Chapter 149 : Krause (4)
I quickly turned my body after shaking off the female assassin.
I barely parried a dagger that had flown at from behind.
"Seven Dragon Poison!"
As soon as they shouted in unison, I imdiately activated my Ghost Eye.
Seven enormous centipedes were revealed before my eyes.
If I had been using my naked eye, they would have only looked like a hazy, poisonous fog.
The centipedes crawled as if gliding through the air.
Since they were originally a hallucination, a physical manifestation of a poisonous aura, there were no physical constraints of space.
Crunch.
They quickly swirled around .
Their writhing bodies entwined, enveloping like a massive sealing formation.
I felt as if I had been caught in a sealing spell that used chains as a dium for binding.
The poison, which rose like steam, flickered blackly, and the gaps were instantly sealed.
Soon, my vision was completely blocked.
'...Can I cut it?'
I raised my Heavenly Demon sword in front of my eyes.
A faint, white light quickly coiled around the blade.
The sword was answering . It was more than possible.
I raised the Heavenly Demon over my head and swung it powerfully from left to right.
The crescent-shaped trajectory split the darkness, flickering white.
The single sword strike that sliced through the air instantly cut through the black, tangled poisonous aura.
The darkness that surrounded like a curtain shattered.
The fragnted centipedes and black smoke scattered like ashes.
Tzzzzt—
When I deactivated my Ghost Eye, I saw a different sight with my naked eyes.
It wasn't the hallucination of centipedes but the hazy gray smoke that had clumped together.
They sank into the ground like a collapsing sandcastle.
"The Heavenly Dragon Poison is... is gone...!?"
"How can this happen? It doesn't make any sense...!"
I realized one thing.
I could now cut things that weren't even visible to the eye.
As long as I could sense them with my Ghost Eye.
'An achievent of Benkou Swordsmanship.'
Could I do the sa with magic?
A sword that cuts spells.
'I'll have to check with Kuhn.'
The joy of a rise in my level of mastery often ca at the threshold of death.
The last task was always not to lose my composure.
I gripped the Heavenly Demon again and slowly turned my eyes.
Front, back, left, right, even the ceiling and walls.
I was completely surrounded.
'These guys are highly trained for group combat.'
One by one, they were just average youngsters, but when they ca together like this, their montum was noticeably different.
'They really are an assassin family.'
Especially the girl in front.
'... '
She definitely wasn't like this just a mont ago.
Now, she was at the level of a beginner Peak Expert.
"You."
I pointed at her with my finger.
One of her eyebrows twitched.
"Did you gain so sort of enlightennt in the anti?"
What a goddamn difference in talent.
Then, she lowered her chin and held out her fist toward with the back of her hand facing up.
"Let's see how long you can stay so calm, Bihen Benkou."
Clang―!
A hidden weapon instantly sprang from between her fingers.
It looked like horns growing from her fist.
She bent her knees slightly and imdiately rushed in.
There was not a mont of hesitation.
Clang―! Clang! Clang―! Ang!
She seed to be using so kind of fist technique.
Every ti her hidden weapon and my Heavenly Demon clashed, a clear tallic sound rang out.
The combination of her unard combat and hidden weapons was as smooth as flowing water.
'...! '
It was after we exchanged about three blows.
This ti, two people ca flying from either side at the sa ti.
"Now, Anne!"
The mont I heard the voice, I realized that my gaze had been distracted for a mont.
The mont I turned my head, a sharp point of light flashed directly in front of .
It was the female assassin's sword. It wasn't a hidden weapon this ti.
She had closed the distance and was right in front of my face.
Clang―!
I barely blocked it with my Heavenly Demon.
Since I was being pressured from three directions, I had to quickly leap backward.
The female assassin also leaned forward and followed, her sword still locked with mine.
"Hidden weapons from a distance, poison up close."
"?"
"You've been hit."
She curled her lips into a confident smile.
She was sure of her victory.
At that mont, she quickly pulled her sword away from my Heavenly Demon.
The sound of clashing blades scraping against each other filled the air.
Krrrrr―!
Sparks flew loudly along the blade.
I felt a strange sensation in the air.
The quality of the air that brushed past the tip of my nose was different from before.
'Poisonous aura?'
I activated my Ghost Eye again.
A dense swarm of tiny flying insects was covering my head.
A mix of moths and butterflies was flying in between them.
Every ti they flapped their wings, a red gas spread in all directions, making them look like a swarm of insects dancing in a fire.
"How's that! The pain of your eyes burning out! Struggle all you want!"
"It exploded at point-blank range! It got him for sure!"
The assassins chattered excitedly.
So worried about getting caught in the attack and decided to wait for the poison to evaporate.
Others were high-fiving each other in celebration.
'Is it based on the principle of vaporizing the poison on the blade with the friction heat? That's clever.'
No wonder they kept trying to get so close to .
They were aiming for this.
Of course, my eyes weren't burning, and I felt no pain at all.
Shing.
I thrust my Heavenly Demon into the swarm of insects.
I was sorry, but it was ti to break their delusion.
Since they were around the sa age as , I didn't feel as guilty.
'Frost Sword.'
The pure white light that colored the blade spread outward.
In an instant, the frozen swarm of insects fell like ice shards.
"Wha...?"
"?"
"What is this?"
"The Seven Dragon Poison and the Fire Poison don't work...?"
"Th-that's impossible."
I lightly shook my arm, brushing off the residue from the Heavenly Demon's blade.
"It works."
I swept my gaze over the astonished group.
Their faces were all pale.
"Why doesn't any of the poisonous techniques work?"
"This shouldn't happen unless he has a body immune to all poisons."
Yes, immunity to all poisons.
If I hadn't achieved that at the Labotas Mine, no matter who I was, I couldn't have guaranteed a victory against these guys right now.
'... '
This was the right choice.
If I had obediently agreed to the trial by combat, Jayden and Janson would not have been able to escape with their lives.
Of course, even if that wasn't the case, I had no intention of being played by Noser's trickery.
"What's your purpose, Bihen Benkou? Why are you doing this? Didn't we agree to a fair duel?"
It was the female assassin in front of .
The shock of the poison not working had subsided, but her voice was still full of emotion.
"...I wonder."
What would she say if I told her it was a cursed fate that had been going on since my past life?
I let out a deflated snort.
"I'm similar to you guys."
Just then, a roar echoed. It was from the ceiling above my left shoulder.
"Don't you dare insult the Krause family―!"
"Wait! Don't―!"
A figure ca charging down from the ceiling.
It seed like a reckless move.
Their faces were contorted with rage.
I lightly raised the Heavenly Demon, which I had been holding loosely in both hands.
From the lower right to the upper left.
Following the crescent trajectory my Heavenly Demon drew in the air, the person's body was sliced in half.
Thump―!
Like the rain outside, blood poured down in a torrent.
I slowly lowered the Heavenly Demon to my chest again.
"If you leave your arms and legs, I'll spare your lives."
"..."
"Yes. That's more like the Imperial assassins I know."
Rumble―
The sound of them all charging at at once was drowned out by the thunder outside.
"Forget the poisonous techniques! Subdue him with unard combat!"
Bang―!
A roar, the clang of tal, screams, and thunder all crashed together at once.
The sound of the wooden floor rattling and cracking was mixed in as well.
The six of them, without a mont of hesitation, plunged into my space.
They looked ready to go down with .
Clang! Clang―!
The female assassin focused only on pinning down from the front.
The counter-attack was the job of the other five.
They quickly attacked and retreated, aiming for my openings, but the daggers flying from all directions were difficult to predict in terms of speed and direction.
'Not bad.'
They were able to fight on equal terms with , who was close to reaching the Late Peak Expert stage, led by a single person who was only at the early stages of the Peak Expert stage, with the others being first-rate masters.
They were closing the huge gap with flawless teamwork, without a mont's rest.
If the situation were different, I would have clapped for them.
It's always harder to perfect teamwork than it is to raise one's individual level of mastery.
Slash―!
A head spun in the trajectory of my Heavenly Demon. Well, that's enough praise.
Whoosh!
My footsteps and my sword clashed quickly, and the battlefield shifted.
I suddenly heard the loud sound of rain. It was a corridor built over a pond.
Thump!
In a flash of moonlight from the side, one of them showed an opening.
The guy's severed upper body crashed into the pond.
'Now there are four.'
We entered a stalemate as if we had agreed to it.
We kept our distance and caught our breaths.
The four of them slowly widened their distance from each other.
It looked like they were trying to surround .
They moved cautiously sideways, their eyes sunken like starving animals.
It was as if their bodies were only moving on hunting instinct.
"You've truly beco assassins."
Her expression was unwavering.
These were people who didn't even flinch when their comrades, who were like family, were being killed in such a horrific way.
Even if they sohow managed to defeat here...
They would now have a hard ti living with a sound mind.
'Is this the crossroads?'
I shifted my grip on the Heavenly Demon from two hands to one, and brought my right hand to my waist.
Shing.
I drew out my Blood Lion in a reverse grip and turned it around to point the tip upwards.
Even as I did this, my eyes and their eyes were constantly moving.
Even the slightest twitch of a shoulder beca a target for the other.
The air was cold, but our breaths were hot.
Thump―!
A sound that tore through the silence.
A guy with his neck pierced by the Blood Lion collapsed.
He had willingly sacrificed himself to show his comrades my new move, switching to dual swords in the middle of a fight.
He was probably the weakest of the group.
I slowly withdrew the Blood Lion.
It would be quick. They would charge again.
Definitely from both sides at the sa ti...
Slash―! Thump!
I plunged the Blood Lion into the chest of the guy who charged first and then used the Heavenly Demon to cut the neck of the guy who was charging from the opposite direction.
Then I simultaneously retrieved the Heavenly Demon and the Blood Lion, staring at the lone female assassin who was left.
"Hah."
I deliberately let my guard down.
These were people who had been pushed to the edge.
A grand movent would only provoke them. It was better to move just like this.
"Last chance. Where is Valen?"
Instead of an answer, a roar ca back.
I cut down the person who ca flying at with all her might, and she spun in the air, scattering blood, and fell at my feet.
My eyes t hers.
"Co to think of it, I never formally introduced myself."
She seed to be having a hard ti answering.
I said, raising my Blood Lion.
"My na is Bihen Benkou. The eldest son of the Benkou family."
Thump―!
She was worthy of hearing my na.
***
The Krause mansion was ridiculously big.
I didn't see any sign of the family head, Valen, and only innocent people continued to die by my sword.
I passed through a corridor, crossed a hallway, and entered a large courtyard.
"..."
"Kiiilll himmm!"
A swarm of them ca rushing toward and were wiped out again.
I was tired, but as soone who had seen a future where these people would pretend to be Kingdom nobles and kill people with cruel thods...
I regained my energy.
I didn't have to worry about getting lost.
People were gathered at every path like signposts.
Following that trail, a majestic gate appeared before my eyes.
The massive doors were so tall that I had to tilt my head back to see the top.
Rumble.
The inside was chillingly silent.
The air that flowed through it was also cold.
I felt as if I had entered a different world.
'...'
I slowly stepped inside, looking around.
The interior decoration of the ancient Empire was strange yet gave a sense of comfort.
My footsteps stopped.
At the very end of the hall, a huge mural was floating in the dim light.
The torchlight flickered in the wind, casting a long shadow.
My trembling breath scattered in the air.
I stood there blankly, blinking at the mural.
'...Mystic Turtle.'
It was just one of the common demons from the ancient Empire.
Before, I would have had no emotions about it.
Just like when I accidentally saw the Blood Devil's painting in the basent of the Roxley Family hideout.
It was different now.
Because I had finally confird with my own eyes that the Krause family was deeply related to the Poison Demon.
"Were you waiting for ?"
I turned my head at the voice that rang out from behind .
In the distance, Valen Krause was standing there.
The whole scene was absurd, as if the roles had been reversed.
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