Chapter 96. Stubborn Bastard (2)

Swish.

Rinne wiped away a bead of sweat trickling down her cheek with her hand.

The Black Chain members opposing her were indeed worthy of their reputation as the special task force of the Holy Kingdom.

Individually, they possessed skills similar to knights, but when they combined their efforts, their capabilities far surpassed expectations.

Yet, the reason Rinne could hold out against the two of them was that she could somewhat mitigate their offensive with the quality of her 'aura'.

"You're holding out surprisingly well."

However, it wouldn't last much longer.

Her total mana was limited, and as it depleted, the fight became increasingly taxing.

"Wow, to think someone so young is holding her ground like this. She's about my daughter's age."

Even while speaking with such severity, swinging their swords with deadly precision, they exuded an unexpected human warmth.

Unconcerned with that, Rinne drew out the aura dispersed throughout her body.

'A battle of attrition is dangerous now.'

Unless she could eliminate more than one opponent in a single strike, she couldn't guarantee victory.

"Let's end this pointless fight here."

Amidst it all, one of the Black Chain members, who seemed a bit more casual, spoke up.

"End it here? They must be trying to lure me into complacency."

Rinne thought so, but the two Black Chain members lowered their weapons.

"What are you up to?"

"The reason for the fight has changed. That's all."

The reason had changed?

"...... Aren't you the special task force taking orders from the High Priest?"

"That's right. To be precise, we take orders from all the High Priests."

"What does that mean?"

"Not all High Priests think the same way as Garot."

At the sudden voice, Rinne turned her head.

"Greetings to High Priestess Shalana."

Simultaneously, the two Black Chain members, who had been opposing her until now, knelt and showed respect.

"Knight from another land, though it's regrettable to meet like this, it's nice to meet you."

The woman appearing to be middle-aged, high Priestess Shalana, greeted Rinne first.

Around her were many attendants, one even holding a parasol over her.

"As the words of the Black Chains suggested earlier, there's no longer a reason to fight. From now on, those Black Chain members prioritize my command over Garot's."

"...... High Priest Garot? Are you saying all that occurred is because of him?"

"Yes."

Shalana nodded once at Rinne's shock.

"Oh, and please don't think his actions represent our entire Holy Kingdom. People tend to pursue personal interests before national or public interests, right?"

You dare say that? A priestess of the Holy Kingdom?

Rinne almost spat those words but decided against it. She had barely enough strength left to hold her sword, much less argue.

"So, what's your purpose here?"

Still harboring hostility, Rinne glared at High Priestess Shalana.

"Hoho, it seems you're a bit too young to think clearly."

Swoosh.

Shalana unfolded her fan.

"By hearing what's been said so far, you can guess, can't you? We aim to fix High Priest Garot's unexpected actions."

Rinne almost furrowed her brow but restrained herself.

"Go to the underground and bring back the relic 'Inscribed Lies' that Garot illegally took out."

"Yes, high Priestess."

After ordering the Black Chain members, Shalana turned her gaze to Rinne.

"What will you do, young knight? How about safely heading to the Sanctum of Rites with me?"

"After what just happened, you call that place safe?"

In response to Rinne's venomous words, Shalana gently shook her fan.

"Hoho, then do as you please."

"Yes, I will do as I please, auntie."

"...... Auntie?"

Crack.

After spitting the provocative word at Shalana, who continued to emphasize her youth, Rinne noticed the wrinkles on her face becoming pronounced.

"Ho, hoho... Looks like the young really do lack depth in thought. If the situation were different, I'd have some harsh words... Hey! Listen until I finish!"

Shalana, who had been using her fan to hide the wrinkles around her mouth as much as possible, shouted at Rinne, who headed toward the underground without listening to her until the end.

***

Though she barged in here, Rinne, being new to the Myriad Arena, had no idea where the entrance to the underground was.

"Hey, over here."

It was the Black Chain members who had been crossing swords with her moments ago that started guiding her.

With no choice, Rinne followed them down but did not lower her guard.

She hadn't forgiven them for chasing and challenging her with swords yet.

"Don't be too hostile. We didn't do it because we wanted to, you know. It was an order from above, and we had no choice."

"I suppose if commanded, you'd kill people too?"

"If it's an order, yes. It's not because we want to kill, right? There are no such lunatics in our task force."

"There might be."

"Well, maybe one or two."

At their words, Rinne recalled at least one person.

Yulian, who had gone to rescue Prince Eulsis. Would he be alright?

If it's him... he would be fine. Probably.

He was called the Blade of the Royal Family, the grinning executioner, with notorious fame yet unmatched swordsmanship.

Perhaps, like before, he might handle things independently and wait for her with that sly smile.

"...... Ugh."

Thinking such thoughts, descending the stairs following the Black Chain members, Rinne was greeted by a fierce wave of demonic energy.

It was likely for demons seen when visiting the capital for the first time.

However, the level of energy was too strong for a dull demon.

Though dizzy from the inexplicable situation, she couldn't stop descending.

Eventually, after reaching the underground, her anxiety turned into a harsh reality.

An expanse broad enough not to be considered underground. It was littered with demon corpses and blood, the stench overwhelming to the point of headache-inducing.

And in the center stood a massive humanoid demon.

It seemed to be the source of the oppressive demonic energy she felt.

― Dead. Am I dead?

It uttered strange, garbled words, clutching something resembling a human in its hand, stained vividly red.

"What on earth happened here?"

Whizz.

At one's muttering, the demon's head turned this way.

Three horns.

'A tri-horned demon.'

Just as the difference between uni-horned and bi-horned demons is enormous, the gap between bi-horned and tri-horned is like heaven and earth.

These demons possessed unique attributes, hence, even a group of skilled knights found them difficult to kill.

"Damn...!"

The accompanying Black Chain member cursed under their breath, seemingly terrified.

'Where's the prince?'

Seeing the number of horns and assessing the lack of chances for victory, Rinne swept her gaze around.

Fortunately, he was collapsed at a distance from the tri-horned demon.

'Then, where's Yulian?'

Searching again, she found him much like Eulsis, collapsed and at a distance, but...

"This... can't be."

Seeing his condition, Rinne almost lost herself.

In the dim light, she couldn't discern life or death, but several spear-like objects had impaled his torso.

Such wounds would be fatal to anyone.

However, she needed to prioritize Prince Eulsis over him.

She was, after all, a member of the prince's escort.

...... She knew it. She understood the logic.

Yet, Rinne's steps moved towards him.

"Sir Yulian!"

"I'm alright...... ugh."

Approaching closer, Yulian's state was far more dire than anticipated.

Three spear-like objects protruded from his body, narrowly missing the heart, but all were in areas that could be deemed as mortal wounds.

'D-Don't pull them out.'

Rinne managed to halt her instinctual urge to remove them.

Pulling them out would undoubtedly lead to fatal blood loss.

What should I do?

"What's to be done?"

One of the Black Chain members muttered, seemingly in shared thought.

"What's to be done? You're planning to fight a tri-horned demon? The priests seem dead, so we just need to retrieve the relic as ordered by Shalana."

They nodded at each other, then dashed toward the prince.

― Grrk."

The tri-horned demon, motionless until now, began to move at last.

Yet, instead of targeting the Black Chain members, burning with demonic energy and hostility, its first action was not aimed at them.

Whiz, thud──!

A sharp item issued from the demon's hand.

Ascertaining that it was akin to the 'spears' impaled in Yulian's body, it was already too late.

Boom, crash!

They collapsed the entrance they descended, sealing the way out.

"It blocked the exit......"

The Black Chain member, who retrieved a laurel from the collapsed Eulsis's head, muttered a curse.

"When demons gain a second horn, their intelligence heightens unreasonably so."

Rinne found herself murmuring instinctively, as if recalling something heard before.

She tried to stay focused, but in this desperate situation, no solution emerged.

'What would the master have done here.......'

Such thoughts tried calming her mind, but her pounding heart refused to settle.

The word 'Sword Saint' which always magically aided her felt stripped of its former reverence.

Demon transformation and asylum in the Holy Kingdom.

This once revered title was no longer the 'Sword Saint' she remembered.

'If it were you, what would you have done?'

Glancing briefly.

Rinne turned her gaze to the fallen Yulian.

'...... Huh?'

She noticed something unusual.

Black, shadow-like entities writhed, seemingly filling his wounds.

'A magical, living organism?'

Oddly enough, Rinne didn't find the 'black shadow' unfamiliar.

Moreover, she vaguely sensed that it acted to revive Yulian.

'If I could buy time.......'

Could he stand up again? Could they overcome this desperate situation?

She wasn't sure. But surely.

"We must fight. If it's a tri-horned demon, there's likely a core—a Soul Stone. If we destroy it, it will cease functioning."

Running wasn't an option. More precisely, there was no escaping.

The Black Chain members nodded in agreement with Rinne.

"To end up cooperating with someone the same age as my daughter after fighting..."

Drawing their curved swords again, they summoned energy from within.

Likewise, Rinne readied herself, sword drawn.

"That demon seems capable of generating spears within its body."

"Somehow, dodging those spears and breaking the core is key."

"Yes."

― Keuk, kikik."

The trembling breath of the demon derided their resolve.

Intelligence meant it could ridicule its adversaries. Surely, it wasn't a mere delusion.

"Only one shot at this."

"I should've taken a leave, seeing how this unfolded."

Assessing the collapse of the entrance, the Black Chain members realized the spear's formidable power and caught their breath.

"Let's go!"

With Rinne's shout, the three of them launched forward, pounding the ground.

It seemed the two, having adapted to each other's movements, knew how to divert the demon's attention, as they attacked from opposite sides.

― Grrk."

Thus, the first target of the tri-horned demon was the Black Chain member advancing to the left.

Thunk──!

There was the booming sound like a catapult launching, and a spear fired from the demon's body.

Its speed was immeasurably fast, far exceeding visual tracking.

"Gahhh!"

The Black Chain member was hit in the leg by a spear and flung far away.

Meanwhile, the distance closed.

If they engaged, might there be hope?

It was uncertain, but merely taking a beating was not an option.

"Damn......!"

The remaining Black Chain member leapt into the air towards the demon.

Thunk──!

Another spear shot at him from the demon.

"Ugh!"

He barely twisted his body mid-air to evade, but the force hurled him toward the entrance.

'Thank you.'

Rinne realized the Black Chain member leapt to distract the demon, enabling her close proximity.

"Hup......!"

Squeezing out every ounce of aura from her body, she pooled it into her sword.

Her sword, laden with refined aura, burst with blue light like a flicker.

There was no stepping back anymore.

With this mindset, she aimed her sword at the demon's left chest where she deemed the 'core' resided.

Clang──!

"Ah."

However, her attack was ineffective.

Her aura-infused sword could cut through steel, yet the demon's skin was tougher than any steel.

'...... The spear firing isn't this demon's peculiarity, after all.'

Indeed, the ability to harden its body was likely the demon's true attribute, with spear firing as merely supplemental.

― Kik, kikik, kikikik."

Silence engulfed the underground space.

Once silence akin to death descended, the demon's laughter resonated all the more.

― The spar is commencing...... commencing.

Uttering inexplicable words, the demon swung its arm.

In an attempt to avoid the attack, Rinne retreated, noting the oddity in the demon's actions.

'It could have killed, but didn't.'

"Does it mistake this as a game or what."

Regarding the demon's actions, the Black Chain member who had bought them time muttered.

"A game?"

"Yes, this is the final destination of demons used in the Myriad Arena. It seems to remember what it heard there. Keheuk."

Spitting out blood, he cracked a bitter smile.

He recognized it, too.

The indecency of combat between demons or demons and humans.

"This sure turned into a mess."

"...... If you've realized, then hush."

Rinne instructed sharply, shifting her gaze to the demon.

'Play? Is it a game?'

With this clash, she keenly felt how powerful the tri-horned demon was.

It had been a full-throttle attack.

Even to make that strike, the special task force members sacrificed themselves, creating an opening.

'Yet the demon perceived this series of actions as mere amusement?'

It was infuriating. Terrifying, as well.

The prospect of a grim future should this play end scared her senseless.

'Still, you wouldn't give up, would you?'

That was the Yulian she knew.

Owner of an insatiable, monstrous zest for combat far beyond human limits.

'At least find a way to save Prince Eulsis......'

― The Hyrans family's......

Then, the voice of the tri-horned demon altered.

Now clearer and seemingly imitating something human.

― Greatness must be acknowledged.

Released from it was an uncontainable, powerful hostility.

Intensity resembling 'hatred' itself.

"...... How is he standing?"

A Black Chain member's soliloquy reached Rinne's ears as she turned her gaze toward where the demon's attention drifted.

"Sir Yulian?"

There stood Yulian, still in tatters, his body appearing ready to collapse any moment.

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