The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 89

#90. Black Arrow 3

“Alright then! Can you stand up?”

Midiam helped the fallen Brand to his feet.

“Ugh….”

“Wait. The Divine King’s Scripture was stolen!”

Naga agent Shati was stomping her feet. *I understand she’s anxious because she lost the Divine King’s Scripture copy, which is like her life, but from the Messenger Clan’s perspective, it was annoying.* How much blood did the Messenger Clan shed to create that Divine King’s Scripture copy in the first place, and now a complete stranger, a Naga [a serpentine humanoid], who is an enemy of humanity, is acting like it’s her own and being so possessive?

“There’s a lot to say, but let’s get out of here first!”

“But, miss, you also have that, uh, thread stuck in your body.”

“We can pull it out or cut it later. Let’s go for now!”

Midiam began to lead the people out of the forest.

*********

Zekt was about to move after seeing the people escape, but at that moment, he felt Azadin’s killing intent from the darkness of the forest. The killing intent felt like needles piercing his skin, and it felt like arrows were flying at him, so he was startled and had to step back.

“Surprised?”

“Excellent. To stay behind in this dangerous place to face me in order to save your people. Your spirit of sacrifice is truly admirable.”

Zekt looked at the young boys and girls of the Messenger Clan trying to escape with the people and gave them praise that was hard to tell if it was sincere or mocking.

“I have no intention of sacrificing myself? You’re the one who’s going to be sacrificed here.”

“But if you talk to me….”

Zekt threw a needle in the direction of the voice. But there was no reaction of it hitting anything. Instead, an arrow flew from the north, away from the voice. The arrow struck a bandit who was trying to chase the people.

-Thwack!

The upper body of the bandit hit by the arrow was torn apart. His rib cage was shattered, his lungs burst out, and his internal organs spilled out.

“…….”

“N-no way.”

The bandits were terrified and retreated. It wasn’t an arrow, but a javelin, no, it was a terrible power like a siege weapon or a cannon.

The bandits, who were regenerating with the power of earthworms even when hit by arrows, could not regenerate from this wound with worms. The bandit, split in two, gasped and slowly died.

“Hmm?”

Zekt’s eyes gleamed as he watched the scene.

“You’re interesting.”

Zekt licked his lips and smiled.

“Yeah. I’m interesting, right? So, play with me. Don’t bother the weak and powerless.”

“I would like to play with you too, but aren’t you stalling for time?”

“It’s like a game of tag. Take your time and enjoy it. Do you expect the fish to bite the moment you cast the fishing rod? You have to consider the waiting process as part of the fun.”

“Haha, there is that way too. Well, I guess there’s no helping it.”

Zekt took out an incense burner and shook it. Then, the incense burner ignited on its own, and incense began to rise. As the incense formed a circle, a terrible black energy escaped from within the circle into the world and began to rush along the ground towards the bandits at a furious speed.

“……!”

“Huh?”

“Ah!”

Black shadows covered the bodies of the bandits.

“Hiiiik!”

“Aaaargh?”

The bandits began to shake violently. At first, they shook like people with a fever, but later, they changed to a level of shaking that no living creature could imitate, staggering, and then at some point, their movements stopped completely.

“Uh… uuuuuuh.”

Saliva began to drip from the bandits’ mouths. They held their weapons and waited for Sir Zekt’s command.

“Go find them. Kill the Messenger Clan kids and those guys according to your desires.”

Zekt shouted the order as if he wanted Azadin to hear it.

“That’s not an order a holy knight would give?”

“It’s the holy knights’ mission to eliminate the Messenger Clan when they see them.”

“Still, aren’t you rushing too much? Try to enjoy the process of waiting leisurely.”

“It might be fun to keep waiting and make them anxious, but wouldn’t it be fun to rush in breathlessly? Come on, try to defeat me quickly so that your cute disciples and people don’t die. If those monsters arrive, it will be difficult for your disciples to handle them with their skills.”

“…….”

“Well, the game of tag is over. Come out.”

At that moment, an arrow flew towards Zekt. Zekt already knew the power of the bow, so he didn’t carelessly try to block it with threads and needles, but drew his sword.

He lightly held the weapon that a normal warrior would use with both hands like a dagger and swung it to deflect the incoming arrow. But this arrow was too weak.

‘Hmm?’

At that moment, Azadin appeared from the opposite direction. It seemed that he had set up some kind of trap and used it to fire the arrow, while he moved to the opposite side.

-Whoosh!

Azadin rushed in, firing arrows in rapid succession.

“Your skills are outstanding!”

Zekt swung his greatsword and deflected all the incoming arrows.

Then, suddenly, Azadin changed his stance. He lowered his body to the ground and pulled the bow almost to the point of breaking. He spread his grip on the ground as much as possible to withstand the recoil of the arrow being fired, and then he shot the last arrow….

The arrow was dark black, so it was really impossible to see anything at night.

‘A black arrow? But it’s nothing special.’

Zekt’s eyes could also see through the darkness, so he blocked the incoming arrow with his greatsword. But….

-Clang!

This arrow was made entirely of steel, even the shaft. Moreover, the moment it made contact, Zekt felt the protective magic on his body break.

‘What?!’

Black Steel Arrow.

The Messenger Clan’s secret weapon was fired among the ordinary arrows.

-Thud!

The Black Steel Arrow that Azadin fired pierced Zekt’s golden armor and went straight through his chest. This special black steel arrow passed through the metal armor and Zekt’s rib cage as easily as if it were piercing paper, and the arrowhead pierced all the way to his back.

-Crack!

Azadin’s Crescent Moon Bow could not withstand the recoil and broke.

“Ha!”

Zekt was flustered as he looked at the Black Steel Arrow that had pierced his chest. Magic was leaking from the wound. This arrow was no ordinary arrow.

“How pathetic… I, I….”

Zekt was flustered and pulled out the arrow that had pierced his chest. Then, blood gushed out from his mouth and wound. It was a serious injury that even someone with strong vitality could not withstand.

“Thank you for letting your guard down. So, is it time for farewell? I feel a little sad to say goodbye since I feel like we’ve grown fond of each other after exchanging a few words.”

Azadin threw away the broken bow and drew the sword from his waist and rushed at Zekt. Although his opponent was already fatally wounded by the Black Steel Arrow, he did not let his guard down and rushed to cut off Zekt’s head to end his life.

-Clang!

However, Zekt blocked Azadin with his greatsword despite having a hole in his chest. The sword in Azadin’s hand was broken in two at once, and the blade pushed into his head.

He barely dodged by turning his head and threw a punch at Zekt’s face with his bare hand. However, Zekt grabbed Azadin’s sleeve and threw him straight up into the sky. Azadin’s body flew up about two stories high.

“……!?”

Azadin twisted his body in mid-air to regain his balance and then landed. But at that moment, Zekt was already rushing in. His greatsword was swinging at a terrifying speed.

‘He’s moving like this even though he has a hole in his chest?’

Azadin couldn’t dare to block it, so he focused only on dodging the sword.

Was that why? Zekt’s kick flew towards Azadin’s torso.

-Thud!

He blocked the kick, but at that moment, Azadin’s body was thrown back again, breaking tree branches with his back as he flew.

“Ugh!?”

Azadin screamed. It was so painful that it messed with his mind. He couldn’t put much strength into his body, as if his ribs were cracked.

“Kekekek. A masterpiece. It’s a masterpiece.”

Zekt said that and walked over, but the wound on his chest was bubbling and boiling. Every time he walked, the surrounding trees withered, and the grass on the ground dried up. And those eyes burning bright red?

“You were really fun. It’s a shame that I’ve grown fond of you after exchanging a few words. But I am a holy knight, so I don’t put personal feelings into my mission.”

“Hmm.”

Azadin tried to get up and frowned. His ribs were broken, and his body was sluggish due to the pain. He almost died in the previous exchange, but the opponent was fine even after being hit by the Black Steel Arrow, and he was having a hard time just trying to keep his body upright. There was no way to escape even if he wanted to.

“First, I’ll return this to you.”

As Zekt spoke, the Black Steel Arrow floated into the sky and fired itself at Azadin. Azadin was startled and dodged the arrow, but the Black Steel Arrow passed him, drew a semicircle, and aimed for his back.

“Tch!”

In a hurry, Azadin drew a new sword and deflected the Black Steel Arrow. But the sword broke instantly. The Black Steel Arrow pushed in, aiming for Azadin, but he used the broken hilt and his hand to grab the center of the Black Steel Arrow and block it.

-Kwaddeudeuk!

Azadin’s feet slid, leaving a long scar on the ground. The ground was deeply gouged as if making furrows, and Azadin continued to be pushed back.

“Ah, no!”

He was blocking the Black Steel Arrow, but even so, it continued to push its body in, piercing Azadin’s leather armor and burying its head in his chest. Blood was dripping, but the arrow did not lose its power.

“Then….”

Zekt shook the incense burner as he watched Azadin in pain. Black shadows sprang from the incense burner’s smoke and rushed along the ground.

Even though he was watching, Azadin was in a situation where he couldn’t even move a finger, just blocking the Black Steel Arrow.

At the moment of desperation, a light mace suddenly fell from the sky and exploded.

-Strike of Divine Punishment!

The shadow was startled and wriggled, and the Black Steel Arrow, which was pushing in to pierce Azadin’s body, turned back into an ordinary arrow.

“Ah!?”

“Get on!”

A knight burst out of the bushes, reached out, and grabbed Azadin’s hand. Azadin immediately climbed onto the back of the horse.

“Sir Jibek!”

“Sir Jibek!?”

Zekt and Azadin called out his name at the same time.

“We’re escaping!”

Sir Jibek cast an encouragement spell on his horse and began to run at full speed.

“Sir Jibek, stop! Damn it. I’m going to miss him!”

Sir Zekt whistled to chase Azadin. His horse came running along the stream.

At that moment, a mountain goat with a saddle suddenly jumped out of the bushes, blocked Sir Zekt’s horse, and then ran off, chasing after Azadin?

“Huh!”

Zekt was dumbfounded as he watched the Kerim mountain goat [a breed of mountain goat] that was blocking his horse’s path and running away.

“Well, the person is a hero, and the horse is a spirit animal. Or is it an alpaca in this case?”

“Are you alright?”

Meiya joined Zekt belatedly.

“Sir Jibek has escaped with the Messenger Clan. That’s unexpected. He didn’t seem like the type to do that.”

“It seems that Sir Jibek and the Messenger Clan were originally acquainted.”

“Acquainted? Hmm, what kind of connection would a holy knight and the Messenger Clan have?”

“I don’t know either. But, Sir Zekt.”

“Yes.”

“My father, the Wraith Knight, has been completely dismantled by the Messenger Clan.”

“Is that so?”

“So, I was wondering about recovering the body….”

“If it has been completely dismantled, it will not become undead again. There is no need to recover it.”

“What? But my father dedicated his whole life to the church. Are you saying you’re going to leave my father here in the forest? At least, recovering the body and holding a funeral….”

Meiya had mixed feelings as she watched Zekt, who was ignoring her words, recovering his weapons and taking off his broken armor.

“Sir, the Messenger Clan and Sir Jibek said that my father killed civilians, is that….”

“It’s true.”

“Yes?”

“While training the trainee knights, there was an accidental misfire that killed civilians. That’s why when he became a Wraith Knight, we didn’t purify him but used him for tracking. Of course, it would tarnish the honor of the Knights Order, so we will not announce it publicly.”

“…….”

“I will allow the burial. Go and bury him.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Meiya bit her lip and stepped away from Zekt.