Chapter 18: Chapter 7 : Wrath of a Person III
"Ah, yes... the Forgiven Shield Paladin's Sacred Technique: Devotion," the mysterious man mused, his tone both intrigued and mocking. "A form of power that significantly increases physical resistance and raw strength, combined with the holy energy they wield. It's an overwhelming force in battle. But its flaw lies in its weight—it slows the user down. And if the paladin isn't the enemy's primary focus, or if their allies stray too far, its effectiveness dwindles."
Dofan smirked. "Hah, you're a knowledgeable one. I'll give you that."
In an instant, like a thunderclap, Dofan charged toward the man. The sudden burst of speed caught the mysterious man off guard.
"What?!" the man exclaimed, eyes wide as Dofan's swiftness defied the supposed limitations of Devotion. "Ah, I see. He's channeling his raw strength to enhance his speed, compensating for the technique's drawbacks."
The mysterious man leapt onto the shoulder of one of his remaining golems to escape, but Samhain interrupted him, summoning a Fire Wind Vortex. Fiery winds swirled, pulling the man into its searing grasp and burning his skin. In desperation, the man shattered a jewel hanging from his necklace. Instantly, rock formations rose from the ground, shielding him from the vortex.
Before he could recover, Dofan smashed through the rocks with his shield, shattering them into rubble. He followed up with a powerful slash toward the man's left arm. But to Dofan's astonishment, the blade met resistance, the arm proving as solid as steel.
The man grabbed Dofan's sword, yanking him forward and delivering a sharp knee to his torso. Unfazed, Dofan released his weapon and retaliated with a bone-shaking punch to the man's face. The two exchanged fierce blows, their strikes echoing like thunderclaps amidst the chaos.
Meanwhile, away from the heated battle, Fallion lay wounded and writhing in pain. Yanmei held his head gently against her chest, her voice soft but urgent.
"Hold on, my lord. It won't take long. Hurry, Farid!" she urged.
Farid, sweating from the intensity of the situation, handed her a small vial. "It's done—here, drink this," he said.
Fallion drank the potion, and his breathing began to steady. Moments later, he slipped into a deep sleep. Gaz'mirna, her hands burned and severely injured from removing the holy spear that had impaled him, hoisted Fallion onto her back.
Farid quickly began preparing another potion. "Here, wash your wounds with this," he said, handing it to Gaz'mirna. "It's daemon alchemy—harmless for you, but effective."
Gaz'mirna nodded, pouring the liquid over her injured hands. The burns hissed as they started to heal.
Yanmei stood and readied her blades. "I'm going back to help the others. But you two should get Lord Fallion to safety," she said firmly.
Gaz'mirna adjusted Fallion's weight on her back. "Understood. I'll take him to a secure place. Be careful."
Farid, however, paused, his gaze intense. "No... Gaz'mirna, take Lord Fallion to safety. I think I have something that can help the others."
Yanmei and Gaz'mirna exchanged a brief glance before nodding in agreement. Gaz'mirna began her retreat with Fallion, while Yanmei moved swiftly toward the battle. Farid, his hands steady despite the chaos, remained behind, fully focused on crafting whatever solution he had in mind.
After an exhausting exchange of blows, both the mysterious man and Dofan began to falter. Breathing heavily, Samhain grabbed Dofan as the effects of Devotion wore off.
"I can't use Devotion again for another ten minutes," Dofan muttered, his frustration evident.
"And I can't unleash another Flame Vortex without risking hurting you," Samhain admitted, glancing at their adversary. "This guy is unbelievably strong."
The mysterious man, though visibly fatigued, still held the upper hand. He smirked at his struggling opponents.
"A man wielding only stone magic and spectral spears has brought you to this point? Surely, you've realized by now that I am no ordinary opponent," he taunted.
Dofan gritted his teeth. "Yeah... That much is clear," he admitted grudgingly.
The man laughed mockingly. "Your Devotion lasts five minutes, with an expected cooldown of ten. A paladin who can't manage their technique's limitations? I expected better. What are you—an honor guard at best?"
Dofan met his gaze, unshaken. "You're not wrong about that," he replied dryly.
At that moment, Yanmei arrived on the battlefield. Her eyes narrowed as she drew her sacred blade, recognition flashing in her expression. "I know this man," she said coldly. "His name is Hatsuki Sawabe. He's one of the top ten assassins in the Guild of Shadows and ranked 12th in the League of Shadow."
The revelation made both Samhain and Dofan pause.
"This explains everything," Yanmei continued grimly. "Even with all of us together, we're struggling against him."
Hatsuki chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with disdain. "Ah, the little pet of Yarinaga. Or have I mistaken you for someone else? Didn't your master sell you off when you proved yourself useless?"
Yanmei stiffened, fury flashing across her face. "What?!"
Samhain and Dofan exchanged shocked glances as Hatsuki's body began to mend itself, cracks in his skin sealing with mineral reinforcements.
"He's altering his body using stone magic," Yanmei explained bitterly. "He can regenerate by absorbing minerals around him. If we don't finish him in a single attack, he'll just keep healing."
Hatsuki laughed. "Ah, how observant. But let's be real, shall we? Killing me in a single attack? With your current abilities? Don't make me laugh. Even if I didn't regenerate, it would take you an hour to take me down—if I just stood here and didn't defend myself."
His laughter faded, replaced by a menacing tone. "Enough of this. I only came for the daemon-human of yours. Let's stop playing games."
The ground shook violently as colossal rocks erupted from below. Bright light blinded the group as the rocks encased Hatsuki, transforming him into a towering Stone Centurion. His voice boomed from within the massive form. "Let's see how you fare against this."
Hatsuki's stone-clad form charged at them, his movements shaking the earth. The three scattered, but he unleashed a barrage of rock projectiles. There were too many to evade. One by one, their defenses shattered.
Yanmei was thrown violently, her legs breaking upon impact. Dofan took a heavy blow to the head, falling unconscious. Samhain, desperate to shield himself, hid behind his Infernal Golem, but even that wasn't enough.
Yanmei, crawling in pain, looked up at the advancing centurion. "No… Not like this…" she muttered, despair creeping into her voice.
Suddenly, a figure descended from above. Farid landed atop the centurion's head, holding two glass bottles. "Sorry for the wait!" he shouted, breaking the bottles against the stone. A strange blue mist began to spread.
The centurion's massive body began to crumble. "What is this?!" Hatsuki roared in shock.
"Spellbinder Aromatics," Farid replied, smirking. "You're done. Everyone—he can't cast spells now! Finish him!"
As the armor collapsed, Farid fell, but before anyone could act, Hatsuki caught him by the neck.
"Brave alchemist... I'll give you that. What a waste you have to die here," Hatsuki sneered, snapping Farid's neck with a sickening crack. He plunged a dagger into Farid's heart for good measure, tossing the lifeless body aside.
Yanmei, despite her broken legs, screamed and lunged at Hatsuki. With her sacred dagger, she activated her Shadow Assassination Art: Flowing Pierce. The attack tore through Hatsuki's stomach, leaving a gaping hole. Both combatants fell to the ground, Yanmei clutching her broken limbs in agony.
Samhain crawled toward Farid's body, his own injuries leaving him barely mobile. "I… I can resurrect him," he muttered through gritted teeth. "I can make him undead…"
But as he reached out, a shadow loomed over Farid's body. Hatsuki stomped on Farid's head, crushing it completely.
"No… NO! FARID!" Samhain screamed.
Hatsuki staggered forward, his body a broken mess. His stomach was torn open, intestines spilling out, blood pouring freely. Yet, he smirked. "I'm almost dead… but I'll regenerate soon enough. You've failed…"
Yanmei's eyes widened in despair. "No… no way…"
Just as hope seemed lost, the silhouette of an eagle appeared in the sky.
Hatsuki's confidence wavered for the first time. "Wha… What is he doing here?!" he shouted in panic.
The eagle dove toward him, forcing Hatsuki to evade. But before he could react further, a black sword pierced his neck from behind.
Hatsuki choked, blood pouring from his mouth. "Wait...!" he gasped, but the sword erupted with black flames, consuming him entirely. His body burned to ashes, the fire relentless.
Samhain, critically injured, knelt weakly, his vision blurring.
"Lord… Fordragon…" he murmured before collapsing unconscious.