Chapter 287 - Ah-Ah, Spit It Out. That's Not Food.

Just as Encrid moved to the front of the troops, a sharp-eyed scout spoke.

"Someone's coming out."

As he said, a man was trudging out from the viscount's army. Dim sunlight filtered through the clouds and spilled over his head.

'That build...'

He was rather big, wasn't he? As big as Audin.

Encrid stared at the man, whose size seemed to warp perspective even from a distance. He was coming on foot, not on horseback. His pace was neither slow nor fast, but it betrayed confidence. What else would bring a man alone into the middle of a battlefield?

"Shall we shoot?" one of the archers asked.

"No," Encrid answered.

Still uneasy despite his answer, some of the missile troops reached for their bowstrings, then lowered their hands. Battles began with archers loosing arrows. That was a basic principle of war.

WOOF! WOOF! GRRRR!

Several wolves barked behind the man. The racket was deafening, but he merely dug a finger into his ear before shouting.

"My name is Lycanos! Send out your best fighter!"

He stamped his foot as he spoke, shaking the ground with a boom. How could anyone be that strong?

The soldiers' spirits chilled. Rem seemed to have been beaten, and this challenger was terrifying. He looked every bit a match for the supposedly magnificent Encrid.

One of the finest tactics for crushing an enemy's morale before battle: a duel. When you held a card you couldn't lose with, it was only right to play it. Black Blade, of course, had a card ready too.

Ragna stepped forward. Audin reacted as well. Encrid drew his sword and swept it down before the two of them, lightly and without haste.

WHOOSH.

The blue-tinged blade traced an arc through the air, barring their way.

"He's mine. You two find something else to do."

Encrid's gaze remained fixed on Lycanos.

Even so, he was also considering how to handle the fighting and the battlefield. How many engagements would there be? And what could he gain today? Krais had set the stage. Reaping its rewards was his part.

'When did I become so confident?'

Confidence surged within his chest, urging him into this fight. Encrid did not dislike it. The position he had always wanted, the place he longed to reach, was waiting for him.

"Jaxon."

"Yes."

"Find an opening and bring me the pig's head."

Today would do, or the next battle. It did not matter if it took time, but what needed removing had to be removed.

"Certainly."

Jaxon nodded casually. That was reassuring. He would not fail.

"Audin, Teresa. Doesn't there seem to be something huge among those wolves?"

There had been three enormous beasts when they infiltrated the enemy camp, and one seemed to remain. No, was this one even bigger? It wouldn't matter. It was merely an oversized demonic beast. But he must not let ordinary soldiers face it. His instincts told him so.

"It shall be as you wish, brother. Let us pray."

Audin clasped his hands and quietly stepped back. Beside him, Teresa dropped to one knee.

"As you command."

Then Dunbachel tugged at Encrid's clothes. Ragna stood beside her. His eyes were cold, but their message was clear. He would fight. He was eager. His sword could cut that thing down now.

Seeing Ragna motivated was more enjoyable than Encrid had expected. His laziness had never frustrated Encrid, but watching such talent go to waste could hardly be pleasant. Of course, Encrid had a heart sturdy enough to shrug it off, so it did not bother him.

'A motivated genius.'

Seeing Ragna eager was a pleasure. Just because the opposite did not trouble him did not mean this could not delight him. And he was pleased with himself for having caught up enough to stand beside this Ragna.

"Run wild. Cut down everyone you see. But only after that wolf is stopped."

If the enemy had brought a giant wolf, this side had a Beastman fiercer than any wolf and a sword that could cut anything. Unleashing them among the ordinary soldiers would tip the battle in their favor. There was no need to make any more of a damn spectacle to raise morale. Those two entering the fray would change its course. They would demonstrate why it was a truth that an elite few ruled the battlefield.

That was enough. Dunbachel nodded and snorted before answering.

That was enough. Dunbachel nodded and snorted before answering.

"I'll make it a fight worthy of Krimhalt's eyes."

Krimhalt was the god the Beastmen worshipped. The god of war and reproduction. To show a fight to their god meant to fight without shame. This was Rem's doing. The barbarian's torment had evolved one Beastman into a lunatic Beastman.

"I'll leave him to you."

At Ragna's calm words, Encrid started forward.

"About time someone came out. I was beginning to think none of you had anything between your legs. Going to keep me here till morning?"

Lycanos slapped his crotch as he shouted. It was a taunt meant to bolster his own troops' morale, not a question that needed an answer.

"Yeah! Got nothing down there!"

"Not a thing!"

"Fucking moron!"

The enemy troops hurled abuse.

Their own troops shouted back.

"What a load of shit!"

"He's got one!"

"A massive one!"

"You verminous bandit bastards!"

As Encrid trudged forward through the curses and cheers, Graham asked from behind him,

"You can win, can't you?"

"Yes. Even if I die, I'll win."

Was he prepared to die? Graham folded his arms, hiding his anxiety. Encrid had merely been honest. He meant it literally. If what stood before him was a wall, if it was death, he would get beyond it. And so he would win.

Strangely, Encrid stood before the man without the slightest excitement. His body felt neither particularly good nor particularly bad.

"I've got one. Probably bigger than yours, too."

At Encrid's opening words, Lycanos's mouth twisted. Listen to this cheeky bastard.

"Bigger than mine?"

"I've never met anyone bigger than me."

"... Arrogant little shit. I'll strip you and check. You're that bastard, aren't you? Encrid, or whatever they call you."

His opponent already knew his name. Of course, Encrid knew him as well. He had heard that Lycanos was one of the true powers within the Black Blade Bandits. The man was as big as Audin, and the heavy weapon strapped to his back suggested how he fought.

Lycanos slid his left foot forward, just inside the distance Encrid had established. Encrid reacted at once, drawing the sword at his left hip and slashing. Having stepped within range, Lycanos retreated with speed that belied his bulk, taking two more steps back than he had advanced.

WHOOSH.

The blade split the air. As the sword rose diagonally, Lycanos swung his own weapon.

WHUMP!

A black shadow curved forward from behind his head. Seeing the weapon plunge straight down, Encrid moved his feet.

SHFF!

He skimmed across the ground to change position, stepping his right foot sideways to circle onto his opponent's flank. The mace slammed into the spot he had vacated.

BOOM!

Dirt and stones flew in every direction. Some struck Encrid's head and body, but he ignored the small debris. The moment he reached the flank, he drew the dwarf's gladius and thrust it straight out. The stab he had learned while repeating his first today shot toward Lycanos's side. A blindingly fast thrust.

Lycanos raised his arm and trapped the blade against his side. The sword was caught between his arm and torso. His reflexes, and the response itself, were astonishing. He twisted to snap the sword, but it did not go as he intended.

"Fucking sturdy thing!"

Bellowing in anger, he swung the mace again.

WHUMP!

The pressure of the wind bore down on Encrid's face ahead of the horizontally sweeping mace. Without looking, he judged its trajectory by sound alone and ducked. The blunt weapon passed over his head, capable of crushing and tearing human skin with even a glancing blow.

Encrid activated the Heart of the Superhuman and twisted the gladius.

'Hup.'

With a short inward breath, the muscles of his left arm swelled as if they would burst.

KRRRCH!

The twisting blade threatened to grind through flesh at Lycanos's side and arm. Unable to endure it, he released the blade he had pinned against his body.

"You bastard."

Blood streamed down the inside of his forearm. The armor at his side was merely scored, but the flesh inside his arm had been thoroughly gouged.

"Does it hurt?"

Encrid spoke as he visibly steadied his breathing, then drove the sword in his right hand straight down. At the same time, he withdrew the gladius and sheathed it.

Lycanos pulled back from the incoming stroke. He was no fool who did nothing but swing a mace. His movements were compact and clean. He was an opponent with years of training and a wealth of actual combat experience.

The blade cut through empty air with a whistle. Beyond its passing edge, Lycanos watched Encrid. Something about his dull brown eyes reminded Encrid of Jaxon. In other words, he looked devious.

CRACK.

He kicked off the ground and charged again. The hard, frozen earth broke, flinging up chunks of dirt like stones. Encrid set his left hand on the gladius's hilt. Feigning a draw, he moved his feet again. This time he pushed off with his toes and stepped backward. A backstep that carried him clear of the entire hail of stones rising between them.

'He dodged?'

Despite the question, Lycanos tried to follow through. He raised his mace to swing it diagonally downward, crossing his feet as he sprang forward.

Just before his opponent completed the movement, Encrid released his right-hand sword in midair and swept that hand downward. To an observer, he might have seemed to drop his sword suddenly and slash at empty space. But the whistle dagger in that hand made it an entirely different matter.

TWEEP!

A whistle dagger struck Lycanos in the face at point-blank range. From the moment he first drew his sword, Encrid had expected his opponent to evade and block, so he had swung with a whistle dagger already concealed in his right hand. Now that preparation paid off. He had also picked up the trick of hiding a dagger in a sleeve by watching Torres of the Border Guard. Every one of those techniques had gone into this.

Lycanos's head snapped back, then returned forward. Unfortunately, it was not the sight Encrid had hoped for.

"Yuh bashterd."

The blade was caught between Lycanos's front teeth. One upper tooth had cracked, but he had stopped it.

"Ah-ah, spit it out. That's not food."

Encrid's taunts always hit the mark.

Lycanos spat out the dagger, fire blazing in his eyes.

"I'm going to kill you. And before I do, I'll crush your dick too. Big, is it? I'll mince it until there's nothing left to see."

He seemed determined not to lose the war of words, but Encrid claimed the psychological victory by not offering so much as a sneer.

WHOOSH.

The mace came again. This time, Encrid gripped his sword in both hands to deflect it. Snake Sword. He intended to turn the blow aside and strike, but...

'What brute strength.'

Even with the Heart of the Superhuman active, his opponent was stronger.

'Will?'

He could not help wondering. If there was a Will of refusal, there could also be a Will that granted monstrous strength.

His deflection failed, leaving mace and blade locked together. Lycanos drove the mace forward from that position. Setting his other hand against the opposite end, he drew a sharp breath. He intended to crush Encrid through sheer strength.

Encrid stepped his left foot back. His knee abruptly buckled halfway. He was being overpowered. Pressing down from above, Lycanos spoke.

"What? Thought nobody could overpower you? Hey, fuckface. Did you think you were the only one with muscles?"

'No. There are plenty stronger than me. Always have been.'

Quite apart from Audin, he still wasn't confident he could best Rem, Ragna, or even Teresa in strength.

"Your front tooth's broken."

The man's exertion exposed the broken tooth that had stopped the dagger earlier.

"I don't think the ladies will like that."

Encrid's well-timed remark was more than enough to draw out Lycanos's fury.

"Raaaaaagh!"

The monster roared.

Encrid mustered every ounce of strength, even what he could have spent on a shout. Was this opponent so easily provoked? The fleeting question slipped into his thoughts amid the fight, then vanished. He had neither time nor room for it. His opponent was strong. Terribly strong. Nothing like those half-baked mercenary bastards who claimed to be proto knights or whatever else.

With their weapons still locked, Lycanos took his left hand away, balled it into a fist, and swung.

THUD!

Encrid tensed his trapezius and turned his head to deflect the blow. Balaf-style martial arts: deflecting with the body. Nor did he simply take the hit. He twisted his stance as it landed and kicked his opponent in the shin.

THWACK!

A heavy sound rang against the greave.

"That hurts, you bastard."

Lycanos let go of his weapon altogether.

He reached for Encrid's collar with his right hand. Encrid used his left, drawing his second sword, the gladius, to slice off every finger.

As though he had predicted even that, Lycanos pulled his hand back. Blows and kicks followed in rapid succession. Encrid mixed sword strokes into the close-quarters fighting, but none dealt a critical wound. They traded fierce, savage attacks that could not kill.

One side of Encrid's head was split and bleeding. Lycanos had lost his helmet in the fight, and blood streamed from his split lip and slashed cheek. Encrid had also failed to properly deflect a blow to the stomach and was a little short of breath. In that exchange, however, he had struck Lycanos's chin with the tip of his foot, spun once in midair, and landed in an almost acrobatic martial-arts move, leaving the man's head briefly spinning.

By the time the two broke apart, neither was in good shape.

"Been a while since I met someone like you."

"I meet your sort all the time."

"First time I've met someone who won't lose a single exchange of words, though."

"Ah, I'm used to that."

Used to winning, that is.

GRIND.

Lycanos ground his molars. His broken front tooth left his face somewhat shabby, but his killing intent was undiminished.

"Smug bastard."

After that, Lycanos swung his mace just as before, but Encrid found something odd about it. Something was different, though he could not say what. Nor did he have room to evade by putting a large distance between them.

He had to block. He raised his sword, bringing it gently into contact. This time the mace yielded sideways to the Snake Sword instead of resisting as before.

SKRRRREE!

In the instant he deflected the thick iron club with his blade, in a sliver of a sliver of a moment, Lycanos moved twice as fast as before. Encrid's concentration blazed as never before.

The mace? It was a shell. In that slowed time, Lycanos drew his weapon: a skewer-thin rapier sheathed inside the mace. He thrust the sword he had drawn.

It was faster than any sword Encrid had ever seen. The instant he blocked the sword, it was as though an arrow of light came flying at him. It touched him before his eyes could register it.

Just before that sword could skewer his torso, his dodging sense activated amid concentration so intense that his brain and eyeballs seemed ready to burn. Encrid twisted on instinct. The blade grazed his side instead and burrowed into his right upper arm.

Every instant passed like a dream, like fleeting images. The ring of the sword being drawn, the sound of it digging into flesh, the pain that followed: none of it existed.

He simply moved on reflex to avoid dying in those fragmented, passing scenes, because he always lived each day fighting desperately to survive. The next movement was no different.

He twisted, pulled his right arm back, and slashed upward with the sword in his left hand. The gladius became a terrifyingly fast stroke, striking his opponent's face. Encrid's blade carved from the chin to above the man's left eye.

THUCK! RRRIP!

Two different sounds of rending flesh rang out between them as both drew back. No, they were closer to being flung apart.

"Shoot!"

Someone shouted. Both armies loosed arrows, heedless of the two men still out there. The duel had ended. All-out battle had begun.

Encrid staggered and dropped to one knee. Someone caught him from behind.

"I'll pull you back."

It was Jaxon. Encrid nodded.