Volume 5 Chapter 48 Buried Talent
Bael stared at the blue blood gushing from his lost left arm and wound with a bewildered look, doubting reality before feeling the pain. He had expected his arm to be broken, but losing it completely was beyond his imagination.
I had relayed the plan to Reed, then Gram pointed it out.
Truth be told, Kyunei's weakening magic on me had not been lifted during the battles. I had forgotten it due to its seamless integration. Besides, since it would have been pointless to lift it against Bael if I couldn't hit him, Gram had intentionally kept it a secret.
So, the solution I came up with was to add a twist to Reed's plan.
In my weakened state, I was only slightly stronger than a boastful human. The power of my thrown spear was significantly reduced from its original strength.
Therefore, by projecting my full strength in a weakened state, Weiss mistakenly perceives my prowess. Instead of focusing on evading the counterattack, perhaps he would shift his awareness to defense or interception. I anticipated that it would lead to a certain level of carelessness.
And this plan successfully resulted in Weiss's left arm being severed.
'Not yet, partner! Keep coming at him!'
Without needing to be told, I hold the black spear horizontally this time, ready to strike. However, the previous blow causes pain to surge through my body. It wasn't fatal, but rather temporary, yet it clearly slows down my movements.
"--You bastard!!"
Shouting in anger, Weiss, with bloodshot eyes, raises his unharmed right arm.
With my reactions dulled, I manage to barely block with the black spear at the last moment, but the force from the blow pushes me back significantly, despite having just sustained a serious injury.
Struggling to maintain a steady stance to avoid collapsing, I quickly readjust my spear and focus on Weiss. However, in front of me, Weiss was crouched down, clutching his left shoulder. It was clear that one more hit like that would completely stop him.
'Partner's trick really worked well. If you had tried to block it or dodged it poorly, you might have been blown away by magic.'
"Seriously...ouch."
While casting healing magic on myself to treat my wounds, I turn my gaze towards Reed. It seems like he has just finished as well. I see Bael's right arm being coiled and torn apart by his snake belly sword. Even the sharp claws that I struggled against were mercilessly shattered and fell to the ground.
"You did great, Black Blade. I thought it would be good enough if you could just hold him back, but to think you'd take Weiss's arm like that."
Compared to me, who was significantly exhausted both mentally and physically, Reed seemed more relaxed. Although the conditions for the surprise attack were the same when switching opponents, Reed's efficiency was much better.
"But I was surprised. During the fight, voices other than Slay's popped into my head. At first, I even doubted my own sanity."
"It goes both ways. Your partner, Slay, is so noisy. Well, thanks to that, I came up with an idea."
This strategy was a coincidental creation that wouldn't have worked without Slay and Gram. At this point, I'm curious about how Reed obtained the Snake Belly Sword (Slay). Now that we've become somewhat more familiar than when we first arrived at Eubarest, maybe Reed will tell me if I ask.
"Does that mean the rumors about slaying the evil dragon aren't exaggerated?"
"That should be classified information... but it seems like the information control is pretty loose."
Why did news about someone operating outside the country reach their ears? From the vibe of it, it seems like rumors could reach even a 2nd rank mercenary or someone with a certain level of power.
Reed looked puzzled at my implied affirmation and immediately muttered with a strange sound, "Huh," while lowering his face.
"...Seriously? It's getting serious now, huh?"
Reed muttered to himself while touching the Stigma engraved on himself. When I caught a glimpse of his eyes peeking through the covered hand, my spine shivered. It was a different feeling from Bael and Weiss, almost like a snake creeping up and coiling around my legs.
At that moment, the door of the tavern (club) swung open with a loud noise. As Reed and I turned our gaze there, we saw Mikage and Nikyou. Nikyou had a slight bruise, but he seemed to be in good health.
Nikyou was initially surprised by the skin color of the fallen Bael and Weiss, as well as the color of the flowing blood. After all, ot was only after Nikyou and the others barged into the tavern that these guys transformed back into demons. However, once they confirmed that these demons were defeated and they were safe, Nikyou swallowed his unease and smirked towards them.
"Take this!"
Nikyou tossed something he grabbed in his right hand, and it made a dull sound as it tumbled down from the platform. When it came to a stop below, I realized it was Narinki who had lost consciousness. Narinki had far more bruises than Nikyou, and his already chubby face was even more swollen.
"Listen up!!"
The loud voice echoed throughout the area, causing everyone involved in the fight to stop moving. As everyone's attention focused on Nikyou, he raised his voice once more.
"I defeated Narinki my own hands!! This fight is a win for us, the Jingin Family! Anyone got a problem, step up to me right now! I'll take on anyone, anytime!!"
Even though the enemy's boss and main forces have been taken down, the difference in numbers is still clear. If they get riled up and attack all at once, it'll be tough. But there was an intimidating 'presence' in Nikyou's voice that amateurs couldn't match.
--Yeeaaahhh!!
It's almost certain that the tide of victory has turned. Members of the Jingin Family and the mercenary group, who were fighting against the delinquents, raised their fists in victory. Whether they could still move or not, the spirit of the Kahlua Family present in this space, including those who could still fight and those who couldn't, was clearly fading rapidly after Jingin's declaration of victory.
'That's some serious talent there. It's a bit of a shame to just handle the city's thugs and leave it at that.'
In a different sense from Aina, does it mean suitable to stand above others?
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