Chapter 169: Human Hunt (3)

“Eh? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Are you chickening out?”

“Of course not.”

“Sure looks like it.”

“You’re misunderstanding.”

“Give me the hand mirror.”

“Eh?”

Yuri flipped the hand mirror and used it to reflect Jared’s face.

“Look.”

“The mirror, suddenly?”

“Your expression.”

Jared’s eyes rolled.

Then he tensed his facial muscles and looked up fiercely.

“…”

“What?”

“You changed your expression in an instant.”

“This is how I normally look.”

Yuri put the mirror away. Jared’s sad expression returned, and he protested.

“That aside, wouldn’t it be better to just retreat? The main unit is already on the way…”

Yuri raised his palm.

“Stop.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t move your face. Stay just like that. Don’t move.”

“…”

“Now, look.”

Yuri showed him the hand mirror. Jared stared intently at it.

“That’s your true face. Are you still going to say you’re not scared?”

Jared changed his expression again.

“Hey.”

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“What?”

“Alright. That damn Empire… let’s destroy it. Who do they think they are calling Briol a backwater village? Let’s show them what the land of knights really is.”

“Perfect. Laurent?”

“I’ll follow the prince wherever he goes.”

“Then it’s settled.”

Yuri took jerky from the equipment of the knights they’d killed and bit into it.

“We’re going to destroy the 9th Knight Squadron. Including their commander, Elpeso. That’s our mission.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We need to wear them down as much as possible before the war.”

Yuri’s group began moving again.

Apparently, word of the previous skirmish hadn’t gotten out yet, because the next group they found was also lying about carelessly.

“The higher the number of the Empire’s squadrons, the worse they seem.”

“You might be right.”

Yuri aimed with his bow.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

The clean-up began once again. But one of the imperial knights turned out to have a bit more sense and fired a warning flare as soon as the battle began, giving away their location.

“Damn it.”

Laurent immediately decapitated the enemy. Four bodies rolled across the ground. Yuri gave orders swiftly.

“Run! We’ve been spotted.”

“Yes.”

They ran through the mountain. It felt like the bushes were moving everywhere.

It was hard to tell if it was wild beasts or people.

“Prince.”

“Hmm?”

“What if we just retreat already?”

Laurent answered instead.

“Jared. You still don’t know the prince?”

“Well…”

“When he sets his mind on something, he follows through. That’s the prince.”

“Yeah…”

“So don’t say anything more.”

“Fine…”

Yuri let out a nasal sigh. He was seriously considering retreating to Briol since they had been discovered earlier than planned… but Laurent seemed to have great faith in him.

Jared muttered.

“I think the prince regrets it a little…”

“Hey, Jared.”

“Understood, Sir Laurent!”

Yuri closed his eyes. He had no other choice. Sometimes, the world pushes you forward.

Just then—

“There they are! Enemies!”

A flare shot up from a nearby spot. Yuri glanced quickly.

They were on higher ground than the path they were running along.

Yuri clicked his tongue.

“Damn it.”

Until now, they had been careless, but these were still imperial soldiers. Now that the alarm was triggered, they’d start acting seriously.

Yuri expanded his perception.

He sensed enemies everywhere. Like a swarm of ants chasing prey.

Yuri looked at Laurent and Jared.

“Looks like…”

He scanned the terrain in view.

“We’re going to have to fight for real.”

Laurent and Jared stared at him.

“Understood.”

“Sorry. This is all our fault…”

“No.”

Yuri shook his head.

“If you two are weak, then the rest of the knights should be dead already.”

Both had grown immensely traveling with Yuri. They were young, but far stronger than the average knight.

That Yuri was absurdly strong didn’t take away from them; the two were also worthy of being called prodigies.

It wouldn’t be long before their names appeared among the next candidates for the Ten Greats.

“Maybe I’m pushing things… but I can’t just run away, right?”

“Of course.”

“Let’s tear apart the 9th Squadron.”

The two responded with determined faces at Yuri’s signal.

“Drop the baggage. We need to move fast.”

The group ditched unnecessary gear and broke into a run. They sensed presences all around. Now they were the ones being hunted.

Yuri curved his lips.

The moment he sensed danger, his mind sharpened. His heart pounded, and his body accelerated.

Using the Cut of the Soul and the Heart to summon chaos became easier.

If he slipped, he might be consumed by the “Heavenly Demon,” but that was better than dying now.

“There.”

Up ahead, someone’s head appeared through the brush. Yuri charged full speed. Laurent and Jared fell behind, but he dove through the bushes without hesitation.

The enemy barely had time to raise his sword. Yuri didn’t want to waste time.

He feigned a sword clash and instead drove his foot into the man’s abdomen.

“Gah!”

As the knight collapsed, Yuri drove his sword into the helmet.

The blade cleaved him in two. The remains spilled apart.

But there was no time to stop. There were four per team. As soon as Yuri killed one, the other three reacted.

Three swords came flying toward him.

The Empire’s knights were all high-level. That’s why they couldn’t be fought with common methods.

Yuri summoned chaos again. Even if it meant suffering internal strain, it granted him, at least temporarily, power comparable to the Ten Greats.

The effect was immediate. Yuri’s speed increased.

He slid nimbly between three seemingly impossible slashes and pierced one knight’s side. The armor warped, and Guilty shredded through flesh.

One fell.

Turning outward, he faced the next with his sword. The weapons clashed, and when the enemy faltered from the force difference, Yuri launched a kick straight to his head.

Using the recoil, he leapt toward the last. His sword descended from above.

With overwhelming power, he cleaved the knight from helmet to chest.

The body, split in two, fell lifeless. Three died in the blink of an eye.

Yuri caught his breath.

“Wow, prince…”

Laurent and Jared held their breath at his skill.

“How was that? Cool, right?”

“Are you alright?”

“Of course.”

Yuri felt he was growing more accustomed to using chaos. He controlled it faster and more precisely, adjusting its effects to his will.

“Your eyes…”

“My eyes?”

“They’re bloodshot.”

Yuri touched his eyes. He felt the heat rising.

“Seriously?”

Then he realized he was still immersed in the soul domain. He was so used to it that he hadn’t even noticed.

His vision returned to normal. He felt a slight dizziness and stumbled for a second, but regained his balance.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Yuri smiled broadly.

“This is nothing.”

But Laurent and Jared’s expressions were not calm.

“Prince, you’re pushing yourself too hard.”

Even without knowing about suffering an internal deviation, both were worried.

Yuri frowned.

“Jared.”

“Yes.”

“The hand mirror.”

Taking the mirror Jared handed him, Yuri looked at his face. Though his eyes were a little red, he didn’t seem to have changed much.

“Not bad.”

“I’m not talking about your appearance… but your energy.”

“My energy?”

“It feels a bit murky.”

Yuri’s Cut of the soul and the heart was originally a pure and clear technique.

It conveyed a sense of serenity. But invoking the power of chaos was different.

A dark, murky energy seeped out.

It was, in a way, natural. Chaos was a mix of everything, so impurities were inevitable.

“I’m fine.”

Yuri shrugged.

“I’ve got this under control.”

And he gripped his sword again. They didn’t have time to keep chatting.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Yuri started walking, a slight smile on his face. He no longer feared the enemy.

Moyongchan had said not even the Heavenly Demon could resist internal deviation.

But Yuri didn’t care.

He had returned to set everything right. He could overcome it.

Compared to the hell of his previous life, this was nothing but a dream.

“There.”

Yuri’s perception picked up enemies once again. Suddenly, he sprang forward and vanished silently.

Laurent and Jared fell silent for a moment at the sight of his movement.

They tried to follow him quickly, but couldn’t catch up. By the time they arrived, Yuri would already be done.

“Sir Laurent.”

“Hmm?”

“Today, the prince… feels very far away.”

“And indeed… he is.”

Yuri was already far ahead.

“He’s gotten too strong all of a sudden. Is this really okay?”

“Since he killed Yalta, he changed.”

“Maybe you get stronger after a fight to the death?”

“Could be.”

Laurent sighed. It had been a long time since he swore loyalty to the third prince.

He had trained consistently to catch up to him, but the gap only kept growing.

Thanks to that they were still alive, yes, but he couldn’t help feeling frustrated.

“Sir Laurent. It shows what you’re thinking.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m your escort. And I’m the one being protected now. I should be the one feeling useless.”

“But you helped too, Jared.”

“How?”

“The mirror.”

“…”

“It was useful to the prince. I should carry one too.”

“If you had lent it, he wouldn’t have teased you.”

“Probably.”

“Why?”

“Because it suits me.”

“Wow…”

When Laurent and Jared arrived at his position, Yuri had already killed four Imperial knights.

They stopped for a moment. The eyes with which Yuri looked at them were cold.

“You’ve arrived?”

But it was only for a second. Yuri soon returned to his usual expression and smiled.

“Scary, huh? My skill.”

The four knights had fallen with barely any resistance.

Jared spoke.

“Looks like, after this war, the Ten Greats will become the Eleven Greats.”

The three checked the corpses for useful items. They didn’t find much. Yuri took some jerky and spoke.

“Hmm…”

“What is it?”

“Looks like they used a trick.”

“Huh?”

“They’re approaching.”

Yuri’s perception had expanded considerably. He could clearly feel how the Imperial knights were moving.

“They’re tracking us with something…”

Yuri looked up at the sky. A bird was circling above them.

“A mage.”

“What do we do?”

“Gather for a moment.”

The two approached Yuri. Yuri lowered his head.

“So…”

“Yes?”

“Don’t be scared. I’m going to move suddenly.”

“Huh?”

Just when it seemed he was about to speak, Yuri grabbed his bow, notched an arrow, and aimed at the sky.

The arrow sliced through the air before the bird could even flap its wings. It pierced its chest precisely.

Its wings stopped and the body plummeted. It all happened in an instant.

“That must’ve surprised them.”

Yuri approached the corpse. Although it was a common bird, it had a pendant with a gem on its leg.

“They used the bird to locate us.”

“Then they already know our position.”

“That’s right.”

Yuri closed his eyes and examined the surroundings. After using the power of chaos, his mind was sharper, like he’d taken a stimulant.

He could clearly perceive the enemies’ location.

“Let’s go that way.”

Yuri pointed with his finger. It was toward the mountain.

“We’re climbing higher?”

“No choice. That’s the weakest point right now.”

“What if it’s a trap?”

“It might be.”

Yuri wiped Guilty’s blade with a knight’s corpse.

“But this time, I think it’s better to fall into the trap.”

“Understood.”

Jared sighed.

“I thought we’d fight a little and then leave, but looks like we’re going all the way.”

“Didn’t I say that from the start?”

***

Elpeso clenched his teeth.

“They must not escape alive.”

The mage tracking the three knights of Briol collapsed after the sudden disruption of his spell.

It was an impressive skill.

The “Beast of Briol,” Jared.

An unknown name, but with the potential to become a great threat to the Empire.

“If we don’t kill them now, they’ll be a huge obstacle in the future.”

They were strong, yes, but the 9th squadron still retained most of its strength.

Even if they were part of the Ten Greats, it would be hard to break the encirclement.

“Let’s drive them to the top of the mountain. And hunt them.”

Elpeso’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

“Either they die, or we do. There’s no other option. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”