Playing the Perfect Fox-Eyed Villain Chapter 178

Episode 178. Finger Breaking (2)

“It’s quiet!”

Theo Lennox, the leader of the Dauntless Knights who entered the Six Finger Garrison, spoke so loudly that the underground chambers shook.

But despite his hearty voice, his face and armor were covered in thick blood.

“Isn’t it because Captain Theo has been slaughtering all the criminals so far?”

“Is that so? Hahahaha!”

At the words of the unit, Theo laughed out loud once more and swung his weapon, the mace, around in a big circle.

Kwajik──!

As the club struck the wall, a sound of something shattering was heard and a handful of blood flowed down from the brick wall.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh……!”

“This is it, I thought I caught them all, but there was a rat hiding there!”

As the Finger Unit, who had been hiding his appearance by using an illusionary spell, revealed himself clutching his chest and spitting blood, Theo continued swinging his club without stopping.

“Ugh, euaaaaaaah!”

Phew──!

The broken-headed finger unit flapped its wings for a moment, then quickly became quiet.

“Hahahaha! You little rat wizard! Did you think I wouldn’t know you were hiding!?”

After pushing the fallen man away with his foot, Theo advanced forward with his knights.

Keep talking inside.

The garrison of 'Six Fingers' was like a maze, and even when you went inside, you couldn't see the end.

“You still can’t use magic tools!?”

“Yes, perhaps communication magic doesn’t work properly underground.”

“What a headache! Why can’t those damn wizards do their jobs properly!”

Contrary to his enthusiasm for the members, Theo clicked his tongue, openly expressing his disgust for the 'wizards'.

“Still, if you keep going around and sweeping, you’ll be able to meet other knights!”

“……Does that mean you have no plans?”

“No plan is the plan. This is the motto of our Indomitable Knights, so remember it! Hahaha!”

Behind Theo, who was walking away with a hearty laugh, a man looking around awkwardly came into view.

“Huh? That person…?”

“Dants, you are a nobleman, a member of the Christo family.”

“Why is a noble from the Christo family in a place like this?”

“Perhaps, you were kidnapped…….”

Theo let out a sigh at the vice-captain's words.

As they approached Dantes and were about to tell him that it was safe, Dantes noticed them and started to run away in the opposite direction with startled eyes.

“No, Sir Dantes! Where are you going? If you fall and hurt yourself, you will have to write a report!”

In order to chase after the fleeing Dantes, Theo started running along the ground kicking.

That's the moment when Theo plays tag with Dantes.

“Ugh, euaaaaaaaaa!”

A terrified Finger Unit member appeared out of nowhere and rushed at Theo.

“What is this guy?”

Undaunted, Theo struck the member who was running towards him with his fist.

Phew!

As the finger of the unit fell to the ground with a dull sound, other members appeared behind it.

“Sweep it all away!”

At Theo's command, the 'Unbreakable Knights' rushed towards them and began to slaughter them.

A situation that could be seen as a one-sided massacre.

Still, there was no mercy for the Knights.

'Criminals will definitely be subdued.'

Because such a firm belief is engraved in my mind.

“Where is Sir Dantes… um?”

Theo, who was trying to chase Dantes again, felt something strange about the fallen body.

Boiling mana.

A moment of wondering at a phenomenon that could not occur in 'Corpse'.

Choaaaah.

Purple gas began to cover the area.

“……Is it poison!?”

The leader of the Unbreakable Knights.

As his name suggests, he was capable of handling 'Aura', and quite profoundly.

Even his strong body had a high resistance to 'poison', so he was not greatly affected by the poison that was sprayed out.

But other articles were different.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh……!”

Knights like Theo, who had neither a tolerance to poison nor a strong body, were instantly poisoned by the poison.

“You damn bastards! That’s right, I told you to develop the habit of taking poison on a regular basis!”

“Only the captain can do that.”

The deputy chief, who had managed to avoid being poisoned by blocking the respiratory system, answered.

The problem is this:

The fallen knights began to rise hesitantly.

“Hey! Why are you so… so… what is that?”

Those who see it for the first time may be frightened by its undead-like behavior.

"ah!"

Theo was able to recall the identity of this 'poison' through a report.

“Puppet poison, that’s what the imprisoned criminal used in the exchange hall!”

“……What are you going to do?”

"of course."

Leaving the vice-captain behind, who was clutching his head as if he had a headache, Theo raised his club.

Then he looked at the knights who had been following him until just a moment ago.

“I will do my duty as the captain!”

***

I took in the sight of the gloomy cemetery on the outskirts of the city, and looked at the man in front of me.

Claude Febrans.

Former leader of 'Closed Eyes' and current leader of 'Six Fingers'.

“I’m not going anywhere. But, given the circumstances, I can’t help but be in a hurry, right?”

When he saw my face, he looked slightly embarrassed, but soon regained his composure.

“By the way, did you know this location?”

“Yes, I know it well, because it is a place with a certain ‘connection’ to it.”

Actually, there is no such thing.

“Really? Me too. I heard that the knights I killed are buried around here. It’s really ironic. I think something similar will happen today.”

Claude didn't care and continued talking with a grin.

“Is that so? I came here to pay my respects to the former captain, which I couldn’t do last time. I’m willing to dig the ground myself.”

Claude's mouth began to twist as if he liked my refreshing smile.

But before the battle, there was one thing I was curious about.

An action that was done even at the cost of being at odds with the royal family.

“Why did you save Anna Lui?”

“Six Fingers have a strong bond of camaraderie. Unlike knights.”

Unlike the knights.

Claude spoke with great force in his words.

“It seems like you really don’t like knights.”

“How would you like it? Fighting against the nobles with the royalties of Febrans on the line…….”

Claude, who had been conversing calmly until now, became agitated when the title 'knight' was mentioned.

“The guys I once admired so much are now turning a blind eye to the downfall of my family!”

There was hatred in his glaring eyes.

Resentment towards the knight.

A people who believe that justice is what they do even though they commit injustice, even if it is an order from the royal family.

The knights' disgusting attitude is what made Claude what he is today.

A determination close to a curse, where one is willing to burn one's entire body in order to uproot them.

There are still many things lacking to have a direct relationship with the royal family.

Power, force, prestige.

So, you start by dealing with the things you can handle.

'So, is this guy the Demon King's vessel?'

It may be that he was chosen by the 'Mashin' because the 'Mashin' accepted his determination to destroy the empire.

“So, you tried to free Annarui.”

why?

“Her poison turns its targets into ‘puppets.’ I want to see with my own eyes, the knights killing their own comrades in the name of ‘justice.’”

“You are a bad person.”

“You say it’s evil? Let’s call it the process of karma.”

“That’s why I say it’s evil.”

"……hmm?"

Claude's gray hair and brown eyes shook at my continued rebuttal.

“What kind of cause do you speak of?”

Actually, these are words I don't really want to hear.

Someone else's circumstances are not my business.

I have made it my motto to live my life in a way that causes as little harm to others as possible, while at the same time being moderately selfish.

'Moral egoism.'

Now that I say it, it feels strange.

Anyway.

“What you are doing now is a crime, nothing more, nothing less. Why do you insist on explaining it in such an exaggerated way?”

I laugh briefly and continue talking where I left off.

“That’s right, you know it’s wrong, so you’re just listing all this nonsense, right?”

It's not worth listening to anymore.

Sling.

With that thought in mind, I took out my Moon Sword.

“That’s too bad.”

What a pity.

“As someone with ‘closed eyes’, I thought you would be able to understand me since you have seen the dark side of the imperial family.”

Srrrrung──!

Claude also drew his sword.

One side is a moon sword that absorbs moonlight and shows off a soft aura.

The other side is a dark-colored sword made of dark iron that absorbs aura.

“Understanding is what is desired in a place like this…….”

===

⇒ Trait, “Amazing Intuition” detects life.

===

In an instant, goosebumps appeared on my skin and Claude appeared before my eyes, sword drawn.

'fast!'

Amazing speed.

If I were inexperienced, I would have cowered and taken a defensive stance, but I raised my sword and blocked Claude's attack.

Dismissal──!

Fortunately, the scabbard didn't break during Claude's attack because he was wearing 'Angelica'.

The problem is Claude's actions after that.

I took a closer look at Claude's sword made of 'dark iron'.

'As expected, it's not a normal sword, but a sword made from a fragment of dark iron.'

The guy's unique aura is Fragment Coalescence.

It is the ability to literally condense fragments of ore into a 'sword'.

At first glance, it looks like a sword, but upon closer inspection, the sharpness of the blade is no longer visible.

A shape resembling a crude iron ore that has not been properly refined.

The problem is that the fragments gathered with this ability can be fired at enemies at any time.

'Coming.'

Boom!

As he felt alive again, a dark fragment flew from Claude's sword, which he had blocked with 'Angelica'.

As the pieces of the sword head towards me, I let go of the scabbard and kick the ground, jumping into the air.

fault.

After that, he added his downward force and struck Claude's head with the moon sword in his right hand.

Bang──!

'Tsk.'

Unfortunately, my blow was blocked by Claude with his sword.

===

⇒ The target is also a holder of the trait “Demon King’s Vessel”.

⇒ The characteristic “Demon King’s Vessel” avoids combat with the target.

===

What is this!?

A text that suddenly came to mind.

Avoiding combat? What the hell is that, you idiot!

The moment I closed the system window in surprise at the first-time phenomenon, Claude's black UI rushed at me as if it was going to pierce through.

'crazy……!'

I thought that Claude wouldn't be able to react properly to that level of shock.

As if the instinct of 'Yurien' was stimulating my weak mind, the knee that popped out from below knocked Claude's handle away.

“……What monstrous reflexes!”

I think so too.

It really was the 'Yurien' instinct that moved on its own.

“Ugh!”

The admiration was fleeting.

As Claude straightened his posture and tried to swing his sword again, I put 'Angelica' on my left hand and struck the bastard in the eye socket.

Bam──!

“……Ugh!”

A tingling sensation running through your fingertips, accompanied by a dull sound.

'That was definitely true.'

Claude took a step back, clutching his chest in pain.

'We've got the momentum.'

It ends here.

As if he had read my thoughts, Claude somehow managed to straighten his posture and swung his sword to spray me with fragments of the 'dark iron' to buy me some time to recover.

The surroundings are filled with all kinds of pieces.

'Shallow.'

I can handle this much with my body.

Thinking like that, I wrapped 'Angelica' around the part that seemed to be fatal and jumped at Claude instead.

You have to finish it when you have the upper hand!

Pavavabat──!

Even though he was wearing 'Angelica', 'Cancerous Iron' was embedded in several parts of his body.

'Eeeeek… … !'

It hurts so much!

But it's worth it!

===

⇒ Trait, “Demon King’s Vessel” avoids combat with the target.

===

Get out of here!

Eliminate distracting UI and take one step forward, one step at a time, despite the pain.

“You’re crazy, digging into this!”

Just like me, the guy who was clutching his chest and complaining of pain adjusted his grip on the 'Cancerous Iron Sword' with a grimacing expression.

'His sword is a little longer than mine.'

So I guess I'll have to take a gamble on this street.

sting?

Jongbegi?

Cross cut?

You must react immediately to any attack and dodge it.

'The muscles of the shoulder.'

Focus all your attention on Claude's right muscles.

If you dodge just once, it will be possible to decapitate Claude.

Swish.

Claude's body moved greatly.

The movement of the muscles is clearly──.

===

⇒ Trait, “Demon King’s Vessel” avoids combat with the target.

⇒ Trait, “Demon King’s Vessel” avoids combat with the target.

⇒ Trait, “Demon King’s Vessel” avoids combat with the target.

⇒ Trait, “Demon King’s Vessel” avoids combat with the target.

===

For a moment, a system window blocks all view.

You can't even see his muscles, let alone his appearance.

'You bastard… … .'

At the moment when the curse words were rising to the level of my chin, a dark sword flew in through the 'system window'.