Chapter 65 - Anyone Coming Across

'He predicted the enemy's movements.'

Jaxon saw that as the effect granted by the Sense of the Blade.

Seeing him fully utilize the technique he had taught him made his chest tickle.

He was pleased.

However, Jaxon did not face his emotions directly. Because he was unaccustomed to it, he did not know how to reflect on his feelings.

'It's no big deal.'

A person who would bother him if they died right in front of his eyes—just that much. What was that guy to him for him to be so on edge?

It was nothing. That was what he thought.

Jaxon thought that playing some foolish soldier game wasn't important.

Because his goal was clear.

Even while thinking that, the displeasure remained.

That was why.

From behind Encrid, Jaxon stared openly at the bastard called the guild master.

'I don't like his looks.'

Jaxon made up a suitable excuse.

It was absolutely not because of the Squad Leader.

It was just that he didn't like how that bastard looked.

Therefore, if he attacks, I'll kill him. I'll be faithful to the mission here.

Rem saw Encrid wield the heart of a beast, using his boldness as a weapon.

To think he'd dig right into the chest of an enemy thrusting a spear.

If it were a few months ago, he couldn't have even imagined the Squad Leader showing such a display.

His skills had drastically improved at some point, and at the center of it was his own teaching.

'Of course.'

That made him feel good. But to think that some lowly assassins had targeted Encrid.

'I should just kill them all.'

Rem wanted to grind all the opponents to dust.

Ragna, once again, caught a glimpse of his own traces in Encrid's swordsmanship.

'Where did he learn that?'

It was excellent. How he shifted his center of gravity, how he stepped, how he thrust his sword—everything.

Though he had occasionally looked over his swordsmanship, reaching that level of mastery would have required bone-grinding training.

'It's amazing.'

A person he judged to have no talent suddenly shows outstanding skill one day. Ragna originally had a favorable impression of Encrid to begin with.

Because his endlessly advancing figure was a good stimulant for Ragna.

And assassins, a gang of criminals, targeted such a person?

'It'd be easier to just kill them all.'

Forgetting his usual laziness, Ragna made up his mind to slaughter the criminal guild down to the last man.

However, the initiative in this situation belonged to the Squad Leader. He intended to follow his will.

Audin swept his eyes over Encrid's body and tapped his own thigh with his finger.

'It's a well-trained body.'

But it wasn't a systematically built body. The monks of the temple built their bodies before their techniques.

It was the secret art of physical conditioning.

Audin had refined it over and over, making it into his own technique.

'He'll improve once he builds his body.'

The Squad Leader was a person who knew how to put in honest, steadfast effort.

In one corner of Audin's mind, a thought freshly surfaced.

Why did God not bestow talent upon someone who tried so hard?

'Because a mere human cannot know the will of God.'

It was a phrase like a dagger thrust into his own chest. Whenever that phrase came to mind, a stinging pain spread from his heart throughout his entire body.

But right now, before his eyes, there was someone trying to leap over the wall of talent through effort.

A person who didn't even care about the will of God and entirely believed in himself.

'My Lord.'

Audin prayed inwardly.

'Look down upon him with mercy.

May the one who dreams of shining not die by a vain and blind blade.'

Just as his heart was poured into his prayer, he too was quite displeased that someone had targeted Encrid.

Because it would be far too tragic for such a person to die from a dagger stabbing them in the back.

However, Audin had no intention of killing anyone.

'I just need to break both their legs, and as for the captain, ripping off one of his arms will do.'

So taking everything except their lives would be enough.

* * *

A single exchange.

The shock Encrid had delivered was quite immense.

Even so, no one tried to cross the line.

'So it's not enough, then.'

What must one do to overwhelm opponents with martial force?

You just have to deliver consecutive shocks.

Encrid realized his position. That it wasn't strictly necessary for him to step forward himself.

"Rem."

"Yeah?"

"Kill just three."

Even if it was under the excuse of avoiding attention, this was an operation and a mission, and Encrid was the Squad Leader.

Rem stepped forward without talking back.

Before the shock Encrid gave could even fade.

Rem dashed forward, twirling two hand axes in his hands.

He was so fast that it seemed as if he had vanished in a flash.

The vanished Rem stood before a guy with a vicious impression holding a nail-studded club.

It was a scene he had witnessed countless times. Rem's arm bent like a whip. The axe blade at the tip of the whip spat out a flash of light.

SWISH! THWACK!

SWOOSH! THUD!

CRACK!

The first axe swing decapitated the guy with the vicious impression.

The second axe swing split the head of the guy standing to the vicious guy's right.

The last one was to the left again. Twisting his waist, Rem struck the neck of a fierce-eyed guy with the end of his axe handle.

One decapitated, one with a split head, and the final one with a broken neck.

After killing them like that, Rem swung his hand axes diagonally toward the floor to shake off the blood.

With a *SPLAT*, drops of blood scattered on the ground.

He then turned his back to the guild bastards and strode back over.

"Killed three of 'em."

Encrid thought that two shocks were enough of an opportunity.

"Anyone coming across."

This was the third time making the same offer.

Now, if they wouldn't listen, there was nothing he could do.

Because he couldn't show mercy to enemies rushing to kill him.

It was an era of killing and being killed.

They should know that to kill an opponent, they might die themselves.

"... You were the Border Guard?"

The guild master, who gave off a noble air, asked.

"No."

Encrid only led a humble squad. It was just that the members making up the squad were unique individuals.

"Border Guard, Cyprus Division, infantry battalion."

He revealed his affiliation while holding his sword loosely. There was no reason to hide it.

When a few of the guys who were hesitating and gauging the situation tried to put down their weapons, the guild master glared fiercely.

"Go ahead and struggle to survive. Let's see if I just leave you be."

It was a remark directed at his own side.

The words Krais had said came to mind.

The guy named Gilfin ruled his subordinates through fear, was it?

That he would break their limbs and cut off their tongues if things went wrong.

"Don't get swept up in the atmosphere! Those bastards are human too. They'll die if you stab them. Can't you see they didn't even put on proper armor? Kill them! No one can withstand a group beating!"

'Using big words for someone in his position.'

Encrid inwardly thought that he was right.

Crushing them with numbers.

Generally, it was the correct method.

Because trained soldiers maximized their efficiency in group battles.

In small-scale fights, even a passing thug could kill a soldier.

If they aimed for a blind spot and thrust a blade, how could anyone survive?

In a few-versus-few fight, the thugs might even have the advantage.

Naturally, this wasn't a story that applied to knights or those who had surpassed human limits.

And it was a story that wouldn't work right now either.

"Don't do it."

Encrid warned.

The troublemaker squad were bastards who fought however they pleased, outside of strategy and tactics to begin with.

They were the type of figures who fought excitedly against the majority on the battlefield and came back perfectly fine.

For a mere thirty armed men—and not even soldiers at that—to attack such people was a suicidal act.

"Leave 'em be. There are some guys who only shed tears when they see the coffin."

"Brother, it seems like a moment that calls for God's punishment."

"Step back and just watch."

For some reason, even Audin and Ragna showed enthusiasm.

Jaxon stepped forward without even a word.

He drew his sword with a *CLANG*, and as he took a long stride, an impatient guy from the other side—one of the thieves—leapt out.

As the bastard leapt out, he swung the broad-bladed scimitar in his hand. With a *WHOOSH*, the blade fell toward Jaxon's head.

Jaxon raised his sword parallel to the scimitar's blade, caught the opponent's blade on his own to parry it, and then slashed his sword straight down.

SQUELCH.

The sword sliced through the opponent's stomach.

Although it didn't look like much force was put into it, it must have been enough to cut the belly skin and reveal the intestines.

"Guh."

Spilling his pink intestines, the bastard dropped to his knees and collapsed.

That was the beginning.

"Kill only those who attack."

Encrid said.

At those words, Rem merely swung his axes from where he stood.

Yet, it was no different from a meat grinder.

A guy swinging a flail stepped back as his weapon was cut in half, but the axe had already split his head.

He retreated, spilling blood and brain matter, before falling straight backward.

Ragna raised a single arming sword and swung it mechanically from top to bottom.

It didn't seem like he was using any profound technique.

Every time he struck down, the number of corpses increased.

Crowns were split and shoulders were severed.

Audin grabbed his two clubs, one in each hand, and deflected the incoming blades.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Thanks to that, Audin's side was the loudest.

Audin deflected the weapons and closed the distance. His feet were incredibly fast. Fast enough to be compared to Rem.

Having closed the distance like that, Audin swung his clubs precisely to break the enemies' legs.

CRACK, SNAP!

"Kuaaaagh!"

The screams of those with broken legs echoed through the clearing.

It was loud enough to make one wonder if the patrol guards would be dispatched at the sound.

Fortunately, no one came looking here.

Krais thought that was only natural.

'Half an hour from the dirt tunnel.'

The base they found at the end of the alleyway was originally towards the outskirts of the city anyway.

This manor area was likely a high-end manor district invested in by some wealthy merchant associations within the city.

It was a place with few people around normally. On top of that, wasn't their opponent a criminal organization called the Gilfin Guild?

They must have bribed the higher-ups.

'They probably cleared the area so people wouldn't come and go.'

They likely thought it would be easier to handle matters without anyone around rather than having clumsy patrolmen passing through.

Krais didn't panic at the enemy's numbers, nor did he feel threatened.

He too was a member of the troublemaker squad.

He roughly knew the level of the squadmates he was with.

Considering it was a level where Encrid, who had become an upper-grade soldier, struggled.

'Every single one of them is above the Border Guard.'

Then, the answer was clear. The answer that there was no way they could be a match.

Krais's brain worked briskly as he planned out the future.

He had even deliberately leaked information for this purpose.

'I'll deal with that friend later.'

The information he originally leaked and the current situation were both somewhat within Krais's intentions.

Was there anyone among them who had noticed this?

The Squad Leader might have figured it out. Though he looked like an honest, steadfast fool on the outside, the Squad Leader knew how to use his head.

Rem might know too if he had a clue, but...

He didn't really know how the city operated.

'They probably don't know.'

Needless to say for Ragna and Audin.

As long as what he wanted was clear, Jaxon wouldn't care about anything else.

So, it was fine now.

In the meantime, the number of corpses was endlessly increasing.

From Audin's side, screams were ringing out like crazy.

"Kuaaaagh!"

Audin didn't just stop at breaking one leg. He made sure to go back and break the other leg as well.

He didn't forget to preach while doing so, either.

"I am not telling you to become a saint. However, you should avoid living a life that harms your neighbors."

Saying things they couldn't even half-understand while breaking their legs meant there wasn't a single bastard who could listen.

Even so, Audin acted consistently.

Encrid's eyes were busy.

At first, he was drawn into Jaxon's restrained movements.

'Righteous Sword Technique.'

The foundation was the Righteous Sword Technique. A counterattack using the opponent's sword, making the opponent move as intended along a set sword path.

Swift Sword was mixed into it.

A sword where offense and defense became one; that was the true beauty of the Righteous Sword.

Beyond mere sword forms, his judgment in swinging the sword was exceptional.

He chose the surest means to kill the opponent. It was a sword meant for murder.

There was much worth learning.

Next, Rem caught his eye.

He was merely striking the approaching enemies, but the axes' trajectories drew unimaginable pictures.

'How is that possible?'

The Oniak Sword Technique, it looked like a sword that didn't belong to any of them.

It was natural. Rem's axe work was strictly based on his senses. If one had to classify it, it would be the Qi Sword.

Of course, since he was using an axe, one should call it the eccentric axe (奇斧) technique.

Encrid learned from this as well.

It was the same for Ragna's Heavy Sword Technique.

It displayed the extreme limit of the basic swordsmanship he had learned.

If they parried clumsily, it would break straight through and strike the target point.

That single blow cracked crowns and severed shoulders.

And what about Audin's physical techniques?

Swordsmanship was fundamentally based on physical techniques. Without using one's fists and feet, it couldn't be called proper swordsmanship.

Mastering close-quarters combat was a prerequisite.

Looking at it from that perspective, there was the most to learn from Audin's fighting.

He etched into his eyes the process of crushing legs with two short clubs.

Movements he wouldn't have understood even if he saw them in the past were now captured in his mind.

Unaware of even where he was, Encrid was busy watching the four of them and stealing their techniques.

Although actualizing it with his body was a different matter.

What was certain was that there was indeed a lot to learn.

The fight wasn't long. It couldn't take up a long time.

Those who lost their will to fight appeared one after another.

Amidst that, uncharacteristically, Jaxon was steadfastly carving a path forward.

Heading toward the guild master holding a cane.

Having closed the distance, Jaxon abruptly swung his sword. It was a high horizontal slash aimed above the head.

The guild master bastard pulled up on the cane's handle. It wasn't a normal cane, but a sword stick.

It was a cane with a blade hidden inside.

The long blade drawn with a *CLINK* blocked Jaxon's sword.

Sparks flew between the two with a *CLANG*.

Then, the two bastards guarding the guild master's back tried to join in.

"Don't do it."

"Let them fight."

Rem and Ragna, who had approached at some point, said.

The two acting as the guild master's escorts looked at each other.

Should they attack?

Their eyes turned to the path Rem and Ragna had walked down.

It was a path of blood. Only corpses lined it. The only ones who survived were the guys who pissed their pants in fear and the guys who gauged the situation and didn't attack.

The two escorts quietly lowered their weapons. Both were holding daggers. They put their daggers completely back into their sheaths and quietly knelt down.

It was a posture of surrender and submission.

"You bastards!"

The guild master yelled furiously upon seeing what his two escorts were doing.

But what could they do?

Because the most important thing in the world was one's own life.

It was just a pity for the guys who had attacked after getting swept up in the atmosphere.

Jaxon was expressionless. His brown eyes, rimmed with red bands, tracked the guild master.

"I'll surrender!"

The bastard shouted. Jaxon didn't listen.

"I said I'll surrender! Why are you going this far? If you need money, I'll give you money!"

His tone was urgent.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

While the bastard ran his mouth, Jaxon's sword sped up drastically. He struck the sword stick five times in rapid succession.

Sparks flew through the winter night. The darkness of the night and the blazing torches.

The dead corpses and the groaning group.

Those terrified with fear and those who bestowed it.

In the midst of all that, Jaxon's voice rang out.

"I don't like your looks."

'What kind of bullshit is this?'

That was the guild master's last thought.

Soon, Jaxon's sword tore through the guild master's expensive clothes and slashed his throat.

SLASH.

With a gruesome sound, the guild master died with his eyes glaring in pure grievance.

He still had a lot to say.

Asking if they knew who was backing him.

More than anything, how much crona had he poured into those so-called powerful figures?

Grievous and so completely grievous.

It was natural. Because someone who dies by the sword always feels wronged.

Jaxon let his bloodstained sword hang down.

Before they knew it, all the fighting around them had ended.

Encrid closed his eyes and opened them, reflecting on the movements of all his squadmates.

It was the point where the situation needed to be sorted out.

Against the backdrop of the dark night, the freezing winter air, and the torches, Encrid took a step forward.

As it happened, he was right in the center.

Between the circling torches, shadows gathered, and gazes converged.

After drawing everyone's gaze like that, Encrid opened his mouth.

"Anyone coming across?"

One word was enough.

Everyone who survived dropped their weapons.