novelraw Chapter 73 : Are You Planning to Continue?
Chapter 73 : Are You Planning to Continue?
Chapter 73: Are You Planning to Continue?
“Guhhhh…….”
At the dry, crumbly sensation carried to the tip of his tongue, he spat out a cough.
“Kelok! Kelok!”
A bitter taste and a rough texture, as if he had taken charcoal powder into his mouth.
The heavy smell of earth lingered all the way up his throat.
When he gathered the phlegm and spat it out, thick saliva mixed with dirt and blood came out.
Robin checked his left hand the moment he regained his senses.
Fortunately, the stone clenched in his left hand was not broken.
When he looked around, soldiers were strewn about.
Imelda and Collie were far off, as if they had minimized the impact through experience.
‘Huh? They were blown that far away?’
Looking closely, the Demon Tribe was about fifty meters away.
The mischievous-looking Demon Tribe moved its steps toward Imelda, who was barely standing.
Imelda was standing in front of Serena, while Collie and the Admiral were kneeling slightly farther away.
Without a moment’s thought, Robin ran toward Imelda.
Even though he had been struck hard and sent flying, his body felt strangely light.
It was not difficult to realize why.
‘Serena is supporting us with a wind spirit.’
Before the tremendous explosion.
Serena had created a wind barrier for Robin and Imelda.
Thanks to that, they were able to reduce the shock compared to the others.
Conversely, those who had not received Serena’s help had taken a far greater impact than Robin.
His lightened body carried him in a single dash to where Imelda was.
The Demon Tribe showed no sign of pain even though one arm had been severed.
Rather, it looked calm, as if it had been waiting for Robin to come.
A voice unmistakably that of a child greeted Robin.
“Are you planning to continue?”
Unlike their first encounter, the voice had lost its edge.
Robin turned his thoughts over.
Both sides had suffered heavy damage.
The Demon Tribe had lost an arm, and on this side the soldiers were incapacitated and everyone was exhausted.
Even if the fight continued, it was impossible to predict who would win.
‘If the other side lowers itself first, it’s right to press hard.’
Having finished thinking, Robin opened his mouth.
“Of course. It’s a fight that’s already been won. You’re not expecting me to back down now, are you?”
It was bluster.
The wounds piled up on Robin were not insignificant.
He was not completely on the verge of collapse, but if a war of attrition continued, Robin would have to brace himself.
The resolve to give up an arm, just like the opponent.
Perhaps because the bluff worked, the Demon Tribe lowered its posture.
“Let’s not do this. Let’s negotiate.”
“When the victor can take everything, why should I?”
“Even if you kill me, you won’t get information without my cooperation.”
Robin’s eyes narrowed.
The word information tempted him for a moment.
“I’ll tell you in advance, you’d better not think about extracting it through torture. I can reduce my sense of pain.”
“Well. There are plenty of methods besides physical torture, aren’t there?”
The Demon Tribe shook its head and snickered.
“There aren’t no Demon Tribe who use mental magic, but you’re human. Without my cooperation, you won’t get anything.”
“That’s for me to decide. Magic isn’t the only method, Demon Tribe.”
At Robin’s cold reply, it flinched slightly.
Well-versed in herbalism, Robin knew of the existence of truth serums.
He had never actually made one, and it was uncertain whether it would work on a Demon Tribe, but if he searched, there would be a way.
Moreover, this side had a sure-win weapon.
When he lifted the stone in his left hand, the Demon Tribe frowned.
“Damn it, do you want to see blood that badly? I’ll tell you now, even if I die, I won’t die quietly.”
‘Should I let it off a little at this point.’
“Recite what you can offer. I’ll decide after hearing it.”
Robin sheathed his sword and then crossed his arms.
The meaning of putting away his weapon even with an enemy before him was clear.
I have nothing to lose.
Faced with a gesture universally understood regardless of race, the Demon Tribe continued speaking with a twisted expression.
“There’s talk of a non-aggression pact and all that, but humans who know better have been continuing exchanges with the Demon Tribe.”
“If you get the Empire’s approval, that’s not impossible.”
“No. I mean they exchange without the approval of human nations. The Demon Tribe has always had a vague concept of law, so they didn’t turn away any humans who came.”
Robin was slightly surprised by the unexpected information, but that was all.
It was not particularly meaningful information.
When he looked down at it with the implication that that was all, it continued speaking.
“Do you know that Demon Tribe without power get captured by humans and used for experiments?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden.”
“I mean exactly that. Crazy humans use our kin as experimental materials. They must covet Demon Tribe magic.”
This was something he was hearing for the first time.
Throughout long history, humans had mostly been unable to covet the authority of the Demon Tribe.
To the extent that the Human–Demon Non-Aggression Pact concluded only a few decades ago was the greatest achievement wrung from dealing with the Demon Tribe.
They had won the Human–Demon War, but the damage at the time had been beyond description.
“That’s not information I want to hear. Isn’t there anything related to the war?”
“Ah, right, this area is in the middle of a war. If that’s what you were curious about, you should’ve said so sooner.”
The Demon Tribe reacted excessively, like a child who had gotten the right answer.
“I’ll be blunt. Are you on Count Betterot’s side?”
“Count Betterot? Who’s that?”
“A human noble fighting a territorial war with Count Wilcock.”
“First I’ve heard of it. It has nothing to do with me.”
“Then what business do you have here. And why were you targeting us.”
“Hmm. Well, you see…….”
Before the Demon Tribe could continue, Robin’s hand reacted swiftly.
At the same time as he drew his sword, the blade aimed at the Demon Tribe sliced through empty air, just as expected.
Chasing the Demon Tribe as it sprang backward, he raised the stone in his left hand.
But the Demon Tribe was smiling.
The Demon Tribe’s index finger traced a circle.
The circle etched into the air was pitch-black.
On guard, he was about to continue the attack, but Robin overlapped his swords.
From the pitch-black circle, a massive fist emerged.
‘A Monster?’
The fist spread its fingers wide and reached for Robin’s sword.
The unfamiliar hand did not get cut by the blade and was as hard as steel.
The hand that had roughly seized the left sword regripped it.
“So you never intended to cooperate from the start, Demon Tribe.”
“Hahahaha, you believed that? Aren’t you way too naive?”
The thick arm that had risen into the air exuded a sinister momentum just by existing.
The Demon Tribe laughed as if the match had already been decided.
“Still, I’ll answer one thing. Are we on Count Betterot’s side? That’s right! It’s a give-and-take relationship.”
“Thanks for telling me so readily.”
The Demon Tribe looked into Robin’s eyes and then tilted its head.
“You’re still thinking of fighting?”
“Of course.”
“That look. I don’t like it.”
Air gathered around the arm the Demon Tribe had summoned.
More precisely, the area around the sword wavered.
It smiled brightly and opened its mouth.
“I’m going to kill you all. But killing you all at once wouldn’t be fun. I’ll give you a choice. The two human women here, and over there the knight and the human man, and three soldiers far away. Who will you save?”
“What……?”
“For reference, if you hesitate, you won’t save anyone.”
Whiuuuuuung.
A dangerous energy gathered around the summoned arm.
The air, which should have been transparent, was dyed purple.
It became a wind that would grind everything away and forced the choice upon Robin.
Who will you save?
The burly arm bent.
Robin hesitated for a moment, but he already knew where he would go.
As he blocked the space in front of Imelda, the beast-like arm spread out.
Robin desperately swung his sword.
‘If I have any talent at all, please let my Aura awaken…….’
He blocked, swinging his sword more than a dozen times in a single second.
The magic used by the Demon Tribe was powerful, and cracks formed in Robin’s defense.
The wind barrier Serena had placed around him was torn apart.
Bladelike wind pierced through the once-tight defense.
Seoeok.
A shallow cut formed on the back of his neck.
From that point on, wounds piled up as if his entire body were being carved apart by blades.
It didn’t matter.
He deployed his swordsmanship and blocked.
That was enough.
How much time had passed?
The wind blowing toward his flailing sword stopped.
“…….”
“Wow, impressive. I pushed myself thinking I’d kill everyone, and you endured this?”
The arm the Demon Tribe had summoned had vanished.
It walked lightly toward Robin.
Robin had barely avoided fatal wounds, but he was at his limit.
He looked like he would collapse at any moment, but superhuman willpower did not allow it.
There was no miracle.
Neither Aura, nor some mysterious power that manifested one’s will, nor an awakening at the moment of crisis.
Reality was not so generous.
“How long are you going to keep looking at me like that?”
“…….”
“This is boring. Now die already.”
The Demon Tribe picked up Robin’s fallen sword and swung it.
The approaching blade looked unbearably slow.
Robin took out the final move he had prepared.
The war weapon the Admiral had tried to deliver even at the cost of his life.
It was time to see what kind of power a mere stone could possibly hold.
The hand gripping the stone met the sword held by the Demon Tribe.
Apparently it had not expected the stone to remain intact, and the Demon Tribe’s face was dyed with panic.
“It’s too late.”
Seeing it panic made Robin feel strangely relieved.
It was as if the battle against the Demon Tribe had all been for this very moment.
It felt like everything was being rewarded.
Perseok.
The stone shattered under the blade the Demon Tribe swung, and it recoiled in alarm.
If an explosion happened, he intended to block it so it would not reach Imelda behind him.
Fortunately, it wasn’t an explosion.
Poison? Magic? A meteor falling?
He glared at the Demon Tribe while letting out a ragged breath, but the surroundings were quiet.
The Demon Tribe, its eyes squeezed shut, noticed the strangeness.
“Ha… haha……. There’s nothing.”
“…….”
“Well, figures. It was just an ordinary stone. It doesn’t make sense to carry that much power in like this.”
“…….”
Robin’s eyes went to the Admiral.
Thanks to Collie’s desperate struggle, the Admiral had not died.
Instead, Collie’s limbs had been severed.
The Admiral knelt and supported Collie in his arms.
Because of that, his face could not be seen.
There was no sense of betrayal from being deceived.
He just felt empty.
Still…….
‘I can’t give up here.’
“Uraaaaaah!”
“Wh-what is it!”
Robin charged while screaming wildly.
Despite having wounds that should have made movement impossible, the Demon Tribe reacted defensively at the sight of Robin rushing in.
The Demon Tribe had expended a great deal of demonic energy in its last attack.
If the stone’s effect activated belatedly, it could not be ignored.
It focused on evasion and defense, but Robin’s attack was feeble.
The sharp sword strikes slowed, and the threatening edge dulled.
“Kaaaargh.”
Robin let out a cry as if spewing fire from his insides.
Before Robin could draw out more strength, the Demon Tribe fired blades of wind.
A diagonal cut formed across Robin’s blood-soaked upper body, but he did not stop.
The Demon Tribe thought.
‘A power that restores the user.’
That would make sense.
Unfortunately, that guess was wrong.
Even as his strength waned, Robin kept charging forward.
“Pteh!”
A glob of phlegm mixed with blood and flesh landed squarely on the Demon Tribe’s face.
At the fishy thickness and the humiliating act, the Demon Tribe stared at Robin in a daze.
Regardless, Robin threw his sword at the Demon Tribe.
The Demon Tribe panicked at the change it had never seen before.
Robin hurled his body toward the Demon Tribe, which dodged easily.
“Heh heh heh… is this your first time in a dogfight.”
“What the hell is this…….”
Robin was pushed back by the wind the Demon Tribe created with a wave of its hand.
He toppled backward but immediately stood up.
Once again, he was knocked down.
He got up without caring.
The Demon Tribe gathered wind with the intent to sever his upper body.
The ominous wind was fired, but Robin raised both arms to block.
His arms dangled uselessly, but his upper body was not cut apart.
‘I spent too much demonic energy on the summoning.’
The Demon Tribe raised its sword.
Robin did not dodge.
The blade stabbed into his abdomen, but instead of retreating, he stepped in, driving the sword even deeper.
At last, Robin reached the Demon Tribe.
Robin grinned, like a barbarian who knew nothing of death.
“Got you.”
Ppaak!
The Demon Tribe’s head snapped back.
Unable to use his arms, Robin headbutted.
Once more.
Ppaak!
Enduring the ringing in its head, the Demon Tribe twisted the sword embedded in Robin’s abdomen.
Robin frowned as if in pain, but he did not stop.
Ppaak! Ppaak!
The Demon Tribe’s forehead caved in, and blood burst from its nose.
The crude physical assault left it unable to think straight.
Ppak! Ppaak…….
It gathered its remaining demonic energy and fired magic indiscriminately, but Robin did not stop.
At this point, even the Demon Tribe raised its fists.
Though it had the body of a child, its strength was no less than an adult’s.
When it punched toward Robin’s face, the assault slowed.
“You cockroach-like bastard! Just die already! Die!”
Puk! Peoeok!
After landing five punches, Robin’s head went still.
Soon his breathing grew shallow, and he collapsed.
Only then did the Demon Tribe curl its lips upward.
“I won. I won!”
Seogeok.
Degurur.
The Demon Tribe’s head fell while it was savoring the joy of victory.
It was a miserable end for something meant to be a victor’s reward.
The Admiral threw away his sword with trembling hands.
The battle was over.