Episode 255: The Art of Fighting (4)
“…angel?”
Permish muttered briefly and stood there dumbfounded, her neck arched back. While she was staring blankly, the number of shadows rising from the clouds continued to increase.
Dozens, hundreds, thousands. Eventually, the new white models, so swollen that it was difficult to count them with the naked eye, landed close to the road.
The angels’ feet were about a foot above the floor. They were not affected by gravity.
Flutter.
The angels folded their ivory wings as if they were crouching, then spread them out. Feathers flew. Pure white feathers fluttering like snowflakes. One of them lightly landed on Permush’s nose. She remained still with a dazed look in her eyes until that moment. The laughter had long since stopped, and Permush’s face was filled with shock. Pure white, like the feathers that had landed on her nose.
In the meantime, footsteps were heard one after another. With each step taken, the chaotic world slowly regained its stability and returned to its original state. The earth, the sky, and the sun were returning to their proper places.
Damn it.
The dark clouds, full of holes, scattered and shyly revealed their inner selves. The original color, the purple sunset, the time of purple haze.
Damn it.
Angels holding sashimi with both hands opened the path to the left and right. Kanggeomma walked along between the trees that at first glance looked like a white bleached road.
Black and white. The contrasting colors make the sense of reality disappear. The completely pale background creates an optical illusion that makes the black presence stand out.
Permish, whose face had turned pale, shook his head to clear his feathers, then bared his teeth fiercely.
“… It’s you. The human who killed Agor and Vesna. You’re the so-called spiritual successor of that arrogant brat, Balor Joaquin. And not only that-”
Permish said with his eyes having lost their composure.
“That little bug that monopolizes Lord Kuarn’s attention!”
“… … .”
Kanggeomma looked around the hell created by Permish with his black eyes. Heroes died. And they died in a very brutal way. Bursted, crushed, trampled. It was rare to find a complete corpse.
Suddenly.
My wisdom teeth clenched on their own.
If only I had been prepared a little sooner… wouldn’t I have died less? That thought passed his mind for a moment, and he shook his black head.
This was the best we could do. This wasn’t some kind of self-justification. After much discussion and evidence gathering, this was the only way to ensure that the greatest number of people would survive.
but.
Reason and rationality say so.
It is true that countless lives were lost.
“Permish.”
I am a knife wielder.
“Bear it.”
So I will honor their souls with a sword.
“Every single one of them, without leaving a single trace.”
* * *
Beep-
[The ‘human level’ has increased significantly.]
[The user level is still a bit low for the program to work perfectly.]
[The worldline is still a bit low level for the program to work perfectly.]
[One, a part of the ‘divine nature’ can be temporarily used as a catalyst for the ‘human nature’.]
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++++++++++++++++++++
《The Almighty Who Became a Boy》
《Set you free.》
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* * *
As soon as the soles of his feet touched the ground, Geomje quickly raised his head. He saw Ganggeomma surrounded by a group of angels on the long horizon. Geomje rubbed his eyes and looked in that direction again.
“It’s the same as back then… the time of Agora.”
No, it might be a little different from that time. The sword master was currently in a state of awakening the guardian. As his realm rose, his eyes also rose. That was why he couldn’t help but tremble even more. Now that he had a small understanding, compared to when he had no idea, he could clearly realize how far removed from reality the strong sword master was.
‘There is something in Kanggeomma that is not God.’
The prosecutor was certain.
‘Something beyond divinity.’
No other term comes to mind. A being greater than God. A difficult problem that is too presumptuous to even dare to think about. One thing is certain. The reality seen from the perspective of the awakened is the clearest evidence.
At that moment, Changseong climbed up the giant’s arm like a monkey. As Ganggeomma unleashed his extraordinary power, the giant stopped moving. It stopped working like a machine that had lost its power. It is unknown whether it was because of Permish’s confusion or Ganggeomma’s fault. In any case, thanks to this, the heroes were able to catch their breath, and Changseong was able to arrive at the scene just in time.
“Nibelung!”
Changseong came running, shouting urgently. Geomje, who was bending one knee, gestured as if it was okay. Then, he silently pointed to a certain place.
Changseong’s gaze slid down to his fingertips. Then he blinked his eyelids a couple of times. Just like Geomje had done, he rubbed his eyes and opened them wide. The friction made the area around his eyes red.
“…What is that?”
“The white one is an angel, the little one is a perm.”
“I didn’t ask that!”
The angel knew because he had been informed by Cheongeom yesterday. It was surprising that Permish looked like a kid, but it wasn’t him who caught his attention.
A massive presence that seemed like it would erase everything in the area. The strong sword was sucking in the background and the gaze like a center of gravity.
Space buckled as if unable to withstand the pressure of existence, and the road he was walking on rippled gently.
Even the main body of the Ganggeomma was not visible to the eye. Only a human figure with outlines, clad in a radiant white robe, could be seen.
“Mura, I guess you can’t see it.”
“I can’t see it. So tell me. What does it mean?”
Changseong was dumbfounded. Unlike Geomje, he was not yet an Awakened One.
“What could it be? It’s the Heavenly Sword.”
The inspector answered as he stood up with a jerk. His body was in shambles due to the reaction of awakening. However, even though he was uncomfortable moving, he had to move for now.
“Let’s get out of here first, as far away as possible. If we get too close, our necks will fall off.”
“…Why are you saying that? It’s like what I said to my subordinate earlier.”
“What… … .”
Just as the swordsman was about to ask, the angels rose high in unison, breaking the line. They floated into the sky and rushed at the golems that were causing havoc on the human land. Even the giants that had been deactivated had their arms cut off by the angels’ sashimi.
“I could not have guessed that the Igigi Sword was not intended to be a preemptive strike, but rather to send the sashimi into space and give it to them.”
Changseong said while watching the scene.
“You didn’t just see it now, you saw beyond it. Of course… you made a huge sacrifice, but you saved your last resort to reduce the damage. The one who is probably in the most mental pain right now is Cheongeom. That’s why he’s making that kind of expression.”
Changseong, who was supporting the swordsman, tilted his head.
“Can you see the expression of the Heavenly Sword in your eyes, Awakened One?”
“Not exactly, but vaguely. But I can feel that he’s angry even without looking at his face. His body feels tingly.”
“That’s the same to me… … Anyway, it seems like the operation was a success. What Kanggeomma said, ‘Since it’s an earth attribute, we need a unit that can intercept it from the air,’ is exactly right.”
“That’s right. And the power and speed of those angels that the association president discovered and modified are incredible.”
Changseong nodded in agreement.
The angels flew at an incredible speed, their feathers fluttering. Each flap of their wings created a shock wave. I wondered if this was the limit of the speed that a living creature could achieve.
But as soon as Kanggeomma took a step, that limit was immediately renewed.
The next moment they saw a speed that was so wondrous, almost mystical. To be honest, it felt like climbing a mountain.
Phew.
The wind pressure pushed Geomje and Changseong, who were avoiding the spot, onto their backs. Changseong, who almost fell over, managed to catch his balance and stand up.
The two men looked back reflexively. The lights flashed. A red, melted knife mark was carved into the space and slowly sealed itself together.
Geomje and Changseong’s lips were parched.
It was not something that could be chased by human eyesight. The movement of the strong sword was nothing. It disappeared, leaving only a crescent-shaped sunken spot where it had been. Moreover, the sword stroke that cut through the permish melted the air in the area.
――――!
The backlash came again. This time, the white noise ruptured my eardrums. Blood flowed from my earlobes.
Permish’s ten fingers rose into the air, their graceful cuts splattering blue blood onto the floor.
Permish looked at his palm, which was left bare after losing all his fingers.
When was it cut? Before I could even begin to wonder, there were blood lines on both wrists. Soon, only a stream of blood gushed out where my hands had been.
Permush, who had been hit twice without even being able to react, finally lost focus. His brain belatedly realized the seriousness of the situation. Permush distorted his lips.
“Surely not this guy.”
Permush couldn’t keep up with his thoughts and words. Suddenly, the strong swordsman appeared at his feet and swung the sashimi horizontally. The blade drew a fan-shaped light and passed Permush’s arm.
A burning sensation was felt. There was no way to stop myself from screaming. Permush swallowed the pain simmering down his throat and somehow managed to cast his magic. First, he built a defensive line and then… … .
Permush had no choice but to let out a whimper instead of casting.
“Magic power…, magic power isn’t gathering.”
Only after splitting the momentary gap and looking back on it, did I realize the reason.
“Disaster” “Cheon Soo Sa Bak” “Mantra”
I unleashed all the magic that could be called a one-hit wonder. In other words, I drew out too much magical power and used it up.
‘But even so, that doesn’t make sense.’
This is near Gehenna Gate, near the Demon Realm. It may not be infinite, but it is close to it, and the magic power is depleted. It is a situation where I have to replenish it because I have used up all the magic power in my body.
‘no way?’
Permush felt his mind going blank. He quickly rolled his eyes and looked around. Magical power was boiling like air. The offensive that he thought was being poured out in a disorderly manner was actually cutting off the flow of magic power. Furthermore, he was waiting for the right moment for the magic power within him to come out.
‘I wasn’t there just to attract those angels!’
It was a fight that Permish had already lost before it even started.
-How to win a fight. The second and most important key is to wait. Wait and wait until your opponent is sure that he has won. Even if you get hit, look at your opponent and wait for the right time while getting hit.
The CEO’s long introduction to fighting.
-And when the enemy makes a face that says he has won, extend your sword… no, your fist. It’s called a counter.
The sight of you smiling brightly.
-Even though you have a bad personality, that means you are poisonous. Don’t let yourself get hurt and don’t look easy. The stronger the opponent, the more madness you should instill in them. That way, they won’t attack you again.
The face of the boss, who was messing with my hair with his remaining hand, passes by.
-I’ll pay you the price of the robbery.
A faint smile appeared on Kang Geum-ma’s lips.
Crunch!
Sashimi hit his shin. Permish, who was already sluggish, had his growth plates closed. The sword strikes continued, hitting his elbows, shoulders, legs, and hips. His entire body except for vital points.
Kang Geum-ma was cutting flesh as he had said. He was the best swordsman in the country. He was well-versed in not only fish but also human anatomy. He knew the parts that could cause pain.
Kkuddukk.
Kanggeomma suddenly grabbed Permush’s neck and lifted it high. Permush, with his limbs cut off, was completely incapacitated. He was driven by the evil force without showing even the slightest sign of resistance.
Kanggeomma slowly met his eyes. Permish fluttered his eyelids.
He opened his mouth, looking at the commander with bloodshot eyes without any white space.
“Permish.”
After releasing [Painless Protection].
“The pain I feel.”
[Protection of Transfer] was manifested.
“You feel it too.”
[The Sword God’s Protection] struck down the demon.
