Chapter 123 : Farewell, my friend. (1)
Farewell, my friend. (1)
Schutmann, covered in a gridline pattern, caught the Black Vein slicing through the air with his pupils.
Tick-tock.
Now he would recall the arming sword he had been swinging at the battalion commander and use it to block the attack.
That was the only way that bastard could survive. Instead,
'Because of this, he'll end up with a motion delay and an opening will appear!'
If someone managed to attack in that fleeting gap, it would be the end for him.
In my mind, I could vaguely see this scenario playing out, but—
'What's this?'
A chill ran up my right arm. There wasn't a shred of fear in his gaze, and—
'Why isn't he withdrawing his sword?'
His blade, which should have made a sudden U-turn, continued on its way without a care. A foreboding feeling swept over me.
'That bastard wouldn't kill the battalion commander, even if it meant dying together!'
His goal was not to kill the battalion commander.
It was to increase the death count in the Stack Labyrinth, and ultimately to erase Granfen.
Surely that was the mission given to that squire.
'There's no way he'd sacrifice his life just to kill the battalion commander!'
I recalled the strange composure Schutmann had shown not long ago. I prepared for anything by kicking off the ground.
Was it an OOPArts?
Or an artifact?
Perhaps a hidden skill?
I was thinking this as my second foot barely touched the ground, when—
"!"
Schutmann's blade struck the battalion commander's left shoulder.
Slice!
Schutmann's Sword Energy crushed the battalion commander's ladder armor.
A crescent of blood sprayed out, and the old man's left arm was severed from his torso.
'Still, he's not dead.'
Clearly, Schutmann's sword path had aimed for the commander's torso.
But it seemed the armor the commander wore was also extraordinary. When Schutmann's sword touched him, a strange wave pushed the attack back.
In any case, although the worst-case scenario—losing a key power—was avoided, a more serious problem had arisen.
'Damn it!'
The grid pattern covering Schutmann's body disappeared.
This meant 'Hunting Time', boasting a 100% hit rate, had been broken, and already, Schutmann's trump card had been activated.
If so, Schutmann's trump card was—
'It's OOPArts!'
While I hadn't even noticed, some sort of change had occurred.
It couldn't have been a normal skill or artifact. As soon as I arrived at this conclusion—
"!!"
I realized the grid wasn't on Schutmann's body anymore, but on someone else.
'Why Zaiya...?'
At that moment, Schutmann's eyes glinted chillingly, and from his feet, a red chain shot out.
Chrrrrrk!
As a seasoned Belkhazium user, I recognized it was an OOPArts skill, but that chain flew out even faster than the Black Vein, instantly snaring Zaiya's ankle.
Before I could even take two steps.
And then—
Chooo-splat!
***
What if Zaiya had worn a helmet? Or if Zaiya were short like Legion?
'A kitchen knife would have sliced through thin air.'
But unfortunately, Zaiya was as tall as Schutmann, and my Black Vein—
Choo-splat!
—was piercing through her face. Drinking Zaiya's blood as it passed through, its form was elegant and clean. Because—
'Schutmann and Zaiya's positions had switched.'
The OOPArts Schutmann used was 'Kinetic Shift', granting him a skill to switch places with a designated living being.
It was definitely not a top-tier OOPArts.
I had classified this OOPArts the same way as the battalion commander's 'Phantom Cresto'—as one of those ambivalent OOPArts.
Not only did it consume too much mana to use consecutively, but it didn't even have a 100% activation rate against targets of the same or higher rank.
And yet—
'Getting hit by it in reality is this hellish!'
It was fatal.
In this situation, fatally so.
The loss of a single 4th-rank when things were this close to even was a critical blow, and Schutmann was now right beside Legion.
The same spot Zaiya had stood just moments ago! There was no time to even take in Zaiya's collapse.
'Shit!'
Cursing inwardly, I shifted my attention.
Already, Schutmann's Sword Energy was aimed at Legion. Fortunately, Legion had reacted and swung her six-section staff in defense.
Clang!
She barely managed to block it, the sound of clashing metal echoing. At that moment—
〈 Employee 'Zaiya Evaris' has died. 〉
Before the sound of heir body hitting the ground could reach my ears, the system delivered the sad news.
But with adrenaline flooding my veins, I had no thought to mourn her. Legion, too, was preparing for the follow-up.
'Get a grip. I have to do anything I can do!'
Clenching my teeth, I stepped into the spot where Zaiya had been.
The four fourth-ranks surrounding Schutmann—my aim was to fill that vacancy.
Of course, in throwing the Black Vein, I was left empty-handed. However—
'If I have no teeth, I'll use my gums!'
I shoved my hand into my chest and retrieved my final bulwark.
The white fang short sword, Nash, that Schutmann had given me—I gripped it in my palm.
'Damn it.'
I felt it instantly. It wasn't like the sensation when I held the kitchen knife.
Swish.
Still, I managed to form a proper 3rd-rank Sword Energy. But—
Whoosh.
Even swinging with full force, although I still had my strength buff, no Sword Energy was released.
My sword path was pathetic, too. Neither Quick Sword nor Dominating Sword.
In truth, now I was—
'No better than a 1st-rank who can barely use Sword Energy.'
As a result, Schutmann didn't even pay me any mind. He didn't plan to kill me, anyway.
Clang-clang!
Hank, moving at last, was barely conscious, blood pouring from his mouth, while Lantz's sword was snapped in half.
Even though Schutmann had slowed after using his OOPArts skill,
'The tide of battle had already swung drastically.'
Thud.
At last, Hank's knees hit the ground. The focus had disappeared from his green eyes.
He had passed out with his eyes open.
"The sacred light—."
Thunk!
In terms of pure combat ability, Legion was the weakest, and she was sent spinning through the air by Schutmann's kick. Thud.
"Huff... Huff..."
Lantz's whole body heaved with each ragged breath.
His face was already smeared with blood and all sorts of filth, while the battalion commander couldn't even release his aura.
"Grrk."
Lying on the ground, Legion began to sob into her wrist, tears flowing unchecked from her exposed eyes.
Overcome with the sorrow of defeat and the loss of his daughter.
"Heh. You all did well."
With the battalion commander's words, Lantz, too, fell to his knees.
Everyone had long since reached their limits.
All except—
'Except me.'
I was the only one still standing.
Sure, Schutmann knocking me out had its effects, but Legion's field buff had negated that, and compared to the other commanders, I was far too intact.
My hands gripped Nash ever tighter.
Squeeze.
'After all that time and effort to kill that bastard, is this how it ends?'
Tears slipped out in helpless rage. I was filled with an unbearable fury.
"Damn it."
My curse echoed emptily. But there was no reply. Schutmann, with his back to me, turned to Lantz.
"Hm. You have remarkable talent. It would be a waste for you to die here."
The bastard approached Lantz, who barely managed to breathe and glared back at Schutmann, the trembling tip of his broken sword slowly rising.
But the sword was so stubby and pathetic.
"Where are you from?"
"Huff... Granfen."
At Lantz's reply, I heard Schutmann let out a faint smirk.
"That's a good answer, but the wrong one."
Chak.
Schutmann's sword touched Lantz's neck.
"Your last chance to die not as a traitor's henchman, but as a commander of the North."
"Huff... Huff..."
"Where are you from?"
No answer came to the chilling question. Lantz's burning eyes remained intense as he stared at Schutmann. Then—
CRACK!
A Sword Energy as big as a human torso skimmed the ground and shot at Schutmann, who turned his sword away from Lantz just in time to block—
Slash!
He had to intercept the heavy Sword Energy. In that instant, Lantz used his last reserve of strength to spring up and retreat. My gaze found—
"Ralph."
—brother big-jaw, who had finally arrived. Not only me, but everyone still conscious looked to the third company commander.
"Forgive me. I was delayed, having to command and direct the operations of three companies alone."
At Ralph's solemn face, the battalion commander joked with him.
"Sorry I couldn't live up to your expectations."
"Please don't say that."
From their exchange, it seemed Ralph had been reorganizing the garrison in place of the other commanders.
If we killed Schutmann, we'd have to deal with the beastkin reinforcements sure to come.
'But since the battalion commander and the others didn't return, he came back, too.'
Unconsciously, I did the calculation.
If Ralph hadn't retreated but kept fighting, would things be different now?
No, that's a pointless assumption.
'There's no way to rule out I could've died during my blackout.'
The fact Hank survived Schutmann's assault was impressive. Ralph was even weaker than Hank.
Thinking this—
"Battalion commander. Company commander Lantz. I know it's shameless of me to say, being so late..."
Ralph's voice brought me back to focus.
"Would you be willing to try one more time?"
Ralph adjusted his stance, gripping his sword anew. Watching him made me feel disgusted at how focused I'd been on my own calculations.
'What... have I even done?'
Having lost the kitchen knife, and because Schutmann ignored me, I stood aside and watched as we slowly lost.
Sure, I'd tried swinging my Sword Energy up close to Schutmann, but I'd only gotten in my allies' way.
But—
'Now that I think back, at some point, I stopped swinging at all.'
Foolishly, I'd given up—as if I'd been told I was terminally ill.
My mind insisted otherwise, but my body stayed still. I'd accepted defeat.
But Ralph, who returned belatedly, is not like me. Ralph—
'He just wants to fight.'
There's no calculation. He just has a sword in his hands and, faced with an enemy before him, keeps fighting.
That's why Ralph told the battalion commander and Lantz, "one more time."
"Heh. Do you have a strategy?"
At the battalion commander's question, Ralph's gaze landed on me.
"We'll stall for as long as possible and, in that gap, send Ian back to the village."
"Hm. I don't get it..."
The battalion commander narrowed his brow, but I caught on instantly.
'Telling me to go to the village—surely, he wants me to get Plerine.'
That must be the plan. Among us, only Plerine had the strength to face Schutmann. Of course, my rational mind rejected the plan.
'The rest won't last long enough for that.'
Moreover, Granfen village was days away from here. Borrowing Plerine's strength was impossible under these circumstances—
"!!"
That moment, a forgotten option came back to me.
'Plerine's power that isn't here.'
In my hand, Nash carried a magic enchanted by Plerine.
Not just ordinary magic, either—it was her 'unique magic'!
'That rabbit beastkin saw Nash and spoke as if she knew Plerine. It's definitely unique magic.'
If I used this magic, could I fight Schutmann? I didn't know what it did, or how to activate it—Plerine hadn't told me.
'... No, don't give up.'
I shook my head to clear my weak thoughts. How could I activate the unique magic enchanted into Nash? The most common method—
'Chanting.'
Naturally, I recalled the unique magic chant Plerine used back in the minor Demon Realm: Summon, ignite, deploy, and, finally, 'Azure Flame Pillar.'
She'd used three trigger words and then activated it afterward.
'Let's go.'
I stepped forward.
I didn't know what magic would come out if I succeeded in activating it, but my judgment was that being close increased my chance of hitting Schutmann.
Step. Step.
On my second step, Schutmann, who had been looking at Lantz, turned to me.
"What are you doing?"
He asked, sounding puzzled.
He'd already realized my current strength was only at the squad leader level.
Of course, I was glad he let his guard down.
Step. Step.
Without replying, I took a few more steps closer.
Only now did Schutmann properly ready his sword, while I halted and spoke one of the three words.
"Summon."
"...?"
Nothing? Next.
"Deploy."
Fwoosh.