Chapter 35 – Carpeng Subjugation (2)

The massive body of Carpeng, whom I had faced in the past, once made me shrink back. Its beastly roar spilling from its mouth froze me in place. Just the gust of wind from its swinging arms was enough to tear at my skin. Its tough, leathery hide deflected my sword.

I never once managed to land a hit on it. It was an impossibly high wall, something I could never overcome.

But not anymore.

Now, 27 years later, I stood before Carpeng without faltering. I didn’t turn my back, even when its eyes met mine. I could withstand the beast’s roar. I deflected its arm, let the wind pass by me.

And then…

I cut it.

My sword was soaked with its blood. I broke its claws. I heard its cries of pain as it thrashed.

Finally. Finally, I landed a hit.

[GRAAUUU-!]

Carpeng swung its halberd. I twisted my body, raising my sword at an angle to block the heavy blow, to endure the attack of a foe far larger than me, to stop Carpeng’s onslaught.

Flowing Water activated.

KAANG—!

Carpeng’s halberd slid down my sword.

Heinzel’s strike followed, aiming for Carpeng’s wrist. But it didn’t land. It missed. Carpeng evaded it with an unnatural movement. Its halberd cleaved through empty air.

Soon, the writhing energy collected in Carpeng’s claws.

“Luchi!”

Carpeng’s claws lashed out in a frenzy. That brute can’t dodge it. I lunged forward, kicking Heinzel aside, out of harm’s way. Then I raised my sword.

Hundreds, thousands of strikes slammed into my sword. They slammed into my body. Its claws tore into my side. Before the blood could even spatter, my shoulder was ripped apart. My sword screamed in protest. Flesh tore from my body. Every nerve in my body screamed in unbearable agony.

I couldn’t see. I activated my senses.

My head throbbed, as if it was about to split open. How does that Noah kid even manage this? Tsk.

I bit my lip and endured. I focused all my senses on Carpeng. At last, I could start to see the beast’s onslaught of energy. I twisted my sword in response to its movements.

KAANG—! KIIIIING—!

Blocked. Redirected. Parried and countered.

Behind me, Heinzel’s halberd cleaved through the air. I threw myself back to create distance. The halberd met Carpeng’s hide.

CRUNCH— Carpeng’s muscles bulged with a grotesque sound. The halberd stuck, caught between the thick muscle.

“You bastard!”

[Grrr—!]

With Heinzel’s roar, his unique ability activated. Gravity increased on his halberd. Its weight grew heavier. His strength intensified.

At last, it tore through Carpeng’s tough hide, lodging itself between the solid muscles. Not missing the moment, I activated my unique ability and drove my blade into the opening in its hide.

Dark crimson liquid spurted out, engraving a fresh scar on Carpeng’s body.

We had a chance.

Our bodies were wrecked, but… So was Carpeng’s. That fact set our bodies ablaze with heat. It fueled our strength. My heart pounded harder.

I steadied my breath and quickened my pace. I charged at Carpeng, swinging my sword. I parried, deflected, slashed, and thrust.

Its tail came for my neck. I stepped on it, leaping high and twisting my body in midair. Once more, I swung my sword. The strike, coming from an awkward position, didn’t carry much power.

But my unique ability ignored that. I didn’t need to be in range. I didn’t need strength. As long as I could see it—as long as I swung—it would cut.

And so, a new scar appeared on Carpeng’s body.

Heinzel followed up immediately with another strike. His halberd, enveloped in wind by his unique ability, slashed viciously. At the same time, Carpeng swung its own halberd.

CRASH—!

The air exploded. The sound pounded in my ears like a maddening drum.

I twisted my body in midair and landed on the ground, charging in again. The beast blocked my sword with just one hand, without even looking back.

And so, the fierce exchange continued. I dodged its claws, diverted its energy, and carved new scars into its flesh. I, too, spilled blood, splattering it with each blow. Beast blood and human blood mingled in the air.

The intensity rose. I quickened my pace further. I spared no strength, using my unique ability without restraint.

My vision turned red. Blood tears dripped from my left eye. It felt as though my eye was about to be ripped out. The pain was excruciating.

But the louder my cries, the heavier Carpeng’s breath became. Pain turned into… pleasure.

I targeted its joints with thrusts. Ripped out its claws. Sliced its veins. I broke its bones.

[GRRRRAAAAAAAA—!]

Carpeng let out a desperate scream, shaking its massive body. Heinzel and I also pulled back, gasping for breath.

Just as we were about to charge at Carpeng again—the energy that had only surrounded its claws began to envelop its entire body.

A sickening feeling washed over me. I had a sense that we couldn’t let it stall for any more time. I rushed at it with all my strength, activating my senses.

Carpeng’s eyes came into blurry focus. This would be enough.

I activated my unique ability, swinging my sword. Aimed at its eye. At its right eye, the one identical to mine.

The sickening squelch of flesh being torn echoed in my ears. Sticky blood splattered. Carpeng’s eye dropped to the ground.

But it didn’t seem to care, still cloaked in energy. Still gathering it.

Heinzel must have noticed as well, because he let out a battle cry, charging in. His halberd tore into Carpeng’s side. Its innards spilled out.

And yet—it was still gathering energy.

A deep sense of dread overtook me. I forgot to breathe as I unleashed another strike. Heinzel tore into it like a madman. Soon, Carpeng’s entrails coated the ground.

And then—PUWAAAK—!

The sound of tearing flesh, the spattering of blood, the ragged breaths…

“Y-you… damn… ugh…!” A voice choked with pain escaped.

From Heinzel’s mouth.

I withdrew my sword and looked at Heinzel. The halberd, made from the skull of a manticore, had broken. His right arm, covered in thick muscle, was severed. The legs that had always walked with such confidence were now twisted and broken.

The body that never wavered, no matter what—was now crawling pathetically across the ground.

I recalled the moment. Though one of his eyes was still open, he hadn’t registered what had happened. Even with my senses activated, I hadn’t detected it. There was no murderous intent. No sign. Not even a movement.

Carpeng just stood there, letting its energy flow out of its body.

But… Why did things turn out this way? I couldn’t understand.

Biting my lip, I charged again. I opened my eyes wider. I sharpened my senses even more. I surrounded myself with thicker, sharper energy. Without letting up. I steadied my breath.

I slashed with everything I had. The sharpest strike I had ever made was aimed at Carpeng.

But—it didn’t cut. It didn’t connect.

The sword I swung with all my strength was repelled by the beast’s energy, helplessly flailing. I withdrew my sword and charged again. Again. And again.

Still, I couldn’t cut it. I couldn’t reach it. My sword was on the verge of breaking.

In the end, I stopped moving and watched Carpeng. I watched as the energy gathered in its body. The energy that writhed in the air coalesced around Carpeng. It covered its entire body, gathering at its heart.

With each pulse of its heart, the energy shook the air. Instead of the writhing energy, I could now hear its heartbeats echo.

“L-Luchi… what the hell is this…?” Heinzel, having hastily stopped the bleeding with potions, staggered over. His face was pale. But his remaining left hand still clutched a broken piece of his halberd.

“I don’t… know either. I’ve never seen this before.”

“Yeah… I couldn’t sense a damn thing. I didn’t see it. It didn’t even move. What the hell…”

I handed Heinzel my last potion. “I think you used up all your potions. Drink it.”

“Thanks. I’ll take it.” Heinzel, who had never accepted help before, took it without hesitation.

“Your body’s in bad shape, huh?”

“Yeah… it’s not great.”

“What are you going to do?”

Heinzel gritted his teeth as he gulped down the potion. “What do you think? If I don’t take that bastard’s right arm, I’ll never be able to sleep again.”

“Heh. Alright, then. Let’s go.”

“That son of a bitch… no matter what, I’m taking that arm.”

We caught our breath, enveloped ourselves in mana, and charged at Carpeng once more.

Even though we couldn’t cut it, we swung our weapons. Even though we couldn’t reach it, we thrust forward. We didn’t stop. We swung without pause, forgetting to even breathe.

For a long time, we kept on swinging.

Finally, Carpeng moved.

And then—it collapsed onto the ground.

Its left arm was severed. Its legs twisted. Its ribs were shattered. Its guts had spilled out. Its muscles were torn apart. Its left eye had burst.

Blood poured from every hole in its body—its eyes, its nose, its mouth, its ears.

I dropped my sword. My vision grew dark. The cold sensation of the ground swallowed me whole.

As my consciousness drifted away and my senses dulled…

“H-hah… I’m still alive… but… what… what the hell is this…?”

A warm presence enveloped me.

Screeek— Tap— Screeek— Tap—

I heard a scraping sound, weak and pitiful, yet somehow filled with strength.

And then—a voice, soft and trembling but undeniably alive, reached my ears.

“At least… a four-person party is needed for this, you idiots… Did you really hate buying me dinner that much…? So stingy…”