Chapter 7: Death Knight (2)

They say when someone is too shocked, words fail them—and I realized that was true.

Faced with a result that far exceeded my expectations and common sense, I barely managed to open my mouth.

“Freaking awesome.”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected this outcome at all.

The Immortal Pseudo-Dragon was stored in the shallowest layer of the warehouse, the “Safe” floor, right near the entrance. I thought it was a low-tier beast at best.

Maybe D+ rank, C-rank at most.

But who would’ve thought it’d be this ferocious once unleashed?

…However, at that moment.

BOOM!

The Pseudo-Dragon’s tail, which had been pinning down the cratered ground, was suddenly flung high into the air.

[Rooooar!]

A pillar of dark magical energy erupted from the Death Knight, surging outward.

I hadn’t even said, “Did I beat it?” 

yet…

The Death Knight, which I thought had been obliterated, broke free, tossing aside the Pseudo-Dragon’s tail.

As expected, an A+ danger rank wasn’t just for show.

Then, the Death Knight drew a third blade from its waist.

A sword bristling with jagged, shark-like teeth.

[Seven Demon Third Strike: Lust Slash, Asmodeus]

Two streams of boiling magical energy snaked along the black blade. 

Simultaneously, dark energy enveloped the jagged edges, swirling violently.

Zzzzzzzt!

A black aura spun at high speed, like a chainsaw.

The storm-like slash surged toward the Immortal Pseudo-Dragon.

Clang! Thud!

The Pseudo-Dragon’s tail was severed clean off, and it crashed to the ground.

Watching this, I broke out in a cold sweat.

But then.

Shrrrrip!

The Pseudo-Dragon’s torn tail regenerated in the blink of an eye.

The Death Knight gripped its first blade again.

[Seven Demon First Strike: Gluttony Slash, Beelzebub]

Countless crescent-shaped slashes bloomed from the razor-sharp blade.

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

They tore into the Pseudo-Dragon’s body, ripping it apart piece by piece.

But.

The Pseudo-Dragon seemed unfazed.

So unfazed that even the Death Knight appeared bewildered.

[…!]

[Heh heh heh heh…]

With a mocking sneer, the Pseudo-Dragon began regenerating its wounds.

Grrrrrr!

The speed of its healing outpaced the rate at which its flesh was being torn apart.

So that’s why it’s called the “Immortal Pseudo-Dragon.”

I’d never seen a creature live up to its name so well.

Then.

Crunch!

The Pseudo-Dragon’s claws lunged toward the Death Knight.

In response, the Death Knight drew its fourth blade and swung.

[Seven Demon Fourth Strike: Envy Slash, Leviathan]

A thin, sharp sword aura danced along the blade like willow branches.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Sharp, fang-like marks began carving into the Pseudo-Dragon’s body.

But.

[Rooooar!]

The Immortal Pseudo-Dragon roared with delight, even as its body was torn apart.

Its eyes gleamed with the thrill of finding a sturdy plaything after so long.

Then.

BOOM!

With a swipe of its sharp claws, the Pseudo-Dragon shredded the Death Knight’s slash.

The intense shockwave sent the Death Knight flying dozens of meters.

The Pseudo-Dragon’s claws began raining down relentlessly.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

The Death Knight blocked the onslaught with its sword and armor, preparing to counterattack.

This time, it drew two blades at once.

[Seven Demon Fifth Strike: Sloth Slash, Belphegor]  

[Seven Demon Sixth Strike: Wrath Slash, Satan]

Red and purple sword auras swirled together, creating a storm of blades.

They began tearing into the Pseudo-Dragon’s body from all directions.

Zrrrrrrrip!

Its head, arms, legs, and tail were minced like ground meat.

Thud! Thud! Thud thud thud!

The Death Knight roared, staring at the Pseudo-Dragon’s mangled corpse.

[Rooooar!]

At that moment.

[…]

Our eyes met.

The Death Knight raised its blade and began advancing toward me.

It radiated an aura that seemed ready to tear me apart at any moment.

But then, something no one could have predicted happened.

[Rooooar!]

The revival of the Immortal Pseudo-Dragon.

Its shredded body began regenerating at a ferocious pace.

The minced flesh, shattered bones, and torn hide fused back together, and even completely obliterated parts regrew in seconds.

Grrrrrr…

The Death Knight faced the Immortal Pseudo-Dragon once more.

Then, it drew its final, seventh blade from its waist.

A black aura, sharp as a star, shimmered at the blade’s tip.

[Seven Demon Seventh Strike: Dawn Slash, Lucifer]

It carved a trajectory like the dawn, raining down in a black torrent.

But.

Fssssss…

Perhaps it lacked the strength to sustain it.

Cracks in the Death Knight’s black armor began to widen rapidly.

Crack! Crack!

Its helmet and armor shattered.

The force of its slashes noticeably weakened.

Of course, the Pseudo-Dragon didn’t miss that fleeting opportunity.

Gulp gulp gulp—

The Pseudo-Dragon’s chest swelled massively, glowing red-hot.

It looked like a bellows-fueled furnace.

Grrrrrr!

It sucked in the Death Knight’s slashes, “eating” them whole.

I recalled the guidebook’s information on the Immortal Pseudo-Dragon.

<The Immortal Pseudo-Dragon>  

– Storage Number: MRG-682  

– Storage Grade: Safe  

“The Immortal Pseudo-Dragon,” also known as “The Iron-Eating Pseudo-Dragon.”  

The 72nd dragon recorded in the apocalypse, possessing powerful regenerative abilities and drastically enhanced physical capabilities when consuming metal.  

Its intelligence is nearly nonexistent, but its temperament is highly aggressive and violent, requiring caution during containment and storage.  

The Iron-Eating Pseudo-Dragon.  

Drastically enhanced physical capabilities when consuming metal.

Did that include the aura blades burning with the Death Knight’s magical energy?

I watched as the Pseudo-Dragon devoured the Death Knight’s steel-like slashes.

As it did, the minor wounds on its body healed rapidly.

Having absorbed all the slashes, the Pseudo-Dragon leapt toward the Death Knight.

[…!]

The Death Knight tried to dodge.

Stagger—

But having burned through too much magical energy, its movements were noticeably sluggish, and the Pseudo-Dragon’s sharp fangs didn’t miss the exposed weakness.

Crunch!

The Pseudo-Dragon bit into the Death Knight’s armor fragments, charging forward.

Crack!

It succeeded in sinking its sharp fangs into the Death Knight’s chest.

At that moment, I knew.

I did it.

I had cleared the dungeon.

But then.

Clang!

…Clang?

The sound of breaking armor was too clear.

Upon closer inspection, the Pseudo-Dragon’s fangs had pierced the dark blue crystal embedded in the Death Knight’s chest armor.

Whoosh!

A black, murky aura began erupting violently from the cracks in the crystal.

A storm of dark energy swirled.

The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.

Even the Pseudo-Dragon staggered back under the intense shockwave.

I barely avoided being swept away by clinging to a nearby boulder.

“Ugh, what the hell!?”

Then, the Death Knight began tearing at its helmet, letting out a scream.

[Urgh, aaaaaah!]

A cry filled with pain and anguish.

Black, turbid energy exploded from the Death Knight’s crystal.

Then.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Hundreds, thousands of cracks split across the Death Knight’s helmet and armor.

The seemingly eternal outpouring of murky energy stopped in an instant.

And then.

Crack! Thud!

The Death Knight’s helmet split in half and fell.

!

I couldn’t help but be shocked.

The face revealed was utterly mismatched with the ferocious name “Death Knight.”

Sharp, delicate features as if drawn with a pen, a slender jawline, ebony hair cascading like silk, and skin as white as snow.

Undoubtedly, a beautiful figure.

The Death Knight knelt, head bowed, motionless.

Did it pass out?

A pretty boy Death Knight—something straight out of a novel or comic.

As I thought this…

Crack! Crack! Thud!

Now, the Death Knight’s black armor shattered and fell apart.

Like the helmet, there was nothing but bare flesh inside.

…

A fearsome monster reduced to its bare, natural state.

Staring at its true form, I muttered in fear and awe.

…It was a woman?