Death Leveling Chapter 44

[ … words ]

“Wh—”

He slowly turned his head to the side—I had my arm around him, so you can imagine the surprise.

I slid a single finger along the side of his head and, with an abrupt grin, extended my nail.

It was instantaneous.

I slowly dragged my finger upward, slicing the side of his head completely open.

“Thh—”

He quickly went quiet and limp, his mouth widening in pain.

His death was almost immediate and, consequently, painless—unfortunately.

“RETAINERS!!” the man who was about to take their “product” yelled in fear and panic.

Two men drew their swords—one lunged straight at me, while the other seemingly evaporated into thin air.

My eyes were fixed on the one blatantly charging at me, so I didn’t quite catch the other one moving.

As he pounced at me without even touching the ground, gradually lightning began scintillating out of his blade.

Oh?—is the other one like that as well? I thought in reminisce of Ariel and his showdown with one of these.

Immediately, I let go of the man whose head I had sliced open—raised both of my hands as if surrendering, stepped backwards a step or two, and proceeded to harden my right palm.

“Wowie?”

His blade went straight through the stomach of the man I had let go—didn’t expect him to be that merciless. Cute.

Despite his blade being buried in the man’s body, I immediately caught it with my hand.

Out of the force, my hand and the blade trembled.

Suddenly, the man shouted, “AAAAAAAAAAH!!!” and the electricity intensified.

For a moment or two, I closed my right eye—the electricity was slightly uncomfortable.

Then, the other man appeared—from behind me, had his blade go straight at me towards the side of my stomach.

Holding one man’s blade, I abruptly swung it downward into the other man’s—my palm landed on his as well, allowing me to hold both blades at once.

I couldn’t hold them for much longer with a single hand…

So my left hand immediately went to the man’s face, grabbed him by the hair, and plunged his head straight into the electricity.

“F—fuck!!”

“AH!! Don’t just stand there!!”

It was almost like a signal to the one whose friend had been sliced.

He drew his blade and stabbed me straight in the stomach…

“Owie…” I whispered with a smile.

I knew that one was weak—a normal human at best, at worst a child reacting purely out of instinct.

The one whose blade I had caught subsequently let go of it and drove his fist into the side of my head… I didn’t react.

Then, the one whose head had been electrified snapped out of it.

He let go of his blade, only to instantly grab it again with both hands, yelling in pain and determination.

“Shi—” I let out—my hand was getting pushed towards me, I couldn’t hold it out with just one hand.

So… I jumped backwards—with the weak one’s kitchen knife still in me, I took it out and…

“Scary,” then dropped it on the ground.

I proceeded to raise both my hands in a requiem-esque manner, putting them on display—the wound began to burn, smoke pouring from it, before subsequently healing as though he had never wounded me.

“You’re— you’re one of them?! Why are you attacking us?!”

“Huh?”

I yet again opened my eyes—what did he mean by that?

He glanced at his friend then both of them nodded their heads in sync.

Both of them immediately lunged at me again, this time in sync, swinging their blades at me from opposite sides.

Suddenly, a mild smirk popped up on my face—I wanted to test something.

Rather than dodging their strike, I pierced myself onto one of their blades and instantly clamped my muscles in spite of the electricity—and then immediately swung with both of my hands straight at their necks.

Both leapt in time to avoid my strike—quite speedy, aren’t they?

They backed away—leaving their blades—and glared at me in bafflement, clearly uncertain of what to do in this repulsively splendid scenery.

I suppose, there’s no wonder Ariel had no trouble with one of them—they’re quite weak, but certainly a better challenge than most organ hunters.

Admittedly, their tendency to let go of their blades seemed counterintuitive—should a swordsman do that?—what will you do without a weapon? I get why the one that pierced me left his blade, but what about the other one?—did he panic?

I pulled the blade out of me and dropped it on the ground… blood poured out yet I was still ominously sneering.

I suppose, this body comes in quite handy—it’s advantageous and my immortality is a clear surprise factor.

“If you’re not going to attack, then…”

This time, I pounced at one of them.

He immediately took a step back, his eyes painted in panic.

I raised my right hand beside the left side of my neck, then swung it at him as though it were a sword—only to feel someone’s bicep against my neck.

The other one had grabbed me from behind, holding me back and preventing me from reaching him.

“HURRY!!” he shouted as the one I had attacked paused for a moment before rushing towards the blade on the ground.

I smirked and relaxed my neck—immediately, it snapped, and I ducked beneath his arms.

The man came straight at me with his blade, but the moment he saw me free myself, the light in his eyes died—he knew what was about to happen.

He had thrown himself at me with all his force, and now he couldn’t stop himself from reaching me.

I simply let him come, then pierced straight through his stomach with my hand.

My back was exposed to the other one, but I knew his fear wouldn’t allow him to do anything so brave.

I let go of the man’s body, and it fell limp…

I slowly turned around, a small smear of blood staining my face.

He knew… he had no chance against me.

Rather than attempting anything, he went down on his knees in defeat and simply…

“Just kill me.”

Instantly, his head was flying in the air—I sliced his head off in a blink of an eye.

Then turned over to all the other organ hunters…

All of them in sweat grabbed their weapons, but they were regular hunters rather than the so-called “retainers.”

Petals began graciously falling from a scarlet flower.

A requiem of death.