Chapter 357
Episode 109. Ozdok (4)
The man wielded a curved sword commonly used by the unmanned soldiers of Bimant, but what caught the eye was the blade itself—twice as long as an ordinary curved sword.
“There wasn’t anyone like this nearby just moments ago… Where on earth did he come from?!”
Jin, Mary, and Murakan hadn’t even noticed the man quietly taking position on one side of the battlefield.
That was because the man didn’t want them to notice. Originally, he had intended only to observe the riders’ fight and then leave. But something about the monster called Ozdok piqued his interest, prompting him to reveal himself.
“An incredible fighter. No, calling him a mere fighter doesn’t do him justice.”
A superhuman.
The siblings immediately classified the man as such.
Their hearts tightened, as if a sharp spike had pierced their lungs, at the sudden intrusion of such a powerful presence.
Even transformed, Ozdok was a formidable opponent—one who might still be unbeatable despite wielding the Hell King Sword’s techniques, the Duelist’s Arts, and the secret arts of the demon sword.
And yet, this man had just sliced off Ozdok’s right arm—the very arm that was his strongest weapon—in a single strike. There couldn’t be many humans in the world capable of such a feat.
And this place was the Black Sea.
“There’s a high chance he’s one of Father’s men.”
The Black Knight, or perhaps a former Black Knight.
The man’s face was hidden beneath a black hooded robe. He briefly glanced at Jin and Mary, then turned his attention back to Ozdok, who was hastily retreating and trying to reattach his severed arm.
“Who are you…?”
Ozdok was indeed a monster intelligent enough to speak.
He realized immediately after the strike: this man was no opponent he could handle. If he were in his prime, he wouldn’t have needed to shrink back, but such assumptions were meaningless now.
“You…?”
Whoosh!
A crescent-shaped sword aura sliced through Ozdok’s reattached right arm again. Black blood sprayed like a fountain, and Ozdok gasped, raising his arm once more to keep his distance.
“Even my lord never addresses me that way… A mere monster with such a foul mouth.”
“Who… are you?”
Ozdok immediately dropped into a defensive stance, his face and aura radiating fear even from a distance.
“You’re not very bright, are you? No capacity to learn?”
Shing! The curved sword trembled, and a chilling sound of something being cut echoed again. Once more, it was Ozdok’s right arm.
“Ugh…!”
“When you ask about your opponent, it’s customary to start by stating your own name and status. Ah, perhaps I expected too much from a monster.”
“No, no… Ugh!”
Thwack! Crack! The man landed a low kick to Ozdok’s thigh from behind. The sickening sound of muscle tearing and bone crushing would have made anyone unfamiliar with battle close their eyes tightly.
“Your name.”
“O… Ozdok.”
The man’s voice was cold and emotionless as Ozdok groaned in response.
“A legendary monster, huh? I never imagined you’d be buried in a place like this.”
“If you spare me, I can be of great use… Ugh!”
This time, a fist struck Ozdok’s abdomen. Though the punch seemed light, the shockwave passed through to the other side of his body. Before the shock could fully dissipate, the man leapt and drove his heel down, slamming Ozdok back to the ground.
Thud!
Ozdok’s head smashed into the earth, his body trembling violently. It looked as if the shaking would stop only when he died.
“Consider this a warning: I won’t tolerate any more theatrics.”
Of course, the man felt no pity for him.
Murakan was already waiting nearby, so Ozdok’s chances of victory were slim even if the fight dragged on. But with this man’s arrival, those chances vanished entirely.
Ozdok groaned as he dragged his head up from the ground.
Then, with a deep sigh, he said:
“I’ll do anything. Please spare me!”
He dropped to his knees and rubbed his hands together so fervently it left a blur.
“Good. Seems you’re finally realizing your place.”
“This pitiful monster’s only crime is awakening from slumber. I have no intention of causing chaos again. I was simply drawn here by the scent of a rare prey—not a person, but gold. Anyway, I was lured by the bait…”
As Ozdok rambled on about his circumstances, Jin was left speechless.
He never imagined the monster that had cornered him and Mary moments ago would become so pitiful.
“…Fine. I’ll live quietly and peacefully. So please, just let me go.”
“Hey, hey, Ozdok. Where do you get off talking about being peaceful and quiet? Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds coming from you?”
Murakan stepped toward Jin, frowning deeply in disbelief.
“Meow meow!”
Shuri raised her voice in agreement. She had heard of Ozdok’s fearsome reputation in his prime, though compared to her former master, he was almost laughably weak.
“A thousand years ago, how many humans did you kill or devour for fun? In the Sarba Kingdom, you and the corrupt human officials starved countless people to death. Don’t the vengeful spirits of those victims haunt your dreams?”
“You… You’re Murakan!? Then, are you also a knight of Runkandel!?”
Ozdok flinched and took a step back. The “this person” he referred to was obviously the man.
In Ozdok’s memory, Murakan was still the supreme warlord of the skies in his prime. If he hadn’t taken the entire Sarba Kingdom hostage, it was best not to meet his gaze.
Scritch, scritch.
Murakan nonchalantly scratched his ear with his pinky and shrugged.
“Looks like you’re still not quite right in the head. How dare you say my name so casually?”
“S-sorry! I mean, I’m sorry! I just woke up after a long time.”
“That’s better. Now, let’s go.”
“Where… are we going?”
“To hell. The surface world isn’t a place for monsters like you, burdened with so much karma. Hand over your internal organs on the way. How about it? You want to do it yourself, or should I?”
Jin felt a strange sensation again as he watched Ozdok tremble in fear of Murakan. The way beings from a thousand years ago feared Murakan was something he still couldn’t get used to.
“W-why not? And what do you want with my internal organs…?”
“Curious for someone about to die, aren’t you?”
Murakan strode forward, and Ozdok looked as if he was about to burst into tears.
When Ozdok was about five steps away, the man blocked Murakan’s path.
“What is it?”
“Apologies for the late introduction, Lord Murakan. I am the sword of Runkandel’s family guardian dragon. My name is Tuben.”
The man bowed politely as he introduced himself. Murakan smiled, clearly pleased with Tuben’s demeanor.
“What are you? A Black Knight?”
“I’ve long since removed the black helmet, but I still carry out similar duties as before.”
“Good, good. Thanks for your hard work. Now, step aside. I’m going to finish this.”
“Sorry, I can’t allow that.”
Why not?
Murakan didn’t ask for an explanation.
“Then I have no choice but to deal with him by force.”
“Can’t you just stand down?”
“I have a use for his internal organs. Come with me.”
Tuben stared silently at Murakan.
In his mind, he quickly calculated what his lord would decide in this situation.
“Ha, seriously? None of you care about me or the youngest?”
Mary furrowed her brow and raised her voice.
“Seventh Rider, your greeting is late as well. How have you been?”
“As you can see, I’ve been fine. But I never expected the one who’d interrupt my fight would be none other than Sir Tuben. Or should I say, Uncle Tuben.”
Mary’s eyes sharpened.
“If it’s the Tuben I know, he wouldn’t dare lay a hand on my prey… right?”
Tuben had once helped Mary train her swordsmanship under Rosa’s orders.
Though brief, he had highly praised the wildness she possessed.
So, even after seeing Siron personally teach her secret techniques, he wasn’t particularly surprised.
Whoooosh!
Mary’s sword glowed brightly, enveloped in an aura that billowed like smoke.
In truth, she had wanted to speak up the moment Tuben appeared, but she held back to suppress the surging aura.
“You’re all mistaken. That prey belongs to me and the youngest. Even if Father himself came, no one touches my prey.”
Mary was now preparing to fight Tuben, not Ozdok.
That was who she was. It was precisely this kind of spirit that earned her high marks from Siron.
But not everything she said was sincere.
‘So my sister knows how to bluff too.’
Mary was genuinely angry at Tuben’s intrusion, but she was bluffing to protect the reward her beloved youngest brother deserved—Ozdok’s internal organs.
‘But if Sir Tuben doesn’t back down now, I’ll have no choice but to follow through on what I said.’
Could she, Murakan, and Jin together stand a chance against Tuben?
Before she could figure it out, Murakan joined in on Mary’s bluff.
“Yeah, Mary’s right. You can’t just show up out of nowhere and interfere in someone else’s fight.”
Murakan, now transformed into his true form, looked down at Tuben and Ozdok.
Ozdok felt as if he were teetering on the edge of life and death with every passing moment. He had tried to subdue the kids who had tried to kill him, only to end up beaten by a superhuman and begging for mercy. And now, not only the kids but Murakan himself had joined forces to threaten him.
“And whatever your mission is, you should know this: leaving that monster alive won’t do the world any good.”
“You know my nature well, don’t you, Uncle Tuben? I never back down in moments like this. Even if it means a pointless, miserable death.”
Reluctantly, he wrapped his mind around the Sigmund technique and took his stance beside Mary. He never imagined he’d be issuing threats like this to the so-called strongest Black Knight of the squadron.
“You’d be better off just walking away, Sir Tuben.”
“I didn’t realize the twelfth squad had such reckless members.”
“Haha, Uncle Tuben, this one’s no less stubborn than me. If you’re going to do this, let’s get it over with—I’m starting to lose interest.”
Just as Mary’s eyes flashed fiercely and she raised her sword—
“W-wait a moment!”
Ozdok, who had been concentrating intensely and had just finished his thoughts, suddenly spoke up.
“There’s a way for all of us to achieve our goals. The children of Murakan and Runkandel can take my core, and Sir Tuben here can take me alive. Isn’t that a reasonable solution?”