Chapter 155: Ardius Fortress Siege Battle – A gruesome end
(TN: Warning! If you’re not good with gore stuff you can go down; I will summarize what happened in this chapter. This chapter is very gory.)
I felt no anger in my motionless body, only a sense of resignation, as I continued to glare at the approaching sole of the foot. Just as it seemed about to crush my head, his foot suddenly deviated from its trajectory, and it landed in front of me, barely grazing the tip of my nose.
At first, I thought he had merely done this to torment me, but the sight that unfolded before my compound eyes defied reason. What I saw… was a tree branch sprouting from Zahhi’s chest.
The bark of that tree branch had the weight and texture of a centuries-old giant tree, and the leaves that adorned its branches were so dark that it sent shivers down my spine. Such a tree was piercing through Zahhi’s chest from within, slowly growing even now.
The sight was so shocking that even Master, the one people hailed as a seasoned hero, forgot to rise and simply stood there in disbelief. It seemed like an unreal spectacle, but the warm blood from Zahhi that had splattered onto my face confirmed that this was very much a reality.
[What… is this…!? Ughhh!?]
At first, Zahhi appeared bewildered, but as the ever-growing tree within him began to inflict searing pain, his face contorted in agony. He released the sword he was holding in his hand, tossed aside his shield, and with both hands free, he crushed the tree growing from his chest.
The trunk broke with a sharp snap, and Zahhi, despite breaking into a cold sweat, managed a fleeting smile. However, that composure didn’t last for long, as new branches began sprouting from the broken spot.
[Gaaaaaah.!? What’s….happening!?]
Finally unable to remain upright, Zahhi rolled to the ground, lying on his back. He began clawing at his chest, his nails digging into his flesh with such force that they tore through not just skin but flesh and blood as well. It was a gruesome sight.
His efforts seemed to bear fruit, though I couldn’t say for sure that it was worth it. The roots of the tree that had grown within Zahhi’s body started to become visible. They had firmly taken hold inside his body, intricately interwoven and drenched in blood, with bits of flesh clinging to them in places.
Zahhi exerted all his strength to uproot the tree that was growing from within him. With a series of snapping sounds, the roots began to tear slowly, and it seemed like he was on the verge of extracting it completely. Even though he was going through an unimaginable amount of pain, Zahhi wore a triumphant smile; he was convinced that he would be saved.
{Just a bit more…! Just a bit more, and it’ll come out!?]
“There’s no way I’ll miss this opportunity.”
At this moment, I hurled my black sword towards Zahhi’s neck. While Zahhi was focused on extracting the tree, I had been strengthening my healing power through my fighting spirit. As a result, I had enough strength left to throw the sword in my left hand.
The black sword deeply pierced Zahhi’s throat, going clean through. The ease with which it penetrated could be attributed not just to the sharpness and weight of the black sword but also to the fact that Zahhi had become negligent in his defense; after all, he was overly absorbed in dealing with the tree. I didn’t understand how things had come to this point, but I felt gratitude towards the tree that had presented me with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It was as if the tree sensed my gratitude, for at that very moment, it seemed to surge in power. The roots that had been on the verge of being pulled out suddenly pulsed with more power; they grew thicker and entered Zahhi’s body while moving through his flesh.
[~~~~~~!?]
Zahi’s screams were accompanied by a horrifying sound that wasn’t the least bit pleasant to listen to. The roots delved deeper into his chest, extending from the broken point and growing longer with each passing moment. The leaves, meanwhile, grew denser and darker.
It seemed as though they were flourishing by drawing life force from Zahhi himself. No, it wasn’t merely flourishing; it was as if they were draining his life to kill him. The more life they absorbed, the stronger they grew, corroding his body with increasing power.
On Zahhi’s pale skin, numerous elongated protrusions reminiscent of blood vessels were visible. But these weren’t blood vessels; they were roots extending from his chest. These protrusions steadily but relentlessly encroached upon his entire body, already reaching his throat.
As the roots reached the point where my sword was embedded, over a hundred of them sprang forth from the wound, attempting to invade his inner cavities through his mouth, nostrils, and other openings.
[Ahh… ahhh… ahhh…! Sto, Stooop!]
Even enduring the excruciating pain of countless roots staining bright crimson and crawling through his body would have been unbearable. Yet they sought to enter through every opening in his face. Imagine the terror of it all. Zahhi’s screams made no effort to conceal the sheer fear he felt.
While Zahhi desperately tried to remove the tree growing from his chest with one hand, he frantically swatted away the roots advancing towards his face with the other. I crawled along the ground and firmly pressed down on Zahhi’s head, which had been drawing closer to the ground.
[Huh?! Release me, you wretch! Don’t touch me!]
“…Holding down your head isn’t too difficult now.”
I may not have been at my best, and my leg injury was quite deep, preventing me from standing, but exerting my weight on my hands to grab his head was a simple task. Zahhi attempted to shake free by jerking his head left and right, but even weakened, I had enough strength to hold him in place.
With the back of his head pressed against the ground, countless roots slithered through Zahhi’s face, eluding his feeble attempts to evade them. First, the roots attempted to force their way into Zahhi’s tightly clenched mouth, but he resisted their intrusion by biting down so hard that his lower lip bled.
The roots continued to grow as they attempted to enter through his mouth. They then chose his nostrils as the next point of intrusion. Zahhi desperately moved his head, but I had him firmly held down; he couldn’t evade them now. Perhaps due to the tree growing from his chest, he had no room to use his spiritual arts, and he couldn’t generate his usual shockwaves of spiritual power.
The roots invaded his nostrils without hesitation. Their momentum remained as swift as their growth rate, and a few of them squirmed through the inner passages of his nostrils. Shortly after, copious amounts of blood began to flow from Zahhi’s nose, following the path of the roots.
The moment the roots pierced deep into his nasal cavity, Zahhi tightly shut his eyes, whether from intense pain or reflex. Tears welled up and streamed down his cheeks. Initially, it seemed he tried to endure it, but as the roots continued to intrude and thrash about in his nasal passages, it became clear that he could no longer breathe. He involuntarily opened his mouth slightly.
“Guuuh… Grraaaaagh!?”
The roots wasted no time during this brief opening. They surged in, as if they had been waiting for even the slightest gap, and invaded his oral cavity. Zahhi attempted to bite and tear them apart, but there were too many for him to deal with. Some of the roots pierced through his cheeks, others penetrated his tongue, all while advancing deeper into his throat.
The roots, showing no signs of weakening, continued their relentless invasion, now entering through Zahhi’s ears. Just like with his nose, blood flowed from his ear canals, and it was safe to say that Zahhi’s head had been turned into a gruesome mess beyond imagination.
[Ugghhh!? Aaaarghhh!?]
“…Seems like the roots have a will of their own.”
Ignoring Zahhi’s screams, I kept pressing down on his head, and finally, the roots reached my hand’s position. Since I had an exoskeleton, I didn’t expect the roots to be able to pierce me, but instead of making any attempt to pierce through upon touching my skin, the roots instinctively avoided me and sought other points of entry.
I had suspected a vague intent to kill directed at Zahhi from the tree, but there was undoubtedly a will within this tree. At the very least, it showed enough discernment not to attack me as it searched for alternative entry points. Knowing this, I eased my guard against the roots and strengthened the force I applied with both hands.
“I’ll lend you a hand, disciple. Humph!”
At that moment, Master, who had been approaching on foot, held the broken poleaxe in his left hand and brandished the sword in his right hand. Master was a master of the poleaxe, but at the same time, he was also a master of swordsmanship. He firmly believed that mastering the fundamentals of swordsmanship was essential before one could effectively wield other weapons.
Master’s sword swung down, seemingly aiming to sever Zahhi’s arm in a single stroke… but it didn’t quite happen that way. The flesh appeared to have been cut, but it seemed the bone remained intact. To make matters worse, Master’s sword seemed to have dulled in the process. Apparently, Zahhi’s bones were harder than metal.
“What?! My finely crafted weapon, made by a skilled blacksmith back in my homeland, can’t cut through this?! Truly a monstrosity! Gahahaha!”
“No, is this the time to be impressed?”
Master, having heightened his fighting spirit to heal his wound, laughed heartily while praising Zahhi. I understood what he meant, but I was still prioritizing restraining Zahhi with all my strength over offering complaints.
“Ahh, you’re right! Nuuh!”
“Great job.”
With a swift motion, master swung the broken poleaxe, now resembling a broken hand axe, and this time, Zahhi’s arm was severed and dropped to the ground with a thud. His precision in aligning the blade exactly with the cut made me tip my imaginary hat in admiration.
Losing one arm not only made it impossible for Zahhi to extract the tree roots but also allowed the roots to flood into the severed area, infiltrating his body. Zahhi still seemed to be alive and resisting, but his efforts were becoming increasingly futile.
Meanwhile, the tree had undergone rapid growth, reaching a size that could easily bear fruit. Underneath it, Zahhi convulsed while contorting his body. There was no part of his exposed skin that didn’t bear the marks of roots clinging to it. It was actually more surprising that he was still alive.
“Master.”
“Yes, and there’s the matter of the youngster’s wounds. Let’s finish this quickly!”
“Yes.”
As soon as I spoke, Master raised his poleaxe, and I pulled the black sword that had been embedded in Zahhi’s neck. Then, I brought it down on his face, where the roots had not yet reached.
My sword pierced through his eyeball, and master’s poleaxe shattered his forehead, spraying brain matter everywhere. The roots surged back into the wound with an unprecedented ferocity, invading the inside of his head.
[Guh… Guuuuuuuuuuuh…!!!]
A final, agonizing scream erupted from Zahhi’s mouth, now clogged with roots, and his convulsions finally ceased. Furthermore, his skin, which had been vibrant until now, rapidly dried up, leaving him looking like a dried fish.
**********
TN: So in essence, just as the mc was about to get killed, a tree surges from within Zahhi’s body (yes literally). The tree’s roots eats him alive and the mc and Alexander gave the killing blow.
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