Chapter 509 You Are No Ordinary Humans

A bone-chilling dread washed over the two in an instant.

The next second—

Crack!

An unnervingly crisp sound rang out behind Zieg.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl.

Zieg forced his gaze to twist backward,

and saw it—

Carter, who had fallen behind him, was clutched in a massive hand.

“Cough......”

The young man’s face was contorted with terror,

blood pouring ceaselessly from his mouth.

“Zieg...... Captain......”

A desperate plea gurgled from his blood-clogged throat.

Then—

Crack!

The body crumpled and deformed right before Zieg’s eyes.

Gasp—

His breath caught in his chest, Zieg’s pupils blowing wide with horror.

It was two full seconds before he could draw another breath.

“CARTER——!!!”

“Hehe...... hehe, such a fragile little toy.”

Dunan twirled Carter’s mangled body in his hand, then tossed it aside like trash.

“DEMON——!!!”

Consumed by rage and fear,

Zing—!

Zieg drew his sword on instinct,

unleashing a full-force strike at the fastest speed he could muster.

Clang!

A sensation like striking a steel wall jolted up the blade.

“Huh~?”

Dunan tilted his head slightly,

then split his lips into a brilliant, maniacal grin.

“Hahaha! What do you hope to do with that little trinket, human~!”

“AH——!”

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sword blade sliced through the air at blistering speed, sending out a shrill whine.

Clang! Clang! Clang......

Sparks erupted in all directions from Dunan’s body.

“Useless! Useless! Useless~!”

Boom——!

A colossal fist came swinging down.

Thud!

A violent surge roiled through Zieg’s body, and he was sent flying backward dozens of steps.

Rattle. Rattle.

His hands gripping the hilt trembled uncontrollably.

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Zieg bit down hard on his tongue, forcing his unsteady body to stand firm.

“Huff......”

He took a slow, deep breath,

planting the sword before him in a defensive stance.

“Heyerar Sword Art......”

“Thunderclap!!!”

Boom!

A thunderous crash erupted out of nowhere on the flat ground.

Sizzle——!

The sword blade streaked across Dunan’s body, leaving a thin line of blood in its wake.

“......”

“Huh?”

Dunan slowly lowered his head, staring at the shallow gash on his body.

He’d been wounded?

But instead of anger, unbridled ecstasy surged through him.

“Ha! Ha...... Hahaha!”

He panted heavily,

his blood-red eyes blazing with a feral light, his entire body trembling with excitement.

“This is perfect——!!!”

“This! This is the kind of toy I want!”

“You—”

Gurgle. Gurgle.

Dunan’s body swelled rapidly, his muscles bulging with suppressed power.

“You’d better hold on! Don’t dare disappoint me! Or else......”

“I’ll be very, very angry—”

BOOM——!!!

A gigantic fist wreathed in terrifying force hurtled toward Zieg head-on.

Zieg’s eyes snapped wide, watching the fist grow larger and larger in his vision.

That overwhelming pressure—

it was not a fist approaching, but a towering wall of stone.

“My body......”

I can’t move!

CRUNCH!!!

An earth-shattering impact slammed into him.

“Arrgh——”

Consciousness slipped away for a split second, and his body was sent flying at an incredible speed.

Thud! Thud! Thud......

He slammed through countless trees, tumbling across the ground for a long stretch before finally skidding to a halt.

“......Cough...... cough cough......”

Blood gushed from his mouth, a deafening ring filled his ears, and the world before his eyes blurred into a haze.

Am I...... going to die too?

Thud!

A hulking figure crashed down heavily beside Zieg.

“Hey hey hey, why’d you fall down? Get back up and play with me some more!”

“If you don’t get up, I really will get angry~.”

“......”

But Zieg’s eyes were glazed over, his body unresponsive to any command.

Dunan stared at him for a long moment,

his gaze growing cold and empty.

“......What a letdown.”

He raised his fist listlessly,

“Then, die—”

BOOM!

A streak of blazing fire hurtled toward them from the far distance at breakneck speed.

“Huh?”

Dunan turned his head on instinct—

the next second,

an enormous force slammed into his body,

sending him flying hundreds of meters away.

And then—

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion erupted where he landed,

carving a clear, deep trench through the forest in his wake.

“Hahaha! How’s that~? You demon brat! My flying kick!”

The Fiery-Haired Berserker pressed his foot down on Dunan’s head, laughing maniacally.

“......”

“Huh?” The Fiery-Haired Berserker leaned in closer, “What’re you muttering about? I can’t hear you, brat!”

BOOM——!

A violent shockwave rippled outward from Dunan’s body.

But The Fiery-Haired Berserker leaped into the air at the last second, dodging the attack.

“......Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it......”

A bitter, vengeful snarl rumbled in Dunan’s throat.

“I’ll turn you into paste——!!!”

BOOM!

He roared and charged at The Fiery-Haired Berserker, fists raised.

“Haha! Right on! Come at me—”

The Fiery-Haired Berserker’s face twisted with madness as he held out both hands, ready to clash head-on with the demon.

Just as their fists were about to meet—

Whoosh——!

A gust of wind swept through the trees.

Swish!

A flurry of thick ropes burst into view, coiling tightly around Dunan’s body and binding him fast.

Several figures appeared alongside the ropes,

forming a circle around him, gripping the ropes and pinning him in place.

“What?! ”

Dunan’s eyes widened in shock as he strained against the bindings, but they would not yield an inch.

“Cursed thing! What in the hell is this!”

Whoosh~!

A sharp whistle cut through the air.

The Fiery-Haired Berserker reappeared before Dunan in an instant,

his hands wreathed in blazing, searing fire, a vicious grin stretching across his face.

“Haha, die, you demon brat!”

His fire-cloaked fist hurtled toward Dunan’s face.

“!!?” Sensing mortal danger, Dunan screamed out on instinct, “Bafon——!”

“Sigh~, really now...... one moment’s carelessness and this is what happens.”

BOOM——!

A terrifying slash tore through the Witch Hills jungle,

cleaving every tree in its path clean in two at the trunk.

Just as the attack was about to reach The Fiery-Haired Berserker and the others—

Whoosh!

The Emerald-Haired Mage darted forward in a blur, appearing before the group. She raised her right hand toward the incoming strike.

Hum——!

A massive, glowing barrier unfurled in an instant.

BOOM!

The slash slammed into the barrier, triggering a cataclysmic explosion.

But when the smoke cleared, the barrier remained unbroken, not a single crack marring its surface.

“Oh my......?”

A hint of surprise laced the voice from the forest.

Moments later, Bafon stepped into view,

his gaze sweeping over the sudden arrivals as he spoke slowly,

“You...... are no ordinary humans, it seems.”

“You, however, are just as vile as any common demon.”

A cold, detached voice drifted from behind the group.

The Golden-Haired Crimson-Eyed Lord stepped forward,

a sword inlaid with an eye-shaped ruby hanging at his waist. Even in this dire situation, he exuded an air of unshakable calm and poise.

“Ella——”

The Golden-Haired Crimson-Eyed Lord turned his gaze to Zieg, who lay wounded not far away.

“Heal him first.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Ella pushed up her glasses and replied,

her figure blurring as she moved.

She knelt beside the mortally wounded Zieg,

raising both hands.

Hum......

Soft white light emanated from her palms,

and Zieg, who had been teetering on the brink of death, was pulled back from the abyss in an instant.