Ch.404EP.83 – The Knight’s Compass Has No Needle (3)

…It was a beautiful flower that was out of season and completely disconnected from the current situation.

Whoosh-.

“?”

“…A flower?”

The sword Ihan held vibrated and emitted a faint light.

The light was, how to describe it, a fresh radiance that revealed the vitality of plants basking in morning sunlight.

It possessed a charm that seemed to mesmerize anyone who looked at it, and indeed, the clowns found themselves staring blankly at the life force blooming from the sword’s tip.

And this meant…

Swoosh-.

That the clowns had missed their last chance to escape.

Whoosh!

Ihan gripped his sword tightly, wrapped in what appeared to be plum blossoms, and plunged into the midst of the clowns.

“!?!!”

His speed was difficult to follow even with the eye, and the clowns widened their eyes in shock at Ihan’s sudden invasion of their territory, as if breaking free from their trance.

How could someone with that build move so quickly and stealthily!

Though alarmed, they quickly raised their weapons to respond, but…

Slash!

His sword, the plum blossoms, were already scattering.

Swish!

Slash!

As the clowns swung their weapons—swords, spears, whips and the like—they were promptly “severed.”

They were cleanly cut the moment they made contact with parts of the plum blossom petals, leaving them astonished.

What kind of impossible harmony was this?

Slice!

But whether they were surprised or not, plum blossoms have no emotions.

Once scattered, once their master recognized the clowns as enemies, the blossoms simply cut down the foes.

And so this time, not a weapon but a clown was cut and…

Swish-!

With his torso severed, one clown died.

The plum blossoms carried an edge that was sharper and more intense than imagined.

The blade’s sharpness felt different from the previous day, demonstrating how much the swordsman wielding the plum blossoms had grown.

However, to those who didn’t understand this…

“M-magic! The knight is using magic…!”

“Isn’t it mysticism?”

“It’s sorcery! Sorcery, I tell you!”

The magnificent martial art—or rather, skill—of the plum blossom sword technique was being misunderstood as magic, mysticism, or sorcery.

Crack!

…Little did they know they were not just irritating but provoking the wrath of their opponent.

“How dare you compare me to a spellcaster!”

Crunch!

“Aaaaargh!”

The clown who had uttered the word “magic” was struck by his opponent’s fist, and as he fell, strange sounds emerged.

The clown writhed in agony, and unnatural sounds began to emanate from his body.

Bones twisted and muscles tangled.

He wanted to resist, but…

Slice!

The plum blossom blade had already penetrated and was attacking the clown…

He had been robbed even of the time to resist.

Thud! Thud!!

Afterward, he struck several clowns with ghostlike movements.

It was severe punishment directed at those who had echoed the word “magic” with similar voices. Those who were hit precisely in the center of their abdomen fell back in agony as the sounds of twisting bones and muscles emanated from their bodies.

The technique of bone-twisting and muscle-binding was in full effect.

However…

“Aaaah!”

Crack!

One clown overcame the bone-twisting technique with a battle cry.

“Huff, huff, huff…!”

The clown who barely survived gasped for breath and shouted to his comrades who were still preoccupied with facing the plum blossoms and the knight.

“Don’t be alarmed by that strange technique! Open your battle energy to full power the moment you’re hit! Then you can somehow respond!”

That was correct.

Originally, the bone-twisting technique was meant to torture subdued opponents.

It wasn’t meant to be used on moving targets.

Therefore, it was important to use it after neutralizing the opponent, and it was most effective when properly understanding the opponent’s bones and muscles.

But since he had used it roughly now, as if merely imitating it, it wasn’t impossible for someone who had trained their battle energy to a high knight’s level to overcome Ihan’s technique.

And since the clowns were the kind who sucked the life force from civilians, their battle energy itself was comparable to that of champion-level knights.

Truly…

“Less intelligent than a greedy fool.”

Slash!

Thud-.

“……”

The head of the clown who had just been explaining how to counter the bone-twisting technique disappeared.

It was the result of the still-floating plum blossoms, and Ihan snorted softly as he seized the headless clown’s shamshir.

Bone-twisting technique?

Go ahead and try to block it all you want.

After all…

Flash…!

Once he subdued them all, the moment would come to let them experience the true bone-twisting technique.

Swoosh.

Like a greeting at first, the wave of plum blossoms crashed over them like a tide, and the clowns once again had to struggle for survival.

The clowns no longer found the plum blossoms beautiful.

* * *

“……”

The clown who was “fixing” a pierrot with a twisted neck watched with trembling eyes as his comrades died before the wave of plum blossoms.

He felt no sorrow at his comrades’ deaths.

It had been a long time since he’d abandoned any sense of camaraderie.

Nevertheless…

‘This is wasteful.’

There could be no greater waste than this.

Thinking about the funds invested in each of those clowns, he was already sighing.

‘We might get to see the Three Apostles angry for the first time in a while.’

The clown smiled bitterly at this thought and soon contemplated.

Whether he should use his ‘trump card.’

‘…I have no choice.’

The clown took out a small flute from the pierrot’s bosom.

It was so small that it could be worn as a necklace, but the value of this flute was immense.

After all…

[Peeeeeeep!]

…This flute was the only means to “control monsters.”

“What are you doing?”

“…I’m sorry, Nana. This was the only option.”

“If, if you use that now, what will…”

How was he still alive with his neck completely twisted?

The pierrot, with eyes open, spoke in a deeply strained voice and glared at the clown with bloodshot eyes.

The clown pretended not to notice.

For now…

“Let’s survive first. Come, let’s flee quickly. Mother will be sad.”

“!!”

Pierrot Nana.

To save the only daughter of the Three Apostles, the clown abandoned his remaining comrades and sprinted away.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

However, proving they couldn’t just escape, the knight’s fist struck the back of the clown’s head.

“Well, look at that.”

Drip.

The clown clutched his cracked head and ran even faster.

‘Do you think you can escape?’

Ihan glared at the fleeing clown and pierrot.

‘It’s still alive, as expected.’

Should he have crushed the head from the beginning?

Or should he have pulled it off?

He harbored regret, though not quite regret, wondering if he should have simply shattered it rather than twisting it, but this wasn’t particularly Ihan’s fault.

It would be strange to assume someone would still be alive after their head was turned 180 degrees.

Ihan…

Whoosh!

Instead of continuing to regret, he lifted a broken sword with his foot, preparing to kick it.

– Spear of Penetration.

The most powerful technique among Ihan’s martial arts in terms of penetrating power!

Ihan was about to kick the sword’s handle with the momentum to pierce through both the clown and the pierrot at once.

[-CAAAWWW!!!]

Crash!

If only the wyvern hadn’t interfered by dropping from the sky…

Boom-.

The intense vibration and air pressure created by the wyvern’s fall to the ground was powerful enough to overturn even carriages. Ihan remained unharmed, but unfortunately, the sword flew far away, reading the momentum.

However…

“……”

Ihan didn’t particularly show anger even in this situation.

He merely gazed at the wyvern with infinitely calm eyes.

Thump thump!

The wyvern wasn’t the end of the monsters.

Rumble!

[Keee!]

[Krrr.]

Monsters could be seen charging through the streets.

“Wh-why are they suddenly like that!”

“S-soldiers! No, where are all the clowns! Tell them to catch the monsters!”

The citizens were naturally in a panic.

How could they not be terrified seeing monsters charging down the streets?

It was like unleashing creatures more fearsome than wild beasts, and citizens were fainting or fleeing in droves.

Boom, boom!

[KRRR…!]

Whoosh!

Thirty goblins, forty trolls, three orcs, two wyverns.

When a total of seventy-five monsters gathered, an intense [Monster Fear] emanated, creating an overwhelming pressure.

With this number of monsters, it wouldn’t be strange for an individual to tremble in fear, but that didn’t apply to him.

Even if their numbers were multiplied by 100, he wouldn’t fear them.

He had already experienced victory against more numerous, more powerful, and more terrible monsters than these.

However…

“……”

Ihan showed no hostility toward the monsters.

Despite their fierce howling and threatening behavior.

And the next moment…

[KAAA!!]

The horde of goblins and trolls rushed at Ihan.

With awls and daggers in their hands.

Clang…

[Krr?]

[??]

The blades failed to threaten him.

Rather, they only produced meaningless sparks and hurt the monsters’ hands.

Was his body made of steel?

Such a question naturally arose, given how solid his body was.

[…Kaaa!!]

But this time, the trolls and goblins, and even the orcs and wyverns, attacked him together.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Still, the attacks had no effect.

Neither their blades, nor their claws and fangs, nor anything else could pierce him.

Conversely, even when they tried to push him down or knock him over…

Boom!

He didn’t move.

Though the difference in weight was clear, somehow it felt not like pushing a person but like struggling to move a massive boulder.

[K, Kee!?!!]

The monsters couldn’t hide their bewilderment, veins bulging on their foreheads.

What on earth was this!

How could they defeat such a—.

“-That’s enough. You don’t have to try to defeat me. You don’t have to follow orders. I have no intention of killing you.”

[……]

…Midway, the monsters fell silent.

“Is there perhaps a reason you must follow orders? If so, give me a signal. I’ll knock you unconscious if needed.”

[[[……]]]

“If you can’t trust me, that’s fine too. Distrust of humans isn’t easily fixed. But let me say one thing. I have no intention of threatening you.”

[[[……]]]

“I wanted to talk with you. I’m sorry it’s only happening now, too late.”

He was consistently gentle.

And gradually raising both hands, he continuously showed that he had no intention of threatening them.

“Why would I attack ‘you’ who have done nothing wrong? So you can relax.”

Ihan thus reassured ‘them.’

Maintaining the gentlest expression possible, accepting their justified anger, he didn’t block their attacks.

He was only careful not to hurt them.

The reason for such caution?

Isn’t it obvious?

After all…

─Isn’t it an adult’s duty to embrace lost [children]?