Ch.159159. Meeting (5)

The newly formed hero party gathered for the first time in the headquarters reception room. Five people. Georg sat next to the hero, who occupied the head seat. The saint, Isis, sat across from him, while the magician, Nella, sat on the right. With her eyes closed and mouth shut, Isis looked exactly like a girl her age, while Nella stared down at the table with fierce eyes. And then,

“You’re late.”

There was one dangerous-smelling fellow. Ignoring the hero’s rebuke, he sat next to Isis, across from Nella. The smell of blood was thick. Georg glanced at the mercenary and thought as much. Pitch-black hair, equally black eyes. An attitude that seemed indifferent to worldly matters. For someone who exuded such a strong scent of blood, it would be strange if he showed interest in worldly affairs.

“Let’s begin.”

Aryen was a reasonable man. Having been soaked in blood and having shed blood himself, he had a certain perspective on the world. At least, that’s what Georg felt. And above all, setting aside factors like personality or appearance, Aryen was strong. Unbelievably strong. Even surpassing the hero.

“I’ll handle it alone.”

And, more than expected, he genuinely cared for his companions. Even if the party was composed of people who had nothing in common. And he had somewhat emotional aspects too. That was the impression Georg had of Aryen.

-He was certainly not one to raise his sword against others for absurd reasons.

BANG-!!

His left arm tingles. Georg looked at Aryen pressing down on his shield. The reddish aura scattered into fragments of light, dyeing his eyes with red madness.

“A sturdy shield is quite troublesome.”

Georg put more strength into his left shoulder. Aryen didn’t back down easily. With their swords still connected, he pushed back against Georg’s strength as if trying to pierce through the shield. He couldn’t give way. Once a shield yields, it loses its function. Aryen must know that too.

“HAAAH-!!”

Georg shouted a battle cry as he pulled back his mace. Aryen clicked his tongue, withdrew his sword, and stepped back. Behind him were Daphne and Marianne. The guards were helping them recover. Until the two escaped the aftermath of the attack, Georg had to face that monster alone.

“You’ve always been a diligent one. You stayed until the end, even after I was banished.”

Aryen seemed consumed by anger. To Georg, his anger was something that had missed its moment to be released.

“That’s a knight’s ethics and courtesy as a party member. Don’t act so arrogantly as if you were everything to that party.”

Georg emphasized his words and corrected his stance. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and thrust his shield forward. The guards began to tighten their encirclement, pointing their spears forward.

“Put down your sword, Aryen. It’s not too late even now.”

“No, it is too late. It’s been far too late, you ignorant fools.”

Aryen shook his head and laughed bitterly. The aura on his sword was growing thicker. The magical power, compressed light and space, shimmered like a mirage.

“I won’t concern myself with your lives or deaths. You wouldn’t understand even if I explained.”

Killing intent surged. The current Aryen could kill people like insects just for pointing spear tips at him. Georg made this judgment and raised his hand.

“Everyone! Don’t approach!”

Georg’s voice echoed through the middle of the royal city streets, and the soldiers stopped in their tracks. Aryen looked at the scene with a subtle smile on his lips.

“But, Commander! Reinforcements will arrive soon. The strongest knights of the royal city are coming.”

“I’ll hold him off alone until they arrive. Take Daphne and Marianne and retreat immediately.”

Aryen stuck his sword into the ground and listened intently to the conversation. The soldiers hesitated, unable to move either way despite Georg’s firm orders.

“How frightening. The finest knights of the royal city are gathering to capture just me.”

The soldiers still hadn’t retreated. Georg bit his lip hard, trying not to show his growing anxiety. Aryen had the initiative. Georg watched everything and waited. Aryen didn’t move. That made the atmosphere even more ominous.

“How about this then?”

Aryen pulled his sword from the ground.

“Since I fear the approaching knights, I’ll run away.”

Georg’s pupils contracted sharply. And Aryen’s form blurred. Georg’s head turned toward the direction Aryen had leaped. The sword drew a reddish line in the air like a brush. The line swept across the guards’ necks, arms, waists, thighs, and chests. Blood belatedly gushed along the sword’s path.

“You- madman!!”

Georg hurled himself after Aryen. Reason, rationality, context. There was no time to think about what was happening. Aryen was like a whirlwind that had suddenly swept in. A whirlwind carrying a sword. A sharp wind that tore human flesh and stripped bones. Georg threw himself toward that wind.

CLANG-!!

Weapons collided. Auras crushed against each other, scattering sparks. Georg pressed closer. Aryen’s sword couldn’t be allowed to slip through. If it did, someone else would die.

He pressed down.

Georg brought his mace down from above, using his build and weight. This time, Aryen didn’t counter. He deflected, dodged, and moved his feet again. The guards tried to thrust their spear blades into Aryen’s back as he fled, but each time, the soldier’s body was cut along with the spear shaft. Aryen expended no effort in dealing with Georg, nor did he exert himself against the soldiers.

“Hahaha! Like moths to a flame.”

Like a catfish gliding through a lake, Aryen moved through people. Georg gritted his teeth and pushed his heart harder. His body became a little lighter. Speed built up. Georg reached Aryen’s feet as he moved leisurely. Georg rammed his shield into Aryen, pinning him against a building. Aryen’s eyes showed momentary surprise, then met the falling mace.

BOOM-!!

The building exploded and collapsed. Georg raised his mace to strike once more before Aryen could escape, but nothing remained in the debris.

“Too slow, Georg. I’ve been gone for quite some time.”

The voice came from behind. Georg instinctively swung his arm backward. Aryen caught it unhurriedly, as if he had been waiting for it. Georg’s eyes locked with Aryen’s in a test of strength. Georg saw that the smile had disappeared from Aryen’s eyes.

“What do you think will happen to this world?”

“I didn’t know you were the type to worry about such things.”

Aryen pushed Georg away.

“You know nothing about what lurks behind that salvation. No one in this world knows.”

Aryen thrust his sword forward. From a distance came the sound of urgent footsteps. The knights’ presence. Aryen waited for them with an expression of disgust.

“This isn’t very entertaining either. Just wielding the power I possess.”

The arriving knights drew their weapons. Swords, spears, halberds, maces. The street filled with the clanking of metal and emotions of determination, killing intent, and anger.

“They don’t know how useless those emotions are.”

Aryen was like a sheer coastal cliff, and the knights’ auras were like waves. The more the waves crashed against it, the sharper the cliff became. Aryen’s gaze swept over the knights one by one, analyzing and assessing their skills. Was he calculating his chances? Aryen stood still, appearing to measure them, and then,

“-! He’s gone!”

“Where is he!”

He concealed his form.

Slash-!

A chilling metallic sound rang out. A bright red line appeared on the neck of the knight at the front of the formation. Drip. The blood flowing from his neck and his head falling to the ground happened almost simultaneously.

“This crazy-!!”

“Catch him!”

Aryen suddenly appeared in the center of the knight formation. Their weapons didn’t tangle. The knights weren’t confused. As if recalling their training days as squires, they moved as one against Aryen. Shield bearers were positioned at the front. Sword wielders stood beside spear wielders, complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They harmonized their auras to strengthen them further.

“So the claim about the royal city’s finest knights isn’t just empty talk.”

That discipline surprised even Aryen for a brief moment. The knights transformed into a single organism, a system solely dedicated to killing Aryen.

“Head.”

A concise word, or command. Five spears rushed toward Aryen’s head. Spears with the power of siege hammers flew faster than arrows. Aryen swung his sword widely, deflecting three and evading two. Then, a pair of halberds rose to slice his waist.

Descending blades. Clashing auras. The resulting shockwave pushed the knights back.

“That guy. He’s deliberately causing shockwaves by clashing forcefully.”

Georg muttered. It would be an excellent method when facing multiple opponents, but the knights’ auras were by no means inferior. The strain on himself must be considerable too.

“Now this is starting to feel like a proper fight.”

Aryen’s voice came from above. The knights simultaneously looked up, but it was already too late. A crimson net of aura poured down. The knights scattered, trying to block Aryen’s attack. Those lacking sufficient skill were cut down and fell to the ground, bleeding.

“Not as good as I expected.”

Aryen landed. As his feet touched the ground, another shockwave disrupted the knights’ formation. Even in a one-against-many situation, he didn’t rush. Starting with knights whose balance was disrupted, he methodically eroded their strength, moving nimbly to prevent coordinated attacks.

He cut and cut again. Some knights managed to block, but they fell after a few exchanges. All the flowing blood belonged to the knights. Georg had been cut once. As if the sword had been coated with poison, the wound was terribly painful and throbbing. And at some point, the knights and Aryen formed a strange standoff, like wolves surrounding a bear.

“I’m curious about something.”

Aryen looked around at the knights and spoke.

“Do you truly believe the hero can save this world?”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

An old knight stepped forward, cutting off Aryen’s words.

“The hero was chosen by the Holy Sword. And he has defeated four calamities. You saw all this with your own eyes, and yet you still question who to believe!”

The knights agreed with the old knight’s rebuke, making threatening sounds by clashing their weapons. The hero now occupied an inviolable position among the royal city’s people. Aryen sensed this and sighed.

“How is that any different from the Holy Sword saving the world? What saves you isn’t human.”

Aryen spoke as if warning them.

“Remember this. You don’t know what you’re depending on. When you realize it, you’ll understand my actions…”

“The knights and guards you’ve cut down so far number in the dozens.”

Georg’s voice interrupted Aryen’s words. Georg roughly pressed to stop his bleeding and began walking steadily toward Aryen.

“You’ve just killed about the same number of knights as those who died in the entire Comet incident.”

Georg’s words carried intense killing intent and anger. A thick aura, completely different from what he had emitted before, was seeping from Georg’s feet.

“You don’t even have the right to speak.”

Aryen looked at Georg and raised the corner of his mouth in a mocking smile. Georg charged forward with a roar. His aura was gradually darkening from blue to navy. Even when emotionally agitated, one must respond calmly. Georg thrust his shield forward.

CLANG-!!

He couldn’t dodge or deflect it. Aryen slightly frowned at the direct impact for the first time. Georg’s speed had changed. He was being pushed back. Marks appeared on the ground where he was dragged. The timing was off. He needed to draw more power to match it.

BOOM-!! BOOM-!!

Dozens of exchanges occurred within seconds. Shield forward, mace after the stiffness from blocking. Georg attacked and defended as his instincts guided him. Just a little further. Just a little more-

Slash.

“That was quite impressive.”

Upper arm. He felt blood flowing. The wound wasn’t deep.

“You-!!”

He had to force his body to move and strike. Raise the shield-

Swish.

Swing the mace.

Thud.

If that doesn’t work, press forward with his body to push through.

Slash. Thud. Clang.

“AAAAARGH-!!!”

Slash.

Blood scattered. Georg realized it was his own blood as he fell to the ground. Wait, why am I falling? His body’s balance was off. He couldn’t plant his feet on the ground. Was something wrong with his right leg?

Thud.

Georg’s large frame collapsed to the ground. Blood was flowing from all over his body. He felt a gaze looking down at him. Looking up, he saw Aryen staring at him expressionlessly.

“It seems you’re destined to die no matter where you are.”

Die? Georg vaguely pondered Aryen’s words through his blurring vision. The sword in his hand rose high.

“Farewell. This is a courtesy to an old comrade.”

It falls. The sword, death, falls toward him.

CLANG-!!

Aryen’s sword was blocked in mid-air. Aryen smiled grimly and pressed his sword down harder, but the other blade blocking his path didn’t budge.

“Finally, you’ve appeared.”

The hero.

Ilroy’s expression was one Georg had never seen before. For the first time, killing intent dwelled in the hero’s eyes. The world held its breath. Even time seemed to flow very slowly, watching his mood. Aryen turned his head with extreme composure, smiling with his eyes.

“It’s been a while, hero-“

BOOM.

And with that greeting, Aryen was launched into the sky, spraying blood.