Chapter 162 : Chapter 162
Chapter 162 : Supreme King (6)
Alicia quietly placed her hand on the scabbard as she watched Arkendale's Imperial Knights swarming in before her eyes.
Arkendale Imperial Knights.
Although it is said that they cannot reach the level of the Divine Beast Knights that the Empire boasts of, that does not mean the level of the Arkendale Imperial Knights is low.
The Arkendale Kingdom occupied the center of the Eastern Union, and the level of the Imperial Knights, who were selected from the best knights among them, was the real deal.
Under normal circumstances, they were not opponents that mere prisoners dragged to the north could face.
Nevertheless, the members of the 4th Special Task Force, including Alicia, stood before the Imperial Knights.
Because there was a reason they couldn't back down.
“Intruders, surrender obediently.”
At the Imperial Knight's words, Conlan snorted.
“You have a fascinating way of asking to be spared. Doesn't he?”
“Tell me about it. Must be an idiom used in Arkendale.”
At Conlan and Albino's ridicule, the Imperial Knight, whose face flushed red, drew his sword.
“……Execute all those intruders who don't know their place!”
At that, Conlan and Albino stood on each side, centering on Alicia.
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that the number of Imperial Knights present here wasn't that high because the Imperial Knights also had so many things on their plate.
A 3-on-3 situation.
Although in terms of individual level, the Imperial Knights would be ahead, the Special Task Force members didn't back down.
No, they couldn't back down.
“They're coming!”
“Be tense, those things aren't ordinary.”
“Look who's talking.”
Conlan and Albino laughed ferociously and drew their respective weapons.
Alicia also drew her sword with a heavy gaze and shouted.
“Eyes!”
It was just a single shout, but with just that, Conlan and Albino shut their eyes tight as if they knew what would happen.
Flash!
And with a flashing light from Alicia's hand, the Inquisitor's magic was activated, enveloping the area in radiance.
“Ugh!”
“It's magic!”
Right then, when the Arkendale Imperial Knights hadn't fully hidden their confusion at the sudden occurrence.
“Crush them all!”
The Special Task Force members rushed in all at once.
***
Edric always emphasized that a proud member of the 4th Special Task Force should know how to use all kinds of weapons to respond in any situation.
Naturally, spearmanship was no exception, and I could handle a spear to some extent.
Of course, if asked whether it was enough to work against an opponent of the Supreme King's level, the answer would be negative, so this fight had to rely purely on the weapon's performance, the power of the Postponer of Ruin, and Demonic energy.
“Hup!”
Boom!
Boom-boom-boom!!
The tip of the Holy Spear Brionac, wrapped in Demonic energy, stabbed consecutively toward the Supreme King.
Swish-swish-swish!
“Magnificent! Postponer of Ruin!”
The Supreme King burst into maniacal laughter and parried the tip of the Holy Spear Brionac, which was even wrapped in Demonic energy, with his bare hands.
Tzzt-tzzt-tzzt!!!
Every time the Holy Spear Brionac, wrapped in both the power of the Postponer of Ruin and Demonic energy, collided with the Supreme King's hand wrapped in Demonic energy, intense sparks flew.
Ziiing─
The hand holding the spear that was struck by the Supreme King's hand tingled.
It felt like I would lose hold of the spear right away, but I endured the pain of my grip tearing apart and held onto the spear with Demonic energy.
‘Damn bastard.’
A fierce offense and defense continued.
Under normal circumstances, it is nonsensical for me and the Supreme King to engage in close combat.
Level 6 and Level 8.
There existed a tremendous gap in this level difference that couldn't be explained simply by numbers, and naturally, a fight couldn't be established.
Nevertheless, the reason I could stand against the Supreme King was simple.
Tzzt, Tzztzzt──!
The Supreme King isn't a Demonic person, but he absorbed so many Ascension Stone Fragments that he corresponds to a Demonic person.
Therefore, he harbored Demonic energy far superior to that of a general Demonic person, and that was bound to be greatly disadvantageous in terms of compatibility for the Postponer of Ruin, who stands at the opposite point of the Demonic.
Because the stronger the Demonic became, the stronger the power of the Postponer of Ruin opposing it also became.
On the other hand, the Demonic energy I use is mixed with the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy, and just wrapping this around the whole body corrodes the opponent's body.
The opponent's Demonic energy becomes a weakness for me, but the Demonic energy I use becomes a strength instead.
This unreasonable compatibility difference was making it possible to overcome the tremendous level difference between Level 6 and Level 8.
“Magnificent! Very magnificent!”
The Supreme King couldn't hide his admiration repeatedly and swung his fist at me.
Boom-boom-boom!!
A storm of immense force raged, as if my whole body would burst apart at once if hit.
I dodged what I could among them, but I had no choice but to take all the attacks I couldn't dodge.
[‘Orb of Water’ protects the wearer.]
[‘Orb of Water’ deploys ‘Rotating Shield of Water’.]
Craaaaash!!!───
As the Supreme King's fist wrapped in Demonic energy struck the Orb of Water's power, the Orb of Water shook violently.
Normally, the Orb of Water that took this level of power often had its power deactivated, but as the power of the Postponer of Ruin strongly supported it, the power of the Orb of Water also lasted quite a long time.
“An elemental orb indeed. Quite annoying.”
The Supreme King's momentum became even more intense.
It was obvious that the Orb of Water would be deactivated in an instant if I left the defense solely to the Orb of Water, so I actively went on the offensive.
Crackle-crackle!
Craaaaash─!!!
Just like the Holy Spear Brionac wrapped in Demonic energy, every time it collided with the Supreme King's fist clad in Demonic energy, intense sparks flew and a large shockwave occurred.
It's not just because I became stronger.
Because the opponent called the Supreme King is too strong, the power of the Postponer of Ruin opposing him is also being exerted strongly unprecedentedly.
To the extent that even I, the owner of this power, am surprised by its might.
‘I expected it, but to think it would be this much…….’
The biggest basis among the reasons I could come to meet the Supreme King alone is the Postponer of Ruin trait.
The Demonic that the Supreme King harbored was too mighty, and there was a belief that the power of the Postponer of Ruin would be exerted strongly against such a Supreme King.
And right now, in the fight with the Supreme King, the power of the Postponer of Ruin was being exerted strongly beyond what I had imagined.
No, I even felt like it was getting stronger and stronger even now.
‘The problem is that even so, the Supreme King isn't being pushed back even a little.’
I had already played a considerable number of the cards I could play.
Although there are a few cards left, they are literally things to be used as a trump card or a last resort.
Nevertheless, the Supreme King still seemed to be hiding a lot.
No, he's bound to have hidden cards.
‘First, make him play the cards he’s hiding.’
In the World of Justice, a fight between a player and a player inevitably becomes a strategic composition where they show the cards they possess to each other.
Then, it is a matter of course that the more I make the opponent play the cards they are hiding, the more advantageous it becomes.
‘Lion.’
[Yes.]
Sacrificing the Demonic energy that gathered slowly as a price, soon Spirit Magic occurs.
Spirit Magic.
Self-Entanglement.
The Spirit Magic that I had used once when dealing with a Demonic person before was exerted, and the Demonic energy the Supreme King was wearing began to bind the Supreme King instead, like living snakes.
Crack, craaack──!
“Hmm?”
Perhaps even the Supreme King hadn't expected the Demonic Spirit's Magic, as he revealed a slightly flustered look for the first time.
“……Interesting. What magic is this?”
This magic was bound to be unfamiliar.
Because the existence of a Demonic Spirit itself would be rare enough to be counted on one hand within the World of Justice.
“Do you want to know?”
“Do you have any intention of telling me?”
“As if.”
The ferocious Demonic energy originating from the Supreme King now became shackles binding the Supreme King instead.
The Supreme King struggled to escape the magic of Self-Entanglement, but what constituted this magic was none other than the Supreme King's Demonic energy.
Naturally, the more he did so, the stronger the shackles of Self-Entanglement pressured the Supreme King.
“It seems you won't be able to escape easily.”
Whether the Supreme King blabbered or not, I had no intention of missing the opportunity now.
Swaaish!
The Holy Spear Brionac, wrapping Demonic energy and the power of the Postponer of Ruin simultaneously, rushed toward the Supreme King.
The Supreme King also tried to move his body to block it, but due to the magic of Self-Entanglement, his movement was bound to be restricted.
Puk─!
The tip of the Holy Spear Brionac pierced the Supreme King's right shoulder.
I aimed for the heart, but even in the unnatural situation, the Supreme King had dodged it.
“……I acknowledge it, Postponer of Ruin. You are an enemy worth this Supreme King dealing with seriously.”
“Doesn't mean I'll go easy on you.”
Gripping the Holy Spear Brionac firmly, I took a stance again to stab his heart for sure this time.
‘I'll end it with this.’
If I couldn't end it with this, I didn't know what move the Supreme King would use, so I put my everything into this one blow.
Crack, craaack……!
Raising the power of Haima's Pendant to the limit, veins bulged all over my body, and fierce Demonic energy rose as if to swallow myself.
The tip of the Holy Spear Brionac trembled intensely due to the Demonic energy.
Swaaaaish───!!!
The tip of the Holy Spear Brionac flew toward the Supreme King's heart.
To pierce his heart for sure this time.
Just before the tip of the Holy Spear touched the Supreme King's heart.
“Contract Declaration.”
Along with the incantation of the Supreme King recited in a low voice, the world stopped for a moment.
To be exact, it felt like that.
When the time that felt stopped began to flow again, the tip of the Holy Spear Brionac couldn't advance further as if it had stopped in that spot.
“……I didn't know you would make me pay this kind of price, Postponer of Ruin.”
The Supreme King, who was holding the shaft of the Holy Spear Brionac before I knew it, looked at me.
“I, have lost a lot.”
The shaft of the Holy Spear Brionac that the Supreme King was holding gradually blurred.
“And will lose a lot.”
The Holy Spear Brionac, whose duration had completely ended, disappeared completely.
To use Weapon Reproduction, I had to hold out against the Supreme King for the remaining cooldown time.
‘Not good.’
I don't know exactly what contract the Supreme King made with which demon.
However, what was clear was that after the contract ended, the magic of Self-Entanglement was torn off entirely.
‘Should I use the magic of Self-Entanglement one more time?’
However, if the Supreme King nullified the magic of Self-Entanglement again, the risk was quite large.
The amount of Demonic energy sacrificed as a price for the magic of Self-Entanglement was very large, and due to that, the amount of Demonic energy remaining in me right now wasn't that much.
If I used the Self-Entanglement magic one more time, it was clear that all the Demonic energy I possessed would run out.
‘First, I should try to hold out as much as I can.’
I lifted the AKR-74 Assault Rifle again, which I had been carrying on my back.
Since the 30 rounds loaded earlier still remained, I still had means to fight.
Furthermore, what the attack earlier left on the Supreme King wasn't just a wound.
Sssss…….
“……Hmm?”
The movement of the Supreme King, who seemed like he would rush at me right away, stopped.
It was due to the anomaly happening in the wound pierced by the Holy Spear Brionac.
Srrk─
The Supreme King's right shoulder, stabbed by the Holy Spear Brionac, began to die black as if rotting while alive.