novelWhen I Met Someone Who Was Dead (6)
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Chapter 41 - When I Met Someone Who Was Dead (6)
As she worked as a member of the Dragon's Shadow, she had fought and killed a lot of humans. She also had plenty experience fighting against Spirit Order practitioners.
However, amongst them, no one fought like Azell.
Of course, this was the case. The run of the mill Spirit Order practitioners wouldn't be able to imitate the techniques devised by Azell. Azell had once reach the pinnacle level, so he could use such unreasonable technical skills.
'I can't win against him....... '
The certainty of defeat ruled over her.
If he showed an overwhelming strength, then it would have been easier for her to swallow this defeat. However, Azell used sophisticated techniques, and deceptive tricks to make surprise attacks. Her allies with great power were cut down so easily that it was absurd. She couldn't comprehend what was happening, and this created a fear inside her.
'Should I run away?'
However, she wasn't allowed to do so. She had to stall until Niberis captured the Dragon Demon Princess....
She started to retreat haltingly when Azell suddenly appeared in front of Regina. The moment he sensed her agitation, he immediately used his Instantaneous Movement to charge after her.
Kah-ahng!
Sword hit against sword as sparks flew. Her balance was broken, but Azell pulled back from striking a critical blow. The reason being the corrupted being had ran in at that moment. Regina stabbed with her sword towards Azell in an almost reflexive manner. The enemy in front of her hesitated in attacking her, and her ally was attacking from Azell's rear. She had thought it would be the best chance for her to attack.
However, Regina soon realized she had fallen into a trap.
'This was also planned by this person!'
Azell had a cold smile on his face.
The moment she started her attack his figure disappeared as if he had been waiting for this moment. He had prepared his movement technique as if he had been waiting for her move. He activated it with exquisite timing where she couldn't pull pack her attack.
Regina's field of vision was swallowed by the corrupted being's enormous body. Then....
Kwaaahhhhhhh!
Azell appeared behind the corrupted being and his fierce strike exploded. The lightning flash sliced and ripped into the corrupted being's large body. Regina, who was on the other side of they body, was also swept up in the attack.
'We were dancing on top of his palms from beginning to the end. Even one from the Dragon Demon race won't be able to face.... . '
Regina, who had fallen int despair, couldn't continue her thoughts. The exquisite pain swirling around her entire body made her lose her consciousness.
6
Niberis furrowed her brows.
"She's really tenacious.."
In front of her, Arrieta was covered in dirt, and she was breathing raggedly.
Arrieta couldn't even harm a single hair on Niberis. She was busy focusing only on defense.
It was impossible for her to run away. Niberis used a delicate magical fog to prevent Arrieta from escaping a certain area. Her movements were being restricted.
Unlike her calm exterior, Niberis wasn't as relaxed inside.
'I never expected this mission to turn out to be this annoying. '
If she wanted to kill Arrieta, this would have already ended. The problem was the goal of her mission. She had to capture the Dragon Demon Princess Arrieta, while causing minimal damage to her.
She couldn't cause damage that couldn't be healed. She had to catch Arrieta intact, and it was a really tricky proposition. If would have been easier for her if she could use a curse or a binding magic to subdue Arrieta. However, Arrieta's skills were outstanding. Niberis had no choice but to send lukewarm attacks to methodically cut down her stamina.
She smiled when she saw Arrieta pant.
"Is this the end...... ?"
Anyone could tell by looking at Arrieta that she was refusing to yield.
Niberis didn't get angry. Instead, she let out a sigh.
"If my underlings were a little bit more useful, then this assignment could have been done more easily."
"What...... ?"
It happened when Arrieta was puzzling over Niberis' words.
Pah-jee-jee-jeeek!
A blue flame sparked in front of Niberis' eyes. Before she knew it, Azell had approached her from the front, and he had brought down his sword.
Niberis spoke.
"You are a troublesome person like the report indicated."
Azell whistled as he pressed against her barrier.
"I guess you aren't dumb like your underlings?"
Niberis' barrier hadn't activated from conscious command right now. She had prepared for a scenario where she would be ambushed. The barrier magic was prepared in a way where it would activate when certain conditions were met.
From the moment Niberis' barrier activated, the magical pattern was changing fluidly. She used the magical alignment to negate, and cut off the backlash.
Niberis spoke.
"You with the name seeped in sin......."
"Why don't you just call me Azell? Isn't it annoying to use such a long name, Niberis Ahjoommah?"
"What did you say?"
When Niberis heard the word 'Ahjoommah', her eyebrows rose.
Kwa-gwang!
At the same time, a lightning strike exploded atop the barrier. It let out a bright light into the surrounding, and it felt like the white light could sear the eyes in an instant. Afterwards, the thunderclap shook the surrounding.
Niberis was taken aback.
'He's unscathed?!'
Her thunder strike had the power to demolish a mountain. However, he wasn't damaged at all, and he was looking down at her. Niberis felt her heart sink when she saw Azell laugh coldly.
"Did you think Insulation magic could only be used by a magician? Do you really think you can solve everything with a thunder strike? You are sorely mistaken if you think you can take on the world even if you are a high level magician."
Azell changed his magical energy into an insulator. He wrapped his magical energy around himself, then he let the thunder strike pass through him. Magical energy could be changed into any attribute. Since it was obvious to Azell that the opponent was going to to use a thunder strike, he was able to easily defend against it.
Azell's continued to attack.
'Earth's Sage!'
He tilted his sword slightly as he moved in an odd fashion. Niberis' lower body inside the barrier received a weak impact from the sword as it passed by. The impact wasn't enough to hurt her. However, Niberis was shaken when she realized Azell had pierced through her barrier, and the attack had affected her.
'This is...... ?!'
In front of the surprised Niberis, Azell used another technique.
'Storm Dragon's Claw!'
Azell slightly pull his sword back, then he struck.
The result was extraordinary. The movement shouldn't allow a human body to deliver such power. In a flash, the accelerating blade moved faster than the speed of sound. It ripped through the barrier, then a shock wave exploded.
Kwahhhhhhng!
Accompanying an explosive sound, Niberis was flung away.
"Kook...... !"
Before she collided with the ground, she was barely able to change the trajectory of her flight. Niberis moaned. There was a slight rip near the clothes on her chest, and blood dripped down near her lips.
"As expected. Your possession of the name soaked in sin wasn't for show......."
Niberis was speaking, while refusing to yield, when she became startled. At that moment, Azell had appeared behind her back, and he had swung his sword.
Pahhhhhhhhh!
The barrier with the pre-programmed instructions barely activated in time.
However, Azell had predicted this would happen. When the sword strike collided with the barrier, he didn't resist against the force. He was flung away as he rotated his body.
Then Azell disappeared. He made use of the repulsive force, then he used the Instantaneous Movement in mid-air even though he didn't have any place to push off from!
Niberis' instincts warned her of her imminent death, so she desperately yelled out.
"The Dragon in my blood, Awake!"
At the same time, a strong shock-wave exploded with her at the center.
Kwahhhhhhhhg!
The ripple of destruction spread out in a circle, and the radius of several dozen meters were destroyed.
"Ha-ah, ha-ah......."
Niberis was dripping with cold sweat. She was breathing hard since he had quickly poured out her magical energy. She did it because the fear of death had crawled up to the back of her neck. If she hadn't prepared a trump card, her head would have been separated from her neck.
"I knew it, you bastard.... You are a person who've studied the forgotten techniques."
Niberis spoke as she covered her face with one hand. She wasn't just speaking to him. Her voice itself was a magic trying to oppress the opponent.
From across the dirt cloud, she heard Azell's voice.
"Forgotten techniques?"
"Yes. I know about men like you. They are morons with swords, but they also know how to reach the great wisdom. I've watched what you've done. You did impossible feats that most others couldn't replicate."
"Since you are talking like that, it must mean your organization hasn't forgotten about the knowledge. They must have preserved it."
The conversation between the two were a part of the battle. They used their voice in an attempt to over power each other, and they were trying to confuse the other's senses. At the same time, they were furiously scanning the surrounding for each other's location.
"Maybe......."
Azell continued to speak, but she couldn't see him through the cloud of dust. She could only make out a faint silhouette.
However, Niberis already knew that the silhouette wasn't Azell.
"... did you guys steal the knowledge from humans?"
The voice kept coming from different places.
Moreover, the silhouette's location kept changing.
She was using her Search magic to chase after his life signature, but Azell wasn't that easy of an opponent. He was overtly spreading his life signature to various locations. It basically made it impossible for her to determine where he was.
Niberis also tried to use his voice to determine where he was. However, Azell was able to bewilder her on that front too.
'Truthfully, if he said he was a high level magician instead of a Spirit Order practitioner, I would have believed him. '
Niberis knew high level Spirit Order practitioners were a ludicrous existence. She knew it since her organization also had Spirit Order practitioners who had inherited the lost knowledges.
Still, Azell was an enigma to Niberis.
"You, who knew about and performed the Dragon Slayer's Ritual..."
Niberis asked in a quiet voice.
"Did you really kill a dragon?"
"... what if I did?"
"It's weird. You most definitely possess outstanding techniques. However...."
Niberis voiced her doubt.
"Your magical energy is too weak. You might be able to kill a high ranking magician with that quantity of power, but it would be impossible to kill a dragon."
When Spirit Order practitioners reach a certain level, their magical energy increases proportionally. As a Spirit Order practitioner becomes more skillful, the person can efficiently deal with more magical energy.
The skills and magical energy shown by Azell was unbalanced. The magical energy couldn't be compared to Azell's skill. If Azell didn't have sufficient magical energy, then it would have been impossible for him to reach such a high skill level.
"However, you were able complete the Dragon Slayer's Ritual. What method did you use?"
"If I give you an answer, will you let us live?"
"I might."
"If you are going to tell a lie, why don't tell a better one?"
Azell snorted.
Niberis spoke.
"I'm telling you the truth. I'll guarantee your lives. I promise on my name."
"It basically means you are going to imprison us as new recruits."
"Yes."
"This negotiation has come to an end."
"That's a shame."
Niberis really felt regret. Many people wrecked their lives from trying to satisfy their curiosity, and magicians were the front runners in leading such a life. Even Niberis couldn't' escape from the magician's disposition. She felt regret at the fact that she had to kill Azell, who was a box full of mysteries.
As the dust cloud slowly settled, Niberis decided on how she should act.
Hoooooooooooooooh!
A whirlwind rose up and the cloud of dust disappeared. At that exact moment, Azell appeared in the front and in the back at the same time.
Niberis couldn't wait any longer, so she cleared the dust cloud. However, Azell was aiming for this opportunity. When she raised a whirlwind, the area around her fuzzed for a brief moment. From inside the dust cloud, Azell had created two clones, and when both were discovered, her attention would focus them.
"As I suspected."
The person who felt a frightening sensation was Azell.
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