Chapter 228
While Kiriya and Jeanne rested in a room in Sighișoara, Yggdmillennia Castle back in Trifas was receiving an unexpected visitor.
The intruder was nearly two meters tall, a hulking giant covered in bulging muscle.
His body looked as though it had been cast from bronze and forged from iron, radiating the raw strength of some ancient mythological strongman.
There was only one problem.
Unlike the heroes of legend, his skin was a corpse-like blue-white, covered from head to toe in countless scars.
Combined with the leather mask that seemed almost fused to the muscles of his face, he looked less like a hero and more like a demon that had crawled straight out of hell.
His appearance was frightening enough already.
What made it worse was the strange smile constantly stretched across his face, as though every wound and every hardship he had ever suffered meant absolutely nothing to him.
And right now, that smiling giant was charging straight toward Yggdmillennia Castle with fanatical excitement blazing in his eyes.
"Hahaha! I can smell them!"
"The oppressors are ahead! Right there!"
"Good... very good!"
"Let the rebellion begin here!"
"Are you prepared, oppressors?"
"With my love, I shall grant you destruction!"
"Hahahahaha!"
His heavy footsteps pounded against the earth.
Trees and dense woodland standing in his path were smashed apart one after another as he simply barreled through them.
The ground trembled beneath every step, while his thunderous laughter rolled across the landscape.
Naturally, it did not take long for the Masters and Servants inside the distant castle to notice him.
"Berserker of Red?"
Gordes stared into the distance with open disdain.
"He actually charged over here alone? What incredible stupidity."
"Way too reckless. Not elegant at all."
Astolfo crossed his arms and shook his head disapprovingly.
"No."
Chiron calmly analyzed the situation.
"It may be a diversion intended to draw our attention. The true threat could be following behind him."
Through Clairvoyance, the great sage had already detected two powerful presences trailing some distance behind Berserker.
"Even so, we cannot simply ignore him."
Darnic frowned.
"If Berserker is allowed to rampage within our territory, the damage could become troublesome."
"A warrior who raises the banner of rebellion against those he considers rulers?"
A majestic voice echoed over the balcony.
"Such spirit is worthy of some interest."
Vlad III appeared before them.
"My king."
Darnic immediately bowed.
"Will you personally take the field?"
"Indeed."
Vlad gave a faint smile.
"A warrior with such audacity has made even me feel the urge to stretch my limbs."
He summoned a horse and mounted it.
Just as he prepared to charge, another voice interrupted him.
"I’m pretty interested in that guy too."
"Why not leave him to me?"
Everyone turned around.
Kiriya was strolling toward them as though he had merely stepped out for a walk.
A casual smile rested on his face.
"Oh?"
Vlad’s lips curved upward.
"You volunteer yourself?"
"Very well."
He swept one hand outward.
"I grant your request."
Then he raised his voice.
"Go, then, warrior from distant lands."
"Show me what you are capable of!"
"Heh."
Kiriya smiled.
"My pleasure."
He stepped onto the balcony railing and pushed off.
His body shot forward like a gale, racing straight toward Berserker.
"So fast!"
Astolfo’s eyes practically sparkled.
"Master is really that amazing?"
"For that man, such speed is only the beginning." Siegfried spoke quietly.
"Watch carefully."
"His hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship are extraordinary."
Coming from the legendary dragon slayer himself, that was high praise.
Everyone immediately became even more interested in seeing how Kiriya would handle the approaching Berserker.
What happened next, however, was not what they expected.
...
"Ohhh?"
Berserker of Red laughed wildly when he sensed Kiriya approaching.
"You’ve come!"
"This presence... yes! An oppressor!"
"Definitely an oppressor!"
He swung his short sword at the incoming figure.
Whoosh!
With A-rank Strength behind it, the swing released a violent blade wind powerful enough to tear apart trees and shatter stone.
To Kiriya, however, the attack was painfully obvious.
He flipped over the sword, twisted his body in midair, and drove a whipping kick directly into Berserker’s head.
BOOM!
Berserker was launched backward.
He smashed through several massive trees before slamming into a huge boulder hard enough to crater its surface.
The bones in his face had visibly caved inward.
Yet rather than showing pain, his smile grew even wider.
"Good!"
"That’s it!"
"More!"
"Give me more!"
Roaring with delight, he charged Kiriya again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kiriya slipped around Berserker’s attacks with ease.
Whenever an opening appeared, he struck the joints of the arms and legs, the abdomen, the waist, and other vulnerable points.
Every blow carried enough force to crack stone monuments apart.
Yet when they landed on Berserker, his body merely rocked slightly before he continued attacking with even greater enthusiasm.
In fact, his strength seemed to be increasing.
He resembled an endless war machine that could continue fighting until the world itself came to an end.
"Excellent martial skill."
Vlad III nodded approvingly from the distance.
"For a human, he is undeniably powerful."
Then his tone shifted.
"However, if he believes attacks of that level will defeat Berserker of Red, he is being overly optimistic."
Several of the Black Masters began showing faintly dismissive expressions.
So much for all that confidence earlier.
Was he really struggling against a mere Berserker?
Pathetic.
"That young man..."
Chiron’s calm voice interrupted their thoughts.
"I believe he is simply playing with him."
Celenike and Roche responded with skeptical smiles.
"Master!"
Astolfo cupped both hands around his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"What are you doing?! Stop messing around and smash that huge guy already!"
Whether because Astolfo’s shouting reached him or because Kiriya had simply grown bored, his movements suddenly changed.
"If hand-to-hand combat doesn’t work..."
Kiriya avoided a thrust from Berserker’s short sword and formed a hand seal in midair.
"Let’s try this."
"Wood Release: Tree Binding Death."
The earth beneath Berserker erupted.
Several wooden vines burst upward and wrapped themselves around his arms, legs, and torso, abruptly halting his charge.
"Hahahaha!"
Berserker laughed louder than ever.
"Oppressor, you have another trick?"
"But it’s useless!"
"My love! My power!"
"They cannot be stopped by something this weak!"
His muscles swelled violently.
He began pulling against the seemingly thin vines, attempting to tear them apart through sheer force.
Kiriya merely smiled.
"Who said that was all?"
He snapped his fingers.
The absorption ability of Forest of All Things activated.
Berserker’s expression changed.
His stamina suddenly began draining away as though someone had torn open a hole in his body.
At the same time, the vines wrapped around him began growing at terrifying speed.
What had originally been no thicker than a human arm transformed within seconds into several towering trees.
Their trunks and branches twisted around Berserker until he was completely imprisoned.
"My... strength..."
Even Berserker’s EX-rank Endurance could not prevent the rapid exhaustion caused by those energy-devouring trees.
His enormous body visibly weakened.
And yet—
He still smiled.
"Such a powerful oppressor..."
His breathing became ragged.
"I... can hardly wait to embrace you."
"Sorry."
Kiriya smiled pleasantly.
"When it comes to hugs, I only accept beautiful women."
"Older beauties are fine too."
Then he snapped his fingers again.
"Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Jutsu."
At his command, countless wooden spikes erupted from within Berserker’s body.
They spread wildly through flesh and muscle, piercing outward until his massive frame was covered in protruding wooden spears.
Energy drain.
Internal impalement.
Under the combined assault, Berserker’s Spiritual Core finally shattered.
He released one final unwilling roar.
Then his enormous body dissolved into particles of light.
Berserker of Red—eliminated.
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