ALL NOVEL Chapter 43
Chapter
“Ugh… There was no mention of such a monster….”
Gray barely managed to pull herself together after being electrocuted. The energy from the star embedded in her Ki had already worn her out. And then she got hit with that ridiculous strike on top of that, putting her in a terrible state.
Looking at Gray, Adolf spoke.
“…Unexpected. But it’s our victory. That technique seems to require a lot of energy; the moment their intention to finish you off was thwarted before I arrived, the upper hand shifted to us.”
“Ugh…. You’re saying that after looking at my pathetic condition, you bastard?”
“Who told you to charge in first?”
“Fuck you.”
Gray managed to pop a perfectly fine healing pill into her mouth from her pocket. Crunch-! As soon as she bit down, it was quickly absorbed. It was akin to the berserk pills that mercenaries carried, but the effect was incomparably greater.
As the healing pill was absorbed, the pain quickly subsided, and strength began to surge throughout her body. Her mana, momentarily enhanced, was even greater than usual. Sure, if she unleashed all of it, she’d suffer later, but that was not her concern right now.
“Here it comes.”
Adolf warned as he summoned his strength. The enemy’s technique hadn’t been released yet. He didn’t underestimate it and gathered all of his power.
Whoooooom-!
The gravity around them seemed to intensify, causing the space to warp slightly. He harnessed the power of the star in his Ki. An incredible weight was packed into his fist.
Mein Kampf
All of his strength. At the same time, Gray also added her power.
Silent Death
A dagger whirling silently. Even when watching it unfold right in front of her, it appeared almost ghostly. Its complex trajectory was impossible to trace with the eye, but—
“Die.”
Enok disregarded everything in his path, obliterating it.
Kwahhh-!!
With a sweeping motion of his claw-like hands, a torrent of Ki sliced through the air. Adolf, who prioritized power, managed to break through the net-like attack, but Gray did not.
Sssss-!
Gray’s left arm was cleanly severed. Fortunately, she squeezed into the space Adolf had opened up to minimize the damage.
“Aagh…!”
Gray was thrown out. With clenched teeth, Adolf swung his fist toward Enok, who was now close.
“Is this how it’s done?”
Mein Kampf, Adolf’s secret technique, was unleashed from Enok’s hand. Adolf’s fist trembled slightly as he recognized it. In a battle of strong fighters, that was a monumental blunder.
Thud-!
Enok’s fist, slipping through the gap, struck Adolf’s shoulder. The impact sent Adolf flying, spitting blood.
Kwahhh-!
The building he crashed into crumbled, dragging Gray down with it.
“Pretty lame.”
As Enok criticized Adolf’s technique, he concentrated all his power into his fist. He intended to crush the entire fallen structure.
“What a bunch of bastards…!!”
If only flames hadn’t suddenly erupted right in front of him.
Whooooosh-!!
Quickly pulling back, Enok coldly gazed at the new opponent. A woman with flame-like red hair. She glared down at Enok in the air, filled with rage.
“Who do you think you are, rampaging through someone else’s city?”
“A lord, I believe.”
“Right, you bastard. If you recognize it, you should greet me properly.”
Kwahhh-! The remnants of the collapsed building shattered, revealing two figures. Adolf and Gray. Gray gasped heavily, glaring.
“Gray, you bastard…”
Looks like there was still some spirit left for jokes. The Ki would burn out in mere seconds, and thanks to False Thunder God Transformation, her body was in rough shape. Growing increasingly irritated, Enok decided to channel his strength to take them all down.
Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiingggg-!!
The halo spun wildly. He had completely grasped his opponents. He could predict the next moves of both Gray and Adolf.
Including the variable of the lord, he mapped the optimal route. Enok’s vision filled with lines.
‘Here.’
Eventually, those lines converged and compressed into one, and the wings that unfolded behind Enok shone brilliantly.
Slash-! In an instant, Enok moved directly in front of Adolf, swinging his hand. Adolf, well-prepared, defended with his fist. Enok predicted Adolf’s next move. He slipped in, striking his abdomen.
As expected, Adolf’s thigh and shoulder twitched. If he knew, there was no reason for him to be unable to counter it. He maneuvered diagonally to sidestep the range, swinging his hand again.
Crack-!
The remaining shoulder was torn off as Adolf grimaced in pain. Just one second until the Ki was completely drained. Adolf and Gray stood in a straight line. If he could take out both of them at once…,
“Say something, you bastard!”
It would be great, but the lord was getting in the way. He expected it. However, one thing he didn’t anticipate was the lord’s level. In the blink of an eye, four magic circles intertwined, inscribing the laws within a four-dimensional space.
Enok’s teeth clicked with a horrific sound. Should he pull back his body? But if he retreated here, there would be no next move. Just as he was struggling with that thought—
Swishhhhhhh-!
Dozens of arrows shot towards the lord. Each arrow was infused with murderous intent. While it wasn’t lethal, being hit directly would be quite troublesome.
“Tsk!”
The lord withdrew the attack and spread his shield. Instantly reacting, Enok, despite the internal damage, unleashed the attack he had intended to retract.
Flash────────
Like a laser shot in a straight line, the compressed Ki pierced through the narrow range. It was a modified strike derived from Adolf’s Mein Kampf. With a hole drilled into his chest, Adolf stared blankly at Enok.
“W-what….”
“Isn’t it obvious? If you show off such a simple technique twice, I’d naturally be able to replicate it.”
“That’s absolutely insane…! Cough…!”
Thud-, as Adolf collapsed, breathless, across from him lay Gray’s corpse with a hole blown through her head. The sight of smoke rising from the gaping hole in her face was far from pleasant.
“Cough….”
Having pushed through the attack he intended to hold back, Enok coughed up blood. As the False Thunder God Transformation released, strength drained from his body. The only fortunate aspect was that the Heavenly Death had also satisfied itself, draining the insanity away as well.
‘This is going to be quite troublesome.’
His body was in shambles. Enok looked over to the lord, veins bulging at his temples. Well, that would somehow work out. With that thought, Enok raised his thumb towards the air.
“Nice assist, Rionne.”
Flap-, Rionne landed beside him, her hood billowing. Her stiff smile did not suggest she was in a good mood.
“Shut up.”
Rionne had a very unpleasant demeanor, considering she had completely cut off the pursuers’ breath.
“So, what are we going to do about that guy? I heard he’s a lord here.”
“Who knows? It’ll work itself out.”
“Isn’t Enok going to be roasted alive?”
“Hmm… that would be troublesome.”
Enok frowned as he looked up at the lord. The magic circles from before, flying midair, could suggest she was some sort of mage. Would rushing her and striking down result in her death?
“…Kid. I’ll ask you one last time. Who are you?”
The lord grit her teeth, holding flames in both hands, clearly frustrated.
“Ah.”
Enok suddenly had a good idea.
“I’m the disciple of the Swordmaster.”
How would it fare to drop Rionne’s name?
*
While status often seemed like a mere system of hierarchy based on strength, it hadn’t entirely lost its meaning. There were cases where one’s fighting ability was weak yet their status remained high.
Of course, it was not about the status itself but rather the background that held importance, but the essence remained the same. A high rank meant there was something worthwhile.
And Rionne was the Millennium Swordmaster. Furthermore, she was the daughter of the Fairy Sword God. The Fairy Sword God was a figure equivalent to an emperor among humans, so Rionne could practically be seen as a regional lord or even a king.
Then what about Enok, as Rionne’s disciple? A disciple was not that different from a child. So, if pushed to argue, it would mean Enok was akin to a prince. Touch him, and the Swordmaster would come to kill immediately.
“…How am I supposed to believe that?”
The lord shot back, but her intimidation had subtly diminished. If he truly were the Swordmaster’s disciple, it could be dangerous. Now that she thought of it, there seemed to be an announcement about the Swordmaster’s disciple circulating. The shattering sky echoed with the declaration, and the Unbreakable Heaven Promise had been made.
“I’ll prove it.”
Just then, Rionne threw back her hood. Her truly elfin appearance was unmistakable. The lord sighed, exasperated.
“Fuck….”
Well, did that settle things? Enok trudged forward, heavy with fatigue.
“Hey! Where are you going? Even if you’re the Swordmaster’s disciple, at least explain things before leaving!”
Ignoring the calls, Enok headed toward the forest. Sneaking past the castle gates, he climbed up a tree, sprawling over a thick branch.
“Cool….”
In an instant, Enok fell asleep. Rionne rolled her eyes at his demeanor. The indignant lord was huffing, and the culprit causing the frustration had passed out. But thinking about it, this whole situation seemed to originate from Rionne herself…
‘I guess they’re coming for me?’
To reclaim the stolen elven slaves. Perhaps as a lesson to show what happens when you steal from them. Those who lead such rough lives surely had a reputation to uphold. They must have their own sense of honor.
Ending her thoughts, Rionne spoke up.
“Um… If I wake him, I’ll go after him. I need to tend to the damaged city and see if any citizens were hurt or killed.”
The elven Rionne was worried about the citizens, unlike Enok, who had completely disregarded them.
“How can I trust you…? Well, considering you’re an elf, I suppose I can.”
Haah… The lord sighed deeply, turning her back.
“Then I’ll wait? You’re going to have your work cut out for you.”
“Yes, then.”
Rionne slightly lowered her head.