Chapter 43 The Third Fang Falls
"Like I said..."
I tightened my grip on my sword, never taking my eyes off the demonoid.
"I'm not a Hero."
The demonoid remained silent for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"That's hard to believe."
He slowly raised his sword and pointed it toward me.
"With strength like yours, anyone would mistake you for one of the summoned Heroes."
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"And if you're truly just an adventurer..."
"...then you're going to become a serious problem for us."
A sinister smile spread across his face.
Without warning-
Snap.
He snapped his fingers.
The four demonoids standing behind him instantly vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.
The room fell silent.
Now, only the two of us remained.
The demonoid rolled his shoulders before resting his sword on one shoulder.
"Remember my name, human... I am Vael, Third Fang of the Maleficarum."
"Now then..."
His grin widened.
"How about we finish this?"
The moment the words left his mouth-
Boom!
The stone floor beneath his feet exploded as he launched himself toward me with incredible speed.
His figure became a blur.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of me.
He raised his sword high above his head before bringing it crashing down with overwhelming force.
Clang!
I lifted my sword just in time, intercepting the strike.
The collision sent a deafening metallic clang echoing throughout the underground chamber.
A powerful shockwave erupted from the impact, sweeping through the room with enough force to blow away the dust and loose debris around us.
The magic lanterns flickered violently as both of us stood our ground, our swords locked together, neither willing to give an inch.
A grin suddenly spread across the demonoid's face.
Without warning, he pulled his left hand away from his sword.
Flames instantly engulfed his entire arm, burning with an intense crimson glow.
"So you can block my attack..." he muttered.
"Let's see you block this!"
He thrust his flaming fist straight toward me.
BOOM!!
A massive explosion erupted between us.
The underground chamber trembled violently as flames burst outward in every direction. The shockwave slammed into the surrounding walls, sending chunks of stone crashing onto the floor while thick clouds of dust and smoke swallowed everything in sight.
The demonoid leaped backward, sliding across the ground before dropping to one knee.
A satisfied grin spread across his face.
For a few seconds...
Nothing.
The smoke slowly began to settle.
As the dust cleared, his grin gradually disappeared.
I was still standing exactly where I had been.
My arms remained crossed in front of my chest.
Not a single burn marked my body.
The only difference...
Both of my forearms were now covered in crimson-red armor that shimmered with condensed mana. The gauntlets were sleek yet sturdy, their surface glowing faintly as streams of magical energy flowed across them like veins of molten light.
The demonoid's explosion hadn't even left a scratch.
"That was close," I said calmly.
The moment I saw him gather fire around his hand, I activated my new skill, [Mana Armour].
A surge of crimson mana envelope both my entire arms.
I only had a split second to react, but that was enough.
The mana armor had formed instantly around my forearms, completely absorbing the force of the explosion before it could reach me.
I lowered my arms, the crimson mana armor fitting perfectly around my forearms.
I looked at the demonoid and smiled.
"Alright..."
I adjusted my grip on my sword.
"My turn."
A surge of mana flowed into the blade.
Whoosh!
Brilliant flames erupted around the sword, coating its polished edge in blazing fire.
Without wasting another second, I kicked off the ground.
"[Mach One]."
Boom!
The stone floor cracked beneath my feet as I shot forward with explosive speed.
The distance between us vanished in an instant.
The demonoid's eyes widened in surprise as I suddenly appeared right in front of him.
But instead of panicking...
He grinned.
"I'll skewer you!."
Without hesitation, he thrust his sword straight toward my chest.
The blade pierced through...
...nothing.
"[Wind Walk]."
My body disappeared just before the sword could reach me, leaving only a faint gust of wind in my place.
The demonoid's attack struck empty air.
"What-?!"
Before he could react, I reappeared directly behind him.
I swung my flaming sword, creating a cross-shaped slash.
Two blazing arcs of fire shot forward, crossing into a burning crimson "X" before crashing into the demonoid's back.
BOOM!
The fiery impact exploded upon contact.
His back was instantly scorched as flames spread across his cloak and armor.
"GRAAAAH!"
He cried out in pain as the force of the attack launched him through the air.
His body slammed into the stone wall before crashing onto the ground, leaving a trail of burning embers behind him.
The demonoid slowly pushed himself to his feet.
Smoke rose from the burn marks covering his back as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
A twisted grin spread across his face.
"I was right..."
His crimson eyes glared at me with murderous intent.
"You really are a problem."
Suddenly-
A wave of dark mana erupted from his body.
The chamber trembled violently as the sinister aura spread in every direction. The magic lanterns flickered wildly, and cracks began forming along the stone floor beneath his feet.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"This time..."
The dark mana continued to surge around him like black flames.
"...I'll kill you for good!"
BOOM!!
The explosion of demonic mana blasted chunks of stone into the air.
Without another word, he disappeared.
"So fast!"
Before I could finish the thought-
CLANG!!
His sword slammed against mine.
The impact shook my entire body, forcing me back several steps.
He didn't stop.
Clang!
Clang!!
Clang!!
Our blades collided again and again, each strike faster than the last.
The underground chamber echoed with the constant ringing of steel as sparks erupted with every clash.
He swung horizontally.
I ducked beneath it.
I countered with a slash aimed at his shoulder.
He twisted his body just enough to avoid a fatal hit, but the edge of my sword still sliced across his chest.
A thin line of blood appeared.
"Tch!"
The demonoid clicked his tongue before retaliating with a spinning slash.
I raised my sword to block-
CLANG!
The sheer force pushed me backward.
He immediately followed with a kick.
Thud!
The attack struck my ribs, sending me sliding across the stone floor.
Before he could press the advantage, I activated [Wind walk].
Boom!
I vanished from his sight and reappeared above him.
I brought my sword down.
He barely reacted in time, raising his blade overhead.
CLANG!!
The collision created another violent shockwave that shook the entire chamber.
The surrounding pillars cracked under the pressure.
Our swords remained locked for only a heartbeat before we both pushed away.
Neither of us waited.
We charged again.
Clang!
Slash!
Clang!!
The fight became a blur.
Our figures flashed throughout the chamber, crossing paths again and again as sparks, flames, and dark mana exploded with every exchange.
A shallow cut appeared across my left shoulder where his blade managed to graze me.
At nearly the same moment, my sword carved another deep wound across his right arm.
Blood splattered onto the stone floor.
Both of us ignored the pain.
Our eyes never left each other.
With a roar, we launched ourselves forward one final time.
Both of us poured every ounce of strength into a single strike.
"RAAAAH!"
CLANG!!!
The two swords collided with overwhelming force.
A massive shockwave exploded outward, shattering nearby pillars and sending loose debris flying across the chamber.
The impact threw both of us backward.
I crashed into the stone wall behind me, cracks spreading across it as dust rained from the ceiling.
On the opposite side of the chamber, the demonoid slammed into another wall with equal force, leaving a crater where his body struck.
For a brief moment...
Silence filled the underground chamber once again.
As both of us were thrown back by the impact, we crashed into opposite walls of the underground chamber.
I slowly pushed myself off the broken stone and landed on one knee.
"Haa..."
"Haa..."
I gripped my sword tightly as I struggled to catch my breath.
"He's still alive..."
Across the chamber, the demonoid climbed to his feet, blood dripping from the wounds scattered across his body.
Despite his injuries...
He was smiling.
"Heh... You're still standing."
I returned the smile.
"So are you."
The next instant-
BOOM!!
The ground beneath us shattered.
Both of us disappeared simultaneously.
CLANG!!
Our swords collided once more.
The impact echoed throughout the chamber.
Neither of us backed away.
Clang!
Clang!!
Clang!!
Our blades flashed through the air at blinding speed, each strike aimed to kill.
He swung downward.
I blocked.
He followed with a kick.
I twisted my body, barely avoiding it before slashing toward his waist.
He leaped backward just in time, but the edge of my blade still carved another wound across his side.
"Tch!"
The demonoid clicked his tongue before rushing forward again.
His sword danced like a storm.
Each attack came faster than the last.
I blocked...
Dodged...
Countered...
Yet with every exchange, my breathing became heavier.
"Haa..."
"Haa..."
I don't know why I was having such a hard time breathing. It wasn't because of the nonstop clashes.
My mana reserves weren't the problem. The nonstop Cultivation skill was constantly replenishing my mana.
The demonoid noticed.
"You're slowing down!"
He roared as his blade descended.
CLANG!!
I barely managed to block.
The force pushed me backward several meters.
Before he could attack again-
"Wind Walk!"
My body vanished.
I reappeared beside him.
Slash!
My sword sliced cleanly across his right shoulder.
For a heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then-
A spray of dark blood burst into the air.
His entire right arm, still gripping his sword, separated from his body before crashing onto the stone floor.
"AAAAARGH!!"
The demonoid staggered backward, clutching the stump where his arm had been.
His face twisted in agony.
"My arm...!"
I didn't give him a chance to recover.
I poured an overwhelming amount of mana into my sword.
The crimson flames surrounding the blade grew brighter...
Hotter...
Until their color slowly changed.
Red...
Purple...
Then-
Brilliant blue.
The temperature in the chamber rose instantly as the blue flames danced around the blade with terrifying intensity.
The demonoid's eyes widened.
"N-No..."
I lowered my stance.
"This ends now."
"Mach One."
BOOM!!
The floor exploded beneath my feet.
In less than a heartbeat, I was already in front of him.
He tried to retreat.
Too late.
With a single smooth motion...
I swung my sword.
The blue flame traced a brilliant arc through the air.
For a brief second...
Everything became still.
Then...
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"...Impossible..."
The blade passed through him without resistance.
A thin line appeared across his body.
Blue flames engulfed both halves as they collapsed onto the stone floor.
Silence returned to the underground chamber.
The battle...
Was over.
As the demonoid's body fell to the ground, silence once again filled the underground chamber.
I let out a long breath.
"It's over..."
But the moment I relaxed-
A sharp pain suddenly erupted from deep within my chest.
"Ghk...!"
My eyes widened as the pain rapidly spread throughout my entire body.
It felt as though every muscle and bone was screaming in protest.
My legs gave out beneath me.
Thud.
I dropped to one knee, clutching my chest as I struggled to breathe.
"What the hell..."
I gritted my teeth in pain.
"...is going on with my body?"
My breathing became uneven as sweat dripped from my forehead.
As the pain became more severe, I dispelled the crimson armor covering my forearms.
The mana surrounding my arms dissolved into countless particles of light before fading away.
Almost immediately...
The unbearable pain began to subside.
"Haa..."
"Haa..."
I remained on one knee for a few moments, catching my breath as the pain slowly faded from my body.
I looked at my trembling hands.
"That was intense."
After taking a few deep breaths, I slowly rose to my feet.
The chamber was finally silent.
I glanced one last time at the demonoid's lifeless body before waving my hand.
I returned my sword to my Item Box, leaving my hands empty once again.