C356 - Ozdock (3)
Jin squinted reflexively.
The gleam of Poison extending from Mary's hand had stung his eyes.
It was a blinding light, comparable to a direct hit from a Flash Cannon.
A Final Move? Or perhaps a secret technique?
It didn't seem like an attack patterned after the Sword of Legends.
When Jin had these thoughts, Mary had already completed her move.
White smoke billowed from Mary's sword, extending diagonally toward Ozdock.
Hoo!
Mary took a deep breath.
The move had ended, but nothing had changed yet.
"I couldn't even see the moment the sword struck...!"
Not even for someone like Jin.
No, not even for a Warrior more skilled than Jin.
Reacting to that light was impossible.
True to its name, Light Speed, an attack with which even a pinnacle being wouldn't be able to evade with just reaction, since no one in the world could respond to it.
It could be evaded by prediction that surpassed reaction.
Or some kind of realization that exceeded prediction.
The Light Speed Thrust was a sword that could never be evaded without those elements.
Furthermore, a monster that didn't even grasp the basics of swordsmanship couldn't react to that mysterious strike.
The gleam had already pierced through Ozdock's chest three seconds ago.
Squelch-!
A moment later, the sound of something tearing and bursting in Ozdock's chest could be heard.
A hole, large enough for a person's head to fit through, was punched through the center of its massive chest.
Ozdock lowered its head in despair, staring at the hole, while Jin looked on the other side.
He beheld a scene where an even larger hole had opened in the sky.
The Light Speed Thrust had reached the sky.
It stretched like a circular island through the dense clouds floating in the sky akin to the Black Sea, creating a rift.
A shiver ran down Jin's spine. As a Warrior, he couldn't help but be amazed. That was the result of a single thrust.
"Fortunately, my magic managed to hit alongside the tremendous speed of that thrust. Maybe older sister Mary adjusted her speed for that. It wasn't just luck; maybe older sister Mary lined up her synchronization."
Ozdock couldn't defend against both magical and physical attacks simultaneously. Jin nodded unconsciously, recalling that fact.
But even if my magic had missed, it seems that thrust wouldn't have failed Ozdock.
Aaagh-!
Ozdock spat out a chunk of black blood. It roared in agony, writhing in pain, and pounded the ground with its fist.
Chak...
It felt like threads were breaking, and from the hole that had pierced through its chest, a new crunching began.
Lines appeared on Ozdock's body like blood vessels, randomly etched across it. There were hundreds, thousands of these lines, all stemming from where the Light Speed Thrust had passed through.
Its fingers had been severed, its tail sliced into dozens of pieces, its ankles and thighs torn apart. Literally, Ozdock's entire body was disintegrating.
A shock worthy of the name "Secret Technique."
However, Mary seemed unsatisfied, despite this almost divine power.
"Tch, it's still far from enough."
Anyone who had witnessed a thrust approaching this level of power would never think to use the phrase 'it's still far from enough.'
However, if someone had seen Cyron Runcandel's sword erasing opponents in a single strike, if you were a Runcandel who had grown up watching such a scene. They might believe it's still not enough.
Or they might seem too proud.
Comparing themselves already to their father.
But there was something that sent shivers down Jin's spine even more than Mary's Light Speed Thrust.
'This isn't over yet.'
Ozdock.
Jin and Mary sensed that this thousand-year-old monster wasn't dead yet.
High-level demonic creatures with super-regeneration abilities weren't rare.
In the case of a named monster like Ozdock, it was a given.
If Ozdock were simply at the level of a decent core monster, the heroes from a thousand years ago wouldn't have had so much trouble.
Ozdock was undoubtedly the most powerful among those with the core monster, possibly the strongest of his time.
Thud-!
Ozdock's shattered body began to shrink rapidly.
Superficially, it didn't seem threatening at all.
It almost looked like the separated bones and flesh were turning to dust and vanishing.
However, this was the preparation for a "transformation."
Ozdock's body, which had turned into particles, was shaping a new figure in the air.
Mary's pupils dilated, and Jin called for his phoenix.
"Tess!!"
Gaahh-!
Tess emitted blazing blue flames. It was a concentrated burst of all the flames it could muster at that moment.
It was an instant when Tess completely consumed Ozdock's form. Still, the insufficient blue flames formed barriers in all directions, completely imprisoning Ozdock.
However, Jin and Mary couldn't let their guard down and adjusted their stance.
"A rather unpleasant fellow, isn't he? After taking a direct hit from the Light Speed Thrust and still standing, it's been a long time since I've seen someone like that."
Fssshhhh...
Tess, who had been staring at Ozdock for a moment, gradually shrunk, and its summoning was released.
It wasn't because Tess had exhausted all of Jin's mana.
"I have a bad feeling. I need to conserve my power and prepare for a new move."
Jin couldn't predict the extent of Ozdock's power after the transformation, so he had to be ready for variables.
If a situation arose where he needed to use the secret technique of the magic sword, he would then summon Tess.
"It's been a while since I've seen that annoying form."
Murakan looked at Ozdock, who was finishing his transformation, at the spot where Tess's blue flames had disappeared.
The monster who had been wounded by the swordsman pondered countless moments of defeat, until one day it evolved into a core monster with a body shape resembling a sharp sword, or a monster who had been afflicted by a mage became immune to magic...
In Ozdock's case, it was greed.
It hadn't always fed on gold. It was a common existence like other monsters, feeding on beasts, humans, or other monsters.
However, one day, Ozdock noticed the habit of the humans it killed: they didn't release their gold coins even in death.
Before acquiring a core, it lived near a trading city. There, Ozdock devoured numerous humans who clung to their gold coins even in death, prioritizing their wealth over their comrades.
And when it obtained the core.
Ozdock became more human than any other monster. Not just in appearance but also in personality, actions, and even language.
Ssshh...
Emerging from the smoke, Ozdock descended from the sky to the ground.
Its enormous body seemed as large as a mountain, yet it had disappeared completely. Now, it looked perfectly human. As if its previous black flesh had turned into armor and a sword, it was fully armed.
"Wow, what's that? Is it really a monster? It looks like a person!"
It had shrunk. It was even smaller than Jin.
Clearly, it had become much smaller than before its transformation, but the intimidation emanating from Ozdock was several times greater.
A chill ran down Jin and Mary's spines.
[Awakening after a thousand years, and they can't even welcome me properly. What kind of treatment is this...]
Ozdock shrugged and spoke.
"Damn it, the youngest one. Did that thing just say human words?"
[That last push was quite dangerous. It almost caused a big problem.]
Ssshiikkk!
As Ozdock finished speaking, a drop of blood splattered on Mary's right cheek.
It was the energy of the sword that Ozdock had fired, narrowly grazing her cheek.
Originally aimed at her neck, had Mary not turned her head, her throat might have been sliced.
Mary quickly distanced herself.
Dump, dump.
Her chest pounded heavily, and her breathing accelerated. A cold sweat formed on the hand gripping the sword.
[Oh ho, you dodged that? My intention was to kill you painlessly, considering the merit of waking me up. But if you walk away like this, you'll only suffer.]
While saying this,
Ozdock was already thrusting his sword into Mary's side. He closed the distance at an impossibly fast speed that she couldn't even perceive.
Although the attack was blocked by her armor, a long gash appeared on Mary's shoulder due to the subsequent blow.
If Jin hadn't intervened and deflected Ozdock's third sword strike, Mary's wounds could have been much worse.
Clang, swoosh!
Sigmund's sword and Ozdock's clashed.
The lightning and suppression of the Sword of Legends alternated incessantly in the attacks, but Ozdock seemed completely undisturbed by the pressure.
"Wait, guys. This swordsman... Could he be a Runcandel?"
Ozdock attacked leisurely while inquiring.
"What do you intend to do, knowing that?"
Jin took a defensive posture, protecting Mary's back.
He had just rapidly consumed a massive amount of aura through the Light Speed Thrust and dodged a surprise attack, so he needed a moment to regain his strength.
"To save you."
"What?"
"Now that I've finally awakened, I don't think I need to be humiliated by you ignorant fools again. If Runcandel still exists, then Zipple is destroyed, isn't it?"
As all factions had designated monsters as public enemies in the past, Ozdock understood how humans viewed individuals as representatives of their factions.
Therefore, he had always traded with various factions as needed to survive. And he had planned to do the same this time.
As strong as he was, he had learned a lesson a thousand years ago: he couldn't take on the entire world by himself.
"If Zipple is still standing, maybe I can help a bit. How about forming some kind of symbiotic relationship between your clan and me?"
"Not a symbiotic relationship, but more like parasitic, Ozdock. Do you think Runcandel is a name someone like you can casually utter?"
"I don't think you're that smart."
Skkk!
Ozdock's sword cut the edge of Jin's coat.
"Younger one, can you buy me 30 seconds? Is it possible?" Mary spoke quietly, but she didn't have a serious expression.
"I'll buy you more than that, as much as you need."
"You're quite bold."
In fact, Mary wore a delighted expression, as if she was excited about the prospect of recovering her strength in just 30 seconds.
The idea of recovering and engaging in a fierce battle with Ozdock once again using the Volcano variation thrilled her.
Mary Runcandel.
She's quite mad too.
'Does this mean she won't ask for help in this situation and only wants to keep fighting? I thought the boy would ask me for help, but he just wants to keep fighting alone...'
Murakan assessed the situation and shook his head.
It was his time to intervene. There was no need to put the siblings in danger.
'I'll transform into my true form and start properly from the beginning... Huh? What's that?'
While Murakan calculated the situation regarding his entry...
Zzzing!
From somewhere, a beam of light flew and severed Ozdock's right arm.
It wasn't the attack of Jin and Mary.
Moreover, it was an attack that originally intended to destroy Ozdock's torso.
[Kugh!]
"Oh ho, did you dodge that?"
A man smiled as he uttered the words Ozdock had said to Mary a while ago.
He had been observing Jin's group on the battlefield all this time.
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