NOVPUBBlade and blood danced in unison.
At some point, the sun had set over the snowy field where a fierce duel was unfolding. Though it was the grim spectacle of two men vying to take each other’s lives, it could still be considered a dance, in a way.
Could there be a dance more perfectly synchronized in a fleeting instant than this?
Clusters of tentacles shot up from the bubbling flesh, their razor-sharp tips aiming straight at me.
Then, in an instant, they lunged.
Of course, I had no intention of standing idly by and taking the hit.
As a burst of silver light erupted from my blade, blood sprayed through the gaps between the shattered tentacles. Seizing that opening, a middle-aged man charged straight at me.
It was Leoric.
I couldn’t tell whether it was his true body or just another Flesh Puppet.
It was most likely just a Flesh Puppet—he wouldn’t be foolish enough to place his real body at the forefront.
A kick, carrying the full force of his momentum, landed squarely on my waist.
Thwack—a jolt ran through my flesh and bones.
While I raised my blade to block it, completely negating the impact wasn’t possible.
Inwardly muttering curses, I skidded across the mass of flesh.
The bubbling flesh clung to my ankles, as if trying to trap me.
I quickly kicked off from it, leaping a few steps backward.
And then, Leoric’s countless Flesh Puppets rattled their skulls,opening their mouths wide.
As if they had been waiting for me to do exactly that.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
One by one, their heads started glowing white, like a string of light bulbs flaring to life.
Hurriedly, I gathered aura in my sword.
To use ‘Shackle.’
The blade’s surface reflected the beams like a mirror. As I adjusted the angle and swept the reflected beam across the area, several of Leoric’s Flesh Puppets ignited, sizzling as they burned.
The stench was unbearable. No matter how many times I encountered it, the stench of burned corpses never became any less revolting.
I panted, trying to steady my breath.
I was growing weary. Meanwhile, as if he was full of energy, Leoric had several of His Flesh Puppets open their mouths and unleash a roar.
“It-is—use—less!”
“I’m getting sick of hearing that too… so shut up!”
I once more pushed off the ground.
But I couldn’t focus fully on Leoric. I was still waiting for the message I had been expecting.
Though it should have arrived by now…
As if in answer to my expectations, a voice echoed through the magic device that was hanging from my ear.
It was a faint, discreet voice.
[S-Sir Ian! Are you all right?! We’ve just arrived!]
“What about Seria?”
[She’s right here with me!]
I let out a sigh of relief.
At last, the tide of battle seemed to be turning in our favour.
Of course, Leoric didn’t stay idle in the meantime. Two of his Flesh Puppets lunged at me, flinging punches and kicks.
Although it looked like simple hand-to-hand combat, the power behind it was nothing to scoff at.
Leoric’s body, strengthened by the power of the Evil God, was monstrously strong.
Even a simple punch or kick carried a force that was comparable to a cannonball. Gritting my teeth, I used the ‘Shackle’ technique I’d maintained to counter both of the Flesh Puppets’ assault.
A clear clang rang out as their fingers and toes shattered upon colliding with my sword.
And then came the ‘Liberation’ technique.
With a sharp whoosh, the braced blade carved a gleaming horizontal arc.
Having poured all my strength into the attack, my arms stiffened from the strain. By the end, I could barely even feel any resistance at all.
Leoric’s two Flesh Puppets were cleaved in half and scattered apart.
Only then did I finally regain my composure. Panting, I relayed my instructions.
“Seria, provide support as soon as possible. And Your Highness—please, open that ‘eye’ of yours.”
[‘Eye’?]
“Yes, you know… that ‘Dragon’s Eye’ or whatever it was called! Hurry!”
Through the magic device, I could feel the flustered commotion in response to my urging voice.
The results of that soon became apparent.
Seria dashed forward as if taking flight, silently landing behind me. Though she stepped onto the squelching flesh, not a single sound was made.
The moment she flawlessly landed, Seria grabbed my hand, her face taut with worry.
“S-Senior Ian… are you okay? Your breathing sounds off, and you’re covered in blood…!”
“It’s not mine.”
In truth, a bit of it was, but I chose not to mention that.
Seria’s hands were already trembling enough as it was.
“Don’t lie. Your blood always smells clean…. Unlike this foul monster’s.”
I nearly retorted, ‘What nonsense is that?’
But then I remembered Seria’s secret—and giving a wry smile was all I could do.
My eyes darted toward Betty, lying where I placed her earlier.
Gray hair and blue eyes.
Why hadn’t I realized it sooner?
As I parried the flesh tentacles that lashed at me like whips, I firmly spoke to Seria.
“Seria, do you trust me?”
“H-Huh?”
It was Seria’s turn to sound dazed.
In such a dire situation, it was exasperating, but I refrained from pressing her.
Because it was that important.
“I’m asking if you trust me. I mean, can you truly say that, no matter what happens, you won’t doubt me…?”
“O-OF COURSE!”
Seria raised her voice, as if the question itself was absurd.
In the end, it instead became like I was the one being interrogated.
Her voice burst forth, heated with emotion.
“How could I ever doubt you, Senior Ian? I swear I’ve never done that, not even once. If you told me to die right now, I would—so how could you even think that…?”
“You’re not a monster.”
It was just one sentence.
At the sudden remark, her eyes went blank.
She looked as if she had no idea what I was talking about. Understandably so.
*Wham—*my silver aura cleaved a tentacle that was hurtling toward us. The severed piece started glowing but I paid it no heed.
It was a sight I grew used to by now.
There was something far more important to discuss right now.
“You said you’d never doubt me, right? Then trust everything I say, no matter what.”
“W-Well of course. But what are you even talking…?”
“And I’ll never let you bear it all alone.”
Seria tilted her head, looking even more confused.
I couldn’t explain things to her just yet.
This was entirely a secret of the Yurdina Family. Being an outsider, I had no right to reveal the truth.
Even if the truth were to be exposed, it had to be by Delphine, the heir of the Yurdina Family.
Even so, I reinforced my words with unwavering conviction.
“So don’t you dare try to needlessly sacrifice yourself. If anything happens, make sure to consult me or Senior Delphine. And don’t even think about recklessly leaving my side….”
“Th-That’s enough!”
Seria cried out, her face scrunching up as if on the verge of tears at my persistent nagging.
She looked slightly aggrieved.
It seemed my words of concern had embarrassed her quite a bit.
“Senior Ian, I’m not a child. You don’t need to remind me of every little thing. And another thing—I have no intention of leaving your side, not in the slightest…”
“I’m just saying it just in case.”
As if to calm her down, I tousled Seria’s gray hair.
The battle momentarily reached a standstill.
With every of his incoming tentacles being severed and even the Flesh Puppets bursting apart, Leoric seemed to have decided to observe the battlefield for now. Of course, this respite wouldn’t last long. Once he gauged Seria’s strength, his attacks would surely resume.
In that fleeting moment of reprieve, I spoke to Seria.
“Never disappear on your own, Seria.”
Seria must have heard it countless times by now.
Yet she didn’t show any sign of annoyance. Or rather, to be precise, she seemed to enjoy the way I stroked her hair.
On the contrary, the objection came from elsewhere.
[Uh, Sir Ian? So, what exactly are we supposed to do?]
There was a subtle hint of discontent in her voice.
Hearing the princess’s sulky tone through the magic device in my ear, I fell silent for a moment. Come to think of it, I hadn’t shared the detailed plan with them, had I?
When my hand suddenly paused, Seria jolted awake as well.
This was a battlefield.
She realized we were wasting too much time.
This was an important issue for me, but to Seria, it was nothing more than indulging in my strange remarks.. Sorting out the battle situation should have taken priority.
Only one question remained.
Why had the usually timid princess interrupted me? It lingered in my mind—but it wasn’t an issue worth worrying about right now.
To lighten the mood, I decided to throw out a small joke.
“Your Highness, are you jealous because I’m only paying attention to Seria?”
Her reaction to that was nothing short of dramatic.
[J-Jealous?! W-Why would I ever be jealous over Sir Ian… N-no, I’m not jealous, really not jealous…]
Her voice over the magic device rose in pitch. It was barely a whisper at first, but it now crashed like thunder against my eardrums.
That was how flustered she was.
I could probably get an even more amusing reaction if I kept pressing her, —but I decided to let it go instead.
So long as the tension was eased, that was good enough.
“Then focus now. We probably only have one shot at this.”
I took a step forward, and Leoric’s eyes fixed on me.
In an instant, the stares of countless Flesh Puppets all converged on me, creating an eerily grotesque scene.
I had to find the main body somewhere amongst them.
And, as far as I knew, there was only one person capable of accomplishing that task.
“Your Highness, when I give the signal, please point out the Flesh Puppet that “shows color.’ “
Only then did the princess let out a short gasp through the magic device.
It seemed she was finally beginning to understand my plan.
***
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