Chapter 142: The Resolution to Fight an Evil God (1/2)

Gula gave no details about the benefit she was offering. Loren had tried to get her talking, but she had said nothing other than it would be something good.

Even though Loren had every intention to pursue the matter, he was worried that Gula would tell him ‘I’ll just fight Luxuria myself then’ if he complained. So, for the time being, he had no choice but to trust her words.

As Loren readied his sword and stepped forward to face Luxuria, the Evil God looked at him with a strangely hot gaze. It gave Loren chills, not only in his spine and guts but all over his body. He still managed to glare at him though, and the Evil God muttered following before letting out a passionate sigh:

“It’ll be wonderful if you continue to glare at me like this.”

From the bottom of his heart, Loren wanted to run away and cry, but he couldn’t. He wondered what sin he had committed to be cornered into a predicament like this, but there was no answer.

“First of all, how long can you make it in your current condition?”

Lapis, who was standing next to a happy-looking Gula, asked him worriedly. She was still looking pale, and was holding her fists close to her chest. Loren raised his sword, thinking the only good thing in this whole situation was that Lapis wasn’t involved and.

“I’m going…”

“You’re welcome at any time, and any place.”

Luxuria fluttered his hand to beckon Loren, and Loren kicked at the ground and thrust his sword forward.

Since Loren tried as hard as possible to not get close, his first attack was a thrust that made use of the greatsword’s length. The movement would be minimum, and he could attack from a two arm’s length distance.

That was what Loren had expected, but his eyes widened in surprise when Luxuria easily knocked his sword down to the ground with just one hand.

Loren still kept his grip on the hilt but with both arms thrust out, his balance was lost. He forcibly lifted up the blade and slash upwards at Luxuria. But his sword was easily pushed off track by a swat from Luxuria, and Loren himself leapt to the side as if he had been hit by the rebounded sword.

Luxuria’s fist appeared where Loren’s head had been just a moment ago. Right after swatting Loren’s sword away, Luxuria had stepped in and struck him with such incredible speed that his eyes hadn’t been able to catch it. Loren had somehow managed to dodge the blow and Luxuria, who was still in his fist-out stance, looked at him with a broad grin on his face.

“Nice reflex. You’ll surely cry out nicely.”

Loren fixed his grip on the sword while wondering if this was what a predator being hunted by another predator felt like. In that sense, it was similar to dealing with Gula, but this guy brought fatal mental damage while Gula brought physical danger.

Loren wondered which was the lesser of two evils while commencing his next attack.

This time, it was a close range slash from the side, where the sword point would only graze Luxuria. There was no need for a proper blow in this battle, as Luxuria would admit defeat as long as he took one hit. Luxuria himself would decide if the blow was half-assed or not, but Loren believed it was important to strike him once anyway.

However, the blade’s trajectory was once again changed with just a tap from the Evil God.

Loren was able to maintain his almost-lost posture but deep down, he was astonished. The greatsword’s weight and his strength had been incorporated into the slash. The force was enough to dent a shield, and if his opponent was to receive it with a sword, it could cut both sword and wielder into halves. And yet, Luxuria had brushed off the blade with just one single movement as if it had been a twig. His expression hadn’t even changed, and he had been bare-handed.

Loren wondered what he should do with such an exceptional being of an opponent while making another attack. But it was also brushed off by Luxuria, properly and easily.

Loren was thinking there was no way he could win this when Gula told him:

“Use self-boost!”

He tried to remember the sensation Lapis had taught him.

Recalling the feeling of something that was probably magic spreading to every nook and corners of his body, Loren raised his greatsword and moved with a speed completely different from before.

Luxuria didn’t seem particularly surprised; he simply repelled Loren’s strike with one palm, and the sword was once again swatted away without leaving so much as a cut on the Evil God’s skin. But unlike before, Luxuria’s own hand was also knocked away with force.

Even so, the Evil God only looked surprised for a very short while. He immediately pulled his hand back and warded off Loren’s second, then third attack with ease.

“Your muscles are very nice, but you don’t put enough love into them.”

“Don’t talk. I’m about to throw up.”

Loren ground his teeth and put all his strength into the next attack, but it once again failed to get past the Luxuria’s hand defense to touch his body.

In the first place, the speed of Luxuria’s hands and Loren’s sword was too different. No matter how fast Loren tried to swing his sword, Luxuria’s bare hands would never be slower. Loren’s attacks, which couldn’t even graze the Evil God’s palms, simply couldn’t reach his body.

“Can I perform some counterattacks? Don’t worry, I’ll nurse you properly if you become unable to move.”

“I’m seriously horrified. If I can’t move, just leave me alone!”

Loren swung his greatsword while screaming out those words. Luxuria caught the blade with one hand. Loren was unable to move, and the Evil God drove his log-like leg into Loren’s flank.

Surprisingly, the force was absorbed by the jacket Loren was wearing; most of it didn’t reach his body at all. But there was still the impact of being kicked: Loren was literally blown off to the side, and he rolled around on the ground a couple of times.