11 Chapter 11: Dead or Alive (1/2)
”Hurry up and run,” I told the dark elf commander and her subordinates, who were stunned by the exchange between Tsukishima and myself.
”You know one of Evelyn's Chosen? She knows you?”
”We're old enemies.” I closed my eyes briefly, bitterly recalling her betrayal along with Minamoto Kureha. ”I have a score to settle with her.”
”Score to settle? You're just trash. Die!”
Tsukishima Tomoyo blasted my Dark Barrier with another of her corruptive energies. Another explosion flared up in the clearing, but had little effect.
”Hurry up and leave,” I told the dazed demons, who were still rooted in a stupor. ”I can't hold her off forever.”
”Are you kidding me?” the leader snapped. ”How do I now you aren't planning to trick us? Acting like enemies in front of us to prove your loyalty, but you're actually secretly collaborating with her so that you can infiltrate us!”
It seemed that my Machiavellian Charisma wasn't working. Even with the 50% bonus, its level wasn't high enough to convince the dark elf commander to obey me. So there were restrictions, after all. It wasn't as simple as me getting cheat abilities.
I was worried about how that would translate into a battle between myself and the more experienced Tsukishima, but I decided to gamble everything on it.
”If you want to remain behind and get caught in the crossfire, be my guest,” I replied with a shrug. ”But I'm not going to waste energy or time protecting you guys.”
”Whoa!”
”Let's go!”
The demonic subordinates were not as stubborn as their commander, and were already fleeing when another blast from Tsukishima flared against my barrier. Once they were out of harm's way, I dismissed the barrier.
”Ah!”
The commander was forced to leap away when Tsukishima's spell lanced toward her. As for me, I dove in the opposite direction, rolling on the floor and closing in the distance.
”You think I'll let you? Shadow Bind!”
Slamming the blunt end of her magical staff against the ground, Tsukishima unleased dozens of shadowy tendrils from the ground, the shadows snaking upward to ensnare me. Drawing my sword, I sliced through them.
”What…? How is he slicing through my Shadow Bind?”
Tsukishima's eyes widened momentarily as she watched me cleave through her network of shadows. Relying on Dark Weapon Mastery to dictate my movements, I subconsciously weaved through the shadows and closed in on my opponent. Gritting her teeth, Tsukishima raised her staff and hurled a bolt of corrosive energy at me.
I was too close to dodge so I merely cut through the bolt with my sword. Tsukishima burst out laughing when she saw that.
”How naïve. My Dark Decay spell will destroy whatever it comes into contact with. Even your weapon!”
”Fetid Field!”
I stumbled backward, trying to cut through the black wave with my sword, but Tsukishima sent another bolt of energy right into my gut, sending me hurtling several meters backward. I crashed into a tree, the impact uprooting it and causing it to fall on top of me in a shower of splinters.
”Ugh…”
”How are you still alive?” Tsukishima demanded as she studied me keenly. Despite receiving her spells directly, there was no sign of decay or corruption. I had only suffered physical injuries at best. Even my sword was still in one piece.
”Because you're weak?” I offered. Tsukishima scowled and took another step forward, her staff glowing ominously.
”Just die already!”
She blasted me with another bolt of her Dark Decay, but I merely deflected it with my sword. The dark elf commander, who lingered close by, jumped when the deflected beam struck the ground near her, causing the grass to blacken and wilt immediately.
”How…?”
Both girls were staring at me skeptically now, bewildered over my apparent immunity to Tsukishima's spells and curses. I wiped the blood from my mouth and shrugged.
”I wonder. Like I said, maybe you're too weak.”
In reality, I knew the reason. My Lord of Darkness special ability, which increased my resistance to dark-type spells by 200%. With such an overpowered buff, the effects of Tsukishima's corrosive spells were drastically reduced.
That didn't mean I was completely immune to it, though. I could feel pain shooting across my body as the eldritch energies ate their way through my system. I could suppress them and heal myself after a while, but under constant bombardment, I would eventually succumb to the accumulated weight of Tsukishima's curses despite my unnaturally high resistance to her affinity. I needed to think of a way to beat her before that. In a battle of attrition, Tsukishima would surely have the upper hand.
However, she didn't need to know that.
I charged forward with my sword, slashing at Tsukishima as best as I could. She parried it with her staff, and then twirled it with surprising skill, sweeping the end at me and tripping me up. I was forced to jump over her staff, but she then abruptly changed the direction of her attack and thrust the blunt end of her staff at me. I knocked it away with the hilt of my sword, but she spun it around and cracked it against my head.
”Gah!”
I staggered, but managed to recover just in time to block the next attack. However, despite being a girl, Tsukishima was clearly physically stronger than I was. Perhaps it was all the training she received, or some form of magical enhancement. Whatever the case, I realized that I couldn't beat her in a contest of brute strength.
”Huff!”
Tsukishima blasted me with another Fetid Field spell again before spinning around and cracking her staff against my skull. I barely managed to block the long, thick weapon with my sword, but its blade snapped.
”…!”
”Hah! Finally! I told you that your sword will eventually be destroyed by my spell!”
Crowing, Tsukishima struck me with her staff. Despite crossing my arms and blocking the blow, the raw power behind Tsukishima's struck hurled me across the clearing and sent me crashing into the woods, near the dark elf's position.
”Ugh…”
Groaning, I lay in the small crater that I had smashed into, wincing from the tremendous pain that threatened to drown my consciousness in a crimson haze. I tried to stand, but I found that my arms were broken. Tsukishima's blow had shattered the bones on my arms, and by God, did it hurt like hell. I almost blacked out from the pain, falling back onto the ground.
”Hey! Are you all right?”
”Y…yeah.” I glanced at her with a frown. ”You're still here? Aren't you afraid of getting caught up in our fight?”
”You seem confident,” the dark elf countered. ”Why? The opponent is a Chosen of the goddess of humans, Evelyn, you know? And you're getting beaten up so one-sidedly! That's enough, you've proven your loyalty. It's time to retreat to safety!”
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
”Tsukishima will catch up with us,” I replied wearily. ”There's no way we can outrun her. I've to defeat her here and now.”
”Where are you getting all that confidence from?” the commander watched me curiously, her fingers tightening around her staff. ”You…don't seem to be one of us.”
”I'm not. But I'm not one of them either.” My arms had finally straightened up, and I flinched as the Regeneration kicked in, piecing the fragments of my broken bones together and knitting torn flesh and muscle. The dark elf gazed at the astonishing sight, dumbfounded.
”High-speed regeneration?”
”I told you I'm an undead.” Testing my arms warily, I confirmed that they were restored before I hopped back to my feet. ”Don't worry. I'll show you that I can defeat a hero.”
”Heh…if you really can pull that off, I'll want to watch it to the end.” The commander stared at me, steely resolve hardening in her eyes. ”It's worth the risk.”
I didn't need her to explain the reason. Any demon who could defeat a hero would spark hope in the defeated demon's army and prove that they were capable of mounting a comeback despite the fall of their lord. He would be a symbol, a hero for the demons who would carry the burden of the entire race on his back.
I didn't want such a role, but if it would gain me an army and a large number of allies, then I would do whatever it took.
”What are you guys talking about here?”
Tsukishima Tomoyo strolled through the woods. Raising her staff, she fired another bolt of corrosive energy at me, but I merely slapped it away with my bare hands. My skin singed a little, but didn't decay like the grass and trees around me. Tsukishima narrowed her eyes as she stopped to study me. Holding her staff with both hands, she prepared to attack.
”I don't know how you're resisting my curses, but it seems that physical attacks are still effective against you. Well, it'll be great to bludgeon trash like you to death.”
”You really enjoy thrashing trash, don't you?” I remarked wryly.
”Shut up!” Tsukishima screamed and flung herself at me. I dove to the side and hit the ground, rolling, even as her staff left craters in the ground. Yanking her staff up, Tsukishima swung the deadly weapon in my direction, attempting to club me to death. I jumped back, the tip of her staff just narrowly grazing my chest.
”Your staff is understaffed.”
”I told you to shut up! You think you're funny?”