Episode 123: High Class (1)
Fear.
The Hanger couple couldn’t help but feel it creeping in.
The murderous intent emanating from the man was so intense, it felt like the air itself was suffocating them. Even swallowing seemed like a daunting task.
Never before had they encountered such a terrifying aura.
Even among the black magicians, notorious for their madness and bloodlust, none possessed such a lethal presence.
Was he even human?
The question arose suddenly. No matter how they looked at it, he seemed more like a monster wearing human skin.
It felt as if a mere tug on that skin would reveal something horrific beneath.
Yet, the Hanger couple had their pride.
Before becoming experimental subjects, they were high-class and top-tier black magicians. They had never known defeat.
After their transformation, they lived with the pride of being chosen by “Him.”
Their bodies were infused with countless black magic spells and artifacts from His research.
Thanks to His grace, they were twice as powerful as they had been as mere humans.
Indeed.
We are chosen by Him. There’s no way we could be defeated by a mere human.
With that thought, the Hanger couple shook off their fear. Their minds cleared.
And then, they saw what they hadn’t noticed before.
”…This is the first time I’ve seen such a ridiculous fool.”
The ‘husband’ twisted his lips into a sneer, addressing the man.
“You’re young, and your murderous intent is impressive… but in the end, you’re just a middle-class at best.”
Even before becoming an experimental subject, the ‘husband’ had been a high-class powerhouse, able to see through the man’s facade.
He could tell that the amount of magic power Damian possessed didn’t reach high-class levels.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice your bluff? You’re way off. We’re not just any run-of-the-mill fighters.”
The man’s murderous aura was nothing but a bluff, like a hedgehog puffing up its quills.
It might look threatening, but in reality, it was nothing.
“Honey, let’s show this middle-class nobody what true strength looks like.”
The Hanger couple focused their black magic on their injured arms. Instantly, the wounds healed, returning to their original state.
It was one of the abilities granted by Him. The couple could regenerate any injury quickly.
They unleashed their black magic. It oozed like a sticky, rotten swamp, overwhelming the man’s murderous intent.
The man’s aura shrank rapidly.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had to prepare so thoroughly.”
“Indeed, dear! I’ve missed this sense of liberation!”
The Hanger couple spoke with voices full of excitement.
”…Yes, this body is still weak.”
Then, the man spoke, his voice suppressed and low.
“I want to kill you with my own hands… but since I can’t, this is just another wretched situation.”
He brought his other hand to his mouth, biting off a bracelet from his wrist.
Immediately, black magic surged from the bracelet, enveloping the surroundings in dark smoke.
The Hanger couple’s eyes widened in shock.
“You…!”
The black magic, with its consuming nature.
If they weren’t mistaken, it was definitely…
“How do you possess black magic?”
Though he wasn’t a holy knight, the man was acting with the church.
And yet, he wielded black magic.
Moreover, it was denser and more abundant than the black magic the Hanger couple wielded.
The real surprise came next. All that black magic was absorbed into the man’s body.
His skin turned gray, the whites of his eyes darkened, and a red glow burst from his pupils.
The once blue aura turned black, formed by manipulating the black magic.
“This is impossible…”
Magic and black magic were entirely different forces. Their methods of use were distinct.
A knight who had only handled magic couldn’t wield black magic, and vice versa.
“Was he a dark knight, not a regular one…?”
No, that couldn’t be. He had initially used magic to manifest his aura.
”…Disgusting.”
The man muttered, his tone dripping with revulsion.
”…Using black magic always feels filthy. It’s like smearing filth on my body. Accepting it into my body is driving me insane.”
His red eyes fixed on the Hanger couple.
“Prepare yourselves. I won’t let you die easily.”
The Hanger couple felt a chill run down their spines but forced themselves to suppress it.
“I don’t know what you are… but…”
The ‘husband’ decided to set aside his questions for now. They could interrogate him after defeating him.
“Even so, you can’t defeat us, chosen by Him!”
The Hanger couple charged at the man. With their black magic unleashed, their bodies felt as light as feathers.
As they ran, they adjusted their grip on their twin swords. Black aura coated the blades.
The ‘husband’ swung the swords wildly, tracing complex patterns as he aimed to cut the man down.
Or so he thought.
Suddenly, his arms vanished. Both left and right.
Looking down, he saw his hands, still gripping the swords, lying on the ground.
Why are my arms there? What just happened?
Countless questions flooded his mind, but there was no time to find answers.
With his arms gone, his torso was exposed. The man closed the distance without hesitation.
The man swung his sword relentlessly, slashing and tearing at the ‘husband’s’ body.
Muscles shredded, flesh falling away in chunks.
“Aaaagh!”
The ‘husband’ screamed, but it changed nothing. The man’s assault continued unabated.
“Don’t you dare touch my husband!”
The ‘wife’ hastily cast a black magic spell. A curse of corrosion spewed forth, aimed at the man.
In that moment, the man swung his sword wide.
A streak of light severed the wife’s wrists, and the mist abruptly stopped as her hands fell to the ground.
“Aaaah!”
Amidst the wife’s screams, the ‘husband’ realized.
His arms hadn’t disappeared. It was an illusion caused by the man’s blindingly fast strikes.
The speed at which his arms were severed was beyond his perception, making it seem as if they had vanished.
In the next instant, the man plunged his blade deep into the ‘husband’s’ abdomen. Twisting the blade, he sliced outward.
The abdomen split open from the inside. The ‘husband’ howled in agony, a pain he had never experienced before.
“S-stop! Stop it!”
He flailed his severed arms wildly. But no more strikes came.
Looking up, he saw the man had retreated to a distance.
“Why, why…?”
It wasn’t because the man felt threatened and backed off.
“Dear! Are you alright?”
Meanwhile, the ‘wife’ focused black magic on the wounds, trying to regenerate them.
Being two in one had its advantages. One could cover what the other missed.
“Huh? Huh?”
But the wife’s reaction was strange. Her voice was filled with panic.
“The wounds aren’t healing! Something’s blocking the regeneration!”
“What nonsense…”
Just as he was about to retort, a sharp pain shot through the wound.
The pain split like lightning, burrowing into the wound.
As it did, the muscles twisted. The black magic went berserk, destroying the body’s meridians.
“Aaaagh! Aaaah!”
“Aaaah! Aaaah!”
Normally, only the ‘husband’ felt pain, as the ‘wife’ needed to focus on her black magic.
But this pain was different. Both felt it. The excruciating pain tore through their minds.
“What on earth is… happening…?”
The bizarre phenomenon didn’t end there. Suddenly, the wounds began to swell.
Their entire bodies, slashed and torn, started to bloat. The pain intensified.
“What have you done to our bodies…?”
“Dear! Please save me! Deaaaar!”
With a final scream, the Hanger couple’s bodies exploded.
Blood and flesh scattered, painting the ground a vivid red.
Myeonrigumchim (綿裏禁針).
A mana technique capable of manipulating meridians using magic.
Damian had infused magic into the Hanger couple’s wounds as he cut them.
By activating the magic all at once, he stimulated their meridians and ruptured their muscles.
He could have killed them more easily. But he chose this method to inflict greater pain.
“Ugh… Ugh… Ugh…”
“Aah… Aah…”
The Hanger couple, reduced to bones and scraps of flesh, groaned in agony.
Damian looked down at them, his voice cold.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and regenerate.”
Emotions still roiled within him, a storm refusing to abate. The suffocating frustration clung to him, and it felt as though he would need to slash at them hundreds more times before he could find any semblance of relief.
“If you were creations of Dorgo, surely you can regenerate from wounds like these in no time,” Demian taunted.
Despite his words, the Hanger couple could only manage weak groans. The agony had pushed them beyond their limits, leaving their minds shattered.
Watching their pitiful state, Demian ground his teeth in frustration.
“I told you to get up!”
He swung his sword in a fury, severing the heads of the Hanger couple, which rolled lifelessly to the ground. Their headless bodies twitched briefly before falling still. From the corpses, something began to rise.
-Ughhh…
-Ahhhhh…
The souls of the Hanger couple drifted into the air. Demian reached out and seized them.
-Aaaaargh!
-Screeeeech!
Their screams pierced the air, the torment of their souls far surpassing any physical pain. Demian tightened his grip, amplifying their suffering a hundredfold until their souls disintegrated into nothingness.
He exhaled heavily, but instead of dissipating, his rage only intensified, boiling over.
“Arrrgh!”
A primal scream erupted from him, his hands clawing at his face as if trying to tear it away.
“Not yet… it’s not over yet…”
He couldn’t let it end like this. If he didn’t purge this fury, something within him would surely break.
Staggering, Demian turned his gaze. In the distance, another version of the Hanger couple was locked in battle with the knights of the wind, entangled in a fierce struggle.