Chapter 277

The provocation worked perfectly.

Kador, his eyes bloodshot with rage, charged straight at me.

*Whoosh!*

His crescent-shaped scimitar sliced through the air, aiming for my neck.

*Clang!*

I drew my sword in a flash, intercepting his attack.

*Sparks flew as our blades clashed, straight sword against scimitar.*

“I’ll make sure you die the most painful death, sliced into a thousand pieces!”

He seemed really pissed.

My plan was working.

“Hmph, what’s a lowly lackey like you babbling about? Go suckle on your mommy mantis’s teats and bring your boss out here.”

I sneered, adding fuel to the fire with another taunt.

Kador’s face contorted, veins bulging as if they were about to burst.

“Shut your damn mouth!”

*Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!*

His scimitar danced through the air, a flurry of attacks.

Despite my calm facade, I was on high alert, my mind sharp and focused.

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Our blades clashed in a rapid exchange.

It looked like I was blocking his attacks effortlessly, but it wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

The scimitar’s curved blade and unorthodox movements were tricky to deal with, unlike a straight sword.

And his arms, abnormally long like a mantis’s, made him even more difficult to fight.

And there was one more thing.

He was left-handed.

The combination of those three unfamiliar factors made him a deadly opponent.

That was why Kador’s left-handed scimitar was a nightmare for his enemies.

I would have been in trouble too if I hadn’t known about it beforehand.

But,

‘I can handle this.’

I still had room to spare.

It was proof of my growth.

I was no longer the same person I was before, after unlocking my unique trait.

I had proven it by easily slaying Darkhan, the King of the Barbarians.

Of course, in terms of individual combat prowess, Kador was a more dangerous opponent.

All Guardian Knights were monstrously strong.

That’s why I had used a tactic to make it easier to capture him.

‘He has no weaknesses.’

While I had been able to see a tiny dot, a weakness, on Darkhan, I couldn’t see anything on Kador.

That was the strength of the Church’s Sixth Blade.

But,

‘If there are no weaknesses, I’ll create one.’

That was my plan.

First, provoke him into a rage, making him lose his composure.

Clouding his judgment.

Then, feign a retreat, luring him into a trap.

And when he charged in for the kill, I would turn the tables with a swift counterattack.

It was a grand plan.

But I couldn’t be careless.

Even in a rage, he was still a Guardian Knight.

He had the senses to detect any unnatural movements.

‘Naturally. I have to make it look natural.’

It was an impossible task for most people.

But I could do it.

Because I had the acting skills and the combat prowess to pull it off.

“You bastard! You’re not all talk after all. But how long can you last?”

Kador pressed his attack, his fury growing.

A storm of scimitar strikes rained down on me.

I focused on defense, barely managing to block his attacks.

Or rather, I made it look that way.

Of course, I didn’t forget to throw in a few weak counterattacks to make it look more convincing.

I also deliberately made my breathing ragged.

It was the most effective way to show that my stamina was dwindling.

After exchanging countless blows,

“Huff… Huff…”

I stumbled backward, feigning exhaustion.

I let my sword arm drop slightly, just enough to be noticeable.

“Haha, pathetic. You’re already tired?”

Kador laughed triumphantly, his attacks becoming even more flamboyant.

His attacks were becoming more flashy, but less powerful?

It was a sign of overconfidence.

He thought he had already won.

‘Heh, go ahead. Enjoy yourself while you can.’

I cheered inwardly and made a decision.

To take a few hits.

This was my chance, while he was playing around with his fancy moves.

They were difficult to block, but they lacked power.

I could get “injured” naturally and make it look convincing.

‘Alright, now.’

I feigned clumsiness, my movements becoming erratic.

*Swish! Swish! Slice!*

His scimitar grazed my body, leaving shallow cuts.

I winced in pain as blood splattered.

But I could endure it.

They were just minor injuries.

“Ugh!”

I staggered backward, my face contorted in pain.

I looked like I was in trouble.

My face was probably pale, my eyes filled with fear.

“Hahaha, you damn bastard! How does it feel? Does it taste good?”

Kador laughed mockingly.

“W-Wait! Wait! Let’s talk!”

I pleaded, as if I had realized I was outmatched.

My body trembled.

“Talk? Talk my ass. Just die, you bastard. Hahaha!”

Kador laughed again, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

He was going to finish me off.

This was it.

‘Come on, come on, you bastard.’

“N-No! Someone help me!”

I screamed in despair, my voice filled with desperation.

I even called for help, adding to the realism.

“S-Savior!”

“D-Damn it! Save Savior!”

The residents rushed towards me, genuinely trying to save me.

I almost burst out laughing, ruining the whole act.

To deceive the enemy, you had to deceive your allies first.

“Hmph, begging for help like a pathetic worm. But it’s useless! You’re going to die here! Miserably!”

Kador raised his scimitar high above his head.

I recognized the stance.

The stance I had been waiting for.

His most flamboyant finishing move.

The Nine Death Blossoms.

A deadly technique, a flourish to end a battle in style, an execution move.

It also showed how overconfident he was.

He thought the battle was over.

Kador’s scimitar descended.

Nine slashes.

Nine blossoms.

But what if I could stop those blossoms from blooming?

I threw my scabbard at him.

*Thwack!*

It hit his scimitar squarely.

Kador’s eyes widened in surprise, his stance faltering.

He had been caught off guard.

My Hero’s Eye detected a red dot.

His right flank.

I didn’t need a fancy move.

Just a simple, swift thrust.

*Thud!*

“Ugh?!”

My sword pierced through his side.

Kador stared at me in disbelief.

He stumbled backward, instinctively trying to pull the sword out.

Blood gushed from the wound.

His steps faltered.

‘Got you, you bastard!’

A surge of excitement shot through me.

The thrill of seeing my carefully laid plan come to fruition.

It was an intense feeling that only those who had experienced it could understand.

‘I’m going to capture him!’

I could finish him off.

But capturing him was more beneficial.

Why?

Because he was a valuable hostage.

It was a wise move to secure a high-ranking individual as a hostage, considering the unpredictable nature of the situation.

This was the Holy City.

It meant that this wasn’t the full extent of the Church’s forces.

Reinforcements could be on their way.

I needed to secure a bargaining chip.

– Misery Form.

*Whoosh!*

I swung my sword, unleashing a wave of sword energy.

A close-range sword wave.

It was an attack that was difficult to dodge.

Especially in his current state.

“Tsk!”

Kador barely managed to block the sword wave, his stance still unsteady.

*Boom!*

A loud crash, as if something had exploded.

Kador stumbled backward, trying to absorb the impact.

But,

My sword was already waiting for him.

A sword wave was just a sword wave.

It didn’t mean I couldn’t move while it was in motion.

That was my plan all along.

To unleash a sword wave and then circle behind him, attacking from the rear.

*Grab.*

My blade pressed against his neck.

Blood trickled down his skin from the shallow cut.

“Ugh?!”

Kador groaned, his face contorted in pain.

“Y-You bastard!”

“Pfft, what bastard? You’re a hostage now, you idiot.”

*Thwack!*

“Ugh!”

I kicked his leg, forcing him to kneel.

“Tie him up! Tightly! He’s a dangerous one, so make sure he can’t move an inch.”

I said to the residents with a grin.

* * *

A strange standoff.

The air was thick with tension, as if a clash was imminent, but neither side attacked.

It was the result of taking a Guardian Knight hostage.

“Hmm, at this rate… Shouldn’t we try to break through by force?”

Gwen said in a low voice, inaudible to the enemy.

I understood what he meant.

They probably felt like nothing would be resolved by just standing around.

The residents desired true freedom.

Freedom from this underground prison.

And to gain that freedom, they had to escape.

I understood their feelings.

But,

“Even if we escape by force, the Church won’t give up. They’ll hunt us down even more relentlessly. If you want to live with that constant fear, I won’t stop you.”

I said, as if I hadn’t even considered that option.

“Hmm…”

Gwen fell into thought.

Then he asked, “So you have a better plan?”

“I intend to settle this matter once and for all.”

“Settle it? You mean…?”

“I’m going to negotiate with the Church’s leadership. The ones above that armored guy, the real heads of the Church.”

That was my conclusion.

I was a student of the academy.

I had to remain a student until I graduated.

Because that was the only way to avoid a game over.

So I couldn’t completely sever ties with the Church.

I had to settle this matter with them in the Holy City, one way or another.

I was going to negotiate.

It would have been impossible without power.

But I had power.

Not just my own strength, but also the powerful force I had painstakingly built up over time.

When you knew that your opponent could hurt you, you couldn’t just act recklessly.

I was going to make that clear to the Church.

To make negotiation possible.

The Guardian Knight I had taken hostage was a demonstration of my power.

“Hmm, I see. As expected, you have a plan.”

“Heh, of course. But I’ll need everyone’s help.”

“Of course, we’ll gladly help you. Just like you saved us.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled.

I could inflict more damage on the Church now.

We had the numerical advantage.

But I knew.

That inflicting heavy casualties wouldn’t necessarily increase the chances of negotiation.

If I pushed them too far, it could lead to a worst-case scenario, where they would fight to the death.

That’s why I was being patient and waiting.

And also,

‘Not everyone will agree.’

The Church might seem united on the surface, but there were cracks beneath the surface.

I had sensed it during my numerous playthroughs.

That there were factions within the Church with different agendas.

That was another aspect I was aiming for.

It was a long-standing policy of the Church to not harm students of the academy.

The sudden shift to a kill-on-sight approach was strange, no matter how I looked at it.

‘Perhaps…’

As I was lost in thought, something happened in the forest.

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

The sound of approaching footsteps.

‘They’re finally here.’

I realized that reinforcements had arrived.

The Church was now going on the offensive.

The Armored Man, who had been standing idly with his arms crossed, uncrosses them and stood up, his posture shifting to one of readiness.

A crisis?

Yes, it might be a crisis.

But,

‘No one can match our defensive formation. We’ve honed it to perfection in countless battles.’

I grinned.

A living fortress.

The ultimate defense.

I would show them.

The true power of our formation.

“Let’s show them the true power of the Phalanx.”

I said to Gwen, my voice filled with confidence.