"Krhh!"
The manticores, struck, let out a beastly roar. It had pulled back, as if to retreat, but it suddenly charged again, slamming the ground with its heavy body.
"Whooaa!"
Its claws tore through the air.
Audin quickly shifted his position, changing his stance as he swung his hand. With a precise strike, his palm hit the manticores' cheek.
The manticores' front claws slashed through empty space, while Audin's palm made contact almost simultaneously.
It was a fast exchange of blows.
Audin's palm was a weapon in itself, but the manticores was an advanced monster.
It took the blow, its head snapping to the side, but it mustered its strength and, despite the hit, swung its front claws again.
"Krhh!"
The manticores' enraged roar split the air.
"Ugh."
The pressure from the high-level monster caused the group of soldiers to groan, overwhelmed by its presence.
Then, the beast, whose cry had echoed through the surroundings, suddenly—
"Zzch!
"Where do you think you're going?"
Audin slapped the manticores again.
This time, the blow was harder than before. Dark blue blood spilled from its mouth, and a drop of blood splattered on the ground.
"Mm."
"Ugh."
"That's... ugh."
The soldiers muttered in astonishment. The sight was shocking.
For a moment, the paralysis seemed to lift from them.
Who would think that someone would slap a monster like that and leave it like this?
Had the manticores' pride been wounded?
Ignoring the pain on its own face, the manticores lowered its body and, once more, charged forward.
This time, it was faster than before, and its attack was more complex.
As it swung its front claws, its tail lashed out behind it. The tail came down from above, like a lightning bolt.
Audin's movements blurred as he became just as fast, leaving an afterimage.
"Whumm!"
Once again, the front claws missed, and the scorpion-like tail stabbed through the air.
During that moment, Audin simply and smoothly swung his hand again.
"Slam!"
What was that sound?
Enkrid inwardly clicked his tongue. He had seen every move in the fight. Not a single moment was missed.
At first, the combat resembled a form of swordsmanship, but now it had become nothing more than slapping the monster.
The manticores had never encountered an opponent who exceeded its own physical capabilities and speed.
'If I were the manticore, I'd be bewildered too.'
The beast seemed to falter for a moment, its head shaking from the impact.
But then, its eyes once again glinted with murderous intent.
"A monster should act accordingly. The Holy Scriptures say that having a different faith and straying from the right path are two separate things."
Aoudin muttered as he casually flicked his hand. The man, as large as a bear, continued to toy with the manticores.
"Krhh!"
The manticores charged again.
"Zzch!"
It was slapped once more.
If it received a light blow, its head would simply twist to the side.
But if the strike was stronger, its body would be knocked away.
Thud, thud!
Like a failed skipping stone, the manticore rolled across the gallery, and who would call that thing an advanced monster, a creature that fills soldiers with fear, the monster of all monsters?
Audin, swinging his hand, was reminded of his old days.
Monsters, beasts, cultists.
Those were the kinds of things he had dealt with in his past.
He had plenty of experience, especially with advanced monsters.
The manticore's face began to swell after being slapped repeatedly. A few of its teeth were knocked loose and scattered on the ground.
Just when it seemed like he should feel pity for it,
Enkrid sensed a small disturbance below. He heard a faint groan and saw the shadows shift.
"It seems we have some guests below as well. I'll go down first."
Enkrid said.
"Of course, brother."
Audin grinned, turning his back on the manticore with a smile.
Seeing this as an opening, the manticore charged once more.
This time, it launched a triple attack.
First came the front claws, followed by the tail, and finally, a snake-like tongue shot out.
Audin twisted his body to dodge the front claws, flicked his hand to redirect the tail, and ignored the tongue as it wrapped around his neck.
"The Lord said there are unforgiven sins," Aoudin murmured, swinging his hand while ignoring the tongue.
Close-quarters combat always favored monsters or beasts.
That was what the soldiers had learned by watching.
So what were they witnessing now?
Thwack!
The sound of a slap rang louder than ever, and one side of the manticore's face caved in.
It was entirely from Audin's palm.
The watching soldiers felt an urgent need to relieve themselves.
The monster was terrifying, the beast was terrifying, but right now, the scariest thing was that gentle-looking guy smiling like that.
"Repent to the Lord, and cleanse yourself of the sins that cling to your body, I will suck and lick the tainted soul clean. Thus, beg for forgiveness, and beg again."
His tone was compassionate. His smile was the same. But what about his hand?
"I think I peed myself."
A soldier next to his companion mumbled. Everyone watching had similar thoughts.
Just before Enkrid descended, he tapped the soldier's shoulder who had witnessed the manticore's face caving in.
"You smell like piss."
Saying this, he descended down the gallery.
He picked up speed, kicking the stairs with each step, and saw a soldier loitering by a small side door next to the lower gate.
Though he didn't recognize the soldier's face, the uniform clearly marked him as part of the Border Guard's reserve force. He saw the soldier's hand reach for the latch of the side door.
Next to the door, a soldier lay slumped against the wall. A dark red liquid oozed from the half-crushed body.
Enkrid quickened his pace, approaching the soldier. The one at the latch hesitated and looked back.
Enkrid ignored the soldier's gaze and inspected the one on the ground.
At a glance, he could tell the soldier's skill level, and if the one behind decided to sneak an attack, it wouldn't be a problem. This gave him room to be at ease.
Upon further inspection of the soldier's wounds—
"Not deep."
It wasn't fatal. The soldier might be able to walk, though it seemed unlikely given the extent of the wound.
Of course, that was just Enkrid's high standard.
The soldier felt like he was dying. He had a hole in his stomach, so it would be strange if he didn't feel that way.
"Should be able to walk now, right?"
Enkrid said, bending down and inspecting the soldier's body.
The soldier, who had been holding the latch, hesitated. Should he open the door now? Or maybe, just push it open?
His indecision was understandable. The soldier knew Enkrid was the infamous commander of the Demonic Company.
In the meantime, Enkrid helped the soldier up.
"Ugh, it hurts! I got stabbed in the stomach! It hurts!"
"You should be able to walk."
"No, I can't walk. If I die, tell my sister there's a pouch under my bed..."
"You're not dying."
Enkrid cut him off. The soldier was being overly dramatic. He had tried to die a hundred times before.
Though the wound wasn't something that could be fixed with a simple bandage, it wasn't severe enough to bring death.
Enkrid tore part of the soldier's sleeve, roughly binding the wound to stop the bleeding.
"Ugh!"
As he pressed on the wound, the soldier's eyes widened in pain, so Enkrid pushed him lightly against the wall to support his back.
"If you can't walk, you have a whistle, right? Yeah, that one. Watch carefully, and if something goes wrong, blow it."
Enkrid said this and turned his body. The soldier, with one hand on the latch and the other holding a knife, hesitated.
He was still unsure.
The rumors about the Madmen Company's commander had stopped his hand.
Wasn't he a hero of the battlefield?
Though the recent incident in the gnoll Colony was unknown to him in detail, the commander's previous reputation made him a dangerous person for sure.
Even so, he couldn't handle the ten Black Blade members waiting outside.
It wasn't something one person could face alone.
Moreover, those waiting outside were all veterans accustomed to killing.
It made sense. The Black Blade had come at the request of Vancento, and their mission was clear.
In the past, real battles in this land had been fought by small elite forces.
The threats and pressures they exerted came from their elite status. The fact that only ten had been sent made it clear how formidable they were.
Of course, the Black Blade's involvement would remain hidden.
That was necessary.
What if they argued that there were too few defenders after causing a disturbance?
And if they added the intelligence that their neighboring threat, Marta, was on the verge of starting a city war?
They would have no choice but to turn to the Black Blade for help.
The kingdom's central forces would have no reinforcements to spare, and the south would be busy dealing with the monsters there.
The Black Blade was a band of thieves, but Marta was no different. They were a city built by Eastern mercenaries.
Mercenaries had always been treated poorly, but Eastern mercenaries were especially looked down upon.
It was like bringing in a tiger to deal with wolves, but they would be forced into such a situation.
The preparations were underway.
Vancento had even secretly turned a few insiders to his side.
This was Vancento's plan.
The first step was to let in the men waiting outside, and this was the first move.
"What are you doing?"
The soldier, sweating coldly from his complex thoughts, or rather, the spy posing as a soldier, flinched at Enkrid's question.
His mission was to open the door. That would let the Black Blade warriors waiting outside inside.
He had just plunged a knife into a soldier's stomach and was about to open the door when Enkrid showed up.
He wasn't supposed to be assigned a patrol duty, so his sudden appearance was unexpected.
The spy had been operating among the Border Guard for several months.
He knew who Enkrid was.
He swallowed hard and couldn't move.
If things went wrong, he would be dead in a second. The spy knew he couldn't face Enkrid with his own strength.
Opening the door wasn't an act of self-sacrifice.
'I should have opened it and run earlier.'
His judgment had been delayed. He had doubted that Enkrid might be making him careless and missed his chance.
His eyes darted around, searching for an escape.
Enkrid casually glanced at him and quickly assessed the situation.
Most importantly, he felt a presence outside. His keen senses, combined with intuition, told him.
'Open the door. Let the enemy in.'
What was the goal? A disturbance? Something else?
He wouldn't know until he met them.
The soldier who had been stabbed didn't seem to have a fatal wound.
Enkrid quickly finished his thoughts and spoke.
"Open it."
The spy visibly panicked. His eyes blinked rapidly, and his hands shook. He was clearly startled.
"...Eh?"
"Open it."
It was more of an instinctive command, but one based on Enkrid's accumulated experience and sharp senses.
Those waiting outside would find another way in if he didn't open the door now. Chasing them later would only be more troublesome.
The alarm would ring, and if they wanted chaos, they might act that way.
For now, things were quiet. It was just a situation that arose during the patrol, and a proper response could handle it.
If needed, he could always blow the whistle.
This was the Border Guard, and Enkrid had come with Aoudin.
What would happen if the whistle sounded?
'Would Rem get excited and rush out?'
He seemed particularly frustrated lately.
But more than anything, Enkrid felt confident. Whoever or whatever the opponent was, he was quite sure he could endure.
Was it just misplaced confidence?
No, it was the confidence gained from dodging and dancing with hundreds of gnolls.
"...Eh?"
The repeated sound of confusion. The spy was thoroughly flustered. Enkrid took a bold step forward, moving with such confidence that his opponent couldn't even react.
The spy reflexively raised the latch, then shoved the door open, leaping to the opposite side. As he pushed, the small door was forced open, and the spy made a run for it.
He tried to turn and escape, but—
Enkrid's hand swiped through the air. It seemed like a meaningless gesture.
At least, that's how it appeared to the spy, but a throwing knife shot through the air, embedding itself in the back of his thigh.
"Ah!"
A short scream. This level of noise would surely attract the attention of nearby guards.
Beyond the slightly ajar door, a pair of eyes waited. The number of enemies wasn't small, but it wasn't an overwhelming army either.
Enkrid stepped forward, unsheathing his sword and pushing it through the opening.
With a quick thrust of his sword, the enemies in front stepped back, and in that brief moment, Enkrid slipped through the door.
Once outside, Enkrid counted the number of enemies with a glance. Ten of them.
"...What a bunch of crazy bastards."
One of them, cloaked entirely in black, spoke, his face partially visible in the moonlight.
Enkrid didn't recognize him.
One of the group raised an eyebrow. At the back, there was a woman with hair so white it was almost unnatural. Her ears resembled those of a beast, indicating she was likely a beastkin.
"So, you came out knowing we were waiting here, huh?"
Enkrid shrugged.
It was up to them to figure that out.
"You're a crazy bastard."
The first one to speak.
Swish.
One of the figures in black drew a shortsword and lunged at Enkrid. The strike was lightning-fast, almost without any warning.
The movement and the blade coming toward him were almost simultaneous. It was incredibly quick.
The air, previously calm, was now sliced by the sharp blade.
It was fast, but filled with killing intent.
It was fast, but its trajectory was simple.
Enkrid raised his sword from below to block the attack.
Thud.
With a swift move, he knocked the shortsword aside, then brought his sword down diagonally, taking a stance to strike again. The opponent moved his foot back to evade.
Instead of striking, Enkrid spun his blade nonchalantly, drawing two arcs in the air.
After adjusting the position of his sword, he quickly transitioned into a downward slash.
This was one of the new sword techniques he had learned—a spiraling slash.
"Eh!"
The surprised opponent raised his shortsword to block, but the difference in weapon weight was undeniable.
Clang, crack!
Enkrid used his strength to press down on the opponent's blade, delivering a crushing blow.
"Gurk!"
The opposite side of the opponent's shortsword stabbed into his chest.
'One down.'
With a simple motion, Enkrid reduced their numbers, then positioned his sword towards the hilt, preparing for the next move.
"Let's do this together. If we go one by one, we'll die in order."
The beastkin woman, who appeared to be their leader, spoke. Her tone was filled with evident tension.
She clearly seemed to be a skilled fighter.
Enkrid sized up his opponents. Then it occurred to him.
'I don't have to hold back.'
In the past, he wouldn't have acted so recklessly. He would have been calculating, searching for a way to survive first.
But now?
The presence of these opponents wasn't something to take lightly.
Did that mean he couldn't win?
He didn't even consider that possibility, so Enkrid didn't hesitate to take the next step.

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