Ch.189Chapter 189 – World Tree Defense Battle (2)

As I swung the halberd while letting go of the massive hammer, Baphomet blocked it with her armored arm.

“Guh!”

Though she caught the shaft rather than the blade, avoiding being cut, the impact was clearly transmitted.

After briefly grimacing, she smiled fiercely again and swung her hammer.

However, since she was trying to swing upward after already making a large swing, her speed was somewhat slow.

Without hesitation, I released the halberd, ducked to avoid the hammer, and as I rose, I simultaneously struck the shaft of the halberd with my fist to forcibly spin it.

*Whoosh!*

“You crazy bastard!”

Baphomet exclaimed in shock as she pulled back, nearly hit by the suddenly rotating halberd in mid-air.

In that opening, I grabbed the halberd again and swung it while lowering my stance. She jumped high to avoid it.

Then, as Baphomet backed away about three steps to create distance, I threw the halberd at her.

“This much is nothing, I’ll just deflect it!”

She shouted as she swung her hammer to deflect the halberd. But because of this, her gaze momentarily left me.

That’s why she realized too late that I had charged forward while throwing the halberd.

“Tch!”

Having just swung her weapon, her abdomen was exposed.

It seemed she intended to endure my attack, as I could see her slightly tensing her legs and abdomen.

She probably planned to withstand my kick and immediately counterattack.

‘As if I’d do what you expect.’

I relaxed my leg and simply placed it against her abdomen.

Confusion appeared on Baphomet’s face as she had braced for impact.

“What…?”

In terms of time, it was probably less than a second of confusion from my opponent.

A brief moment when Baphomet was thrown off balance.

I simply pushed against her stomach.

“Huh?”

Baphomet’s body began to fall backward.

This wouldn’t have happened if I had kicked her.

But because I pushed her instead, she was falling backward with almost comical ease.

“Damn it!”

Naturally, if she fell here, she would be helplessly vulnerable to my next attack.

Soon Baphomet used all her strength to try to maintain her posture.

She managed to avoid falling completely backward, though she remained awkwardly standing.

But her stance was already broken.

Seeing the mace that had somehow appeared in my hand, Baphomet’s expression twisted.

“That weapon is cheating.”

While listening to her grumbling.

I swung the mace down toward Baphomet’s head.

*THUD!*

“Guh!!”

Baphomet barely blocked the mace with her horns.

She quickly swung her hammer to shake me off, but I had already moved a bit away from her.

“…Damn, my horn cracked.”

Saying that, Baphomet clicked her tongue while looking at me.

“You’ve gotten stronger since we briefly clashed earlier. To think you could crack my horn.”

“Did it hurt a lot?”

When I asked with the intention of provoking her, a small trickle of blood from her head seemed to answer.

“Well, it would be a lie to say it doesn’t hurt.”

Baphomet said with a fierce smile.

“But it’s much better than something boring.”

She licked the blood she had shed while speaking.

“You’re a born fighter.”

“I hear that a lot.”

After saying that, Baphomet chuckled and said:

“I wasn’t always like this, though.”

Then Baphomet looked at me.

“…That too, was only possible because He always took care of me since I was young.”

As if reminiscing about the past, Baphomet paused briefly to catch her breath.

Then she spoke quietly.

“I will fight.”

Readjusting her stance, Baphomet continued:

“Even if my head rolls, I cannot stop His dream.”

“Dream?”

When I quietly asked, Baphomet smiled fiercely and said:

“Yes. The Demon Lord’s dream. The ideal world He envisions. The future we all desire.”

After gathering her words briefly, Baphomet opened her eyes fiercely again.

“So you’re willing to fight to the death for it.”

“It’s reason enough to put my life on the line here.”

Baphomet stomped her foot strongly.

“I will definitely get past you, Kay.”

Baphomet was speaking as if to infuse herself with strength.

I had the feeling she was somehow drawing in unknown energy from around her into her body.

“If you can get past.”

Our purposes were not aligned.

We were enemies.

We had no choice but to fight.

Baphomet was the first to charge.

“UAAAAH!!”

She charged forward, crushing the ground beneath her.

I swung my halberd down at Baphomet, and narrowly avoided her hammer by a paper-thin margin before thrusting my sword.

*Slash!*

“Not yet!”

Even with her shoulder deeply cut, Baphomet didn’t stop.

While deflecting her attacks as she tried to land a decisive blow on me, even at the cost of dangerous wounds, our fierce exchange continued.

While evading Baphomet’s hammer and fleeing, I attacked her with various weapons.

‘Was earlier just a warm-up?’

Her movements were faster and stronger than before.

Well, she probably wanted to conserve her strength as much as possible, so the beginning was likely just reconnaissance.

As we exchanged blows and I dodged her attacks, she laughed and shouted:

“What happened to your momentum from earlier!”

Baphomet shouted heartily as she swung her hammer.

*WHOOSH!!*

‘If I take a direct hit, I won’t come out of this unscathed.’

Despite her shoulder wound, she was swinging at a terrifying speed as if it didn’t bother her at all.

If I were to receive that blow without any countermeasures, the bones in that area would surely be shattered.

‘I can’t get hit.’

I had to be careful about taking attacks.

I dodged the continuing attacks while looking for an opportunity.

‘Now!’

I avoided the hammer as she swung it high upward, and immediately slashed at her exposed waist with my sword.

*Clang*

‘Insane.’

I thought I had cut an exposed part of her flesh, but the sword didn’t penetrate properly.

This wasn’t an ordinary sword either—it was a holy relic with some holy power, yet it still couldn’t cut through.

Her skin had rock-like defense despite being just skin.

I clicked my tongue, kicked her away, and created distance.

‘Terrifying defense.’

I hadn’t expected that I wouldn’t be able to properly wound her.

Besides her shoulder, she had many small cuts and scratches, but nothing that could be called a fatal wound yet.

I was certain that if I had tried to compete with just strength and endurance in this state, I would have lost.

As I created distance from Baphomet with that thought, she grinned and said:

“It’s your misfortune that today happens to be a full moon.”

“I see, so you’re stronger than usual.”

She was saying that because of the demon trait of becoming stronger during a full moon, her skin had become so hard that even my sword couldn’t cut it.

“Will you surrender?”

Baphomet asked leisurely.

And naturally, my answer was already decided.

“Are you crazy?”

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Baphomet charged forward again, stomping the ground.

I was about to swing my sword but quickly switched to the halberd, slashed with it, and then created distance again before changing weapons.

I swung a large, long flail with a chain attached to it and hurled it toward Baphomet.

“Really, your arsenal is diverse!”

Baphomet blocked the morning star with her sturdy horns.

But because of that, her vision was momentarily diverted.

I changed my weapon to an axe and immediately threw it.

“Tch!”

She raised her arm to block it somehow.

Though not deep, a wound appeared on her arm.

‘She has the advantage in strength and defense.’

Without using the dragon’s power, I probably couldn’t overcome this difference.

However, even in this state.

I had the advantage in speed and technique.

Of course, it wasn’t that Baphomet was extremely slow or lacking in skill.

And conversely, it wasn’t that I was excessively weak either.

It was a deadlock with a precarious balance.

‘Should I use the dragon’s power?’

I was confident I could defeat the current Baphomet if I summoned that white armor again.

But I immediately abandoned the idea.

Using it would clearly put a strain on my body, and since this was a defensive battle, I needed to fight for as long as possible.

‘Even if I use it, I should use it sparingly.’

At most, I should limit myself to bringing out the red lightning.

‘Just in case…’

Perhaps Baphomet would…

“You’re thinking too much!”

I avoided the swinging hammer with a back double somersault.

Then I threw a dagger aimed at Baphomet’s eye, but she quickly turned her head and blocked it with her horn.

“Damn, are those horns some kind of helmet?”

It was frustrating that she could so blatantly block attacks aimed at her head with her horns.

But I couldn’t lose the momentum of my attack.

So, I continued to swing my weapons.

The precarious tug-of-war continued.

“Yes, this is more like it…!”

Baphomet increased her power and speed even more.

I matched her, increasing my own power and speed to keep pace.

Under the full moon, my weapons and the demon’s clashed, emitting light.

The explosions and screams that had been heard from afar were gradually forgotten.

Only our weapons were swung, aiming for each other’s necks.

‘…How much time has passed?’

It had been long enough that both the passage of time and the number of weapon swings were becoming vague.

Eventually, without ending during that exchange, Baphomet and I both created distance and began to catch our breath.

Then Baphomet spoke:

“…I have a question, Kay.”

“Go ahead.”

Is she trying to catch her breath while talking?

As I also caught my breath while keeping my weapon aimed, Baphomet continued:

“What are you fighting for?”

“Why do you ask that?”

When I quietly answered, Baphomet stared at me for a moment.

And before long, she spoke again:

“If you don’t want to answer, fine.”

While aiming her weapon, she slightly touched her shoulder.

It was the deepest wound I had given her so far.

‘Is the pain starting to set in?’

She hadn’t acted like she was in pain after I first wounded her, but it seemed the pain was coming now that her body had calmed a bit.

Seeing that, I quietly asked:

“What are you fighting for?”

“My homeland.”

Raising her weapon, Baphomet said:

“My homeland, where everything is withered, where everyone is starving.”

“…The demon realm?”

“What, human? Did you think the demon realm would be prosperous?”

I hadn’t thought anything at all.

Interpreting my unspoken thoughts in her own way, Baphomet quietly continued:

“Why do you think our world is one of survival of the fittest?”

Baphomet paused a bit before answering:

“Because we take from each other.”

“I see.”

“Yes. That’s the kind of place my homeland is.”

Aiming her weapon at me, Baphomet briefly closed her eyes.

Seeing that, I also quietly began to prepare.

This wasn’t her reminiscing about memories during battle.

She was reminding herself of her reason to fight, honing her resolve.

“Our homeland, the Demon Lord declared He would change it.”

“The Demon Lord?”

“Yes. When I met Him, He wasn’t called the Demon Lord yet.”

For a moment, Baphomet’s expression was filled with nostalgia and joy.

When I looked again, wondering if I had seen wrong, her face had already transformed into that of a warrior.

“With a small body compared to the powerful demons, holding just one sword. He always went around saying He would create a place where everyone could live together.”

After saying that, Baphomet stomped her foot once strongly.

“So, I absolutely cannot lose, Kay.”

“……”

I sensed something like an aura from Baphomet.

Not magical power, but something very subtle.

“For His sake, for the demon realm. I absolutely cannot lose here.”

Looking at her as she prepared her hammer, I also quietly resolved myself.

And Baphomet continued:

“If you’re not prepared, step back, human. If you will fight, show your resolve, human.”

Of course, I had no intention of stepping back.

Seeing red sparks gradually flying from my body, Baphomet smiled fiercely and said:

“Yes, that’s enough.”

The next moment, along with that unknown small energy from Baphomet, something like a black aura exploded.

“I, Brigade Commander Baphomet, will ensure the Demon Lord’s summoning succeeds no matter what!”

The next moment, the ground exploded.

Baphomet approached me at a terrifying speed and swung her weapon.

‘So this was her hidden card.’

As that black aura erupted, Baphomet’s body changed.

She grew taller, her muscles expanded, and her horns, with the cracks now gone, became even sharper.

With slightly larger wings on her back, Baphomet charged at me.

“I will definitely pass through!”

Baphomet was drawing on all her power.

The hammer was swung at a speed faster than I could perceive.

I also changed my weapon to a hammer and countered, but my body was soon sent flying backward.

*BOOM!!*

“Guh!”

I exhaled as I collided with a tree and lost my grip on my weapon.

When I opened my eyes, Baphomet’s sharp horns were approaching me.

“Die!!”

Her horns lunged straight at me.

And simultaneously, red sparks erupted from my body.

*Crack*

I grabbed Baphomet’s horns with my arm and entered into a test of strength.

My body was lifted slightly, but I braced my legs against the tree and withstood Baphomet’s force.

“So you finally used it too!”

Did she think I was also hiding my strength?

Baphomet smiled as if this was expected.

“This is the decisive moment!!”

Baphomet’s feet pressed into the ground.

Her horns moved closer to my body.

‘I’m being pushed back…!’

My arms started to tremble slightly, perhaps because I was beginning to run out of strength.

Baphomet was charging at me with all her might.

“URYAAAAH!!”

With a mighty roar, her horns finally began to scratch my helmet.

At this rate, my head would be pierced through the helmet.

“…For the Demon Lord!!”

Baphomet shouted with all her might.

‘For the Demon Lord….’

What kind of person is this Demon Lord?

Judging by how hard Baphomet is fighting, the Demon Lord must be precious to her.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to exert such strength.

‘But you know.’

I also have precious people.

I don’t care about my own life.

If I let her pass, the lives of those behind me would be in danger.

I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

I couldn’t let that happen.

‘I absolutely won’t let you pass.’

I absolutely cannot let her through.

There was too much I wanted to protect behind me.

‘I will definitely protect them.’

Recalling the feelings I had honestly shared with “myself” in the labyrinth.

As I gathered all my strength with those feelings in mind, the red sparks began to fly more intensely.

Finally, I began to push back the horns that had been scratching my helmet.

“This bastard…!”

Was she thinking of making a decisive move?

Baphomet let out a battle cry.

“URYAAAAH!!”

Baphomet thrust her horns.

I pushed back against the horns.

For the sake of our respective precious ones, we both fought with all our might.

But the one who was slightly more exhausted was me.

‘Then…!’

Just as I decided to make a final gambit, Baphomet’s horns were thrust directly at me.

“This is the end!!”

Her horns caught on my helmet and began to tear it.

And the next moment.

My head slipped out of the helmet.

“What?”

When her horns were almost upon me, I had inserted my thumb and forcibly torn the helmet’s fastening strap.

Thanks to that, my head easily slipped out of the helmet, and Baphomet’s horns only pierced the helmet.

Unable to stop her momentum, Baphomet’s body rapidly moved forward and then fell.

And the hammer she dropped in the impact stuck into the ground.

“You bastard!”

Without even thinking of retrieving her hammer, Baphomet got up and charged at me.

I watched the swinging fist until the very end.

‘Watch until the end.’

If I were hit by a fist swung with that power, it wouldn’t end with just pain.

So, I watched until the very end.

‘Right.’

I slightly bent my body to the right, avoiding her fist.

Simultaneously, I extended my arm and grabbed her arm.

And then, I pulled hard.

“What…!”

As soon as I felt Baphomet’s body begin to lift, I slammed her to the ground.

“Guh…!”

A clean throw was executed, and Baphomet exhaled slightly.

Then she quickly rolled and began to get up.

*Boom!*

‘Missed.’

As soon as I saw her fall, I quickly tried to stomp on her face, but Baphomet had already begun to rise with terrifying reflexes.

No, judging by her face, which seemed not to have regained consciousness yet, she had probably dodged almost instinctively.

Seeing that, I immediately extended my hand.

‘Won’t let you escape.’

I grabbed the collar of the quickly rising woman.

Baphomet, who had been disoriented, finally regained her senses and looked at me.

I immediately threw a punch at her face.

*Thud! Thud!!*

I continued to punch Baphomet’s face.

Even as I felt the sensation in my fists gradually disappear with each impact on her hard skin, I didn’t stop punching.

I kept hitting her relentlessly, and just as I was about to gather strength for what seemed like a final blow, Baphomet shouted:

“As if I’ll fall!”

With a battle cry, Baphomet grabbed my body and threw me.

I changed my posture in mid-air and landed, only to see Baphomet’s fist flying toward me immediately.

“Guh!”

I quickly crossed my arms to block the punch, but I was pushed back by the force and momentum, ultimately flying backward.

As soon as I fell backward, I quickly rolled back and got up, only to see Baphomet charging at me.

“Take this!!”

Baphomet leaped with her fist raised.

As her fist tore through the air toward me, I also threw a punch.

The next moment, my fist connected with Baphomet’s face, while her fist barely grazed my cheek.

“Guh!”

Baphomet was pushed back slightly from the punch.

And just as she was about to raise her fist again:

“Gh, damn it!”

Blood spurted from Baphomet’s shoulder.

The wound she had been enduring throughout our fight seemed to have burst open, as she visibly winced and held back a bit.

Taking advantage of the opening created by the unfortunate bursting of her wound, I threw a couple of punches at her face, then strongly uppercut her abdomen.

“Cough!”

Finally, even this tough opponent seemed to have reached her limit as she began to cough.

I grabbed her body and slammed her to the ground again, and Baphomet crashed into the earth and tried to get up.

Then I felt a familiar sensation in my hand.

‘Finally back.’

The holy relic that had flown quite far had returned to my hand.

I quickly kicked the still disoriented Baphomet with my knee, changed my weapon to a sword, and raised it.

“…You let your guard down!”

Just as I raised my weapon, Baphomet’s hammer flew into her hand.

She instantly raised the hammer that had flown to her.

“This is the end!”

Baphomet’s hammer flew toward my head.

And the next moment, Baphomet’s hammer didn’t touch my head but grazed above it.

“What…?”

“I knew it all along.”

I had already predicted that an attack would come, even if I didn’t know the exact details.

‘I figured you were hiding something.’

Despite knowing that my weapon would return to my hand, she hadn’t tried to quickly retrieve her lost weapon.

If so, I thought she must have some way to retrieve it during the battle.

‘If she were to suddenly thrust her weapon.’

That would be her weakness.

And with my helmet destroyed, my greatest vulnerability was my head.

Thinking that an attack aimed at my head would definitely come as a surprise, I had already begun to duck my head the moment the hammer appeared in her hand.

“Damn it!”

No matter how strong Baphomet was, it would take time to change the trajectory of a swing to attack again.

And the holy relic transformed into a sword was already in my hand.

Without hesitation, I thrust the sword into Baphomet’s arm.

“AAAAGH!!”

Baphomet’s scream echoed, and she dropped her hammer.

When I twisted the sword, blood began to spurt.

“You… bastard!”

I dodged Baphomet’s attack as she tried to strike me by swinging her arm, and I pulled out the sword.

Then I lowered my stance, charged forward, and aimed for Baphomet’s abdomen.

“…As if I’ll lose!”

She lowered her body to use her sharp horns again.

I changed my sword to a greatsword and prepared to clash.

Knowing that the next strike would determine the outcome, we both charged at each other.

*BOOM!!*

The very next moment.

With an explosion, the moon was consumed by shadow.