Chapter 54

Werner was indeed an outstanding sorcerer. However, that didn’t necessarily mean he was the strongest.

From a place where he couldn’t fly, sword slashes came raining down, and suddenly, a thrust came from behind, followed by irregularly aimed strikes. Werner couldn’t keep up with this combination, and with Airi in his arms, trying to protect her, it was enough to drive him mad.

Holding Airi restricted his movements, leaving no room to chant spells, and his robe was already tattered, barely hanging on.

The one who introduced himself as Gaheris of the Black Round Table, targeting Werner, chuckled. His red sword made a clear, sharp sound as it struck the ground.

“Truly, a corner of a hero, your dodging skills are top-notch.”

“All those beatings from the Heavenly Demon Grandfather weren’t for nothing.”

Training with the Heavenly Demon Grandfather, getting beaten every day, had finally paid off in learning how to dodge. However, the difference between training and real combat was vast.

Werner desperately tried to avoid Gaheris’s sword. But that only prolonged the stalemate; dodging alone wouldn’t end the situation. And his opponent wasn’t someone who would give him the chance to chant a spell. Truly caught between a rock and a hard place, Werner gritted his teeth. He regretted not bringing his older brothers and sisters, even if it meant explaining his distasteful past.

Then, Airi started crying.

Realizing his expression had darkened, Werner forced a faint smile to reassure Airi.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you meet your mom and dad soon.”

Seeing Airi stop crying, Werner threw off his tattered robe, revealing a white shirt and black pants underneath.

Gaheris tilted his head in confusion.

“Huh… Wouldn’t it be easier to dodge my sword strikes with the robe on…?”

“No, I’m going to fight seriously now, so it’s just in the way.”

Werner took a deep breath. In such a chaotic fight, high-level magic requiring incantations was out of the question. There was only one way.

It was time to use what he had learned from his older brothers, sisters, and the Heavenly Demon Grandfather.

‘Focus energy… no, magic power in my feet and take a step forward…’

Heavenly Demon Technique – Black Winged Skanda.

It was a movement technique taught by the Heavenly Demon Grandfather. Werner had considered using it to escape, but turning his back felt even more dangerous, so he decided to use it in combat.

Seeing Werner suddenly disappear, Gaheris whistled, showing his leisure.

“Whoo… A technique learned from other heroes?”

Then, Gaheris blocked the knife thrown by Werner from behind. Originally a survival knife, it was more than enough to pierce a neck, assuming the target didn’t resist.

“You’d have had a better chance stabbing me with that agility. For an Archmage, you’re quite the novice in combat.”

Werner swallowed dryly.

‘I know, right? But if I get too close, that red sword might really skewer me.’

But the knife-throwing technique learned from Squar was useless, and the weapon techniques from Zick, Melchior, and the Knight Order Captain couldn’t be used without weapons.

So, the only usable techniques were those learned from the Heavenly Demon Grandfather and imitating Squar’s techniques. Though their precision and power were incomparable, he had no choice.

Werner kicked off the cave wall, activating the Black Winged Skanda again. Gaheris turned his back, matching Werner’s movement.

“Still relying on that agility? Even if you take my back, without using magic, you can’t harm me…”

But Werner wasn’t aiming for Gaheris’s back; he was heading straight for Gaheris’s chest, close enough to fit a finger.

Werner concentrated magic power in his palm and unleashed it on Gaheris’s chest armor.

Heavenly Demon Technique – Great Black Heaven Palm.

A condensed explosion occurred, shattering Gaheris’s armor into dust, and Gaheris was slammed into the wall.

‘If the Heavenly Demon Grandfather used this, he’d have blown up a person.’

Indeed, imitation is just imitation, far from the original. If the Heavenly Demon Grandfather had used it, it would have destroyed a large mountain, but Werner’s version only managed to break iron armor.

But that didn’t mean there was no damage. Confident that a significant shock had been delivered, Werner approached the fallen Gaheris. He didn’t want to leave any future threats, so he had to make sure Gaheris was dead.

Then, Gaheris, who seemed to have fallen, launched a near-sonic thrust at the approaching Werner. It was all a deception; he had only pretended to be unconscious, confident that one strike would secure his victory.

But what Gaheris’s sword pierced was the tattered robe Werner had thrown off earlier.

Werner stood where the robe had been, wiping cold sweat.

“Wow, I almost really got screwed.”

Phantom Magic – Duck Change.

A technique Squar often used, swapping places with a magically marked object. Of course, she could swap with objects over 500km away, but Werner’s imitation was limited to about 8 meters.

Werner had sensed something was off. The speed of the sword swings suggested Gaheris was no ordinary strong person, yet he was knocked out by just the shock of his armor breaking? It reeked of a trap. So, he imitated Squar’s magic, marking the robe he was wearing with magic power.

And as expected, Gaheris was only pretending to be unconscious, still perfectly fine.

But the fact that Gaheris was so confident in his sword, even feigning defeat to launch a sneak attack, was still unsettling.

“That sword has something special.”

“Yep… It’s one of the rare magic swords even within the Black Round Table.”

Disappointed that Gaheris didn’t explain the sword’s abilities, Werner clicked his tongue. The battle was at a standstill again. Werner picked up the knife he had thrown earlier, and Gaheris gripped his red sword, ready.

Werner threw the knife, and Gaheris charged, deflecting it. With no weapons and the distance closed, Werner seemed to have no options left.

But then, Werner threw a handful of dust. It was the powdered remains of Gaheris’s armor, compressed with magic power.

Gaheris was momentarily confused but soon spoke with a displeased expression.

“What’s this nonsense… I thought you had some secret move hidden.”

“It is a secret move, you idiot.”

“What…?”

“I showed you. Swapping places with a magically marked object. But actually, it can also swap objects with objects.”

Gaheris tilted his head, unable to understand the tricky move and the current situation.

“Remember the objects I touched?”

Gaheris finally realized and started sweating.

“The knife I threw at you… and the metal dust I threw at you.”

“That means…”

“You inhaled a bit of it, right? Now, what if I swap the position of that dust and the dagger inside your lungs?”

Gaheris tried to strike Werner’s neck before he could act, but unfortunately, Werner clapped his hands faster.

The knife appeared inside Gaheris’s lungs, piercing them, and he collapsed, spitting blood. Werner immediately prepared to finish him with magic, but…

The baby Airi started crying.

“Scared, huh? I won’t do anything scary in front of you anymore, so please stop.”

Just in case, Werner focused magic in one hand while checking Gaheris’s pulse, ready to blow his head off if necessary. But the pulse was definitely gone.

Werner sighed and withdrew his magic.

But the moment Werner turned his back,

Thud.

The red sword pierced Werner’s side.

“Huh…?”

“Feigning death is child’s play for us in the Black Round Table… You’re still a rookie.”

Gaheris, spitting blood, drove the magic sword deeper.

“This sword’s name is… cough! Magic Sword Barisada… A sword made to kill sorcerers like you… Now, savor the pain that will make you wish you were dead.”

With those words, Gaheris’s breath ceased.