Ch.262Chapter 262: Robbery (2)

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Plop-!! Plop-plop-!! Plop-!!

Raindrops that had been trapped in the dark clouds looming over the night sky, responding to Imperfectio’s fighting spirit, are now falling one by one with loud sounds onto the cold, barren wasteland.

Rain, of all things—rain falling on such a cold winter day in the northern regions.

Those who had lived here long enough would have expressed amazement at experiencing something even rarer than seeing pure white snow untainted by volcanic ash.

But right now, I had absolutely no leisure to marvel at such natural phenomena.

Why, you ask?

Because Imperfectio, bleeding profusely while gripping a demon sword in one hand and a holy sword in the other, used one of his free legs—unlike his occupied hands—to…

Thwack-!

“Kyaah!!”

…kick down Shizu, who had been frozen like someone under a spell. How could I care about mere natural phenomena when witnessing that?

“Ah…hahahahahahaha.”

The proxy of the demon god’s maniacal laughter pierces through the sound of falling raindrops, echoing throughout the wasteland.

It was fortunate that since the match had been decided, Shizu only suffered a single blow rather than the mortal danger I had instinctively feared.

However, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that demon god’s proxy might do if left unchecked.

“Shizu!!”

Calling out desperately to Shizu, who was in a life-threatening situation caused by this unexpected turn of events.

Thump-thump-!!

I activated the Dragon Heart symmetrically positioned to my own heart and sprinted toward the scene of the duel, ending my role as a mere spectator.

The raindrops striking the wasteland were turning into slippery ice the moment they touched the ground, to the point where it seemed remarkable they weren’t falling as snow in this cold weather.

While ordinary people might struggle to even walk on such icy ground, let alone run…

Whoosh-!!

The flames of Fafnir that rose from my body upon activating the Dragon Heart instantly turned the ice on the ground into vapor, allowing me to run without any problems.

I was fast—incredibly fast. I pushed myself to the limit, moving at a speed that seemed impossible to surpass, and yet…

“Shizu-!!”

It still felt too slow to reach Shizu, who had collapsed instantly like prey before a predator, unable to move after the holy sword was seized by Imperfectio.

“Haha…hahahahaha!!”

Imperfectio, still gripping the holy sword and bursting into maniacal laughter with that distorted voice, was instilling in me a fear I had never felt since my regression.

Something terrible was about to happen.

I couldn’t specify exactly what, but the feeling was so overwhelming that I couldn’t help but rush toward that place.

I pushed my well-trained body to its limits, running so fast I felt like I might stop breathing.

The heavens weren’t entirely indifferent, as I managed to reach the dueling site before Imperfectio’s victory laughter had ceased.

I needed to quickly rescue Shizu, who had been entranced and immobilized when the holy sword was seized, and defeat that demon god’s proxy, but…

Halt-!

Imperfectio, who had been laughing loud enough to shake the wasteland, suddenly stopped as if he had been waiting for my arrival.

Without releasing the blade he had been gripping even while striking down Shizu, he tossed the holy sword toward where Shizu had fallen, then turned to face me.

“I am…, I am… better.”

The moment I saw him utter those words filled with complex emotions that couldn’t be defined in a single term and start walking toward me…

[Hey! Snap out of it!]

Despite Fafnir’s desperate scream trying to wake me up, my body now became like that of prey before a predator.

What’s happening…?

Why can’t I move my body?

Before I could even question it in my mind, I tried with all my might to move my frozen body, but…

“Kal, it’s useless.”

Seeing the dark red fighting spirit oozing from Imperfectio’s body—who was speaking in a friendly, drawling tone with that distorted voice—enveloping my body, I realized why I was bound.

“When you struggle… it’s hard to catch you, so I had to use some force.”

Even without Imperfectio’s calm explanation of why he had bound me…

Woooong-!!

Though the maniacal laughter had stopped, Imperfectio’s dark red fighting spirit was raging more violently than before, escaping from his body and running wild.

Just as his fighting spirit had earlier summoned dark clouds and raindrops to the night sky…

Rumble-!!

Now thunder crashed through the northern winter night sky—where even rain was considered unusual—creating a booming sound that echoed throughout.

I wanted to express my bewilderment at this scene, which showed an overwhelming difference from normal weather even by the harsh northern climate standards.

“…!!”

But my mouth, which should have uttered something, wouldn’t open.

Moreover, my body, which had been performing vigorous movements just moments ago, wouldn’t move.

I needed to distance myself from the demon god’s proxy approaching me with steps whose intention I couldn’t clearly discern.

My nose was continuously drawing in the night air, trying to calm my ragged breathing from my hasty sprint.

But my arms hung down toward the ground, showing no signs of rising.

Even my legs were fixed as if glued to the ground, and now I…

“I’ve put the troublesome Lilian Shizu to sleep for a while… now I’ll take you away as promised.”

I was like prey, unable to resist Imperfectio’s outrageous unilateral declaration that he would take me away.

His footsteps toward me, though slow, were becoming increasingly weighted.

The pressure was like a mountain range walking toward me.

But unlike those footsteps, the proxy’s lips, which had remained tightly closed even during the magnificent battle with Shizu earlier…

Grin-

Had become noticeably crooked, making it easy to see that the proxy was now enjoying the pleasure of victory.

Compared to the demonic beings in my memory…

There were hardly any who expressed the joy of victory as plainly as this.

I wanted to express admiration for the remarkable restraint shown by my opponent, but…

Right now, I needed to escape from the influence of the fighting spirit emanating from that proxy.

“…!!”

Despite my desperate efforts, my body remained bound by the invisible thread-like dark red fighting spirit.

If I couldn’t do it with my own strength, I needed to escape from here even if it meant borrowing someone else’s power, but…

[Damn, what’s making this so tough and solid? It won’t even burn.]

Even Fafnir, who could generously lend me power right now, was overwhelmed by Imperfectio’s fighting spirit and couldn’t do anything, making that option impossible as well.

“Resistance will only hurt you, Kal. I don’t want to see you in pain… so I’d like you to stay still.”

As the proxy approached me with heavy footsteps, uttering words that were remarkably polite for a demonic being…

The more those words reached my ears…

The more my will burned like fire, unlike my immobile body.

It was a flame—a rage—that even the cold falling raindrops couldn’t extinguish.

Since my regression, I had come this far with the sole intention of saving a future filled with inescapable despair with my own hands.

Needless to say, before my regression…

Looking back at the numerous timelines that remained intact in my memory, I couldn’t recall…

No, I had never even faced this demon god’s proxy.

To be led by him…

Have I lived through this time only to face a future where I’m helplessly dragged to that obsidian palace, failing to protect the people I care about?

“No!!”

The words that hadn’t emerged from my open mouth finally burst forth as a roar.

And with that, my body, which had regained its freedom, showed its first movement by turning my head toward Imperfectio.

The footsteps of Imperfectio, who had been approaching me slowly but steadily, also stopped at that moment.

Facing me, who had opened my mouth and turned my head despite being constrained by such powerful fighting spirit…

I thought he had stopped to forge new fighting spirit to bind me again, but…

“…Impressive.”

His friendly tone, as if he had known me well since our first encounter, almost made the blazing fire in my heart subside, but…

[Now’s your chance!!]

Fafnir’s excited voice urging me not to stop…

Whoosh-!!

The scarlet flames rising from my body…

Woooong-!!

And the fighting spirit concentrated on my dragon sword, growing stronger with the flames, gave me the opportunity to unleash it.

Imperfectio still showed no particular reaction to my sword after uttering that brief admiration.

“Haaaa!!”

Not missing this opportunity, I let out a powerful battle cry and…

Swoosh-!!

Swung my dragon sword with all my might.

It happened in a moment too brief to even be called an instant.

Yet my heightened senses and spiritual perception made this blink of an eye seem to pass excruciatingly slowly.

Though we hadn’t faced off for long…

The demon god’s proxy before me would surely be prepared to easily counter my sword strike.

Even as I swung my sword, I concentrated all my nerves, constantly thinking about how to subtly evade the trajectory of the opponent’s sword while inflicting a fatal wound.

But as time seemed to pass endlessly in my slowed perception…

“…”

The demon god’s proxy, like Shizu earlier, merely watched my swinging sword as if entranced.

Despite being in the direct path of my dragon sword, which would cut through his vital point without the slightest error if he remained still.

Why is he acting like this?

Unlike Shizu and me, he has no curtain of fighting spirit restricting his actions, so he could dodge or counterattack at any time if he wanted to.

Yet rather than watching my sword with a blank expression, the proxy’s lips, which had been tightly closed in a straight line just moments ago…

“…Beautiful.”

Instead, he whispered that my sword’s path was beautiful, his lips forming a gentle curve.

Whether due to the helmet or something else, I couldn’t easily tell, but despite the distorted timbre of his voice…

“…!!”

That appreciation contained not a trace of malice, enough to surprise me who had unleashed my fury against what I perceived as an embodiment of inescapable evil.

But before I could react to his appreciation…

Swoosh-!!

The time that had been perceived as infinitely slow suddenly returned to its normal course.

And what my sword would strike was the helmet covering the proxy’s entire face except for his lips.

Though he had expressed genuine appreciation for my sword’s path, he seemed to want to avoid having my sword touch his helmet.

“…!!”

His lips, which had formed a gentle curve, straightened again as he hastily stepped back to avoid the dragon sword, but…

Clang-!!

This time, my sword was faster than his movement.

A crisp metallic sound added a new tone to the wasteland that had been covered with thunderous noise.

Joy filled my heart at landing an effective hit on him for the first time, but…

[…What?]

Fafnir’s voice, filled with astonishment, echoed in my mind, and…

The silhouette faintly revealed from within Imperfectio’s helmet, shattered by my sword strike…

“…What?”

The same astonished voice that Fafnir had uttered also escaped from my lips.

That is…

What on earth….