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Chapter 111 – The Invasion of Evil (4)
Chapter 111 – The Invasion of Evil (4)
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Chapter 111: The Invasion of Evil (4)
Crunch.
A headless body tumbled to the ground.
The swiftly regenerating Butler was stunned.
“What, what is this?”
His expression was completely different from before, a look of unmistakable confusion.
“What did you do!”
He imbued his greatsword with the power of severance.
A power that severs matter.
That barbarian’s body should have been chopped to pieces.
But what broke was his greatsword.
“Even if you ask what I did.”
Ketal tilted his head in confusion.
“I just swung my fist.”
“You, you!”
Butler reached into the air.
Darkness gathered, and the broken greatsword restored to its original form.
Ketal watched the scene with interest.
“The greatsword can regenerate, huh. So the greatsword itself is the power?”
He analyzed joyfully.
Butler, with a twisted face, charged again.
The power of severance enveloped the greatsword.
Ketal reached out lightly.
Snap.
The greatsword was caught in Ketal’s hand.
Butler gathered more power.
The sharp severance aimed to cut Ketal’s hand.
But it didn’t happen.
As if blocked by a wall, the power of severance was crushed.
Ketal gripped the greatsword tighter.
This time, instead of breaking it, he tried to snatch it away.
“You!”
Butler’s face twisted in rage.
“How dare you try to take my weapon!”
“If you don’t like it, try and stop me.”
Ketal shattered Butler’s hand.
He forcibly seized the greatsword and swung it.
Slash.
Butler’s upper body separated from his lower body.
Ketal swung the greatsword.
“Can I use this too?”
As he said that, the greatsword exploded.
Darkness ripped Ketal’s body apart.
Butler, having regenerated, was clenching his fist toward Ketal.
“Aha.”
As the darkness subsided, Ketal nodded.
“I can’t use it.”
Despite taking the direct hit from the explosion without any defense, his body had no wounds.
“…What are you!”
Butler shouted and charged again.
Ketal stepped forward and swung his fist.
Butler’s body was crushed.
Arkamis watched the scene in a daze.
“…Huh?”
She couldn’t understand what was happening.
“Wha, what? Wha?”
‘Overpowering a demon? But Ketal doesn’t know any mysticism…’
While she struggled to accept reality, the battle was one-sided.
None of Butler’s attacks worked.
“Hmm.”
Ketal murmured as if he understood.
“It seems like you don’t have any special abilities. You seem weaker than Ashetiar.”
Hearing those words, Butler was dumbfounded.
His power was the power of severance.
A power that could sever all things, superior to Ashetiar’s gravity.
Yet, to be called weaker than Ashetiar.
It was absurd.
But he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
His power of severance had no effect on that barbarian.
‘Am I under some kind of illusion spell?’
The thought crossed his mind.
Butler let out a hollow laugh.
He had no choice but to admit it.
This barbarian was stronger.
And special.
Butler’s eyes darkened.
“…Fine. I admit it. I won’t hold back anymore.”
Darkness enveloped Butler’s greatsword.
Thick, filthy darkness condensed and condensed.
The surrounding matter began to shatter and split.
It was Butler’s full strength.
He poured everything out, leaving only the minimum amount of magic to stay on the ground.
“Sever everything.”
With calm words, Butler charged.
The darkness condensed on the greatsword exploded.
The power of severance surged like a storm, separating everything.
Grass, air, wind, and earth were cut apart.
It was the full power of a demon.
Anything cut by that darkness couldn’t be mended by ordinary means.
Without a high priest’s divine power, it would remain eternally severed.
A great power that scars the very world.
To that power, Ketal responded with only his body.
Crunch.
The exploding darkness shattered.
It broke apart like glass.
His body remained unchanged.
In a space where all things were severed, he alone stood intact.
“This is insane.”
The demon let out a hollow laugh.
Ketal didn’t stop his charge.
The power of severance tore Ketal’s clothes.
A scar on his chest was revealed.
Arkamis’s eyes widened as she watched.
As the greatsword shattered, the demon’s head was grabbed by Ketal.
Crash!
The demon was slammed into the ground, causing it to shake as if an earthquake had hit.
Ketal, having subdued the demon, spoke.
“Arkamis?”
“Y-Yes?”
Arkamis, who had been watching in a daze, quickly responded, startled.
“It seems difficult, but can you help? I have no way to banish this thing.”
“…What?”
After showing such power, he says he can’t banish it?
Arkamis, confused, soon recalled that Ketal couldn’t use mysticism.
“O-Okay. Just a moment.”
Arkamis hurriedly gathered her remaining energy.
Mystical power began to swirl chaotically.
While restrained, Butler spoke.
“Barbarian. Your name is Ketal, right?”
“You know it.”
“I heard it from Ashetiar. This is absurd.”
To withstand a demon’s power with mere physical strength, without any mysticism.
Ketal’s strength was beyond comprehension.
Butler realized belatedly.
Ketal’s body itself was a power, a mysticism.
His power wasn’t enough to break that.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
Ketal had clearly stopped him.
Because of his presence, the plan failed.
But there had been no prophecy about Ketal.
“…A being beyond prophecy. Barbarian, you’re a threat. A very significant threat.”
Butler looked at Ketal.
“The plan failed, but it’s not a total loss.”
Just knowing that such a barbarian existed in the world was a gain.
“Wait, Barbarian.”
“Banish him!”
Buzz!
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
With Arkamis’s words, mystic power struck the demon.
His body began to be expelled from the world.
As Butler gradually disappeared, he left one final message.
“We will kill you.”
To that, Ketal made a curious expression.
“Aha.”
Ketal nodded as if he understood.
“So, you are my enemies.”
The demon vanished.
Arkamis collapsed again.
She had no strength left to even stand.
“Are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine. But more importantly.”
Arkamis looked at Ketal with a bewildered face.
“…Ketal. What are you?”
She never thought Ketal was weak.
His unusual body made him far stronger than ordinary people.
But that was only by the standards of those who didn’t know mysticism.
To defeat a demon who had bested her so easily.
“Who are you?”
In Arkamis’s eyes were shock and confusion.
She looked at Ketal as if he were something unknown.
She had seen the deep scar on Ketal’s chest.
Ketal spoke.
“I’d like to answer you, but I think there’s something I need to do first.”
Ketal closed his eyes.
At that moment, Arkamis felt a strange sensation.
A feeling of someone scanning her entire body.
‘An extension of senses?’
The act of listening more, smelling more by closing one’s eyes, something any human could do.
But it extended beyond the entire forest, reaching the capital of the Denian Kingdom. Arkamis was astonished.
‘…Extending senses to detect all the way to the capital?’
“There.”
Ketal opened his eyes and muttered.
He picked up his axe.
“Sorry, Arkamis. I have something I need to do first. I’ll answer your questions after that.”
“O-Okay.”
Ketal gripped the axe and looked in the direction of the capital.
He put strength into his shoulders and threw it.
The axe flew toward the capital with a resounding noise.
* * *
Boom!
A building collapsed.
Darkness lashed out like a whip.
Maximus somehow blocked all the attacks.
Maximus’s strength was his extreme speed.
Despite being able to dodge Ashetiar’s attacks easily, he didn’t move a single step.
The reason was simple.
“Aaaah!”
Behind Maximus, a woman holding her child screamed.
She had twisted her ankle while fleeing and was now exposed to the battle.
“Hahahahaha!”
Ashetiar burst into laughter.
“Human! Try your best to defend! If you fail, the poor woman and child behind you will die!”
Maximus gritted his teeth.
Darkness poured down.
He moved his sword quickly.
He blocked, deflected, and parried the darkness.
Rumble…
He managed to hold on, but he was reaching his limit.
Darkness grazed his forearm.
His skin split open, and blood flowed.
‘Damn it.’
“The great and mighty Swordmaster. Your life is far more valuable than that of ordinary humans. Why don’t you give up now?”
“Shut up, you filthy woman.”
Maximus spat out harshly.
Maximus had no particular patriotism.
The Denian Kingdom was merely a convenient place for him.
But that didn’t mean he was a villain.
He had the mindset of a knight, enough to protect citizens and defend the country.
‘…I must endure.’
The priests dispatched to the borders would be returning to the capital quickly.
If he could hold out until they arrived, victory would be his.
Maximus tightened his grip on his sword.
As if reading his thoughts, Ashetiar smiled.
“Do your best. In the end, we will win.”
Ashetiar gathered darkness.
Just as Maximus resolved to muster his aura,
“What?”
An axe flew from the sky directly toward Ashetiar.
Ashetiar, staring at the axe in a daze, hastily raised her hand.
Darkness spread out to protect her.
Crash.
But the darkness shattered.
The axe pierced through her body.
“What… What is this.”
Ashetiar muttered blankly as her body collapsed.
She soon regained her original form, but her face was full of confusion.
“What?”
Suddenly, an axe had flown and pierced her body.
She looked at Maximus. Maximus, also taken aback, stared wide-eyed.
“…I don’t know what just happened, but do you think this is enough to stop me?”
Ashetiar twisted her lips into a smile.
“I will destroy the human capital! That is our prophecy!”
She shouted loudly.
“No one can stop me!”
“Prophecy? What do you mean by that?”
At that moment, a voice came from right behind her.
Ashetiar, who had been laughing, was startled.
‘What!’
She had sensed nothing, yet someone was right behind her.
She gathered darkness.
As she was about to strike with dense, heavy darkness, she hesitated.
Ashetiar’s eyes widened in shock.
“What?”
“Oh. It’s you. Ashetiar.”
Ketal said with a delighted expression.
With those words, Ketal grabbed Ashetiar’s head.
Her body was slammed into the ground.
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]