A black dragon and an angel wielding a pure white blade were about to clash.
I watched them, my throat bobbing nervously.
This is the battle of the strongest.
… I wasn’t confident.
I wasn’t confident that I could survive, caught between them.
Of course, I didn’t think I would just stand there and let them attack me.
The marks bestowed by the Demon Gods of Gluttony and Pride…
If I used them, maybe, just maybe, my blade could reach them too.
‘Crete and the Sword Saint aren’t the only ones moving.’
Swiish-.
I turned my head.
From the distance, I could feel the presence of others approaching, radiating powerful energy.
Nina’s Seven Swords.
They had personally entered the battlefield to wipe out the demons.
I had to stop them.
Even if I couldn’t save the demon soldiers, I had to keep them from killing Rene.
But there was one problem that made my head throb.
‘I don’t have the strength.’
It didn’t mean that I was weaker than the Seven Swords.
I literally didn’t have any strength left.
Was it because of the blow the Sword Saint had dealt me?
Kyle had poured healing potions into me, but my body still wouldn’t obey my will.
I gritted my teeth.
Even as my mind raced, the Seven Swords were advancing, cutting down countless demon soldiers.
The distance was closing.
Was there really no way?
I clenched my fist.
‘…I’ll use the Demon God’s mark.’
Even if it’s the only way, I’ll protect Rene.
And if I use the Headmaster’s magic, which I haven’t used yet, I might be able to handle the Seven Swords…
Honestly, it was a gamble, a near-suicidal plan.
Each of the Seven Swords possessed power comparable to mine.
Judging by the skill of the one I had just killed, none of them were stronger than me, but…
That meant there were still six of them left!
And that wasn’t the only problem.
I had to fight while protecting both Rene and Kyle.
Could I really succeed?
Nausea welled up in my throat. I felt like I was going to vomit from the tension.
“…Are you alright?”
Rene asked, noticing my expression.
I forced a faint smile.
I didn’t want to appear weak in front of them.
So I pretended to be strong and spoke.
“Don’t worry. I was just a little dizzy. I’m fine now.”
“…”
Rene looked like she wanted to say something more.
But there was no time to listen to her.
The presence of the Seven Swords, approaching after slaughtering the demon soldiers, was now palpable.
And then,
“There you are.”
Three Sword Masters grinned, baring their fangs at us.
“…”
Swiish-.
I immediately signaled to Rene and Kyle with my eyes.
It was a sign to get out of here while I fought them.
Understanding that they wouldn’t be of any help, Rene and Kyle stepped back, their expressions a mix of frustration and concern.
“Don’t get hurt.”
Rene said to me as she retreated with Kyle.
I didn’t answer her, only offering a faint smile.
As I was seeing Rene and Kyle off…
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Clang-.
One of the Sword Masters drew his sword and charged.
I blocked the Sword Master’s attack by crossing Fang of Darkness and the red dagger, a smirk playing on my lips.
“I’m enough for all of you.”
Clang-.
A clash of intense power.
Sparks flew from the swords, but it was bearable.
The Sword Master who had attacked me was significantly less skilled than Kanpel.
Not all Sword Masters were of the same level.
Just like the first knight Kanpel fought was weaker than he was.
After briefly crossing swords with him, I pushed the Sword Master back.
Clang-.
“…Damn it.”
The Sword Master cursed, wiping the sweat off his brow.
He, too, must have realized that he was no match for me after seeing me defeat Kanpel.
However, the momentum of the Sword Masters standing behind him was different.
‘Those two are definitely stronger than Kanpel…!’
My expression hardened.
I was surrounded by experts, each of whom would be difficult to defeat even one-on-one.
Among them, an old man with graying hair spoke, fixing me with a cold stare.
“So you’re the half-demon who killed Kanpel. You look weaker than I expected.”
“Be careful. His ability to manifest his Internal Image is exceptional.”
“We’ll see.”
Swiish-.
The old man drew his sword.
In that instant, an overwhelming pressure crashed down on me.
“…!”
The pressure was suffocating.
It was like a tiger staring down its prey with fierce eyes.
My hand, gripping the dagger, trembled.
Sweat trickled down my nape.
Me, against those three?
The outcome was clear.
I couldn’t win with my skills alone.
The only chance I had was if they underestimated me…
“Let the hunt begin.”
…But they didn’t seem so inclined.
They say even a beast gives its all when hunting a rabbit.
Not that I was comparable to a rabbit…
One thing was certain, they were going to hunt me down with everything they had.
And so, I had to give it my all too.
I had to face their attacks head-on, even if it meant death.
The mark bestowed upon me by the Demon God.
I would use it here.
Kuooooooooo-.
Suddenly, a powerful tremor ran through the air.
An intense wave of energy began to ripple around me.
Saaaah-.
One of the four lines engraved on my wrist, the mark, disappeared.
The Demon God’s mark I had used…
It was the one bestowed upon me by the Demon God of Gluttony.
The mark given by the Demon God of Pride came with a great risk, even for me, so I couldn’t use it.
And the mark of the Demon God of Gluttony was enough.
Kuooouoouoouoouo-.
Countless thorns sprouted from my body.
Tens…
Hundreds…
Thousands… until they covered me completely.
Wooong-.
The thorns that emerged around my body absorbed my darkness and turned pitch black.
Samuel’s Gluttony…
An evolved form of it had taken root within me.
“…What is that?”
The Seven Swords’ faces were etched with shock at my sudden transformation.
A dreadful, murderous aura emanated from me.
It wasn’t something even the most seasoned Sword Masters could easily withstand.
【 : Mana – 5032 → 6412 】
My mana, which had been nearly depleted, shot up by almost 1500.
It might not seem like much, but a 1000-point increase from 0 to 1000 was vastly different from a 1000-point increase from 5000 to 6000.
The more mana you have, the harder it is to increase it.
And yet, my mana had increased by nearly 1500. It meant only one thing.
At this moment…
I had overcome a wall.
“Attack!”
As if sensing something was amiss, the old man immediately ordered the two Sword Masters and leaped towards me.
It was the right call.
And an order that showed just how experienced the old man was.
He immediately noticed that I hadn’t yet gained control of my power and was trying to kill me before I could.
He understood that this was their only chance.
However,
It was already too late.
Goooooooooooo-.
My Internal Image began to surge.
The materialized black serpent…
Now had the thorns of Gluttony painted upon it.
Darkness began to swell its body, and sharp, Gluttonous fangs settled into the serpent’s maw.
Finally, I realized what had become of the creature I held within my Inner Image.
‘An Imugi.’
My Inner Image had transformed from a serpent to an Imugi.
It hadn’t become a dragon yet, but within my Inner Image, an Imugi, lurking in the darkness, yearning for the light, had begun to stir.
The Imugi’s blade.
The Imugi climbed up my arm, which held Fang of Darkness.
The Imugi bared its fangs at the charging Sword Masters, each with their own materialized Inner Images.
Clatter-.
Clatter-.
Clatter!
The Imugi blocked the combined assault of the three Sword Masters.
It opened its jaws wide, snapping at their swords and hissing.
The next moment, its cavernous, pitch-black eyes, sharp as blades, pierced through them.
““……!””
In an instant, all the Sword Masters froze.
The Imugi didn’t miss the opportunity as its prey faltered.
The first strike.
Slash-.
The Imugi precisely bit down on one of the Sword Master’s throats.
A fountain of blood erupted, and the prey’s body crumpled.
But the Imugi, as if unsatisfied, felt a thirst for more.
It opened its jaws once more, aiming for the remaining two.
“Counterattack!”
The old man, now nothing more than prey himself, struck back with his white tiger Inner Image materialized as a blade.
But even a white tiger was but a mere beast before the Imugi.
Before the Imugi…
Crack-.
…The old man, the strongest of the prey, had …his head bitten off.
And the fight was over.
Crack-.
The Imugi effortlessly ripped off the head of the remaining Sword Master, frozen in terror.
There was no one left to stand in my way.
As the Imugi roared, savoring its bloodlust…
【 : Mana – 6412 → 5032 】
…it shrank.
The Imugi, transforming back into a serpent, vanished without a trace.
At the same time, a wave of exhaustion washed over me.
And with it, came the bursting pain.
“Gah… Ugh…!”
I clutched at my throat.
The moment the Demon God’s power left me…
…unbearable agony ripped through my body as if trying to tear me apart.
Every bone in my body felt like it was being crushed.
Thud-.
I collapsed to my knees.
I couldn’t even muster the strength to move a finger.
Using the Demon God’s mark…
…meant forcing the power of a God into this fragile, mortal shell.
Unlike a God, my vessel was small.
I had tried to contain an overwhelming power within me, and now, it was breaking me from the inside out.
But…
Even with my body screaming in pain, I struggled to stand.
Rene…
I had to protect Rene.
“…Please, move.”
Thud-.
But every time I tried to get up…
Thud-.
…my body would give out.
Thud-.
And my knees would hit the ground once more.
I had reached my limit.
I couldn’t fight anymore.
I had to accept that, for now, I was helpless.
‘…Crete, what happened to him?’
Unable to rise, I looked towards the clash between the Sword Saint and Crete.
Every eye on the battlefield, demon and human alike was fixed on their duel.
Strangely, a hush had fallen over the battlefield.
Everyone was holding their breath, watching the fierce battle unfold.
Boom-.
Boom-.
Boom-.
Every time the angel swung his sword, the sky seemed to tear.
Every time the dragon took flight, darkness painted the heavens.
‘Crete…’
For a long time, the black dragon and the angel with the sword exchanged blows, wounding each other.
But neither could gain a decisive advantage…
…Until the moment the black dragon was struck by the angel’s sword.
“It’s over.”
The Sword Saint muttered towards Crete.
Kuoooooooooo-.
The angel’s sword soared high into the sky.
The blade of light shot towards the black dragon’s open maw.
And then,
Slash-.
The black dragon was cleaved in two by the angel’s sword.
Cawoooo!
The dragon, ripped in half, thrashed in agony.
Boom-.
Boom-.
Boom-.
Hundreds of soldiers were crushed beneath its writhing form.
The angel raised his sword once more, aiming for the fallen dragon.
Boom-.
Once.
Boom-.
Twice.
Boom-.
Three times.
Three strikes of the divine blade…
“…”
…and the black dragon stopped moving.
It lay on the battlefield, mercilessly butchered.
Then…
“…Cough.”
A stream of blood flowed from Crete’s lips.
The Sword Saint…
…had defeated him.
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