Chapter 75: Grass Cutting
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“GRRR…! RAAAHH!”
The monster responded with savage speed. It opened its massive maws and snapped at Reinhardt with deadly intent. He swiftly rolled to the left, avoiding the attack, then sprang back to his feet. With a powerful kick against the ground, he launched himself upward and landed on the creature’s shoulder. His sword gleamed brightly under the dim light.
“I have to strike its artery so it can bleed to death!”
He drove his blade deep into the monster’s thick neck, piercing straight through to the main artery. A powerful spray of hot blood erupted everywhere, soaking his armor and face.
“I-I did it!”
“GYAAAAHHHH!”
The Thrallgus screamed in furious agony. In retaliation, it grabbed Reinhardt with its enormous hand and squeezed violently, shattering several of his ribs. The sudden crushing pain made him vomit blood instantly.
“G-Gahaaaa?!”
“GRRR…!”
The Thrallgus grinned viciously as it opened its maw wide, revealing rows upon rows of thousands of razor-sharp teeth.
“N-No…! D-Damn it! Why won’t you…! Why won’t you die?!”
Reinhardt coughed up more blood, feeling certain that death was closing in on him. His vision began to blur.
“I can’t die here…! No…! No…!”
His heart pounded faster and faster. His aura surged wildly, fluctuating and shifting around him in the form of small, glowing butterflies. Memories of his brave mother flooded his mind, the warm moments they had shared, the thrilling adventures they had experienced together.
Those images clashed with memories of his stern father, whose sharp eyes and stuck-up personality kept him devoted only to the knight order, his house, and his ancestors, never even taking time to mourn his own wife.
Love for his mother and deep-seated anger toward his father converged violently within his heart. In that desperate moment between life and death, Reinhardt saw a star.
“Ah…”
His eyes sparkled with wonder as he gazed at the beautiful star. It was a small, radiant orb shining with brilliant gold and silver light, floating peacefully amid an endless cosmos.
“What… is this…?”
Reinhardt slowly reached out with a trembling hand toward the star.
The moment his fingers touched it—
FLASH!
That star, that guiding star of destiny, embraced him completely.
“Seize the power to change your fate yourself, oh heir of the fallen knight family!”
A deep, rumbling masculine voice echoed throughout his soul, awakening something profound within him, the true power to change his own destiny.
“Raaaaahhh!”
With a furious roar, his aura erupted in a blinding surge. He snapped the fingers of the Thrallgus that held him, forcing the beast to scream in pain and drop to its knees.
“Nnggh…!”
Reinhardt collapsed to the floor, coughing violently. Blood continued to pour from his mouth, and his broken ribs remained a source of agonizing pain. He could die at any moment.
But he refused to stay down.
He looked up at the monster, which was still not dead. It pressed its massive hand against the bleeding wound on its neck, trying desperately to stop the flow.
Reinhardt forced himself to stand. His aura glowed with a striking gold-red light. The Element of Fire inherited from his mother and the Element of Light from his father had converged into a powerful pillar of red-gold energy.
“I’ll finish you!”
He charged forward and thrust his sword. The Thrallgus saw him coming and attempted to slap him away with its damaged but still powerful hand.
However, in that critical moment, Reinhardt’s senses and thought process accelerated tremendously.
FLASH!
For a brief instant, the world around him seemed to move in slow motion.
“!!!”
An opportunity appeared.
He realized that by channeling his aura into his brain, he could greatly enhance his thought process, reflexes, and senses. Using that newfound clarity, he ducked under the incoming attack, rose again, and drove his sword straight into the monster’s neck wound. With all his remaining strength, he swung downward.
A vivid memory of his mother flashed through his mind as he struck.
“Mommy, mommy! Can I be a great swordsman like you one day? Like dad too?”
“Heh, of course you can.”
She had swung her sword gracefully, cutting through the tall grass in a vast grassland outside the city where they once enjoyed a peaceful picnic many years ago.
“Remember this move. It’s called Grass Cutting, the first technique any swordsman learns.”
The young boy had taken his wooden sword and swung it again and again, first downward and then horizontally.
“Like this, mommy?”
He had been terrible at it, as expected of a child.
“Hahaha, that’s the spirit! Before any fancy technique, always remember to keep Grass Cutting in your mind. Master it until it becomes an extension of your very being.”
Reinhardt smiled softly, a single tear sliding down his cheek.
“That’s right… How could I have ever forgotten Mom’s teaching?!”
His sword gleamed with brilliant light and turned a deep, vibrant green. The cherished memory transformed into tangible power, naturally weaving itself into a new and improved swordsmanship art.
“Grass Cutting!”
SLAAASH!
“?!”
The Thrallgus’ eyes widened in shock as its entire neck — not just the original wound — was severed in one clean, devastating cut. The immense power behind the attack completely beheaded the creature with a single strike.
“Eh?”
Reinhardt watched as the monster’s head rolled across the ground and its massive body collapsed with a heavy thud. Blood pooled across the floor. The remaining Thrallgus nearby stepped back in visible fear after witnessing the display.
“Mom’s technique…”
He held his sword steady and listened to the faint whispering sound that tall grass made when the wind passed through it.
Reinhardt smiled lightly.
“It… really worked…”
But his wounds were too severe. He collapsed to the floor once more, vomiting another mouthful of blood.
The three remaining Thrallgus charged at him hungrily, their mouths dripping with saliva at the prospect of fresh meat.
“Mom… forgive your foolish son… for… dishonoring you… all this time…”
Reinhardt’s eyes filled with sorrow and despair. He closed them slowly, preparing to accept his fate.
And yet, they would not let him die.
Not after everything he had just shown.
“Gahahahaha! I like your technique! What was that again?! Grass Cutting?”
CLASH!
“Not bad, Reinhardt.”
CRASH!
“That’s the spirit!”
BOOOM!
“!!!”
While still bleeding heavily, Reinhardt looked up and saw three familiar figures step in front of him, effortlessly blocking the attacks of the three remaining Thrallgus.
Something he had never truly had before — because of his rebellious attitude and distant nature. Even the few friends he once made had eventually forgotten him when he stopped providing them with money. All his life, he had deliberately kept people at a distance, afraid to form real bonds.
But now, he finally understood what he had found.
“Remember, Reinhardt! There’s nothing more precious than people you can rely on even in the direst situations. They are both your pillars and the greatest friends you’ll ever find! If you ever meet people like that… never let them go. Did you hear me?”
Comrades.
“Y-You guys…” Reinhardt muttered weakly, coughing blood as tears streamed down his face.
Borfus the Dwarf.
Archivald, the Half-Orc.
And…
Elizabeth, the Human girl.
All three stood firmly in front of him, shielding him from danger.
“W-Why…”
Borfus glared at him with rough affection and clicked his tongue. “Tsk! You’re such a damn crybaby! Why wouldn’t we help a comrade?!”
Archivald remained mostly stoic, yet a trace of warm kindness colored his deep voice. “A warrior never leaves behind a comrade.”
Elizabeth smiled with pure, child-like innocence mixed with boundless hope. “Duh, because I’ve invested a little on you!”
Faced with overwhelming adversity yet discovering true comrades in the most unexpected place, Reinhardt felt a renewed spark of hope ignite within him, even though he could barely move.
Elizabeth sighed and let the other two handle the monsters for a moment. “You really almost died, huh?” She shook her head while beginning to heal him. “Don’t be an idiot, Reinhardt. You have to make sure you don’t die when fighting monsters! Be more careful next time.”
“Ow! Who are you calling an idiot— Ouch!” He cried out as the healing took effect. The process was painful because of his many broken ribs. “Y-You’re really good…! Are you the daughter of some aristocrat?”
“Ehh, nah,” Elizabeth replied casually. “Anyway, did you see that star? I lent it to you. It only lasts twenty-four hours, so make sure to use it well and grow strong.”
“Huh?! Wait, that was a blessing?” He was genuinely shocked.
“Kinda,” she said with a bright smile. “Alright, stand up and fight already!”
“Ugh, okay. Don’t go nagging at me, brat!” Reinhardt grumbled as he forced himself back to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothes.
“Hmm, still a bad attitude!” Elizabeth teased, but then she giggled. “But that was cool back there! Use that sword technique you just discovered and make it truly yours.”
“Will do! Don’t need your guidance for that, girl,” he replied with a small smile. “But… thanks. Really.”
“No problem!” Elizabeth said cheerfully. “Ah, here they come!”
“GROOOHHHH!”
The three Thrallgus charged once more. Reinhardt joined Borfus and Archivald in the fray as a swordsman. While the two tanks absorbed the heavy blows, Reinhardt unleashed sharp Grass Cutting techniques one after another, covering the monsters with deep, precise wounds.
Elizabeth provided crucial support through buffs, healing, and the occasional Demon Bite spell. She hindered the Thrallgus by biting at their legs and tripping them, preventing them from advancing too far.
“Pin it down!”
While Elizabeth distracted the other two, Borfus and Archivald successfully pinned one of the Thrallgus to the ground, creating the perfect opening for Reinhardt.
“Grass Cutter!”
SLAAASH!
A potent slash cleaved the Thrallgus’ head cleanly in two, killing it instantly. Reinhardt realized that this stronger version of the technique required more concentration and time to prepare than the instant version he had used earlier. Nevertheless, it was undeniably powerful — a technique that Reinhardt had already claimed as his own and begun improving.
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