightning Flash spread throughout my entire body, I was able to move as if winding and sweeping like the wind.
Zelphinia’s metal weapons rode along that flow as they passed by.
‘An aura circle……!’
While avoiding the relentless attacks, I focused below my solar plexus.
A new power I had awakened after meeting the dragon Finzel Gloria.
Centered on blue mana, white aura was spinning rapidly.
It was a presence that no one could see, and that only I could feel.
Hwiieeeeeeeek!
As the speed of the circle increased further, my energy surged violently, as if exploding.
“…Hm?”
Zelphinia’s calm expression, as she watched me, hardened.
Admiration and fear were conveyed at the same time—how could such an aura be felt from a human?
“You bastard! Are you truly human―!”
Even at Zelphinia’s furious shout, I did not answer.
Just before the continuously pouring swords, spears, and arrows reached me, I traced their trajectories with my sword.
Swaaak!
It was as if our times had gone out of sync.
The metal weapons that froze in midair were chopped into small fragments and fell to the ground.
“Whether I’m human or not isn’t something you need to care about.”
The power Zelphinia had gained after swallowing Kamio was extremely formidable.
Yet what was shaking her?
Because of my suddenly changed aura……?
“How does a human dare covet the realm of the gods―!
Imbellis, piceis, niger, sanctus, inexorabilis, adstat, et judex crudelis
(O craven saint clad in pitch-black, an ungenerous bystander, a judge cruel yet incapable of true cruelty.)
Proditionis vestigia non sunt splendida
(O traces of betrayal, lacking all brilliance).”
The long incantation was rapidly recited from Zelphinia’s mouth.
Of course, I couldn’t understand its meaning.
But like what Kamio had done earlier, I could feel that it was the manifestation of power close to a last resort.
“Those who trespass upon the realm of the gods. Those who dare covet a higher order of existence shall be judged!”
Earth surged up and covered Zelphinia’s entire body.
Was she trying to become a shaggy monster like Kamio? Or was she transforming into something else entirely?
In response, I unleashed and swung the aura of White Lightning Flash.
Swaaaaaak! Chwaaak!
“Kiiiaaaaak!”
Zelphinia’s scream, struck by my sword slash, echoed from beyond the thickly piled mound of earth.
Even so, the earth did not stop and continued piling up.
The height of the soil shot up all the way to the top of the 30-meter-tall ‘White Castle’.
“No way……, she’s not coming out at that height, right?”
If that really happened, it would be several times larger than Kamio, who had transformed like Bigfoot.
Pajijik! Pajijijik!
As the distance closed, the lightning of the ‘White Castle’ began to writhe.
In the meantime, my aura flew out several more times, but the thickly layered earth was not cut through—it was gouged out briefly, then filled again, repeating the cycle.
“Is it impossible to cut it in that state?”
Just in case, I drew the power of the aura circle up to its maximum.
The circle below my solar plexus spun rapidly like before, and dense aura of White Lightning Flash poured out.
My sword-swinging motion became so fast it blurred.
A white slashing strike cut diagonally through the massive mound of earth from the lower left.
Chwaaaaaak―!
“Kiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Along with the scream, the once-solid mound of earth split apart, and black liquid burst forth.
Wobbling, the mound collapsed, chunks falling away.
Pasusseuk.
What emerged from within was…… a snake whose thickness alone was twice that of an adult, and whose length was impossible to gauge.
Its head was broad and flat, with dazzling patterns toward the front.
‘A king cobra…….’
It was a snake I often saw when I was dispatched overseas as a mercenary in the world where the Republic of Korea existed.
Of course, the size in front of me now far surpassed the level of merely threatening with venomous fangs.
“So this time it’s a reptile. Or since it has the attribute of earth, an earth dragon? And since it can wield wind too, a wind-earth dragon?”
Saaaaaak!
From the mouth of Zelphinia, now a gigantic snake, came a sound that chilled the air.
“To dare leave such a wound on my body!”
Below the raised snake’s head, a long gash was visible.
It was caused by the sword I had just swung.
“Still, it’s already healed.”
“I will tear you to pieces and offer you to the Demon King!”
“Do you think you can beat me?”
Zelphinia’s voice resonated as if mixed with the sound of a snake.
Then, the moment I threw the question back, the tail behind her moved.
Swaaaaaa! Kwang! Kwa-kwaang!
I avoided the tail and swung my sword, loading it with the power of the aura circle.
Cha-cha-chaeng!
Unlike when it had been earth, the energy slid off her outer hide.
“What is this?”