Chapter 97: Chapter 97

A purple sword wind relentlessly pressured Baros. The clashing of metal echoed loudly and repeatedly.

Baros gritted his teeth as he dodged and parried frantically.

‘Still such an exhausting style.’

In terms of skill and experience, Baros wasn’t inferior to Laficel.

Even in terms of battle aura, there wasn’t much of a difference. Both of them were barely able to utilize the energy they gained from the cursed sword Mareda.

In fact, Baros had a clear advantage in terms of physical size.

The current Baros is a young man in the prime of his life who has trained diligently and eaten only good food.

On the other hand, Laficel was still just a young girl. She hadn’t trained properly, nor was her nutrition the best.

Physically, he had an overwhelming advantage.

Yet, Baros was the one being pushed back.

“You dog of the Death King!”

Laficel screamed as she slashed diagonally with her sword imbued with battle aura.

“I’ll kill youuu!”

It seemed like a simple strike, but Baros wasn’t careless.

He knew all too well how deceptively that simple trajectory could change in an instant.

‘Which way will it be this time?’

Using his experience, he predicted her next move and found an opening.

He stepped forward with his left foot and countered with a thrust!

“Ugh!”

The one who was wounded was Baros.

His thrust barely grazed Laficel, but her diagonal slash struck his shoulder with precision.

A sharp pain surged through his shoulder. Baros gritted his teeth as he retreated.

‘I got hit again, damn it.’

That was the issue.

Even other Martial Kings marveled at Laficel’s greatest strength.

She could fight exceptionally well without needing to be taught, and even without experience, she could instinctively find the right answer in battle. He simply couldn’t keep up with that terrifying battle sense.

‘Back then, at least, I could still manage….’

In truth, battle sense alone doesn’t determine one’s strength.

Able to fight well without learning? Able to find the right move without experience?

This also means that if someone trained diligently and gained enough experience, they could potentially catch up.

That was why Baros, the Death Knight Lord, could surpass Martial King Laficel back then.

He could compensate for his lack of battle sense with mastered swordsmanship and experience. And his overwhelming physical ability helped as well.

But now, his battle aura was too weak. He couldn’t properly utilize his swordsmanship or experience. Despite his physical advantage, he was gradually overwhelmed.

As the relentless attacks continued, Baros’ body was increasingly stained with blood.

“Ugh! Guh! Argh!”

Unable to bear watching any longer, Serati stepped in.

She swung her sword infused with battle aura, targeting Laficel’s back.

[I’ll join you, Sir Baros!]

Laficel reacted immediately. Her crescent moon-shaped attack knocked Serati back.

Boom!

Serati adjusted her stance, absorbing the impact.

Earlier, she had been knocked away like a skipping stone. But this time, she managed to evade the attack.

‘Alright! I can handle this now!’

Until now, she hadn’t been able to intervene.

But now, Laficel was thoroughly exhausted. Serati, who was a Red Knight, could now hold her own.

The armor summoned from the hell was also a big help.

Suddenly curious, Serati asked.

[This armor is amazing, so why aren’t you using it, Sir Baros?]

Baros gave a bitter smile.

[I can’t use it.]

[Why not?]

[The armor runs away.]

[…What?]

As Serati stood puzzled, Baros pointed at the cursed sword Mareda.

[It’s in the same category as this.]

In other words, the armor from hell, like the cursed sword, turned humans into hosts and consumed their souls.

[Wait, then what’s happening to my soul right now?]

Baros averted his gaze and charged at Laficel again.

“Hyaaaaah!”

Serati’s unease grew. Why was he avoiding the question?

[Excuse me, Sir Baros?]

[It’s fine. The young master will take care of it.]

[…Take care of what exactly?]

Even as she wore a troubled expression, Serati kept swinging her sword. For now, dealing with Laficel was the most urgent priority.

With the two of them attacking together, the situation began to turn in their favor. Laficel’s expression gradually twisted.

“Ugh! Argh! Guh!”

Karnak’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

‘Both of them are doing well!’

Just a bit more, and he would be able to reach her soul.

It was then.

Laficel’s sword struck the blade of the cursed sword Mareda with a powerful blow.

A deafening roar filled the air, followed by a scream.

“Aaaaahhhhh!”

But it wasn’t Laficel, Baros, or Serati who screamed. The sound came from Mareda itself.

From the blade of the sword, a dark, translucent humanoid figure began to float.

“Haaaahhhh…”

With an oddly satisfied expression, the sword’s evil spirit started dissolving into the ground.

Serati blinked in confusion.

“What, what just happened?”

Baros grimaced.

“Ah, damn it. That bastard finally went back to hell.”

***

Laficel’s sword, imbued with battle aura, flickered through Baros’s field of vision, taunting him.

“Lord Baros!”

Baros rolled across the ground as he leapt backward.

His timing was impeccable, allowing him to dodge perfectly.

Yes.

He didn’t just narrowly escape; he completely avoided the attack.

Yet, despite that, the shockwave still caught him and sent him flying like a fallen leaf!

“Uwaahhh!”

The massive, bear-like figure bounced on the ground like a fox.

To prevent a follow-up attack, Serati quickly targeted Laficel from behind.

“Hiyah!”

But Laficel immediately changed the direction of her sword.

The swords, both charged with battle aura, collided with a deafening sound.

Serati staggered backward, cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

[W-What should we do now?]

Baros, unable to use the dark battle aura, was no longer of any help. Now, Serati had to face Laficel alone.

Feeling desperate, Serati sent a telepathic message.

[Should I offer you my body now?]

[Uh… That sounds a bit strange, you know…]

Of course, her intention was to suggest Baros possess her body through necromancy.

[It’s already too late.]

Baros shook his head.

[You should’ve done that earlier.]

Karnak had already begun his necromancy ritual.

Attempting possession now would require stopping the ongoing spell casting, meaning they’d have to start all over again. It would put them at an even greater disadvantage.

Baros glared at the now-empty cursed sword.

“How could an evil spirit lack so much tenacity? Just a little pressure, and it couldn’t handle it?”

Laficel, who had been watching them both, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

Then she lunged at Baros.

It was only natural—of the two, it was obvious which one she held a deeper grudge against.

Baros responded as well.

Now wielding just a regular two-handed sword, not the cursed blade, he wore a grim expression.

‘Damn it, can I even handle this?’

He executed precise thrusts and slashes in rapid succession, displaying an exceptional, well-practiced swordsmanship that occupied all of Laficel’s space.

But with a single, casual horizontal slash from Laficel, it was all blown away!

“Ugh!”

The impact traveled through the blade, paralyzing both of Baros’s arms.

He grimaced.

‘As expected, it’s no use…’

Laficel laughed wildly as she brought her sword down toward Baros’s head.

“Hahaha!”

Fortunately, Baros managed to dodge just in time.

The killing intent was so thick that he could sense it and react first.

But he couldn’t avoid the mid-level kick that followed immediately. The chain of attacks was simply too fast.

‘Even though I know it’s coming, I can’t dodge…’

Thud!

His right arm, barely holding on, went limp.

Even though he had tried to mitigate the blow, his thick arm muscles were paralyzed in a single hit. He wouldn’t be able to use that arm for a while.

‘At this rate, I’m going to die!’

Desperately, Baros called out to Karnak. He had no other option left.

“Young master!”

“J-Just a little more!”

“I don’t have time for that anymore!”

They truly didn’t have time. Baros was now shouting, not just magic messages.

As Baros staggered, Serati rushed in to confront Laficel.

“Move, Sir Baros!”

Charging head-on toward Laficel, Serati aimed a head strike to grab her attention before attempting a slash at her waist.

It was basic swordsmanship, but effective in real combat.

Of course, it wouldn’t be enough to work on someone like Laficel.

“Servant of Hell!”

Easily dodging the attack, Laficel swung her sword in a horizontal slash.

In that moment, Serati’s eyes gleamed. She had purposely used a basic technique, hoping for this very moment.

‘Now!’

Ignoring Laficel’s slash, Serati countered with a thrust.

She had trusted in the defense of her armor.

Although she knew she would get injured, she believed it wouldn’t be fatal.

But even that was within Laficel’s expectations.

Ha…

With a mocking laugh, Laficel launched a front kick.

Her toes struck the flat side of Serati’s sword, knocking the thrust upward. Then, with a fierce roundhouse kick, she targeted Serati’s side.

Boom!

Crimson shards flew in all directions with a loud noise.

Serati screamed in excruciating pain that made her eyes roll back.

“Aaahhh!”

She gritted her teeth, trying to keep her mind from becoming hazy.

‘How can it hurt this much? She’s so small!’

A girl barely 150 centimeters tall had kicked the armor of hell with her bare feet, yet her foot remained unharmed while the armor shattered.

It wasn’t just astonishing—it was incomprehensible. Laficel’s ability to manipulate aura was on a whole other level.

Even as he staggered, Baros couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘She’s always been like this, but her talent is truly innate…’

Laficel wasn’t in a normal state right now.

Her memories were shattered, and her soul was in tatters.

Yet she was still perfectly converting the cursed sword’s dark aura into her own aura.

‘No one taught her that… she’s doing it purely through battle instinct…’

Just as Baros was marveling at her skill, a thought struck him.

“Huh?”

Laficel had done all of this without being taught by anyone…

“Wait…”

She had taken power that wasn’t her own and made it hers?

“…Ah!”

A faint glimmer of realization flashed in Baros’s eyes.

***

The barrage of follow-up attacks continued. Punches, kicks, and slashes rained down mercilessly on the cracked hell armor. Serati’s entire body was slowly turning into a bloody mess.

“Agh! Ugh! Gah! Aaah!”

Serati was on the verge of death.

Boom!

Suddenly, with a loud explosion, Laficel’s small body was thrown backward.

A red flash had struck her hard.

“…Aura?”

Shocked, Serati turned around to see what had happened.

A massive knight stood there, holding a two-handed sword, emanating a glowing red light.

It wasn’t the dark aura from before, but a bright, fiery aura like flames.

It was unmistakable.

Pure aura.

“Sir Baros? Did you… awaken?”

And at such perfect timing? How in the world?

“Explaining it would take a while…”

Without looking back at Serati, Baros stepped forward.

“But first, let’s deal with the situation here!”

Laficel, who had been thrown back, quickly regained her stance and charged again. Baros calmly swung his sword to meet her.

Their auras clashed, but this time Baros wasn’t being pushed back.

Wielding the brilliant red aura, Baros wore an odd expression.

‘So this is what it feels like?’

He had always relied on the energy of others. He had never once used his own aura directly.

‘It’s… quite a strange feeling.’

Gradually, Laficel began to falter.

No matter how much of a genius she was, she had completely exhausted her strength by now.

Meanwhile, Baros still had plenty of energy left.

No, to be exact, it wasn’t just that he had energy left—he had gained a new power.

“Alright, it’s about time you go down!”

Once the balance tipped in his favor, it didn’t shift again.

Baros’s aura-infused sword shattered Laficel’s longsword. The radiant purple aura surrounding her weapon began to fade.

In that state, he grabbed the little girl by the back of her neck and slammed her hard into the ground!

Thud!

Pinning her down, Baros called out once more.

“Still not done yet, young master?”

“It’s over!”

In truth, the final blow had broken the resistance of Laficel’s soul.

Karnak delivered the finishing strike.

“O burden of suffering, rest now under the shadow of darkness!”

A pillar of darkness descended upon Laficel. She let out a piercing scream.

“Aaaaaaah!”

And then, she collapsed, going limp.

Baros placed his fingers near her nose to check her breathing, then let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness, she’s still alive.”

As Karnak approached, he asked incredulously, “Hey, Baros, what happened to you? What’s with that aura?”