537 - Fixing What's Broken # 6

The one who broke it was Ankshus, a man with glasses who wore a robe and leaned on a long staff.

Clap-.

"Come, come, let's not fight. From what I see, you all seem to be companions and followers of Hassan-nim here. Shouldn't we avoid rudeness and discourtesy?"

Thanks to Ankshus's clapping, the tense atmosphere that had been stretched taut loosened a bit.

Hippolyte, too, re-sheathed her sword at her waist and asked with a snort.

"So Hassan, what's the reason you brought the escaped cultists here?"

"These guys, they'll be doing various jobs like guarding the mansion from now on. I just wanted to check their skills."

"I see. Don't go all out. Because I don't want to see the newly built mansion get ruined."

"I'll try my best. Then, Hippolyte-nim, please be an observer for this match."

"Very well. Because struggle is Mars's domain."

And so, with Antiope and Hippolyte as impartial observers, I faced off against Schizo and the former Pluto cultists.

"Try coming at me all at once."

Somnia, brandishing the blade at her waist, shook it back and forth.

"To face all of us at once. Whatever you've been through, you've become too arrogant after just about a year, haven't you? Without even a weapon-."

Although her expression couldn't be read because of the mask. Somnia seemed unconvinced that I, who was trying to face them all at once without a weapon, was reliable.

"If you really win, I'll let you have your way. But I'll really tear you to shreds-. Because of you, I still feel the ache in my neck thinking about what I went through in the prison city-!"

The wrath of the cultist voodoo priest echoed through the space.

I could tell that Somnia had reached a considerable level, unlike when she was last seen. She must have grown through various experiences in the prison city.

The same must be true for that greatsword-wielding man, Schizo.

He asked me.

"Is it alright not to use a weapon? We will fight with the intention of killing you."

To his question, I simply spread both my hands and took a low stance.

"If it's a weapon, you have it right here. A well-trained warrior's body is itself a weapon."

Hippolyte laughed, 'Pffft,' finding my words amusing.

She seemed amused that I was using the words she had taught me.

"Then, S-."

Snap-.

Simultanously with her hand, raised high like a sword, coming down. Our struggle began. I first kicked off the ground and closed the distance towards them.

The target is the party's mage.

"Wh-what-."

It was because I thought it would be better to deal with the black mage Ankshus first, as he could create many variables in a fight.

I know well how much power an elf mage can unleash, having witnessed Elfriede's performance up close.

Seeing me approach in an instant, the eyes behind his glasses widened.

"Lie down-."

My hand shot forward like a bullet and pressed into his solar plexus.

-Finger Strike.

Thwip.

"......!"

Ankshus, pressed by my finger, couldn't even scream and flew away. Then, he crashed into the training ground wall visible far away and finally collapsed on the ground.

"Shit, Ankshus-!"

Somnia screamed in surprise at the sight. But I executed Kalidur's footwork, kicking off the ground twice.

-Zip-.

At the end of the flash footwork, the world momentarily felt like it stopped.

"I stopped time-!"

My fist was heading towards Somnia, who was hastily reaching for her waist. I've seen how Ideope sorcerers fight through Luna.

It was because I thought it would be better to deal with the black mage Ankshus first, as he could create many variables in a fight.

"But it's already too late-! Escape is impossible-!"

Within the stopped time, I quickly massaged Somnia's seemingly soft breasts.

According to my brain-fiction, the number of times I could massage in this fleeting moment with my flash-like dexterity was thirteen.

Soft, soft-. Soft, soft-.

But I pushed my limits further and performed 14 soft touches with my aura-infused hand. A number one ahead of my brain-fiction. I am growing even in this situation!

Swish-.

Finally, when time began to accelerate again.

"Hmph, Hooooh-! Wh-what is this-!"

Somnia trembled and collapsed on the ground.

"Wh-what is this, Haaah, Ang, Aah-! My waist, my, strength-."

"Don't worry. You've just reached your climax. This is Requiem."

"Hooo, Hooooh-!"

Trembling, Somnia soon lost consciousness. Now, only the greatsword mage Schizo remained.

Swoosh-.

After all her companions fell, the greatsword warrior drew his heavy steel-like sword. His blade, slowly drawing a half-moon, looked elegant.

Seeing that sight, I raised my tension considerably.

"You could have blocked it if you wanted to. Schizo."

The skill of the man suppressed by that armor.

I can feel it well now.

At least Gold Tier.

This man, with the greatsword, is Gold Tier. It must have been sheer luck that I, who was just a Bronze novice back then, could defeat him. That man must have been careless too.

Anyway.

Clank-. A gloomy voice came from under the lion-shaped helmet, which was trembling.

"My strength is a hindrance when I have companions. You and I, one-on-one. That was my goal. In that sense, Samaritan-."

"-Unlike back then. This power. I will not hold back. Because there's no reason to capture you alive."

Goooo-.

A deadly demonic energy erupted from beneath the black armor.

The killing intent emanating from him made my skin tingle, tingle-. He must have decided to thoroughly annihilate me.

At that sight, Hippolyte, who was judging this match, covered her face with the back of her hand.

"Hassan, don't underestimate that man. He's someone who has a record of shattering the Mars Guild-."

I know that without you saying it.

There's no way I'd underestimate him.

Pluto's Holy Warrior.

My father's Great Warrior.

That's why I feel the urge to clash with his full power.

"...You've got a better expression than back then. As expected, you resemble that person. You have the potential to rise above us. Heist-.""

Whoosh-. A strange silver wind wrapped around the man's body. At the same time, he leaped very lightly, closing the distance with me.

"Weight Enhancement-."

The man muttered a spell beneath his helmet and swung his greatsword. From below to above. He powerfully swung the heavy steel plate towards my neck.

Kachachachang-.

As the greatsword, soaring up from the ground, threatened to pierce my abdomen, I dodged. Not blocking or counter-attacking, but dodging. That was the decision I made.

It was instinct.

Instinct that I must not be cut by that greatsword.

Indeed, the incomprehensible glowing letters on the broad steel plate were very distracting.

Swish, swish-.

Schizo's greatsword continued to cut through the ground, aiming for my body. I decided to create distance and try to figure out the identity of the greatsword.

Is it something like a Rune Word?

As I opened my eyes narrowly, the man, who had struck the ground with his sword held in reverse grip, answered first.

"This is the Sword of Soul Destruction, Pluto's sacred relic. If you are cut by this sword, your soul itself will be damaged. A weapon particularly fatal to gods and immortals like you, Hassan-.""

Damaging the soul itself.

I don't know what it is, but it was a damn powerful weapon. As expected, I was right to fight carefully. Now, shall I start counter-attacking?

"-But, you were too cautious."

Zwoooong-.

The ground began to vibrate with a strange sound. When I lifted my head, I could understand the nature of this strange sound.

A magic circle.

By then, a strange magic circle had been completed on the ground.

Seeing that, I realized that this man hadn't just swung his greatsword carelessly, but had systematically scraped the ground, drawing a pattern.

"I'll show you why I'm called Schizo, the split personality."

The man twisted the greatsword he had stuck into the ground.

It's good to describe it as forcefully turning a key that was inserted.

Clank-. Then, there was a sound like machinery operating.

And at the same time-.

My vision began to change.

All the scenery visible before my eyes seemed to melt and flow, leaving only darkness of flesh in various colors.

Squelch, squelch-.

My feet, which had been stepping on the orderly training ground floor just moments ago, began to sink deep as if falling into a swamp.

When I glanced down, I realized I was being sucked into something like the innards of a giant.

Human skulls and arms, floating here and there, were pulling at my body.

"Grrrrrr-."

"End my suffering-."

"Tartarus, huh. It's terrifying."

As I flailed my feet, Hippolyte, covering her face with the back of her hand, snorted.

"This is the manifestation of a mind-. An ancient sorcery that transfers the caster's inner world to the world. The Mars Guild was also destroyed by this."

As expected.

If Hippolyte could protect the Mars Guild, I had wondered how the cultists could have destroyed the guild building. This ultimate technique makes sense.

"So it's some kind of Domain Expansion."

Goooo-.

At the growling sound that followed, I lifted my head. Then, before my eyes, the man holding the greatsword began to distort strangely.

The black lion armor tore and shattered, releasing the muscles and flesh trapped beneath.

Thus, Schizo's true form, revealed, was a monster itself, full of black fur, inverse joints, terribly irregular teeth, and eyes everywhere.

Seeing that, Antiope gagged, "Ugh-".

"Th-that, it's similar to the monster I saw in the university basement-!"

University basement?

At those words, I recalled the theological college I visited when the temple was first built. The church father Aquinas I faced there was indeed similarly grotesque.

It was like flesh distorted between beast and human.

That means this guy, Schizo, is also a monster who has touched the forbidden.

Swoosh-.

The monster, transformed grotesquely to twice my height, drew its greatsword.

"Because I do not fear the valley of death-. The Lord's protection and grace are with me-. The Lord protects me with fiery eyes-."

Unlike the church father Aquinas, who had lost his reason, Schizo, transformed into a monster, seemed quite stable. The guy kept reciting prayers in a gloomy voice.

"The Lord expands my territory, adding blessing upon blessing-. The Lord will tear apart the mouths of enemies like roaring lions-. And trample the heads of poisonous snakes, bringing peace to the world of sinners."

With that growl, the giant sword swung towards me.

"Maranatha, Lord, please descend upon this land soon."

Thud-.

Catching that heavy blow precisely with both palms, I realized this attack was heavier than I expected.

"Gnnn-."

Is this guy this strong?

No, it's me who's getting weaker in this space. According to Hippolyte, this place is this man's inner world. Like a dream.

As if anything is possible in a dream.

The possibilities this man holds in this space are endless.

If the fight drags on, something bad will happen.

"Ah, shit, I didn't want to do this because it ruins my pride."

I leaped back the moment I let go of the greatsword.

With a THUD-, the greatsword stuck into the ground, and at that moment, I formed a hand seal and consumed Task Points. I didn't use a weapon, so it's not cheating, anyway.

-Water Release: Falling Impact-!

Crack, crack-.

Consuming 50 Task Points.

Remaining Task Points are about 400.

From the footing that felt like innards, countless trees and roots grew, wrapping around the monster's neck and limbs. However, the monster resisted fiercely as if trying to break free from the restraint.

"GUAAAK-! GUAAAAK-!"

It's just like a cat stepping on a lemon peel. Of course, it wasn't that cute. In any case, the guy was eventually trapped and sealed within the roots.

About ten seconds later.

With a BANG, CRACK-, the commotion from inside subsided.

The world that had been shimmering around us returned to its original training ground appearance, as if being repainted.

"The magic circle has been released. It seems he's fainted. Hassan, it's your victory."

As Hippolyte's cool assessment stated, this fight was my victory.

A 3-on-1 battle against the Pluto cultists. Without even needing to use weapons, bare hands and ninjutsu were enough. Damn, I've gotten really strong.

In front of me, I could see Somnia and Ankshus, who had collapsed on the ground, unable to recover.

As I waved my hand to release the hand seal, the black-armored mage, trapped in the tree, also collapsed onto the ground with a CLANG.

"Even after going all out, I lost.... I wanted to make you use your weapon-."

Schizo seemed quite frustrated by his defeat. I thought he'd be someone distant from such emotions. How unexpected.

"You seem to have gone through a lot during that time. Samaritan. No, Your Highness-."

"Stop calling me Your Highness, you bastard. Is this psychological warfare?"

"......"

To my question, the man didn't answer and collapsed with a THUD-, losing consciousness. I had a lot to say, but for now, I guess I'll be satisfied with being able to see this guy's skills.

If this is the skill level of the mansion's guards, then any ordinary guy wouldn't even dare to challenge them.

"It's amusing. Anyway. I defeated a past rival."

I lifted my head high.

In the wind that whipped and howled.

I feel a warmth that's unusual for winter.

It meant spring was coming.

It also meant another year had passed.