Chapter 54

EP.54 Derailment Frenzy - 2

Jehad Dainonos

He was the eldest son of the small noble family, the Dainonos, and a knight of the nobility who had followed a typical elite path.

His younger brother, Ely Dainonos, had little ambition for power and wealth, so he stepped back from the competition for succession from the beginning.

His fiancée, Rain Ripord, felt favorably towards Jehad, who was to inherit the head of the family, and Jehad did not refuse the opportunity to gain the alliance and beauty of the Ripord family.

However, his father, Zen Dainonos, was still in good health, so Jehad had to build his foundation as a knight by accumulating achievements and experience.

Thus, he chose to become the bodyguard and sword instructor of the young lady of the Reinhardt family. Although the Dainonos were of lower rank as nobles, the deep connection with the Reinhardts made his adoption not difficult.

“I had a vision for my future. I definitely had a vision.”

But such a rosy future was distorted by the existence of Leonardo.

“If it weren’t for you...! I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

His parents treated him as if he were a child they had abandoned. His younger brother was now receiving attention as the successor to lead the family.

His fiancée had left him and was now eagerly seeking another man.

“If it weren’t for you...!”

“Yeah. You were so kind and capable that you abandoned Aria and fled, and I was so wicked and cunning that I fought Barlok alone. Isn’t that just too much?”

But in the end, it was a tantrum filled with self-justification and blaming others.

“Hey, if you hadn’t done such a stupid thing, at least your family wouldn’t have cursed you to your face. You’re worse than a cockroach living in a trash can. Who are you to talk big?”

From the beginning, Jehad’s downfall was planned, and it was accelerated by his own foolish actions.

“Did you really think you’d be praised for abandoning a girl and trying to survive on your own? Have you sold your morals and intelligence to the devil?”

By the way, he probably didn’t have any morals or conscience to begin with.

Hearing this, Jehad’s face contorted. His eyes widened, and his fangs protruded sharply.

“...I’ll tear you apart and play with you until you beg for mercy...”

The purple skin on his arms and the saw-like nails seemed to prove his words.

<Fire Storm>

But for the whirlwind of fireballs that engulfed him. As the fireballs spun and burst from Leonardo’s hidden hand, Jehad was consumed by the explosion and fell.

“What’s the point of playing with you? Making noise while I draw the magic circle is just annoying.”

Leonardo didn’t waste time aimlessly. He needed to provoke and draw attention while drawing the magic circle.

In fact, Leonardo didn’t care whether Jehad lived or was imprisoned.

“Now, in a few minutes, the guards will arrive, so...”

[...Wait...! Get out of the way!!]

What flew was a massive wooden box, a size and weight that could not be thrown by a human with muscles turned to flames.

Klang!!

The wooden box was cut in half in front of Leonardo’s sword. The problem wasn’t the attack itself, but what it represented.

‘...Fire Storm is the most powerful fire magic I can cast... The fact that he withstood it means...’

“...A coward like you... It’s better to be cut into pieces. You dared to ambush me while I was talking...!”

Part of Jehad’s head really did fly off. His skin and muscles were burned and melted, exposing the bones.

Yet, he didn’t seem to be dying.

“...Me...! You think I’ve been missing for two years without a care...?!”

Kaaah!! Bang!!

Soon, a scream and an explosion echoed.

This wasn’t the sound made by Leonardo and Jehad.

It was the sound coming from outside, from the city. The sage quickly escaped the alley and took to the air.

[...The city is completely devastated... Monsters are rampaging. They’re not quite like beasts...]

They were extremely similar to human form. Really, it was quite unpleasant.

“...You... Did you do all this just because of something like that?”

Leonardo might have been mistaken.

Until now, he thought it was just a personal matter of disappearance and revenge. He thought dealing with the instigator, Jehad, would resolve everything.

But that was an overly optimistic and naive judgment. He should have noticed when the mages’ disciplinary actions and the appearance of the mana beings occurred.

“Grr... Kik... Feel the hell I’ve experienced...”

Mass slaughter, the massacres orchestrated by mana beings and black mages when the opportunity arises.

And the ones who primarily carry out such massacres are...

“...Didn’t I tell you?”

Only mana beings that have killed so many people as to be called demons.

[Demonization]

Jehad’s body was regenerating with black flesh, and his facial bones twisted, forming sharp fangs and horns.

His entire body swelled to a size larger than an adult Barlok. The form seemed to be a deliberately unpleasant depiction of what people imagine demons to be.

“You’ll beg for mercy as I tear you apart and play with you...”

“...Shut up.”

Cutting off the demonized mana being’s words, Leonardo raised his sword.

“Shut up and come. I’ll sew your mouth shut so you can’t beg for your life.”

A rage beyond anger swept through the surroundings.

“This arrogant... brat...!”

The mana being charged. Its speed already surpassed that of a human. Even Aria couldn’t react.

Kwaang!!

The initial attack was a straight punch. Avoiding it was successful, but the wall behind him shattered like glass under the mana being’s hand.

[It’s collapsing!! Get out!!]

Leonardo quickly extended his arm at a right angle to cast a spell.

“Wind Burst...!!”

He had to use verbal incantation to barely match the timing. The gale cannon shot from his arm, pushing him out of the alley with the recoil.

Bang!

The wind projectile hit the mana being, momentarily stopping its movement. It would have been a strike capable of cracking a rock, but it didn’t even scratch the mana being.

“...Is that all...?!”

“Is that all?”

But there was still a plan. The debris from the collapsing building fell directly onto Jehad.

The subsequent impact, with that weight, would injure even a high-level mana being.

[Look to the side!!]

On both sides of the street, everything was in ruins. Something that was tearing apart human corpses suddenly charged at Leonardo.

“Eeeeeeek...!!”

Simultaneous attacks from the right and left. The black stone transformed into a pair of swords, slicing the heads off the creatures on both sides.

[...These bastards... They’re human...]

The sage’s shocked words and expression. Leonardo examined the faces of the decapitated creatures.

“...These bastards too...!”

An unexpected and most unwanted development.

“Why are modified humans here...!”

“I know that...!?”

A sudden voice, followed by flying debris from the walls.

‘...This can’t be done with a pair of swords...!’

A pair of swords can’t cut through. Though the rapid strikes are fast, the shorter length and dispersed power make it ineffective.

“Guh...!!”

He couldn’t cut through all the debris. Debris hit his left arm, abdomen, and ribs.

[Leonardo!]

Blood spurted from the corner of his mouth. His ribs were broken and piercing his lungs. His arm wasn’t broken, but the swelling indicated a poor condition.

‘Still...’

“Still...! You haven’t screamed yet...?!”

The mana being charged through the debris and dust. Avoiding it was impossible. Its speed already surpassed even Aria’s.

<Lightning Lance>

He quickly launched a lightning spear to slow the mana being’s movement and counter with a pair of swords.

[Stop!! It’s no use against that guy...!]

The mana being punched through the lightning, unaffected by the electric shock. The punch hit Leonardo.

“Gah!!”

Even with the pair of swords, the destructive force overpowered his defense. The weak left arm caused him to fall sideways.

<Wind Armor>

A 1st Circle wind defense spell, a special modification of the Wind Wall, creating a wind armor around the body.

‘...The defense is weak, but...!’

Such a punch couldn’t be blocked, but it slowed his flight and minimized friction with the ground.

<...That guy... He was hit by lightning magic, yet...>

[Some demons have excellent magic resistance. That guy deliberately enhanced his body to have such traits.]

Moreover, Jehad’s body had already regenerated. The twisted arm was now aligned, and the wounds on his skin were cleanly sealed.

[He has excellent regeneration and physical abilities that already surpass yours. His magic resistance is at least 5th Circle, so you need that to penetrate.]

<Reluctantly...>

Abilities designed to counter Leonardo in every aspect.

[He’s your nemesis.]

Currently, the most difficult opponent for Leonardo.

Moreover, from the modified humans earlier, it seemed the entire city was infested with such creatures.

If there were more mages or the heads of the magic towers, it might have been resolved more smoothly, but such an ideal situation wouldn’t happen.

[...So, you can’t even run...]

<Let’s run.>

Leonardo said this and started running.

[What? I told you...! There’s no support now...!]

<Sorry, but I need to focus now.>

Leonardo said this and transformed the pair of swords in his tattered hands. He started running to buy time.

“Is that all you could think of, running? In the end, you’re no different!!”

Chasing after him, the mana being had the advantage in speed.

‘...There’s nothing else to do...!’

Leonardo threw a throwing dagger made of black stone at Jehad.

“This is all you’ve got, you brat!!”

The daggers embedded in both arms but were no more than a scratch to the mana being.

[Run properly! If you keep this up, you’ll be caught...!]

<The check is done. I’ll follow your orders.>

Saying this, Leonardo threw the remaining daggers at the buildings.

The thrown daggers embedded firmly in the building’s exterior. The black stone wire connected to the daggers supported Leonardo’s weight and pulled him.

[Using black stone like this?]

<There’s no other way to move faster now.>

The black wire reeled in, and Leonardo’s body moved quickly, rising into the air.

In terms of speed, even flight magic couldn’t catch up.

“Tricks...!!”

Jehad also hurriedly chased after Leonardo. In terms of speed, Jehad had the upper hand, but Leonardo’s experience and skill gave him the edge.

[You can’t keep running like this. Using the black stone this way will deplete your mana first.]

Transforming the black stone quickly strained his mental and magical power. He probably wouldn’t have enough time to put enough distance to escape.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Leonardo’s escape was never about survival.

[...A mass grave?]

A knight of the hero’s family always runs to achieve victory.

“Romantic, huh...? You don’t want to die alone, do you, orphan brat!!”

Provocation didn’t anger Leonardo. Instead, a smile of satisfaction appeared as his plan unfolded as expected.

“...Actually, I was prepared to die when I ran. If this fails, there’s no way to kill you.”

Leonardo said this and held the daggers he had prepared.

“Do you think you can kill me with such toys?!”

As he said this, Jehad swiped at Leonardo with his claws. Using the tombstones as cover, Leonardo dodged the attack.

At the same time, he started throwing daggers in rapid succession. This kind of hunting-like battle was a routine for Leonardo.

“It’s ticklish!! With this...!!”

By now, half the tombstones were broken. There was no cover nearby.

“It’s over!!!”

Jehad threw a punch. But Leonardo no longer looked for cover.

“...Is it over?”

He didn’t need to.

“Why?”

Leonardo’s plan had already succeeded.

“Is it because your arms and legs don’t move as you want?”

Jehad barely managed to throw a punch at Leonardo. But the punch, already slowed, had no chance of hitting him.

Instead, the torn joint twisted further, and Jehad fell to the ground.

“If the toys I threw bounced off your skin, I would have been out of options.”

But Leonardo’s daggers pierced the mana being’s flesh accurately. The short blade length made Jehad underestimate the threat.

“No matter how excellent your regeneration, as a biological mass, you can’t regenerate the area where a dagger is embedded. Especially if it’s in a crucial joint like a knee or elbow.”

Hearing this, Jehad hurriedly tried to pull out the embedded daggers with his hands. But with his joints reduced to tatters, it was impossible to pull them out with strength.

But a deranged smile still spread across Jehad’s face.

“Of course, you’re just a brat...!! To ramble on about such important facts...!!”

If he could enhance his regeneration and push the daggers out with the flesh, it would be over.

“...I’m a bit disappointed if you think that way?”

“Why...?! Gah...!?”

The daggers wouldn’t come out even with enhanced regeneration. Instead, the regrown flesh twisted strangely around the daggers.

“Why would I tell you how to escape? You need to die in a more humiliating way for my satisfaction.”

Saying this, Leonardo kindly showed Jehad the secret of the daggers.

“When I was traveling and sailing, an old whaler taught me this. No matter how strong you are, once you’re harpooned like this, you can’t get free.”

The harpoon-shaped blades he learned after leaving the hero’s family were extremely useful when dealing with high-regeneration mana beings and monsters.

The daggers he threw at the building’s exterior were also designed this way, which is why they were firmly embedded.

Thud

Eventually, the harpoon daggers took away Jehad’s light.

“Gah...!!”

As the eyes were pierced by the daggers, a scream was wrung out. Leonardo turned the dagger’s handle to completely remove the vision.

“Enjoy it while you can. You won’t be able to do it anymore.”

Saying this, Leonardo drew a fire magic circle in the mana being’s mouth.

“Originally, it’s best done with a torch, but the situation is urgent, so bear with it.”

Anticipating what would happen, Jehad started to struggle, albeit pathetically. The scene resembled a spider with all its legs broken being slowly devoured by a small ant.

Ignoring the struggle, Leonardo gathered straw and dry branches near the grave and stuffed them into Jehad’s mouth.

“Ugh...!? Gah...!”

“Even with excellent regeneration, burns and as