CH 59

— Kukukuku … kakakakakaka-!

“Finally, finally he gave in! Finally this body, this sword, was left behind! I’ve been waiting!”

The Skeleton Knight started laughing.

“And even better, my luck is good! There’s a convenient living human here, after killing you off and drinking your blood, won’t my body be strengthened even more! Kakakaka-!”

The Skeleton Knight continued to repeat his loud laugh, all smug.

… For an opponent like this, a greeting like this is suitable.

Thud-! With that sound ringing, a Heavy-Bludgeoning Arrow struck the Skeleton Knight square in the face.

Since he’s wearing heavy armor, just about the only place I can aim at is the head.

“You, what are you doing!?”

He’s raising an indignant voice this time, so I also raise my voice.

“Shut up. I don’t want to hear your voice, it’s disgusting.”

I don’t have any intentions of speaking politely to this lowlife. I quickly ready an arrow and fire.

But it’s obstructed by the shield, and a dull *clang!* sound rings out as it falls.

“You are the kind of guy I like to torment to death … Why don’t you play with me for a while?”

Giving out that single statement, the Skeleton Knight took one step forward … and in that instant he was right in front of my eyes.

This guy, he closed the about 20 meter distance in 1 second! His body is giving off light, so is this also an Art? One exclusive to monsters …

Even if a player used the Wind Magic’s <Wind Booster>, accelerating abruptly like this is infeasible!

Like that, he swung the longer than a long sword and heavy-looking knight’s sword he carried in his right hand in my direction, dammit, I was disoriented for a moment, so my evasive maneuver isn’t going to make it!

“It’s over, what worthlessness.”

Saying those words, the Skeleton Knight swung his sword down. But, I yell “<Shield Parry!>”, and that art for the shield equipped on my right hand, <Shield Parry> was invoked.

This Art drastically increases the ability to repel for a short time, and it instantly reflected the knight sword that was swung down, avoiding a direct hit.

… But even so, my HP was reduced by around 10%; if I took a direct hit, it would be instant death just like this guy said.

“It’ll be a problem if you just decide it’s over by yourself, ne.”

For appearance, I trash-talk. Whether you have the leisure to or not, putting up a front by trash-talking is also a kind of exchange. Whether it’s words or tools, I’ll use whatever I can use.

“So you avoided the first attack … kakakaka-, that’s right, you shouldn’t break so easily.”

From there it was a bit of a stand off … then suddenly both of us began moving.

The Skeleton Knight’s instant acceleration is, naturally, unable to be used consecutively, and without it, his gradual advancement speed was slow. I shot numerous Heavy-Bludgeoning Arrows at his face … the majority were cut down by his sword; the ones defended against with the shield more or less grazed the area around his face, giving grazing damage.

“Fun, the limits have been released, huh … come on, do you think you can endure the next one?”

The body of the Skeleton Knight that said that glowed, it’s coming … I immediately flip my bow to store it on my back.

“Hou, so you’re going to take it head on; that is good as well.”

And then he instantly accelerated again. … and who is it exactly that he thinks is going to take it head on?

From my breast pocket I grasped 3 bottles in my left and right hands, taking out 6 bottles total of Enhanced Oil. The Skeleton Knight’s Art, the one that closes distances instantly, I bet this guy can’t travel in anything but a straight line; no matter how much, in the middle of his instant acceleration, if he tries to divert the course he would probably destroy himself; this world’s magic isn’t that omnipotent.

“You’re the idiot, Skeleton Knight!”

I lightly threw the 6 bottles of Enhanced Oil in ‘the spot a little in front of where I was’ and then jumped back with <High Jump> to escape the area of effect of the Enhanced Oil.

The Skeleton Knight plunged into the heart of the explosive flames, and so …

“Guooooo!? This fire … damn you, you planned for this! Such impudence!”

Anyone who uses the same thing twice in a short time can only be an idiot, though I’m not going to say it.

And then, because he’s an Undead, there’s the old trope of him being weak to fire, and because of the heavy armor, there’s no way he didn’t take a direct hit; even so it’s a lot more work than attacking with Bow.

“There’s no way I’d go head to head with a guy like you.”

I don’t know how they trapped Andre and his group, but at that time the words ‘fair and square’ were probably irrelevant, and so I as well will use every trick I have.

And so I let the still-blazing Skeleton Knight eat another Heavy-Bludgeoning Arrow.

“Then, you should try taking this as well!”

So saying, the Skeleton Knight swung his knight sword down on the spot.

… and immediately afterwards black blades aimed at me came to assault me! You mean he can reach me at full-force at this distance with those blades-!? Since this was completely unforeseen, I got stabbed.

“Gu-! Shit…”

I only just barely managed to avoid a direct hit, but I instantly covered my body with my left arm.

Thankfully the shield protected my right hand, but any other movements were impossible.

The X-Bow fell from my left hand. And on top of that, a numbness ran up my whole arm from my hand to my shoulder; like this I won’t be able to carry anything at all.

(Of all things, against such a formidable opponent, I’ve now received Break Arm!)

When I look at my HP, there’s not even 40% remaining; in otherwords, my arm took over 25% damage so it was judged to take Break Arm; it’s probably fine to say that I’ve made a huge blunder …

This is extremely bad; the numbed left hand can’t hold weapons or tools at all, and it’s numbed to the point I can’t move it; it can’t do anything but hang there loosely. There’s no way the Skeleton Knight won’t notice.

“Ha-ha-ha! Doesn’t it look like your arm is out of order? It’s impossible for the you who can no longer use a bow to win against me!”

The Skeleton Knight leisurely recovered himself.

I immediately took out an Uncommon Potion and drank it to recover my HP somewhat, but … the numbness of my left hand won’t go away; this is really bad.

“But, you’re a tenacious bastard, so I will give you all my attention!”

Saying so, the Skeleton Knight’s body glowed three times and he came charging in, though kind of at my left side…? There’s nothing I can do but jump to the right to evade; completely focused on throwing the oil, my focus hasn’t recovered yet to think about anything else, and since the amount of Enhanced Oils is few, I can’t pointlessly use them.

“With this I’ve separated you from your bow, Kakakaka-!”

I’ve been had …! Like this, even if I recover from Break Arm, I can’t pick up my bow!

It can’t be helped, I’ll have to use one of my hidden cards.

Making up my mind, I raise my numb left hand and reach my right hand up to the handle attached to the Secret Metal Shield, activated the hidden mechanism of the shield, and transformed it into the Secret Another Bow form. With a klack, clang metallic sound reverberating, the shield finished transforming into a bow.

“I still have a chance; it’s too soon for you to celebrate!”

If you lose the mental battle you lose the war; I understand that, so therefore putting on some bravado is fine, and hearing my voice reinvigorates me.

“You! You still had that kind of hand to play!”

For the Skeleton Knight as well, it must feel like the advantage he thought he had was suddenly thrown off and returned.

… but actually, the Skeleton Knight is the one with the advantage. This Secret Another Bow has a number of faults.

1 of those is [the usable arrows are limited], therefore the penetrating Twister and the bashing effective Heavy-Bludgeoning Arrows can’t be used at all.

And another 1 is [Arts cannot be invoked]. Since I brought a mechanism that wasn’t in this world in, since this isn’t a bow from this world, the judgment was made that the Arts cannot be activated with it. There’s nothing I can do about these two faults.

That said, even so I have preserved the ability to attack from a distance, and the fact is that simply firing shots with my own power with Another Bow is advantageous, and since the draw power required has become less, the rapid-fire ability has increased. Without relying on arts, I raised the rotational power and, just a little bit, shaved off some of the Skeleton Knight’s HP.

Even so, I really am going to need to recover that X-Bow behind the Skeleton Knight in order to deal the finishing blow, since I bet I’m going to need Arts to drive the nail into the coffin… but it won’t do to panic … if I don’t focus on shaving off a little bit at a time right now …

“Gu-, though I thought you were just a frail human … it’s unavoidable!”

So the Skeleton Knight said, and readying his shield he charged in. Shield Charge; of course he can do that.

With minimal movements I retreated backwards and avoided to the left side, and with that I should have been able to evade … but the Skeleton Knight, with the Shield Charge still up, altered his course towards the me who evaded!

“To make me go as far as using this Shield Charge … even though your blood would make me much stronger, it would make a better offering … and after that it would be good to return you to your beloved god’s side through death.”

Ku … that shock of being blown away activated a Stun, huh; my body can’t move. Another Bow’s transformation has also worn off and returned to being a shield … my mouth is the only thing that can somehow move.

“Return  … to god’s side?”

Kukakakaka-! The Skeleton Knight raised that laugh.

“You humans always beg god whenever anything happens. So isn’t it that you love your god so much? And that’s why I will send you off to return to that god’s side all of you talk about. Maa, I will treat your flesh as the materials to make me stronger, so shouldn’t you be grateful? … Then, die.”

With that the Skeleton Knight swung the knight’s sword … swung it downwards.

But with Stun just barely wearing off in time, I dodge backwards with a roll.

“Wha, you!?”

Ignoring the Skeleton Knight’s voice, I do a Sweeping Kick at the Skeleton Knight’s leg and, though it’s just a little, succeed in breaking the Skeleton Knight’s posture; from there I rise and bust in the Skeleton Knight’s chin with an Upper Kick.

“- – In this world …”

To my own words, the Skeleton Knight groaned a “What?”

“In this world the god that you speak of doesn’t exist! What exists is, no matter how ugly or laughable, the will of humans who struggle to live-!”

On that alone I won’t budge, on that alone I won’t concede.

I don’t know about other people’s opinions, but for me, a convenient thing like god doesn’t exist.

If by any 1 in a million chance god exits, he doesn’t reach out a hand to people in need. It would only be an existence that only coldly watches from a distance.

“Then why don’t you show me the truth of your opinions; there’s no way you can win against me with that!”

Even if you don’t say it …

“I’ll do just that!”

I was able kick the knight’s sword swung downwards, hitting it in its trajectory and altering it to evade; I’ve already seen it’s trajectory many times, so I am able to interact with it.

“Nani-!?” the Skeleton Knight was surprised; you’ll pay if you underestimate people!

“Let’s go, <Triangle Shoot!>”

At that place, I deployed the illusions that will only last for 1 second, forcefully jumped to the wall on my right side, and with the Triangle Kick I kicked the wall, arranging myself so that the stakes on the bottom of my shoes were aimed at the Skeleton Knight’s head area, and drove them in with all my might.

It’s an Art that I learned when Assaulting Kick reached Lv20.

“Guo-!? Damn you, where did you go!?”

After kicking his head, I used the recoil to jump back, immediately throwing 2 bottles of Enhanced Oil left and right at the Skeleton Knight. A flashy explosion and flames soared high.

But even with that, the Skeleton Knight shows no signs of crumbling and falling apart … ku, is his endurance way above the Queen’s-!? At this rate I’m going to lose, and I only have 4 bottles of the oil left, and there’s no good timing for me to pick up my Bow.

… I can only bet on using the real Fairy Magic with Fairy Language … preparing myself, I activate Fairy Language.

This duel is already near its end.

SKILLS

[Wind-Blown Hunting Bow]Lv7

[Assaulting Kick]Lv21

[Farsight]Lv49

[Craftsmanship]Lv51

[Small Shield]Lv 5

[Stealth]Lv40

[Physical Ability Reinforcement]Lv30

[Chivalrous Thief]Lv18

[Whip]Lv36

[Fairy Language]Lv99 (Forced Acquisition) (Unable to be moved to Reserved Skills)

Reserved Skills

[Woodworking]Lv34

[Blacksmithing]Lv39

[Alchemy]Lv40

[Advanced Cooking]Lv3

ExP 4

Titles Possessed:  The One who Charmed Even the Fairy Queen, The One who Defeated a Great Foe Alone

A/N: I might update one more time today <T/N: nooooope>

I think that if you like a game, it’s also one of the ways to have fun by yelling embarrassing lines about it.