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deep inside where the light doesn’t reach. A city filled with the outcasts who have fled into the embrace of the Earth God, escaping surveillance and punishment, alongside the unclean who cannot stroll in the daylight without shame.

Those exiled for breaking the holy codes,

The cultists marked as heretics,

And the beastmen wandering the desert with no hill to lean on.

All of them, entrusting their bodies to the darkness, took a moment’s rest in the sanctuary of the shameful.

The Necropolis shrouded in darkness was quieter than ever.

Even with my eyes closed and ears strained, all that could be heard was the sound of breathing—a night where even dogs slept.

In that deep darkness,

The patterns etched across my arm and the pure flame began to dance.

—

Episode 17 – The Tree That Drinks Blood

—

The world lit up by the glow of crystals revealed everything in its true form under evenly shining lights.

Skin closer to white than yellow. Standing tall, easily surpassing two meters, they wouldn’t lose out even when compared to a basketball player.

The ruggedly muscular body evoked the image of a statue infused with the spirit and breath of a master, and those veins bulging in their fists seemed capable of crushing boulders effortlessly.

The sturdy man had an expression as fierce as his impressive physique.

If there had been a real person whom the famous artist used as a model, it would surely have looked like him.

Draped in tattered rags charred by flames, his appearance was horrid, yet the beggar-like outfit only highlighted the man’s beastly nature.

“Bloody hell! It’s like Michael Tyson in the flesh!”

Camila exclaimed with near a scream, and I shouted back at her.

“If you have time to joke around, shoot!”

“Stop nagging me!”

As soon as my sharp shout ended, a flame shaped like an arrow was shot forth.

A stationary target has always been an excellent target and prey. Even while preparing for battle, the man didn’t budge an inch; if something of his size remains motionless, there’s no more to say.

– Pshhhhh!

The sound of slicing through the wind was clear as the fired flame shot toward its target like an arrow.

It seemed the blood of my ancestors who had smashed the French army wasn’t going anywhere. The descendant who inherited the bloodline of the long-ago forebears who mocked the knights with the longbow unleashed magic shaped like an arrow.

However,

“Bâṭêl!”

Just before the magic struck the fragile flesh, an explosive shout erupted from the man’s mouth.

And the arrow-shaped magic that was rushing like a hailstorm exploded. First, the flame forming the arrowhead burst, then the part resembling the fletching shattered into pieces.

The broken arrow instantly lost its thrust and fell, with only the swirling dust proving that the magic had once existed.

“What the…?”

Camila muttered as she witnessed the magic disintegrate before her eyes. While she stared blankly, the man compressed his torso.

“Tsâbâh!”

For a brief moment, a loud voice filled with energy reverberated. Amidst the raging embers, something shone brightly, and with a sound that seemed to tear the very atmosphere apart, the massive figure advanced in an instant.

With giant proportions leading the way, it surged forward in the blink of an eye.

Eyes wide like lanterns, Camila quickly unleashed a burst of flames in front of her, but it had no effect.

The wall of fire that had guarded the rift from the horde of corpse spiders in the North could not withstand the rampaging giant.

– Hwaaaak!

The man seized the sooty rags with brutish hands and swung them fiercely, breaking through the flames that obstructed his path.

“Dodge—”

“Get out of the way!”

I shoved Camila as she was about to shout in urgency.

Flames scattered in every direction, enveloping the man. Even while the heat, hot enough to melt monster armor, clawed at his skin, the beast was charging through the flames.

He aimed for my abdomen and the liver beneath my skin, swinging his knife. Just as the sharp blade was about to touch my skin, the fierce giant raised his arms to defend against the attack.

“Ugh…!”

As the dust and soot-covered bulging arm and my drenched sleeve intertwined, the sound of a titanic struggle resonated.

As I gripped the knife’s handle and exerted force, the man held onto my arm.

For a moment, the beastly growl continued. Staring at the trembling azure blade, he raised his gaze to meet mine.

“…Châdad!”

He uttered something unclear, a mix of admiration and a curse.

Curling his lips upward, mumbling something, I twisted the handle in response.

“Even in a lawless land, you’ve got to wear clothes, you brat…”

—

As I twisted his wrist and freed my arm, my liberated hand swung the knife.

The narrow blade surged through the air, and his thick arm fell to block.

The narrow knife is more suitable for stabbing attacks than slashing ones. However, piercing requires sharpness to be effective. As soon as my arm was blocked, I twisted my wrist and used the edge to scrape along the giant’s arm.

“Kraeg!”

Startled by his sudden scream, I regained my focus upon seeing the blood on my knife. Son of a…

“…It’s not entirely ineffective after all.”

“Cough, hhhk—ugh…”

The giant man groaned lowly as he confirmed the wound on his arm.

Even with blood dripping down, he glared with shining eyes, growling low like an injured beast.

Even though being an Information Officer often means more fighting with your head than your body, you must be able to protect yourself at least on foreign soil. The National Intelligence Service required it, the Intelligence Agency too, and so did the Military Intelligence Agency.

However, considering that there are many more situations where one cannot freely use a gun than those where it is permissible, the only self-defense tool Information Officers on the field could practically use wasn’t a rifle, but a pistol.

And it had to be a knife instead of a pistol.

“Phew—”

I pushed my bare hand forward, leaving the knife behind in the back of the fist.

It was a result of my body acting before my thoughts could catch up.

Just as he was about to move first, I braced my body and pushed forward.

– Swish!

A knife that could not be considered small changed direction freely within the palm of my hand.

Stabbing, slicing, striking, scraping.

The outstretched blade just barely missed and, with a pull of the handle, I grazed his skin, then swung the knife only to shift to a reverse grip to stab at his shoulder.

“Uhh!”

The clear sensation of the blade piercing his shoulder twisted his face in pain. Even if it was only a shallow wound, the sensation of a sword cutting through skin is hard to get used to.

No one in the world enjoys pain, after all.

Just as I intended to shatter his joints with a strike to the back of the handle, he grabbed my wrist, gripping my knife hand.

Was he planning to make me drop it or break my wrist? The immense grip squeezed my wrist so hard, I felt as if the bones might crumble.

“Damn it—”

Swearing, I slammed my fist into his face. With a sickening crunch, his nose collapsed, and blood gushed down.

As a painful scream followed, the crushing grip around my wrist loosened. Rolling my body, I slipped between his legs and stabbed wildly at his calf and thigh.

“Ugh!”

Even with damaged legs, he still seemed to have some fight left in him. The giant lunged, gritting his teeth as he turned and kicked me with his thick legs.

Thud! Like a soccer ball kicked hard, my body flew through the air.

Whether I was a person or a ball, at a rough estimate, it felt like I had flown around six to seven meters.

While I was rolling on the ground, I heard a loud smash on my back, and my spine and pelvis began to scream. To make matters worse, with a crash, a stench-filled garbage bag fell and soaked my head.

“Wha—ugh, what is this?!”

It was a trash can. More accurately, a place where garbage was carelessly discarded on the street.

The idiot locals must have thrown their conscience and common sense into the sewer, as they had dumped their trash without proper sorting outside their homes.

Having inadvertently tasted that garbage through all five senses, I momentarily forgot the pain as I scrambled out from the pile.

“…Where did that muscle pig go?”

While I pushed through the mushy trash bags, I suddenly remembered the bulk who had thrown me and hurriedly raised my head.

– Hwaaaah!

The dancing flames expelled the darkness of the street as the giant, engulfed in flames, began to thrash around in the air.

Under Camila’s command, the flames snaked around like a serpent gripping its prey by the throat, while the tattooed man swung his fists amidst the roaring fire.

With each punch, explosive sounds accompanied, and the tattoos running from the back of his hand to his shoulder flickered brightly before fading. That seemed to be the source of his power.

Could it be because I had it? Despite being wounded and surrounded, the guy was still unbelievably proud, and the sight of him writhing from a knife wound just moments ago was nowhere to be seen. The flames may have trapped him, but they couldn’t inflict even the slightest scratch.

An earth-shattering roar hit my ears.

“Rûwts!”

Like iron filings drawn to a magnet, the dust from the ground began to rise around him.

The swirling dust that had surged from the vibrating earth began to coalesce, gradually taking the shape of a bull. And when the guy let out another roar—

-BOOM!

The raging bull shattered the prison of flames and escaped.

“Wah!”

Confronted directly by that destructive force, Camila hastily transformed her body into flames to dodge the charging bull.

“Now he’s creating a bull too?! What on earth is this place coming to?!”

Like someone desperate for answers, she shot me a pleading look, but no clear response emerged.

Instead of satisfying her curiosity, Camila began searching for a tactic to turn the situation around.

“Bullets and magic might hold him off, but how are we supposed to capture that guy?”

“……”

Just as I was catching my breath, the hulking figure entered my view. He wore a fiercely determined expression, a tattered rag that barely covered his palm, soaked in sweat, with tattoos embossed all over his body.

His calves and thighs bore holes, from which his blood flowed, soaking the ground.

The moment I saw that wound and blood, a hypothesis struck my mind like lightning.

*

Crackle, crackle—the embers sparked, blending with harsh breaths.

A heavy silence settled over the streets of the Necropolis. A strange guest had arrived along with the darkness, bringing a storm.

“……”

Three pairs of eyes tangled in mid-air. The girl glared at the mysterious thug, and he stared back at her.

However, there was one person.

One person was not looking at anyone, but instead gazing at the ceiling.

More precisely, beyond the ceiling, into the night sky.

“What are you doing?”

The man, who had been looking up at the sky, stood up. The surprised voice of the girl followed, but no answer came.

As the blue eyes followed the man’s trail, he stomped on a torn envelope with his shoe and moved forward.

Clutching an old pistol in his hand.

“……”

He took aim and aligned his sights. The dark sights lined up, but the target was too huge to fit in the crosshairs.

Even as the spy leisurely completed his aim, the hulking man remained motionless, as if daring him to try. He quietly stared down the deep muzzle.

Then the gunshot rang out. The bullet shattered the silence, flying toward the target.

“Mâʽôwz—”

A low voice like an animal’s growl followed.

Suddenly, the bullet came to an abrupt stop in mid-air. Losing its propulsion and spin, the bullet seemed to freeze in place, as if time had halted.

“……”

The Spy sighed briefly, as if he had expected this. He then lowered the pistol and pulled out a knife, charging at the giant.

A few exchanges followed. As if there was no need for mercy, the hulking man pressed forward with overwhelming strength. Struck by his colossal fists, skin tore and blood sprayed, yet the Spy swung his knife without concern.

At first, the man easily blocked the attacks. In a one-on-one situation, he was confident he wouldn’t lose to anyone.

However, after fending off the Magician’s attacks and enduring several exchanges, stepping back into battle with an injured body inevitably caused anyone’s focus to waver.

-SMACK!

The moment an attack was parried, the Spy transformed the knife into a thrust aimed at the man’s vital point.

Lowering his stance, the Spy exploited a gap in the man’s defenses and, maintaining contact, drove the blade into his abdomen.

“Mappâl—!”

The burning pain from his abdomen snapped the giant back to reality, and he summoned his strength to roar.

As he did so, the tattoos stretching from his abdominals to his pectorals began to glow, unleashing phenomenal power.

The Spy was struck head-on by that force and blasted away. Not just blown back, but launched into the air, crashing into the ground several moments later.

As the giant groaned, pinching his wounds, the girl rushed forward, concerned for her colleague’s condition. Struggling to lift him, she cupped his face, worry etched across her features.

“Are you okay?!”

A moan of pain escaped him, and the wounded Spy suddenly muttered.

“…I think I’m starting to get it.”

“What?”

“That muscle-bound bastard… I now understand why he can take a beating and still be fine.”

The girl blinked, looking utterly perplexed. The Spy coughed a few times before managing to prop himself up.

“That guy. Whatever power he’s using, he defends against all long-range attacks, be it bullets or magic.”

Frederick, shaking his bloodied knife before me, started to cast a glance my way.

Only after seeing his gaze did I finally understand what he was trying to say. And what we needed to do next.

Camila, having rolled up her cape and propped Frederick’s head on it, stood up and dusted off her knees. With a determined expression, she glared at the hulking man and took a deep breath.

Swoosh—drawing in air infused with blue magic, and exhaling with faint sparks mixed in.

After finishing her deep breaths, Camila took her stance and slowly closed her eyes.

“……”

Just as the giant sensed something unusual in her aura and prepared for the next attack, the Magician, engulfed in flames, suddenly transformed into pure fire and vanished.

The flustered man began searching for the missing Magician around him. But it was unnecessary. The sparks that bloomed in the air began to converge into a single point, and the previously vanished Magician reappeared before the giant.

She was pointing somewhere with her finger. The man’s eyes followed that slender finger.

The fingertip was aimed squarely at his forehead.

At his very face.

“Bang.”

*

The flames that engulfed the hulking figure rushed forward like a storm.

The magic unleashed in response to the signal consumed its target, and the flames began hungrily licking the remnants, refusing to let go.

Having unleashed her magic at close range, Camila quickly teleported back to her original position. Appearing amidst the sparks in mid-air, she supported me and urged me forward.

“Hurry! If we get caught by the people here, we’ll be in danger too. Quickly!”

Just as we were about to escape,

-BOOM!

The sound of something tearing through the air pierced our ears, and a fierce gust began to swirl around us.

“Ugh…!?”

Amid the flying embers, we ducked to avoid the explosion when we heard the giant’s frantic shout coming our way.

“قف! هجوم!(Stop! Attack!)”

The man burst through the flames, calling out to us.

“غير موجود! يعارك! معتقد!(Not here! Fight! Believe!)”

With bone and muscle sloughing off, and hair scorched from burns.

He walked barefoot on the ground with his grotesquely melted body.

…No, it wasn’t melted.

As the black tattoos glowed, his twisted flesh began to writhe. Muscles and tissues that had been liquefied by the heat sprouted and swelled. The scorched bones began to regain their original color, and the veins reconnected.

“أنا. الخلود.(I. Immortal.)”

The man, turning back with his regenerating body, added in a low voice.

“يعارك. يكره. سوء فهم. حلها. عقدة معقدة. يمكن حلها.(Fight. Hate. Misunderstanding. Resolve it. A complex knot. It can be untied.)”

Standing before us with an expression of horror, he spoke in the short Mauritania Continent common language.

“……”

Staring blankly at that sight, I hesitantly opened my mouth. What does he want?

The muscle-bound man then extended his palm toward me.

“يرجع. التراث القبلي.(Return. Tribal heritage.)”

He added.

“تابوت الارز.(Cedar Coffin.)”

 

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