Chapter 102

The man with the machete deflected my sword with tremendous strength.

The jagged blade of the machete scraped the surface of my sword.

If it were an ordinary sword, it would probably break after just a few exchanges.

That blade also served as a sword breaker.

It was a good decision to borrow a knight’s sword.

Though the machete-wielding man appeared to be acting madly in both words and deeds, he was completely calm when it came to combat.

Normally, such a person would charge recklessly with brute force, but he was observing my movements with bloodshot eyes.

After crossing blades a few times, I created some distance.

He was strong.

He must be a well-known soldier.

“That woman must be killed without fail. Do not interfere. Is your appearance not the same as ours?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot do that.”

Once I decided to help, I would see it through.

Besides, I didn’t choose this outfit.

“Have you been bewitched by the beast? But you smell of beasts as well. Are you a heretic?”

The machete-wielding man began to walk toward me.

His steps were slow but powerful.

“Ah, I see. So your religion persecutes other faiths.”

“That’s not it. It’s purification. This is necessary.”

“For those being purified, it’s a great nuisance!”

I swung my sword.

The sword swept from the left, only to be deflected by the machete.

He was good at deflecting.

If he were just a brute, it would be easier.

Seizing on the small opening I created, the machete-wielding man swung his machete, aiming for my legs.

I jumped back to dodge, but it grazed me slightly.

A bit of blood oozed from the unarmored part of my body.

“A small wound is nothing I can’t fix!”

Liese shouted from behind, and the wound healed.

It seemed she possessed the abilities of a pLiesetess.

“Thanks.”

I muttered a word of thanks.

Then, the machete-wielding man glared at Liese with contempt.

“That accursed light… proof of your beastly nature.”

The mere act of healing must have offended him.

It was a pathological reaction.

What was going on in this man’s head?

I was curious, but I didn’t want to know.

He had completely made us his enemies.

Even if I tried to run now, he would chase us relentlessly.

My sword clashed repeatedly with the machete.

I deflected the machete’s attacks. I was getting quite accustomed to this unconventional weapon.

Neither of us swung wildly; it was a battle where each sought to corner the other.

As an adventurer, I felt a bit different about this machete-wielding man.

“If there are soldiers like you, I should have noticed you.”

“Are you complimenting me?”

“Indeed. It would be a shame to kill you while you remain a beast. Once more, swear loyalty to my god.”

“I refuse.”

“I see.”

I dodged as he swung the machete overhead.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking,”

I tightened my grip on the sword.

“I’m not impressed with someone who raises their hand against a woman.”

My muscles strained.

I deflected the machete with greater force than before, multiple times.

The machete-wielding man responded with even greater strength.

Though his strength exceeded mine, I had defeated opponents like him many times before.

I confirmed that the machete-wielding man was swinging his machete with all his might and chose to evade rather than deflect.

His bloodshot eyes tracked my movements.

However, when pouring all my strength into a swing, openings were bound to appear.

I had lured him into that.

After dodging, I quickly thrust my sword at the machete-wielding man.

He blocked with his left arm.

My step lacked strength. I was a bit shallow because his left arm had stopped my thrust.

I had drawn blood, but it was far from a decisive blow.

However, with his left arm injured, he could no longer fight at full strength.

I prepared to swing my sword with all my might.

Then I swung down with all my power.

The machete-wielding man received it with his machete, but it was not so easy to stop with just his right arm.

He had to support it with his injured left arm, which only opened his wound further.

Blood dripped from the machete-wielding man onto the ground.

“My blood is to be offered to my god.”

“Then why not stop fighting and go for treatment?”

“I refuse.”

I pressed on with even more strength.

Little by little, I pushed the machete back.

The back of the machete was close to touching him.

Just a bit more, and my sword would reach him.

At that moment, our eyes met.

He seemed to be looking at me, yet not truly.

He must have seen something only he could perceive.

And it was surely something terrible.

It would be best to end this now.

Even if this world were a mere illusion.

Just as I thought that, the machete-wielding man’s strength suddenly surged for an instant.

The sword was pushed back, and the machete-wielding man leaped back.

This man was strong. I wanted to take him down with that blow.

“My life is dedicated to the god. I swore on the day the beast killed my wife and child that I would harvest every last beast.”

As the machete-wielding man said this, he suddenly pulled a bottle from his pocket.

Then he downed its contents in one gulp.

(Is that a painkiller?)

I thought for a moment, but the machete-wielding man’s entire body began to tremble.

“I can feel the breath of the god… Ah, I can feel it!”

It was likely some kind of drug.

The light faded from his bloodshot eyes.

It must have contained a substance that robbed him of his sanity.

“――――!!”

A soundless voice reverberated through the air.

Liese behind me seemed to be paralyzed with fear.

The machete-wielding man’s left arm had stopped bleeding.

He was using his muscles to staunch the blood.

What a feat of strength. Normally, the pain would be unbearable, but in that state, he likely felt none.

But that was a wrong choice.

I was an adventurer. My job was to exterminate monsters.

Even if the gap in strength widened, it actually made things easier.

His calmness had vanished.

The machete-wielding man had lost the caution he had before, and with incredible strength, he swung his machete with such force that even a single hit could be fatal.

I had to discern this, evade, deflect, and press forward.

Whether I could do that was the crux of the matter.

Amidst the storm of relentless attacks, I thrust my sword into the machete-wielding man’s chest.

And then I forcefully pinned him against the wall.

Even striking the heart wouldn’t necessarily mean instant death.

I needed to keep my guard up until he stopped moving.

This moment was the most dangerous.