Sugar Rush (5)

“Haha. You’ve messed up, Messenger Clan. With your infamy, it looks like you’re about to get humiliated.”

The adventurers approaching the clubhouse were confident they had Azadine cornered and boasted loudly.

But it was also true that their employer was standing right beside Azadine. If he decided to attack the employers, casualties would be inevitable. So they tried to persuade Azadine carefully.

“How about this? Let our employers go, and we’ll let you walk free.”

“Hmm. Your intent is way too obvious, you know?”

Azadine smiled as he listened to the adventurers’ offer.

“Do I look like a fool to you?”

“……”

“Of course I’ll let them go.”

“Huh?”

The employers—the plantation owners—were startled by Azadine’s sudden change in attitude. Letting them go, when they could be used as hostages in this situation?

As everyone looked on in disbelief, a plantation owner named Salko puffed up with pride.

“Haha. This is thanks to the blood mage I hired. He manipulates blood or something to control emotions.”

“Ah…”

“Is that the effect of magic that controls the mind?”

“Nope.”

Azadine shook his head, but the plantation owners and adventurers just laughed it off, assuming he was under a spell.

Even though Azadine claimed he would release the plantation owners, they didn’t know when he might turn hostile. The owners escaped through the windows.

“Go on, it’s dangerous.”

“We’ll capture that Messenger Clan man now.”

The adventurers spoke bravely, but the plantation owners only peeked their heads out from the windows and shook them.

“We’ve gotten far enough. We’re safe now, aren’t we?”

“Haven’t seen a good fight in a while. I want to watch this.”

“People fighting is more fun than dogfights or cockfights. Heh heh.”

The plantation owners were thrilled at the prospect of watching the adventurers fight.

Though the adventurers were disgusted by how their lives were being treated as entertainment, the amount of money they were being paid silenced that discomfort under a layer of greed.

“Then be careful.”

“There’s only one of him, but even if half the rumors are true, he’s dangerous.”

Just then—

“Hey, look.”

The blood mage hired by Salko clicked his tongue and spoke.

“That guy’s not under a spell.”

“What?”

“If he was, I’d be able to see his heartbeat and blood flow. But I can’t.”

“What are you saying?”

“His resistance to magic is insane.”

“?”

Everyone was puzzled by the blood mage’s words. Did that mean the Messenger Clan man released the hostages with a clear mind? That made no sense.

Then the voice of the Messenger Clan man—Azadine—rang out.

“Well then, shall we get started?”

And in that instant, Azadine disappeared from their sight.

—Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon. Kazas Grimoire: Twilight Step!

Azadine’s form flickered, and in a flash he closed the gap to a dwarf armed with a blunderbuss.

The startled dwarf pulled the trigger, but Azadine’s dagger surprisingly blocked the firearm’s fuse mechanism. The Wendigo’s dagger emitted a chill that extinguished the ignition in an instant.

“What the?!”

But the dwarf was still an A-rank mercenary from the Cell Sword Guild. He immediately pulled out a hand axe from his belt and swung.

And then—

—Clang!

His hand axe struck the blunderbuss’s powder pan. Azadine had twisted the blunderbuss with his dagger to guide the axe strike onto the powder pan.

The dwarf’s stone axe, made of flint, sparked upon impact, igniting the powder and discharging the weapon.

—BOOM!

With a roar, bullets blasted into the wall.

And then—

“Aaaagh!”

The plantation owners who had barely escaped the clubhouse screamed.

Bullets pierced through the walls made of palm wood and struck the owners, inflicting serious injuries.

“Guh?!”

The dwarf mercenary, seeing his own weapon harm his employers, grew furious and tried to charge Azadine—but Azadine’s fist gently grazed the dwarf’s chin.

“Uh…”

The dwarf, who loved alcohol and fighting more than food, slumped weakly to the ground from a light punch. It hadn’t even looked powerful, but he fainted on the spot.

“You bastard!”

A mercenary wielding a sword and shield rushed at him, but Azadine spun lightly and struck the shield center with his fist.

—Thud!

The shield-wielding mercenary was flung backward, crashing into the others.

Everyone stood stunned, unable to believe what they were seeing.

“Aaagh!”

“You bastard! Why are you attacking us?!”

“N-no… It’s not… my will… Gah! My arm!”

Somehow, the shielded mercenary’s arm had ended up broken.

“What?”

“Damn it! You bastard!”

One mercenary threw a capture net.

No matter how strong a person was, these manhunter nets were a different story from martial skill.

Even bears would struggle and eventually die when caught in such a net. In arenas, the one who used the net always had the highest win rate. In one-on-one fights, these nets were the ultimate weapon.

However—

“Are you stupid?”

Azadine sounded genuinely baffled. Why throw a net when they outnumbered him?

Using the Messenger Clan’s footwork technique, Twilight Step, Azadine easily slipped out of the net’s range. The net instead entangled some of the other mercenaries, who screamed in frustration.

“You crazy bastard!”

“Eek! What the hell are you doing?!”

“Damn it! Surround him! There’s more of us—what are you waiting for?!”

Mercenaries with spears, halberds, and long staves rushed Azadine. But he slipped under the billiard table…

“Waaagh!”

…and dragged a nearby mercenary under like an ant caught in a pit trap.

“Gyaaagh!”

Then that same mercenary was hurled back at the ones armed with long weapons. While they were distracted trying to catch him, a net was thrown at them.

“Huh?!”

“Damn it!”

The net was yanked tight, snatching their weapons away. And then… Azadine, having seized the net, leapt on top of the billiard table and hurled a club.

“Take this!”

A short but heavy club flew through the air, glowing red, and cracked across the faces of the mercenaries.

Though the club had been hurled with terrifying force, it somehow struck with just enough power to knock its target out. Then it spun smoothly in the air and slid right back into Azadine’s hand.

“You bastard!”

Someone who had been watching from the roof tore it open and fired an arrow—but with so many people around, could the shot even land properly?

Moreover, Azadine easily dodged the arrow and even reached out with his hand.

‘No way?! Is that even possible?’

The archer was horrified. Azadine had nudged the arrow mid-air so it embedded into one of the archer’s allies instead.

“What the hell are you doing to your own teammate?!”

“No, that bastard curved the arrow!”

“Make a believable excuse, will you?!”

“I’m telling the truth!”

“Why the hell are you firing arrows in such a cramped space?”

“I have the skill to shoot here!”

“No, you don’t! You hit the wrong person! That means you don’t have the skill!”

“That bastard… damn it, forget it!”

As the Cell Sword Guild adventurers bickered, Azadine stepped onto the billiard table and leapt upward.

—BOOM!

With a kick to the rafters and roof, Azadine brought calamity upon those above. The entire roof shattered like it had been ripped off by a storm, and everyone on top tumbled inside.

“Uwaagh!”

The inside of the clubhouse instantly turned into a battlefield.

“Damn! If we fight here, it’ll never end!”

“Retreat!”

“Let’s surround him from outside!”

Panicked, the adventurers rushed out of the clubhouse.

“Good! Damn it! Fighting in tight spaces was stupid!”

“Let’s surround him in an open area!”

“But where is that bastard?”

Then they realized the clubhouse was completely empty.

“Wait, huh?”

Amidst them, Azadine casually looked around the inside of the clubhouse and spoke.

His demeanor was so natural that the adventurers assumed he was one of their own. Who would’ve thought he’d be right beside them pretending like that?!

“Grr. You bastard!”

“You really think we’re that stupid—”

The furious adventurers swung their weapons, but—

—Shrrring!

A flash of blue steel swept across their weapons. Azadine had drawn the azure steel longsword strapped to his back and slashed it.

The ordinary weapons that met the blue blade were cleanly severed. So cleanly, in fact, that their wielders were caught off guard by the smoothness.

“Huh?”

“N-no way!”

“Azure steel?!”

Everyone backed away in shock.

“Seems like you’re upset I didn’t take you seriously. Should I start going all out now?”

As Azadine pointed the blue longsword at them, everyone swallowed hard. Their mouths went dry. Only now, after seeing him draw and swing that blade, did they realize—

‘This guy… he’s only been using our weapons barehanded until now.’

‘And even then… he only knocked us around, never stabbed or killed!’

‘No way. You’re telling me he was holding back this whole time?! That’s insane!’

‘But… that’s an azure steel blade! If he starts swinging that thing around…’

He had already been monstrous without using a proper weapon. But if that monster now started slicing with an azure steel sword that could cut through steel like paper—

This place would turn into a bloodbath in moments.

“You’re mercenaries who live by the sword, after all. It’d be rude to keep underestimating you, right? Should I give it my all?”

“N-no. With all due respect, please continue to underestimate us.”

An elven woman swallowed her pride and begged Azadine.

“Alright.”

Amazingly, Azadine actually sheathed his azure steel sword. Only then did the adventurers finally realize.

‘He really was toying with us…’

The color drained from their faces all at once.

The anger that had surged moments ago faded into cold dread, replaced by a creeping fear that soaked into their bodies like morning mist heavy with dew. Even though Azadine had put his sword away, none of them dared move.

“What the hell are you doing, you idiots?!”

From the plantation owners’ perspective, it was maddening. These mercenaries had been hired at high cost, and now they were being trampled by a single man.

Now they were clearly demoralized, just waiting for a chance to flee. These were the same men who boasted so loudly in Bel Hodda about their sword skills!

They had swaggered through villages and plantations, ruining local order. But now, facing a real threat, they cowered under the eaves like chicks frightened by a hawk.

“It’s open ground now! Surround him! No matter how strong he is, he can’t take on everyone alone!”

The plantation owner’s shout finally snapped the adventurers out of their stupor.

But then—

“Apologies for the delay!”

A loud voice rang out from behind the adventurers.

Startled, they turned around… only to see several masked figures suddenly appear behind them.

They wore the same bird-shaped masks as Azadine of the Messenger Clan. About six of them—hardly a massive number.

But they had already struggled so badly against Azadine alone. And now, six more wearing the Messenger Clan’s mask?

‘No way all Messenger Clan members are this strong. He’s the Second Flame, right? One of their elites.’

‘Still, so what? You want to test their strength now? I’ll pass.’

‘Same here…’

Having been thoroughly humiliated by Azadine, the adventurers had no desire to test the strength of six new warriors wearing the same terrifying mask.

And their reinforcements weren’t done yet.