Episode 104: The Night of Purge (3)
“Ugh… … .”
Knox’s upper teeth dug into his lower lip. Blood seeped between his teeth, giving him a metallic taste. He slowly let go of his brother.
Assassins are certainly those who are infinitely close to death.
The act of taking another’s life.
No matter how justified their reasons, they always had to be prepared for death.
Because that was the karma he had to bear as an assassin.
But determination and reality are two completely different things.
Knox slowly raised his eyes. His sunken pupils ignited with a bright red glow. Blood vessels rose in his wide-open eyes.
Knox strained his eyes to gauge the blackout curtain on the inside of the door.
He wanted to take a step right away, but he held back. He wasn’t foolish enough to jump in when he didn’t even know what was going on.
My skin tingled as my senses sharpened.
My feet instinctively stepped back at the fierce and ominous air seeping out through the crack in the door.
‘…horsepower.’
The magical power was incomparable to the one just now when the patrol car arrived. The air was so cold that it was almost pitch black.
As he was staring at the door, Al’Tair spoke to him.
“Knox, don’t be emotional.”
“…yes.”
“Before the enemy is identified, hide your excitement.”
A voice that seemed calm. However, Al’Tair’s expression was distorted, unlike the voice.
Kanggeomma, looking at the sight, could feel the old man’s emotions.
‘anger.’
Even the most accomplished assassin had his mind cracked by the death of his family. Al’Tair held back his emotions.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
From inside, applause echoed in all directions.
Soon after, multiple new types emerged from the darkness.
“Hey, as expected from the head of the family of order, his attitude is different. Even when his grandson dies, he speaks like that. Are you emotionless?”
Amidst the warm wind, a man with dark skin began to laugh and cry.
Kang Geum-ma narrowed his eyes. It was a face he was seeing for the first time.
However, there was no doubt that the author was the one who caused the disaster.
A man who emanates monstrous magical power from his entire body. He holds a torn arm in one hand and a magic weapon in the other.
Al’Tair’s eyes turned towards the man’s gaze, and then his expression crumpled without mercy.
“… … .”
“Oh, this?”
The man shrugged his shoulders as he felt the gaze. Then he threw away his severed arm as if he were throwing away trash. There was a sound of flesh and metal hitting the floor.
“Auditore, you guys are so damn annoying. It’s a good thing we have so many of them. If we had fewer of them, we would have lost. And we even use magic. I was thinking of taking an arm as a souvenir, but I’ll just give it to you. Bury it in a sunny place.”
“Inoooom!”
Al’Tair let out a roar.
The extreme anger turned into an overwhelming murderous intent and aimed for the man. Then, the man suddenly waved his hand.
“Hey, what kind of old lady is that scary? Hey-! I can’t do this alone. Everyone has to come out!”
The man shouted at her back.
Thud, thud.
The sound of several footsteps is heard late.
“… … !”
A moment later, about fifteen men stood in a row on either side of the man, their eyes shining with a sinister light.
They are all villains. Almost all the internal enemies hiding in the Academy have gathered together.
As the line formed, a look of pride spread across the man’s face. He opened his eyes and crossed his arms. The man opened his mouth eagerly.
“Even if he is the lord of Adirote, how can he do business in front of Dagul? Anyway, that professor’s son, he may be unlucky, but he’s smart. How can he time the enemy’s arrival so well, right?”
The man spilled arsenic. The rest of the villains frowned and ignored his words. The man scratched his head.
“Oh my, those uncooperative kids. Well, all villains are like this. Hmm… But do these guys become villains, or do they become like this because they become villains… … .”
The man thought, touching his pitch-black temple. A useless question and answer. It was an act that could only come from leisure.
“… Well, I can’t come up with an answer by thinking about it alone, but what do you think, Elder? You must know since you’ve learned a lot.”
The man shouted at the back.
Cladi, who had been hiding inside, peeked out. He took a moment to think about his words, then answered humbly.
“Well, aren’t you all great people, half-human and half-horse? You even made a contract with the commander of the legion.”
“Uh-huh, is that so? I don’t think that answers the question, but-it feels good to hear such praise from the elders who know me.”
“… Haha, I’m glad you liked it.”
“Well, enough of the rambling. Elder Claude, you owe us something. You have to pay us back handsomely later. If you don’t, I know you’ll be upset.”
Cladi nodded quickly at the man’s small threat.
At that sight, bloodshot eyes welled up on Al’Tair’s forehead. Soon, he poured out all the emotions he had been holding back.
“Cladi! No matter how rotten you are, how can you join hands with such scum!”
“Shut up! You lowly bastard trying to teach the elders a lesson! And you dare to raid the elders’ annex. After tonight, I will personally exterminate the Adirote family!”
“Ha, you’ve heard all sorts of things from that piece of trash who clung to the demon tribe like a parasite. Your father, who died gloriously while subduing Basmon 40 years ago, will wail in hell. You should know shame!”
At those words, Claudia’s face turned pale, then quickly turned bright red.
His face, already flushed with alcohol, turned red with shame. He shouted, his neck blushing.
“This lowly guy’s baby, you have my father!”
“stop.”
The man in front cut off the conversation, as if he couldn’t listen any longer.
“Ha, but that guy!”
As Cladi continued to growl in frustration, the man’s eyes grew cold.
“Hey, Elder. You keep using the honorific ‘sir’ after me. Do you really think I’m superior to you?”
“… … .”
“I’m keeping you alive because it’ll be easier to clean up after those guys, not because you’re competent.”
Claudia bit her lips, then pursed them.
His eyebrows quivered with horror and contempt. The man glanced at him briefly and then turned his gaze to the road ahead.
‘That kid.’
The black-haired genius top student, Kang Geom-ma.
It was my first time seeing it up close, but it was clear at first glance that it was something out of the ordinary.
While the two assassins are furious, only that bastard stands firm. With his low, calm black eyes, he measures our strength.
‘The bowl candidate is a bit different… … .’
Even before he defeated Mao Lang of the Iron Horn, he was already the second most watched target among the villains, next to Leon, the candidate for the hero.
In order for the legion commanders to descend into the realm of humanity, they needed a body of ice, the so-called ‘vessel’.
It was because Balor Joaquin blocked the border between the demon realm and the human world right after the end of the First World War.
As a result, humanity was able to maintain a truce with the Demons despite the imbalance in power.
But that tense atmosphere was gradually loosening over the long period of 700 years.
The legion commanders waited quietly for their time. They were near-immortal beings, free from the constraints of lifespan. Time was abundant.
And then, finally, the time came. A golden generation that had never been seen before or since entered Joaquin Academy. Including Leon, a candidate for the warrior class.
But something unexpected happened.
‘Ganggeomma.’
A cadet who pushed aside the brilliant golden generation and took first place. In addition, he is an unparalleled genius who defeated the Iron Horn’s Mao Lang in one go.
The eyes of the legion commanders who heard the news through the villains hiding inside the academy were filled with greed.
They commanded the stallions: if they offered Leon or the strong sword to them, they would grant them infinite glory.
At those words, the villains swore in joy that they would offer the vessel to their lord.
The man was a little excited. The villains standing next to him also had shining eyes. Their eyes were greedy, like a lynx that had found a solid prey.
‘Greedy little bastards.’
As he was scanning the faces of his competitors, the man suddenly felt goosebumps. He instinctively looked straight ahead.
“… … !”
The swordsman was glaring at him. He only took his gaze, but it felt like he had been cut by a blade. A shiver ran down his spine.
‘… What the heck is that kid!’
Meanwhile, Kanggeomma spoke softly to Al’taïr.
“My lord and Nox, please distract the enemy’s vision. If we push forward with speed, we will be able to overcome the numerical disadvantage to some extent.”
A brief look of surprise crossed the old man’s face at those words, but he soon nodded.
Al’Tair felt a deep sense of trust in the words of the boy who seemed young enough to be his grandson.
Kiiing⎯
Al’Tair pulled out a blade from his staff. S-class armed syndicate. The sound of it being pulled drew everyone’s attention to the old man.
Kaaaaang⎯
The cow roared again. It was the sound of Knox pulling out the Hongryundo.
He grabbed the hilt of the sword and drew blood on it.
To the left of the swordsman is the Old Man of the Mountain, Al’Tair di Auditore.
On his right, the greatest genius in Auditore’s history, Knox di Auditore, stood as his assistant.
“Those kids, they’re coming!”
When the signs appeared, the man shouted loudly.
Their numbers are five times greater. But the murderous intent they exude is darker and more vicious than the darkness of magic.
“… … !”
The other villains also took their time and formed up. Their eyes twitched as the scent of iron lingered in their nostrils.
A standoff situation was created in an instant.
Magic and murderous intent meshed in the air. In the midst of it all, Kanggeomma took a big step forward and grabbed the hilt of his sword.
Then, Kanggeomma looked straight at Claudy. Claudy’s pupils shook as he saw his black eyes shining with light.
The river sword has been debted so far.
The person who caused trouble not only for himself but also for those around him is there.
In addition, the villains who were lurking within the academy have gathered together. Isn’t this a perfect way to settle debt?
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a neck for a neck.
It is a natural tendency for a businessman to hate being in debt.
Of course, the situation was unfavorable, as they were outnumbered and each of them had incredible magical powers.
But for some reason, strength naturally filled the hand that was holding the sashimi. He was confident in the ability he had now demonstrated.
Maybe now I really enjoy fighting.
What do you think?
No matter how many enemies there are, no matter what they are.
“I’ll do the magic, so leave their heads to me.”
Kanggeomma opened his mouth softly to the two people on either side of him.
Kiririring⎯
Sashimi let out a final squeak.
A cool light flowed from the two blades.
Kang Geum-ma laughed silently.
[The protection of the Sword God is manifested.]
Although the standoff was blazing hot, there was some laughter.
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《May God bless you.》
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