Chapter 24 – The Stagnant Water Was Starving.

Haha! Kkkk! Kkkk!”

Lucia and Asta stiffened with tension at the sight of him laughing for so long that the whole area trembled.

“Ugh, this is.”

“Magiya.”

When Lucia muttered in a trembling voice, Asta confirmed in the affirmative. Unlike just a moment ago when he couldn’t feel anything, now he was gushing out magical energy so dense that it felt like his body was being weighed down.

-Kyaang!

“Laugh quietly, you little bastard! They say we newbies are uncomfortable!”

The reason his laughter stopped was because Tiaran threw a cross and hit his helmet.

“What are you doing?!”

“If you’re going to go crazy, go crazy nicely. You’ll end up laughing loudly in the neighborhood and falling asleep.”

Tiaran spoke as if he could not feel the demonic energy, and Lucia was at a loss for words.

“Hehe, okay. I was rude.”

“You admit it yourself, right?”

“Even if you look at it, it’s not like that, is it?!”

At that time, the magical energy welling up from the person in Tiaran’s form became thick enough to look like a black, sticky liquid, and wrapped around him.

“Let me formally introduce you. My name is Targon.”

When his appearance is revealed in the darkness, the first thing that catches the eye is a jet-black armor full of rusty and twisted decorations.

“One of the five malefic stars that follow the Demon King!”

Would it be like that if there was a knight from hell? A terrifyingly dark demonic energy that makes your instincts ring an alarm and gives you goosebumps just by looking at its hideous appearance and standing still.

“Five malefics?!”

“Targon…!”

Lucia and Asta knew his identity. Five malefic stars that follow the Demon King. Laurencia was also listed as one of her evil stars, but Targon’s situation was different.

“We have to run away!”

“Yes, that’s right. You have to run away.”

Lucia tried to get up, her legs shaking like a newborn calf, and Asta also grabbed Tiaran, chatting her teeth with her pale face.

“Huh? Why?”

“Don’t talk nonsense, quickly!”

While Laurencia was infamous for being a beauty who overthrew even nations with her beauty, Targon was infamous for being a pure martial artist and breaking through the enemy’s heartland and strategic points single-handedly.

“To defeat Targon, even the kingdom’s elite troops are not enough!”

He was a demon who was evaluated as having a power that was greater than that of the country’s army. How can just three people defeat him like that?

Tiaran’s victory over Laurentia could also be said to be great. It wasn’t that she was weak. Nevertheless, the light fades in front of Targon.

There were countless heroes in history who fell by his sword, and among them were the names of warriors from previous generations. It is safe to say that he was the strongest of the five evil stars in terms of mere force.

“Excluding the Demon King, he is the strongest demon!”

That also meant that he was someone who had no rivals except the Demon King.

“Oh, that’s right?”

“What.”

“Why?”

However, they could only stare blankly at Tiaran’s next move. Instead of running away, he started walking towards Targon, who revealed his true face.

“As expected, I thought you wouldn’t run away.”

Targon, who was waiting quietly at the sight of him stopping not far away, spoke with satisfaction.

“Is that so? But I think it’s my first time seeing you today?”

Hehe, me too. I was just convinced!”

Sreung! He immediately pulls out a dazzling blue sword from his waist and points it at Tiaran.

“There is no way a person who calls himself a man can run away from me!”

Cheaeng! The sword of Targon, swung with a sparkling flash, collided with the sword of Tiaran, which followed out and rang out, and a cloud of dust rose around them.

“Also, you are the first person to cross swords with me directly!”

“There is no need for that first time!”

Chaejaejaejaejae! Thud! Even as they were talking, Asta realized the sound of the sword’s name ringing in succession and the sight of the ground they were standing on collapsing into a circle.

“I couldn’t see the sword…!”

“What!? Then what was that sound just now?”

In that split second when they thought they had met once, they exchanged swords several times. An unbelievable sight. Even after they washed their eyes and checked again, the fact that Tiaran and Targon were crossing swords did not change.

“It’s pretty good!”

“This is what we should do!!”

Even as they were shocked, their swords were constantly competing for each other’s master, moving up and down from the cross guard to the tip of the sword as if they were gnawing at each other’s sword bodies.

-Master! Skunk!

Sparks flying as sharp metal pieces hit each other in succession, and even the sword body turning bright red.

“You’re trying to step on someone’s toes!”

“You’re so shameless!”

Chin! Wow! Thud! Even in the meantime, their feet were repeatedly moving forward and backward, trying to break each other’s balance. It was only the aftermath that the ground they stood on cracked and collapsed.

-Kaang! Chajaeng!

“Asta, we’re not dreaming, are we?”

“Maybe.”

They couldn’t believe the reality that the adventurer they thought was a bit unique was now engaged in a fierce battle without giving up an inch with a member of the Five Bad Stars, who were said to have competed against each other even with legendary warriors.

“I think I need to help Mr. Tiaran.”

“But I can’t see any cracks.”

Lucia finally came to her senses and spoke, but Asta shook her head. At first glance, their fight seemed like a simple battle of power, but since Asta was a swordsman, he knew a little bit about it.

Although the power of Tiaran and Targon could not be underestimated because they were weak, nevertheless, their battle was not a battle of strength and power, but the pinnacle of skill.

Just the aftermath of the sword energy emitted from their swords causes sword wounds on the surrounding ground and their armor, causing the air and ground to scream.

“Even if we intervene, it will only disturb Tiaran.”

“Ugh, I guess so.”

Asta couldn’t even dare to approach, and even if Lucia used her Maka, it wouldn’t work. When they were just watching, crouching down as much as possible to avoid the aftermath of the battle.

-Quguaang!

“”Kwaaaaat?!””

At that moment, Targon trampled the ground with all his might and shattered it. With that alone, the entire land was turned upside down and the rocks in the ground fell into pieces and rained down.

“What are you doing all of a sudden? Did you want to show some form?”

“Ugh, thank you.”

Fortunately, no major damage occurred because Tia Ran retreated with the girls, but Asta clung to her side and noticed that her armor was so tattered that it was hard to believe it was made of steel.

“Tiaran…”

“Shh. Newbie, stay still.”

She tried to ask out of her concern, but he shook her head and covered Asta’s mouth. Lucia seemed to realize it as well, but looked at Tiaran with her shaking eyes.

Haha! I never thought I would talk about something like Yeongsa or Laurence.”

Targon’s voice full of joy was heard from the dust pit. Eventually, his black armor, revealed in the slowly settling dust cloud, was tattered, just like Tiaran’s.

However, the eyes like the two rays of fire rising from within the helmet were still burning brilliantly.

“Did you say Tiaran? Wouldn’t you like to join us?”

As he spoke, Lucia and Asta made eye contact. As he said, no one would have imagined that such words would come out of the mouth of Targon, who was not another evil voice.

There were no prisoners on the battlefields he visited. While they usually capture prisoners to use as seedlings or stallions for the monsters or demons they raise or command, Targon took the lives of all enemies equally without any compromise.

“I am confident that you will not regret it if you follow the Demon King. Wealth, fame, and women. Even more so, you will be able to enslave the women next to you.”

Lucia trembled at the next words. When I think about it, there was nothing wrong with what Targon said. Even if they rebel, they have no choice.

‘… I’m upset, but there’s nothing I can do.’

If Tiaran wants it, they will eventually have no choice but to be taken away. It was when Lucia closed her eyes that he thought he would accept.

“It’s a rejection!”

“Yes?”

“Eh”

“What?”

“If I side with Nguyen, I can’t fight the Demon King, right?”

His story continues while everyone except Tiaran is shocked. Even though Lucia thought he was right, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

“Only for that reason. You’re refusing?”

“That’s all! Content is important to a man who has a hard time finding fun in life!”

This time, he just said something incomprehensible.

“More than anything, if you look at that side, it doesn’t look very happy. Don’t you draw it?”

Hehe. Haha!!”

“Oh, it’s starting again, it’s starting again.”

Tiaran shook his head as he looked at Targon, who burst into laughter again.

“So, you were looking higher than me?”

He smiled reassuringly, but spoke in a voice mixed with regret.

“Then there’s nothing we can do. We’ve been rivals for a long time, but this is the end.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Huh?!”

“Tiaran?!”

It was seen when Asta looked up in surprise at Tiaran making a painful voice for the first time.

“Sword!”

The sword that he had put in her scabbard to save them came out on its own and cut into Tiaran’s waist.

“For a swordsman, a sword is like his life. Do you think you can fight me even if your sword is taken away?”

Lucia thought of the sword floating in the air next to Targon as he spoke.

“Demon sword, sword eater…!”

The magic sword he used also played its part in Targon’s notoriety. Weapons such as spears and swords had no meaning in front of him. Because he was completely taken over and manipulated by the power of the magic sword he used.

“It’s a shame. It’s a shame. If you had been a hero, this wouldn’t have happened. At best, blame the goddess who chose such an insignificant girl as a hero.”

“…”

Asta bit his lip in silence and looked at the sword he was holding. Because he couldn’t deny what he said. The only thing that is not affected by the demonic sword is the holy sword. All other weapons were meaningless in front of that magic sword.

“Oh, you talk a lot.”

“Wait! Where are you going?!”

Even though her weapon was taken from her, Tiaran put them down and calmly began to approach Targon, snapping her neck.

Haha! Are you still going to fight even though your weapon was taken away? That’s good! But stupid…?!”

But Targon’s words were cut off.

-Tukwaang!

“Wow!?!”

“If I had such good power, I should have kept it hidden until the end.”

He had been hit squarely in the chest by Tiaran’s fist and blood was pouring out through his helmet.