Chapter 41

Arrangea's single strike was supposed to decapitate the heraldist.

However, what flew through the air was not the heraldist's head but the tip of Arrangea's sword.

It was an outcome that surpassed Arrangea's understanding.

"…W-What is this…?"

"That's the effect of the Absolute Defense tattoo!"

At that moment, the heraldist, still seated, swung his scimitar.

It would have been an easy strike to dodge under normal circumstances—

but Arrangea's reaction was delayed by the shock.

This time, Arrangea and the elite soldiers had prioritized mobility, wearing light armor.

The sharp blade of the scimitar slashed through Arrangea's right thigh, which was not covered by armor.

"Ugh!?"

Feeling intense pain in his leg, Arrangea stumbled backward.

"Lord Arrangea!"

A scream-like cry escaped the elite soldiers.

Arrangea, without breaking eye contact with the heraldist, glared and asked in a voice that sounded like a curse.

"…Absolute Defense tattoo…? What do you mean…?"

"Exactly as it sounds. Absolute Defense. I can cut 99% of the power of any physical or magical attack."

As he spoke, the heraldist slowly stood up.

"Don't you find it strange? Despite having so many tattoos carved into my body, my physical abilities are almost the same as a normal person's."

The heraldist chuckled.

"The answer is Absolute Defense. I had these tattoos carved into my body solely for Absolute Defense. It was tough, carving them all in. But it was worth it. After all, it's 99% reduction. It's invincibility. Hahahaha!"

The heraldist's laughter echoed.

It was the kind of laughter only someone who was certain of their victory could produce. Overwhelmed by that laughter, Arrangea clenched his teeth.

(Damn it…! Was this a duel with full knowledge of this…!)

For what?

To toy with Arrangea. To give a fleeting illusion of victory. And—to mock him like this.

Arrangea's head was boiling with rage at the humiliation.

"You! You, you, you, you!"

"Ah, that's great! That's exactly the reaction I wanted to see!"

Arrangea lunged at the heraldist, who was acting playful.

Blood spurted from the wounded right leg, and intense pain shot through Arrangea's body. Still, he did not stop.

(This guy! This guy alone! I must kill this guy!)

With a demonic expression, Arrangea swung his sword at the heraldist.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

He swung his broken blade over and over again.

At the heraldist's face. At the heraldist's shoulder. At the heraldist's chest. At the heraldist's arm. At the heraldist's waist. At the heraldist's leg.

Each strike, if it had landed, would have been a fatal lightning-like slash.

But no matter how many times he struck, the smile on the heraldist's face did not fade.

"Come on, keep going. I might be at my limit, you know, even though I said 99% reduction was just a figure of speech."

Contrary to his words, the heraldist's clothes were being torn apart, but the tattoo-covered body beneath remained unscathed.

"Damn, damn… damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!"

It was clear that the attempt had failed. Arrangea's sharp mind told him that there was no way to turn things around from here.

Where did it go wrong?

This wasn't supposed to happen.

He was supposed to exterminate the lizards, decapitate the heraldist, and return in triumph, praised as "Lord Arrangea, as expected!"

Where did it go wrong?

The future of becoming the successor of the Luminous family.

The future of overseeing the internal affairs of the kingdom under the king's favor.

All of it had faded like a mist. Everything he had believed in, even his own life.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Where did it go wrong?

Where did it go wrong?

Where did it go wrong?

Where did it go wrong?

Where did it go wrong?

Arrangea's heart, which had been filled with anger, gradually grew dim. Dark emotions, a sense of nothingness, spread their wings in his heart.

Arrangea had never experienced this before.

Its name was despair.

The one who saw it would have a full stop placed at the end of their future, a judge of condemnation.

It's over.

It's meaningless.

Thinking this, Arrangea's arm had—somehow stopped swinging the sword.

"Ha… ha… ha… ha… ha…"

Arrangea's sword slipped from his hand as he panted heavily.

"Is it over, young master?"

The heraldist kicked Arrangea's right thigh. Exhausted and drained, Arrangea fell to the ground.

Unable to bear the sight—

Arrangea's elite soldiers began to move.

"We must save Lord Arrangea!"

They charged at the heraldist with ferocity.

"Hah!"

The heraldist laughed and shrugged.

"You were the ones who said no to stopping the duel! That's right! You're always the ones who lie!"

As he spoke, the heraldist whistled.

The lizardmen, who had been watching, began to move. They leaped at the elite soldiers to protect their master, the heraldist.

A chaotic battle ensued.

Arrangea's elite soldiers were quickly killed. The lizardmen's swords and claws turned red one after another.

It was no wonder.

Arrangea's elite soldiers were indeed strong, but that was only when they fought with a calm mind. Panicking to protect their dying master, and shaken by the sight of their dying master, they could not possibly perform at their best.

As Arrangea's subordinates died, the light of hope dimmed with each life that was extinguished.

"A, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a…!"

The scene was a source of despair for Arrangea.

Defeat—

Death—

were gradually approaching Arrangea. After cutting down his subordinates, it would surely consume Arrangea.

His back felt cold as if it had frozen. His shoulders shook for no reason. His heart ached as if a stake had been driven into it.

(…Run! Run away!)

Arrangea staggered to his feet and tried to run away, turning his back on his dying subordinates.

But his right leg wouldn't move as he wanted.

"Ugh!?"

Arrangea screamed and fell clumsily.

The heraldist, noticing Arrangea's movement, sneered.

"Oh? Are you going to abandon your subordinates who are fighting for you and run away? Good! That's the essence of humanity! Keep going, young master! A miracle might happen!"

Arrangea didn't hear the heraldist's taunts.

(…I don't want to die…! I don't want to die! I am the noble Arrangea Luminous! I am not someone who will die in a place like this!)

Arrangea staggered to his feet again.

The heraldist directed a cold gaze at Arrangea's back.

"I won't let you escape."

At that moment, a lizardman standing in front of Arrangea threw a spear. The spear pierced Arrangea's abdomen and, driven by its momentum, pinned him to the ground.

"A, a, a, a, a!"

Arrangea writhed in agony, unable to comprehend what had happened. He was lying on his back, looking up at the sky, spitting blood. He couldn't move, and moving only spread the pain.

The lizardmen approached the immobilized Arrangea, weapons in hand—swords, axes, spears—various weapons.

The heraldist laughed.

"A noble who grew up surrounded by sweet dreams and easy jobs, who knows nothing of hardship. Kill him quickly and mercifully."

The faces of the lizardmen, unreadable, loomed over Arrangea.

The fear of an inescapable death exploded within Arrangea.

"Stop, don't come any closer! You lowly lizards! I am Arrangea Luminous! The one who will support the next generation of the kingdom! Not in a place like this—by the likes of you—!"

The lizardmen brought their weapons down.

Intense pain shot through Arrangea's entire body. His flesh was torn, his organs severed, and blood gushed from his body.

"Ugh… ah…"

Arrangea's consciousness rapidly faded.

Having lost his future, Arrangea squeezed out his past—his past filled with glory.

"I am Arrangea… You and I live in different worlds—!"

Blood gushed from Arrangea's mouth.

A large lizardman's foot blocked Arrangea's vision.

"You… are… annoying."

The lizardman said this, speaking a little human language.

The lizardman's foot came down like a guillotine, crushing Arrangea's head like an egg.

That was the end of the noble Arrangea Luminous.

Goodbye, Arrangea!

Since I got a lot of points last time, I'm going to take a risk and try something.

It's interesting!

I want to read more!

Keep it up!

If you feel that way, please give me points from the "☆☆☆☆☆" at the bottom of the screen.

From here, the climax of this chapter. Look forward to Alberto's performance!