Chapter 337 : Rid vs King Albert, Commander Marshall and Florian

Duchess Claret's severed head soared through the air before finally dropping to the ground, while her headless body began to slump downward. However, because the Duchess's right hand was still impaling Miss Karina's abdomen—albeit not very deeply—her body did not collapse completely onto the ground. Seeing this, Miss Karina immediately grasped Duchess Claret's right hand and pulled it free from her stomach. Once the hand was removed, a significant amount of blood gushed from the puncture wound. Miss Karina continued to hold Duchess Claret's right hand before shifting her grip to support the body, carefully laying it down. She then observed Duchess Claret's form; the severed neck area appeared to be melting, a process that was beginning to spread to the rest of the torso—an effect of the attack Miss Karina had just unleashed. She then glanced at Duchess Claret's head, which lay nearby; the severed base of the head was melting as well.

"I apologize for leaving your body in this state, Miss Claret. Now, the person who gave you orders can no longer command you. You may depart in peace, Miss Claret," Miss Karina said.

She then began to walk, clutching the abdomen that had been pierced by Duchess Claret. She made her way toward a nearby tree trunk and leaned against it, still holding her wounded stomach.

"I had intended to search for Violetta and Rid after defeating Miss Claret, but this injury is hindering me a bit," Miss Karina remarked.

She then lifted the hand that had been pressing against her wound. Miss Karina looked down to see her hand covered in blood.

"I’ve been wounded by a ~Dark Magic~ attack; I can't heal this injury on my own. I need to find Rid so he can treat it, but before that, I’d better rest for a moment," Miss Karina said.

She then leaned back against the tree wall, clutching her abdomen once more.

-

Meanwhile, at Rid's place.

An arm—clearly a left arm—was floating in mid-air, having just been severed from its owner's body. The severed limb bore a black tattoo, a physical characteristic of the Demon race. Of the three demons Rid was currently fighting, only one was missing his left arm: Florian. He stood motionless, staring at his severed limb.

Seizing the moment, I launched another attack at Senior Florian while he remained transfixed by his lost arm.

~Secret Sword Art - Dragon Slayer Technique: Dragon Slayer Thrust~

I unleashed a thrusting attack toward him. Caught off guard while staring at his arm, Senior Florian failed to react in time; the blow sent him flying backward, leaving a severe puncture wound in his lower chest. He slammed hard against the tree wall behind him. Yet, despite the impact, the tree wall remained completely intact—not a single scratch marred its surface. After the collision, Senior Florian slumped to the ground, sitting with his back against the tree wall.

Having successfully struck Senior Florian, I sensed an attack coming from above. I glanced upward, and sure enough, Commander Marshall was hovering over me, wielding a massive sword wreathed in ~Dark Magic~. Commander Marshall then lunged toward me from above, immediately striking with his massive sword. However, I quickly dodged, causing the attack to miss me and strike the ground where I had been standing just moments before. The blow was incredibly powerful, shattering the ground upon impact and instantly filling the area with a cloud of dust and debris.

Having successfully evaded Commander Marshall's attack, I prepared to launch a counterattack against him amidst the swirling dust.

"I can't afford to waste too much time here; I need to defeat them quickly," I thought.

~Great Burning Slash~

I unleashed a fiery slash from a considerable distance toward Commander Marshall, who was shrouded in a cloud of dust and smoke. Although the dust obscured visibility, I could still sense his aura, so I knew exactly where he was. Commander Marshall had no time to react; the dust blocked his view, leaving him unaware of the incoming attack. The strike hit him squarely, instantly setting his entire body ablaze and sending him crashing into the wall of trees behind him.

After knocking Commander Marshall back, I sensed an attack coming from behind me. I spun around, and sure enough, a massive black flame slash was hurtling toward me. It had been launched by King Albert from quite a distance away. Seeing the attack closing in, I immediately braced myself to intercept it.

~Secret Sword Art: Flame Slayer Slash~

I slashed rapidly at the incoming attack. The black flame slash split in two and began to dissipate. However, King Albert didn't stop there; he unleashed a barrage of black flame slashes in quick succession. I continued to cut through the incoming attacks while slowly advancing toward him.

About three minutes later, having steadily closed the distance, I was now within striking range of King Albert. I prepared to launch my own attack while continuing to parry the black flame slashes he sent my way, all the while observing the sword swings he used to attack me. As King Albert raised his sword-wielding right arm, preparing to swing, I instantly darted toward him. Several black flames were still slashing in my direction, but I pressed on, ready to strike. I shot past the black flames and launched a direct attack at King Albert.

~Secret Sword Art - Dragon Slayer Technique: Fire Dragon Slayer Slash~

King Albert had no time to react to my assault, as he was in the middle of preparing his own swing. My attack struck him squarely. His right arm—the one holding the sword—was severed from his body; I had successfully cut it off. Furthermore, the black flame slashes I had just passed were also split in two, cleaved apart at the exact moment his arm was severed.

-To be continued