127.Black Dog
「撃て。手前の敵と、あの馬上で叫んでる奴を狙え」
オクシオンら造反軍が背を向け、十分に距離が取れたと判断したところで、マ・カルメは静かに指示を下した。
「しかし、ずいぶん離れてしまったようですが......」
恐る恐る話す伝令に、マ・カルメは視線を向けず伝えた。
「本来の投槍器の飛距離は、さっきの倍はある」
「なんと......」
マ・カルメが断言した通り、弓では狙いをつけるのも難しいような距離まで離れた敵に対して、次々と発射された槍は正確に敵を射抜く。
後方から想定外の攻撃を受けた敵軍は、攻勢に出たときの勢い以上に算を乱して逃げ出し始めた。
「ちょいと混乱させすぎたか。連中の捕縛を任せたビロン伯爵には迷惑をかけちまったな」
固く太い指で頭をぼりぼりとかきながら、マ・カルメは苦笑した。
「すごい......たった十人で五百の敵を追い返すとは」
「おっと、勘違いするなよ?」
ちっちっ、とマ・カルメは指を振る。
「普通に考えたら、人数の差はそのまま勝敗につながる重要な要素だ。今回はたまたま、連絡が早くて準備する時間が取れたことと、連中が素人の集まりで戦いの雰囲気に慣れていなかっただけさ」
「しかし、結果を見れば貴殿の功績の大きさは計り知れぬものでは?」
「バカ言え。こっちは追いやっただけで、主に兵を出して戦ったのはビロン伯爵だ。功績なら、ビロン伯爵が一番だ」
それよりも、とマ・カルメは敵軍が総崩れになり、逃げるように街道を戻っていく様子を見送り、隊員たちに投槍器ごと後退して国境ぎりぎりでの防衛態勢をとるように指示を出した。
「こっちに流れてくる奴がいなくなれば、とりあえずは終わりだ」
さっさとフォカロルに帰ってアリッサ長官の顔が見たいぜ、とマ・カルメはボヤいた。
「終わったらホーラントの連中に状況を伝えて、一度撤収するとするか」
ガラガラと台車に乗せられて後ろ向きに運ばれていく投槍器に並んで、伝令とマ・カルメはホーラント国境へと向かった。
オクシオンがホーラント方面の敵から充分に距離が取れたと判断した時点で、彼らの意識は完全に後方からのビロン軍に向いていた。
「先ほどまでの敵はもはや射程の外だ! 気にせず後方の敵を殲滅する!」
馬の向きを変え、剣を抜いて突撃の号令をかけようとした瞬間だった。
マ・カルメの指示で撃ち出された槍が、オクシオンの背中から腹を突き破った。
飛び散った血が、周りを歩いていた兵士に降り注ぎ、悲鳴が上がる。
「しょ、将軍!?」
ちょうど後方から戻ってきていた副官が、目の前で串刺しにされたオクシオンに向かって馬を進める。
周囲の兵士は逃げるようにオクシオンから距離をとったのが幸いし、落馬したオクシオンへとすぐに近づくことができた。だが、兵士たちが恐怖でパニックになり、将軍が倒れたことに一切気を向けていないことに、副官は奥歯を噛みしめた。
「将軍!」
副官が倒れ伏したオクシオンから槍を抜き、あおむけに抱え上げたとき、すでにオクシオンの顔からは血の気が失せて、青白くなった唇が喘ぐように開閉していた。
槍を抜いたことで、さらに出血が増えている。どろりとこぼれた血の中には、内臓も混じっていた。
「あ......ここで、こんな、ところで......」
「しっかりしてください! すぐに後方にて手当を!」
言いながら、副官もオクシオンが死ぬだろうことには気づいていた。第一前も後ろも敵に挟まれた今、後方とはどこを指すのか。自分の言葉にすら腹が立つ。
「にげ、ろ......げぶっ!」
焦点の合わない視線を宙に泳がせながら最期の指示を出したオクシオンは、激しく血を吐いて絶命した。
その間にも、周囲では槍に貫かれてバタバタと兵士たちが倒れている。
恐怖に耐えきれず気を失った者や、死んだふりをしてやりすごそうとする者まであらわれ、立っているだけで的にされそうだ。
「......全員、ビロン伯爵領方面へ全速で退避しろ! 槍が届かない場所まで走れ! 死にたくなければ、走れぇ!」
誰へともなく叫びながら副官は再び馬に飛び乗り、槍のふる地獄から退避した。
もちろん、その方向にも敵がおり、ホーラント国境より数がはるかに多くなるのは承知の上だった。小数を突破して敵国になだれ込んだとして、大将を失った烏合の衆に何ができるだろうか。本拠地を守る強固な敵を破るどころか、すり減らされて終わり、逃げ場もなくなる。
「それにしても......」
と、副官はちらりと背後を見た。
涙や鼻水をたらし、必死の形相で走る味方の兵士たちの向こう、小さく見える十名ほどの兵士たち。
「ホーラント兵は魔法が得意と聞いていたが、一体何があったのだ?」
考えても仕方が無いとは思いつつも、思考の片隅に妙な据わりの悪さを覚えていた。
魔人族のあいつよりもマシだが、と一二三はへらへら笑いながら刀を握る。
「腹が立つなら目の前の奴を殺せよ。思い通りにならないなら邪魔な奴を消せよ。泣きわめいて状況が変わるのを待つのが許されるのは、赤ん坊だけだぞ」
だから俺を殺せ、と一二三は嘯く。
「ウゥウウウゥウウ......」
「睨み付けるだけで敵が殺せるなら楽だろうなぁ。でも、それじゃあつまらないだろう」
切っ先を向けて右足を前に出し、正眼に構えた一二三。
叩き割られた頭部がつながり、血が固まり始めたバールゼフォンは、長い両腕をだらりと下げたまま、一二三を睨んでいる。
「俺は、お前を殺したいから殺す。さて、お互いの名分も確認できたことだし、お前の傷も治っただろう。再開しようか」
右足を半歩だけ前にすべり出したところで、バールゼフォンが両腕で大上段から一二三を叩き潰しにかかった。
「おう、豪快だな」
落ちてくる腕を切り払おうとするが、その両腕がぴたりと止まり、一二三の刀も合わせて止まった。
「ガアァッ!」
すぐさま、バールゼフォンの前蹴りが打ち出された杭のように一二三の腹にめり込む。
一二三は息を吐きながら体を浮かせ、蹴られるままに後ろに下がる。
目の前にある脛に、柄頭で強烈な打ち込みを入れると、骨が折れる確かな感触が手に伝わってきた。
折れた足ではバランスが取れず、バールゼフォンは転倒するが、一二三も五メートルほど後ろに飛ばされてしまった。
咳払いをして呼吸を整え、一二三はジンジンと痛むが、骨は折れていないと自己診断を行い、刀を構えなおした。
その間に、折れた足が治ったバールゼフォンはのそのそと立ち上がる。
「基本的な身体のつくりは同じだな。さっき切ってわかった。出てきた内臓も人と変わらん」
無防備に近づいてくる一二三に、バールゼフォンは、右手をふるうが、軽く身を低くした一二三の頭上で空しく空を切る。
通り過ぎた腕、その肘を一二三が外から思い切り蹴飛ばすと、バールゼフォンは錐もみして背中を向ける。
背後から水平斬りに首を叩き落としにかかる。
発達した肩から盛り上がった筋肉を断ち、首の半分まで斬り裂いたところで、バールゼフォンは左手で無理やり刀を掴んで止めにかかる。
無理やり後ろでに回したせいで無理な体勢になってはいるが、それでも刀の動きを制しているあたり、馬鹿力もいいところだ、と一二三は楽しくなってきた。
切れ味の鈍いはばき近くを掴んでいるせいか、手ごと斬り落とすこともできない。
はじめバールゼフォンは刀を奪い取ろうとしたが敵わず、仕方なく身体の方を刀から引き抜き、嫌がるように一二三の身体を突き放した。
距離をとり、再び睨みあいを続けながら、一二三はあることに気がついた。
「おお、そうだ。あれを試すのにちょうどいいな」
刀を右手一本に持ち直した一二三は、左手だけに付けている手袋の中指に噛みついた。
そのまま左手をぐい、と引き抜く。
「うぅう......」
沈みかけた太陽は、その左手を赤く染めているはずだったが、まるで縁取りをして切り取ったかのように、暗闇をさらに塗り重ねたように、一二三の左手は真っ黒だった。
その異様さはバールゼフォンにもわかるのか、左手に視線を奪われたまま、低く唸り続けている。
「これな。まだ色々できそうなんだが、中々試す機会がなくてな。安心しろよ、毒とかじゃあないから」
カラカラと笑った一二三は、右手の刀を身体の後ろに隠すようにして構え、左手を前に突き出した。
しばし逡巡していたバールゼフォンだったが、攻撃が来ないことを知ると、再び自ら一二三に向かって襲い掛かる。
大振りの攻撃は避けられると知ったバールゼフォンは、両手の爪を使い、鋭い突きを放つ。
バールゼフォンは、驚いて目を丸く見開いた。
人間の身体くらいは簡単に貫くはずの自分の爪が、目の前の小さな人間に、素手で止められたのだ。
「驚いたろ?」
いたずらっぽく笑い、一二三は黒い左手でバールゼフォンの両手を殴りつけた。
ほとんどの指がぐしゃぐしゃに折れ、バールゼフォンは両手を抱えて転がり、喚いた。
左手を握ったり開いたりしながら、一二三は満足そうにうなずいた。
倒れたまま、一二三の足元に蹴りを入れてくるバールゼフォンに対し、一二三は右手の刀を地面に突き立てた。
迫る右足に向けて刃筋を立てるようにして。
自らの力で脛から先を切り飛ばし、バールゼフォンは再び地面を無様に転げまわる羽目になった。
うめき声をあげながら顔をあげ、飛んで行ったはずの自分の右足を探すが、見当たらない。
「探しているのは、これだろう?」
声をかけた一二三の黒い左手には、バールゼフォンの足が握られている。
「残念だが、これは没収な」
ずぶ、と血をしたたらせる切り口が左手の平に吸い込まれると、そのままずるずるとつま先までが呑み込まれてく。
唖然としてそれを見ていたバールゼフォンだが、傷口がふさがったところ地面に手をつき、両手と片足で猛然と一二三に迫った。
「収納魔法と同じで、な」
再び突きを左手で止め、柄頭で左手の肘を壊す。
折れた腕の先を黒い左手で握るが、今度は吸収されない。
「生き物はだめなんだわ。......切り離さないとな」
するり、と刀を滑らせると、あっさりと切り離されたバールゼフォンの左手。今度は指先から、めきめきと音を立てて一二三の左手の中に呑み込まれた。
「生きていない、たんなる“物”ならこの通りだ。で、俺はこれからお前を殺すのにどうすれば良いと思う?」
左手と右足を失いつつも、ゆらゆらと立って一二三を見下ろすバールゼフォンは、右手を握りしめて自分の爪で自らを傷つけている。
「グゥウウウ......」
ぼたぼたと落ちる血が、地面に落ちて広がった。
「血は赤い、か。魔法しかり亜人しかり、俺のような他所から来た普通の人間からすれば、魔物も人間も然程変わらんように見えるな」
刀を鞘に戻し、右手も自由にすると、一二三は舌打ちをした。
「面白くはあるが、どいつもこいつも、どうかしているな」
「ウァアアアアア!」
片足で跳躍するという器用な真似をして、バールゼフォンが体重を乗せて振り下ろした右手は、逆に一二三に手首を掴まれ、背負投げの餌食になる。
投げた腕を掴んだまま、バールゼフォンの腹の上を転がった一二三は、そのまま腕を捻り上げて極め、胸を踏みつけた。
「そういう力があるから、工夫がなくなるのかも知れんな」
一切の遠慮なく、肩と肘の関節を壊す。
足をばたつかせて抵抗するが、さらに力が入った一二三の足の圧力に、胸の骨が悲鳴をあげ始めた。
「武器がある事、得意な動きなり技があるのは良いことだ。魔法も、お前の爪も身体能力も同じだろう」
壊した右手を離し、さらに前傾姿勢になってバールゼフォンの顔を覗き込む。
「でもな、そこで終わったからお前はここに死ぬことになるんだ。道具なり能力があるなら、それを使って人を殺す方法を必死で、沢山考えないとな」
一二三は刀を抜くと、仰向けに倒れたまま睨みつけるバールゼフォンの首の下に刃を上にして差し込む。
「倒れた相手の首を斬る方法は、何も上から刀を振り下ろすだけじゃないんだぞ」
呻くバールゼフォンの頭を掴み、一二三は手前に引き寄せるようにしてバールゼフォンの首を刃の上ですべらせた。
「ギ......」
断末魔は途中から泡の吹き出す音に代わり、切断された身体は再び地面へと落ちた。
首だけとなったあとでも、バールゼフォンは口を開閉させながら一二三を恨めしそうに見ている。
「ふむ、大した生命力だな。......殺せないのは非常に残念だが、そういうことならありがたく利用させてもらおう」
闇魔法収納を展開し、首無し死体を回収すると、一二三は片手にぶら下げたバールゼフォンの首と向かい合った。
「お前を新しい魔王が放った刺客という事にしよう」
収納から適当な布を取り出して手早く包むと、離れて待っていた馬を探し、いいお土産ができた、と上機嫌でフォカロルへと帰って行った。
Chapter 127: Black Dog
"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.magic
"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.
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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
Hifumi nodded satisfied while opening and clutching his left hand.
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.
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
Summoned Slaughterer
呼び出された殺戮者
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/summoned-slaughterer/
Action Adventure Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Romance Shounen
Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Arrogant Characters Average-looking Protagonist Beastkin Beautiful Female Lead Betrayal Calm Protagonist Clever Protagonist Cunning Protagonist Dark Demi-Humans Demons Determined Protagonist Different Social Status Dwarfs Elemental Magic Elves Enemies Become Allies Enemies Become Lovers Evil Protagonist Fantasy Creatures Fantasy World Fearless Protagonist God-human Relationship Gods Kingdom Building Kingdoms Knights Love Interest Falls in Love First Magic Beasts Magical Space Male Protagonist Marriage Monsters Nobles Obsessive Love Overpowered Protagonist Politics Power Struggle Protagonist Strong from the Start R-15 Royalty Ruthless Protagonist Samurai Schemes And Conspiracies S*aves Strong Love Interests Strong to Stronger Summoning Magic Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transported to Another World Underestimated Protagonist Unique Weapon User Unique Weapons Wars Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4399ci/
井戸正善／ido