Chapter 116: Spreading Blood on Sand (7)
A massive whirlwind engulfed the two figures. Yuria’s scream was drowned out by the howling wind.
“Ah… Aaaargh!”
“You fucking bastards.”
Ronan raised his middle finger toward the whirlwind. Fragments, presumably from the hedgehog, shot up along with the whirlwind.
Fortunately, they didn’t know the secret of him being able to cut mana. It was a blessing in disguise. Although he couldn’t sever Yuria’s neck with the short range of his sword, Shullifen’s follow-up attack landed perfectly. The storm of the next sword strike would not cease until the two of them were completely annihilated.
“Ugh.”
In the midst of the chaos, Shullifen, who had been quietly catching his breath, staggered as if he was intoxicated. He steadied himself, using his sword for support.
“What the… are you okay?”
“…No problem.”
It seemed the shock from Teranil’s blast lingered in his body. This was the first time Ronan had seen him in such a weakened state since the midterm evaluation. Ronan, dumbfounded, let out a snort.
“I saw you fly to the pillar and crash into it, and you say there’s no problem. Stop showing off and focus on this…”
He was just about to take out Varen’s special potion. An eerie ominous feeling passed through him. Ronan rushed forward, grabbing Shullifen’s arm and pulling him away.
“Shit!”
“What are you doing…”
Shullifen’s eyes widened. It was the moment they took cover behind a nearby pillar. Boom! The whirlwind crumbled, unleashing a burst of wind.
“…!”
The fierce wind swept over them. Countless metal shards scattered in all directions. With each piece of shrapnel embedding into pillars, floor, or ceiling, the lighting that illuminated the room flickered perilously.
“Yeah, it was going too smoothly.”
Ronan let out a deep sigh. It was powerful enough to blow away an entire forest or village. Through the gradually subsiding wind, the voices of Teranil and Yuria could be heard.
“Wow… I really thought we were going to die.”
“In any case, we can’t let our guard down. I think I now understand why the two branch managers fell one by one.”
“Fuck.”
The surprise attack had failed. Ronan cursed as he saw the two of them alive and well. Their bodies were covered with red-tinted metal fragments.
Come to think of it, the giant hedgehog was nowhere to be seen. Yuria muttered irritably.
“He was my favorite. How are you going to take responsibility for this?”
“Crazy bitch…”
Ronan realized that it was probably an armor made by disassembling the hedgehog. Tung! Tung! Discarded metal pieces fell. Teranil pursed her lips and muttered.
“Ugh… it hurts. I need healing from the sect.”
Still, it wasn’t completely without damage. A battered body appeared where the armor fell. Red blood was dripping from their bodies covered with slash wounds.
“Bishop, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m not fighting with my eyes anyway.”
Blood was flowing from both of Teranill’s eyes. It seemed like he was injured while being caught inside the whirlwind. Nevertheless, this was a clear achievement. Ronan, inwardly satisfied, let out a provocative laugh.
“So you went blind. What should I do, I feel bad for you?”
“I’m enough to deal with you.”
“I guess so. But you’re uglier than I thought.”
“What?”
Yuria’s eyes widened. Under the torn veil, her bare face was revealed.
“Ugh, disgusting.”
Meeting eyes with her, Ronan wrinkled his nose. He now understood why she always wore those bizarre, concealing clothes. Yuria was literally a half-faced beauty.
The charming right side of her face coexisted with the grotesque burn on the left. Swollen like a spider’s nest, the burn stretched from her forehead to her smooth thigh.
“Next time, wear more layers. You have to think about the people who might see your ugly face.”
“…I will definitely tear you in half.”
Yuria muttered lowly. Swoosh! She lowered her sleeves, revealing a long whip that flowed down like a stream. The whip, composed of sharp metal links, resembled a snake made of steel.
‘Good.’
Ronan was inwardly delighted. It seemed the provocation was successful. It’s important to shake up one’s composure when facing an equal or stronger opponent.
Thud!
Thud!
At that moment, two enormous shadows landed in front of her. Like the hedgehog before, these were monsters created through mechanical technology.
“Krururur…!”
“Grrrrrrh.”
The bodies of the monsters, each in the shape of a monkey and a leopard, were covered in dark red blood. Given the circumstances, it was clear that it was blood from the natives. At that moment, Ronan’s eyes grew so big that they almost seemed to pop out.
“…Raging Storm?”
“Cough. Ro-Ronan…”
In the giant monkey’s grasp was Raging Storm. Blood was dripping from the cracks of the metal fingers, staining the ground. Raging Storm, now battered and groaning in agony, turned to Ronan.
“Sorry…”
“What happened?”
“Ku-kugh… I tried to block them from heading towards the refugees, but…”
Raging Storm spoke intermittently. Ronan realized that he got into such a state trying to lure the monsters away from the refugees.
The injuries were so severe that it was a miracle he was still alive.His right leg and left arm were twisted in opposite directions.
The once unassuming torso, now dyed a vivid red, had six sharp metal spikes embedded in it.
“What? I thought we got them all, but there was one more?”
Yuria chuckled. In that moment, something snapped within Ronan. He pulled out his sword and lunged forward. Swish! Dozens of red lines were drawn across the monkey’s body.
“Guh…?”
The monkey, belatedly realizing the change, turned to look at Ronan. Bang! The upper half shattered into dozens of pieces as if it was exploding. The mangled lower half knelt down, collapsing like an avalanche. Raging Storm, released from the grasp, curled up in front of the stairs.
“Ughh!”
“What…!”
Yuria’s eyes widened in disbelief at the speed, which far exceeded her expectations. Ronan leaped by stepping on the monkey and lunged at her. In her panic, she lashed out with her whip, but Ronan did not dodge. Swoosh! The whip narrowly missed his left shoulder just by a sheet of paper apart.
“You bastard.”
Yuria desperately pulled back her whip, but Ronan was quicker. At the moment the sharp edge of Ronan’s sword was just a paper-thin distance from Yuria’s neck. Clang! Suddenly, Teranil stepped in, blocking Ronan’s path.
“Are you not going to get out of the way?”
“Don’t be in such a hurry.”
Blood was still flowing under his tightly shut eyelids. Teranil, pushing Yuria aside, avoided the attack.
For someone who was seemingly blind moving with such incredible agility was unbelievable. He turned toward Yuria, who was dumbfounded, and opened his mouth.
“Yuria, please deal with the Grand Duke of Garcia. I have business with this friend.”
“I cannot do that, Bishop. You heard what he just said to me.”
“Yuria.”
For a moment, Teranil’s voice deepened. Yuria hunched her shoulders. With a hint of reluctance, she sighed.
“Fine… Whatever.”
Turning away, Yuria swung her whip towards Shullifen. Shullifen, already charging, deftly evaded the attack. The whip clashed with Shullifen’s sword, creating a sharp metallic sound. Teranill looked at Ronan again and laughed.
“I’ve waited a long time for this. Would you mind giving me some of your time as well?”
“Get out of the way!”
A strange breathing sound escaped from between Ronan’s lips. Five strokes of Mana-infused attacks shot towards Teranil. He dodged two and deflected two, but the remaining one struck home. Squelch! Blood spurted from Teranil’s shoulder as Ronan’s attack landed.
“Ugh!”
Teranil’s face stiffened. Ronan’s assault continued. Teranill, who had narrowly avoided the slash, threw a punch.
Swish! The swift strike seemed to miss, but the fist came to a stop just before connecting with Ronan’s stomach. ‘Are you a dumbass?’ Ronan thought, and just as he was about to counterattack. Bang! A shockwave that shook his internal organs exploded from where the fist had stopped.
“Keuuk!”
His breath caught in his throat. Ronan was sent flying like a person hit by a massive carriage. It was a different kind of shockwave than the wind pressure of those damned wings.
“Fuck… damn it!”
With great effort, Ronan slammed both Ymir and Lamancha into the ground. Thud! Sparks and flames erupted like a storm. Sparks and embers flew as his body was pushed back around 50 meters before finally coming to a halt.
“…Using such damn abilities.”
“Even though I look like this I used to be a Balkar warrior.”
For someone who Ronan thought to be a mage, surprisingly turned out to be a martial artist. Glittering mana was blooming like wildfire on Teranill’s shoulders. The vibrating aura was rippling around his hands.
Suddenly, images of the Sandworms lying dead on the ground flashed before Ronan’s eyes. It was evident they were victims of that ability. Teranill, who had been silent, continued speaking.
“It’s a shame. If only you were a bit more careful, it would have been better.”
“What?”
“With a talent like yours, you could’ve easily become a Lycopos… but being an untamable wild beast is truly a sad existence.”
Ronan frowned at the incomprehensible nonsense. In fact, there was even a hint of regret in Teranill’s voice.
“Lycopos?”
“That’s right. The sharpest swords of the church. I thought we might’ve been able to recruit a promising talent after a long time…”
Only then did Ronan realize that the reason Teranill was dragging him around and saying all kinds of nonsense was to appease him. With a faint murmur, Teranil spoke.
“Truly, it’s a shame.”
Bang! Uttering those cryptic words, Teranil leaped into the air. His acrobatics were reminiscent of a monster rather than a human. With a resounding explosion, he propelled himself upwards, reaching the ceiling. The sight of Teranil rushing forward with his fists was reminiscent of a bird of prey descending on its prey.
“Shit!”
Ronan let out a bitter laugh. The presence he faced now was incomparable to someone like Arondale. He fired his sword energy as if to intercept it, but Teranill evaded the attack by lightly twisting his body. Swish! The stray sword energy passed by Teranill’s ears.
“I felt it earlier as well, but compared to the Swordmaster, your sword skills are lacking.”
“This monkey-like bastard…!”
Ronan gritted his teeth. It was clear that with his slow sword skills, he couldn’t keep up with Teranil’s speed. He had no chance of sticking around and stabbing or slashing like before.
The shockwave he had sent out earlier was now pouring down from above. Sensing it would be overwhelming, Ronan hastily rolled his body to the side. Bangg! The ground where he had stood sunk in, echoing a thunderous sound. The metallic floor rippled like waves.
‘This is really dangerous.’
He wasn’t lying when he said he was going to blow up the ruins. The shockwaves spreading like ripples were shaking the underground. Not far away, Yuria’s voice, filled with madness, could be heard.
“Handsome gentleman, why can’t you use your strength properly?”
The lively whip strikes were everywhere. Clang! Clang! Every clash between the sword and the whip produced fiery sparks.
Compared to Yuria, who was leaping around like a madwoman, Shullifen didn’t look great. He seemed to be clearly at a disadvantage, even though it was a one-on-one battle.
It was thanks to the Protection of the Stars. The defensive barrier and the pressure from Yuria’s whip were pushing Shullifen back.
“Kwahaha! That’s right. Looks like you can’t break through?”
“Ugh..!.”
All of Shullifen’s attacks that could have been effective were being blocked by the Protections of the Stars. The undulating barrier absorbed both physical strikes and the aura storms.
“Kraaaah!”
To make matters worse, whenever there was an opening, the leopard-like monster would rush in. Whenever it found itself at a disadvantage, it would retreat into the Protection of the Stars, repairing itself before re-emerging.
It was remarkable that they could endure even in such a situation. However, it seemed like the balance wouldn’t hold for much longer. A sense of urgency crept over Ronan, and thoughts of a strategy formed in his mind.
‘In this situation, something needs to change.’
It was an unprecedented crisis. To turn the overall unfavorable situation around, some different means had to be employed. However, Ronan had no time to focus on Shullifen or to think about anything else.
“Where are you looking?”
Bang! Again, Teranil charged forward, unleashing a shockwave. A shockwave shot in a straight line passed by Ronan’s ears. Ronan immediately counterattacked, but Teranill again dodged the sword by a narrow margin.
“It’s no use. Even if other people can’t see it, I know all of your attack patterns.”
“Perverted bastard…”
He didn’t seem to be able to move like that even when seeing with his eyes. He was fully detecting Ronan’s mana and engaging in battle.
Ronan, feeling his breath quicken, twisted his lips. The mana he was using was gradually running out.
‘This is bad. I can’t capture him with this.’
In order to avoid exhaustion, he needed to utilize Vijra’s core. However, the sparkling mana-infused sword was much slower than the one Ronan was accustomed to handling.
The reason he hadn’t used it since earlier was also because of this. He lacked the decisiveness to face the swift Teranill.
‘I need to buy time until I recover.’
But there was no other way. Ronan switched the power source to Vijra’s core. As energy surged through his body, sparkling mana rose along the blade of the sword. Suddenly, Teranill, who had been pursuing Ronan, came to a halt in his tracks.
“Hmm?!”
It was a reaction as if someone had suddenly thrown a human into an unfamiliar place. Teranill began to look around him as if he were truly blind.
Ronan tilted his head at the unexpected strange behavior. Suddenly, a hypothesis flashed in my mind.
‘No way…’
Teranil was relying not on eyesight but on his mana detection ability to fight Ronan. And the sparkling mana generated when the shock wave was created spread around like a cloud of fog.
‘Can he not tell the difference?…?’
There might be a chance. Ronan switched his power source again. The once white-glowing Lamancha turned red. Teranil’s face brightened.
“Aha, there you are.”
He charged straight towards Ronan. Kwaang! As Teranill rolled his foot, the ground flipped, and sparks shot up. The ensuing shockwave engulfed Ronan.
Ronan quickly lowered his sword into a defensive stance, but that didn’t prevent himself from being thrown backward. Kwaang! Blood burst from Ronan’s mouth as he collided with the pillar again.
“Keuk!”
It was still a difficult technique to adapt to. Ronan stood up shakily and glared at Teranill. The latter crouched, poised to deliver a finishing blow. Teranill turned his head towards Ronan, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Giving up already?”
Ronan remained silent. He still showed no signs of fatigue, making him truly a strong man worthy of being a bishop. Teranill, as if disappointed, licked his lips.
“Then, let’s finish this quickly.”
Teranill disappeared from sight, and simultaneously, Ronan switched his power source. Kwaang! Teranill, flying in a straight line, collided with the pillar. Metal tiles flipped, and the machinery inside flew out.
“Ah?”
Teranill tilted his head in confusion. The fist that carried the shockwave showed no traces of blood or shattered organs.
Now that he thought about it, Ronan’s presence had mysteriously vanished. It was the same strange phenomenon as before. Suddenly, a chilling shiver crawled up Teranill’s spine.
“What…!”
Teranill urgently turned his body. It was the moment he was about to swing the fist carrying the shockwave. Ronan’s presence, that previously disappeared, reappeared. A familiar voice echoed in his ears.
“Yes, let’s finish this.”
Thud!
Teranil’s arms fell to the ground.
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