Chapter 57: Winter Flower (3) (1/2)

I forgot to clarify it last chapter, but Kamael’s ‘clone’ is something like a doppelgänger. And not some scientifically-made clone. It’s a bit close to Naruto’s shadow clones (kage bunshin).

Saluzia stood on the cliff, where Jude and Cordelia had jumped, and clenched her fists.

She was crushing the crow’s black feathers within her grasp.

“Kamael, the Ghostblade.”

It was unlikely that it was his real body.

It was only 15 days ago that he was spotted in the southern part of the Sälen Kingdom. Even if he suddenly appeared and disappeared like a ghost to hide his movements, he would still be not be able to quickly come to the northernmost part from the southernmost part within 15 days.

“Don’t give up. I can still capture her.”

As the branch head herself, she couldn’t leave this place without delivering any results.

Talking to herself, she threw the crow feathers she had crushed into a mess onto the ground as she thought.

‘Catch Cordelia.’

In addition, she’ll eliminate the clone of Kamael, one of the main forces of the Guardians of the Holy Cross, which was her organization’s enemy.

This much would be a considerable achievement. It was still too early for her to give up.

And that was the moment.

“Caaw!”

Saluzia immediately raised her head at the crow’s shrill cry. A flock of crows were moving fast in the air from afar.

As if it were luring and provoking her.

“How funny, Kamael.”

Saluzia sharpened her eyes at the flock of crows as she glared at it with a piercing look.

She couldn’t just let that flock of crows leave.

Because there was a possibility that Cordelia was with him.

She couldn’t just let Kamael’s clone leave as it is.

“I won’t let you escape.”

Splendid and enormous deer-like horns sprouted from Saluzia’s head. At the same time, devil’s wings spread out from behind her back.

It was the demonization of the high-ranking demonic human.

That alone shook the atmosphere of the surrounding area. A purple evil aura rose like flames from Saluzia’s whole body as it tainted the ground and sky. The snow in the snowfield completely melted.

Saluzia flew up.

As she pursued the flock of crows, she mulled over.

‘It was you.’

The one who defeated Sisioth at Frost Anvil.

The one who wiped out the demonic humans and monsters.

She understood it now.

It was impossible for Jude and Cordelia to defeat Sisioth with the full power that they displayed in Langesthei.

Because those two were no match to the low-ranking demonic humans that she had dispatched together.

In fact, even Lucas who was widely known as the Girin of Count Hræsvelgr, couldn’t even properly fight against a low-ranking demonic human.

‘He’s just a rookie who had only began to learn martial arts.’

In fact, if Jude fought her, he wouldn’t be able to hit her even if he used all his power.

It was Cordelia whom she looked out for, but in the end, Cordelia was just an inexperienced novice wizard.

It didn’t make sense for such two people to defeat the demon and demonic humans in succession.

‘It was you, Kamael.’

You were hunting the Devil’s Hand with the two as bait.

Saluzia’s suspicion soon turned into a conviction. She was worked up as her pursuit became faster.

Dozens of light blades rose from her purple evil aura and suddenly attacked the flock of crows, but the flock of crows magnificently danced in the air and soon became one as it landed on the ground.

The Ghostblade revealed his appearance among the dozens of crows.

“Kamael.”

Saluzia also settled down on the ground. Kamael drew a magic sword from the air and faced Saluzia with an indifferent look.

“Are you alone? That’s stupid. Did you think Cordelia could run away if you held me back?”

Saluzia herself did not come alone. Among the branch’s troops, only the elite came and gathered here.

Kamael knew it too. While he was flying on the way here, he saw Saluzia’s subordinates scattered all over the place.

The Jackdaws guarding the north were looking out beyond the border, and not those who were inside the border.

Moreover, it was almost impossible to get the help of the Jackdaws as this was a deserted place with very few people.

Therefore, Jude and Cordelia could only break through the siege of the Devil’s Hand with their strength alone.

Impossible.

Something like that couldn’t happen.

What could those two children do at best?

Saluzia’s arguments weren’t generally wrong.

They were correct statements.

But Kamael replied with a calm expression.

“They said yes.”

“What?”

“They said they could run away.”

Or rather, it wasn’t just that. Jude had said that he would definitely break through.

And one more thing.

An important fact that he learned while correcting the distortion of the Sunflower.

“Yin-Yang Body.”

He was an existence who had the potential to inherit and possess both Landius’ extreme Yang energy and Kamael’s extreme Yin energy.

That was it. Kamael didn’t drag it any longer.

Like when he was with Landius, he showed a faint smile and held the sword he had pulled out.

He said in provocation to Saluzia.

“Come.”

I will fight you alone.

Saluzia burst into anger at the eyes that belittled her. She charged towards Kamael.

***

Jude ran.

A simple action of moving forward by spurring on the ground with his two feet.

But it was different.

The feeling itself has changed from before.

His hands and feet felt free.

There was a pleasure that came from the fact that he can move his own body in the way that he truly wanted.

It wasn’t just that.

His whole body was overflowing with strength.

The circulation of Qi energy became faster. He thought that all the martial arts he had used so far were fake.

“Chu-pa-ha!”

Yelling a cry with an unknown meaning, Jude stepped forward. With a bright smile, he carried out the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.

It was the genuine Twenty-Four Gale Steps!

Baang-!

The air burst.

More than ten gusts of wind spread out in all directions, and in the meantime, Jude became a gale. Without hesitation, he swept towards the enemies in front of him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Peals of thunder burst out.

In the place where the gale swept, the heads and necks of the Hellhounds were broken. And then without fail, a golden whirlwind rose and swept around.

Cordelia couldn’t even see him properly.

In her eyes as a wizard, it was impossible to accurately observe Jude’s movement.

He swiftly moved and faced head-on.

He faced the Hellhound head-on.