Chapter 111 This Clan Is Really The Best!
"――I'll turn this place into a graveyard for all of you!!!!"
Aaron swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc.
Instantly, a massive aura burst forth from the sword's slash, creating a whirlpool around Aaron.
My unique sword technique, [Continous Blade][Continous Blade]――Super Technique, [Tidal Continous Blade]
The whirlpool of countless [Continous Blade]s swirled and transformed into a circular wave, attacking the clan members on the other side of the crater. A multitude of small blades. Moreover, they flew freely through the air, pursuing anyone who tried to escape. It was extremely difficult to dodge them.
The clan members seemed to be helpless against the [Continous Blade]s, doomed to become gruesome corpses――――or so it seemed.
But.
"――What the...!?"
The next moment, the wave of [Continous Blade]s suddenly changed its trajectory.
Shield Skill――[Aura Absorb]
The shield knights had taken a step forward ahead of the others.
The [Continous Blade]s were drawn towards their raised shields.
However, the sheer number of [Continous Blade]s was overwhelming. The impact was so strong that even the shield knights couldn't withstand it easily. Aaron thought they would be blown away by the thousands of blades.
But the result was the opposite.
'Legion Knight' unique skill――[Skill Connect]
Garon Gasterk's skill amplifies the effect of a skill when used by a group.
The shield knights didn't just activate [Aura Absorb] simultaneously.
Shield Skill――[Aura Armor]
Shield Skill――[Aura Shield]
Shield Skill――[Fortress]
The aura blades attacked the shield knights, who had fortified their defenses.
However, they didn't get blown away, and instead endured the fierce onslaught of blades, gritting their teeth.
Multiple defensive skills that had been strengthened and layered on top of each other managed to seal away Aaron's Super Technique, despite requiring multiple people to do so.
Aaron immediately grasped the underlying mechanism behind this and turned a sharp gaze towards Garon, who was holding up a shield.
"Garon! Are you going to betray me too?!"
――He had believed in him.
Whether or not they had a relationship of trust that was worthy of such faith, Aaron's words implied that he had indeed believed in him.
In response, Garon averted his gaze, looking rather uncomfortable.
"I'm telling you, Aaron... I'm no match for Mr. Io..."
A short-haired woman, a member of the ≪Iron Wall Alliance≫, filled in the gaps in Garon's words.
"Master! Our leader has been in a relationship with Mr. Logan and Mr. Ail for a long time, and we've been receiving favors from Mr. Io, so we can't defy him! Please forgive us!! ."
"I see..."
Aaron was moved by Garon's desperate attempt to protect him, and he let out a laugh, his eyes bloodshot.
"Don't worry... I won't let anyone get away...!! I'll crush everyone equally...!!"
The short-haired woman turned to Garon and said,
"Leader, it looks like it's no use."
"Can't we try a bit harder?"
"I don't think that's going to work. He's lost it. Maybe we should just escape while we can."
Garon's face twisted in distress.
Just then, Io appeared from behind them, walking with a leisurely gait.
"Hahaha... Aaron..."
Io smiled wryly and opened his mouth.
"Did you think I would challenge you without any preparations? The developments from here on out have already been anticipated...!!"
As he spoke, the magicians who had been closing in from behind, as well as the members who had been surrounding them, merged to form multiple parties.
Each party had at least one shield user, and they began to take positions at equal distances from each other.
"You'll probably ignore Garon's group for now and try to take us down first. If we all gather in one spot, we'll be wiped out in one go... so I've set things up like this."
This formation, where each party keeps a distance from the others, was also a strategy to focus attacks on one party while the others provide support.
...You can sense a strong determination to kill the target, no matter the cost.
"And then, to get out of the crater, you'll jump into the air while reinforcing your defense with aura..."
Io and the other clan members had already finished preparing for their attack.
In other words, they were ready to knock Aaron out of the air with a concentrated barrage of long-range attacks.
"But we know that the shield skill you use has 2 variations, right? One is similar to the ordinary [Aura Armor]. And the other is powerful, but I've rarely seen you use it... especially not while moving."
Io sneered, looking disgusted.
"Maybe you can't use it while moving? If so, you'll have to use the other one, considering what'll happen after you land... but can you really block our concentrated fire with that? That technique you used earlier to deflect attacks with a small blade might not work as a shield while moving at high speed... unless you can prove me wrong? Come on, Aaron, jump already!!"
Aaron, his temples bulging with veins, still managed to smile calmly... though it was a bit forced.
"Hah, Io, you're quite the chatterbox... even the sage would be surprised."
"...What?"
Aaron slowly stored "Black Radiance" in his storage ring and took out "Rock Iron" instead.
Io's smile faltered, just a little.
"N-no, no more holding back...!! I'll send all of you... to hell!!"
Aaron's anger got the better of him, and his words became slurred as he jumped into the air, surrounded by a pale yellow aura.
* * *
While being bombarded by the clan members, Aaron defended himself with his earth attribute aura and successfully escaped from the crater.
This marked the beginning of a chaotic and intense battle.
Aaron, while receiving attacks, shouted at each party scattered across the snowy terrain and took them down one by one.
On the other hand, the clan members were not just getting defeated.
With the determination to sacrifice their comrades, they launched attacks at Aaron and rearranged their formation under Io's instructions, maintaining a tight encirclement.
Magical spells and aura lights crisscrossed the battlefield.
The loud explosions, angry roars, and sorrowful cries filled the air.
Among them, those who harbored murderous intent towards the Clan Master charged forward fearlessly.
"We will protect the purity of Sword Dance Maiden!!"
"You think someone like you can defile the pure Sword Dance Maiden's innocence?! No way!!"
"Sword Dance Maiden will remain an eternal virgin!!"
"Eternal virginity is just sad!!"
Aaron retorted, blowing away the perverts.
"My dear sister doesn't need any men! She's going to be my mom, after all!!"
"Master, die!! I'll enter my dear sister's womb and be reborn as her daughter for the sake of my noble goal!!"
"It's my duty to be hugged and have my head patted by my dear sister after we have s*x...!!"
"Ugh...these disgusting perverts!!"
Aaron shouted, swinging his sword n*ked and eliminating the maiden squad.
The battle was so intense it felt like a war.
Fiona and the others watched from a distance.
"Hey, sis...shouldn't we stop them?"
Zara asked Fiona, who was standing next to her, as the battle showed no signs of ending.
Shouldn't they intervene soon?
On the other hand, Fiona, who was asked, had a strangely maiden-like expression as she watched the battle.
"Aaron...he's really kind, isn't he..."
"""Wha...?!"""
Zara and Elliot turned to Fiona at the same time.
It felt like they had just heard something they couldn't understand.
"Sis, are you... sane?"
"Big Sister Fiona, are you... okay? I mean, your head, your eyes, everything?"
As Zara and Elliot asked, Fiona replied while looking at Aaron on the battlefield.
"Look, no one... is dead, right?"
The clan members who had been defeated by Aaron and removed from the battle.
At first glance, it seemed like they had been blown away in a flashy manner, but in reality, not a single one of them was dead. Of course, Zara and the others had also noticed this.
"That's... well, yeah. But isn't that obvious?"
"I mean, if someone had died, it would be a huge problem..."
If things had heated up to the point where people were dying, Fiona wouldn't have had to give any orders, and they would have already intervened on their own.
In other words, Fiona was saying that even though Aaron seemed to be in a rage, he still had a minimum amount of sanity.
And Fiona's words continued.
"Besides, Aaron is probably trying to take in everyone's attacks and bear the brunt of their dissatisfaction."
"...I see."
Zara looked at Aaron, who was swinging his sword on the battlefield, as if to confirm.
"What's going on, what's going on?! You're just letting our numbers dwindle like this?! I want to make you suffer as much as possible before I finish you off!!"
"Ugh!? Is that what the Clan Master is saying?!?"
"You're a monster@ A devil!! A perverted nudist!!"
"You're the ones who want to kill me, the Clan Master, so don't expect me to listen to you!! Dieeee!!"
Aaron, who was laughing loudly while repelling the clan members' attacks with the thin yellow aura surrounding his body, was rendering them unable to fight.
"...I don't know if that's right...?"
Zara tried to swallow Fiona's words, but the little reason that remained confronted her.
Fiona says that Aaron is trying to absorb the attacks to take the heat off, but it looks like he's intentionally taking the hits just to crush the clan members' spirits.
However, an unexpected person disagreed with Zara's reaction.
"No, Zara... I think what Sis said is true."
"Owen?"
It was Owen.
He gazed out at the battlefield with a distant look in his eyes and said with conviction,
"You guys know this already... Aaron is a kind person."
"......"
"......"
What flashed through Zara's, Elliot's, and the party members' minds wasn't the hellish exploration they went through yesterday, but the kind words Aaron said after they defeated the ≪Ice Elemental Treant≫.
"Think back, Aaron may seem like he's not thinking about anything, but every action he takes has a reason."
It was true that making wooden swords was a form of training. And the exploration they went on yesterday was to prepare them for the ≪Ice Elemental Treant≫ battle.
"Aaron isn't the type of person to act on personal grudges."
The reason he was strict with them wasn't because he was annoyed with their attitude or anything shallow like that.
Everything was for their sake...
"Right... that's right."
Owen's words lit up Zara's eyes.
It was a spiritual radiance that only those who had overcome their doubts and believed wholeheartedly could possess.
"Hah, I just realized it myself... and he's the one who's supposed to be the strongest."
"Yeah, Aaron is a kind person, Owen."
Zara and Elliot agreed.
Everyone in the area looked at the battlefield with kind eyes.
Aaron, naked and in motion. Clan members flying through the air. Angry shouts, screams, and explosions echoing everywhere.
Even seeing this, Owen and the others no longer doubted Aaron's actions. There must be a reason for this too, something like it's for the clan members' growth or something.
And...
"Check it out, those guys... they've all gotten ridiculously strong!"
Owen says with a tinge of admiration.
The clan members, who were trying to gang up on the Clan Master, are getting thoroughly beaten, but it doesn't look like they're going down without a fight.
In reality, their skill and magic activation speeds have increased to an unbelievable extent. On top of that, even their basic skills are packing a punch comparable to intermediate skills.
Some of them are getting blown away like skipping stones on water, but they're quickly getting back into the fight. As a result, the battle shows no signs of slowing down.
They're definitely getting stronger.
Maybe even stronger than them.
But for some reason, Owen doesn't feel a twinge of jealousy or frustration. Instead, he feels a sense of reliance, of trust.
It's because...
"Maybe with this clan, completely conquering the labyrinth isn't just a pipe dream."
That's what he thinks.
"Yeah, this clan is something else!"
"I'm getting excited too!"
Zara and Elliot are feeling the same way.
With that in mind, they take another look at the scene before them, and it starts to look like their friends are just joking around, a heartwarming sight.
"Come on, Aaron! Why are you resisting so much?! Just give up and be a punching bag for us to vent our frustrations! That's the only way to keep the peace in the clan!!"
"Shut up, Io! You're the only one who can take a beating like this!! I'll strip you bare and shove a wooden sword up your butt...!!"
Owen says with a transparent smile, speaking from the heart.
"This clan is really the best...!!"
A reliable master and clan members who don't hesitate to speak their minds.
Owen thinks it's better this way, rather than having to worry about what others think...
Owen and the others watch the clan's internal struggle with sparkling eyes, waiting for it to come to an end――.
――By the way.
The muddy battle continued until the date changed, and among the clan members who were battered and bruised, those who hadn't experienced the ≪Ice Elemental Treant≫ battle would need another 2 days to clear the 40th floor on their own.
Also, by the way,
The "1st ≪Wooden Sword Way≫ Clan Master vs. Clan Member Mock Battle"――later renamed the "Attempted Murder Incident"――ended with the Clan Master's victory.
The clan members also seemed to have vented some of their frustrations by going all out.
As for the wins and losses of the subsequent monthly mock battles, that's a story for another time... but whether Io Suleiman's butt was okay or not remains unrecorded... The truth remains in the dark.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)