Chapter 449
Chapter 449. Hunter’s True Skill
Zilbagias seemed to be in conversation with Arthur, but that was irrelevant.
By any means necessary, the target must be exterminated. That is the way of the Vampire Hunters!
Bishop Lexar’s dual holy swords, along with the holy swords of the younger Vampire Hunters, were plunged into Zilbagias’s back one after another.
――So hard!
The sound echoed repeatedly as if striking a steel wall. The blades of the holy swords glimmered, sizzling and burning through the magical barrier with holy energy, yet barely chipping away at it. What incredible durability…!
“Hmm, clever little fools!”
Zilbagias hardly seemed surprised, as if he had foreseen the ambush.
With a rumble, he swung his spear as he turned, sending several young Vampire Hunters flying with a swing of the shaft. Lexar barely managed to block it with his dual holy swords—
…Heavy!
Judging that he couldn’t completely stop it, he rolled to dissipate the impact. He leaped off the carriage, quickly rising to his feet, his dark red coat now covered in dirt. The demon lord’s prince looked down at us with an ominous aura swirling around him.
“…Tch.”
The demon lord’s prince glanced around and clicked his tongue before jumping down from the carriage, sweeping his spear with a grand flourish as he approached with solemnity—
This demon race. Stronger than anything else I’ve fought before!
An overwhelming pressure. A thick presence of death filled the air. Cold sweat ran down Lexar’s forehead. It felt like an ant challenging a giant due to the disparity of power.
However, I cannot retreat now. Look at the mountain of corpses this prince has created. Daring to fight single-handedly against an army seemed insane, but the strength and ferocity were undeniable. To cause this much damage alone…
But on the flip side, he is all alone right now. There is no one beside him. What if he returns to the Demon Lord Kingdom and brings his forces back to the battlefield?
It would become all the more difficult to take him down, and I can’t even imagine how many casualties the allied forces would suffer.
——In other words, there is no better opportunity than now to take down Zilbagias!
(Demon race… I won’t forgive you, I won’t let this slide!!)
Lexar gripped the dual holy swords tightly.
Lexar swore an oath to eradicate vampires for life, but he despised demons even more.
Because it was largely the fault of the Demon Lord Kingdom that his hometown was destroyed.
Lexar’s birthplace was an inland area, untouched by dark beings. A peaceful village by a clear stream. It felt like a distant memory now, fishing with his father or swimming with friends under his mother’s watchful eye, his childhood was colored by reflections of the river.
However—this very river was the trigger for his destruction.
The Demon Lord Kingdom occupied the downstream regions of the river, and vampires began to invade by swimming upstream. Villages along the river were attacked one after another, until one fateful day, his hometown fell victim to those dark hands.
In one night, half of the residents became victims. His father bled out from having his blood drained, and his mother was turned into a minion for mere amusement… commanded to suck Lexar’s blood. His mother fought desperately, but the desire to feed and the commands were wearing her down…
Had there not been an intervention by the Vampire Hunters, Lexar would also have been drained to death by his mother. She was purified without suffering through the hands of the Vampire Hunters.
Later, Lexar entered an orphanage, awakening to his holy attributes during his coming-of-age ceremony.
He became a Vampire Hunter to exact revenge on the vampires.
However, if only the demon race didn’t exist. If only the Demon Lord Kingdom didn’t exist!
His hometown wouldn’t have perished. He could have lived together with his parents until they grew old and watched over them in their final days.
(I won’t forgive you!!)
The demon lord’s prince before him wasn’t the direct perpetrator.
But merely being a demon and a prince of the Demon Lord Kingdom…
——That deserves nothing less than death!
(Father, Mother)
He crossed the dual holy swords named after his parents, Nicola and Maria.
(……Lend me your strength!)
Silver lightning crackled around Lexar.
“【Lightning Storm!】”
“【Wither away, arm!】”
The curse unleashed by the demon lord’s prince——sliced through the curtain of dark magical power and closed in. Like lightning flashing in the darkness—
“【Divine Thunder!!】”
With a thunderous boom, the dual holy swords struck, wrapped in electric energy. The demon lord’s prince was swift, and that strike was heavy. Hence, I would attack faster than that!
“Graaahhh!!”
A torrent of strikes began. Lexar chipped away at Zilbagias’s barrier with relentless strikes. He dodged the spear counterattacks and curses purely by instinct. Abandoning defensive spells, Lexar allocated everything to speed enhancements, forcing his body to move at a level beyond its limits.
“Guh…!!”
His eyes were bloodshot, and he was foaming at the mouth with blood, yet Lexar continued to press on. Right, left, narrowly dodging spears, then right, left, kicking to keep his balance, slipping through counter slashes while scattering lightning, cutting through curses, and thrusting forward. His vision became red, and he smelled blood from deep within his lungs. The demon lord’s prince even seemed to flinch at Lexar’s fierce assault, overwhelmed by the ferocity.
Of course, such reckless behavior couldn’t continue for long. His heart, no, his entire body seemed ready to explode! In fact, if he continued pushing like this, he surely would.
However, it didn’t matter right now.
Because Lexar was not alone—!
Suddenly, waves of water spread across the ground.
“【Water Eruption】”
Like a geyser, water erupted from beneath the demon lord’s prince’s feet.
It was Arthur. Using his holy sword to strike while casting water magic. The stream of water wrapped around the demon lord’s prince’s legs like a serpent—
And then.
“【Holy Light, come to my hand!】”
A silver light infused into it.
“Ughhh!”
The demon lord’s prince let out a groan of anguish. The water, entangled around him, began to boil. Countless bubbles formed, and smoke rose as it burned the demon’s flesh—the protective spells were weak to liquid penetration. And such trickery was the essence of water magic.
“Oooohhh!”
“Haahh!”
As the demon lord’s prince’s movements slowed, Lexar and Arthur unleashed a flurry of blows. They pounded away at the protective spells, stripping them down like miners. No, it wasn’t just the two of them. The recovering Vampire Hunters dodged their attacks, casting spells from afar, while Yesera unleashed magically charged arrows that chipped away at the barrier.
The royal guards surrounded the demon lord’s prince, ensuring he wouldn’t escape—
“Gyaaahhh!!”
“Raaahh!!”
“Yaaahhh!!”
Some knights, blessed by Arthur’s magical protection, charged in.
――Dimensional acceleration.
With a thunderous impact, swift slashes followed the trail of steam explosions.
They shattered the demon lord’s protective spells!
“This is—!”
Arthur swung down his sword as if to finish him off.
“【――――】”
But at that moment, the demon lord unleashed a terrifying wave of magical energy.
““……?!””
Like being trapped in a mold, the swordsmen’s movements were briefly halted. Only Arthur, with the highest magical resistance, managed to repel the unknown curse.
The torrent of tolls was met only by Arthur’s single slash.
The demon lord’s prince effortlessly stopped it with his spear. As if it were a matter of course, the protective spells they struggled to break reformed once more.
“Admirable.”
His red eyes shimmered.
The faded blade of his spear was readied.
“【Despair!】”
A shiver ran from that darkened weapon.
An extraordinary blow filled with immense power was coming!
“—!!”
I can’t take that hit, my instincts screamed. Arthur leapt back to dodge it. He felt a few strands of his hair get sheared off and burned away by the curse. What would have happened if he had taken a full hit? It sent a chill down his spine.
“【Water Eruption】”
To hinder Zilbagias’s pursuit, he poured a massive amount of water at his feet. Instantly, the ground turned muddy, accompanied by a holy attribute. It was a double-edged sword, as it would interfere with their movements, but right now they had a lightning user on their side.
“【Divine Noise!】”
Bishop Lexar thrust his dual holy swords into the earth and concentrated his magical power. Silver electricity danced through the water, roasting Zilbagias.
“Ughh… Damn, you sneaky little—!!”
Furious, the demon lord’s prince swung his spear. Lexar dodged it with lightning-like speed, but the demon lord’s prince drove the missed spear into the ground.
“Raaaahh!”
The spear’s shaft elongated suddenly. It stretched!? What the heck is that!? Before he could grasp it, the demon lord’s prince closed the distance, landing a powerful kick to Lexar’s midsection.
“Gugh…!”
Coughing up blood, Lexar flew like a ball, soaring an impossible distance. He flew right over the heads of the royal guards and landed straight among the lightly armored soldiers watching from afar, knocking several of them down. That would have killed a normal person…!
“…Don’t falter! The enemy is wounded!”
Arthur shouted as he cast the spell “【Great Protection!】” anew to himself and the soldiers around him.
The demon lord’s prince was also re-establishing his protective spells, but he was thoroughly scorched by holy energy. He must be suffering from tremendous pain and was moving sluggishly.
But they couldn’t let their guard down.
(What was that… the earlier silent spell!?)
A wave of magical energy that had temporarily halted everyone’s movements. A curse? No, curses typically require an incantation to activate. The words of the curse cast upon an opponent are the essence of it. Could the demon lord’s prince disrupt enemy movements merely by willing it? What kind of insanity was that…?!
Arthur heightened his vigilance as the demon lord’s prince restored his spear’s length and concentrated dark energy.
And then—he began to gaze around, reminiscent of a predator searching for prey.
“!”
Though he didn’t know what he was planning, it wasn’t wise to give him a chance. He was not an opponent to underestimate!
“【Water Bubble】”
He launched a barrage of water bubbles. A whimsical spell that would merely splash if hit and scatter water, but when infused with holy attributes, it became a lethal weapon against dark creatures. Using the cluster of water bubbles as a shield, he advanced, preparing to strike again at the demon lord’s prince.
“Tch.”
The demon lord’s prince instinctively tried to swat them down with his spear, only to become irritated at the nuisance and clicked his tongue. He glared fiercely at Arthur, scattering thick dark energy in all directions.
“【Panic!】”
“【Protection!】”
Arthur quickly compounded his magical protection, but felt nothing but crushing pressure.――Just a mere distraction!
When the darkness lifted, the demon lord’s prince was now targeting the golden carriage.
“Hmph!”
With a crash, Zilbagias shattered the wall of the carriage with his spear. Cries of women screamed as the butler figure rolled out from the newly created hole.
“Ugh, please, don’t kill me—!!”
The butler, suddenly thrust in front of the demon lord’s prince, trembled as he begged for his life.
“! No way!?”
A hostage!? You sneaky—
“【Teleportation】”
In reality, it was something far worse.
The demon lord’s charred skin reverted in an instant.
“…Gyaaaahhh!!!”
Conversely, the butler’s entire body became scorched, he lost control of his bladders, turning white-eyed and collapsing.
“Now then. Who’s wounded?”
Turning towards the aghast Arthur, the demon lord’s prince tapped his shoulder lightly with his spear.
Even with a mask on, his sinister grin seemed almost visible.
†††
“Damn it… What the hell was that…!?”
Throughout this entire scene, Lexar, spitting blood, witnessed it all.
“Ahh, that’s…!”
“That’s a teleportation something or another magic of the demon race!”
“Damn it, what a bastard! This is absurd!”
The nearby lightly armored soldiers who lifted Lexar exclaimed in despair.
“Teleportation what…? What is that?”
Lexar, struggling to rise, was healing his injured organs with miraculous power. The kick he suffered didn’t kill him, but without the soldiers’ encouragement of “Please hold on!” and “Priestess! Keep your spirits up!”, he might have lost consciousness and perished.
(Though I discarded the protective spell, to take such a deep wound from just a kick… )
Once again, he shuddered at the demon lord’s overwhelming physical enhancement. Besides, for some reason, despite being so battered, he looked as if he were perfectly fine now…!
Was this also due to the “Teleportation something” the soldiers mentioned?
“That guy can transfer his wounds to someone else!”
“He bragged about it with a loud voice earlier!”
“It’s called the teleportation curse or something!”
“What did you say…!?”
Lexar gaped in shock at the soldiers’ explanation.
——Dark beings cannot use miraculous healing. Therefore, even small damages, when accumulated over time, would eventually wear them down.
That had been the fundamental mentality in fighting the Demon Lord Army. But now, that foundation was shattered.
“No way… then, how the hell…?”
Lexar could barely choke out those words, swallowing them back down.
——He realized he could not afford to lose hope in front of the soldiers looking at him with desperate eyes.
But in practical terms,
(So he can transfer his injuries to others!? How am I supposed to deal with that…!?)
Even if it meant sacrificing himself, they previously fought believing that as long as they inflicted some wounds, the successors would take care of it. But if the enemy could reset everything at will…
Arthur’s magical protection primarily targeted himself and the royal guards. It was impossible to shield all the nearby soldiers effectively.
(As long as there are unprotected soldiers, that demon lord’s prince is invincible!?)
That’s… insane…
As darkness closed in on Lexar—
“Ah! That…! Priestess!!”
At that moment, a lightly armored soldier with a bow dropped to his knees before Lexar. From the signs of his prayers, he appeared to be a follower of the Holy Church rather than the Light Blade Church.
“I-I’m from a hunter’s family! I’ve been gathering food for the army, so please use this! This!! Priestess!!”
He pressed a small jar into Lexar’s hands, speaking rapidly and in a panic, struggling to make himself understood.
“Wait, calm down. What exactly is this? What do you intend with it?”
Grabbing the soldier’s shoulder, he infused him with a jolt of miraculous energy mixed with electricity. The soldier’s wide eyes snapped back to reality as if he had undergone shock therapy.
“I-I’m sorry! I’m from a hunter’s family, and a bowman! I often forage for food for the army! And this is—”
A firmly sealed jar.
“—Poison.”
Lexar stared at the jar in shock.
“Poison?”
“Yes! Even a huge boar or bear goes down in one shot. You have to roast it before you can eat it, though.”
“Are you saying to use this on that demon lord’s prince? But—”
If he could transfer wounds to others—
“He mentioned he struggles against poison earlier! Just a while ago!!”
“…Huh? Did he willingly say that?”
It was hard to believe, yet the soldiers around nodded, saying, “Now that you mention it, he did say that” and “Yeah, he did”.
It seemed like he actually said it.
Indeed, even if he did say it, that didn’t mean it was true… but it was also a fact that it was a strange bluff. Could it be that he blurted it out in a fit of bragging?
“Maybe the poison could work! That’s why…!”
The bowman desperately offered the poison jar.
That sentiment—was conveyed.
“…Understood!”
Whatever it takes, it’s worth a shot! Lexar accepted the jar and dripped the thick black liquid onto the blade of his dual holy swords.
“I’ll use this poison, whatever it takes, if it means taking him down…!!”
With steely eyes, he rubbed the two blades together, thoroughly coating them with poison.
“Coincidentally, I am also a hunter. A Vampire Hunter, that is.”
And with a playful wink at the bowman, he smiled.
“—Now, just leave it to me. I will definitely take him down!!”
With shouts of “Good luck!” and “Please, do your best!” from the soldiers, Lexar stood again, now armed with poisoned blades.
He glared at the demon lord’s prince, who was engaged in combat with Arthur.
(I will definitely, definitely kill you…!!)
Even if it cost me my life!
“【Lightning Storm!!】”
Ignoring the dazzling sparks, Lexar donned the thunder and returned to the threshold of death——
