Chapter 95

I don't like any of it.

"Rock Sword Technique, Second Form: Flowing Sand."

The Architect murmurs the skill name.

Flowing Sand.

As befitting its name, a white magical strike flows like a river.

"Run... Junior..."

Kasumi-senpai's weak voice is heard.

Rrrrrrrrrr!!

I grip Durandal, which is trembling more intensely than ever before.

It's disgusting, but...

"I won't run, senpai."

I don't want to run.

Even a worm will squirm when stepped on.

Besides, Kasumi is a precious asset; I can't leave her here.

I take a step forward.

Unlike Kasumi-senpai, who protected me earlier, this time I am the one protecting Kasumi.

"Both of you, farewell."

Flowing Sand rushes to my face along with the farewell.

I haven't seen any flashbacks of my life yet, even though I'm about to die.

Thump, thump.

I push the mana veins and the Black Stone to their limits.

A large amount of mana surges up, enveloping my entire body.

[Adamantine Indestructibility]

[Sync]

I activate both abilities at once.

I continue to draw up mana.

Rrrrrrrrrr!!

The blade continues to tremble.

I focus my mind.

No other thoughts are needed. I clear all distractions. Kasumi-senpai's breathing and the Architect's figure fade away.

All I see is the pure white strike of the Architect.

I feel no sounds, no sensations.

It might be an illusion, but time seems to have slowed down immensely.

It feels like only the Architect and I remain in this world.

I clench my teeth.

There's no place to retreat.

I prepare for death, gripping the hilt with both hands.

Once.

"Just once... somehow..."

[Just once?]

At that moment,

a familiar voice rings in my ear.

"Black Prince?"

[It seems your hearing has finally improved. As they say, people change when faced with death. Use True Name Liberation. Brat, no, Partner. That's the only way you can win.]

"But I don't know how to use True Name Liberation yet..."

[No, you do. You've already achieved it through intense focus and synchronization with the weapon. So use it. True Name Liberation.]

When I heard the Black Prince's words,

I realized.

He was right.

From the moment I focused my mind in the face of death and entered the realm of synchronization,

the method of True Name Liberation was already imprinted in my mind.

As if in a trance, I infuse Durandal with mana.

Durandal, which feels like an extension of my own body, accepts the mana and vibrates.

Pssst.

The blade transforms into a pitch-black color, devoid of any light, accompanied by the sound of escaping steam.

Black flames rise from the black blade.

Whoosh.

My entire body is enveloped in a black aura, burning fiercely.

[Durandal]

[True Name Liberation]

[The Magic Sword that Burns the Darkness]

True Name Liberation has been activated.

I can feel all my stats rising to an unbelievable level.

If there were a status window, it would show that all my stats have at least doubled.

A smile forms on my lips.

This is enough. I can win.

You're done for.

You're really a coward, aren't you?

The Architect's face, which had launched the Rock Sword Technique, Second Form: Flowing Sand, now shows a look of boredom.

'To think I have to deal with a low-level pup like this with my own hands... without Master's order, this would never happen.'

His brows furrow.

Even as the weakest of the 13 Apostles, he is still an S-Rank villain.

Even if I can't use True Name Liberation or Gifts due to Labyrinth, the gap between me, who hasn't even reached S-Rank, and him is wider than the gap between heaven and earth.

As proof, didn't I incapacitate one brat with a single strike?

I see Kim Deok-sung, the black-haired brat, step forward and protect Kasumi.

'So stupid.'

The Architect sneers.

At his level, there's no way he can block it.

Even if he manages to defend once, he will surely die from the next strike.

'This mission was so easy, it's almost boring. I can't understand why Master is wary of this brat.'

Given Master Messiah's cautious nature, there must be some significant reason.

At that moment,

[Durandal]

[True Name Liberation]

[The Magic Sword that Burns the Darkness]

Black flames rise within the pure white strike.

The Architect's eyes waver.

He swallows hard.

Being S-Rank, he knows.

"What... What... True Name Liberation...?"

It's unbelievable.

How could this brat, this piece of trash with only C-Rank suitability, achieve True Name Liberation?

Kim Deok-sung, enveloped in a black aura, slowly swings the black sword Durandal.

[Black Light Sword Technique]

[Second Form]

[Darkness Counter]

The moment the second form of the Black Light Sword Technique, which counters the enemy's attack, is activated,

black mana rises like a swarm of bees, splitting the white strike.

Kaboom!

A deafening explosion resounds.

The shockwave from the Rock Sword Technique's destruction sweeps through the Labyrinth.

"..."

Kim Deok-sung, enveloped in a black aura, looks at the Architect with a blank expression.

Whoosh.

He points the black sword, which is burning with black flames, at the Architect.

"Hey, baldy. You're done for. Start saying your prayers."

"What? Baldy?"

The Architect's eyebrows furrow.

His shiny bald head turns red with shame and anger.

"I don't mind you calling me a fool, but baldy... I can't tolerate that."

His bald head is his complex.

He hates being mocked for it.

Kim Deok-sung snickers.

"Your shiny head is just asking for it."

"Ugh... ugh..."

The Architect's forehead is drenched in cold sweat.

If the opponent is in True Name Liberation, he must also use it to counter.

But using True Name Liberation will deactivate the Labyrinth.

If the Labyrinth is deactivated, his plan to hold the enemy back will fail.

If that happens, he will surely lose.

He can't win.

He needs to run, but he got caught in this childish provocation.

The mention of his bald head has always made him lose his composure.

It's a fatal mistake.

The Architect, regaining his senses, suppresses his rage, which is boiling like lava, and mutters.

"Next time we meet, I'll make you pay for this insult. So, let's end our meeting here..."

Just as the Architect, who had regained his senses, was about to flee,

Kim Deok-sung's body lunges forward, leaving a black trail.

[Black Light Sword Technique]

[Third Form]

[Black Point Thrust]

Whoosh.

The black blade aims for the Architect's chest, a thrust far faster and sharper than before.

The Architect, startled, swings his sword stick.

"Rock Sword Technique, Third Form: Rock Wall!"

A loud skill name escapes his lips.

*

The moment the Architect swings his sword,

Grgrgrgrgr.

A white rock wall rises from the ground.

Do they really need to shout their skill names?

[It's just a desperate attempt. It's kind of cute, isn't it? Anyway, Partner. Even if he's a villain, mocking him about his bald head was a bit too much. That's not something a human should do. This devilish brat. His character is seriously flawed.]

Not something a human should do?

That's what weaknesses are for, to be exploited.

[Anyway, Partner. If you can't even break through this level of defense as my partner, you'll lose your qualification. Do you want to be a brat?]

'Enough.'

I'll stop talking.

If I had known this, I wouldn't have used True Name Liberation.

Suppressing my boiling anger, I thrust the tip of Durandal into the rock wall.

Crack!

Black and white mana mix, sparks fly, and a shockwave spreads.

The white rock wall crumbles, revealing the Architect's startled face.

[Now, Partner! Use 'that ultimate technique'!]

Raoul's voice rings in my head, as intrusive as a drill sergeant.

I grip Durandal.

With True Name Liberation, Durandal can drastically amplify the user's abilities, allowing me to easily dispatch this enemy.

[Sync]

I activate the ability.

Whirr.

A headache spreads.

Thump, thump.

The mana veins and Black Stone resonate, supplying mana to my entire body.

A black line appears in my blood-red vision.

[Black Light Sword Technique]

[Ultimate Technique]

[Black Flash]

Using the ultimate technique, time seems to slow down to an extreme degree.

A phenomenon caused by accelerated thinking.

The Architect's movements, flailing like in slow motion, are visible.

[Aim for the neck, Partner.]

The Black Prince's advice, still not keeping quiet, rings in my head.

I swing Durandal, which is burning with black flames.

A black strike, like a spider web, cuts through the air.

Chaotic black lines are etched into the Architect's body.

"Keh!"

The Architect spits out blood.

Pssst.

His head separates from his body, and a fountain of blood spurts out.

His eyes, wide open in disbelief, are visible.

He's dead.

"Huff."

I clasp my trembling hands.

My heart is pounding.

First kill.

Bloodstains, like splashes, are visible.

It would be a lie to say I'm not shaken.

But if I hadn't killed him, Kasumi-senpai and I would have died.

[Pull yourself together, Partner.]

I regain my senses at the Black Prince's words.

[It's not over yet.]

He's right.

The battle isn't over.

With the Architect, who maintained the Labyrinth, dead, this space will soon be deactivated.

'I need to take advantage of this gap and strike the other villains from behind.'

The other villains don't know I've defeated the Architect yet.

They will naturally be startled when the Labyrinth is deactivated.

In that brief moment,

I need to strike their backs.

[Wow, Partner. Not only your insults about his bald head, but you're really a coward, aren't you?]

'Shut up.'

To win, I have to do whatever it takes.

Due to True Name Liberation, my mana is draining in large amounts in real-time.

If this continues, I'll faint before the battle ends.

I frown, suppressing the dizziness caused by mana depletion.

'Since I can't fight for long, I have to do this.'

[You haven't reached full synchronization, so that's why. Your current True Name Liberation is only half-complete. If you had trained more, you wouldn't be so frustrated.]

'Half-complete?'

Indeed.

I didn't expect to be able to use True Name Liberation here.

But half-complete?

[Yes, half-complete. Your current state is similar to forced True Name Liberation. When you experienced forced True Name Liberation, your body remembered the sensation. In the face of death, your survival instinct reacted in extreme focus, forcing an awakening.]

[And, unlike a typical partner, your kind heart in wanting to protect Kasumi moved me, the Black Prince, to respond to your call.]

[Without any one of these three: the experience of forced True Name Liberation, the threat of death, and your kind heart, you wouldn't have achieved True Name Liberation. In short, your luck and timing are incredible. Got it?]

Who's protecting whom?