Chapter 28: Victory in Grasp |
From just a single exchange of blows, Nemus gathered a wealth of information.
The Abyss was no peaceful utopia. On the contrary, combat there required no justification.
In the gathering places of demons, a mere flash of irritation was enough to spark a massacre.
Of course, it was much more likely that once the slaughter reached a certain point, the perpetrator would be treated as prey and killed by others.
The only order in the entire Abyss was the absolute lack of it.
Almost all demons embraced chaos. This was not to say that none of them wanted to establish factions and build order.
Oddities were everywhere among their kind. There were even Holy Knights who held true Faith in Gods, celibate succubi, balrogs dedicated to protecting glacial environments, and beholders advocating for the execution of human rights and freedom.
There was certainly no shortage of barely humanoid creatures.
The problem lay in the fact that trust simply did not exist between demons. There was no universally accepted standard of Morality to provide a foundation for mutual reliance.
Under such chaotic conditions, endless wars naturally erupted. The only way to establish a faction was to guarantee it with sheer power.
Even Nemus had to keep a low profile in the Abyss. No matter how formidable a Heterogeneous Demon might be, matching a Greater Demon to a certain extent, it was still only to a certain extent.
Endless schemes and battles were a constant reality. Combined with the combat experience he retained from his time as a part of Mankind, he could easily be considered a veteran of a hundred battles.
''Jacques used a Secret Method to stimulate the spiritual light in his body, and he has received the blessing of some kind of Faith from the outside.''
''Through this method, he avoids damaging his physical potential as much as possible.''
''His Trait initially manifests in his mobility. He twists his body and closes the distance with extraordinary speed.''
Making this assessment in his mind, Nemus stepped back. He twisted one foot and kicked up, sending a large amount of mud and sand flying straight toward Jacques''s eyes.
However, Jacques acted as if he did not even see the interference. He continued to pivot, slashing his sword down at Nemus.
During this process, the white light radiating from his body acted like a shield, repelling all the approaching mud and sand.
Nemus had no choice but to raise his Knight''s Sword to block.
Immediately after, he dodged to the side. His blade slid along Jacques''s Blade Edge, fluidly changing tactics from a parry into a swift forward thrust.
Jacques clearly noticed this thrust, yet he paid it no mind, continuing to swing his Blade Edge down at Nemus.
Nemus had struck first and should have landed the first blow. Yet, he quickly realized that his sword had missed its mark.
He had aimed the thrust squarely at his opponent''s head, but right before impact, the blade encountered some sort of invisible guidance and slipped to the side.
Seeing this, Nemus instantly realized the danger. He retreated half a step and turned his body sideways.
Jacques''s sword grazed past Nemus''s body, sending a torn strip of fabric fluttering into the air.
Looking at the retreating Nemus and his slightly damaged clothes, Jacques revealed a smile of absolute certainty in his victory.
"Your Sword Art is decent, but before the greatness of Dartmenerly, you have absolutely no chance of winning!"
With those words, Jacques launched another assault. His twisting body moved with exceptional speed, as if everything in the world was moving out of his way.
''I can only confront him head-on. While he attacks, all external interference aimed at him is repelled, including the air, enemy strikes, and other disadvantageous factors?'' Nemus roughly grasped the Mechanics of his opponent''s Trait.
This perfectly matched his opponent''s holy prayers; a god had granted him the power to sever obstacles and forge ahead.
''What an excellent Trait,'' Nemus mused, instantly formulating several tactics that could complement such an ability.
It was remarkably comprehensive, serving simultaneously as an offensive and defensive Trait.
At the same time, it compensated for Jacques''s lacking Sword Art.
A person''s Strength was primarily composed of three aspects: Attribute Value × Trait × Technique.
The Attribute Value represented the raw power itself, the Trait was the Mechanics used to utilize that value, and technique determined the efficiency of that utilization. Only by combining all three could one become a true powerhouse.
If the Attribute Value and Trait were incredibly strong, but the technique was insufficient to hit the target, the efficiency would be zero, resulting in zero ultimate damage.
The advantage of Jacques''s Secret Method Trait was that it allowed him to completely abandon defensive techniques, eliminating any worry of his attacks being interrupted by external forces.
Possessing such a Trait granted an overwhelming advantage in combat technique.
Even a complete novice could flail wildly and hack a master to death without fear of injury.
Next, Jacques pushed this Trait to its absolute limit, abandoning all defense to unleash a frenzied barrage of sword strikes.
Attack! Attack! Attack!
Jacques himself was no inexperienced novice. On the contrary, he possessed a fair amount of combat experience and a fighting style entirely his own.
His gaze was not fixed on Nemus, but rather on Nemus''s sword.
''Aside from allowing you to ignore all interference and obstacles while attacking, the Advance Trait also possesses a certain hidden effect: the "Holy Collapse",'' the words of the Family Household elder who taught him the Secret Method echoed in his ears.
''The so-called Holy Collapse means that as long as you forge ahead, you will inevitably sever the enemy''s resistance!''
Sure enough, as Jacques swung his sword and clashed with Nemus''s Blade Edge once more, a sharp crack became the catalyst to break the stalemate.
The Knight''s Sword in Nemus''s hand snapped.
The Holy Collapse was a destructive ability that was guaranteed to trigger after a certain number of attacks. If the opponent resisted with a weapon, that weapon would inevitably be cleaved in two.
If they wore sturdy armor, that armor would be shattered all the same.
''This is the "Holy Collapse"!''
''This is Dartmenerly!!'' Jacques roared in his heart, his face flushing with the joy of impending victory.
Having prepared for this exact moment, he was barely affected by the broken weapon. He continued to drive his sword forward, pressing his body into the strike and erupting with every ounce of his strength.
Jacques leaned forward, redirecting the excessive momentum of his own blow.
Yet, a sliver of worry began to creep into his mind. He hoped this strike wouldn''t outright kill Nemus.
Though he wanted to teach Nemus a harsh lesson, the man absolutely could not die right now.
Otherwise, the crimes pinned on him would be greatly discounted.
Because the dead could be slandered at will, convicting a corpse naturally invited a certain degree of skepticism...
His brain was swarming with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, but Jacques quickly realized he was overthinking things.
A hand reached out and clamped tightly around the flat of his blade.
That hand was like an iron vise, gripping his sword in an unbreakable hold.
"Just as I thought. During and after your attack, your Trait cannot take effect," Nemus chuckled softly beside his ear.
The very next moment, Jacques was hurled into the air. His vision dissolved into a chaotic blur, and by the time it stabilized, he was staring at a gravel-paved ground.
He flipped over and tried to scramble up, but a heavy foot stepped down, pinning him firmly by the chest.
Instantly, Jacques found it hard to breathe, all the strength draining from his body as he was completely immobilized.
"Victory is never obtained through boasting, but earned through actual power."
"Don''t get too excited. Being overly agitated while suffocating is bad for your health."
Nemus''s words of comfort at this moment became the ultimate humiliation for Jacques.