Chapter 98

The chest of the demon ape was filled with nothing but pleasure.

The power that crawled out from the depths of its body was unceasing, and its limbs overflowed with a vigor that seemed to tear its flesh apart. An unprecedented sense of exhilaration and omnipotence covered its entire body, and it had already transcended the boundaries of a mere beast.

However, there was also a sense of emptiness because of this.

With just a slight movement of its limbs, the prey before it would scatter their bodies. A flick of its fingers would cause flesh and blood to burst, and a grip of its hand would crush bones and bring death.

The existence of these insignificant, utterly insignificant prey brought both pleasure and a sense of futility and dissatisfaction.

But the prey before it now was different.

The silver-haired swordsman deflected its attacks and, instead of fleeing, faced it with the little strength he had. This was the essence of it all. The thrill of the hunt came from the challenge, and the pleasure of achieving it. Simply swinging its power around would not bring down this prey. There was a certain enjoyment in this.

Then, what if it used a different approach?

The back of the demon ape's hand was slammed into the road, and fragments scattered like shrapnel across the battlefield. The force was such that even a human or elf would have their flesh torn off just by touching them.

The silver-haired swordsman, of course, intercepted the fragments. Focusing on the larger ones, he swung his sword, and the space in front of him was swept clean. It was as if he was cutting through the air with each breath, his skill in slicing through the fragments and the space itself was remarkable.

However, the moment his long sword was swung, a powerful arm swept across the battlefield, taking advantage of the opening. There was no holding back; it was a decisive strike aimed at ending the fight.

—Creeeeak, Nn!

The demon ape could feel something hard touch the tip of its hand. The sensation of its skin repelling steel. It was likely that while deflecting the attack, the swordsman had attempted a counterattack. But there was no wound.

The enemy could no longer even harm it. It should have been well aware of this.

But he struggled. He continued to struggle. It was impossible to imagine how he was deflecting its attacks with that slender sword. Yet, the swordsman stood before it, panting.

That was fine. Prey was supposed to be like that. They were supposed to struggle and fight for their lives until their last breath.

With each exchange, its savage face contorted, and a loud, piercing ape cry echoed from its belly, as if to announce its joy and the end of the hunt.

It had certainly been an enjoyable time, but it was about to end.

A human's stamina was limited. It was impressive that he had lasted this long alone.

Its arm, which had been deflecting its attacks and attempting counterattacks, was now struggling just to deflect. The freshness of the prey was clearly waning.

So, it would end with the next strike. The demon ape's fingertips were filled with immense power, enough to make the air tremble.

There was a certain etiquette to be shown to prey that had provided such enjoyment. Even this demon ape, which lacked significant intelligence, had an instinctive awareness of this.

If so, it would end the prey's suffering with a single strike, tearing out its heart.

The demon ape raised its powerful arm higher than ever before, pouring all its strength into it.

◇◆◇◆

The silver hair swayed. The clasp had broken, and the longer strands stuck to her cheeks. Celia brushed the silver hair irritably away and glared at the demon ape with her glowing eyes.

Rather, it was more accurate to say that she could do little else.

Celia's entire body groaned from the strain, and she could no longer even raise her sword to counterattack. She barely managed to deflect the powerful arm and survive, forcing her legs to move and her wrists to ache with each parry. She could only employ such futile survival tactics.

—Well, this is it. I haven't even managed to land a proper blow.

Celia's silver eyes flickered. Her beloved sword was beginning to chip, and instead of wounding the demon ape, her own hand muscles were being strained by her attacks.

There was no path to victory. Her breathing was ragged, and her teeth, which she clenched to suppress it, shook dully.

She didn't want to lose. She didn't want to show such an unsightly defeat. The only emotion that surfaced in Celia's mind was a stubborn pride. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

She didn't want to taste the bitterness of defeat, especially not to a beast. Her pride wouldn't allow it. But more than that, Celia understood something clearly.

—This is the only thing I have, the only thing in my life.

If asked to name something she could be proud of in her life, Celia would undoubtedly mention her swordsmanship. This was her undeniable pride and a significant part of her life.

Therefore, she thought, if she were to be defeated here, if she were to be knocked down here, then he, Ruis, would surely be disappointed in her, would abandon her.

Ah, that was something she couldn't bear. It was too unbearable.

Once again, the flame of will burned in Celia's silver eyes. If so, she had no choice but to trample and defeat the demon ape before her. There was no other way forward.

There had been a similar situation before. In the forest of great trees, facing a boar-like beast, she had almost been defeated. Back then, with Ruis's advice, she had defeated the beast.

But Ruis was not here now. That was an unchangeable fact.

So, she thought about what Ruis would say. Observe the beast deeply, understand its habits, and strike its weakness.

She understood that attacking its limbs was futile. The large mouth on its belly was too vicious to be a weakness. Then, where? Where could she strike to kill it?

A thought suddenly surfaced in her mind, bursting in her brain. Her cheeks trembled involuntarily. It was so absurd, and it was exactly the kind of thing he would say.

Well, then, let's take a gamble. If I think of it as his words, it might not be so bad. It was a high-risk move, and she wasn't even sure if it was the right answer.

The demon ape's roar echoed, and the power in its raised arm was unmistakable. Her silver eyes flickered.

This was the only chance. She would pour all the remaining strength in her body into one strike. If it failed, she wouldn't think about it. She would kill it with that one strike.

Ah, and he had said it before.

—You can do it. You can definitely do it. There's no need to hesitate.

—Why can you say that? Don't just say something baseless.

The shadow of the powerful arm blurred, tearing through the air and leaving sound behind as it approached, ready to shatter the ground.

Celia's eyes never wavered. She understood that this encounter would end in the blink of an eye. In the end, it was a matter of her death or the enemy's.

She had wondered about it, but there had been no time to delve into it until now.

This demon ape, even when it roared or drank from a wine barrel, used the large mouth on its belly. It swallowed anything, from wood to rocks. Its teeth were always active, and it seemed as if its entire body revolved around that mouth.

Then, why did the original mouth and face still exist? She didn't know the reason, but there was one thing she was certain of.

This demon ape was undergoing a clear transformation into a demon.

Its limbs were becoming stronger, and the large mouth on its belly more vicious. But the original face remained unchanged, just a large ape, a mere beast, not a demon.

If so, could it be that all the transformations, the standing on two legs, and the large mouth, were to protect the remaining weakness in its body?

But even if that were the case, the path to reach it was treacherous. The demon ape, standing on two legs, towered over a human's height, and the steel limbs and the large mouth on its belly would obstruct the way. The only moment to get close was the instant the powerful arm was swung down.

It was far beyond human reach, let alone in a one-on-one battle.

The palm filled with strength and destruction approached Celia's body. Touching it meant certain death, a weapon in itself. Deflecting it with her long sword would be futile, and attempting to block it would surely break her.

Jumping back or rolling to the sides would be in vain, leading to death by the flying debris.

So, there was only one path.

Celia's legs stepped forward with all her might. She didn't miss the fact that the powerful arm was swung even wider than before. Her small body, with her silver hair swaying, forced its way into the demon ape's reach.

It was too late to react after the attack. The moment to strike was the instant the palm was fully swung down, the moment after the powerful arm was used. Naturally, the face would lower in that gap.

Celia herself was now on the brink of death. In this instant, her life or death would be determined.

One step wrong, and she would die. If she was even a moment too early or too late, her body would be torn apart by the teeth in the belly. Celia understood this.

The demon ape's face approached the ground with the palm. Celia, who had entered its reach, was now beside it. There was no fear in Celia, only one word in her mind.

—There is a reason.

A flash of light ran across the demon ape's chest.

A silver flash cut a line from the demon ape's chest to its mouth. In the blink of an eye, no one could even breathe or speak.

—Because you are Celia Bardonic.

A moment later, a silver sword protruded from the demon ape's mouth, and a torrent of blood splattered the battlefield.