Chapter 338
Chapter 338. The Struggle of Obsession
“――っっ!”
A shiver ran down my spine at the crazed smile of the Hero. Shaking it off, Outluke nocked another arrow.
The Hero hung from the wall on the opposite side of the alley, his sword stuck in place. He had no foothold, his movements were restricted, leaving him wide open.
He wouldn’t be able to dodge as quickly as before――!
I released the arrow, aiming for the exposed torso!
Like a hunting hound pouncing on its prey, the arrow shot through the air and struck true in the Hero’s chest.
Thud! A light sound of flesh being hit.
――No, it hit but didn’t pierce! The arrow fell limply, and I realized from the unflinching expression on the Hero’s face that he hadn’t “dodged” but rather “took” the hit.
(…Is he wearing armor under his clothes!?)
Even if it’s a portable bow, it’s still a Night Elf’s—Outluke’s—strike. A flimsy leather armor should be punctured like wet paper!
Ignoring Outluke’s astonishment, the Hero grasped the Holy Sword and nimbly jumped onto the roof.
(…Then!)
I attempted an attack again. Even if he was armored, his face and limbs were exposed. Plus, at this moment on the rooftop, he’d have a hard time taking evasive actions immediately.
(I’ll shoot him down!)
With all my might, I aimed for the Hero’s forehead――
Vwiiin! The sound of the arrow slicing through the air echoed.
The Hero caught the arrow mid-air with his left hand, as if he anticipated its arrival, executing the motion effortlessly.
――Of course, he’s aiming for the head, isn’t he?
The Hero’s deepening smile conveyed that message. The caught arrow snapped with a crack.
He read my move perfectly…!
“Now, how many arrows do we have left?”
The Hero, exuding magical power, questioned.
…He hit the nail on the head. With a bow, arrows, knives, and various poison vials, there’s only so much I can carry. Especially the arrows that can’t be folded, I can’t carry dozens of them.
I used one arrow to finish off Paulo and two on the Hero. That leaves me with just three――
“～～～ッ!”
Gnashing my teeth, I began to flee. The Hero was also chasing closely from the rooftop across the alley.
(…No, stay calm. I’ll escape this time!)
Gazing at the path ahead, Outluke reminded himself.
There was a fork in the road ahead. When the Hero emerges from the toxic smoke, he’ll have to choose between this rooftop or the other side, and it’s fortunate he picked the opposite of where I was!
If I reach the fork, the Hero will need to drop into the alley to chase me! That would give enough time for the quick Night Elf, and without the hunting Beastman soldier accompanying me, I’ll blend into the darkness and gain a breathing space――
“I didn’t come here to play tag.”
A growling voice. A horrific wave of magical energy. A silver light that banished the darkness.
The Hero intensified the holy light across his body. Like a meteor――
“I’ve got to kill that Officia too…!”
I was startled. How did he know that much? No, being attacked without warning should’ve hinted at that! The mysterious letter addressed to Paulo flashed through my mind.
Was that a trap!? Even then, the Todomarl Holy Church undoubtedly accepted me――No, thinking about that now is pointless!
This Hero is dangerous! That much is certain!!
“I’ll kill you too!!!”
The Hero, with a terrifying expression, crouched low.
(Could it be!?)
Is he planning to jump!? Strengthening his physical ability to the maximum with holy magic, is he preparing to leap over the alley and come to me!?
With a powerful kick against the rooftop, the Hero propelled himself into the night sky. His leap was impressive, on par with a Sword Saint’s abilities—he would certainly reach my rooftop…!
But.
(――Fool!)
I smirked. Just as I had hoped. Even if he’s strong in frontal combat and possesses overwhelming magical power, he doesn’t have wings.
He can’t change his posture in mid-air!!
I pulled out an arrow. To guarantee a kill, I took two out of the remaining three. The Hero raised the Holy Sword to protect his head, but his hands and feet were exposed!
(――Got greedy, did you, Hero!)
I was going to hit him with the poisoned arrows. With pinpoint accuracy, I released the arrows aiming for the Hero’s legs.
The two arrows aimed for his calves――
Clang!
Both bounced off with a hard sound.
“What…?”
Stunned.
What just happened? It felt like my arrows hit an invisible wall…
(An invisible wall――)
Could it be.
(A protective spell!? And it’s solid!)
The Hero landed effortlessly onto my rooftop, glowing with silver light, barely wavering. He was definitely reinforced with protective magic!
(When did he—? Just a moment ago, he—)
Didn’t I see him take an arrow to the torso? Realization struck; it was when the Hero had been overflowing with horrific magical power—that moment when he misled me with the holy light and invoked Officia’s name to stir my disorientation!
(Why didn’t he use that from the start!!)
Outluke screamed within himself, his face twisted in anguish. This intensity was not something I could breach with the remaining single arrow! If I had known I was up against such a solid opponent, I should have fled desperately from the beginning――
“――――”
And then it hit me. Understanding made me shudder. His intention was to keep his cards hidden so that when he saw I was in such a pinch, I’d flee with all my might; he’d wait for this moment!
With no shield and wearing almost casual clothing, the Hero managed to make me think I could handle him from afar with a bow!
If he eliminated me first, then he could escape with a whole lot less pressure, and accordingly――I started realizing I had been played like a fool.
Could it really be that I was outmaneuvered by such a rabid dog of a man!?
“Finally caught up!”
Sharply――
His Holy Sword glittered menacingly.
Blood streamed from one eye while his other one widened, charging straight at me.
His fierce smile and chilling murderous intent were unchanged from the beginning, yet the madness he displayed when he shouted, “I’ll kill you!” had quieted down. Even that had been an act to make me see him as impatient.
(I see, this guy is――!)
He seems rabid, yet he’s not actually insane! The moment he consumed the toxic smoke, he had the judgment to conserve one eye! Think about it, from the start! Every move he made was calculated to corner me――!
He merely wrapped himself in an aura of madness to keep me guessing!
The Hero raised his Holy Sword, oozing simmering murderous intent from his eyes, yet they remained cold and unfeeling.
“…Don’t underestimate me!!”
Shouting as if to brace myself, Outluke pulled a vial from his pocket.
He tossed two towards the Hero.
“…Hah!”
The Hero mocked, as if to say, “What now?” Both of us sprinted at full speed. Before the poisonous smoke could spread, we’d both be past it. Moreover, the open rooftop wasn’t blocked by buildings like the alley, making it useless as a trap――
(That’s what you think!)
But Outluke had a different plan.
In the moment the Hero focused on the vials, he nocked his last arrow.
Turning mid-leap, steadying his aim――
He shot.
――The two vials were pierced in mid-air, bursting apart with a bang.
Shattered glass and splattering liquid, the arrows rushed through them––the protective spell would likely block the shards and arrows.
But.
The contents of the vials mixed in the air――
Boom! They ignited violently.
“Oof!”
Hit by the burning liquid, the Hero let out a surprised yelp.
(Tough luck… it’s not poison!)
Grinning, I reveled in the fact that those weren’t bottles of tear gas, but a liquid that ignites when mixed. Outluke was adept at causing destruction from a distance using bows and chemicals. Today, I intended to set fire to various parts of the capital if necessary.
And the protective spell, while strong against magic and physical slashing or blunt force, cannot completely block liquids or gasses――!
“Dammit!”
Though he cursed, the Hero pushed through as the fire burned away at his clothes.
But the next moment, he slipped and lost his footing.
It was due to the oil that Outluke had dumped onto the rooftop. Even the Hero seemed to have narrowed his concentration when the flames erupted; he hadn’t noticed Outluke pulling out another vial and stepped carelessly on the oil-soaked tiles.
Plus, the flames on his whole body ignited the oil as well. With him stumbling and on fire, his speed slowed――
“You bastard!”
“Haha!”
As the Hero bellowed, Outluke laughed back while pulling out yet another vial—and without hesitation, he jumped off the roof.
Now that the distance had closed, chasing each other on the rooftop became pointless. If the Hero jumped down after me, I would throw another oil vial at the landing spot. Naturally, he’d predict that, causing a moment’s hesitation.
That would be more than enough! Their protective magic and insane physical ability did put them at a significant advantage, but still, I’ll fight dirty and escape if it’s the last thing I do!
As I descended, determination burning within me――
“――suuuuuh”
I sensed an odd aura.
Turning to the alley I had left behind, I saw a seemingly delicate silver-haired girl standing a few dozen steps away.
(Is that…?)
That was definitely the girl who had been with the Hero. Although her eyes were bloodshot, it seemed the damage from the toxic smoke was minimal. She glared straight at me――
Inhaling deeply.
“――――”
A dreadful premonition struck me. An instinctive feeling of dread. What is that little girl planning?
Yet, whatever would happen, as Outluke was in the midst of his fall――a Night Elf without wings cannot change posture or direction while airborne.
The girl opened her mouth.
A spark of light ignited deep in her throat.
“Graaaaaaaahhh!”
A cute yet wild scream—no, a roar.
Vision flooded with searing light, and Outluke was helplessly swallowed by the torrent――
“Guwaaaahhh――――!”
The pain of being burned engulfed him, and he couldn’t help but scream. Losing his bearings, he crashed onto the cobblestones. Stars danced behind his eyelids from the impact. What just happened!? What was that!? I can’t concentrate, it hurts, did I break a bone? No, I can barely see! This is bad, I have to escape, I must—
“Well done!”
…Ah, from above.
The voice of death.
A heavy impact crashed down on me. I was pinned down. Ready for death, but just then, my arm was twisted up――
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you… not yet anyway.”
As my knife from my waist was snatched away, the Hero whispered in my ear, and Outluke realized how foolish he had been. After radiating so much killing intent, this man intends to take him alive!
This is bad! Being killed would be far better!
Even if I wanted to kill myself, I had used the poison needle ring on the Priest. What kind of monster is this Hero!? He’s aware of my twisted hand. Even my ring! What is he!? So terrifying, terrifying! If it comes to this, I’ll bite my tongue and drown in my own blood…!!
No, at the same time, resist with everything! If I do, he might fumble and kill me instead――!!
“…Nugahhhhhhh!”
With a snap, Outluke bit down on his tongue, overwhelmed by the scent of his own blood, and began to struggle desperately――
“Alexander! Get out of the way!”
With someone running towards me alongside that shout, I heard the voice of the young Priest who had previously yelled about his eyes being harmed by the toxic smoke—had he recovered already? What a guy――
“[Sleep!]”
With a crack, a white light flickered, and Outluke’s consciousness faded.
