AInside the dwarves' forge, Alex and Silone are suddenly attacked by mysterious men.
The man standing before Alex is rather intriguing— with just a flick of his hand, he managed to slice a cart clean in half.
The man then speaks in a low voice:
"You're quite interesting, kid. You managed to save that poor dwarf even though you were far away. That deserves some praise."
With an uninterested look, Alex sighs before replying:
"This just keeps getting worse. I didn't want to get involved in this mess, and now here I am, face to face with some blue-haired freak with a strange scar across his face. Just my luck."
Hearing this, the man stays calm for a moment before saying:
"I was wrong about you—you're actually pretty annoying. Good thing you won't be around much longer."
In a sudden motion, he swings his arm sharply toward Alex. All that can be seen is a chimney split cleanly in two. Alex, who had been standing in front of it, had just managed to dodge in time.
Seeing this, the man says:
"Excellent reflexes. I'm impressed, did you know that? I'll give you the honor of knowing my name before I kill you."
With a useless gesture, he removes his coat, revealing only a short-sleeved polo shirt underneath.
"I am David Ilifir, of the Abyss Cult. Now, face me."
When he hears that, Alex thinks to himself:
(The Abyss Cult… A sect that commits atrocities in the name of the Demon King. Absolute lunatics— and worse, they're known for being strong.)
Slowly, David begins moving his hands as if conducting an orchestra. Alex quickly starts shifting sideways. Everything around the spot where he had just been standing is shredded to pieces. David keeps turning, following Alex's movements, but Alex continues running, weaving through the forge like an obstacle course filled with anvils, chimneys, furnaces, and more.
David: "Not bad, the kid knows to move where there aren't people around. He doesn't look it, but I can feel the danger in him. Guess I'll have to change the rules a bit."
He then whispers softly:
"Razor Wire Trap."
Even though David had said it in a low voice, Alex's hearing— unnaturally sharp since childhood— picks it up. He stops abruptly, flipping backward in a somersault.
Before him, rows of wires appear— so fine they're almost invisible to the naked eye, yet strong enough to slice through solid objects.
Alex narrows his eyes at David and thinks:
(He's really skilled. Without a weapon, I stand no chance. No— even with one, my chances are slim. He's a mage, after all.)
Meanwhile, in the village alley, Silone is facing off against the man who came with David. The brute, already huge in size, wields a massive sword and slashes at Silone. But Silone dodges and blocks every blow with ease— until the man suddenly delivers a powerful strike.
Silone barely avoids it, but the blow leaves deep cracks in the ground.
The man says:
"You're not strong enough to withstand the Demon King's power."
Holding his guard, Silone thinks:
(That cursed cult again. This must be part of their plan to destabilize the kingdom. Arthur warned me— he said a mysterious group might attempt an attack. I have to stay sharp. My opponent is strong, but slow. The real problem is that lunatic staying behind with Alex. I need to finish this quickly.)
Without hesitation, Silone charges. The man swings his sword in retaliation, but Silone anticipates it and slips behind him. The brute quickly turns, and the two exchange multiple strikes. Despite the man's sheer strength, Silone deflects every blow using the same parry technique Alex often employs, gradually forcing his opponent onto the defensive.
Strangely, even with Darkla's great length, Silone's strikes only grow faster and faster— until they become unreadable. Soon, the brute is disarmed, Silone's sword now pointed at him.
Silone: "Had enough yet, baldy?"
Indeed, Silone's opponent is bald— but smiling, the man replies:
"Not at all."
Before landing a massive punch. The force of the blow sends Silone crashing through the wall of a nearby building.
Dazed among the rubble, Silone mutters to himself:
(I forgot how damn nasty these guys are. I should have been more cautious.)
The man approaches, his arm beginning to swell grotesquely.
"Behold the power the Demon King grants us!"
Silone rises and dashes forward. The brute slams his fist down, shattering the ground, but Silone is already upon him.
Silone: (Last time, I didn't use it— magic. If I had, I never would have lost.)
He looks up at his opponent and says:
"Sorry, but your size just makes you an easier target."
A dark aura bursts from Silone's blade before he slashes, cutting the man in two.
"Dark Magic: Horizontal Strike!"
Cutting back to Alex— he leaps out of the hole created by Silone's clash and escapes the forge, razor wires chasing after him. He flips and dives acrobatically, dodging as much as he can while David relentlessly unleashes more wires.
The barrage leaves Alex slightly wounded— cuts on his arm, thighs, and even his cheek— before he lands in an alley, face-to-face with David.
David begins speaking:
"Come on, fight back! Do you know what it feels like to kill? It's exhilarating— especially when the prey struggles like you do."
Alex: "Shut up. You're wasting my time. When I kill, it's in one strike."
David: "You? Kill? Show me if you're really capable!"
He unleashes wires everywhere. Alex draws a dagger from his back, thinking:
(Kill? How ridiculous. Does he even realize how many times I've killed just to survive?)
Without hesitation, he charges straight into the wires, dodging and slicing through them with his dagger.
Alex: (He knows death… Fine. Now he's pissed me off.)
Using the buildings as footholds, Alex rapidly closes in. Realizing this, David increases the number of wires— but Alex leaps high into the sky, blocking the moon for an instant, before plummeting down, spinning as he slashes through the wires right in front of David.
David tries to react— but too late. His head is already severed.
Alex mutters:
"I told you. One strike."
END OF CHAPTER
NEXT CHAPTER: Melty
Hello, Ben here! It's been quite a while, but I'd really love to hear your thoughts on this chapter before starting the next arc, short though it may be. Thanks so much for following Alex's journey!