Chapter 63 – Beache (５)

These Fireballs carried a new ability gained through the Sain-geom.

The effect of Soul Strike was now infused within them.

Each Fireball’s power had been amplified twofold,

and at the same time, the additional impact from Soul Strike added a terrifying effect — ignoring both defense and resistance entirely.

‘I’ll break it in one shot.’

Gijun moved the five Shape-Transformed Fireballs, guiding them with his will.

One target.

All five Fireballs poured down on that single target at once, converging like a meteor.

CRACK-CRACK-BOOM!

‘Got it.’

Gone.

One of the soldiers Beache had summoned vanished from that spot without a trace, erased completely.

“…What the…”

“That’s it!”

Beache was stunned; Amalta let out a cheer of relief.

But that wasn’t the only change.

[The Harpoon of Annihilation has absorbed Beache’s Magi.]

That message flashed into view.

[Harpoon of Annihilation]

-One-time use item

-When used with absorbed Magi, it can seal the target’s Magi for 10 minutes.

-Charge rate: 5%

The Harpoon of Annihilation.

An item capable of sealing an enemy’s Magi for ten full minutes.

And that very harpoon had begun to absorb Beache’s Magi, drawing it in like a thirsty leech.

‘Time to go again.’

Gijun cast another Fireball, the spell already forming in his hands.

‘I’ll finish this in an instant.’

At that moment…

“Strike him all at once!”

Beache shouted, a note of desperation creeping into his voice.

Kyaaaaaagh!

Kiiieeeek!

The dark soldiers surged as one, charging toward Gijun in a unified wave.

But it was a pointless effort.

Tap-tap-tap!

The moment Gijun’s foot hit the ground, he closed the distance — no, he opened it, instantly leaving the soldiers far behind.

A movement so swift it was hard to believe he was a mage.

And in that same instant, the Fireballs poured down on another soldier, all five converging again.

CRACK-BOOM! CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-BOOM!

[The Harpoon of Annihilation has absorbed Beache’s Magi.]

*

‘…More than I expected.’

Beache was genuinely surprised, the realization settling like a stone in his chest.

The Seeker’s magic was far stronger than he had anticipated.

‘This strong?’

It was a power that defied common sense, something that shouldn’t exist.

He had thought it would be formidable, yes.

But he had never imagined it would reach this level.

“She’s gotten stronger.”

Just moments ago.

When she’d fought Kirgarf outside the castle walls, Beache had been watching then too.

Back then, she’d been mildly surprised.

Because the girl was stronger than expected.

But not this strong.

The firepower she’d shown against Kirgarf couldn’t have overwhelmed the dark soldiers born from the Tenebrous Annihilation Sword this quickly. That was impossible.

“Something… something changed. I’m sure of it.”

The thought crystallized in her mind.

Since entering the castle, something had definitely shifted.

And that change must have come from the hour-long gap she’d sensed.

“…I don’t know what happened.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“But that doesn’t mean things’ll go according to your plans.”

She had no intention of letting them pass.

Soon, the First Lord would reclaim his Strength and awaken completely.

Until then, she could not fall. Not under any circumstances.

That was her mission. Her fate.

And then—

“Where are you looking?!”

Amalta.

The stinking barbarian’s spear thrust toward Beache.

This one’s annoyingly persistent too.

She’d dismissed the savage, but he was no pushover.

Not overwhelmingly dangerous—but enough to stall her.

And now, with that barbarian locking her in place—

Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! CRACK!

The dark soldiers’ numbers dwindled fast.

Only one remained.

And even that one was doomed to vanish in moments.

“…Damn it.”

Rage boiled up inside her.

The shame of having wasted the Tenebrous Annihilation Sword her Lord had given her, so pathetically.

And the fury of being held back by insects like these…

I didn’t want to go this far… but…

The last card she’d been hoarding, keeping it close.

She decided, at last, to draw it.

She reached into the air.

Her hand tore through the fabric of the Dimension, plunging into her subspace pocket.

It closed around something inside.

And pulled.

CRRRACK!

Something twisted space itself as it followed her hand, dragged into the open.

A sword.

The blade was thin. Sharp-pointed.

A rapier.

[The Swiftest Darkness – Girtas]

The Swiftest Darkness.

A sword bearing the First Lord’s epithet. Girtas.

The moment Girtas cleared the rift—

Clang! Clang!

A jet-black Armor manifested across her body, plating over her in flowing segments.

“Pathetic. A cheap trick like that….”

Amalta didn’t flinch.

If anything, he charged at Beache with reckless valor.

But—

CLANG!

“…!”

Amalta’s all-out strike didn’t even touch Beache’s body.

It was blocked midair.

By some invisible force.

“Did you really think a wretch like you could pierce the Lord’s power?”

With those words, Beache swung the enormous sword she had just drawn.

Flash!

It was merely a light swing from above, descending…

Shiiick—

“…?!”

Amalta’s spear clattered to the ground, cleanly severed in two.

But that wasn’t all.

Shwiiiiish!

“Gah, gaaagh…!”

Even the armor Amalta wore was pierced through, and a torrent of blood erupted from his upper body.

“Ghhk, ghraaagh…”

Amalta clutched the wound on his chest, spilling blood.

“You will die soon.”

Beache’s dry voice reached Amalta’s ears.

“Once wounded by this sword… unless you kill me, within five minutes, your entire body will be consumed by Magi—neither alive nor dead, forever trapped in a cursed body of agony…”

With a bitter smile, Beache’s gaze shifted.

Toward Gijun, who had just finished off all the dark soldiers.

“Come now, insect.”

Only that Seeker remained now.

Of course, with Girtas even drawn, a mere Seeker like that couldn’t even hope to be her match.

‘Amalta.’

Gijun looked at Amalta.

As Beache had said, Amalta was dying.

The corruption, already starting from the chest wound, was creeping up his neck.

Traces of that corruption were visible on both arms as well.

[Don’t worry. I can delay that corruption as much as possible. And if you bring down that woman, you needn’t fear for Amalta’s life.]

At Libre’s words, Gijun nodded.

The key, after all, was to defeat Beache.

Beache sneered.

“Do you really think you can defeat me?”

A single word filled with absolute confidence that she could never lose.

“It seems that long slumber has dulled your touch, Libre.”

[Silence. Do you truly believe a vulgar woman like you may speak this body’s name?]

“Pfft… still have a sharp tongue. For someone with power less than an insect…”

[Master. Strike that damned bitch across the face.]

Libre said that as she approached Amalta.

And Gijun answered.

“Yeah. Leave it to me.”

Gijun looked at Beache.

Of course it wouldn’t be easy, but he didn’t think he would lose.

The Harpoon of Annihilation, too, had already absorbed a considerable amount of Magi.

It had currently reached a 65% charge rate.

If he could achieve the remaining 35%, he could seal Beache’s Magi for ten minutes.

‘And more than that…’

That thing which had completely blocked Amalta’s attack moments ago.

If a Soul Strike hit it, it could certainly be pierced through.

At that moment…

Flash!

Beache moved.

A movement like lightning.

But Gijun dodged the attack.

‘I have no intention of going down easily.’

He was already on high alert after seeing what happened to Amalta.

Gijun wasn’t about to be felled so easily, no matter how fast the attack came.

Especially since he’d already wrapped his entire body in a barrier with Strong Wind.

Beache’s assault came crashing down again.

A sword strike approaching at terrifying speed.

But Gijun tracked it without losing sight.

He dodged the blow and cast Fireball at the same time.

Whoosh!

This time, he didn’t use any shape transformation.

Instead, the Fireball orbited his body, spinning rapidly.

Five violently spinning Fireballs converged and poured toward Beache.

“Still don’t get it, do you?”

Beache didn’t bother dodging those Fireballs.

“No matter what you do, not a single hair on this body—”

Before Beache could even finish.

BOOM!

“…?!”

Beache’s eyes went wide.

The moment the Fireball collided, her body was sent flying and slammed into the distance.

She didn’t know about Soul Strike.

That created an opening.

‘Go again.’

Gijun sped up, launching Fireballs at Beache as she floated in midair.

CRACK! CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

The rapidly spinning Fireballs battered Beache without mercy.

“Kuaaaagh!”

Still unable to land, Beache could only take Gijun’s Fireballs head-on.

After the barrage ended, Gijun released Strong Wind toward Beache.

SHRRREEEK!

Strong Wind wedged into the gaps of Beache’s armor, tearing into her skin.

Black blood sprayed into the air.

‘Again…!’

Gijun cast the Skill once more.

Fireball.

This time, he transformed its shape.

Five spear-shaped Fireballs blazed around him.

‘Go.’

The moment they received his will, they shot toward Beache all at once.

Flash!

The shape-transformed Fireballs streaked toward Beache in a straight line of light!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Smoke billowed with the violent explosion.

And Gijun confirmed it.

‘Not much left now.’

The Harpoon of Annihilation’s remaining charge was only 10%.

‘She doesn’t know about this, either.’

It was the key to turning the tables.

‘Just a little more….’

Gijun launched the Fireball again.

But at that moment.

FWOOSH!

The Fireball scattered in midair.

The smoke cleared, and Beache emerged again.

‘Damn it.’

Gijun let out a bitter laugh.

‘A second phase?’

Beache’s form had changed once more after that one attack.

Now her armor completely enveloped her entire body.

Without a single gap.

“I’ll kill you.”

With those words, Beache’s body moved.

“This time, for real….”

Flash!

Beache’s body hurtled toward Gijun at a terrifying speed.

“…Crazy.”

This time, even Gijun completely lost track of Beache’s movement.

He twisted his body just in time, but dodging wasn’t the same as avoiding.

He’d barely scraped by on luck.

And thank the gods for Strong Wind’s barrier—it blocked the blow.

Without it, Beache’s sword would have torn his body apart.

But….

‘It’s filling up.’

If anything, the Shackles of Annihilation were absorbing Beache’s Magi faster and faster.

‘…Now.’

In that instant, Gijun activated a skill.

‘Veil of Darkness.’

Ssshhh!

A black shroud unfurled around Gijun’s body.

[Veil of Darkness]

-Grade: Unique

-Unfurls a veil that absorbs 50% of dark-attribute attack damage.

-When the veil is dispelled, it forms an orb condensed from 50% of the absorbed damage.

-Duration: 1 minute

-MP cost: 10 per second

A veil that soaks up dark-attribute attack power.

It was the moment Strong Wind’s barrier merged with the Veil of Darkness.

Clang! Clang-clang!

Beache’s attacks rained down without end.

But Gijun was holding steady against them.

The blows were invisible, but he could withstand them.

‘One minute. Just hold out one minute.’

Because even now, the Harpoon of Annihilation was still charging up its Magi.

Still, it wasn’t easy.

Gijun was starting to buckle under the strain.

His MP drained at a breakneck pace.

His speed was no longer an advantage.

Beache’s moves were fast enough to overwhelm him.

But despite it all….

‘I’ve got it.’

Before he knew it, the minute was up.

And now.

Wooooosh—!

A black orb rose into the air.

An orb containing 50% of the damage the Veil of Darkness had absorbed.

Gijun launched that orb straight ahead.

“What the—!”

Beache’s eyes went wide.

But she couldn’t dodge.

It was an attack she hadn’t seen coming.

Flash—KABOOOOM!

The black orb slammed into Beache’s body.

“Ghhhck!”

Crack!

Beache took a heavy hit.

Enough to warp part of her armor.

And Gijun smiled.

‘I did it.’

[The Shackles of Annihilation’s charge rate has reached 100%.]

Finally, the Shackles of Annihilation’s charge rate had hit 100 percent.