Chapter 72

“What the heck, what’s going on?”

Ronos, who had just taken a hit, looked at me with a dazed expression, muttering as if still half-conscious.

“I felt you flying towards me, but I couldn’t react. How did you suddenly get so fast… Huh?”

Ronos’s eyes lit up as he stared at me.

“What happened while I was lagging behind, you?”

He seemed to have noticed the change in me.

My mana had exploded to an incomparable level compared to before.

“Well, a guy who’s about to die doesn’t need to know. By the way, you really did a number on my comrades, huh? Brainwashing my sister to your liking wasn’t enough, now my comrades too. Especially Abelin, you made her like that. It’s a problem. I promised to buy her a drink when we get back.”

“Do you really think that? That you can return safely?”

“Of course, I’m sure. Maybe Ronos, the Archmage, is the strongest opponent I’ve faced so far. But I’m different now.”

With the overflowing power in my body, I tightly gripped my great sword.

Earlier, I was in a hurry and only managed to kick Ronos hard, but next time, I’ll slash him mercilessly with my sword.

If he tries to fly up into the sky again, now is the chance.

“Prepare yourself, fake Archmage!”

“Fake? I’m the real Archmage! And the word ‘prepare’ suits you more than me, you bastard!”

As I charged at Ronos, he didn’t back down and charged back at me.

As I swung my great sword, Ronos swung his arm to meet it.

Clang—

A sound so hard it was hard to believe it was just an arm.

“What the hell, did you turn your body into steel?”

“Kehehe, do you like it? I could burn you to death with fire, but that would be too boring compared to what you did to me. So I decided to face you directly. How about it? You thought I was just a magician, not a warrior who fights with his body, but strengthening the body with mana is also a type of magic. And this body, strengthened by the Archmage!”

In an instant, Ronos swung his other arm, which wasn’t blocking mine.

“Ugh…!”

I quickly reacted and barely dodged, but I couldn’t avoid the next attack aimed at my center.

I had no choice but to retreat, pulling back my sword.

“You seem to rely on that big sword, but with my entire body strengthened, my whole body is a weapon. Plus, I can do this at the same time!”

As he said that, Ronos’s limbs began to burn with purple flames.

“Wow, that’s pretty cool. I have to admit.”

“Not just with your eyes, but I’ll make you admit it with your body too!”

This time, Ronos charged at me first.

My great sword is wide and long, but Ronos’s arms and legs are shorter and faster, allowing him to unleash a barrage of attacks.

All I could do was use the wide surface of my sword to block Ronos’s attacks with minimal movement.

“Kehaha! Where did it go, where did it go! Where did that bravado of preparing yourself go?”

“That’s still true. Don’t get careless, you demon.”

“Is that all you’ve got? Entertain me more, you pathetic human!”

“I will.”

“What… Ugh.”

Ronos, who took a direct kick to the solar plexus, staggered back.

Ronos’s attacks were heavy and fast, but the opportunity to counter came sooner than expected.

In the end, Ronos, not a seasoned warrior, attacked me wildly, and finding gaps in that was easy.

Between Ronos’s attacks, short but clear gaps appeared.

I dodged the flames and limbs and delivered a mana-enhanced, painful kick to Ronos’s vital spot.

“Hehe, I admit it too. You’re quite an exceptional warrior for a human.”

“Of course. Otherwise, would I have been the unprecedented one-man army in the Vanguard’s history? If I fought without holding back, there would be only a handful among you and the demons who could properly face me.”

“Don’t get too arrogant! You’re still just a pathetic human. I won’t allow the same attack twice! Ugh…!!”

Ronos roared, and then a fierce purple flame engulfed his entire body.

The flame was so large that it completely covered Ronos’s body, making it hard to see.

The gaps were completely gone due to the flames.

I realized that to land an effective hit on Ronos now, I’d have to dive into the flames and endure the burns.

So…

I slightly lowered my head and looked at Abelin’s necklace hanging around my neck.

‘Please, let this work!’

Trusting Abelin’s necklace around my neck, I charged.

“Come on, human!”

Ronos, as if he had no worries, spread his arms and legs wide, waiting for my attack.

This time, not just his limbs but his entire body would be tough.

Even if I attacked, it would only leave a scratch on his tough body, and the purple flames, much hotter and more terrifying than red flames, would cling to me, causing severe injury or death.

But I didn’t make a move without a chance.

If the power of this necklace is as Lady Rostia said…!

I gave up defense and focused all the mana scattered throughout my body solely on my sword.

At the same time, I deeply wished in my heart.

The important thing is ‘desperation.’

‘Necklace, I have a long way to go. So give me the power to eliminate that guy now. To judge the demon who brainwashed Riana and made Abelin like that. Let this be the first step to move forward!’

“Give me power!!”

The moment I shouted, the necklace glowed brightly.

At the same time, a radiant barrier surrounded my body.

“Huh…?”

Ronos’s panicked breath as he saw the light from the necklace.

Ronos hurriedly tried to dodge, but…

It was already too late.

Slash—

The sound of flesh being deeply cut by the blade.

Silence fell.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

The flames that had completely covered Ronos’s body slowly subsided.

As the flames disappeared, what remained was Ronos, slumped over with his left arm and shoulder gone.

And from the fallen arm and Ronos’s wound, purple blood was flowing.

“Master, the blood…?”

“Ri, Riana.”

Riana, shocked and horrified by the purple blood flowing from her master.

And Ronos’s eyes, looking at Riana, were filled with despair.

“No, no. Don’t look at me with those eyes. After all I’ve done to raise you, how can you look at me like that…! Ugh!”

As I kicked Ronos, he rolled on the ground, bleeding, unable to strengthen his body with mana.

“Who would think you were like a parent? Raising me, my foot…”

“You, you! How are you unharmed? You should have been touched by my flames!”

“The battle’s over, so I’ll reveal it. You might not understand, but it’s because of this.”

I took out Abelin’s necklace, still faintly glowing, and waved it in front of Ronos.

“That! How did you get that…!”

“Got lucky. I didn’t know the exact effect, but it created a barrier for me. Thanks to that, I was safe in your flames.”

“Hehehe, how, how is this…?”

Ronos slowly got up from his spot.

And looking up at the sky, he shouted.

“Crow God, was this also part of your design for amusement! I resent you, I resent you so much! How could I, your loyal servant…!”

At the same time, Ronos’s body burned with purple flames again.

A fierce flame rose once, and in its place…

“A, a crow?”

Ronos’s human head was gone, replaced by a purple crow’s head.

“See, Riana? That’s your master’s true form.”

“Th, that can’t be…!”

The problem was that as soon as Ronos’s head turned into a crow, an overwhelmingly powerful demonic aura began to emanate.

Ronos, the purple crow, shouted at me.

“I refuse! I refuse the plan set by my god, no, the capricious designer god! It’s all futile, I’ll kill everyone here!”

“Ugh…!”

As Ronos’s remaining arm, now a wing, flapped, a fierce purple flame wind covered my body.

Fortunately, the necklace glowed again and created a barrier for me, but the barrier couldn’t fully withstand the flame wind and was slowly being worn away.

But the fierce wind and heat made it impossible to move.

‘No. One step, one step at a time, I have to get to him…!’

“You’re causing quite a stir.”

A voice from behind.

Along with the voice, a fierce blizzard blew from behind me.

And the blizzard pushed back Ronos’s flame wind, giving me some breathing room.

“Lady Rostia!”

“It’s your fault. You should have aimed for the neck, not the arm.”

“I did aim for the neck, but he dodged at the last moment. What could I do?”

“Then don’t make a mistake this time. Now, I’ll open the way!”

As Rostia gestured, the blizzard intensified and pushed back the flame wind.

“Now, go!”

“Yes, I won’t make the same mistake twice!”

I charged through the blizzard.

The flame wind continued to touch my body, but the barrier created by Abelin’s necklace was still holding, so all that was left was…

“This time for sure!”

“Ugh… You bitch, Rostia!!!!”

The purple crow shouted as its head flew into the sky.