[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 7: Pursuing the Branded Knight (1)
At the boundary between the clearing and the forest, Hamel and Antonio hid and observed the battle between the Djinn and the knights.
"You guys fall back. I'll take it down."
Just then, the knight in the red cloak stepped forward, imbuing his sword with aura.
Hamel nodded.
It was the right decision.
It seemed the knight had realized through several clashes that ordinary physical attacks were meaningless.
'Djinns are fundamentally spiritual beings.'
Only divine power, magic, and aura could harm a spiritual demon.
So the red knight's aura would definitely work.
'However...'
Djinn was cunning.
[You cannot kill me with your sword.]
The Djinn taunted, and as if to provoke the knight, it fled to an even higher place.
"Grrr."
The knight gritted his teeth, seemingly quite angry.
No matter how good a knight's leg strength was, there was nothing he could do if the Djinn escaped to such a height.
Just as Hamel was thinking about whether he should intervene,
Whoosh!
The human clad in metal flew through the air.
At a glance, it was a height that would even clear the mansion's walls.
Swish!
The red knight, leaping into the air, swung his sword swiftly.
A part of the Djinn's mist was cut and scattered in the air. A near miss.
The Djinn, seemingly caught off guard, hurriedly created distance.
"...Are all knights like that?"
Antonio, who was watching, asked with a shocked expression.
‘Of course not.’
Hamel shook his head and replied,
"He's special."
Even among high-ranking knights, there would be few who specialized in leg strength to that extent.
If even ordinary knights were all at that level, the Empire's balance of power would have long since crumbled.
'Anyway.'
This was the end of their observation. If they left it alone, the fight wouldn't end.
"Antonio. Do you have a kettle or a lamp?"
At Hamel's sudden question, Antonio nodded with a bewildered expression.
"I think I have a water kettle."
"Good."
Hamel instructed him to fill it with water.
Although Antonio looked puzzled, he did as he was told.
After confirming this, Hamel took a deep breath.
It was a gamble from here on out.
He was guessing, but the knight wasn't his enemy.
The Djinn and the knight faced each other from a distance.
Step step!
Hamel emerged from the edge of the forest and steadily closed the distance between them.
"...You!"
The knight, recognizing Hamel, roared with hostility, but Hamel ignored him.
Although it wasn't obvious, the knight's sword had definitely wounded the Djinn.
With that, the next part was easy.
Hamel's voice, making the sign of the cross, echoed through the clearing.
"Oh righteous fire of Ehurshica, that purifies iniquity, burn your enemy."
As Hamel clasped his hands together, azure flames suddenly erupted from the Djinn's body.
Whoosh!
[ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ !!! ]
The Djinn writhed with a horrifying scream.
Struggling in the air, it frantically looked around as if searching for something.
Then,
[............!]
The Djinn's gaze is fixed on Antonio.
"Uh oh?"
Just as Antonio, standing behind Hamel, stumbled back,
"Hold on tight."
"To what...?"
Antonio, about to ask what he should hold onto, couldn't finish his sentence.
The burning Djinn was hurtling towards him like a bolt of lightning.
Just when he thought he was done for,
Rumble!
With a thunderous sound, the Djinn was sucked into the water kettle.
Antonio reflexively grabbed the violently shaking kettle with all his might.
Only then did he understand what Hamel meant by "hold on tight."
This was a common method used by shamans and cultists who contracted with spirits or Djinns.
Naturally, Hamel had no need to make a contract with the Djinn, so he cut the kettle and easily defeated it.
"Aha."
Antonio nodded, understanding the explanation.
Then, after briefly observing Hamel's expression, he asked another question.
"What was that earlier?"
Antonio asked, gesturing towards the sword Hamel was wearing.
The demonic energy that was sucked into the sword the moment he captured the Djinn.
Antonio had never seen such a phenomenon in his life.
Hamel nonchalantly drew his sword and handed it to Antonio.
"It's my talisman."
"Talisman!"
Antonio's eyes sparkled.
In the Order, the weapons given to exorcist priests were called talismans.
Their form and abilities differed depending on the exorcist priest's disposition, unique ability, and fighting style.
However, all talismans had one thing in common: they absorbed demonic energy.
And the greater the amount of demonic energy absorbed, the stronger the talisman became.
Antonio stared at the sword, forgetting his fatigue.
The blade was covered in unreadable characters with varying thicknesses.
When Antonio asked about it, Hamel calmly pointed with his finger and explained,
"The thickness varies depending on the rank of the demon. This is for high-ranking, this is for mid-ranking. Low-ranking demons aren't absorbed."
Antonio was speechless at the explanation.
The sword was densely packed with black characters.
Just how many demons had he caught?
What kind of life had he lived to do so?
He couldn't even begin to imagine.
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Antonio returned the sword and finished preparing the meal.
Afterward, Antonio and Hamel ate their meal by the campfire and immediately went to sleep.
They trusted that the knights and soldiers of the mansion would keep watch.
"This is ridiculous."
The knight in the red cloak laughed in disbelief, but as Hamel expected, he didn't neglect his guard duty.
How much time had passed?
Woof woof!
The sound of a dog barking could be heard in the distance.
And the sound was getting closer.
"It's here."
Hamel sat up and slowly checked his equipment.
He felt a little less tired after the short rest.
It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad either.
'The important thing is what we're up against.'
Even among high-ranking demons, their strength varied greatly.
Hamel had fought high-ranking demons several times, but he always found it difficult to hide his nervousness.
'Still, with Antonio and the other knights here, it should be manageable.'
That's what he was thinking when,
Woof woof!
The sound of barking was heard again.
Very close this time.
'Is it a high-ranking demon related to dogs?'
Just as Hamel was recalling the names of several demons in his mind,
Woof woof!
Two black dogs emerged from the forest. They were closer in size to wolves than dogs, but they definitely had the form of dogs.
The first to react was the knight in the red cloak.
"What? Is this the great demon you were talking about?"
Hamel couldn't say anything in response to his blatant sarcasm.
The knight looked at Hamel's face with a triumphant expression.
However, he couldn't find the expression he wanted there.
“Hesitation!”
"...What?"
Only then did the knight sense that something was wrong.
Hamel couldn't regain his composure.
His hands were sweating.
His head was pounding, and his legs were shaking.
His face must have been pale.
'Oh no.'
This was the worst.
He had been too complacent. He never expected to encounter the 'Black Dogs of Roshka' here.
Hamel recalled the ancient demon whose name was recorded in the scriptures.
The other name for the 'Black Dogs of Roshka' was 'Hellhounds of Death'.
With their appearance, the fate of everyone here was sealed.
An irresistible being was coming.
He could almost hear the sound of trumpets blaring in the distance.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]