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Jin reflexively narrowed his eyes.
The flash of the Venom, extending from Mary's hand, had stung his eyes. It was a blinding light, comparable to the direct hit of a flash cannon.
'A decisive killing move? Or perhaps a secret technique?'
It didn't seem like an attack modeled after Plutonian Swordsmanship.
When Jin had such thoughts, Mary had already finished her move. The white smoke was soaring from Mary's sword, extended diagonally towards Ozdock.
Hoo!
Mary took a deep breath once. The move had ended, but nothing had changed yet.
'I couldn't see the moment the sword was thrust...!'
Even for someone like Jin.
No, even for a more skilled martial artist than Jin.
Reacting to that light was impossible. True to its name, the speed of light, an attack that even a being at the pinnacle would not be able to evade the 5th Secret Technique with just by reacting, as no one in the world could respond to it.
It can be evaded by predication that goes beyond reaction.
Or some kind of realization that surpasses prediction.
The Light Speed Thrust was a sword that could never be avoided without those elements. Moreover, a monster who hadn't even mastered the basics of swordsmanship couldn't react to that mysterious strike.
The flash had already pierced through Ozdock's chest three seconds ago.
Squelch-!
A moment later, there was a sound of something being torn apart and exploding from Ozdock's chest.
A hole, large enough for a person's head to fit, was pierced in the center of his massive chest. Ozdock lowered his head in despair and stared at the hole, while Jin was looking on the other side.
He was looking at a scene where an even larger hole had opened up in the sky.
Mary's Light Speed Thrust had reached the sky. It spread like a circular island through the dense clouds floating in the Black Sea-like sky, creating a crack.
A shiver ran down Jin's spine. As a martial artist, he couldn't help but feel awe. This was the result of a single thrust.
'Thankfully, my magic managed to hit alongside the tremendous speed of that thrust. Maybe elder sister Mary adjusted her speed for it. It wasn't just luck; maybe elder sister Mary aligned her timing.'
Ozdock couldn't defend against both magic and physical attacks at once. Jin unconsciously nodded again, remembering that fact.
'But even if my magic didn't hit, somehow it feels like that thrust wouldn't have missed Ozdock.'
Ahhrrgh-!
Ozdock vomited a chunk of black blood. He roared in agony, writhing in pain, and pounded the ground with his fist.
Snap…
It felt as if threads were snapping, and from the hole pierced in his chest, a new crack began.
Lines appeared on Ozdock's body like veins of blood, haphazardly etched across him. There were hundreds, thousands of these lines, all derived from where the Light Speed Thrust had passed.
Its fingers were cut off, the tail was sliced into dozens of pieces, ankles and thighs were torn apart. Quite literally, Ozdock's entire body was disintegrating.
A shock befitting the name "Secret Technique."
Yet, Mary seemed unsatisfied, despite this near-divine power.
"Tch, it’s still far from enough."
Anyone who had witnessed a thrust that approached this level of power would never think to use the phrase 'still far from enough.'
However, if someone had seen the sword of Chiron Runcandel erasing opponents in a single blow, if you are a Runcandel who grew up seeing such a scene. They might believe it was still not enough.
Or they might seem overly proud.
Already comparing herself to her father.
But there was something that chilled Jin’s spine even more than Mary's Light Speed Thrust.
'This isn't over yet.'
Ozdock.
Jin and Mary had an intuition that this thousand year old core monster hadn’t died yet.
Top-tier demonic creatures possessing super-regeneration abilities were not uncommon. It was a given for a named core monster like Ozdock.
If Ozdock were merely at the level of a decent core monster, the heroes from a thousand years ago would not have been so troubled.
Ozdock was undoubtedly the mightiest among those with the core monster, arguably the strongest of his time.
Thump, thud-!
Ozdock's body, shattered into pieces, began to shrink rapidly.
Superficially, it didn't seem threatening at all. It almost appeared as if the separated bones and flesh were turning into dust and disappearing.
However, this was preparation for a "transformation."
Ozdock's body, which had turned into particles, was shaping a new figure in the air. Mary's pupils dilated, and Jin called out his phoenix.
"Tess!"
Gaahh-!
Tess emitted fiery blue flames. It was a concentrated blast of all the flames it could currently wield.
It was an instant in which Tess completely consumed Ozdock's form. Still, the insufficient blue flames formed barriers in all directions, completely imprisoning Ozdock.
However, Jin and Mary couldn't relax their guard and adjusted their stance.
"Quite a nasty guy, isn't it? After taking a direct hit from the Light Speed Thrust and still not finished, it's been a long time since I have seen someone like that."
Fssshhhh...
Tess, who had been staring at Ozdock for a moment, gradually shrank and its summon was released.
It wasn't because Tess had depleted all of Jin’s mana.
'I have a bad feeling. I need to conserve my power and prepare for a new move.'
Jin couldn't predict the extent of Ozdock's power after the transformation, so he had to be ready for variables. If a situation arose where he needed to use the magic sword secret technique, he would summon Tess then.
‘It’s been a while since I have seen that annoying form."
Murakan looked at Ozdock, who was finishing its transformation, in the spot where Tess's blue flames had disappeared.
The monster that had been injured by the swordsman reflected on countless moments of defeat, until one day it evolved into a core monster with a sharp-bodied form akin to a sword, or a monster that had been afflicted by a mage become immune to magic...
In Ozdock's case, it was greed.
He hadn't always feasted on gold. He was a common existence like other monsters, preying on beasts, humans, or other monsters.
However, one day, Ozdock realized the habit of the humans he killed—never letting go of their gold coins even in death.
Before he acquired the core, he lived near a trading city. There, Ozdock devoured numerous humans who clung to their gold coins even in death, prioritizing their wealth over their comrades.
And when he gained the core.
Ozdock became more human-like than any other monster. Not only in appearance but also in personality, actions, and even language.
Ssshh...
Emerging from the smoke, Ozdock descended from the sky to the ground.
His massive body seemed as large as a mountain, and yet it had disappeared completely. He now resembled a human perfectly. As if his previous black flesh had turned into armor and a sword, he was fully armed.
"Whoa, what's that? Is that really a monster? He looks like a person!"
He had shrunk. He was even smaller than Jin.
Clearly, he had become significantly smaller compared to before his transformation, yet the intimidation emanating from Ozdock was several times stronger.
It sent shivers down Jin and Mary's spines.
[Awakening after a thousand years, and they can't even welcome me properly. What kind of treatment is this...]
Ozdock shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
"Damn, the youngest. Did that thing just speak human words, huh?"
[That last thrust was quite dangerous. It almost caused a huge problem.]
Shiik, spurt!
As Ozdock finished speaking, a drop of blood splashed from Mary's right cheek.
It was the sword energy Ozdock had shot, grazing her cheek narrowly.
Originally aimed at her neck, had Mary not twisted her head, her throat might have been sliced.
Mary quickly distanced herself.
Huff, huff.
Her chest pounded as her breath became rapid. Cold sweat formed on the hand gripping the sword.
[Oh ho, you dodged it? I intended to kill without pain, considering the merit of awakening me. But if you come out like this, you will only suffer.]
As he said this.
Ozdock was already thrusting his sword into Mary's side. He closed the distance in an impossibly fast speed that even she couldn't perceive.
Though the attack was blocked by the armor, a long gash appeared on Mary's shoulder from the subsequent strike.
If Jin hadn't intervened and deflected the third sword strike, Mary's injuries could have been much worse.
Clang, swish!
Sigmund and Ozdock's sword clashed. The thunderbolt and suppression of the Plutonian swordsmanship alternated ceaselessly in attacks, but Ozdock seemed entirely unfazed by the pressure.
[Wait, you guys. This swordsmanship... Could it be Runcandel?]
Ozdock leisurely attacked while asking.
"What do you intend to do, knowing that?"
Jin takes a defensive stance, shielding Mary's back.
Having just rapidly consumed a massive amount of aura through the Light Speed Thrust and evaded a surprise attack, she needed a moment to recover her strength.
[To save you.]
"What?"
[Now that I've finally awakened, I don't think I need to be humiliated by you ignorant fools again. If Runcandel still exists, then is Zipfel destroyed?]
As all factions had designated monsters as public enemies in the past, Ozdock understood how humans saw individuals as representatives of their factions.
So, he had always traded with various factions as needed for survival. And he had planned to do the same this time.
No matter how strong he was, he had learned a lesson a thousand years ago: he couldn't take on the entire world alone.
[If Zipfel is still standing, I might be able to help a bit. How about forming a sort of symbiotic relationship between your clan and me?]
"Not a symbiotic relationship, but rather a parasitic one, Ozdock. Does Runcandel seem like a name that someone like you can utter carelessly?"
[I don’t think you guys are that smart.]
Skkk!
Ozdock's blade sliced through the edge of Jin's coat.
"Youngest, buy me 30 seconds. Is that possible?"
Mary spoke in a low voice, but she didn't have a serious expression.
"I buy more than that, as much as you need."
[You're quite bold.]
Mary was actually wearing a delighted expression, as if she were excited about the prospect of regaining her strength in just 30 seconds. The idea of recovering and being able to engage in a fierce battle with Ozdock once more using the variation of Volcano thrilled her.
'Mary Runcandel. She's pretty crazy too. Does this mean she won't ask for help in this situation and just want to keep fighting? I thought the kid would ask for my help, but they just want to keep fighting by themselves?'
Murakan assessed the situation and shook his head.
It was his moment to step in. There was no need to put the siblings in danger.
'I will transform into my true form and start properly from the beginning... Huh? What's that?'
As Murakan calculated the situation about his entry,
Zzzing!
From somewhere, a streak of light flew and severed Ozdock's right arm. It wasn't Jin and Mary's attack.
Furthermore, it was an attack that was originally intended to bisect Ozdock's torso.
[Grrr!]
"Oh ho, you dodged it?"
A man smiled as he said the words Ozdock had spoken to Mary a while ago.
He had been observing Jin's group on the battlefield all this time.
356
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Jin reflexively narrowed his eyes.
The flash of the Venom, extending from Mary's hand, had stung his eyes. It was a blinding light, comparable to the direct hit of a flash cannon.
'A decisive killing move? Or perhaps a secret technique?'
It didn't seem like an attack modeled after Plutonian Swordsmanship.
When Jin had such thoughts, Mary had already finished her move. The white smoke was soaring from Mary's sword, extended diagonally towards Ozdock.
Hoo!
Mary took a deep breath once. The move had ended, but nothing had changed yet.
'I couldn't see the moment the sword was thrust...!'
Even for someone like Jin.
No, even for a more skilled martial artist than Jin.
Reacting to that light was impossible. True to its name, the speed of light, an attack that even a being at the pinnacle would not be able to evade the 5th Secret Technique with just by reacting, as no one in the world could respond to it.
It can be evaded by predication that goes beyond reaction.
Or some kind of realization that surpasses prediction.
The Light Speed Thrust was a sword that could never be avoided without those elements. Moreover, a monster who hadn't even mastered the basics of swordsmanship couldn't react to that mysterious strike.
The flash had already pierced through Ozdock's chest three seconds ago.
Squelch-!
A moment later, there was a sound of something being torn apart and exploding from Ozdock's chest.
A hole, large enough for a person's head to fit, was pierced in the center of his massive chest. Ozdock lowered his head in despair and stared at the hole, while Jin was looking on the other side.
He was looking at a scene where an even larger hole had opened up in the sky.
Mary's Light Speed Thrust had reached the sky. It spread like a circular island through the dense clouds floating in the Black Sea-like sky, creating a crack.
A shiver ran down Jin's spine. As a martial artist, he couldn't help but feel awe. This was the result of a single thrust.
'Thankfully, my magic managed to hit alongside the tremendous speed of that thrust. Maybe elder sister Mary adjusted her speed for it. It wasn't just luck; maybe elder sister Mary aligned her timing.'
Ozdock couldn't defend against both magic and physical attacks at once. Jin unconsciously nodded again, remembering that fact.
'But even if my magic didn't hit, somehow it feels like that thrust wouldn't have missed Ozdock.'
Ahhrrgh-!
Ozdock vomited a chunk of black blood. He roared in agony, writhing in pain, and pounded the ground with his fist.
Snap…
It felt as if threads were snapping, and from the hole pierced in his chest, a new crack began.
Lines appeared on Ozdock's body like veins of blood, haphazardly etched across him. There were hundreds, thousands of these lines, all derived from where the Light Speed Thrust had passed.
Its fingers were cut off, the tail was sliced into dozens of pieces, ankles and thighs were torn apart. Quite literally, Ozdock's entire body was disintegrating.
A shock befitting the name "Secret Technique."
Yet, Mary seemed unsatisfied, despite this near-divine power.
"Tch, it’s still far from enough."
Anyone who had witnessed a thrust that approached this level of power would never think to use the phrase 'still far from enough.'
However, if someone had seen the sword of Chiron Runcandel erasing opponents in a single blow, if you are a Runcandel who grew up seeing such a scene. They might believe it was still not enough.
Or they might seem overly proud.
Already comparing herself to her father.
But there was something that chilled Jin’s spine even more than Mary's Light Speed Thrust.
'This isn't over yet.'
Ozdock.
Jin and Mary had an intuition that this thousand year old core monster hadn’t died yet.
Top-tier demonic creatures possessing super-regeneration abilities were not uncommon. It was a given for a named core monster like Ozdock.
If Ozdock were merely at the level of a decent core monster, the heroes from a thousand years ago would not have been so troubled.
Ozdock was undoubtedly the mightiest among those with the core monster, arguably the strongest of his time.
Thump, thud-!
Ozdock's body, shattered into pieces, began to shrink rapidly.
Superficially, it didn't seem threatening at all. It almost appeared as if the separated bones and flesh were turning into dust and disappearing.
However, this was preparation for a "transformation."
Ozdock's body, which had turned into particles, was shaping a new figure in the air. Mary's pupils dilated, and Jin called out his phoenix.
"Tess!"
Gaahh-!
Tess emitted fiery blue flames. It was a concentrated blast of all the flames it could currently wield.
It was an instant in which Tess completely consumed Ozdock's form. Still, the insufficient blue flames formed barriers in all directions, completely imprisoning Ozdock.
However, Jin and Mary couldn't relax their guard and adjusted their stance.
"Quite a nasty guy, isn't it? After taking a direct hit from the Light Speed Thrust and still not finished, it's been a long time since I have seen someone like that."
Fssshhhh...
Tess, who had been staring at Ozdock for a moment, gradually shrank and its summon was released.
It wasn't because Tess had depleted all of Jin’s mana.
'I have a bad feeling. I need to conserve my power and prepare for a new move.'
Jin couldn't predict the extent of Ozdock's power after the transformation, so he had to be ready for variables. If a situation arose where he needed to use the magic sword secret technique, he would summon Tess then.
‘It’s been a while since I have seen that annoying form."
Murakan looked at Ozdock, who was finishing its transformation, in the spot where Tess's blue flames had disappeared.
The monster that had been injured by the swordsman reflected on countless moments of defeat, until one day it evolved into a core monster with a sharp-bodied form akin to a sword, or a monster that had been afflicted by a mage become immune to magic...
In Ozdock's case, it was greed.
He hadn't always feasted on gold. He was a common existence like other monsters, preying on beasts, humans, or other monsters.
However, one day, Ozdock realized the habit of the humans he killed—never letting go of their gold coins even in death.
Before he acquired the core, he lived near a trading city. There, Ozdock devoured numerous humans who clung to their gold coins even in death, prioritizing their wealth over their comrades.
And when he gained the core.
Ozdock became more human-like than any other monster. Not only in appearance but also in personality, actions, and even language.
Ssshh...
Emerging from the smoke, Ozdock descended from the sky to the ground.
His massive body seemed as large as a mountain, and yet it had disappeared completely. He now resembled a human perfectly. As if his previous black flesh had turned into armor and a sword, he was fully armed.
"Whoa, what's that? Is that really a monster? He looks like a person!"
He had shrunk. He was even smaller than Jin.
Clearly, he had become significantly smaller compared to before his transformation, yet the intimidation emanating from Ozdock was several times stronger.
It sent shivers down Jin and Mary's spines.
[Awakening after a thousand years, and they can't even welcome me properly. What kind of treatment is this...]
Ozdock shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
"Damn, the youngest. Did that thing just speak human words, huh?"
[That last thrust was quite dangerous. It almost caused a huge problem.]
Shiik, spurt!
As Ozdock finished speaking, a drop of blood splashed from Mary's right cheek.
It was the sword energy Ozdock had shot, grazing her cheek narrowly.
Originally aimed at her neck, had Mary not twisted her head, her throat might have been sliced.
Mary quickly distanced herself.
Huff, huff.
Her chest pounded as her breath became rapid. Cold sweat formed on the hand gripping the sword.
[Oh ho, you dodged it? I intended to kill without pain, considering the merit of awakening me. But if you come out like this, you will only suffer.]
As he said this.
Ozdock was already thrusting his sword into Mary's side. He closed the distance in an impossibly fast speed that even she couldn't perceive.
Though the attack was blocked by the armor, a long gash appeared on Mary's shoulder from the subsequent strike.
If Jin hadn't intervened and deflected the third sword strike, Mary's injuries could have been much worse.
Clang, swish!
Sigmund and Ozdock's sword clashed. The thunderbolt and suppression of the Plutonian swordsmanship alternated ceaselessly in attacks, but Ozdock seemed entirely unfazed by the pressure.
[Wait, you guys. This swordsmanship... Could it be Runcandel?]
Ozdock leisurely attacked while asking.
"What do you intend to do, knowing that?"
Jin takes a defensive stance, shielding Mary's back.
Having just rapidly consumed a massive amount of aura through the Light Speed Thrust and evaded a surprise attack, she needed a moment to recover her strength.
[To save you.]
"What?"
[Now that I've finally awakened, I don't think I need to be humiliated by you ignorant fools again. If Runcandel still exists, then is Zipfel destroyed?]
As all factions had designated monsters as public enemies in the past, Ozdock understood how humans saw individuals as representatives of their factions.
So, he had always traded with various factions as needed for survival. And he had planned to do the same this time.
No matter how strong he was, he had learned a lesson a thousand years ago: he couldn't take on the entire world alone.
[If Zipfel is still standing, I might be able to help a bit. How about forming a sort of symbiotic relationship between your clan and me?]
"Not a symbiotic relationship, but rather a parasitic one, Ozdock. Does Runcandel seem like a name that someone like you can utter carelessly?"
[I don’t think you guys are that smart.]
Skkk!
Ozdock's blade sliced through the edge of Jin's coat.
"Youngest, buy me 30 seconds. Is that possible?"
Mary spoke in a low voice, but she didn't have a serious expression.
"I buy more than that, as much as you need."
[You're quite bold.]
Mary was actually wearing a delighted expression, as if she were excited about the prospect of regaining her strength in just 30 seconds. The idea of recovering and being able to engage in a fierce battle with Ozdock once more using the variation of Volcano thrilled her.
'Mary Runcandel. She's pretty crazy too. Does this mean she won't ask for help in this situation and just want to keep fighting? I thought the kid would ask for my help, but they just want to keep fighting by themselves?'
Murakan assessed the situation and shook his head.
It was his moment to step in. There was no need to put the siblings in danger.
'I will transform into my true form and start properly from the beginning... Huh? What's that?'
As Murakan calculated the situation about his entry,
Zzzing!
From somewhere, a streak of light flew and severed Ozdock's right arm. It wasn't Jin and Mary's attack.
Furthermore, it was an attack that was originally intended to bisect Ozdock's torso.
[Grrr!]
"Oh ho, you dodged it?"
A man smiled as he said the words Ozdock had spoken to Mary a while ago.
He had been observing Jin's group on the battlefield all this time.
