Chapter 46: Yesterday’s Enemy Was Today’s Friend (1)
46
“Foldring? That’s a name I’ve never heard before.”
Perhaps he failed to notice the reason for my shock, because Jill narrowed his eyes as if puzzled.
But only for a moment.
“Well, whatever. It’s not that important anyway.”
As he said that and stretched out his hand, the undead under his command all took up battle stances at once.
“Krrh…!”
Refusing to be outdone, I immediately drew up demonic energy and formed a summoning gate.
Ten skeletons carrying tower shields.
The rest were equipped with the crossbows I had been using just moments ago.
“Hector!”
No matter how unbelievable the sight was, there was no helping the situation already upon us.
I had to clash, analyze, and break through with everything I had.
Ching—!
With a clear ringing of steel, Hector’s spirit form drew its sword, and I too unsheathed the sword at my waist.
‘If he’s one of Berkel’s Twelve Knights, breaking through that is impossible. I have to kill the caster!’
The moment I finished my judgment, I gave an order to the front line.
“Target the caster. Fire!”
Pshushushuk—!
Ten quarrels sliced through the air with piercing sounds.
But at that instant, the Death Knight that appeared before Jill—Raven—slashed through the air with his sword.
Kakakakang—!
With the clash of metal, all ten quarrels were knocked aside in an instant.
The moment I confirmed that, I immediately revised my orders.
“Front line, keep aiming for the caster’s head and fire alternating shots at two-second intervals! Bind the Death Knight!”
Kiiii!
The skeletons, having understood my command, immediately adjusted their firing intervals.
Pshuk! Pshuk!
Each shot, one by one, traced precise trajectories as they aimed for Jill’s head.
“Ha! With tactics this shallow!”
But only for a moment. When he gave orders to the undead waiting behind him, Jill’s undead began charging toward me.
“Shields forward! Second line, block the undead!”
As sequential fire toward Jill continued, I issued commands to the remaining skeletons.
“Kwuhhhk?!”
Kiiiiii—!
The skeletons holding tower shields raised them high toward the charging horde of undead.
Kukwang—!
Massive chunks of flesh slammed into the shields, and the skeletons were pushed back several steps under the force.
“Good, now’s the time!”
My eyes lit up as I seized the opening.
Just as expected, the skeletons reinforced with heavy armor were capturing the undead without much difficulty.
Now all I had to do was charge in there and collapse their battle line…!
“It’s certainly impressive, but compared to that man’s power, it’s pitiful.”
“What?!”
At Jill’s voice striking my ears, I immediately threw my body backward.
Kwakwakwakwak—!
A powerful blow slammed down where I had been standing just moments ago.
The Death Knight Raven had charged straight at me.
“Damn it, where are the crossbowmen?!”
Shouting that, I checked the summoning circle, and the word despair surfaced in my mind.
“They’ve all been completely wrecked in the meantime…!”
It took at least two minutes for a broken skeleton to be fully restored.
Yet that insane Death Knight had wiped out thirty percent of my undead in just two seconds.
“Goddamn it!”
I immediately fired Meteor Sword at Raven.
Kiiing—!
A sword path that perfectly reproduced Heinkel’s.
?!
But Raven twisted his head aside and evaded it, then linked into his next movement and pressed me relentlessly.
There was one saving grace, at least.
A significant portion of his swordsmanship followed the same lineage as that of the Big Raven Knights.
‘Well, if you think about it, it’s actually the other way around.’
Kaang—!
I barely deflected the upward slash, but a sharp numbness immediately traveled through my wrist.
‘Fuck, what kind of demonic power is this…!’
Still, in the opening created by that single exchange throwing off the rhythm—
I sent Hector charging in through the gap, then had him unleash Meteor Sword once more.
You’re asking if I had any other techniques?
Do you have any idea how many days it took just to reproduce this one?!
Kiiiii—!
This time, unlike my own which only had the sword path, it was a complete technique imbued with demonic power.
With a flash of light, Hector’s blade grazed past Raven’s shoulder.
‘Good, it worked—!’
But only for a moment.
Thud.
“Guh?!”
The dull pain transmitted to my abdomen made me almost lose consciousness.
Kwaang—!
With the sound of impact, my body flew several meters and rolled across the cold ice floor.
“Fuck, we’re on completely different levels.”
Forcing myself to endure the searing pain, I immediately got back on my feet.
Even as it was, the numbers battle was evenly matched.
If I let that bastard run rampant in this situation, the battle line would collapse instantly.
‘If Hector can just hold out a little longer…!’
Kaang—!
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than Raven’s sword immediately seized upon an opening in Hector’s defense.
What determined a Death Knight’s capability was the quality of the soul used as its foundation.
And unlike Hector, a fledgling who had only just begun to blossom with talent, Raven was one of the legendary Twelve Knights.
In other words, the fact that Hector had endured even a single exchange meant he was already far beyond his limits.
Kukwakwaang—!
Hector’s spirit form, sent flying far away, came crashing down right beside me.
Kikikik…!
Hector’s spirit, twisted and shattered in places, twitched weakly, but further movement seemed impossible.
“He really is disgustingly strong…!”
Raven, who had subdued both me and Hector without even a scratch to show for it.
He was holding his sword raised as he slowly walked toward where I stood.
‘I can’t win with the sword. As expected, the method with the highest chance is the caster….’
It was the moment when I was desperately racking my brain while observing Jill’s figure.
‘Wait, that…?’
The obsidian ring fitted on his right hand.
As I stared at it, a single thought flashed through my mind.
‘The demonic energy pouring out of that ring is mine. If that’s the case….’
Just as knights have differing mana wavelengths and mages possess distinct mana circuits, a Necromancer’s demonic energy also carries its own unique wavelength.
If demonic energy is accepted into one’s body and accumulated, it naturally takes on a unique wavelength.
But the demonic energy Jill wielded was not his own—it belonged to the ring.
Demonic energy bearing Akimond’s wavelength.
In other words, it meant it shared the same wavelength as mine.
Then that thing….
‘There’s no other option left, so it’s all or nothing.’
The one and only method that came to mind.
Frankly, it was nothing more than a ridiculous stunt that couldn’t even be called a tactic.
But what choice did I have.
If I wanted to live, I had to pull it off.
“Hu—!”
After letting out a dry breath, I hardened my expression and gripped my sword.
“Oh? You still have the strength to resist?”
Jill laughed at me mockingly and issued an order to Raven.
“Limbs are fine, but bring him back alive.”
A knight turned into a puppet, overwhelmed by demonic energy.
The fact that he was Berkel’s comrade of all people only strengthened my resolve.
Step— step—
With low footsteps, the Death Knight steadily approached me.
An old knight who had lost his will and only spewed out sword strikes.
After fixing his figure in my eyes for a brief moment, I immediately charged straight at him.
Kaang—!
“This really hurts like hell!”
Complaining aloud, I diverted Raven’s sword path and immediately unfolded the Phantom Sword.
Kakakakak—!
The technique of the former duke, Rudel Leinrant.
Even if he was a knight who had fought alongside Berkel, it would take time to grasp this alien sword path.
……!
Just as expected, his response was a beat too late.
In an instant, my blade, which had seized three sword paths, left several shallow wounds on Raven’s body.
“What…!”
At the sight of me toying with his sword for a moment, Jill’s expression stiffened.
But only briefly.
When he realized that what I had inflicted were nothing more than minor scratches, not meaningful damage, relief flickered across his face.
“Death Knight! Capture him at once! Bring me the knowledge of Lord Akimond!”
Receiving the caster’s command, Raven pressed in on me.
‘Don’t kill him. Bring him back alive.’
That mad fanatic’s order, obsessed with knowledge, was a ray of light to me right now.
Chwararak?!
The Red Spider Lily sword path unfolded along his right hand.
Dozens of scratches carved themselves across his worn armor.
Yet without caring in the slightest, Raven swung his sword straight on.
Kiririk—!
I twisted my footing, hooked the hand gripping the sword, and stabbed the blade I held in reverse into the back of his head.
The reverse-grip sword technique used by Galamu’s assassins, Stingray Thrust.
Sensing danger at the back of his head, Raven immediately grabbed my body and threw me aside, but my sword had already carved seven lines of damage into the back of his head.
“Huu…! Huu…!”
I steadied myself while gasping for breath.
Forcing down the bile rising in my throat, I tightened my grip on the sword.
“What are you doing?! You can’t even catch a single brat, and you still dare call yourself…!”
No matter what nonsense Jill spat out with a scowl, I didn’t stop my steps forward.
Chwarreuk!
This time, the sword path came from the front.
The Snake Shadow Strike thrust vertically, twisting grotesquely as it tore a large gash across Raven’s chest.
And in the very next moment.
Ppagak—!
Raven grabbed my blade with his gauntlet, and the hilt of his sword slammed into my solar plexus.
Half-swording thrust in close quarters.
The shock was so powerful that my vision nearly turned white and I almost lost consciousness.
Ppeok!
My body flew again and rolled across the floor.
“Keok…?! Keuh…!”
Pain so intense I could barely breathe tormented my entire body, yet even so, I could feel it.
Leinrant.
This body, bestowed upon me by Berkel’s bloodline….
Was really, disgustingly tough.
“This is the end. Young Master Klein.”
“Yeah, it’s the end.”
Jill slowly walked toward me as I barely propped up my upper body.
That face, drunk on victory.
The face of a thief wielding power that wasn’t his as if it were his own.
“Come quietly. If you hand over the knowledge you possess, I might even accept you as a member of the Order….”
“What the hell have you been babbling about this whole time, you crazy bastard.”
Struggling to steady my blurring vision, I reached out my hand.
And at the same time.
Wuuung—!
That thing reacted to my demonic energy and began to glow blue.
“Light? What trick is it this time…!”
“I told you. This is the end.”
“What?”
At that unexpected situation, the moment Jill turned around in confusion.
“Uh, uhhh…!?”
Jill could no longer say anything.
The countless wounds carved into Raven’s body.
The blue light reacting to demonic energy had finally revealed its true form.
“Runes…?”
Geometric characters covering Raven’s body.
The moment I confirmed them, I drove the sword I was holding into the ground and scattered my demonic energy throughout the space.
Pachit—!
Black demonic energy stained the blue glass floor, and before long, it became lines that connected the runes carved into his body according to my intent.
“This is impossible. You carved such complex runes and spell formulas in the middle of battle—on top of that, with the tip of a sword? There’s no way something that absurd could be possible…!”
“It worked because I did it. Wasn’t even that hard.”
I cut off Jill’s words with a single line full of bluster.
Kuuuu—!
The contract inscription carved into Raven’s body shone, awakening his will that had been consumed by false energy.
Tuhwak—!
The dazzling light faded away, and the form that reappeared was not an old corpse, but a black spirit body.
“Aah…! Aaaah…!”
“You screwed up. You damn cult bastard.”
Toward Jill, who hadn’t yet grasped the situation, I pointed my thumb at my own neck, just as I had once done to Berkel.
“You shouldn’t have talked about bringing me back alive. You should’ve cut my throat the moment this started.”
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