The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 212

Azadin was chasing after him.

“You bastard!”

Hatir blocked Azadin’s attacks with his sword, but each time they clashed, he was the one who was pushed back, unable to overcome the force.

Once his center of gravity was pushed back, he had to retreat continuously to avoid falling. Each time, Azadin attacked appropriately, driving Hatir as if he were kicking a ball.

“Kaaak!”

Hatir let out a hideous scream.

New flesh grew on the face that had been torn off by Azadin’s fist, and the arm that had been cut open to the bone was filled in. Translucent brown chitin covered his body.

The exoskeleton of an insect surrounded Hatir’s body like armor, and sharp, sickle-like insect legs sprouted from his elbows and shoulders.

The insect legs dug into the ground, barely recovering his balance from being pushed back. The insect legs, which shot out with terrifying force, aimed for Azadin.

The sharp thorns on the insect legs looked like they could reach the spine if they hit, but they were cleanly cut off when Azadin swung the Executioner of Azure.

“Is the one who calls himself the son of god relying on Nether sorcery in the end?”

Azadin sneered.

“Shut your mouth! You! The son of Acre!”

Hatir tried to block Azadin’s axe-spear with his black steel sword.

The black steel sword he used was a treasure of the Aragasa, called ‘Arael’s Judgment.’ It was a sword made from the scales of the evil dragon that flowed out during the fight between the angel of justice, Arael, and the evil dragon Azadin. [Arael is a significant figure in their mythology, and the sword is a relic from a legendary battle.]

There was nothing this sword could not cleave. Even if it was a treasured sword made of blue steel, it was common knowledge among the Aragasa that black steel was superior to blue steel.

‘If I can just break that axe-spear, I can make up for this disgrace!’

Hatir thought so and tried to defeat Azadin by relying on the superiority of his weapon.

“Pathetic.”

Azadin turned the Executioner of Azure and used its shaft to meet Hatir’s black steel sword. He knew that his opponent was relying on the superiority of his weapon, and he responded to it.

-Swoosh!

The black steel sword cut through the shaft of Azadin’s axe-spear.

And….

-Crack!

Azadin turned his back and launched a back kick that struck Hatir’s arm with full force.

But that wasn’t all. Azadin’s kick shattered Hatir’s arm, and the force of the kick buried the broken arm into his body. The arm bone broke, and the ribs that were struck by the broken arm bone were also crushed, crumpling Hatir’s torso.

The insect carapaces, arms, and legs that had sprouted from Hatir’s body fell off.

“Kuh-euk!”

Blood spurted from Hatir’s gaping mouth.

Azadin grabbed the axe-spear with the broken shaft like a tonfa, spun around, and approached Hatir.

“Y-you! The Divine King’s Scripture… It’s the power of the Divine King’s Scripture!”

Hatir was shocked as he realized the source of Azadin’s tremendous power.

“Well, it’s a long story… Would you feel better if you thought you were dying because of the Divine King’s Scripture? Then die knowing that.”

Azadin swung the Executioner of Azure at Hatir. Considering Azadin’s physical abilities, it was an attack that could have split Hatir vertically in one blow.

The supreme being of the Messenger Clan, the son of the Sage God, Chieftain Hatir.

The worst commoner of the Messenger Clan, the son of the traitor Acre, Azadin.

Who would have thought that their duel would end like this?

*********

Something heavy struck the blade of Azadin’s axe-spear, which was flying with the force to split Hatir.

-Clang!

A black steel arrow had flown in and struck the blade of the Executioner of Azure.

When the Messenger Clan handled weapons, they considered those made of black steel to be the best, and blue steel to be inferior. However, the Executioner of Azure that Azadin possessed withstood the black steel arrow without breaking.

However, the impact was fully transmitted to Azadin.

Azadin’s mask flew off, and blood spurted from his mouth and nose.

“Cough?!”

His head was dizzy, as if he had been hit by a powerful fist, and his mouth was filled with blood.

“That’s enough!”

Kazas jumped between Azadin and Hatir, blocking them.

“Kazas!”

“Run, Hatir.”

Kazas said that and blocked Azadin’s path.

“Master….”

Azadin couldn’t hide his dismay as he looked at Kazas, who was blocking his way.

To think he would interfere in an Aragasa duel to protect Hatir. The taste of blood lingered in his mouth.

“How dare you interfere in a duel?!”

As Arael was about to shoot an arrow in anger, Zion Etar and the elders began to move.

“Protect the Chieftain!”

The battle between the four of Hwajopungwol [a group of skilled warriors] and their subordinates, and the elders’ faction, began.

However, many of the elders aimed their arrows at Azadin. A rain of arrows poured down on Azadin all at once.

‘This is….’

Azadin sensed his death as he looked at the elders’ rain of arrows.

It was a rain of arrows mixed with black steel arrows. Even if he managed to deflect only those flying towards his head or torso, he would lose his limbs again as before, and this time he would not be able to avoid bleeding to death.

But….

-Thud thud thud!

A heavy sound of flesh being torn was heard.

The sound of arrows tearing through flesh and breaking bones. Any member of the Messenger Clan could tell how deep the wounds were just by hearing the sound.

It was the sound of penetrating wounds, at the very least, a serious injury leading to death.

Yet, Azadin felt no pain at all.

It was because none of the arrows had pierced Azadin’s body.

Of course, the arrows shot by the Aragasa elders did not go to waste.

“Ugh.”

The arrows were embedded in Kazas.

Kazas, who had even interfered in the duel to save Chieftain Hatir, had come in front of Azadin and blocked the arrows with magic, martial arts, and his own body.

“M-Master!?”

“E-Elder Kazas?!”

Both Azadin and the members of the elders’ faction who had attacked were bewildered by the unexpected situation.

“Kuh….”

“Hey, what are you doing! Shoot!”

Zion Etar began to draw his bow again. The second wave of arrows flew in.

Azadin was surprised and tried to deflect the arrows, but Kazas this time also deployed a magical barrier and directly deflected the arrows himself, protecting Azadin.

“Excellent, Azadin. To think you would defeat Hatir.”

“W-What are you doing?!”

As Azadin was surprised and didn’t know what to do, Kazas silently raised his hand and brought it to Azadin’s face.

Kazas’s blood-stained hand brushed past Azadin’s face. Kazas’s eyes had already lost their light, and he could not see Azadin.

Azadin unconsciously grabbed Kazas’s hand.

“You’re really doing as you please! You shouldn’t have protected Hatir in the first place! That guy….”

Azadin said that and then closed his mouth.

It was because Kazas’s wounds were so deep that there was no way to save him, yet he was smiling.

“You’re right. Hahaha….”

Kazas said that and began to cast a spell.

A magical wind began to blow in the front yard of the royal palace. Blue lightning flashed within the whirlwind, swallowing the flying arrows.

It was a wind spirit for blocking arrows, which neutralized the arrows by swallowing them. Kazas had boasted that he had used this magic to torment the Aragasa when he was their enemy in the old days.

He was casting it again to protect Azadin.

“Azadin… you, find your star. As for me, my star is already….”

Kazas left those words and died.

Looking at his body, which was standing on the ground without falling due to the force of the arrows that had pierced him, Azadin felt an indescribable grief.

“Kuh!”

Azadin understood deeply why Kazas had made this choice.

In the end, Kazas had not abandoned either Hatir or Azadin.

He had prioritized Hatir in words, but he had not abandoned Azadin either. When Azadin overwhelmed Hatir in the duel and was about to kill him, he broke the sacred law of the duel himself.

However, he could not allow Azadin to die from the elders’ rain of arrows either.

If he wanted to save Azadin, he should not have intervened in the first place. In the end, he had to choose between Hatir and Azadin, but he chose not to choose.

‘You fool…. What was Harkonia to you?! Why!’

Azadin hugged Kazas and carefully laid him on the ground.

He was the person who had spent the longest time with Azadin in his life.

His teacher, who had taught him the power to fight and the power to protect his dignity, and his family. His preciousness was beyond words.

However, it was Azadin’s jealousy that had driven Kazas into a position where he had no choice but to die.

It was the result of forcing Kazas, who could not abandon both Hatir and Azadin, to choose one of them.

*********

“Azadin!”

Midiam tried to jump in to help Azadin. But then, Ismail jumped behind Midiam.

-Thud!

Ismail’s body disappeared for a moment and then appeared on top of Midiam’s body.

The magic of Hwajopungwol, Mistletoe, which allows one to teleport onto an opponent’s body.

At the same time, Ismail struck Midiam’s carotid artery, knocking her unconscious.

“Ugh?!”

“…Forgive me, Midiam.”

Ismail supported the collapsing Midiam.

As expected, the elders’ attack avoided Midiam and Ismail and poured down on Arael’s group.

Although Midiam had directly disgraced Zion Etar’s face, they wouldn’t want to kill Midiam, one of the legitimate successors of the Etar bloodline, in a place like this.

“Well done, Ismail. Well, I can’t let you off without any punishment… You’re quick-witted.”

Zion Etar praised Ismail for subduing Midiam at the right moment.

“Yes. I’m quick-witted.”

Ismail hugged the unconscious Midiam and muttered again with a bitter expression.

“Too quick… I hate myself for it.”

*********

“Azadin! Get a grip! There’s no time for that!”

Arael’s cry brought Azadin back to reality.

Despite Kazas’s sacrifice, Azadin and Arael were still in danger.

Because Kazas had broken the duel and died, the elders of the council could attack Azadin’s group without any burden, and the elders, who had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, began to overwhelm the four of Hwajopungwol in an instant.

It was fortunate that the arrow-blocking spirits that Kazas had summoned were neutralizing the arrow attacks. Otherwise, the four of Hwajopungwol and Arael would not have survived.

Nevertheless, the arrows with powerful magic were still threatening.

“You trash!”

Arael drew his sword in anger. The treasured sword made of blue steel and the Wendigo’s dagger, which originally belonged to Azadin, danced in Arael’s hands, spraying blood.

“Kuh-ack!”

“As expected of Arael!”

As he quickly brought down many Aragasa, the Messenger Clan members were afraid of Arael and could not approach him recklessly. However, even in the midst of this, they could not overcome the power of numbers, and the blood of Arael’s group stained the ground.

Moreover, it was not the only thing that was pressing for time.

-Kwooooaaah!

The Nether being that was still outside the mortal realm, the giant shadow that the Nagas were trying to summon into the mortal realm, the King of Storms, was roaring. [Nether refers to a dark, supernatural realm.]

The Nether magic emanating from the Butuma Royal Palace was getting stronger and stronger.

-Rumble!

The ground shook, and the surface of the Butuma Royal Palace burst open.