Attendance… plz…)
….
Too bad. Today, you learn that the gap in raw stats cannot be bridged by tricks.
Clang!
Black shadow collided with black armor.
Rimuru was fast. His reactions were instantaneous. But Strout wasn't slow. He didn't need to be faster; he just needed to be immovable.
Strout didn't bother dodging. He relied on pure, unadulterated sword skills and brute force. Every time Rimuru's blade made contact, Strout met it with a heavy, jarring parry. The recoil shuddered through Rimuru's frame, disrupting his rhythm and giving the Black Knight ample time to reset his guard.
Rimuru had the speed, but Strout was a fortress.
"I am a bad match for you," Strout rumbled, his voice deep and distorted.
He wasn't bragging. It was a statement of fact. Rimuru, or rather, the Great Sage, had realized it too.
Greatswords are blunt instruments. The fighting style relies on blocking, parrying, and trading blows. Against a tidal wave of attacks, you only need to catch one ripple to stop the ocean.
Against Rimuru's flurry of strikes, Strout's advantage in technique and strength was insurmountable. Rimuru could attack ten times and fail to break through. Strout only needed to find one opening.
One hit, and it was game over.
Calculation complete. Rerouting strategy.
Rimuru's voice echoed strangely, overlapping with the wind.
"Let's try… a different angle."
Flash.
Strout began to turn, sensing the shift in air pressure. But in the microsecond it took for his armored frame to rotate, Rimuru was already there, floating in his blind spot.
Magecraft Reinforcement: Herculean Strength.
Double Layer.
Rimuru's velocity dropped to zero instantly. He hung in the air, raising the massive sword high. He looked less like a swordsman and more like a falling mountain.
Smash.
The blade came down with unstoppable momentum.
Strout didn't panic. He simply shifted his weight, twisting his wrist to bring his own demon sword up behind his back in a blind block.
BOOM!
The ground caved in.
Strout blocked the multi-reinforced strike with ease, his feet digging furrows into the concrete but his stance unbroken. His four glowing eyes met Rimuru's crimson mechanical gaze.
Still not enough? Rimuru's internal voice marveled at the monster's strength.
But the calculation isn't finished.
The Great Sage ignored the warning signals from Rimuru's body. Blood vessels in his arms burst under the strain of the Reinforcement, spraying a fine mist of red. The AI didn't care.
It poured mana into the replica sword.
Mana Burst.
ROAR!
A layer of mana formed a protective film over Rimuru's skin to prevent self-destruction, while the rest was funneled directly into the blade.
The black flames on the replica sword screamed. They spiraled inward, condensing into a singularity. Compression. Compression. Compression.
Until it reached the critical point.
Release.
A black flash, like a line of ink drawn across the world, severed the horizon.
There was no sound at first. Just the visual of the shopping mall's upper floors sliding diagonally off their foundations.
Then, the roar of the explosion caught up.
BOOM!
Black demonic fire erupted from the cut, incinerating debris instantly.
When the smoke cleared, Strout was still standing.
He had planted himself firmly in front of Altrouge and Fina. His sword was held vertically, still smoking from blocking the beam.
But on his shoulder armor, there were dozens of deep, glowing gashes.
Rimuru lowered the replica sword, tilting his head.
He had successfully forced the monster back. He had forced Strout to tank a dozen follow-up strikes that came in the wake of the beam.
But… it was a cheap win.
Strout hadn't retreated because he was overpowered. He had retreated because he prioritized shielding his Princess over crushing the him.
Altrouge didn't need protecting. But for the Black Knight, it was a matter of duty, not necessity.
"You can draw out the demonic flames. That means it isn't just a crude counterfeit."
Altrouge's crimson eyes sparkled as if she had just unearthed a buried treasure. "Is your ability… perfect replication?"
"You have excellent observation skills," Rimuru said softly, his mechanical red eyes locked onto her. "But what does it matter?"
He raised the greatsword again. Raw strength had proven ineffective. Fine. He would abandon the brute-force clashes and rely entirely on technique.
I'll beat you with your own moves.
The Great Sage had already downloaded Strout's biomechanics and swordplay. Rimuru shifted his feet, mirroring the Black Knight's exact starting stance.
Strout noticed. A deep frown formed beneath his helm.
Altrouge noticed too.
She reached out and gently pushed Strout's massive blade down. A sickly sweet smile bloomed on her face.
"You can even copy physical techniques and muscle memory… Your ability is strong. Truly strong." She took a step forward. "I am much more interested in you now."
"Therefore, I, Altrouge Brunestud, the Master of Blood and Contract…"
She walked toward him slowly, her smile never wavering. As she chanted her own name, a phantom scent of copper and iron filled the air. A hallucination of crimson began to bleed into the edges of Rimuru's vision.
Instantly, Rimuru felt his magic circuits stutter. The ambient mana in the air became impossibly thick, resisting his control like sludge.
At the same time, Altrouge's long black hair began to float, defying gravity. Her petite frame seemed to stretch, maturing before his eyes. She was unsealing her true power.
Rimuru's mechanical focus broke, replaced by a sudden, icy wave of sheer panic.
Oh, crap. I poked the bear. I poked the bear way too hard.
"I extend my invitation to you once more."
Two sharp, adorable fangs peeked through her smile. Her voice was a soft, deadly purr.
"Will you become…"
"Rutherford?"
A voice shattered the heavy, blood-soaked atmosphere.
Altrouge paused, her smile twitching in annoyance. She looked toward the ruined entrance of the restroom.
Rimuru, however, felt his heart soar. The cavalry! Oh, bless the Holy Church and their impeccable timing!
The massive shockwave from Rimuru's attack had clearly put the Executors into overdrive. They had arrived minutes ahead of schedule.
"Thank the Lord you're alright, Rutherford! We heard you had already returned to the Lord's embrace, wait. Black… The Black Princess…"
Several figures in trench coats burst through the rubble. They immediately began chanting, laying down magical barriers and isolation bounded fields to lock down the battlefield. Rimuru even spotted a nun among them holding a scripture.
An Inquisitor squad from the Burial Agency?!
Rimuru's eyes lit up. He took a slow, calculated step backward. Ah, so the guy whose face I'm wearing was named Rutherford. It didn't matter anymore. Rimuru offered the newly arrived Executors a solemn, deeply apologetic nod. Better you guys die than me. I'm so sorry. If any of you miraculously survive this, I promise I'll buy you a pint next time we team up! But for now… I'm out!
The moment the lead Executor screamed the words "Black Princess," Rimuru sensed Altrouge's killing intent spike.
He didn't hesitate. He didn't say a cool parting line. He turned on his heel and bolted.
Magecraft Reinforcement: Haste!
Double Layer!
Quadruple Layer!!!
In his mind's eye, the restroom behind him had transformed into an endless, surging ocean of blood, a leviathan rising from the depths to swallow him whole. He didn't even dare look back.
Screw his dignity as an otherworldly traveler. Screw his pride as a Lord of the Clock Tower. He didn't mind playing the villain, and honestly, he wouldn't even mind becoming a vampire if it helped him get home. But being targeted by Altrouge wasn't just about becoming a Dead Apostle.
She was the Master of Contracts. Her entire existence revolved around binding and enslaving souls.
Strategic retreat is just applied sociology! Staying alive is the priority! Cowards live to fight another day!
….
+20 chapters on my p@tr3on: Kazuma_trash
you can join my discord server: https://discord.gg/5Y7uZ2kN2Y
Or in short just click in join via invite link in your discord and enter this code: 5Y7uZ2kN2Y