Volume 1 – 49. The First Group’s Combat – Part V
As Lucien had expected, Ava made short work of the Inferni.
The Inferni fought with relentless aggression, chaining together sweeping sword strikes, heavy punches, and even sudden kicks whenever Ava entered his reach. None of it amounted to much. She slipped past every attack with uncanny precision, moving only at the last possible instant to conserve effort. Whenever the broadsword threatened to catch her, the stiletto dagger in her off hand redirected its path with crisp, economical motions, creating another opening for her rapier to dart in.
Every exchange left another puncture wound somewhere on the Inferni's body. One thrust pierced his shoulder, the next slipped into his upper arm, another opened his ribs, and yet another drove into his thigh before Ava had already danced out of reach again.
She wasn't trying to overpower him. She was methodically bleeding him dry, relying entirely on superior technique and footwork rather than her shadow abilities.
Watching from behind the Inferni, Lucien briefly considered leaving everything to her.
"Lucien!" Ava called without taking her eyes off the Hollow. "You take the finishing blow!"
Or that.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
There was no reason to refuse. Waiting for the Inferni to bleed out naturally would only waste time while the bearkin was still fighting the others.
Without answering, Lucien lowered his posture and approached under the cover of basic stealth. The Inferni's attention remained completely fixed on Ava, who continued pressuring him with quick thrusts and sudden changes of angle.
Clang!
Ava caught another sweeping strike on her dagger and guided the broadsword harmlessly aside.
Lucien closed the distance.
Five steps.
Four.
Three.
The Inferni growled and lunged forward again, trying to force Ava backward with another brutal slash.
Ava yielded her ground to keep his focus locked on her.
That opening was what Lucien needed.
He exploded forward.
Thud!
His boot slammed into the back of the Inferni's calf just below the knee, forcing the leg to buckle and robbing the Hollow of its balance for a crucial instant. Its stance collapsed unevenly, dragging its upper body forward before it could recover.
Lucien's daggers crossed in a scissor-like motion.
Shhk!
The blades sank deep into either side of the Inferni's neck. Dense muscle resisted the steel for an instant before giving way.
Ignoring the resistance, Lucien gritted his teeth and wrenched both daggers backward with every ounce of strength he had. The crossing blades tore through flesh in a vicious shearing motion, severing arteries and ripping apart the muscles supporting the cervical spine.
Crk.
The Inferni's body convulsed violently.
Its broadsword slipped from limp fingers with a heavy clang, and every trace of strength vanished from its limbs before the Hollow crumpled onto the stone without another sound.
At that same instant, translucent blue text shimmered across Lucien's vision.
[Level Up.]
[Level 2 → Level 3.]
He barely had time to process it.
"You two!" Isolde's sharp voice cut cleanly through the noise of battle. "Get over here once you're done!"
Lucien immediately looked toward the remaining fight.
To his surprise, the situation was nowhere near as desperate as he'd expected.
Kira was handling the bearkin remarkably well.
“Hah! You’re too slow!”
Rather than contesting the Hollow's overwhelming strength head-on, Kira had abandoned any semblance of conventional swordsmanship.
His bastard sword remained strapped across his back as he dropped onto all fours, moving with the natural grace of a hunting wolf. He bounded across the plaza with startling speed, changing direction so abruptly that the bearkin struggled to keep him in sight.
The Hollow answered with a guttural roar.
"GRRRAAAH!"
Its massive club swept across the plaza.
FWOOM!
The iron head swept across the plaza with enough force to scatter dust and loose fragments of stone.
It struck nothing.
By the time the swing reached where Kira had been, the Wolfkin was already somewhere else. His claws scraped across the pavement with a sharp skrrt as one hand touched the ground, allowing him to twist his entire body and launch himself in a completely different direction before the shockwave from the previous swing had even faded.
"Heh.”
A broad grin spread across his face.
“I'm over here, you oversized furball!"
The insult earned him another furious bellow.
"GRRRAAAH!"
The bearkin ripped its club back and immediately reversed the swing.
FWOOM!
The massive weapon came hurtling after Kira once again.
He dipped beneath it by mere inches, the rush of displaced air whipping through his hair as the club thundered overhead. The opening lasted only a second, but he seized it instantly.
In one fluid motion, his hand shot over his shoulder, wrapped around the hilt of his bastard sword, and drew it in the same movement he drove himself upward.
Shhkk!
The heavy blade carved deep into the bearkin's weapon arm.
"Grrrgh!"
A pained growl escaped the Hollow as the muscles in its arm seized involuntarily. Its enormous grip faltered for the briefest moment, leaving the iron club hanging motionless in midair while the injured limb struggled to respond.
Kira clicked his tongue.
"Not enough!"
Rather than pressing his luck, he immediately kicked away.
Tap. Tap. Skrrt.
His hands touched the stone before his feet did, his body flowing seamlessly back onto all fours. Without losing momentum, he resumed circling the giant in a wide arc, boots and palms drumming lightly against the plaza while his twitching ears tracked every movement the Hollow made.
The bearkin recovered with an enraged snarl.
"RAAAH!"
Its club came crashing down once more.
BOOM!
The impact shattered the pavement, sending chunks of broken stone skipping across the plaza.
Kira was already circling toward its blind side, golden eyes fixed on every shift of its shoulders, waiting patiently for the next overcommitment.
Watching the exchange, Lucien couldn't help letting out an amused laugh.
"...So he really can fight like that."
Ava chuckled beside him, folding one arm across her chest.
"He didn't even need our help."
At this point, even Thane's presence had become unnecessary. Kira simply kept dancing around the giant, drawing out each overcommitted swing until the mounting wounds finally became too much.
Thud!
A few moments later, the bearkin's battered body collapsed onto the stone with enough force to shake the plaza. Blood poured freely from the deep wounds covering its arms, pooling across the cracked pavement beneath it.
"I won!"
Kira pumped a fist into the air, his tail wagging excitedly behind him as a broad, triumphant grin spread across his face.
While he celebrated, Sylphie quietly approached the fallen Hollow.
Lucien watched as she performed the same respectful gesture he had once seen Selva offer to the dead—gently reaching toward the bearkin’s head and muttering something in Nephilim.
"Ngh..."
A soft groan drew his attention elsewhere.
Isolde had suddenly winced, one hand pressed firmly against her temple as her brows knitted together in discomfort.
Lucien frowned and stepped a little closer.
"What's wrong?"
She exhaled slowly through clenched teeth before answering.
"The Corruption, most likely… Even with the suppressants, I still get these stabbing headaches from time to time."
"Well..." Concern crept naturally into Lucien's voice. "We should deal with that sooner rather than later."
Isolde looked at him suspiciously, one eyebrow lifting.
"Acting concerned won't work on me." Her lips curled into a faintly unimpressed smile. "I still have no intention of sleeping with you."
Lucien stared at her for a second before letting out an exasperated breath.
"I'm worried because finding a remotely competent Weaver willing to work with us is difficult enough already." He gave her a flat look. "And for the record, I don't want to sleep with you either."
Objectively, Isolde was an attractive woman. She carried herself with the confidence expected of nobility, and her mature appearance was closer to Lucien's preferences than someone much younger.
Even so...
Her personality was enough to extinguish any interest before it had the chance to grow.
"That's good."
Isolde gave a small, satisfied nod before turning her attention elsewhere, apparently losing interest in the conversation.
Lucien simply let out a quiet sigh and opened the System.
[Level: 3
Experience Points (XP): 7 / 300
Corruption Points (CP): 143 / 300
Skill Points (SP): 2]
He had no idea how much experience the two Hollow kills had awarded him, nor did he particularly care.
It wasn't enough.
The Tier II skill he wanted required three Skill Points, and he was still one short.
"Should we get moving?" Thane asked, glancing toward Lucien as he adjusted the strap of his shield over one shoulder. "We can't afford to stay here for too long."
Lucien closed the System window with a thought and gave a single nod.
"Yeah."
Their real objective still lay ahead.
The Hollow Knight.
This battle had gone surprisingly smoothly. Aside from a few manageable injuries, everything had unfolded without a hitch. Combined with everything Lucien had already learned about the Hollow Knight's attack patterns during their previous encounter—and the addition of four capable companions—it should have made the next fight considerably easier.
Should.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
No matter how much he tried to reason it out, the pessimistic part of his mind refused to believe it would be that simple.
"You getting cold feet now?"
Ava wandered over with a teasing grin, lightly bumping his arm with her elbow.
Lucien looked at her for a moment before a small grin of his own appeared.
"Of course not."
His voice was calm and steady.
Whatever stood waiting for them ahead… he would kill it.
If he couldn't overcome the Hollow Knight, there was little point in believing he could survive the likely greater trials that would await him on his quest to uncover the truth behind his transmigration.