210 - Internal Cleanup (4)

210 - Internal Cleanup (4)

TL/Editor: raei

Status: ongoing

Illustrations: none

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Ouroboros.

As a criminal organization that appeared until the very end of the chronicle, its power and scale were truly impressive.

Among this, the power of Ouroboros's headquarters far exceeded imagination compared to the other branches encountered so far.

Therefore, the three martial forces of the Twilight Sword, Blood Tower, and Purification Cult might seem insufficient.

Yet the reason Zion deployed only these forces was simple.

"Just what has Master been up to?"

It was because of Liushina's presence.

The witch muttered while looking at the mansion's upper floors, completely destroyed except for the first floor she had protected with defensive formations.

"The core almost got blown away. And my prey too."

The witch's blood magic, which had progressed even further than during her battle with the Six Claws thanks to her journey to the Purification Cult, licked her lips while watching the organization members she had deliberately kept from the explosion.

Therefore, her power...

SCREECH!

Could be said to approach "End."

In the space completely consumed by blood energy, Liushina's extended finger drew from left to right.

A single red line inscribed in the world following her fingertip.

SLASH!

The organization members caught in that line split apart without resistance and collapsed.

Simultaneously, blood bursting from the corpses touched other following members.

SPLAT!

There was no warning.

The members exploded as if bombs had been planted in their bodies beforehand.

Blood splashing everywhere touched nearby enemies, causing them to explode in the same way, creating an endless chain reaction.

Then-

SCREECH!

SHRIEK!

Evil Hands, practically Liushina's symbol, emerged from the blood staining the entire first floor red, creating a perfect hell unprecedented in the human world.

"Kyahaha! Devour them, devour them all!"

Liushina's blood magic, now far more extensive and grotesque than before, had reached a level where it couldn't even distinguish between good and evil.

Even the allied Twilight Sword members watched with disgusted expressions.

But in contrast, the Blood Tower and Purification Cult-

"Ohhh, Witch of a Thousand Killings! Have you finally realized the truth of blood magic!"

"Ahhh, Mother! Our Mother!"

Watched Liushina with moved expressions, hands clasped as if in prayer.

To them, the Witch of a Thousand Killings was practically a god showing incredible feats right before them, naturally filling them with religious fervor and emotion.

Some even shed tears at the sight.

"S-spare me! Gurk!"

"Ah, how could this..."

Unlike them, Ouroboros headquarters members began fleeing, having lost all will to fight.

Though executive Richt saw these members, he couldn't stop them.

He himself already felt fear toward that red-eyed monster.

'But there's still a chance.'

With this thought, Richt looked toward Liushina who had created this hell.

Currently, only the red-eyed woman had moved forward actively while others held back.

Therefore, if he targeted that weakness, he'd have ample opportunity to eliminate her.

'Being fundamentally a mage, she must be relatively weak in close combat.'

This was evident from how she hadn't let enemies within a certain range so far.

With this thought, Richt's form, bent to maximum at the knees and tilted diagonally, BANG!

Vanished with a sound like tearing air.

Simultaneously reappearing right before Liushina.

Just as a massive shockwave burst from a line belatedly drawn behind him- BOOM!

Richt's fist, carrying that full speed, struck Liushina's body.

'Got her!'

Richt's eyes gleamed as he watched the witch being torn apart without even leaving a corpse, thanks to the power within his weapon "Crushing Gauntlet."

Though there was a fundamental difference in power, targeting her weakness and putting everything into breaking through defense formations without thought for aftermath seemed to have worked.

'Now I can reverse the situation...!'

Just as Richt turned toward other members with joy-filled face-

"That was faster than expected. I couldn't even react properly."

A voice rang in his ears.

His eyes began trembling uncontrollably as he unconsciously turned toward the voice.

Therefore, Ouroboros always aimed for the end.

"Your Highness, reaching an end is essential for humanity to advance. To eliminate all discrimination and inequality in the world! To eliminate the countless suffering they cause! What do you say, would Your Highness join us..."

Before Ilias could finish-

"Your tongue is long."

Step-

With a bored voice cutting off the sophistry, Zion's form appeared right before him with one step.

"And I really don't like your way of thinking."

Simultaneously-

SWOOSH!

Zion's fist, wrapped in the summoned Gigaperses, extended straight toward Ilias's head.

"Especially trying to break my things without permission."

Though surprised by the speed that barely left afterimages, Ilias's spear immediately moved to block Zion's fist.

HISS!

His spear moved with a strange sound like a snake's breath.

This form was far from the Palantier family's tradition of pursuing the righteous path.

CRASH!

A terrifying shockwave burst from their clash.

Nearby objects and people couldn't withstand it and were pushed or flung away.

Thick dust rose from the building debris.

Then-

"Ugh!"

Ilias emerged from the dust with a severely twisted expression.

"What...!"

His eyes were filled with dismay and shock.

One clash.

From just this single clash, Ilias knew.

That his earlier assessment of Prince Zion had been wrong.

The deeply dented spear shaft and his trembling arms.

'Don't tell me that time he showed all his power...!'

Before Ilias could finish this thought-

"Something wrong?"

Zion grinned, bringing his face close enough to hear each other's breathing, and threw another punch with his maximally drawn back fist.

'Can't take it head-on!'

Instinctively sensing this, Ilias's spear drew a strange curve, wrapping around Zion's striking arm and reversing to target his throat.

His was an evil spear.

Spear techniques so unpredictable that without extensive real combat experience, one couldn't even properly grasp which direction the spear would strike.

Surely facing such spear techniques for the first time, he would have to withdraw his attack and retreat.

But in that brief moment.

Zion instead stepped forward.

SCREECH!

A tiny dot smaller than a bean formed beside Zion's neck where darkness had concentrated to its extreme.

As if by agreement.

CRACK!

Creating terrible friction sparks as that black dot and the thrusting spear tip met precisely.

"!!!!!!"

Ilias's eyes widened as far as possible at this sight.

What Prince Zion had just done was a divine technique impossible to even imitate without perfectly grasping his breathing, thoughts, spear path, impact point, and timing.

One mistake in any of these would have meant instant death.

'How is this possible in such a brief moment?'

BOOM-

Ilias's form, having barely blocked Zion's strike by tilting the opposite end of his spear, was flung backward mercilessly.

Before his form could stop-

WHOOSH!

Zion appeared before him and launched another strike.

A completely straightforward punch identical to before.

'Must block first...!'

Just as Ilias corrected his posture to defend against this attack-

"Not much real combat experience, huh?"

As Zion spoke coldly and opened his clenched fist-

"...What?"

SQUELCH!

Something burst from behind Ilias and perfectly pierced his chest.