The energy coursing through
felt completely different from when the thirst had been active.
Before, it had been aggressively trying to take over my body. Now, it felt strangely docile, almost protective. A myriad of emotions swirled within it, creating an enigmatic presence.
My mind, which should have been hazy, was crystal clear. The self-destructive urges that usually plagued
were replaced by an icy calm.
And then—the most bizarre thing happened.
[“…Why the hell do you have a dog’s tail?”]
A tail had sprouted. The sa kind Carpeng had wielded like a club now wagged cheerfully.
[“You were muttering about a leash earlier… Did you decide to beco Rubia’s bitch?”]
“A—A what?! What are you talking about?!”
I shook my head fiercely, trying to dispel the suggestive laughter echoing in my mind.
For now, at least, the energy seed harmless.
Of course, I didn’t trust Carpeng. As re fragnts, it had lacked sentience and had been sowhat controllable. Now, with a consciousness… it felt far more unnerving.
Swish—Swish—
[“Hey, why is your tail drooping all of a sudden?”]
…Regardless.
This wasn’t the ti to be picky. I pushed aside my thoughts and focused on my opponents.
They seed to have recovered sowhat; the bleeding had slowed.
Arrows warped through space, tid with the off-beat swings of the greatsword.
I couldn’t react to attacks already in motion. I had to anticipate them the mont they began.
So. I would let instinct take over.
Swish—Swish—
…As if agreeing with my plan, the swirling blood energy intensified, growing darker and more active.
The only remaining variable was their second phase. I’d never seen these enemies in the ga, so I couldn’t predict what would happen.
Their powers were connected to ti and space…
If they entered a second phase, I had to kill at least one to create a one-on-one fight.
“Inhale—Exhale—”
My breath was clear, my body light. My core was solid, my legs steady. My arms, wielding the greatsword, were flexible yet strong.
I can do this.
I can win this.
I will win.
I narrowed my focus from the surrounding area onto them.
Their skin. The muscles beneath. The interwoven fibers. Their beating hearts. The blood flowing through their veins. The mana concentrated in their hearts, and their auras.
Everything was crystal clear.
The bowstring stretched taut. Mana flickered, and the archer’s aura surged into the arrow.
Mana flowed into the upraised greatsword, and a dense aura enveloped the swordsman.
I raised my own aura in response and lunged.
Crunch—!
The ground beneath my feet exploded. My aura flowed into the greatsword I held low, intertwining with Carpeng’s blood energy.
From feet to knees, knees to hips, hips to waist. Waist to shoulders, down to elbows.
I channeled all my aura into the greatsword. Imbuing it with the intent to cut them down.
I swung.
Slash—!
The sound of sothing being severed echoed as I charged forward.
One step. An arrow was nocked.
Two steps. The swordsman charged.
Three steps. The bowstring twanged, releasing a volley of arrows.
Four steps. The greatsword descended towards my head.
Five steps.
I swept my greatsword sideways, deflecting the arrows in one motion. My blood-infused tail blocked two aid at my thighs.
Simultaneously, Carpeng’s blood energy forced my arm up, parrying the greatsword two beats before I would have.
“What?!”
Since I hadn’t parried the sword myself, I still had strength. I kicked the swordsman in the gut.
Crunch—! Compressed mana blocked my kick. At that mont, Carpeng’s blood energy surged forward, piercing through his abdominal defenses.
“Guh—!”
I slamd my greatsword into the ground and jumped, kicking away his hand as he reached for my ankle. I grabbed my greatsword mid-air, spinning and bringing it down through the gap the blood energy had created.
Splat—!
The denser, stronger blood energy followed my sword, tearing deeper into his abdon.
I kicked him away again and charged the archer.
I deflected the falling arrows. The blood energy blocked those rising from the ground. I dodged an arrow that appeared inches from my face and snatched one fired from behind as I ran.
Whistle—!
Mana-threaded arrows shot into the sky. They fell erratically, tracking my movents.
Four steps remained. The archer’s hand rose. He was going to use the rope to escape again.
I jumped, propelled by blood-enhanced leg strength, and threw the arrow I’d caught.
Crash—!
The tree holding his rope exploded, sending him crashing down. He clicked his tongue, severing the mana threads and focusing his power into a single arrow.
BOOM—!
The arrow slamd into the ground, creating a massive crater. Simultaneously, a mana-threaded arrow changed course mid-air, pulling the archer away.
[“What a fucking annoying cunt.]”
I vaulted over the crater, dodging falling arrows, and continued toward the archer.
Suddenly. The greatsword, swinging in unpredictable arcs, lunged for my neck. The blood energy reacted, enveloping
and twisting my body.
The greatsword, ant for my neck, now aid at my face.
I instinctively tilted my greatsword up. A perfect Flowing Water, executed from an unstable position.
Clang—!
The swordsman’s greatsword flew into the air. The shockwave split the clouds. Blood sprayed from his hands, arms, shoulders, and waist. The blood energy shuddered, greedily consuming the blood and growing stronger. It healed my wounds instantly.
My unsteady stance stabilized. Strength surged through .
Maintaining the motion, I followed through with the strike I’d envisioned, empowered by the blood energy.
Crack—!
My greatsword pierced through his aura and embedded itself deep within his muscles. The blood energy surged from the blade, tearing through his body.
Claw-like wounds appeared, oozing blood. The blood energy imdiately absorbed it.
The now larger, denser blood energy flowed back into the greatsword.
Then, another arrow, fired soti earlier, streaked towards my heart. Gritting my teeth, I angled my greatsword to deflect it, barely managing to do so.
The force sent
tumbling backward.
I scrambled to my feet and charged again.
Boom—Crash—Clang—! Each clash of our swords sent shockwaves through the earth. The force shattered trees and cracked boulders. Upward swings split the clouds, downward swings cracked the ground.
A torrent of arrows rained down. Though fired simultaneously, they arrived at different tis.
I deflected, twisted, caught, slashed, and dodged. I parried, deflected, countered, and struck.
The ground leveled out. The mountain, once hidden by trees, was now bare. The sky was clear of clouds.
After hundreds of exchanges—
BOOM!
One of the explosive arrows detonated mid-air. The shockwave pushed
back, creating distance between
and the swordsman.
At that mont. The staggering swordsman planted his greatsword in the ground.
“I, Garlia Orphe…”
Then, in a cracked, ancient voice, he prayed.
“…am he who upholds the Goddess’s sanctity and eradicates all that violates sacred order.”
The planted greatsword turned and pierced his heart.
“My remaining life…”
The sky fractured. It twisted, shattered, and split.
The sun appeared. An eye, shaped like the sun. The eye of an all-seeing being.
“…is for Erden.”
It warped, turning black.
The Black Sun erged.
An imnse, incomprehensible presence pressed down on . Mocking laughter echoed through the heavens. Garlia’s aura enveloped the world. His will tainted reality.
The landscape distorted. My thoughts slowed. Ti stretched. My body felt heavy.
[“I’ll hold it back as much as I can. Finish this quickly.”]
Hearing Cartia’s calm voice, I removed the Bracelet of Verdure.
Power exploded from my wrist, threatening to tear
apart.
Garlia’s crushing aura now felt beneath my feet. The distant sky felt close. My slowed thoughts and body returned to normal.
Rage filled , directed at the mocking laughter.
Frey’s intent imprinted itself on the world. Behind the distorted reality, a bloody wasteland flickered. The remnants of hypocrisy scread.
Dark, indescribable emotions churned within .
“Hah…”
I steadied my breath and gripped Frey. The blood energy supported .
I sensed a fist-sized hole in space. Arrows flew towards
through it.
I sensed Garlia, fully healed as if ti had reversed.
His greatsword, twisting ti, swung at .
[“Thirty seconds.”]
I snatched an arrow and threw it back through the hole. I t Garlia’s ti-shifted attack with Frey, acknowledging Cartia.
“…Fifteen seconds. No… twenty… twenty-five.”
Garlia’s arms were severed.
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