episode_0096

The characteristic of Brunhilde’s engraving, which bestows powerful strength at the cost of physical strength, endlessly accelerates the speed of the wielded sword.

“Ah!”

A storm of swordlight unfolds like a curtain in front of my eyes. The swung Black Iron Greatsword spews flames and disrupts the air.

Clang clang clang!

Broken light and shattered pieces of metal scatter like a storm along with a loud noise.

A more rapid and intense melee than ever before.

The shield of the combined swords relentlessly crushes and pulverizes the concrete and sandstone of the glory, turning it into dust.

And—

“Grrraaah!”

Beyond the streaks of light scattering like fireworks.

A rugged-looking rock monkey, roaring fiercely like graffiti drawn by children, charges with a fist as big as my head.

“Get lost—!”

It doesn’t stop.

Charging forward while facing the rock fist shooting out like a cannonball.

Arms that seem about to break. Lungs about to burst.

In exchange for that intense pain, the shield of the sword, unfolded at the cost of that intense pain, grinds the rock spirit’s fist like a mixer, delving deep into its forearm and dismantling everything above its knee.

Crack, and. Mist-like sand turned into waves, covering the surroundings.

The melee shield pulverizing everything it touches like dust. The season exerted to the fullest led me into the area where Brunhilde had set foot.

In exchange for the wounds and bloodshed beginning to be engraved on my body.

Whoosh!

An arrow not yet repelled. A single arrow shot not as sand but as a blunt force pierced my thigh.

“Ah…!”

Torn and split flesh lamented a pain akin to being touched by fire.

Thud!

Part of the sandstorm, unfolded simultaneously with three arrows, densely pierced through the shoulder like needles through armor.

“Ugh…!”

The sensation of a dozen large needles stirring the muscles. It felt like small lightning bolts striking the shoulders.

Boom!

The punitive arrow, deviating from its trajectory, dug into the side like a club.

“Cough!”

For a moment, the air trapped in the lungs turned into saliva-mixed coughing. It was no surprise that even if the ribs were broken, it would be an abnormal shock.

Blood flowing out. The body losing balance due to pain.

‘No. Not yet. Not yet.’

I can’t fall yet.

I gritted my teeth and forced my knees, which were about to buckle, to stand up.

I could endure this much pain. No, I had to endure it.

Because that’s what makes me stronger.

“Ugh, aaaaah!”

Suppressing the scream trying to burst out, tears forming in my eyes, I grit my teeth and pound the ground.

Beyond the rock spirit crumbling under my knees, towards Emelia, who was staring at me with a somewhat stiff face.

Is it because of my mood? As I glare at the enemy, even the burning sensation seems to gradually subside.

No, it’s not just my mood. The pain is really subsiding.

Like putting a burned finger in ice water, a chilling sensation flowed through my veins, numbing the pain in the injured area.

Ah, so this is it.

Another characteristic of Brunhilde, another fundamental aspect of her power. One of the functions of .

To fight on without stopping no matter what injury is sustained, it numbs the sense of pain itself, an unyielding function that erases the pain.

It led my body one step forward.

“Haaaaaah!”

The black iron curtain that had unfolded in front of me disappeared like an illusion, and within it, a black flash burst out like lightning.

Just before the limit of was extinguished, gathering the last remaining strength, I unleashed a thrust.

The stabbing tip contained the power to pierce through even the sacred barrier that couldn’t be pierced moments ago.

Did you enjoy being surrounded by enemies, Emelia?

Let me make one more hole for you.

“…You seem like your old self now.”

Emelia muttered as she stared at me with a stern face.

“A bit more violent, though.”

A cold remark mixed with bursting glory.

The next moment, instead of shooting out as a beam of pure white light, it turned into a long and flexible chain, wrapping around my entire body.

A divine miracle of restraint and suppression, “Heaven’s Chain”.

The binding force becomes stronger in proportion to the committed sins, and when the undead is entwined in these chains, it is not just a mere restraint but a powerful divine miracle that incinerates the flesh touched by the chains.

“This kind of thing, use it on the battlefield!”

As I shook off my shoulder roughly and took another step, all the chains shattered like an explosion and scattered in all directions.

– Eujik.

…Something seemed to be heard in my heart that shouldn’t be heard.

It doesn’t matter.

Because my body is still moving.

My creaking body responds to the fiery zeal. A single-edged sword slashes like a marionette being pulled by strings.

And.

– Swoosh!

Reflexively, my outstretched left hand caught and shattered the arrow flying towards the back of my head.

A feat of catching and shattering the flying arrow without even looking, sharpened to the extreme. This heightened sense made such actions possible.

Perhaps Brunhilde always maintained this kind of sense while fighting.

The power of the arrow itself seemed unbearable as my palm felt like it had been torn through the glove, but it was not enough to even dent my injury limit.

Crack!

Without needing to turn my head to look at the arrow, the jet-black steel longsword extended without delay, piercing through Emelia’s divine barrier like a spear.

“Tsk, with just one hand, it’s impossible—”

Since I removed my left hand from the hilt, the penetrating force decreased, failing to pierce the divine barrier in one blow, but well…

“If I add one more hand, it won’t be impossible!”

If I add one more hand, it won’t be impossible, right?

I pulled my left hand, which was holding the broken arrow, and exerted all my strength into a single blow against the formel of the longsword blocked by the divine barrier.

Kwaaaaang!

The remaining strength of my arm. The steel fist covered by the gauntlet pushed against the tip of the hilt like a battering ram.

“This…!”

Was she so sure that the divine barrier would be pierced? Emelia, whose complexion changed drastically, desperately dodged my foot.

But she was slow.

Even if her skills have improved, ultimately, isn’t she just a priest? If she were agile enough to evade the blade that reached her side, she would have been a knight, not a priest.

Fwooosh!

With a dazzling crimson flash, the black blade plunged deep into the soft flesh of the priestess.

Chopping through the urgently raised arm as if covering the face, and advancing to pierce through the shoulder behind it with the tip of the sword.

“Aaaaah!”

Emelia screamed in agony.

It was a very, very pleasant scream. To the point where Gunter might have considered Emelia his own upon hearing that sound alone.

However, the situation was not so good to feel satisfaction from that scream alone.

“Did I miss…!”

When my sword dug into Emelia’s arm, she twisted her body slightly despite the pain, causing the trajectory of the sword to deviate slightly.

As a result, instead of piercing her face as intended, my sword tore through her arm and pierced her shoulder, coming to a halt.

That alone would have been a fatal blow under normal circumstances… but that’s a story for when the opponent doesn’t have a skilled priest.

“El… Elianelle…!”

As Emelia grimaced, praying while pulling out the sword stuck in her body, another dazzling light burst forth from her necklace.

– Hwaaah!

A pure radiance seeped through the split arm and the pierced shoulder, covering them.

The brilliance of pure white seeping through the broken bones and severed blood vessels, mending muscles and flesh.

“The touch of the goddess.”

A high-level miracle combining the advantages of high-healing and rapid recovery, astonishingly healing her wounds.

Goodness, I wondered if she could use it after all…!

Judging by the power of the divine miracles displayed a while ago, the only high-level miracle she could use now was one related to healing.

The fact that the single miracle available to her was in the healing category was truly frustrating for me.

Of course, even the miraculous touch of the goddess would be meaningless if I could swiftly sever her neck…

But that was already an impossible task.

“Ugh, ugh, huff, hah…!”

From the moment I pierced Emelia’s shoulder until this moment, I was in a state where I couldn’t even swing my sword, let alone regulate my breathing due to reaching the limit of Kang Wan’s recoil.

The superhuman strength that filled my entire arm scattered like dust, and a sense of exhaustion that momentarily darkened my vision swept through my whole body.

“Hack, haaack…!”

I struggled to hold onto the hilt of the sword, pushing it into the ground like a staff to support my collapsing body, gasping for breath.

My arms and legs felt heavy as if frozen, my lungs compressed as if flattened, my head dizzy as if I had spent ten sleepless nights.

I couldn’t move.

It wasn’t just a matter of mental strength or determination; my body simply wouldn’t obey.

…Good grief, that’s why I had to make sure to kill Emelia somehow.

I gritted my teeth.

If I could just catch my breath for a moment, I might be able to fight again…

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this.”

The enemies in front of me weren’t going to allow me even that moment.

“In the past, Emelia would have healed you, but what’s she up to now?”

As I strained to turn my eyes in the direction of the voice, the newly summoned ice spirit’s arm struck me like a club.

“Kahack…!”

I vomited a mixture of blood and groans, thrown like a ball hit by a bat, tumbling on the ground, letting go of the longsword I had held.

“Ugh, argh, ugh…”

The impact was no different from being hit by a truck. The only reason I didn’t die was entirely due to my armor.

Of course, I hadn’t died, but only barely.

Thanks to the power of the “Ice Heart,” I hardly felt any pain, but my body, which had been slowly regaining strength, was completely drained by that blow.

Even as I grimaced and groaned, trying to get up, I collapsed halfway.

Defeat.

An undeniable, absolute defeat.

Could willpower alone overcome the difference in ability?

The only result of expending so much energy to the point of being momentarily dazed was Emelia’s single arm.

And even that was being fully restored by her superior abilities, so in reality, I had used up one of her superior abilities.

“Je…gil…!”

Still, the recoil of my arm was gradually fading, so with a grimace, I half raised my upper body.

“Oh, just lie down.”

Suddenly, Irina approached me and stomped on the back of my head with her muddy boots, pinning me to the ground.

“Ah…!”

“Hahaha! What a sight!”

She laughed triumphantly.

“Really, I’ve always wanted to see someone in this state. Finally, I get to see it! Hey, how do you feel right now? Huh? Tell me, how do you feel?”

You son of a b****.

I bit into the sensation of mud with my cheek.

The creeping sense of despair that was about to emerge evaporated, replaced by an intense sense of humiliation and anger that felt alien to me.

How do I feel?

I feel like I’m about to go crazy, grateful that my mouth and throat still work. You damn deaf bitch.

“Come on, come on. Can’t you at least make fun of me a little?”

Sure, you can make fun of my mouth.

More than you think.

“Or maybe I should poke a hole in your mouth—”

Just as Irina was about to continue her mocking,

“Aargh!”

I swiftly turned my head to face her boot, and with a savage force, I bit into the tip of it, like a wild beast, using all my strength.

– Crunch!

A bitter, foul taste filled my mouth.

Along with the useless knowledge that if you wear boots like these, they’ll stink.