Chapter 59: Clash of Blade and Hammer ( 5 )

Damn. The blood loss is starting to hit me. I managed to stall more time for Timmy than I had anticipated. However, while I tried playing with my words using a cool head to rattle Alec, I was so out of my mind that I started saying nonsense.

"Or do you prefer to be sealed in eternal darkness for forever instead? I don’t mind either way... Yes. Sealed forever as battery for the caterpillars...”

Since he was the child of Atofo, along with the fact he was acting like a child, I thought scaring him with sealing might rattle him. But Kalman III stood in silence. I feel like I was being a clown. Don’t tell me he saw through my state? Fuck. Come on, Laurel, laugh. Laugh.

"Hehehehe HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

If you’re scared, laugh; the louder and crazier it sounds, the better. Act like you’re insane. Rattle your enemy to the bones, make them think you’re crazy, and strike their blind spot. And yet, despite all the crazed laughter, Kalman did not even twitch.

He didn’t shout in anger, scream, or anything at all. He just stood there staring at me. Why? Why was he so calm? Did he know something I don’t? Or was he actually waiting for me to die from blood loss?

“I am Alexander Kalman Rybak, the North God!”

“…”

The fuck? What? Why? Why are you announcing your own name? I stared at him. Aleksander Ryback was battered and bruised all over, but I was in a situation where I could die at any moment. Did he saw his chances or something?

His exact probability of success was unclear, but he thought he could pull this off. But why? Was it because he wanted to be a hero? No, that wasn’t it. I had talked until my tongue went numb to back him into a corner. Was it what I said? Damn my blabbermouth, I—

Staring at his eyes, I realized it. I had really backed him into a corner. The problem being, he was a cornered tiger. Aleksander had finally seen me eye to eye. Just as I would risk my own life to kill him, he would do the same. Because neither of us could afford to let the other person live.

“I am Laurel. Laurel Greyrat, the War God.”

… I have no idea why I said that. I never even liked that title. I don’t even know why I responded.

“Gwaaaarghhh!”

“Aaaaaggghhh!”

Our voices joined together. You may question why I yelled, but I needed my blood to flow faster, even if it was only for a moment. Right now, a single advantage could be the decisive advantage for my victory.

“In my right hand, a sword.”

He gripped the hilt with his left hand. A two-handed grip. The North God stood before me, battered and bruised all over and ready to collapse. I, in a state far worse than his, ran at him. I couldn’t afford to be patient when time isn’t on my side.

“In my left hand, a sword.”

Both his hands were aloft, a sword hilt clenched in his fingers. Alec watched me charge forward, took a step toward me, then swung his sword. Rusted swords and broken armor gathered towards the center where Alec stood and smashed downwards.

“With these, mine arms, countless lives shall I claim. A hundred million deaths I will deliver.”

Alec hadn’t had enough time to draw the sword’s full power, so the damage range caused by gravity wasn’t large. However, he had substitute power for speed and force for range. If I’m unlucky enough, I could die under this move alone.

“My name is North God Alexander Rybak, and today I shall slay the War God.”

I jumped and formed the fetal position, guarding my vitals as much as possible. Flying dust and shards of iron intertwined like a murderous gale, and my body got scratched by countless wounds. Luck was on my side, as I didn’t get any fatal wounds.

The moment I hit the ground, I ran on threes, clutching a rusted sword I had found with my mouth. The moment I was within range Alec swung his great sword horizontally from the left to the right. I did not dodge; I went even closer to the ground and pounced.

It would have been considered a death wish to jump straight in had it not been for my last telekinesis. I was moving like a fish in water, diving under Alec’s blade and going upwards. And like a sword fish, I grabbed the blade with my left hand and stabbed straight at his chest.

Gravity flickered, and the rusted sword struck at Alec’s left shoulder, breaking in the progress. Using the momentum of the rusted blade pushing him backwards, Alec swung his sword downward.

It swung down on my head, and I clumsily dodged. However, with a bit of a twist, the blade had aimed towards my left arm. I wasn’t in a position to dodge, nor could I afford to lose my last arm. So, I had made a decision. I kicked the ground.

The sound of the blade biting onto the flesh and chewing the bone could be heard. The only reason why I still had that leg was because the Dragon King sword Kajakuto was a great sword—as in, the tip of the blade had hit the ground before it could saw my leg off.

But with this exchange, I have lost. I have lost my only means of movement. Along with the additional blood loss, being able to move at this point was a miracle. I didn’t even have a-?!

…

Aleksander Ryback

…

The War God Laurel had fought valiantly. But with the loss of his leg as well as a weapon, he had no means of cutting through Alec’s aura. This was Laurel’s defeat. And now it’s time for Alec to collect his trophy.

“Any last words?”

Alec asked, grabbing the pitiful man by the collar, his great sword ready to swing.

“…Pft-haha. You were right. You really were right all along, old man.”

“What?”

Alec’s danger senses had screamed at him, and he had made a twist in gravity. But he didn’t make it in time. Before he knew it, Alec had lost one side of his vision, struggling to keep whatever was stabbing him in place as he heard Laurel’s voice echoing in the dark.

“I really do need a boot dagger for today. Thanks for the birthday gift, Paul.”

With a loud thud, Laurel fell to the floor and screamed.

“NOW!”

Electric currents flow, all converging together towards the dagger, acting like the lightning rod. Alec screamed and ignored the pain, smashing gravity with as much force as he could, blasting Laurel up into the sky, his fate unknown.

However, Alec was still under electric attacks. The moment he pulled off the dagger, Alec looked up and saw the culprits. The caterpillars. As if that was the signal, all of them had jumped at him and started electrocuting him once more.

Just as Alec was going to retaliate, the world suddenly turned crimson, lighting up this lightless area with its crimson rays. Alec’s eyes went wide from shock as he stared at the owner of the spell.

A paper airplane. No. It was the being that stood on top of the airplane. It was a caterpillar with a scar on its head, its face somewhat humanoid to the point of being eerie. The caterpillar stared down at him from on top of the paper airplane as it spoke.

“Crimson Dawn.”