allendalepharm Chapter 185 : Enemy (2)
Chapter 185 : Enemy (2)
Chapter 185: Enemy (2)
The cause of the dissolution of the Calimacos Mercenary Band during the Runeberg War three years ago.
The very culprit who had rained indiscriminate magic and driven allies into peril.
An enemy that had to be erased from this world.
Robin’s target tilted his head right before his eyes.
“Are you saying you’ll kill me?”
“Yeah.”
“How amusing. A human who dares to declare he’ll kill me without trembling in fear.”
Even after being bluntly threatened with death, Werther did not panic.
A powerful being who possessed both the arrogance and composure unique to the Demon Tribe.
Without further hesitation, Robin’s body shot forward like an arrow.
Clang!
The one he collided with before reaching Werther was his subordinate.
The female Demon Tribe member blocked Robin’s sword with an arm clad in armor.
“Lord Werther, I will handle this…….”
Thud.
Before she could even finish her words, the woman was shoved aside.
Sigbard swung Beivolg and spoke.
“Go, Robin.”
“You insolent…….”
“Clench your teeth.”
While Sigbard engaged the woman, Robin arrived before Werther.
Sensing something unusual, Werther prepared magic.
“I remember now. You’re that brat from three years ago.”
“I came to kill you.”
Kiiiiing.
A violet radiance flared from Werther’s hand, and a beam shot forth in a straight line.
An enormous amount of demonic energy filled the vicinity, and the threatening magic brushed past Robin’s flank by a hair’s breadth.
Yet all of Robin’s senses were solely focused on Werther.
Without slowing down, he spun, and his twin blades aimed for Werther’s neck and Heart.
“You’re fast.”
The sword wrapped ominously in red Fighting Spirit cleaved through Werther’s body, but it soon turned into smoke.
Robin did not panic and immediately pursued the bastard’s presence.
“There.”
Saaak!
The red light mixed with killing intent pinpointed Werther precisely, and the bastard revealed himself.
“Impressive. What happened to you in the meantime?”
“I waited for this day.”
Kwagooooong!
Werther glanced behind Robin.
His loyal subordinate was struggling against three opponents.
“You don’t seem to have any room to be distracted.”
Under the relentless chain of strikes, Werther had no choice but to admit it.
He was different from ordinary humans.
Thus, he decided to shake him by provoking his weakness.
“You’ve grown beyond recognition. If that one-eyed bastard were still alive, he’d be proud.”
“Shut up.”
“Now then, what was that fellow’s name again? My memory’s a bit…….”
To shut Werther’s mouth, Robin poured even more Fighting Spirit into his blades.
The bastard narrowly avoided the sword paths again and again, as if they were about to touch him.
The armor-like barrier and the purple smoke that restricted movement were no small nuisance.
The Demon Tribe member, eyes gleaming, dodged the full-powered strikes while never ceasing his prattle.
“I don’t remember his name, but there’s one thing I do recall. How that mercenary bastard met his end.”
Robin tried not to listen, but it felt as though the words were being forcibly whispered into his ears.
“Pretending to be a leader, he flailed around swinging his sword in desperation.”
“…….”
“With such pitiful Swordsmanship, thrashing about like that……. It was rather amusing. Like watching a wriggling insect.”
“You bastard!”
His head and Heart filled entirely with killing intent.
Kill him. He would kill him without fail.
It took only an instant for his composure to shatter.
The resentment he had suppressed for so long exploded, to the point that he would not be satisfied until he saw blood.
The swords in his hands hummed as they were dyed red.
Though his blades slashed at a speed difficult to follow with the eye, they never reached Werther.
His killing intent was too dense, allowing his next moves to be read.
“Hahahahat! Much better. But you too will follow the same course as that insect.”
“I’ll tear that filthy mouth apart and make you vomit your guts.”
“Well now. I just hope you don’t die too soon.”
A magic circle formed behind Werther’s back, and murky smoke billowed out thickly.
The smoke quickly gathered and rose like a pillar.
At its end, however, was a fist covered in spikes.
Aiming at the fact that Robin was focused solely on offense, it struck his upper body.
Crack!
“Kuheok!”
Several ribs snapped, and blood spurted from his mouth.
Werther did not stop there and fired off violet beams.
Robin rolled swiftly to evade them, but his vision was already shaking.
Every time he drew a breath, pain spread throughout his entire body.
A tearing agony in his ribs.
As he forced himself to stand, clinging to his consciousness, Werther taunted him with a mocking voice.
“Is that all? Why don’t you struggle a little more?”
“Ptui.”
He spat out a mouthful of blood and stepped back.
He downed a bottle of potion in one gulp, and with a sensation like being seared by heated iron, his bones began to mend.
Though this sequence of actions was swift, it was not without openings.
Yet Werther did not attack during that time and instead watched with enjoyment.
The bastard’s face looked delighted, as if trampling over prey.
“You made a mistake.”
“Let’s see how long that venom lasts.”
As befitted a strong individual among the Demon Tribe, Werther was no easy opponent.
Even so, Robin’s killing intent did not fade.
The blade of vengeance he had honed for so long would not dull so easily.
He threw himself toward the barrage of magic pouring down like artillery fire and brought out every card he had.
* * *
Right after Robin charged toward Werther.
Sigbard swung Beivolg at the female Demon Tribe member before him.
Even though it was an attack wrapped in Fighting Spirit, the opponent blocked it effortlessly and counterattacked.
The thickness of the armor wrapped around her arms increased, and each time they exchanged blows, the recoil grew more violent.
“So you’re not some minor Demon Tribe lackey.”
“Do not act arrogant, Barbarian.”
“What’s your name.”
“My name is Rafir. I will soon crush your face.”
Rafir charged at Sigbard but was forced to halt.
An arrow as fast as light grazed the back of her neck, drawing a red line.
“A pest like you dares to buzz around.”
When Aelin released a second arrow, Rafir had no choice but to retreat.
Not only that, but even the manifested spirit of Serena moved to strike, forcing her to allow one blow from Sigbard.
At the throbbing impact in her abdomen, Rafir frowned.
“It won’t be easy to handle you alone.”
“Do not worry. I will cut off your breath soon enough.”
“Then I won’t face you alone.”
The shadow at Rafir’s feet expanded, and from within it another Rafir rose.
It did not stop at one—yet another emerged, each rushing toward Aelin and Serena respectively.
“Aelin! Serena! Watch out for the clones!”
Sigbard tried to deal with them before they could approach the two, but Rafir’s true body did not allow it.
“Do not worry. The three of you will soon die.”
While the true body engaged Sigbard, one of the clones was struck in the shoulder by Aelin’s arrow.
It seemed their physical abilities were inferior to the original.
She aimed to pierce its Heart to prevent it from approaching, but she was a step too late.
“Serena! Get behind me!”
Aelin drew a dagger and confronted the clone.
Even though she had already rendered one of its arms useless, the clone’s fist was fierce.
While facing the unpleasantly grinning clone, another intact clone reached Serena.
Using the incoming fist before her eyes as a foothold, Aelin leapt into the air.
In the brief moment she remained suspended, she nocked an arrow to the bowstring and aimed at the leg of the clone targeting Serena.
Shiiiiiit!
With a thud, the movements of the clone aiming at Serena slowed.
“Good. I’ll finish it now.”
When Serena swung her staff, blazing flames enveloped the clone.
Trapped within the curtain of fire, the clone chose to break through.
As a result, its entire body burned away, leaving only demonic energy behind.
“Aelin, I’ll help you.”
The ground seized the feet of the clone Aelin was facing.
The Elf swiftly retreated, took precise aim with her bow, and shot a straight arrow heavily wrapped in Fighting Spirit.
Pwyung-!
With its Heart pierced, the clone scattered like drifting dust and vanished.
After confirming from behind that his comrades had done well, Sigbard focused on the true body.
“It seems your clones are nothing special either. My comrades have won.”
He had meant it as a taunt to irritate her, but it worked even better than expected.
Rafir pressed her lips tight and swung her fists at Sigbard.
Generally, when one wielding a weapon faced bare fists, it was not easy for the fists to prevail.
However, Rafir was a Demon Tribe member capable of using magic.
She inhaled deeply, exhaling threatening poisonous mist as she charged at Sigbard.
Buuuuung!
The advantage of a staff weapon lay in being able to attack and defend simultaneously.
Moreover, Beivolg, swung at high speed, created vortices in the air that dispersed the poisonous gas.
“Crumble as you are.”
Under the full-force downward strike of Beivolg, Rafir’s arms snapped with a cracking sound.
To solidify his tilted advantage, he struck down once more.
The sensation of breaking bones traveled through Beivolg.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Head, shoulder, arm, upper arm. Rafir accepted the blows without a word.
The initial momentum vanished, and the Demon Tribe member, battered from all sides, finally collapsed.
“I will send your master to the same place, so do not be disappointed.”
Lifting his head and looking forward, he saw Robin fiercely attacking Werther.
As he considered joining Aelin and Serena to assist—
A chilling sensation crawled up the back of his head, and he reflexively dodged to the side.
“Are you not underestimating the Demon Tribe too much.”
Rafir extended both hands, completely uninjured.
From the magic circles that rose in her palms, a whip and spear formed of demonic energy shot out, threatening Sigbard.
The magic was faster and more powerful than before.
“How did you come back to life. I clearly crushed your Skull.”
“And what of it. I was never dead to begin with.”
“This time I will kill you for certain.”
On Aelin and Serena’s side as well, Rafir’s clones blocked their path.
He had to quickly dispose of the Demon Tribe member before him and help his comrades.
Twisting the wrist that gripped Beivolg, he spun it and drove it straight into Rafir’s face.
Puh-eong!
Her head burst apart, scattering in all directions, and a piece of flesh entered his mouth.
“Ptui. Even in death, Demon Tribe flesh tastes awful.”
Thudthudthudthud!
Just in case, he thoroughly struck the headless corpse, breaking its joints.
He kicked away the tattered body and was about to head toward Robin when—
“Countless fools have tried to leave without confirming their kill and died by my hand.”
Rafir once again appeared behind Sigbard, completely unharmed.
The corpse whose head he had blown apart still existed in the distance, not disappearing.
He had killed her twice, yet she did not die.
“How. Why do you not die.”
“A foolish Barbarian would not understand even if I told him.”
Grit.
He ground his teeth and glared at the Demon Tribe member before him.
He had to help Robin quickly.
Yet this insignificant Demon Tribe woman kept holding him back.
“How can I kill you.”
“If you ask so plainly, do you think I would answer honestly.”
“I see.”
Rafir easily evaded the horizontally swung Beivolg.
She slipped to his flank and fired a lump of demonic energy; unable to evade in time, he was pushed back.
“You’ve grown stronger.”
“So you do have eyes. The more you struggle, the stronger I become.”
“Is that so.”
“If you kneel now, I will let you witness your comrades’ suffering firsthand.”
Robin’s killing intent was so dense that it reached even where Sigbard stood.
There was no need for words to understand how deep the resentment contained within it ran.
“Nothing changes. I will kill you and then go help my comrade.”
“By what means do you think you can kill me. As you see, your struggles are useless against me.”
Rafir sneered down at Sigbard.
As she said, even after killing Rafir twice, Sigbard had not been able to advance further.
Yet Sigbard did not waver.
“Kill and kill and kill and keep killing.”
Kududududud.
A terrifying power flowed from Beivolg.
The Accumulated Energy he had intended to refrain from using for the time being.
Seeing Sigbard’s transformation, even Werther turned his head.
“Then one day you will die.”
“You fool. Try and kill me. I will strike you down first.”
Kuuung!
When he slammed Beivolg into the ground, the earth split apart with a cracking sound.
A power different in nature from Fighting Spirit collapsed the very ground where Rafir stood.