Chapter Index





    The Great Sword is not the Main Body!






    Chapter 110 – Retribution (3)

    The energy coursing through me felt completely different from when the thirst had been active.

    Before, it had been aggressively trying to take over my body. Now, it felt strangely docile, almost protective. A myriad of emotions swirled within it, creating an enigmatic presence.

    My mind, which should have been hazy, was crystal clear. The self-destructive urges that usually plagued me were replaced by an icy calm.

    And then—the most bizarre thing happened.

    [“…Why the hell do you have a dog’s tail?”]

    A tail had sprouted. The same kind Carpeng had wielded like a club now wagged cheerfully.

    [“You were muttering about a leash earlier… Did you decide to become Rubia’s bitch?”]

    “A—A what?! What are you talking about?!”

    I shook my head fiercely, trying to dispel the suggestive laughter echoing in my mind.

    For now, at least, the energy seemed harmless.

    Of course, I didn’t trust Carpeng. As mere fragments, it had lacked sentience and had been somewhat controllable. Now, with a consciousness… it felt far more unnerving.

    Swish—Swish—

    [“Hey, why is your tail drooping all of a sudden?”]

    …Regardless.

    This wasn’t the time to be picky. I pushed aside my thoughts and focused on my opponents.

    They seemed to have recovered somewhat; the bleeding had slowed.

    Arrows warped through space, timed with the off-beat swings of the greatsword.

    I couldn’t react to attacks already in motion. I had to anticipate them the moment they began.

    So. I would let instinct take over.

    Swish—Swish—

    …As if agreeing with my plan, the swirling blood energy intensified, growing darker and more active.

    The only remaining variable was their second phase. I’d never seen these enemies in the game, so I couldn’t predict what would happen.

    Their powers were connected to time and space…

    If they entered a second phase, I had to kill at least one to create a one-on-one fight.

    “Inhale—Exhale—”

    My breath was clear, my body light. My core was solid, my legs steady. My arms, wielding the greatsword, were flexible yet strong.

    I can do this.

    I can win this.

    I will win.

    I narrowed my focus from the surrounding area onto them.

    Their skin. The muscles beneath. The interwoven fibers. Their beating hearts. The blood flowing through their veins. The mana concentrated in their hearts, and their auras.

    Everything was crystal clear.

    The bowstring stretched taut. Mana flickered, and the archer’s aura surged into the arrow.

    Mana flowed into the upraised greatsword, and a dense aura enveloped the swordsman.

    I raised my own aura in response and lunged.

    Crunch—!

    The ground beneath my feet exploded. My aura flowed into the greatsword I held low, intertwining with Carpeng’s blood energy.

    From feet to knees, knees to hips, hips to waist. Waist to shoulders, down to elbows.

    I channeled all my aura into the greatsword. Imbuing it with the intent to cut them down.

    I swung.

    Slash—!

    The sound of something being severed echoed as I charged forward.

    One step. An arrow was nocked.
    Two steps. The swordsman charged.
    Three steps. The bowstring twanged, releasing a volley of arrows.
    Four steps. The greatsword descended towards my head.

    Five steps.

    I swept my greatsword sideways, deflecting the arrows in one motion. My blood-infused tail blocked two aimed at my thighs.

    Simultaneously, Carpeng’s blood energy forced my arm up, parrying the greatsword two beats before I would have.

    “What?!”

    Since I hadn’t parried the sword myself, I still had strength. I kicked the swordsman in the gut.

    Crunch—! Compressed mana blocked my kick. At that moment, Carpeng’s blood energy surged forward, piercing through his abdominal defenses.

    “Guh—!”

    I slammed my greatsword into the ground and jumped, kicking away his hand as he reached for my ankle. I grabbed my greatsword mid-air, spinning and bringing it down through the gap the blood energy had created.

    Splat—!

    The denser, stronger blood energy followed my sword, tearing deeper into his abdomen.

    I kicked him away again and charged the archer.

    I deflected the falling arrows. The blood energy blocked those rising from the ground. I dodged an arrow that appeared inches from my face and snatched one fired from behind as I ran.

    Whistle—!

    Mana-threaded arrows shot into the sky. They fell erratically, tracking my movements.

    Four steps remained. The archer’s hand rose. He was going to use the rope to escape again.

    I jumped, propelled by blood-enhanced leg strength, and threw the arrow I’d caught.

    Crash—!

    The tree holding his rope exploded, sending him crashing down. He clicked his tongue, severing the mana threads and focusing his power into a single arrow.

    BOOM—!

    The arrow slammed into the ground, creating a massive crater. Simultaneously, a mana-threaded arrow changed course mid-air, pulling the archer away.

    [“What a fucking annoying cunt.]”

    I vaulted over the crater, dodging falling arrows, and continued toward the archer.

    Suddenly. The greatsword, swinging in unpredictable arcs, lunged for my neck. The blood energy reacted, enveloping me and twisting my body.

    The greatsword, meant for my neck, now aimed at my face.

    I instinctively tilted my greatsword up. A perfect Flowing Water, executed from an unstable position.

    Clang—!

    The swordsman’s greatsword flew into the air. The shockwave split the clouds. Blood sprayed from his hands, arms, shoulders, and waist. The blood energy shuddered, greedily consuming the blood and growing stronger. It healed my wounds instantly.

    My unsteady stance stabilized. Strength surged through me.

    Maintaining the motion, I followed through with the strike I’d envisioned, empowered by the blood energy.

    Crack—!

    My greatsword pierced through his aura and embedded itself deep within his muscles. The blood energy surged from the blade, tearing through his body.

    Claw-like wounds appeared, oozing blood. The blood energy immediately absorbed it.

    The now larger, denser blood energy flowed back into the greatsword.

    Then, another arrow, fired sometime earlier, streaked towards my heart. Gritting my teeth, I angled my greatsword to deflect it, barely managing to do so.

    The force sent me tumbling backward.

    I scrambled to my feet and charged again.

    Boom—Crash—Clang—! Each clash of our swords sent shockwaves through the earth. The force shattered trees and cracked boulders. Upward swings split the clouds, downward swings cracked the ground.

    A torrent of arrows rained down. Though fired simultaneously, they arrived at different times.

    I deflected, twisted, caught, slashed, and dodged. I parried, deflected, countered, and struck.

    The ground leveled out. The mountain, once hidden by trees, was now bare. The sky was clear of clouds.

    After hundreds of exchanges—

    BOOM!

    One of the explosive arrows detonated mid-air. The shockwave pushed me back, creating distance between me and the swordsman.

    At that moment. The staggering swordsman planted his greatsword in the ground.

    “I, Garlia Orphe…”

    Then, in a cracked, ancient voice, he prayed.

    “…am he who upholds the Goddess’s sanctity and eradicates all that violates sacred order.”

    The planted greatsword turned and pierced his heart.

    “My remaining life…”

    The sky fractured. It twisted, shattered, and split.

    The sun appeared. An eye, shaped like the sun. The eye of an all-seeing being.

    “…is for Erden.”

    It warped, turning black.

    The Black Sun emerged.

    An immense, incomprehensible presence pressed down on me. Mocking laughter echoed through the heavens. Garlia’s aura enveloped the world. His will tainted reality.

    The landscape distorted. My thoughts slowed. Time stretched. My body felt heavy.

    [“I’ll hold it back as much as I can. Finish this quickly.”]

    Hearing Cartia’s calm voice, I removed the Bracelet of Verdure.

    Power exploded from my wrist, threatening to tear me apart.

    Garlia’s crushing aura now felt beneath my feet. The distant sky felt close. My slowed thoughts and body returned to normal.

    Rage filled me, directed at the mocking laughter.

    Frey’s intent imprinted itself on the world. Behind the distorted reality, a bloody wasteland flickered. The remnants of hypocrisy screamed.

    Dark, indescribable emotions churned within me.

    “Hah…”

    I steadied my breath and gripped Frey. The blood energy supported me.

    I sensed a fist-sized hole in space. Arrows flew towards me through it.

    I sensed Garlia, fully healed as if time had reversed.

    His greatsword, twisting time, swung at me.

    [“Thirty seconds.”]

    I snatched an arrow and threw it back through the hole. I met Garlia’s time-shifted attack with Frey, acknowledging Cartia.

    “…Fifteen seconds. No… twenty… twenty-five.”

    Garlia’s arms were severed.


    0 Comments

    Heads up! Your comment will be invisible to other guests and subscribers (except for replies), including you after a grace period.
    Note
    // Script to navigate with arrow keys