Chapter 82
Chapter 82
[Even if it means turning the world into an enemy (11)]
Bruno Valentine.
He was called Valentines Brown Bear for more than just his size.
It was because he could crush a human skull with just a swing of his fist.
It still does.
Even after all these years, every time he swung his fist, it sounded like a mace had passed through it.
Bestia feroce (Beast of Prey) II.
The mana-less fist alone was intimidating.
But Bruno shot out the mana in his right gauntlet.
He didnt stop. The attack wasnt over yet.
Leaping to close the remaining distance, he pulled his right elbow behind his shoulder.
Bestia feroce III.
The fist aimed at Albert slammed into the floor.
The floor began to collapse in an instant.
Even Albert, who had dodged the blow, hadnt expected the floor to collapse.
But he didnt panic. He jumped off the crumbling floor and aimed his Beretta at the ceiling.
The bullets fired from the muzzle were mana-infused, allowing him to shape-shift freely.
He landed on the ground, holding on to the bullet as it stretched like a harpoon as it lodged in the ceiling.
Bestia feroce I.
It was then that Bruno lunged.
Turning, Albert squeezed the trigger.
Bruno didnt back down. He blocked the bullet with his gauntlets, which had transformed into a circular shield.
Meanwhile, his right gauntlet spewed sparks. The flames leaked through the cracks, adding momentum and destructive power.
Inferno IV.
He had no intention of ending this with a single blow.
Bruno, he was a Guardian. He prided himself on provoking, holding back, and drawing in his enemies.
Albert, on the other hand, was a Hunter. A Hunter is basically a position that only comes into its own when a Dealer or Guardian is present. He was good with a mix of ranged and melee weapons, and was good at supporting the Dealer directly.
Without a Dealer or Guardian, he was vulnerable.
Inferno X.
The flames intensified. Bruno made no move to retreat, even as the heat from his gauntlets burned him. He didnt want to give Albert a chance to reorganize the battle.
Hold him like this.
Flames began to erupt from his left gauntlet as well.
Disengaging Guardian Mode, Bruno lowered his stance, shielding his head with his arms.
Hoo.
Albert sighed.
It seemed like he was running low on bullets.
Now was the chance.
He blocked the oncoming bullets with his gauntlet, flying in a straight line. As a Guardian, there was no attack he couldnt defend against.
The flames grew stronger. He swung the flames that burned flesh along with his fist.
Kuk!
Finally, all the bullets ran out.
Albert had to endure the engulfing flames.
With the gun still in his hand, he stretched out both hands and blocked the incoming fist.
It wasnt just a block. He raised his gauntlet with the gun barrel and thrust it beneath Brunos armpit. He dodged the fist that was coming from the right by lowering his head, and struck Brunos chest and abdomen.
Your skills have declined.
Albert calmly evaluated his condition as he replaced the magazine. It wasnt as difficult as he thought to break through Brunos defense.
Several years had been a trivial time.
Bruno. He was no longer the Valentine Bear, but merely a beast that charged recklessly.
Bestia feroce I, IV, III.
Bruno assumed his stance again.
Having grasped his strength, Albert didnt retreat any further. He deliberately aimed for the weak points in Brunos defense, causing his stamina to decline.
So it didnt matter if he got closer.
When Bruno extended his right arm, Albert swung his gauntlet as he did before. He grabbed the arm and shifted the axis of his body.
Using the momentum of Brunos charge, he slammed him to the ground.
Youve also lost your edge. I had some expectations, but Im disappointed.
Albert aimed the gun barrel at Brunos forehead.
Bruno didnt panic even when faced with the muzzle pointed at his face.
Scudo del Gladiatore (Gladiators Shield) II.
A magic that manifested alongside his fighting spirit. The thin threads bound the shield not only blocked the bullets but also repelled them.
So, what will you do? Will you just stand there like that?
There was no chance for the blind bullets to hit.
Albert, who blocked the reflected bullets, surrounded by the tightly woven shield, asked him.
Scudo del Gladiatore II was excellent at blocking attacks, but while its effect lasted, he couldnt move. That was Brunos mistake.
The magic that could bind the monsters feet and become a shield protecting the party, when there was no one to assist the Guardian, it became a magic that confined oneself.
Albert aimed for the moment when his magic was about to expire, planning to end the battle that had been nothing more than a farce.
Coincidentally, it was the moment when the magic was reaching its peak.
Wait!
There was no way she couldnt hear the noise when such a battle was taking place in the corridor.
It was Julieta, who had realized something was going on in the hotel and had come running out of her room.
Julie.
I told you not to come.
When their eyes met, Julietta forced a bitter smile.
I shouldnt cry. This is the path Ive chosen.
Fighting back the rising emotions, she tore her eyes away from him and walked over to Albert.
We had a different agreement.
Youve come all this way to talk about a promise?
You said you wouldnt touch the people around me!
Julieta shouted.
Albert sighed.
This was ridiculous. True to his word, he had no intention of touching her people.
He wasnt the one who started this fight, Bruno was.
And he wasnt going to let him get away with it.
Itll be over soon. Stay put.
.
Albert aimed his other hand at Julieta.
Feeling the coolness against her forehead, she faced him without closing her eyes.
It was as if the redness in her eyes said, if you can do it, do it.
She wasnt afraid of the muzzle.
The promise is different.
Youre being noisy. Stay still.
Bru, you shouldnt be like this either. Go back. Is it because you want to die?
Julietta spoke to Bruno, who was trapped in the Scudo del Gladiatore II.
He hadnt said a word since shed appeared, his eyes fixed solely on her.
Do you really want to die? Its not just Albert Oppa here. Zenko Myron and Tom Myron are here too.
Doesnt it bother you? Isnt it hard for you to put up with me using you every day?
You always do. Why dont you say anything? Why dont you listen to my feelings, why do you do something so reckless?
You think this will make me happy?
What I want, what I want!
She poured out a torrent of resentment at him as he stared at her in silence. At the same time, she vented the desperation in her heart.
She tried to hurt him with her heartless words.
She wanted him to give up and go home.
She was waiting for him to take her again, just like that day.
It was duplicitous. It was a contradiction.
She was a double, a contradiction.
And she thought she was a contradiction in terms, a selfish contradiction in terms.
Even now, she could not choose.
She couldnt choose.
The moment she saw his face, the part of her that had decided to give up reared its head again.
I dont want him to die.
Then run away.
I wanted to continue living with him.
So save him.
The more my conflicting thoughts clashed, the more the words came out of my mouth in contradictions.
Her eyes filled with water.
And when she finally broke down and burst into tears, it was his response, his silent acceptance of her emotions.
I promised you, Ill protect you.
The effects of the Scudo del Gladiatore II were slowly fading.
Bruno deployed a protective spell on the gauntlet around his left arm.
His face and neck burned. The flames from the gauntlet burned.
His whole body burned. The wound widened with every movement as if flesh had been stuck to it.
Still, he didnt take his eyes off her.
Just one word is enough.
Dont move, Bruno Valentine.
And with that, the spell was broken.
Bruno took a step forward.
Albert pulled the trigger, but he raised his shield and stepped forward.
Inferno X.
It can be said many times.
It can be pledged many times.
Even if I fall, Ill get up.
Ill get up again and again to protect you.
One word is enough, Julie.
The heat washed over me. Gritting her teeth, she pushed through the pain of the flames burning her flesh and tightened her fists.
Even if the whole world turns into enemies, I only need you.
Bruno.
Then answer me.
He threw the flames that raged through his body.
The atmosphere exploded.
I controlled the flames so they wouldnt reach her, burning the area to the ground.
Save me.
Whoosh.
The roaring flames swallowed the sound.
In the midst of the explosion, Julietta reached out her hand towards him, flipping the flames and engaging in a struggle.
-Save me.
The roaring sound that didnt subside even within the flames.
Words carry determination.
Determination is synonymous with the heart,
And the heart is synonymous with the wind.
Words imbued with the wind are self-reflecting spells and spells that move others.
In a broader sense, it is no different from magic that affects the order of the world
<Amplification>.
Within the flames, golden mana blossomed.
The flower, which was only a tiny speck, shone without turning to ash.
Hahaha, ha
There was no strength left in his body to move.
But he had to move nonetheless.
Leaving him alive like this would cause great trouble later on.
Yes, I admit it. I acknowledge it.
How strong you are.
Although he received buffs, potions, and gifts to assist him, his skills were genuine.
The ability to distribute mana strategically, a sense to enhance mana efficiency, and a difficult-to-believe combat sense.
Above all, the resilience to keep getting up without giving up, no matter how many times he fell.
It was dangerous. He had to kill him.
Zenko knew well how terrifying people who keep getting up without giving up can be.
They would go forward, even if it meant burning through death, to achieve what they sought.
So, he had to kill him while he still could.
He couldnt count how many times he had thought about it already.
Zenko approached to confirm his death.
If he was still not dead, Zenko planned to slit his throat while he was unconscious.
But it was already too late when he realized that it was a careless thought.
The fallen one suddenly jumped up and latched onto Zenkos throat.
D-Dont let go of this! Let go! Let g Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
He hung onto Zenkos neck with all his remaining strength. Determined not to let go, he bit into Zenkos throat.
Relentlessly, desperately.
A bitter taste spread in his mouth. He bit so fiercely that he couldnt tell if it was his own blood or Zenkos.
You What the hell Let go quickly!
Zenko struggled to pry him off.
He clung on with whatever strength he had left. He had no intention of letting go like this.
Bite.
Even if he had to tear it off, he would kill him.
You, what the hell Arrgghhhhaaa!
Something lumpy entered his mouth. Eunha, who had detached his face from Zenkos throat, spat it out onto the ground.
With a sound of something bloody hitting the floor, it fell.
Cazzo!
Zenko seized the opportunity and overpowered Eunha. Helpless, Eunha rolled on the floor, unable to take evasive action. Only at a point where the path was blocked by debris could he finally come to a stop.
Cou Cough! Urgh!
Frowning, Eunha spat out something from his mouth.
You disgusting bastard
Zenko gritted his teeth and used his right hand to stem the bleeding around the torn flesh near his neck.
He had to kill him.
Zenko realized he had no strength left to move his body.
Tearing at his throat had been his final desperate act.
This truly shows what a despicable scum you are.
But what should he do now? Unlike his expectations
he was still unharmed.
As Zenko tried to speak those words, something boiling surged up from his abdomen and he began to vomit.
Blood.
Blood, you say?
He doubted his own eyes. Was there a wound severe enough to cause him to vomit this much blood?
It was at that moment.
U-Ugh!!
His mana reversed.
The minuscule amount of mana that remained went rampant.
His flesh expanded and contracted, blood flowed profusely from the wounded area, and eventually, he couldnt control his body and collapsed.
What what have you done?
Zenko Myron, who fell into a pool tainted with his own blood.
There was only one possible thought.
When he tore at her throat a moment ago, he had executed some scheme.
Its the venom of the Shadow Spider of the 6th Order.
Eunha replied, staggering to his feet amidst the debris.
Cazzo.
Zenko inwardly groaned.
The venom of the Shadow Spider of the 6th Order was an immediately effective poison. It caused chaos in the bodys mana, leading to a mana frenzy that would result in death. It was a lethal toxin.
The verdict was out.
He was going to die.
But he wouldnt be the only one.
Zenko chuckled inwardly.
He also hadnt kept the poison in his mouth during the process of injecting it into himself.
As evidence, he was vomiting blood and staggering.
You fool. Who would carry only poison? Of course, I have the antidote as well.
It was fortunate that I had brought the antidote.
At the very end, when Zenko let his guard down, Eunha planned to use the poison.
Eunha had given up his attack and swallowed the antidote when he was caught in the arrow storm a while ago.
Since he believed his body wouldnt respond, he had been waiting for this moment.
Cra zy.
Dont curse in Korean. Whats migchin? Its michin. (1)
The antidote neutralized the poison.
Eunha staggered and walked over, picking up the fallen Beretta.
There were still bullets left.
He had already decided what to do with this gun.
You
Zenko looked at the barrel aimed at his forehead, unable to resist.
Death wasnt frightening.
He was just annoyed that he couldnt kill him.
He was furious, furious to the point of rage.
Even though his death had been sealed by the venom of the Shadow Spider.
Do you have no regrets? Im Tr edici. Do you know that if you kill me it could become an international problem?
If that happens the whole world could become your enemy?
Even if you turn the world into an enemy, are you prepared to kill me?
No matter how old a man got, he remained childish.
Even on the brink of death, Zenko wanted to inflict even the slightest bit more damage on him.
What are you saying?
Eunha didnt hesitate.
Strength gradually seeped into the finger pulling the trigger.
Ill decide whether to turn the world into an enemy or not. The world isnt turning me into an enemy.
What?
And you seem to think your death holds some value, but its a big delusion.
Mu sst
While you may have been quite the fly high in Italy, here, youre just a loser who would be bullied by an elementary school student.
Got it, you little loser?
You, you basta
Dont curse. But it seems even you can say loser.
Good for you. Youve learned a proper curse before you die.
How far will you go to kill me?!
Are you trying to insult me?
Zenko, who was about to scream while vomiting blood, couldnt say a word.
The gun aimed at his forehead prevented him from speaking.
Shut up. Did I say you could speak freely?
Stay on topic. If you lose, just die quietly.
!
The value of your death is not determined by you. Its determined by the one who survives.
!
Youve been quite filthy all this time.
The gunshot didnt end with a single round.
The trigger was pulled until the magazine was empty.
Eunha, now standing over Zenkos body, had fallen to the ground just as he intended.
Damn it.
His body couldnt move anymore.
There was only one potion left: a single bottle of banana milk.
He needed to restore his strength. While he had neutralized the poison of the Shadow Spider, his mana was still in turmoil.
Haah.
He could only rest for a moment.
Eunha regained some strength and stood up from where he was.
Now, should I go see Mr. Bruno?
The bloodstains on his face were still vivid.
With an unusually calm stride, he left Zenko Myrons life and death behind him.
Notes!
(1) michin is a transliteration of the Korean word , which means crazy or insane.