Shadow Field Deployment

――Kiin! Kiin! Kyiinn!!

Kaine’s saw-cleaver (nokonata) and the exchange of my Shadow sword.

Blades met and crossed many times.

“Kill, kill, kill, kill——kill!!”

“That’s terrifying, seriously!?”

Weapons touched by «Decay Transfer (Rust-to-Rust)» rapidly rust.

If you repeat sword clashes a few times the weapon breaks on its own, and then he drives his full-force saw-cleaver in — that must be his golden pattern.

Using Dullahan Shadow’s sword as a countermeasure was good, but Kaine hasn’t become so weak that that would give me the advantage.

“Just as I thought, it seems the ‘Shadow’ side has no concept of rusting.”

“Then I’ll slip past the blade and gouge out the flesh—«Rot Sickle (Rusty Scythe)»”

“Gueh!?”

The bandages wrapped around Kaine’s arm moved on their own like a snake and coiled around the saw-cleaver’s haft.

He swung the extended bandage like a whip, and with the saw-cleaver attached to its tip he avoided Dullahan’s sword and slammed into my flank.

So it’s a rust scythe instead of a chain sickle…

“This thing is fucking strong!?”

‘These bandages—seem not only treated by the Holy Church’s anti-decay blessing. By pouring mana into them they can be manipulated freely.’

A saw-toothed blade bit into the gap between my ribs.

“Then this one’s a Shadow headbutt, you bastard!”

“…!?”

I returned the weapon to the shadow—and grabbed with both hands the bandage connected to the saw-cleaver lodged in my flank.

I yanked it as hard as I could!

Kaine lost his balance and fell toward me, so I drove a full-force headbutt into his nose!

‘It’s barbaric and doesn’t take hold on the Shadow at all…’

Ekarraat is exasperated, but brawling techniques are my specialty, and she’s always chatting in response to the moment.

But still, what the hell is a Shadow headbutt….

“Guh!?”

It’s a ridiculous attack, but surprisingly effective—blo9d began to swap from the inside of the bandages on his face.

“Don’t—underestimate me!”

――Smash!

“Goh!?”

Despite the headbutt hitting a vital spot, Kaine does not flinch.

As a reply to the facial attack, Kaine’s fist is driven into my mouth.

Several teeth break off and impale Kaine’s fist—the teeth embedded in his knuckles increase lethality, and the second blow lands on my left eye.

“Gubera!?”

The punch’s force is considerable; I’m blown across the chamber floor, bouncing several times.

My teeth are shattered, my eyeball crushed by my own tooth, and there’s probably a ridiculous bruise as well.

‘You’re even losing at brawling techniques…’

Furthermore, various places were cut in the earlier sword clash, and small amounts of rot have accumulated, numbing my limbs so they won’t move properly.

I must cut away the injured parts again—but the mummy-man isn’t kind enough to calmly watch my self-mutilation.

“«Rot Sickle (Rusty Scythe)»!”

Kaine again extended the bandage wrapped around his weapon and swung it—the saw-cleaver flies at high speed!

At the last moment I summoned Minotaur’s battle-axe and turned my abdomen to use it like a shield.

I judged that the larger surface area of the axe would be more effective as a shield, but the attack, carried by the centrifugal force of a triple-digit level Berserker’s strength, was heavier than imagined— the impact sent my body reeling backward.

――Grab!

――Swift!

――Slash!

Kaine, likely from years of practice, had completely mastered «Decay Transfer (Rust-to-Rust)».

He pulled the bandage in and returned it to his right hand, kicked off the floor, and sprinted toward me while I was off balance.

He twisted his body and did a half spin—

――Roar!

――A full-powered blow wrapped in sword wind rushed in.

“I give up—I’ve lost.”

Kaine—you’re strong.

With the simple combat skill of a Berserker he trained his body to triple-digit levels, and his raw physical ability, honed through countless hellish battles, is sharpened to the level of a master.

Above all, despite his body crying out in pain from rot, his mental strength to perceive and accept it as a blessing from God is extraordinary.

I thought I didn’t lose in that kind of mental strength—the strength of the heart—but I couldn’t match his resolve.

One reason for my defeat is probably that I grew complacent because of my Undead body and took injuries lightly.

‘Brugah!’

Therefore——I break the shackle «Rule» I had imposed on myself.

“Wha… what…!?”

Kaine’s full-powered blow, loaded with his weight, struck the Minotaur I had summoned between him and me as a substitute.

The saw-cleaver painfully sank into the Minotaur’s body I had summoned as a meat shield, but the Minotaur’s massive frame did not falter and became a guardian shield for me.

“I can’t beat you—this is the first time since awakening that I’ve honestly admitted defeat.”

Until now, it was my policy not to borrow the power of the Shadows in a one-on-one fight.

Being forced to break that is tantamount to admitting defeat.

“Guh!?”

Kaine tries to pull out the saw-cleaver, but the Minotaur holds the blade lodged in it with its log-like arm.

“Gaha!?”

Thus immobilizing Kaine’s movement—I extended shadows to behind Kaine with the Shadow Field—and from behind Dullahan riding Dark Horse pierced Kaine’s abdomen!

‘―――’

“Hee-hee—n!”

When I returned Minotaur into the shadows, the saw-cleaver clattered and fell to the floor.

And Dullahan, still impaling Kaine, raised his longsword overhead.

“Guh!?”

Skewered, Kaine slid further as his own weight drove the blade even deeper.

Dullahan swung the sword with all his might and Kaine was flung by centrifugal force, crashed into the wall, and then fell to the floor.

He must have taken considerable damage from its slamming his whole body violently.

“It hits, right? When I took it, I honestly thought I might die.”

This whole series of attacks is a technique Dullahan used on me back when it still had a living body.

Objectively, it’s a nastier attack than you’d imagine; even allies must feel awe.

As expected of my master.

“I lose, but I don’t intend to be killed—be proud in heaven, you’re strong.”

I expanded the Shadow Field to its maximum range, and almost the entire floor of the chamber was enveloped by my shadow.

My current Level is 103.

The stats of Shadows within roughly a 50-meter radius are increased by 103%—amplified to about twice as much.

“Brurururu!”

“~~~~♪”

‘――――’

“Hee-hee—n!”

“Gururururu!”

“Gigyah――――!”

I summoned countless Shadows from within the darkness.

My whole body was cut to pieces by «Decay Transfer (Rust-to-Rust)», my regeneration severely reduced, and I can’t move my body properly.

But still――――the Shadows (these guys) are here.