Chapter 63

There was no opportunity to swing the sword.

"Damn it..."

Rio carefully observed the tentacles that were slowly swinging and the powerful tentacle that would deliver the decisive blow, closing the distance with Blakul. However, Blakul dug into the ground with the remaining tentacles, scattering dirt.

Ducking to avoid the tentacle that thrust out from behind the curtain of dust, Rio aimed for the base of the tentacle. Immediately after, Blakul scattered black wax from the tentacles and thrust them into the ground, leaping backward.

Rio, who had lost the range, gritted his teeth. Although Blakul's and Rio's fighting styles were completely different, their fundamental principles were similar.

--Do not force an attack. Retreat properly.

Rio, who had to charge into the Blakul swarm to rescue the adventurers on the drawbridge, was acting against the principles of his self-taught swordsmanship. On the other hand, Blakul understood that if he could buy time, other individuals would push the adventurers onto the drawbridge and encircle them for annihilation, as long as he, the commander, was not defeated.

As a result, the chase continued with Blakul extending its tentacles provocatively. If it were not a defensive battle, Rio would have taken a step back and reassessed the situation, but if he left Blakul's commander unchecked, the adventurers on the drawbridge would face even greater hardship. Without a solution, he had to focus on keeping the commander pinned down.

Ducking under a tentacle that slashed diagonally, Rio leaped to the right with one hand and his left foot, evading a counterattack. As soon as his right foot touched the ground, he activated his body enhancement to the limit and leaped toward Blakul, closing the distance forcefully. He aimed his sword at the joints in the black wax covering Blakul's body, which were its weak points.

However, Blakul anticipated this and covered the joints with tentacles for defense. As Rio, who disliked the dulling of his blade, abandoned his attack and leaped back, Blakul also leaped to gain distance.

Determined not to let him escape, Rio readied his thrust and pursued Blakul.

This back-and-forth had been repeated many times. Rio needed a decisive move to change the situation, but he couldn't find one.

The commander patiently endured Rio's relentless pursuit, likely to prevent him from targeting other Blakuls. Suddenly, the situation changed dramatically.

"---I'm moving to support Rio. I'm charging in!"

A familiar voice rang out. During a break in the battle, Rio glanced in the direction of the voice, toward the center of the town. He saw lower-ranked adventurers, who had been guiding the evacuation of residents, heading his way.

The voice belonged to Jaggi, a C-rank adventurer, and his group. Jaggi was the adventurer who had boasted in the guild's tavern about slaying a deer beast. If he had the skill to slay a beast, he could charge into the area where Rio and the commander were fighting.

In other words, Jaggi could open a path for Rio's retreat. Rio changed his stance from a thrust to the Eight Directions stance. If Jaggi and his group could secure his retreat, he wouldn't need to worry about the sharpness of his blade.

Seemingly aware of the change in Rio's stance and mindset, the Blakul commander spread its tentacles to the sides, readying itself for an attack. Rio approached Blakul with small steps. When Blakul attacked, it extended four of its ten tentacles to the left and right, likely to prevent Rio from escaping and then deliver the final blow.

Seeing through the tentacles' purpose to block his retreat, Rio suddenly widened his steps and closed the distance with Blakul. Despite the change in timing, Blakul anticipated this and used the tentacles it had planned to attack with to defend itself. Until now, Rio had always leaped back at this point. But now, with his retreat secured, things were different.

"---I'll take it!"

Rio swung his sword. The tip of the sword aimed at the base of the tentacles that blocked his path. The moment the blade touched the fully extended tentacles, Rio added a hip rotation and slashed backward. Blood spurted from Blakul, and two tentacles fell to the ground. In pain or shock, Blakul retracted the tentacles that had been protecting its body and swung them horizontally to drive Rio away. However, Rio had already circled around to Blakul's side using his self-taught footwork and ducked to avoid the swinging tentacles.

From a crouched position, Rio extended his knees and raised his sword in a reverse diagonal slash. He lifted the sword as if peeling off the black wax covering Blakul's body, shouldered it, and leaped backward. Calmly, he swung his sword downward to block the tentacles Blakul thrust in retaliation.

Even if his blade dulled, it didn't matter as long as Jaggi and his group secured his retreat. The tips of the tentacles were deflected by Rio's strike and impaled in the ground. Rio pressed his blade along the impaled tentacles.

The black wax was shaved off, revealing Blakul's rough, scaly skin, a result of its evolution. Frightened by Rio's relentless attack, Blakul thrust its tentacles into the ground and leaped backward.

However, Rio, who had anticipated Blakul's escape, was already in motion. A smart commander would fear being defeated and losing control of the unit. This Blakul's surprise unit was a wedge to disrupt human coordination. If the unit collapsed, the human side might regain momentum. Rio aimed a full-body thrust at Blakul's body, determined to take it down.

"---Rio!"

Startled by Shira's unusually loud voice, Rio activated his body enhancement to the limit. A white giant descended before his eyes. Recognizing it as the leader of the Tereop, their eyes met. The eyes were filled with intense malice.

In a thrusting stance, Rio immediately reversed his wrist, using the flat of his sword as a shield to protect himself. The impact was immediate. The sword pressed against his body, his feet left the ground, and he was blown away helplessly.

"Ugh---"

His bones creaked. His vision spun, and intense pain shot through his body. He only realized he had hit the ground after he started rolling. Unable to take a defensive position, he rolled down the cobblestone street and finally stopped after colliding with a house wall. He felt a piercing gaze. Cold, dark, and heavy with malice.

Gritting his teeth, Rio forced himself to stand, despite the pain. The tip of his sword, which he stubbornly refused to let go, scraped against the cobblestones, making an unpleasant sound. Blood from his forehead blocked his left eye, but his right eye caught sight of the white giant charging at him.

Even without a running start, the previous charge had such power. If he were hit by the next full-speed charge, he would die instantly. Despite understanding this, his feet wouldn't move, and his sword felt unbearably heavy. But Rio raised his sword, assuming a high stance, ready to meet the charge with a desperate attack.

"---I won't die without a sword in my hand."

Just as he resolved to take the white Tereop down with him, the white Tereop suddenly turned its gaze away and leaped to the side, running toward the drawbridge. A figure raced past Rio like a gust of wind. Following the figure with his eyes, Rio recognized it.

It was Galdrat, sword drawn.