Episode 167: Investigating the Plague (4)

Garot, being a dark sorcerer, was initially baffled by the chaos unfolding before him.

The spectral image of Damian Haxen enveloped Bagder, unleashing a flurry of slashes. Blue arcs of energy danced across Bagder’s entire body.

Panicked, Bagder flailed his arms wildly, but the relentless assault continued unabated.

”…Could it be?”

It finally dawned on Garot. Damian Haxen was moving at an incredible speed, striking Bagder with his sword.

“Bagder! Calm down! Damian Haxen can’t cut through your carapace anyway!”

True to Garot’s words, Bagder’s carapace remained intact. Damian’s aura wasn’t enough to pierce it.

“Release your poison! Shake him off and then counterattack!”

At Garot’s command, Bagder opened his mouth, releasing a cloud of purple smoke. The grass and trees touched by the smoke withered instantly.

Garot hoped Damian would succumb to the poison, but it was a futile wish. Damian had already retreated to a safe distance.

Still, the tactic succeeded in forcing Damian to back off.

”…I can’t believe Bagder is being pushed back like this.”

Bagder was a chimera Garot had painstakingly crafted to combat master-class opponents. He had implanted the nerves and sensory organs of countless monsters into Bagder to detect master-class movements.

As a result, Bagder’s senses were sharper than any other monster’s, making him untouchable by high-class opponents.

Yet, even with all that effort, Damian Haxen was beyond Bagder’s reach.

“He’s not just any high-class opponent, is he?”

But it wasn’t as if they were out of options. Bagder’s true power had yet to be unleashed.

“Bagder, activate your core.”

The center of Bagder’s torso glowed red, and steam began to rise from his body. Activating the core enhanced all of Bagder’s abilities, but it came with the drawback of rapidly increasing his body temperature, limiting how long he could maintain it.

The cooling system Garot had preemptively implanted kicked in, releasing steam as it lowered Bagder’s temperature.

“Crush him.”

The ground caved in as Bagder vanished, reappearing above Damian with both fists clenched, ready to strike. Damian evaded by leaping into the air.

Bagder’s fists slammed into the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air. As the dust settled, Bagder charged again, swinging his arms like whips toward Damian.

The air cracked with each swing, shattering the ground and toppling trees. The relentless barrage of powerful, swift attacks forced Damian to retreat.

The tide had turned. Now, Damian was the one being pushed back by Bagder.

“Second Ring.”

Damian muttered softly, and the hum of his power grew louder. His aura spread like wildfire, momentarily causing Bagder to hesitate.

Suddenly, Damian vanished, and hundreds of slashes enveloped Bagder. The strikes were so densely packed that Bagder’s form was obscured.

”…He’s even faster now?”

Garot murmured in fear. Despite activating his core, Bagder couldn’t keep up with Damian’s speed and was helplessly cut down.

“Bagder! Your carapace will hold! Just endure, and Damian Haxen will tire out eventually…”

Before Garot could finish, Bagder’s carapace cracked like a web. The flesh beneath was sliced open, and purple blood gushed out.

-Screeeech!

For the first time, Bagder screamed—a sound that didn’t match his imposing appearance.

“Calm down! These wounds won’t kill you! Focus and find Damian Haxen!”

Despite Garot’s advice, Bagder flailed his arms in confusion, unaccustomed to pain.

“You fool! You’re my creation, don’t disgrace yourself like this!”

Garot’s anger boiled over as Bagder continued to accumulate wounds, blood seeping through the cracks in his carapace.

“Damn it… I have no choice but to intervene!”

Garot unleashed his dark magic, casting a berserk curse on Bagder.

-Kieeeek!

Bagder’s eyes filled with madness. Though he lost his reason, he was freed from the pain.

“Bagder! Ignore those shallow wounds! Damian Haxen’s slashes are superficial!”

Though Damian’s aura had cut through the carapace, the wounds weren’t deep enough to be of concern.

“If you can’t catch Damian Haxen, then wreak havoc! Make him fall into your chaos!”

Bagder clenched his fists and rampaged, pounding the ground and destroying the forest. Broken trees and rocks flew in all directions.

The slashes covering Bagder ceased. Damian appeared a short distance away.

“Yes, if you don’t want to get hurt, you should back off.”

Garot sneered at Damian, ready to command Bagder to counterattack.

Damian raised his sword high, as if preparing to cleave something in two.

“Third Ring.”

The hum from Damian grew so loud it was almost painful. Aura exploded from his sword, shooting skyward like flames fed with oil. The aura compressed around the blade, forming a distinct shape.

Aura is usually likened to a mirage, its form indistinct. But now, the aura gathered around Damian’s sword had taken on a clear, blade-like shape.

“What is that…?”

Garot muttered in shock.

“An aura blade…? No, it’s not quite there… But…”

Garot’s face twisted in terror.

“It’s almost complete…!”

Damian swung his sword down. The compressed aura shot out as a sharp slash, cleaving the ground and sky alike. Bagder, caught in between, was no exception.

At first, Bagder seemed unharmed. But moments later, a line appeared from his head to his legs. Purple blood erupted from the line, painting the world in its hue.

Bagder slowly fell to his knees, his upper body sliding off and crashing to the ground.

---

“Hah…”

Damian exhaled slowly, catching his breath.

The Combined Martial Arts Technique.

A formidable mana technique, indeed. The more rings activated, the more the power output increased exponentially.

As the mana amplified, so did his speed and aura.

It was powerful, but it also drained his stamina significantly. There was no avoiding that.

“This can’t be happening!”

Garot cried out, kneeling before Bagder’s fallen form.

“Do you know how much effort I put into creating you? To lose to a mere high-class, not even a master!”

Garot clutched his head in despair.

-Master, shall I capture him?

Dominico asked Damian. Damian raised a hand to stop him.

“It’s dangerous to approach now.”

-…What?

Garot glared at Damian, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

“How dare you… How dare you trample on my Bagder, my life’s work? Stay right there… I’ll kill you right now…!”

Garot placed his hand on Bagder’s body.

His flesh melded with Bagder, and Garot’s body was absorbed into him.

-No way?

Dominico shouted in shock, but it was too soon to be surprised.

Garot’s face appeared on Bagder’s forehead. Tentacles sprouted from the severed upper and lower halves, intertwining and rejoining the body. Bagder stood up, straightening his knees.

-You’ve forced me to use this dark magic!

Garot’s voice boomed from Bagder’s forehead.

Garot had used his own body as material to resurrect Bagder.

Once fused, they could never be separated again.

This dark magic was known as the end and downfall of the Chimera School.

-Damian Haxen! You’ll pay dearly for this!

Garot roused the souls bound to him, their screams producing dark magic.

The immense dark magic poured into Bagder, making him grow even larger.

“This is troublesome. I’m too exhausted to fight anymore.”

Having used the Combined Martial Arts Technique, Damian’s stamina was depleted.

“So, will you take over?”

Damian asked, looking at Fenrir. Fenrir lifted his head to meet Damian’s gaze.

-Grrrr…

Fenrir bared his fangs, growling menacingly.

Despite the brutal treatment he had suffered at the hands of Garot and Bagder, Fenrir’s resolve remained unbroken.

“So, you wish to exact your revenge with your own hands? Admirable.”

Damian bit his thumb, letting the blood drip into Fenrir’s mouth.

“I will show you a new world.”

With the blood as a conduit, a pact was forged between Damian and Fenrir.

Their minds intertwined, and in that instant, Fenrir’s eyes widened in astonishment.

His mind flooded with the knowledge Damian imparted, and within that torrent, Fenrir discovered the path he must take.

Slowly, Fenrir closed his eyes. Gradually, his shadow began to coalesce into a single form.

“Yes, that’s it.”

Damian spoke with satisfaction.

“Your essence doesn’t reside in that decaying body.”

The form Fenrir had been using was merely a temporary vessel. His true body lay elsewhere.

The shadow rose, taking the shape of a wolf.

It was as if the darkness itself had been torn and molded into a pitch-black wolf. The wolf lifted its head and let out a long, resonant howl.

The darkness spread from beneath the wolf’s feet.

A thick shadow engulfed the ground, churning like a stormy sea.

“What… what is this?”

Garot asked, his face a mask of confusion.

“No matter how powerful he is… this ability… what on earth…!”

In a past life, Fenrir had been known as the Beast of Destruction.

His ferocity and tenacity were legendary, but it was this unique ability that truly set him apart.

“Dark Assimilation.”

With this power alone, Fenrir had once driven the imperial army to terror.

“Finish your revenge.”

Damian commanded Fenrir.

The darkness beneath Garot, who had merged with Bagder, roiled violently.

It took form, and a massive wolf erupted from below, swallowing Garot whole.

Garot desperately reached out with both hands to grasp the wolf’s jaws, but it was futile. His arms snapped under the pressure.

“This can’t be…!”

The wolf’s colossal teeth crushed Garot, and a final, desperate scream escaped his lips.