Chapter 142

I held the weapon in my hands.

It was wrapped up in a cloth, which I pulled away, revealing the Deepsea Dragon Sword.
The other thing Rig had brought was the club that I was used to wielding. This was also an important weapon for me.
Clubs suited Ogres. That’s what I thought.

However, it wouldn’t be my main weapon this time.
I held the Deepsea Dragon Sword in my right hand, and shoved the club into the dirt.
If things went according to plan, I wouldn’t need it.

In fact, this was the first time I would be using this sword in a real fight.
However, I had practiced with it so much that I got blisters on my hands.

And so it felt good when I held it.
Not only could it cut through vines, but it could even split logs.

In terms of durability and sharpness, it was the best weapon I ever owned.

Once I held it in front of me with both hands, Baltasar got to his feet.
Miralda looked at me cautiously.

“Golan. What are you trying to do?”
There was something severe in her expression. Perhaps she was surprised that I was doing this after the fight had ended.

“He provoked me. And he lost. Hey, that’s what happened, right?”
I said as I turned to look at Baltasar.

He looked like he wanted to object, but he couldn’t change the fact of the matter.
After all, the other Corps Commanders had been watching. And it was the General who stopped it.

“And what of it?”
Asked General Miralda.

“I had assumed that was the end of it. But now he’s saying he ‘won’t lose next time.’”
“Hmm. He did say something like that.”

The other Corps Commanders nodded to this.
It was because he had said that, that I tore down the tent.

“Well, why wait any longer? He wanted another fight. He challenged me. And I accept!”

What Baltasar had wanted to say was this. ‘If we do fight again, I won’t lose.’
It was no wonder. I was the weaker one, so there should be no way that I could win.
However, it was different if the fight happened ‘now.’
After all, I had had things carry out in a way so that I could win.

“Alright! Get him, Golan!”
“Crush him!”
“I think you mean cut him down! Look at his sword!”
“Chop him up!”

Thankfully, my men were causing a ruckus. Now it would be harder for him to refuse.
“Do you need a weapon? Or should we go like this?”

I said confidently.
Before entering the tent, I had gotten a good look at what Gurangatch equipment looked like.

They used a short spear and shield.
These iron spears were just a little longer than they were tall.

In the Demon World, long spears would be difficult to use. They were most effective when the wielders marched in a line.
If individuals fought while using them, they would just end up hitting their comrades.

I doubted Baltasar was an exception. He would likely also use a short spear and shield.
It was because I understood this, that I had broken his fingers early on.

His thumb and little finger to be exact.

If you tried to hold a spear without the use of those two fingers, your grip would be very loose.
And just like us Ogres, the Gurangatch could not use healing magic.

Of course, they had tremendous recovery ability, and even bones would reconnect after a few days.
However, he did not have enough time right now.

One of his more perceptive subordinates brought Baltasar his spear and shield.

He looked hesitant. A few broken fingers wouldn’t be seen as more than a light injury.
However, what about when you needed to fight?

Not being able to use those two fingers would put him at a great disadvantage.
He was likely feeling that right now.

Perhaps he had never trained to use the other hand.
Would he be able to fight properly with just the three fingers?

Such questions had been on my mind since we first started fighting.
And now, I felt like I had him in the palm of my hand.

Besides, I also had a trump card. This sword.
I didn’t know how deep the sea went in the Demon World.
However, this Deepsea Dragon that moved freely down there must be very powerful indeed.

This was a strong material that could not be replicated even in modern Japan.
And it was made into a sword. And I would now get a good idea of just how strong it was.

Baltasar reluctantly gripped his spear. I narrowed my eyes.
I intended to charge at him the moment he grabbed the shield. And I would finish the fight in a flash.

The mana coursed through my body, and my brain was filled with adrenaline. That’s when his eyes moved away from me for a second.

—Now!

The moment I was about to take a step forward, Baltasar was blown off of his feet.
“What!?”
Before I knew it, Baltasar had landed in the middle of the crowd of spectators.

Without understanding what had happened, I pulled my arms back and held the sword in front of me in a defensive stance…

My head felt dizzy. I knew that I had been hit, but my vision was spinning.
No, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t stay conscious… But would I be killed if I gave in?

My consciousness…I would be gone in a few seconds.
And so I left the rest to the other ‘me’…me…

○

○ General Miralda

When Golan held the white sword, I understood everything.
At the same time, it felt like someone had shoved a block of ice into my back.

The reason that Golan had gotten rid of the tent. It was obvious to me now.

He hadn’t been so focused on breaking Baltasar’s fingers because they were the only weak spots.
No, that was just his opening move.

The real reason was that when the fight was brought to the stage where they used weapons, he would have an advantage. He had been calculating this whole time.

When I stopped the fight, Golan had looked at me as if I had spoiled something .
I had assumed that it was because I had taken his chance for a follow up attack, but the fang in his hand was from Baltasar.
He had been aiming to get his eye. That’s why he broke the tooth.

How far into the future had he predicted? It was chilling just to think about it.

After I had stopped the fight, Golan continued to provoke Baltasar as if he hadn’t already won.
It seemed like it was because his excitement was still at its peak, but this too was also part of his strategy.

But I hadn’t realized it then, and made the mistake of asking him.
Baltasar also made a mistake, and claimed he would ‘win next time.’

And with that, Golan got rid of the tent. When I thought about it, the fight really should have ended there. Golan had won.

There was just the matter of there being another fight later, and judging by Baltasar’s personality, it was very likely.
And so Golan had provoked him in order that the fight should continue while he had the upper hand.

‘I will win next time’ was a challenge, and Golan accepted it.
If Baltasar tried to take it back now, it would injure his prestige.
Others would think he was scared. He was in a difficult position.

When there were so many spectators, Baltasar could not pull out even if he wanted to.
If Golan had asked for his sword to be brought, I would have tried to stop him.
I wouldn’t have allowed his subordinate to leave.

That was my mistake. I didn’t realize it until I saw the white sword.

And Baltasar didn’t realize it either.
That the moment he accepted the spear and shield, Golan would strike him all at once.
He had set up everything for this moment.

He must be confident in his victory.
If Golan was as strong as I thought he was, he could easily cut off Baltasar’s fingers and hands.

No, he might even stab him in the heart.
That’s what Golan wanted.
In order to prevent any future attacks, he needed to hurt Baltasar so he wouldn’t recover.

And so I immediately used my special ability, ‘Sever Body.’
It allowed you to choose an action and unleash it in a separate place.

Vampires had ‘Instant Movement,’ which allowed you to speedily move between two points as if teleporting.

But mine was just the beginning and end. There was no inbetween.
And so there was not much freedom. I had to choose an action, teleport, and do it.

I used it to knock down Baltasar in one hit, and then unleashed it on Golan as well.
With the same amount of force.
To be honest, I was just a little worried that Golan’s torso would be blown off.

Even if that didn’t happen, it was possible that he would never be able to move his body again.
If that happened, I would have to offer them warriors in exchange, and we would take care of Golan here.

‘Sever Body’ was a move that could not be changed or adjusted.

However, I felt something strange meet my fist.
I had been blocked by a blade. But how?

There was no wind-up movement when using ‘Sever Body.’
You just decided how to punch someone and then it activated automatically.
If you wanted to defend yourself from such an attack, you had to be defending before I moved.

Golan had been holding his sword, but he hadn’t been in a defensive stance.
That meant that by the time I had finished punching Baltasar, he had realized he would be attacked, and defended himself.

He had great battle instincts. Such sharp intuition in combat.

I was surprised.
This attack had never been blocked before, not even when used against Lesser Demon Kings.

It should have been enough to blow off the torso of an Ogre.
Even if he was able to block it, he would be knocked out for at least ten days. Perhaps he would be bed-ridden for months.

Well, I would apologize for that.
It’s true that I had been reckless this time. My hope was to see Baltasar mature a little.
And some of the burden had fallen on Golan.

It was as I was thinking this, that Golan got up.
“…”
My mouth opened and would not close. He could stand after that?

Baltasar wasn’t moving a muscle. And I had hit Golan with the same force. But he wasn’t even unconscious.
Not only that, but there was something different about him now.
What…what was this? What was going on?

“Don’t you think you’re being overprotective?”
Golan said in a low voice.

Next Chapter

Makai Hongi