Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Chapter 133: The Neomia Of Delusion III

I was getting close to where the sounds of fighting were coming from. Keeping my breathing soft, my senses sharp, and the sound of my footsteps faint, I raced onward.

There are many problems.

There’s an insurmountable difference in ability between me and that guy. Be it experience, vitality, power, or stamina, I'm no match for him at all. In close combat, I'll be at a severe disadvantage. It would be foolish for me to fight him head-on.

That's why I'll decide in one blow.

Just like when dealing with a wild beast, I'll have to take him down by surprise.

Then I suppose this is more of a hunt than a fight.

「So…..」

I addressed the maid who was running alongside me.

「What are you doing?」

「I thought I'd lend you a hand」

Toto had come with me.

She was faster than I expected and I couldn't seem to shake her off.

「You'll be in my way. Go back」

「Feel free to use me as a meat shield, a distraction, or whatever you want」

「You'll die, you know?」

「No matter. As long as the princess survives, I'm fine with it」

「Oh, is that so?」

This one deceived me. She also betrayed Maria. Yeah, I have no qualms about using her. Even if she looks like Tyutyu………………I should have no trouble doing that. It won't weigh on me in the slightest.

「Go in front of him and call him "Barfuru". You might die, but I'll seize that moment to finish him off」

「Understood. Be sure not to mess it up」

「………………」

There were no more words between us.

Toto ran ahead of me. We were almost there.

Powdery snow filled the air, whipped up by blasts of wind.

The entrance to the castle had been badly wrecked. The beast-headed man who had wrecked it was currently battling vampires.

It was a battle between beings beyond the realm of humanity. Compared to this, a fight between predators would seem elegant.

A battle of biting, clawing, and crushing.

Barfuru's weapon had become even more vicious. His oversized sword had increased in weight and mass, with silver blades attached all around it, making it look like a massive spiked mace. It was taller than even the hulking Barfuru. It was the kind of weapon wielded by giants.

That must have been the reason why he was lurking in the city. He had been making that.

Its power was immense, completely obliterating every vampire it hit.

One of the vampires turned into black mist to avoid getting hit, but Barfuru threw some white powder at the mist. The vampire then returned to its original form and Barfuru killed it in one blow by thrusting his bare hand through its heart.

The dead vampire burned up into ashes in an instant. Barfuru grabbed a handful of those ashes and flung it at another vampire who had also turned into mist in an attempt to escape. The vampire reappeared and was then crushed by the mace. Like a burst balloon, blood exploded outwards from its body, and as it died, its blood and flesh burned up into ashes.

Despite showing such finesse, the next thing Barfuru did was to bite to death a vampire that had sunk its fangs into his arm.

With one bite, he devoured half its face. The second bite consumed the entire head.

With his bare hands, he pulverized the other vampires that tried to grapple him and tossed them away like trash.

From that time they locked claws with my blades, I had learned that vampires possess physical strength that far exceeds that of humans. If I were to take a hit from them poorly, I could easily lose a bone or two. But Barfuru is fighting them head-on using brute force. The way he swings his mace around, he looks like an ogre or a demon. But what he is on the inside is worse than that.

The only vampire still alive at the moment was Toto, who was approaching him casually.

I matched her timing and moved closer as well.

Fortunately, at one side of the entrance, some of the rubble was blocking Barfuru's line of sight, so I used them as cover as I made my way towards him.

I flipped the scabbard over and, with the utmost of care, loosened the katana from the scabbard.

I had managed it one-handed before. If I used both hands and matched it with my body's movements, it should easily be three times more effective.

This is the best move to use for a surprise attack.

I know a man who cut open a dragon's wing with this.

I've seen it.

I should be able to pull it off as well.

I honed a killing intent that was completely undetectable.

To the utmost limit, I imbued the blade with all of my senses.

I'll turn the knack I've grasped into a technique, then bring that technique to the pinnacle of perfection, and with that perfection, I'll kill without a sound.

No matter if my opponent is an ogre, a demon, or a beast, I'll cut him down.

As the killing intent permeated my body, I relaxed, retaining just enough strength in my body to keep it upright. My body became slack, almost as if every bone in my body had been removed. As if they had turned into water. My breathing became shallow and drawn out. Even my heart beat softer to match.

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Two more breaths.

And I'll be ready.

I honed it even further.

Toto stepped towards Barfuru.

A beautiful woman approaching a blood-covered beast. It's a common motif in myths.

「Barfuru, long time no see」

On her face, she wore a loving and tender expression.

The man's wild, rampaging state halted for a moment.

It was only for the briefest of moments.

It was like we had stepped into the eye of the storm for just that instant.

I don't know what happened between Barfuru and Toto. I don't know what connection there is between Tyutyu and Toto.

Right now, I couldn't care less about any of that.

I don't bring emotions into battles where lives are at stake.

Barfuru reached out and stroked Toto's hair……

……Then snapped her neck.

I moved.

As I had envisioned, without a sound.

Like a shadow, I got right behind Barfuru.

For a moment, I let everything go.

Rebounding from that one moment of powerlessness, my body exploded into motion.

From a low, beast-like stance, I drew the katana. The blade slid smoothly out of the scabbard, and when its tip cleared the scabbard completely, it burst forth into a deadly slash along with a shower of sparks.

My aim was an upwards diagonal slash cutting from his flank to his shoulder

My sharpened senses made time seem to slow. At a snail’s pace, the blade parted his thick coat of fur and disappeared into his flesh.

I've put everything into the blade. I've even imbued it with my soul. If this can't cut through, nothing I do will work.

As it turned out, the blade passed through his flesh effortlessly.

It sliced right through his ribs.

All that remained was to lop off the upper half of his body along with his heart.

I've killed him.

I’ve not let my guard down at all. With absolute conviction and certainty, my blade has cut Barfuru down.

I hadn’t let my guard down.

It's just that, being able to turn things around even in a situation like this is what it means to be a genuine monster.

The simple truth is that this guy is much more than an ogre, a demon, or a beast.

An instant before the blade was about to inflict a fatal wound, Barfuru reacted with super speed, twisting his body and leaping into the air. His physical abilities were absolutely ridiculous. He had leaped at least two meters while carrying a weapon bigger than himself. His flesh was gouged out and several of his bones got mangled, but he paid no mind to that.

His sudden movements twisted the katana out of my hand. If I hadn't let go, my wrists would have been broken. Even as I was reacting to that, a counterattack came.

He kicked at me from midair.

It was launched from an awkward position, but if I hadn't jumped backward to lessen the impact, the arms that I had used to block it would have been shattered.

The distance between us widened, and we landed at the same time.

The mace crashed onto the ground with a thunderous boom. Barfuru had landed on all fours like a beast, while I had landed on two legs like a human, though I did lose my balance.

「Hmm, so you've become the vampires' dog, huh?」

Barfuru pulled the katana out and flung it at a wall behind him. The blade of the katana sank halfway into the wall. It didn't look like it would be easy to pull it out.

The wound would have been a serious one if it had been inflicted on a human. Though he did spit out some blood, Barfuru didn't look particularly bothered by it.

「And whose dog are you?」

Instead of answering, I questioned him back.

With hands that were still a little numb, I pulled out the sword on my back.

If I can buy a few seconds, the feeling will return to my hands. If I can buy a few seconds, that is.

「The heroes'. No………that kind of stuff no longer matters. "I'm"[1] returning home. I'm going back to that city of white. With the dragon's head in hand, of course」

My anger boiled over.

「The home that you should be going back to is Lemuria, no, Tyutyu's place, isn't it?!」

「What do I care about a slave like her?! The home that I have to go back to is Elysium! Where my wife and children are waiting for me!」

He's lost his mind. Those people are long dead. Has he forgotten how long he's wandered this world? No, it’s because he’s been wandering for so long that he's forgotten all about it, I suppose.

「If the dragon is awakened, the right continent will be engulfed in flames. Are you okay with that?!」

「What do I care about that?」

Barfuru held his mace at the ready.

The strength returned to the hands that I had around my sword's handle.

「Souya, just this once, I'll pretend it was all a joke. But if you get in my way one more time, I'll kill you」

「Shut up. You already led me into a trap that nearly got me killed once. Don't waste your breath with cheap tricks like that」

「In that case……」

No further words were needed, so Barfuru stepped forward.

He walked into the range of my weapon without a care.

「This sword is……」

Even after all that had happened, I still opened my mouth to talk.

「……something I seized from a knight of Elysium called Zamonglass. He may very well have been your descendant. When he died, he became a beast that looked like a white wolf, much like the Endguard」

I dropped my stance.

I relaxed my entire body and got ready to match his attack.

「Hey, you kinda look like the Endguard too. Is this a manifestation of your envy? Warriors who proudly fulfill their mission even if it means dying and turning into lowly beasts, and a knight who is unable to fulfill his mission and wanders the world in the form of a lowly beast. I get it, I would be envious of them too if I were in your shoes………you mutt」

Barfuru halted his steps.

Then swung the mace with all his might.

My goading had paid off. He had put far too much strength into it. It had enough power behind it to kill me a hundred times over. As a result, it was easy to read.

The mace swept towards me from my left.

Matching its trajectory, I jumped to my right.

If I move at the same speed as the incoming object, I can latch onto it. It's a simple thing to do, but it's not something any sane person would try. But it's impossible to kill genuine monsters without doing something crazy.

One of the blades of the mace stabbed into my left shoulder. Before I could even feel the pain, I wrapped my body around the mace. I got stabbed through my arm and side, but I didn’t care. My body moved without thought. I surrendered everything to the cells in my body that were trying their best to fight and survive.

My world spun around and I moved on reflex.

I left thinking and comprehension for later.

My actions had borne fruit.

As the mace continued its swing, I brought myself up to one knee on top of it and set my stance.

It was for a thrust.

I grasped the handle with my left hand and the pommel with my right.

My target was the nape of his neck.

That one thrust pierced through flesh and bone at the same time. Putting all of my weight on the handle, I twisted the sword. The man-beast vomited blood.

From the amount of blood, I must have severed his spine and also the artery in his neck.

But……

Something was wrong.

It was a fatal wound, but he was unfazed.

「Impressive. As humans go, you're as good as or better than any member of the Endguard」

Barfuru grabbed my right hand……

「Urgahh」

……and snapped it.

After breaking it, he swung me around by it.

All my blood rushed to my legs and I blacked out completely. Distantly, I heard thuds and crashes. They were the sounds of my body being slammed against the walls and ground.

My flesh turned to liquid.

I felt several bones shatter.

I thought that this would continue until I died, but I was suddenly released and I tumbled across the ground.

It's not over yet, I thought as I ordered my body to get up.

My legs obeyed. I was able to stand up. But I slipped and fell into a pool of my own blood.

My right arm had been ripped off from the elbow down. Blood poured from it like water from an open faucet.

「You can have it back」

Barfuru tossed me my right arm.

I have no time to waste grieving over the loss of something like that.

「Aga………thion」

In response to my groan, the magic sword flew out from my back and closed in on Barfuru.

He caught it out of the air with ease and drove it into the marble floor.

「Is that it?」

「It's not………over yet」

As I vomited blood, I glared at him.

Rising on shaky legs, I held the karambit in my left hand.

Barfuru pulled out the sword that was impaled through his throat and walked towards me with Zamonglass' sword in his hand.

The wound in his throat disappeared like a mirage.

There was no trace of the wound on his chest either.

Is he immortal?

No way, there's no such thing as immortality. He bleeds, so he can surely be killed one way or another. There must be a trick to it. I must observe closely, understand, then unravel it.

That's the only thing I can do right now………No, that's not right.

If I play my trump card……

「To never lose the will to fight even until the moment of death, you're a good and brave man. Truly」

I had made an error in judgment in the end.

Before I could utter the words of the curse of death, the sword fell towards me.

I was unable to follow it through my blurred vision.

Blood spurted out from the wound that ran diagonally across my body. I was very much surprised that there was still so much blood left inside it.

「I envy you. Now die」

My vision went dark and I heard a splash.

It felt like I was being immersed in warm, oily water. My body was still trying to live. I was of the same mind.

Unfortunately, I'm human.

If I lose most of my blood and my major organs are damaged, I'll die. This is something that cannot be changed no matter how hard I wish for it to be different. I can no longer speak. I can't even pray to god.

The sound of the beast's footsteps grew distant.

It's not over yet.

Not yet.

I kept repeating that to myself like some sort of diatribe.

I heard another sound coming closer. I wasn't sure if it was the crawling of insects or the rustling of clothes that I was hearing.

「Are you dead?」

I could no longer feel much of my body.

I knew that the voice was female and that she was feeling around my body.

「Good. It's not broken. In a way, it's a miracle」

I heard the sound of something being uncorked. I felt a sensation on my lips. Then I felt liquid flowing down my throat.

Just as my heart stopped………………………………thump, thump, it started beating again.

No, it was beating vigorously. My heart was racing as if nitro had been pumped into it.

「Urghh!」

I writhed and moaned. My entire body was burning. My consciousness returned rapidly. I felt abnormally thirsty. My mouth was parched and I had trouble drawing breath. My canines ached. I was blinded by the brightness all around me.

I was bursting with strength, yet couldn't move a muscle.

I lack something. I lack the fuel to make my body move.

「For the sake of a fleeting dream, I used you. Now, to protect the princess, no, to protect many many more, I will use your death. There isn't much I can do to repay you. So, at the very least, please don’t hesitate to eat your fill」

Toto unbuttoned her top, exposing her enchanting neck.

I didn't hesitate at all. Because I had lost all sense of reason.

I pulled her close with one arm, sank my canine teeth into her soft skin, and drank the sweet red liquid that gushed out. My nails, which had grown out, left scratches on her back. I drank her blood until I choked, then couldn't take it anymore and howled.

At once, white wolves appeared out of the blowing snow.

One of the wolves had a bow in its mouth.

It was the Lycan bow. Everything had begun with this bow. It was only fitting to end it all with this bow.

I picked up my right arm from the ground and pressed it to my elbow. I felt heat and pain as if a hot iron had been pressed against my elbow. Almost instantly, the nerves connected and blood started circulating through my arm again. I clenched my fist forcefully, then opened it to accept the bow from the wolf.

Reading my intentions, the bow started to change shape.

I have no arrows to nock to it.

I can't kill Barfuru with just arrows.

What I need then, is not a bow, but a sword. No, not even a sword could kill him.

I need a weapon that can slay an immortal.

Understanding my wish, the bow transformed into a scythe.

It had a dull curved blade that was mounted on a long handle. Shaped like the crescent moon, it was a scythe that reaped souls.

I rested the butt of its handle on the ground and glared at Toto.

「I won't thank you. This is probably all part of your plan anyway. If I'm still of sound mind after killing Barfuru, be prepared to pay with more than just blood」

「I wish you luck」

I accepted the top hat from Toto and used it to hide my red eyes.

The wolves gathered around, watching me with eyes that held intelligence.

「Endguard, let's go hunt down the beast that got away from you. And once we've caught hold of him, devour him to the bone」

They growled in reply.

Obeying a beast, they headed out to hunt a beast.

[1] Barfuru changes from his usual way of referring to himself of 我(wa-re) to 俺 (o-re) here. In the Japanese language, 我 is less commonly used and its usage is usually more literary/pretentious/old. For example, 我思う, ゆえに我あり=I think, therefore I am. =) Interestingly, the reverse is true in Chinese.

Some may wonder why Souya didn’t just use Wild Hunt right from the start or something like that, but remember that Maria is still in the castle. He has mentioned before several times in earlier volumes that he can never use it when there are people he cares about nearby, so I think he’s avoiding that unconsciously.

Yeah, you need Death to kill an immortal, don’t you? I got that line of thought, but now Souya has turned into a red-eyed vampire wielding a scythe. In western clothes, with vest and top hat to boot. What a weird get-up. Which I've tried to reproduce using heroforge hehe.

Still, the opening fight was pretty exciting, wasn’t it? Round 2 is next. And this time, Souya has the power of a vampire and the Endguard at his side. But will that be enough to defeat Barfuru? Don’t miss it!!!