212. King of the North (6)
#212
A sting shot like a comet pierced Barca’s chest. It was an incredibly fast sword strike incomparable to what I saw in Jager’s room. Barka gasped in pain as if his body was on fire.
“Huh…!”
“Throw it away.”
Ronan twisted his blade vertically and raised it. The red blade quickly moved north splitting bones and internal organs. If things continued like this his head would be split in half from below. Barca demonstrating superhuman strength launched himself to the side.
“Aaaah!”
Wow! The blade whose trajectory was distorted tore through his right side and protruded out. It was Jaifa’s younger brother who reacted at this speed. Ronan clicked his tongue as he twisted his sword around.
“Perseverance.”
“Do you really think I’m going to be treated like this?”
Internal organs were spilling out of his torn side. It is said that he escaped instant death but the wounds must have been fatal so he showed great tenacity.
At that time the sparkling mana blooming on Barka’s shoulder became even stronger. I hadn’t noticed it until now but it was almost the same size as the bishops. Barka pushed Ronan away with one large swing of his arm and roared in anger.
“Kaaaa!!”
In an instant Barca’s physique swelled to almost twice its size. Ronan raised his eyebrows. It was one of the abilities used by Ahayute on the battlefield of the past.
‘Is that the power he received?’
The wounds on his chest and side were also healing quickly. The expanding robe was torn revealing an upper body covered in scars. Barca now more muscular than Jaifa swung his claws.
“Die!”
It was a much stronger and sharper attack than before. Of course it didn’t really matter whether that was the case or not. Ronan responded by charging head-on instead of dodging. The blade which turned elegantly passed by Barca’s left arm. Suddenly! The cleanly severed forearm fell onto the deck. Ronan covered in his hot blood muttered indifferently.
“Do you still have any funds left?”
“Huh! Oh how…!”
Barka was shocked and looked at his severed left arm. Something that couldn’t happen was happening. Is this guy really human?
Something had to be done but there was no time to plan. Sgak! Ronan’s slash flew straight through Barka’s neck and passed horizontally.
“Big…billion!”
Barka’s eyes grew so big that they almost seemed like they would pop out. Fortunately he was able to avoid being beheaded because he pulled his body back but about half of his cervical vertebrae were severed. His blood spurted out and soaked the sea.
‘If this continues I will die.’
My consciousness was fading. Only then did Barka realize that he could not defeat Ronan in hand-to-hand combat. Having decided on something he struck the deck with his remaining right arm. Kwaaaaang! The ship split in half and shattered. A surge of spray covered the sky.
“What the fuck!?”
“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh…!”
Barka sank into the water. Ronan lost his balance and was about to fall. A beluga whale that had been waiting in advance supported his back with its head. Thanks to this he was able to jump onto his whale’s back without falling into the water. Adeshan’s voice came from behind.
“Ronan! are you okay?!”
Adeshan was approaching on another dolphin. Ronan who took control of the dolphin’s mind and was quick to act was sent first and followed late.
She too looked like a wet mouse. Her noticeably pale complexion was noticeable. After wiping his face once Ronan opened his mouth.
“I’m fine. But the crazy guy suddenly destroyed the boat….”
He had no idea what she was thinking as she threw herself into the sea mortally wounded. Perhaps because of the debris covering the surface of the water it was not visible. Adeshan who was suddenly looking around let out an expression of astonishment.
“Over there!”
“yes?”
Ronan turned his head and looked where she was pointing. Something was wriggling in the deep water beneath the drift ice about 20 meters away.
It didn’t take long to figure out that it was Barca. In his desperately struggling hand he held a pure white scroll. Ugh! Ronan’s eyes widened at the sight of the portal that soon appeared in front of him.
“Ha ha ha.”
Only then did Ronan realize that the bastard had fallen into the water on purpose. Ronan reflexively grabbed the hilt of his sword and concentrated his mind. La Mancha’s sword body was dyed the color of the sunset.
“Come here.”
Paaaa…! A halo of light that attracts the opponent was shot toward the sea floor. However there was no change in Barca’s movements. A plump cod that had been brought in to replace him appeared before Ronan’s eyes.
“Is this why you went into the water?”
The cod that was fluttering in the air returned to the water. Ronan twisted his lips. Aiming was not accurate perhaps because the light was refracted by the water. He was about to activate his aura once again. Adeshan who was next to him shouted urgently.
“That won’t work. Let’s go Ronan!”
“yes?”
That was the moment Ronan turned his head. He said the dolphins carrying him and Ade Shan dived into the water. Because he entered suddenly he ended up drinking a little water.
“Fugeook…!”
His face was so cold it felt like it was going to be torn apart. I was able to keep from being thrown away thanks to barely holding on to his fin. Ade Shan’s voice echoed in his head.
[Come over here and catch me!]
Ronan nodded his head. It seemed like there was something planned. Ronan who had transferred to her dolphin of Ade Shan hugged her from behind. Her white dolphin body shot like a bullet. The messenger of the sea who specialized in swimming closed the distance between Barka and the two in the blink of an eye.
Barka’s body had already disappeared inside the portal leaving only his legs behind. Ade Shan gathered mana into his arms and swung his whip. Sigh! The steel snake which fully extended his body wrapped around Barca’s left ankle.
“Uuuuuup!”
Barka was embarrassed and struggled with his legs. Ronan realizing Adeshan’s plan pulled the handles of his whip together. Because the difference in physique was so great the two people were drawn to Barca’s direction.
[Harder!]
Adeshan shouted again. The two people let go of their fins and crossed the water faster than a dolphin. Barca’s figure disappeared into the portal.
Shuak! The portal that had swallowed Ronan and Adeshan in the nick of time closed its mouth. Ronan’s eyes turned pitch black along with the feeling of his stomach being squeezed.
****
“Huh oh oh!”
My vision became brighter. Since he was able to breathe it didn’t seem like he was underwater. Ronan came to her senses and jumped upright. She almost fell because the floor was made of ice.
“Ugh….”
When she opened her mouth the seawater that had been trapped in her poured out. Neither Barka nor Adeshan were in sight. She quickly looked around and saw Ade Shan’s figure sprawled on the floor.
“Damn you senior.”
It seemed like she lost consciousness while jumping through space. She was lying there with her face white and not breathing. Ronan rushed to her and performed artificial respiration on her.
“Hmm!”
Her lips touched several times but she had no time to think strange thoughts. I was in the middle of repeating the process of breathing into her and compressing her chest about 15 times. Her eyes opened as she bounced her upper body like a spring.
“Cough! Haaaa…haaah…!”
“Fuck… thank goodness.”
Ronan sighed in relief. Ade Shan turned over on her side and started coughing up seawater. Fortunately there seemed to be no life-threatening effects. she asked without even turning her head.
“Ro Ronan…Woooop Barca?”
It was incredible persistence to say something like that the moment he came back from the dead. The handle of the whip was still held in her right hand. Even while she was unconscious she didn’t let go. Ronan said.
“I can’t see it right now but it’s definitely nearby. Wait a minute…!”
“huh?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. His gaze rested on the opposite end of the whip Adeshan was holding. Accordingly Ade Shan turning her head gasped. His broken ankle was wrapped around a whip.
“You cut off my ankle…!”
“You really are a terrible bastard.”
Ronan laughed as if he were dumbfounded. The cut surface was dirty so it looked like it had been forcibly torn off. It seemed like it was cut while moving through space and fell in a different place than us. Adeshan who was looking around tilted his head.
“Anyway here…”
“yes. “I think I’ve come further than I thought.”
There was ice everywhere. The irregularly cracked ice field was reminiscent of the scales of a huge fish. The cold unlike anything he had ever experienced was digging into his bones.
An unidentifiable sound was echoing beneath the dark sky. The eerie echoing sound that could not possibly be attributed to a living person suggested where they were now. Ronan who helped Adeshan up muttered softly.
“…Sea of Ghosts.”
“Did the spatial movement fail? Why in a place like this…”
“I don’t think so. “What about blood acupuncture needles?”
“Oh wait a minute.”
Adeshan who was rummaging through his arms took out a blood needle. I was fortunate not to lose it in the sea. Her eyes widened as she checked the needle.
“Ro Ronan. Are you moving now? “It’s very close too.”
“What really?”
“huh. “There is no need to look at the blood acupuncture needle.”
“Well I wonder how far a guy with his arms and legs cut off would have gone…”
The reason there were no blood stains was probably because the wound froze immediately. Ronan closed his eyes and concentrated. Indeed just as she said she could sense Barka’s presence not far away.
The two people quickly got ready and started walking. The wind was blowing so strong that it was difficult to open my eyes. Adeshan glanced back at Ronan and whispered.
“Thank you for that…thank you.”
“ok? “What is it?”
Ronan asked but Ade Shan did not answer. She still had vivid memories of that time when she was on the brink of death after drinking her own water. Ade Shan touched her lips once and shook her head.
“…It’s nothing. “Oh look over there!”
Then Adeshan noticed something and extended her index finger in front of her. A sailing ship lay on the icy sea. The huge ship which was probably 100 meters long from bow to stern looked exactly like the carcass of an ancient whale.
Because the flag had been torn off her affiliation could not be confirmed. Judging from the many gun ports it had it looked like a ship used as a battleship. The needle of the acupuncture needle was pointing exactly at that sailing ship.
The two soon arrived in front of the boat. When I saw it up close its power felt much greater. Adeshan who was closely examining the ship nodded.
“I’m sure. “It’s in here.”
“great. “Let’s finish it quickly.”
The needle of the blood acupuncture needle was also pointing straight ahead. Suddenly Ronan grabbed the hilt of her sword. He had no intention of getting caught up in Barca’s nonsense any longer.
“Sigh!”
Ronan gathered her strength and swung her sword across her. Kwaaaaang! The sword energy poured out like a torrent and hit the vertical deck directly. Before long the smoke blew away and the dilapidated cabin of the ship was revealed.
“It’s so amazing….”
“I see. “I didn’t know it would be like this.”
She admired Ade Shan as she opened her mouth. Ronan also laughed at the power that exceeded her expectations. The power of her overall technique had increased since she felt the burning pain in her heart a moment ago.
Is this the power I originally had? The two men moved forward along the cave-like interior of the ship. The unique smell of old wood was prevalent.
“…It looks like a ship that ran aground a long time ago.”
“Where did you find something like this?”
The tilted ship was empty. A cross section on either side showed an empty space and cannons with their heads on the floor.
“ok?”
At that time Ronan noticed something and stopped in place. I could see the ice exposed under the torn off floor and the floor door there.
“This is…”
The bottom door was wide open. Below that a staircase just wide enough for a were tiger to pass through led down to the ice sea.
Unlike the ship which seemed to be a thousand years old the bottom door did not look that old. Apparently the ship was a trick and this seemed like the entrance to a real hideout.
Barca’s energy was coming from exactly down there. The two people exchanged a glance and headed down the stairs. Tap tap tap. Every time I took a step my footsteps echoed. Ronan who was holding a shining sword as a torch opened his mouth.
“It won’t be a trap this time.”
“huh. “It feels different than then.”
Adeshan answered confidently. In fact it didn’t seem like a trap even to Ronan.
From the beginning it was clear that Barca had been here just a moment ago. His claw marks and blood stains here and there on the walls and floor were proof of him.
The stairs soon ended. A wide hallway spread out in front of the two.
Unlike the damn ice cave the stone paving stones were properly laid. Similarly on the neatly finished wall luminescent stones were embedded at regular intervals. Ronan who was looking around cursed.
“I have decorated this dog’s house properly.”
“…disgusting smell.”
Adeshan frowned. As she said various foul odors were present in the stagnant air. Even the smell of poisonous plants and various animals. Could it be a remnant of black magic and necromancy?
The smell grew stronger as she walked. The two people who were walking following Barca’s footsteps reached a room. Ronan tilted his head at the ordinary space that did not match the suspicious location.
“Is this… the office?”
The space was not very spacious compared to Were Tiger’s size. The room which was about twice the size of Ronan’s dormitory was equipped with everyday furniture such as a desk chair and bed. There seemed to be no place where Barca could hide her body.
“It’s not here right?”
“huh. “We have to go a little further.”
Ade Shan shook her head in response to Ronan’s question. Her blood gauge also pointed to a door on the opposite wall. Suddenly Ronan’s eyes which were looking around landed on the desk. There were piles of parchment lying around.
“…what?”
There were quite a few things that bothered me that I couldn’t just ignore. This was especially true of the frayed edges and the unique handwriting even when viewed from a distance.
The exciting handwriting like a dancing earthworm clearly belonged to someone he knew. Ronan narrowed his eyes as he picked up a piece of her parchment.
“This is…Zaipa’s handwriting.”
