“Fire. Aim for that mounted fellow as your target.” (Ma)
At the moment Okshion’s rebelling army decided that they had taken enough distance and turned their backs onto them, Ma Carme calmly gave that order.
“However, it looks they ended up getting away quite a bit…”
Ma Carme told the timidly talking messenger without turning his look towards him,
“Originally the range of the spear throwers is twice that of just now.” (Ma)
“What…?”
Just as declared by Ma Carme, the spears, which were fired one after the other, accurately pierce the enemy who was at a distance where it would be difficult to take proper aim with arrows.
Receiving the unexpected attack from their rear, the enemy army began to escape in total disorder with a vigour that was even higher than at the time they came to attack.
“Was the confusion a bit too much? We ended up causing troubles to Earl Biron who was entrusted with arresting that lot.” (Ma)
Ma Carme smiled wryly while scratching his head with a tough and thick finger.
“Amazing… you sent away an enemy 500 numbers strong with just 10 soldiers.”
“Uh-oh, aren’t you misunderstanding something?” (Ma)
“Tss tss”, Ma Carme shakes his finger.
“If you plan it normally, the difference in numbers will be an essential component connecting to victory or defeat. This time we just had time to prepare due to the early contact and that this lot was a gathering of amateurs who had no familiarity with the atmosphere of battles.” (Ma)
“But, if you look at the outcome, isn’t the size of your achievement something unmeasurable?”
“That’s foolish. With our side just chasing them away, the one who fought them after having sent most of the soldiers is Earl Biron. If it’s about achievements, the most should go to Earl Biron.” (Ma)
“Rather than that”, Ma Carme observed the routed enemy army returning to the highway in order to flee and ordered his soldiers to take a bare minimum of a defensive stance and to retreat to the national border together with the spear throwers.
“If the fellows, who came streaming our way, are gone, it will be the end for now.” (Ma)
“I want to quickly return to Foklore and see Director Alyssa’s face”, Ma Carme complained.
“Shall we try withdrawing temporarily once we finished conveying the situation to the lot from Horant?”
Lining up with the spear throwers, which were transported while placed on the rattling platform wagon, with their backs facing each other, Ma Carme and the messenger headed towards Horant’s border.
At the moment Okshion judged that they had taken enough distance from the enemy in the direction of Horant, their awareness completely shifted to Biron’s army in the back.
“We are already outside the range of the enemy from just before! Annihilate the enemy in the back without minding them!” (Okshion)
It was at the instant he drew his sword and gave the order to attack after changing the direction of his horse.
“Gubuuh!”
A spear, which was fired upon Ma Carme’s command, penetrated Okshion’s stomach from behind.
The scattered blood pours down on a soldier walking next to him making him raise a scream.
“G-General!”
His adjutant, who came back from the rear just then, advances his horse towards Okshion who was skewered in front of his eyes.
The surrounding soldiers getting away from Okshion to escape proved to be fortunate and the adjutant was immediately able to get close to Okshion, who fell from his horse. Due to the soldiers, who panicked in fear, not having an ounce of intention to face their fallen general, the adjutant ground his molars.
“General!”
At the time the adjutant took out the spear from the fallen Okshion and lifted him around so that he was facing upwards, the blood was already drained from Okshion’s face and he was opening and closing his bluish-white lips in order to breath in gasps.
When he took out the spear, the bleeding increased even more. Intestines were also mixed in the spilling thick blood.
“Ah… here, at, such place…” (Okshion)
“Please stay firm! I will get you treated in the rear right away!”
While saying that, even the adjutant noticed that Okshion will likely die. How will I identify where the rear is while being caught between enemies in the front and back in the first place? He gets angry at his own words.
“R-Run, away… gebuuh!” (Okshion)
Okshion, who gave his final order while his gaze was vacantly staring into empty space unable to focus any longer, violently coughed up blood and passed away.
Even during that time, panicking soldiers, who are pierced by spears, collapse in the surroundings.
There are even some who fainted while being unable to bear the dread and those who try pretending that they have died. It looks like only the enemy is still standing.
“… Everyone, evacuate in the direction of Biron Earldom at full speed! Run until the spears can’t reach you anymore! Get running if you don’t want to die!”
While shouting to no one in particular, the adjutant jumped on his horse once again and retreated from this spear-raining hell. [Owned by Infinite Novel Translations!]
Of course he was well aware that the number of enemies being in that direction was far higher than at Horant’s border. What will I be able to do with this mob that lost its general as we surge into the enemy nation after breaking through with a fraction of our forces? Far from defeating the enemy in their firmly protected stronghold, it will finish with us being worn down and dying even if we escape.
In that case it will probably be somewhat easier for the feelings of the soldiers to find a means of escape within their own nation, the adjutant judged.
“Even so…”
The adjutant turned a fleeting glance towards the back.
On the other side of his allied soldiers, who are running with a frantic look while spilling tears and nasal mucus, he can slightly see around ten soldiers.
“I heard that the soldiers of Horant are strong at magic, but what the hell happened here?”
Even though he considered it inevitable after thinking about it, a strange, mean mischief was stuck in a corner of his mind.
Balzephon, who stood up in front of Hifumi, caused a vibration, that made the highway tremble, with his irritation which was changed into a war cry.
“Shut up.” (Hifumi)
“Although it was more powerful than the shout of that demon”, Hifumi grasps his katana while laughing frivolously.
“Kill the guy in front of you if you are going to get angry. Get rid of the annoying guy if you can’t do as you want. Only a baby is allowed to stay in a state of bawling.” (Hifumi)
“Thus kill me”, Hifumi roars.
“Uuuuuuuuh…” (Balzephon)
“It would probably be easy if you could kill an enemy by just glaring at them. However, that would be boring, wouldn’t it?” (Hifumi)
Hifumi got into a stance of aiming at the eyes while placing his right foot in the direction the the katana’s point.
Balzephon who began to gather his blood and to reconnect the smashed head, glares at Hifumi while letting his long arms dangle loosely.
“I will kill you because I want to. Well then, both of us were able to affirm our justifications. Your injury has probably healed as well. Shall we resume?” (Hifumi)
At the moment he slid his left foot forward by just a half step, Balzephon brought down both his arms from overhead to crush Hifumi.
“Aye, how exciting.” (Hifumi)
Higumi tried to lop off an arm coming downwards, but Balzephon suddenly halted both his arms and Hifumi’s katana stopped at the same time as well.
“Gaaah!” (Hifumi)
Immediately Balzephon’s front kick sinks into Hifumi’s belly like a hammered stake.
Hifumi falls down to the back due to being kicked and half-rises his body while breathing out.
The certain feeling of having broken bones was transmitted to his hand when he strongly drove in the pommel into the lower leg that was in front of his eyes.
Unable to keep his balance due to the the broken leg, Balzephon tumbles, but even Hifumi ended up getting sent flying around five meters to the back.
“Gohoo.” (Hifumi)
Fixing his breathing with a cough, Hifumi felt a stabbing pain, but after diagnosing himself that no bones were broken, he corrected the hold of his katana.
Balzephon, who’s foot healed during that time, stands up slowly.
“The structure of your body is basically the same. I realized that from cutting you earlier. Even the intestines, which came out, are no different of those of a person.” (Hifumi)
Balzephon swings his right hand at Hifumi who approaches defencelessly, but lowering himself slightly, Hifumi cuts at empty space from overhead.
Once Hifumi kicks away the elbow of the passing-by arm with all his strength, Balzephon spins around and turns his back towards Hifumi.
“Yo.”
He cuts at the neck by slicing it horizontally from behind.
At the moment he reached the point of having cleaved open the neck halfway after severing the muscles swelling on Balzephon’s grown shoulders, Balzephon forcibly grabs the katana with his left hand and stops it.
“Although you ended up in an unnatural stance due to turning around towards the back forcibly, your strong point is your great physical power enabling you to rein in the motion of the katana despite it”, Hifumi became delighted. [Read this at Infinite Novel Translations!]
Because he has grabbed close to the metal collar mounted between the blade and the hand guard where the sharpness is dull, Hifumi is unable to lose the grip by cutting through it alongside the hand.
“Uoh!?”
Although Balzephon tried to snatch the katana first, it didn’t work out and reluctantly pulling out the katana from his body he thrust away Hifumi’s body as if loathing it.
While continuing to glare at each other after picking up some distance, Hifumi noticed something.
“Ooh, that’s right. That is just right to test it out.” (Hifumi)
Hifumi, took the katana into just his right hand, bit at the middle finger of the glove covering only his left hand.
He pulls it off his left hand just like that.
“Uuuh…” (Balzephon)
The sun, which started to sink, should have dyed that left hand in red, but as if having been repeatedly been painted in black or as if it was cut out of a frame, Hifumi’s left had was pitch black.
Does Balzephon realize its bizarreness? He continues to groan lowly while having his gaze stolen by that left hand.
“This seems to still be able to do various things, but I had no opportunity to test it out properly. Be relieved, it’s no poison.” (Hifumi)
Raising a loud laughter, Hifumi took a stance of hiding the katana in his right hand behind his body and stuck out his left hand in front.
Balzephon hesitated for a short while, but once he grasps that no attack is coming, he rushes towards Hifumi by himself once again.
Balzephon, who knew that a largely-swung attack will be avoided, makes use of his nails on both hands and releases a sharp thrust.
“??”
Balzephon’s eyes opened widely and became round due to surprise.
His own nails, which should have easily pierced something at the level of a human body, were stopped with a bare hand by the small human in front of him.
“Surprised, right?” (Hifumi)
Smiling impishly, Hifumi struck both hands of Balzephon with his black left hand.
With his fingers becoming mostly mush, Balzephon screamed while rolling around on the ground holding both his hands.
“Gyaaaaaah!” (Balzephon)
Hifumi nodded satisfied while opening and clutching his left hand.
“It’s a shame that I can’t feel the pain of the hitting fist, but there’s no problem with its toughness.” (Hifumi)
“Aaah!” (Balzephon)
Hifumi stabbed the katana into the ground against Balzephon who tries to sink in a kick against Hifumi’s feet while on the floor.
The blade’s edge digs into the approaching right leg.
“Gyaaa!” (Balzephon)
Having his own lower leg being sent flying after being cut from the shin, Balzephon once again ended up tumbling around on the ground in an unsightly manner.
Raising his face while groaning, he searches for his right foot which should have been sent flying, but he can’t find it.
“This is what you are looking for, right?” (Hifumi)
The black left hand of Hifumi, who called out to him, is grasping Balzephon’s foot.
“It’s regrettable, but this is confiscated.” (Hifumi)
The dripping blood of the cut end is completely absorbed into the palm of his left hand and the foot is slowly swallowed up to the toes just like that.
Balzephon watched that dumbfoundedly, but placing both hands on the ground after the wounds were healed, he approached Hifumi savagely with both arms and one leg.
“It’s the same as storage magic, just so that you know.” (Hifumi)
Stopping a thrust with his left hand again, he breaks the elbow of Balzephon’s left arm with the katana’s pommel.
He grasps the end of the broken arm with his left hand, however this time it doesn’t get absorbed.
“Living things are no good. … If you don’t dismember them, that is.” (Hifumi)
Once he shifted the katana in a smooth, quick motion, Balzephon’s left hand was easily cut off. This time it was swallowed by Hifumi’s left hand starting with the fingertips while causing conspicuous sounds.
“If it’s simple “things” that aren’t alive, it goes like this. So, even though I will kill you from here on out, what method do you prefer?” (Hifumi) [Copyright by Infinite Novel Translations!]
Even though he had lost his left hand and right leg, Balzephon, who is looked down upon by Hifumi, wobbly stands up and injures himself with his own nails by grasping his right hand tightly.
“Guuuuu…” (Balzephon)
The blood, which drops down, spread out on the ground.
“Your blood is red, eh? If you look at magic and demi-humans from the standpoint of a normal human who came from somewhere else like me, it looks like monsters and human aren’t that different from each other.” (Hifumi)
Returning the katana into its scabbard, Hifumi smacked his lips as his right hand became free as well.
“Although it’s amusing, every last of them is crazy.” (Hifumi)
“Uaaaaaah!” (Balzephon)
Doing the skilful act of leaping with one leg, the right hand of Balzephon, which was swung down while placing all his body’s weight behind it, had its wrist caught by Hifumi in reverse and Balzephon fell victim to him being thrown over Hifumi’s shoulder.
While holding onto the thrown arm, Hifumi, who rolled over on top of Balzephon belly, decided to twist the arm and trampled down on Balzephon’s chest.
“Since you have this much strength, you might not be knowledgeable of losing to scheming.” (Hifumi)
He breaks the joints of the shoulder and elbow without any reservation.
Balzephon resisted by flapping his leg, but due to being pressured by Hifumi’s foot which was filled with even more strength, the bones of his chest began to creak.
“Having a weapon, a special move or technique is something good. The same applies to magic, your nails and your physical ability, I guess.” (Hifumi)
Separating the broken right arm, Hifumi peers into the face of Balzephon whose posture has bent forward even more.
“But you know, since you stopped at that point, you will die here. If they have abilities or tools, you have to frantically come up with plenty of methods to kill a person who uses those.” (Hifumi)
Hifumi draws out his katana and thrusts the blade underneath the neck of Balzephon who glares at him while having collapsed looking upwards.
“The method of cutting the neck of a fallen opponent isn’t just swinging the katana downwards from above at all.” (Hifumi)
Grabbing the head of the groaning Balzephon, Hifumi slid the blade across the neck of Balzephon while drawing Balzephon towards himself.
“Gii…” (Balzephon)
Switching to a sound of death agony and spouting out foam from his mouth halfway through, his severed body once again fell to the ground.
Even after just the head was left, Balzephon opens and closes his mouth while staring at Hifumi as if cursing him.
“I see, you’ve got quite the life force. It’s extremely regrettable that I can’t kill you, but let me use you gratefully in that case.” (Hifumi) [Owned by Infinite Novel Translations!]
Deploying his darkness storage, Hifumi recovered the headless corpse and faced Balzephon’s head which he carried in one hand.
“Let’s pretend that you were an assassin sent by the new demon king.” (Hifumi)
Once he nimbly wrapped the head in a suitable amount of cloth from his storage, he looked for the horse which waited at a distance and returned towards Fokalore with a good mood while thinking I was able to get a nice present.