Chapter 140 : Chapter 140
Chapter 140: Not Like Us (3)
As I said a moment ago, 「Killing Intent Liberation」 was a skill that could neither be dodged nor resisted.
If you were within its range, and your level was lower than Kain's, you would unconditionally be afflicted with ‘fear’.
Therefore, there were only two ways to deal with it.
Either reach at least his level, level 18, before starting the boss fight.
Or, not be within the range in the first place.
The former was, in many ways, impossible.
By the time one reached that level and met Kain, he would have already completed the summoning ritual and invaded Tiaria.
So, I chose the latter.
Especially if Lily, who had become a ‘Saint’, was fine, even if we were all afflicted with ‘fear’, she could wipe it away in one go.
That's why I had placed Lily outside the range of 「Killing Intent Liberation」 in advance.
And thanks to Toric being with her, the ritual was also stopped in time.
In other words, without Lily and Toric, we could not have defeated Kain.
As Ibi said, because we were six.
Therefore, I had asked Rine in advance to save the 「Fire Wall」 until the two of them had rejoined.
Of course, if we had set up that high-burning wall first, it would have been much easier to block the soldiers, but it would have also inevitably prevented the two of them from joining this fight.
“Uryaaah!!”
Toric's fierce axe, which he swung.
“You dwarf bastard…!”
Pajijik!
Lily's blessing, which deflected the sharp counterattack of Kain who had dodged it.
All of that would not have existed.
Moreover, Rine had just used up all her remaining circles by casting the 「Fire Wall」.
And since she needed to concentrate to maintain the wall, Rine was, in effect, no longer able to join the fight against Kain.
Kain must have noticed this, for as soon as an opening was created, he rushed to target Rine, but.
『This way!』
Miki did not let him.
Claang!
As soon as he had blocked the dagger that Kain had thrust, rushing in quickly with a 「Taunt」.
“Are you trying to lay a hand on my daughter's friend now?”
Ibi, who had likewise rushed in from the side, delved into his embrace.
“You damn father.”
And then, thwack!, she plunged her dagger in.
“This…!”
Kain, whose expression contorted in pain for a moment, immediately tried to counterattack, but.
『Kneel!』
While he lost his balance at my 「Word Command」 and staggered, kneeling on one knee, Ibi, who had pulled out the dagger she had stabbed in, cut him once more and nimbly created a distance.
Of course, Kain, who had gritted his teeth as if growling, immediately broke free from the control of 「Word Command」 and rushed at ‘me’, who had been glaring at him with ‘charmed’ eyes, to cut my throat, but.
“What──”
In fact, that was not me.
It was my projection, duplicated by 「Advanced Projection」.
As soon as my projection, which had been cut by the dagger, blurred, Toric's axe, which had jumped out from behind the projection as if it had been waiting, was brought down.
Kaang──!!
“Ugh…!”
Kain hastily raised his arm, which had been enhanced with 「Iron Skin」, to block it, but he couldn't withstand the full impact and staggered back.
“…There was a man who tried to do the same thing as you.”
Toric muttered in a voice filled with anger as he looked at Kain.
This was not simply the anger of a ‘berserker’.
“This time, I will absolutely not let you live!”
Kwang!
White sand flew up in front of Kain, who had barely dodged the heavy blow that had shaken the ground.
In the meantime, Ibi once again, with 「Shadow Step」, stepped on his shadow to get behind him, and as soon as she pulled out the dagger that was still stuck in his back, she cut him.
Then, the moment she tried to create a distance again.
“…!”
She was caught by the neck by the hand of Kain, who had twisted his body.
“Stay still──”
Then she scattered, just like a shadow.
And as soon as he realized that what he had caught was Ibi's afterimage, this time, Miki delved in.
Papapak!
As soon as he had collided with him by stomping with a 「Stomp」, he immediately followed with a 「Triple Strike」.
Of course, it was a very basic technique of ‘fighters’, but.
“Keuk…!”
That did not mean it was weak.
As soon as he staggered from the blow of Miki, who was clad in steel, Ibi, who did not miss that opening, swung the daggers in both her hands.
Clang! Clang!
But Kain, who had immediately regained his posture and countered, as if to say ‘if you can do it, why can't I’, instantly disappeared from sight and appeared behind Ibi, then kicked her leg hard and knocked her down.
Whoosh!
Then he caught Toric's axe, which was swung through the air from the side, with his bare hands, and kicked Miki, who was rushing in from the front, shield and all, sending him flying.
Toric put more strength into the hand holding the axe to break free, but Kain, in turn, used that strength to pull Toric in and brought his dagger down on his shoulder.
Then he threw Toric, who had been on the ground and trying to get up by tripping his leg, at Ibi, and as the thrown Toric fell on top of Ibi and the two fell together, fwoosh!, he kicked the ground.
And so, he rushed at Rine in the blink of an eye, and mercilessly thrust his dagger at the back of Rine, who was concentrating on maintaining the 「Fire Wall」.
Puk!
The sharp dagger, its tip flashing, pierced Rine's back.
And the flames that had been soaring, instantly disappeared──
“──!?”
Did not happen.
What disappeared was the figure of ‘Rine’.
To be precise, as soon as she was stabbed by the dagger, she scattered like mist.
Similarly, because that was a projection I had created.
This time, not with the ring, but with the 「Advanced Projection」 I had learned as a ‘Trickster’.
“You damn, bard bastard…!”
Kain, who had realized this and was enraged, turned his head and glared at me, but that was all.
His appearance, having been tricked twice, no, three times including Ibi's 「Shadow Afterimage」, and having wasted three precious attack opportunities (turns) on a ‘clone’ instead of the real body.
“Let's just admit it, Kain.”
I gave him a sneer.
『Isn't it because you lived your life wrong that you have no one around you?』
“Kkh…!”
Before Kain, who had been properly angered by my 「Vicious Mockery」, could rush at me, Miki rushed at him again.
Even if he pushed Miki away, Ibi would immediately delve in.
If he shook Ibi off, Toric would follow with a swing of his axe.
If he parried the axe and pushed Toric away as well, Miki would come forward again and throw a punch, and Ibi would come from behind and stab with her dagger.
If he blocked the two's attacks and immediately counterattacked, Lily's prayer would block that blow.
If he broke through the barrier in an instant and rushed to target Lily, I would stop him.
Then Toric would rush in again and bring his axe down.
And all of this was possible thanks to Rine, who was raising high flames and completely blocking the ‘interference’ from outside.
“You, damn…”
Like this, each one of us was, to Kain, just a being that could be easily shaken off and broken, but.
“Brats……!”
To us, who had become six, Kain was just ‘one person’.
“Uwaaaah──!”
Kain, who had roared as if to deny that fact, emitted an aura that was unbelievable to be coming from just one person.
Indeed, the purple flame that had subsided for a while began to flicker around his body again.
But even though he was moving as if he had forgotten the pain due to the influence of the Gloom, that didn't mean that ‘damage’ wasn't accumulating.
『You drug-addict bastard who can't even use your strength without the Gloom!』
Indeed, unlike the first time when he had just frowned slightly upon hearing my 「Vicious Mockery」,
“You, bastard… who only has a mouth!”
The proof was that he was now clutching his head and staggering.
“Another, cowardly trick…!”
“If you're so mad, bring your own friends.”
Sneering at such a Kain, Ibi swung her two daggers.
“Ah, you don't have any, do you?”
Swish!
A part of Kain's long hair, who had barely dodged it, was cut and fluttered in the air.
“Well, there's no way a guy who can't even treat his own kid properly would have friends!”
Ibi pushed Kain harder, not giving him a chance to regain his posture.
Clang! Clang!
And while the clashing daggers sent sparks flying, Miki, who had at some point come up to his side, pushed Kain's body hard with his shield.
Thump!
And at Kain, who had been pushed away by Miki, Toric swung his axe as if he had been waiting.
Kaang!
He barely managed to block it, but he was pushed back again by the fierce force and eventually knelt on one knee.
This time, without my 「Word Command」.
And this meant.
『Kneel!』
That if I cast 「Word Command」, I could make him kneel on his other knee as well.
Kain, who had knelt on both knees for the first time, had a look of disbelief at the current reality.
“D-Damn…!”
The ‘master’ of Krom, being defeated by such guys──
“By such, brats…!”
The fact that it was happening.
“Evie, lyn…!”
And his desperate anger was soon directed at Ibi.
“I gave you the chance, to become the master of Tiaria…!”
The one who had betrayed his trust.
“Are you going to continue, to live as a street rat…!”
The one who did not betray our trust.
“Yeah, you trash bastard.”
Before long, his trembling two eyes widened.
“I'd rather be a street rat, than play daughter to a trash bastard.”
Puk! and.
Taking advantage of the opening when he was on both knees and unable to resist, the dagger that Ibi had thrust, pierced him.
No matter how much he was stabbed or cut, he hadn't cared, but he had somehow managed to avoid being attacked in this place──
“──Keok!”
The center of his chest.
Kain, who had coughed up blood, immediately pushed Ibi away as soon as he broke free from the 「Word Command」.
Then, with a trembling hand, he grabbed the handle and slowly pulled out the dagger that was embedded in the center of his chest.
“You, damn, half-breed bitch…!”
The stiletto, which was completely stained black with his own blood.
“To think you were born thanks to me, and you don't even know how to be grateful…!”
Then he swung that stiletto, but Ibi, who had easily dodged it by leaning back, let out a sneer.
“Grateful?”
Then, as soon as she snatched the swung wrist.
“Of course I am.”
She took the stiletto from his hand and plunged it into his chest again.
“…Ugh!”
“This is my expression of gratitude.”
And so, Kain, who had the stiletto embedded in his chest once more, seemed to stagger back, and then, he knelt on one knee again.
“I grew up, a bit rough. My way of expressing things is always sharp.”
As she pushed the sharp blade of the stiletto deeper, the two hands of Kain, who had grabbed Ibi's arm as if to stop her, began to tremble even more.
Even though he wasn't wearing a mask, a rough, metallic breath seeped out of his mouth along with the flowing blood.
“…Well, I'm somewhat serious.”
Ibi, who had squatted in front of Kain who was glaring at her, grabbed the back of his head and slowly pressed their foreheads together.
As if she couldn't deny the fact that he was her father, no matter what.
“Thanks to you, I learned what family is.”
And so, for the first time in her life, she had a light skinship between father and daughter.
“──For that alone, I am grateful, you damn father.”
In one breath, she pulled out the stiletto that was embedded in his heart.