Unbelievable.
I am a swordmaster.
The kingdom's only, and most powerful warrior.
Yet someone whose name I had never even heard, whose origins I didn't even know, no trace that he had ever inherited the honorable sword of a knight...
'How could someone like that... possess skills surpassing mine to such an extent...?'
Gulp.
Hector involuntarily swallowed dryly.
And feeling both shock and awe, he cast his gaze toward the center of the plaza.
There, the rampaging statue, and Kim Jangcheol evading every attack as if he were predicting them, could be seen.
Crash! Boom! Wham!
'.......'
Still, it was unbelievable.
That made it all the more astonishing.
Every moment brought admiration.
'If I had taken such attacks repeatedly... could I have evaded them with such skill?'
Hector posed the question to himself.
In truth, he already knew the answer.
No, he could not.
Not like that.
If he had been in that place, he would have either become a cripple or been killed already.
"......"
A man who had reached half a step above, no, perhaps even a realm beyond mine,
A swordmaster stronger than myself.
Someone who might very well push me down to second place.
Someone with every possibility of doing so.
If that were true...
He must be protected at all costs.
Clench!
Hector balled his fist tightly.
Only now did he understand why the king, his liege, had ordered him to protect Kim Jangcheol.
His Majesty had already seen through that man's abilities.
But what about himself?
He had failed to comprehend his liege's intentions.
Foolish.
Shameful.
'I must ensure his survival. Protect him, save him. Make him a loyal vassal to the royal family and His Majesty!'
That was the path for the royal family.
For His Majesty's reign.
Even if he himself were relegated to second place, the prosperity and glory of the royal house and his liege had to come first above all else!
"......Khaaaahp!"
With Hector's shout, the aura gathered on his sword grew even more brilliant. He charged toward the statue.
"The Statue of the Archangel! Do not dare harm His Majesty's man!"
Whack!
A shallow scratch was etched behind the statue's calf.
Of course, the statue paid it no mind whatsoever.
The Statue of the Archangel didn't even grant the attention one might give to a bothersome gnat on a summer's day. Whether Hector attacked or not, the statue targeted only Kim Jangcheol.
Because of that, only Kim Jangcheol was having a hellish time.
Ding dong! Ding dong!
"Kraaaaagh!"
His eyes burned.
A scream escaped him without thought.
But he could not close his eyes.
[The Statue of the Archangel you've been observing for 407 seconds feels pity. Ah, that last kick was rash. Was it because someone made the back of my calf sting? Anyway, next time I should kick more carefully. That accursed Demon King keeps flitting around like a fly, and I lost my temper without realizing it. Ah, I shouldn't curse. I am a being who embodies perfection and should serve as a model. So, next time, let's be more careful. Perhaps I should pretend to sweep with my sword and then blow with my breath?]
Still maintaining bloodshot eyes.
Desperately resisting the urge to blink.
Thanks to that, he could read it.
What the statue was thinking.
What kind of attack it would attempt next.
Fwoooosh!
As expected, the statue looked poised to sweep its greatsword horizontally.
But judging by the thoughts he had just read?
That was a feint.
The real attack would be...
'The breath!'
Dash!
Kim Jangcheol trusted what he had glimpsed.
Judgment and decision.
He immediately dashed forward, charging toward the statue. And he slipped between the statue's legs.
Thanks to that, as the statue feinted a sweeping slash, he narrowly evaded the tempestuous breath it blew.
Fwoooosh!
As he ran beneath the statue's chin, a storm of breath swept past the space above his head!
It wasn't just a strong wind.
It was a very, no, absurdly strong wind.
Crack-crack-crack!
Dozens of flagstones from the plaza floor were forcibly torn up by the breath storm. They were carried by the wind, accelerating instantly to over 100 kilometers per hour, and flew beyond the plaza.
Boom-thud-thud-thud!
Unlucky buildings around the plaza were struck by the stone projectiles. Walls collapsed. Roofs crumbled.
Seeing that, Kim Jangcheol clenched his teeth.
'Crazy.'
This couldn't go on.
If he stayed here any longer, the damage would only pile up.
His eyes felt not just dry and stiff but as if they would be torn out entirely. Yet he kept them wide open. He continued to observe the statue.
Ding dong!
It felt like his eyeballs were being scraped with sandpaper. No—now it seemed the sensation was fading entirely.
Was he risking permanent damage to his eyesight? The worry gnawed at him, but there was no other choice.
'For now... I have to get through this situation first!'
[The Statue of the Archangel you've been observing for 415 seconds bursts with frustration. That accursed Demon King! To think you escaped like a cockroach again. How on earth are you reading my intentions and responding like this? I'm going mad! Truly!]
Kwahak!
The statue, in a gesture of (apparent) rage, turned its head.
But by then, Kim Jangcheol was already leaving the plaza's center, running backward. This allowed him to keep staring at the statue the entire time.
At his side, Artanis, Baal, pelican Asurat, alpaca Sirgi, and Zephyros came running alongside him.
"All of you! Why are you sticking so close? It's dangerous!"
— Because we must protect you, meow.
Artanis glanced back at the statue thundering after them and inscribed letters into the air.
— Release my seal artifact, meow. Three minutes will be enough, meow. If you desire it, if you release the seal artifact, I can destroy that thing immediately, meow.
"We can't do that here!"
Kim Jangcheol shouted shrilly.
Artanis perked up her cat ears.
— Why, meow?
"Why? Because we've been acting perfectly so far! We've been stacking up our carefully built tower! Thanks to that, we've been receiving incredibly hefty support from bearded dumpling!"
— Aha. So if we reveal our identities here, all that support will be for nothing, meow?
"That's exactly it! Ugh, everyone, scatter!"
The moment Kim Jangcheol shouted, the statue, having closed the distance in an instant, swung its greatsword down.
"To the side!"
As Kim Jangcheol yelled, he and Artanis flung their bodies to the left. Alpaca Sirgi, carrying Pelican Asurat, dashed to the right to evade the sword strike. Baal grabbed Zephyros by the scruff of the neck and, using the coughing of the wheezing scribe as a beat, leapt away.
Once Kim Jangcheol confirmed everyone's safety, he glared at the statue and shouted.
"Anyway! That's why! We're heading somewhere out of sight!"
— To a place with few people, meow?
"Yes! That statue! It's only chasing me!"
It was true.
The Statue of the Archangel was targeting only him. It was almost as if it had activated some "only beat up one guy" mode.
If he left things as they were?
No matter where he fled on this planet, it seemed the statue would chase him to the ends of the earth. Honestly, at this point, even if he took a Space Z rocket to Mars, he suspected it would follow him there too.
"So! Luring it away will be easy! Since it'll only come after me anyway! But there's a problem!"
— A problem, meow? What is it, meow?
"Running away itself! That's not going to be easy! It's coming again!"
Boom!
Another ferocious strike created a crater in one part of the plaza. Kim Jangcheol barely avoided the attack and the flying debris, shouting,
"That thing! I think it's reading my intentions! It's adjusting its attack direction like a predator driving prey, keeping me from escaping the plaza! So! Lady Artanis!"
— You want me to hinder the statue and create an opening for you to escape the plaza, meow?
"That's exactly it!"
Just as Kim Jangcheol answered, Artanis's cat-like pupils narrowed vertically.
— Very well, meow.
Swish!
Her figure vanished in an instant.
In the next moment, she appeared in front of the statue's face.
She had leapt nearly sixty meters in a single bound, to protect the only one who could release her seal artifact, Kim Jangcheol.
Instead of her usual chains, she swung the tail she had acquired as part of her disguise.
.....!
The moment her tail slapped the statue's cheek, an overwhelming shockwave erupted.
The booming sound covered the plaza a beat later.
Craaaack!
For the first time, the statue's massive body staggered.
But Artanis was not satisfied.
Instead, she frowned, full of displeasure.
My movements are still awkward.
The body she had acquired through her disguise as a catfolk still felt unfamiliar. Though she had adapted somewhat since earlier, she was still dissatisfied with her attack.
But for Kim Jangcheol, it was enough.
"....Nice!"
He was still running backward, keeping his eyes locked on the statue. Thanks to that, with his bloodshot eyes, he saw it clearly.
Ding dong dong!
[The Statue of the Archangel you've been observing for 432 seconds is in pain and surprise for the first time. Ow, what was that slap just now? Why does it hurt so much? Oh no, my head's spinning. So... where's the Demon King? I can't lose sight of him!]
'A solid hit landed!'
The statue was surprised.
Because of the momentary shock, it had lost track of his position.
Which meant... now was the chance!
"Huff!"
Realizing the time had come, Kim Jangcheol finally turned his body. He withdrew his gaze from the statue. For the first time in 435 seconds, he squeezed his eyelids shut.
Immediately, it felt like someone had poured a boiling mint chocolate sweet and sour pork sauce into both his eyes!
'.....Kaaaaah!'
But he couldn't let a little (?) eye pain make him miss this chance. He clenched his teeth. Tears streaming down his face, he forced his eyes back open.
And he sprinted with all his might.
Out of the plaza.
Toward the shortest route out of the royal capital's urban district.
Boom!
He kicked off the ground.
His whole body accelerated in an instant.
The scenery blurred past him. Behind him, he could hear the booming sound of the statue being struck once more by Artanis.
That gave him confidence.
Just a little further.
If he ran just a little further.
He could finally escape the statue's attack range. He could shake off its pursuit and flee far away. He could lure it away much more easily!
...Or so he thought.
Thud!
A sudden impact struck his face.
"Guh!"
His nose felt crushed.
Or maybe it was more like his vision flashed.
Kim Jangcheol felt as if he had run into something invisible, like a transparent wall, and was bounced back. He nearly tumbled over.
'What, what is this?'
He was flustered.
He reached out his hand.
And felt a solid, transparent wall.
Craaaack!
".....!"
The moment his hand touched it, he felt a repelling force!
It was as if he had thrown a stone at that spot, and like ripples on water, a shockwave spread roundly, massively, along the transparent surface.
It formed a dome that enclosed the entire plaza.
The moment he saw it, Kim Jangcheol murmured unconsciously.
"......A barrier?"
No way.
Was this one of those "demons can't escape" kind of things?
Really?
Seriously?
And so, he had to realize.
Ah, whether he lived or died.
No matter what, right here in this plaza.
Where everyone could see.
He had to settle things with that statue.
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]