384. Country of Sakura, Cherin and the Seven Holy Swords [155]

「Man… I was scared to death just now. As expected, bro, you’ve got a nasty spirit core within.」

Deal muttered, pulling out the black swords piercing his body one by one.

(…Fast.)

The deep stab wounds everywhere on his body healed in the blink of an eye.

It seems that even his recovery ability has greatly skyrocketed by bringing out his true soul dress.

「That thing earlier… is it some kind of “Unknown Phantom Beast”?」

「Who knows.」

I have never really thought about what Zeon was.

「Kukuku… You and I are friends, aren’t we, bro? So you can tell me.」

Deal made a shitty joke and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

「Well… no matter how powerful the spirit core is, after all, it’s an empty existence that doesn’t have “substance”. To interfere with the real world, it consumes a ridiculous amount of power. Judging from the fact that there are no follow-up attacks, isn’t that “monster” already out of gas?」

Apparently, this guy also has a deep knowledge about spirit cores.

「Well… I wonder.」

I desperately put on a big smile so that he wouldn’t realize that Zeon can’t interfere any longer.

「It sounds like an “obvious bluff”… but, in your case, I can’t be completely certain. That spirit core could interfere. Well, it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to put you through a slow hell.」

Deal displayed a sadistic smile which sent chills down my spine, and readied his poison sword.

From that point onward… it wasn’t something that could be called a “battle”.

「HA! HA! HA! …What’s wrong? You’re completely on the defensive!」

「…」

Deal unleashed only small attacks without giving me a chance to catch my breath, and gradually slashed at my body.

(If he uses a big move, that will be the end for me.)

But my “Zeon bluff” seems to be working, as Deal was only making basic slashes.

Thanks to that, I can still stand on my two legs.

However, I am about to reach my limit.

(How long has it been since he brought out his true soul dress…)

Five minutes?

Ten minutes?

No, maybe it has been only a minute or so.

(Anyway, this body of mine… is impossible to recover.)

Hydra’s deadly poison has adversely eroded my cells.

No matter what I do, it won’t help.

(I will no doubt die here today.)

If that is to be the case, I decided to utilize it effectively.

Swing the sword and buy as much time as possible until my life runs out. Even if it’s only a second longer.

Betting on the possibility that someone would come to help, which is tinier than a grain of rice, I will “use up” this body.

「Allen, stop it… That’s enough…」

I heard Ria’s crying voice from behind.

But I didn’t know what she was saying.

My ears can no longer clearly identify the sound.

On the contrary, it was impossible to even stand properly.

Currently, I was relying on only a small amount of visual information and something like the sixth sense to prevent fatal injuries.

(Not yet…)

My body was poisoned, bloodied, and battered, but I was still holding the Black Sword with both hands and managed to maintain the Seigan no Kamae stance.

「Most of your body is dead, but you still refuse to fall… Truly, you have a monsterous mental power… No, at this point, it would be accurate to outright call you a “monster”.」

Deal muttered something, shrugging his shoulders.

「But still, it just makes me curious… I wonder what kind of tone will play out when your strong mind breaks? I’m getting goosebumps just by imagining it.」

He displayed a repulsive smile which instinctively aroused physical disgust in me, and slowly walked towards Ria.