Volume 7 Chapter 29 Coin Castle, The Immortal Foe
--Slash!
I quickly dodged and slashed at Sick with my sword. Nergal, the strong enemy, couldn't catch up to me. That's obvious. Between a greatsword and a knife, it's clear that the greatsword has the upper hand.
But something felt strange, and I quickly turned around. Then, I heard a dull metal sound coming from the greatsword.
Nergal was clashing with the greatsword, and Sick was biting me with blood in his mouth.
"----Your nickname 'The Undying Patient' is really fitting, Sick!"
"If you can kill me, then do it. I've been looking for a strong opponent like you."
I pushed Nergal back and kicked him. Sick defended himself with both hands and stopped himself from falling by scraping his feet on the ground.
I finally understood why he was a gold sword and torch. With Nergal's unbeatable body and sword skills, it's no wonder he's a strong adventurer.
He's really strong. As a gold adventurer, he's genuinely strong. I don't feel like I can lose to him head-on like I would with an 'Oath'-like promise. But in a split second, I feel like I could be defeated, just like Swallow.
In a way, he's similar to me -- a type of warrior who can't die. He's even stronger than me. It's been a while since I've faced an enemy like him, maybe since Eiosnight.
"No way, I'm saying this, but..."
"What's up? Cough cough."
"--Ugh, an unbeatable enemy is the worst! You don't know when they'll fall, so it's frustrating!"
"I'll return the favor, cough cough."
At the same time, I rushed forward. He swung Nergal sword, and I dodged it and cut off his arm with Durandal. Sick's right arms flew into the air.
"By the power of the vow, return my hand."
Sick's right arm flew back to him like a boomerang. "Wow, that's convenient!" I exclaimed. Sick said, "Cough cough, ...'Slow', are you serious? " while facing Nergal.
"No, I lost my right arm to the Oath, so... Wait, is your power also a Geas, Sick?"
"...Yeah. Ugh, I was attacked by a terrible curse and almost died, but I used a special power called Geas to barely survive. Ever since then, my body has been constantly affected by the curse, but I've been able to stay alive somehow."
It's like a drama, huh? Life is full of ups and downs. But I don't care about that, and getting too emotional can be a weakness in a fight.
Sick is looking at me with a fierce gaze, taking deep breaths. I'm staring back at him, thinking about how to take him down.
Then, Sick says...
"Haa, haa... can I say one thing?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"I clashed with you before. First, you got my stomach cut open, and then my arm was chopped off."
"Yeah, that's right."
"Honestly, I don't think I can win against you with Nergal's sword. Ugh..."
Sick says, clenching his fist in frustration.
"'Slow', you're a terrifying opponent. Even without Nergal's sword, I'm confident I can take down anyone below silver rank."
But then, Sick continues...
"But even so, I can't see a future where I can defeat you. You have an unbeatable advantage, with your powerful attacks and sword skills. And on top of that, you're healthy. That's what makes you strong. You're like a superior version of me."
"...So what?"
"So, I don't want to fight you, but I want to fight Nergal with you, who used it."
I'm shocked. Sick is saying something crazy, like he's trying to force a romantic drama into our fight.
"I can't beat you. Even if I try my best, I'll lose. But that's not fair to Nergal, the Cursed Thirteen Blades of Victory. I want to show this sword, with its dark and powerful name, that it can win."
Sick puts Nergal back in its sheath, then tosses it to me.
"Do what you want with me. But if you're willing, I want you to fight me with Nergal with you, using its special powers. --Cough, cough, cough...!"
Sick coughs up blood, his body weakened. It's no wonder he can't fight me head-on in his condition.
Sick continues to talk...
"I thought I was immortal, but you won. So, I want to fight you again, even if it's against Nergal's strongest power. Let's do it!"
"That's--"
I felt a smile spreading across my face.
"That's so cool! I lost to Swallow's Muramasa, and I want to take revenge on the 13 Swords."
As I looked at Nergal in my hand, Roman said, "Wait, Wade-kun. That's crazy. You don't have to do that."
But I refused to listen.
"Roman, understand me. I'm that kind of person."
"I'll tell Moruru-chan about this."
"Ugh... but...."
"What's holding you back? This is the place to do it. What's stopping you?"
I looked at Sick, who had a determined look in his eyes. I saw a strong fighting spirit in his gaze.
"--I accept that spirit! Bring it on!"
"What-----!?
Roman was shocked, but I released Nergal and stabbed it into my own stomach. It was like a samurai's ritual suicide.
My stomach was torn apart by Nergal, and I vomited a lot of blood.
--It was an incredible pain, like all my past sufferings combined. Every cell in my body was screaming in agony.
Blood was pouring out of my mouth like a fountain. I fell down, unable to move my body.
My second heart, the Anahata Chakra, was crying out in pain. It was the first time it had faced such a strong enemy.
My second heart was cracked, but I shouted...
"Brahma!"
The crack healed, and my Anahata Chakra started working harder to fight the enemy.
Nergal seemed to get even stronger, and my whole body started bleeding from every hole -- my nose, ears, eyes... I couldn't even think straight anymore.
"I'm going to lose... I'm going to lose...!"
My heart chakra is exploding Every time it happens, I shout 'Brahma!' I won't give up. My heart chakra won't give up either!
I'm determined to hold on. No matter how many times my heart chakra breaks apart, I'll keep shouting 'Brahma!' It's like I'm fighting for my life for a few minutes.
And then I realized something.
"I'm not going to run away... I'm going to change! Haaaaaaaaa!"
I need to change how I use my Anahata chakra. It's not about defeating the sickness, but about making my body strong so it can't be controlled by the sickness. It's like upgrading my body using my chakra.
My Anahata chakra has the power to control my body. So it's not just about healing, but also about transforming my body. And that's not impossible.
I'm ordering my Anahata chakra to make my body strong and healthy, free from sickness. I want my cells to be strong and fight against the germs.
I feel nauseous, cold, and painful, but I'm taking deep breaths and slowly getting up. I'm pulling out the dark energy inside me.
"--I'm going to win, Nergal."
"...'Slow', you were amazing."
I defeated the dark energy. Sick didn't do anything, he just opened his arms to accept me. He closed his eyes quietly and said...
"Please end my cursed life."
"Leave it to me."
I approached Sick. I used my right prosthetic hand and my left hand to face it.
"It's going to be painful, but please excuse me, okay?"
"I don't care about the pain anymore."
Since I'm immortal, I know how to kill something that's immortal.
Even immortals can die if they use up all their energy or break the rules that keep them alive.
Sick wanted to die. But if he can't die even though he wants to, that means he's made a promise with himself that he can't break.
"--Thank you."
Sick said. I took a deep breath and started to... kill Sick.
I'm hitting Sick with a series of powerful blows.
I didn't even take a breath before I punched Sick really hard. My fist, wrapped with a powerful magic, was strong enough to kill a normal person with just one hit.
I kept punching Sick over and over again. With each hit, blood splattered everywhere, flesh tore apart, bones broke, and internal organs burst. It was like Sick's body was being put through a blender.
But a cruel curse called Geas wouldn't let Sick die. My goal was to defeat Geas itself, so even when Sick seemed to be dead, I didn't stop punching. I kept going, determined to break the curse.
Blood, flesh, bones--
My fists crushed Sick's body into tiny pieces. I didn't hesitate or feel sorry for Sick, because I knew that if I did, the curse would make things even worse.
Finally, I felt the curse break.
With one last punch, the life force inside Sick disappeared. I stopped moving, feeling like I had crossed a boundary.
When I looked down, Sick's body was no longer human-like -- it was just a lump of flesh, like a blob of slime. I took a deep breath, feeling relieved, and wiped the blood off my face with my arm.
"Rest in peace, Sick."
I turned around, picked up my sword, and put it back in its sheath. I thought to myself.
--Sick, you were a tough enemy, but I'll take your spirit with me.
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