I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess

The spider attacked recklessly, indifferent to its own body being torn apart, and I retaliated with all my might.

A battle of endurance was not an option.

My body was too battered to keep up the hit-and-run strategy from earlier.

However, the spider was slower than before, and I was faster.

-Thumb. Thumb. Thumb.

My heart pounded fiercely.

Hot blood surged through my veins from one end to the other.

As time seemed to slow down, my body accelerated.

I sliced off a chunk of the spider’s flesh and switched my grip on the sword.

I pierced its dented exoskeleton and retrieved my weapon. I stepped back two paces, bending my waist to avoid an attack.

A refreshing breeze followed the spider’s leg as it narrowly missed my face.

‘Is it not using its venom again?’

It made sense. The telltale signs before it spat venom were clear.

While it was a threat when unnoticed, I had no reason to get hit if I was cautious.

If it tried that again, I was confident I could counter it effectively.

My eyes had already captured every subtle movement of the spider.

The spider’s claw aimed for my shoulder.

It wasn’t hard to dodge. Even if it hit, it wouldn’t be a severe injury.

No, upon closer thought, this was actually an opportunity.

‘Don’t fear pain. Consider wounds as badges of honor.’

Did I have so much time to spare?

Can I engage in a clean exchange of blows and leisurely exploit the openings?

Someone, somewhere, has a blade pointed at me right now.

’Think of the pursuers. Fighting this loudly, do you think they won’t follow? ’

Do I think the trackers will just sit idle after seeing these massive traces?

If there’s no chance to attack, create one. Even if I have to throw my body into it.

What do I have besides a sturdy body?

It’s enough if I can keep fighting. As long as I can fight the next battle after this one.

‘I’ll take the hit.’

My left shoulder was torn open.

I severed one of its legs. It was my first major success after a prolonged battle.

We fought fiercely, like animals.

In the slow-motion world, I constantly swung my sword. Blood splattered. Whose blood it was, I couldn’t tell.

Blue blood mixed with red, indistinguishable.

There seemed to be much more blue. The absence of the leg I cut off was significant.

Its defense became noticeably sloppy. That was the cost of not giving up the attack.

I relentlessly targeted the spider’s damaged half.

Then my leg momentarily refused to obey.

It was from breaking the exoskeleton near its head earlier.

The pain was bearable, but the torn muscle was troublesome.

It was a brief moment. Less than a second. That short lapse became poison.

A heavy leg struck one side of my body.

I didn’t go flying helplessly like before.

I managed to stay standing, but the impact was significant.

The problem was what came next.

My stance was completely broken, leaving me unprepared for what was to come.

“Razen!”

A familiar voice called out.

Something whistled through the air.

The ‘next’ attack that should have struck me disappeared.

Thwack!

A familiar-looking hand axe was embedded in the spider’s eye.

It was a gap created by Sirien.

Now?

There was no time for lengthy thought.

My actions preceded my judgment.

I faced the spider head-on, a move that would have been suicidal until now, but this time was different.

Crack!

My sword pierced through the thin exoskeleton and accurately penetrated beneath the spider’s jaw.

Sticky, hot blood flowed down my arm.

‘Please. Just die already.’

I drove my sword in as far as it could go.

It felt like it was piercing through thick flesh endlessly.

Just a little more. Just a little more, and I could completely sever its lifeline.

But nothing in this world ever goes as planned.

My sword hit something with a dull thud.

The sensation in my hand was despairing. It was too solid to break through.

As I was blocked, the spider’s fangs touched my shoulder as if it had been waiting.

Something hot and cold entered my body.

I wasn’t foolish enough to not realize it was venom.

The poison spread quickly.

In an instant, my body grew heavy, and my mind started to drift.

I barely managed to stay upright as my staggering body tried to collapse.

‘Is this a failure?’

No. That can’t happen.

I had to finish this before I couldn’t move.

I pushed my sword further towards the obstructed head. Of course, it didn’t budge.

Still, I had to do it. If once wasn’t enough, then again. I had to muster every last bit of strength to end this spider’s life.

I couldn’t let it live.

The moment I thought that──

A ‘miracle’ happened.

* * *

[ Excerpt from “Saintess, Reverse Harem is Impure! Vol. 7, p. 127″ ]

The sword aura of Count Berthus was fundamentally black.

It was a deep, dark black that stood out even in the dead of night, surrounded by blood-red lightning that roared fiercely.

It was said that a Sword Master’s aura contained everything about that person.

And the most influential factor was the belief held at the moment they reached the pinnacle of their swordsmanship.

If that were the case, then Ellis could not help but be horrified every time she saw that cruel sword.

Why was Razen Berthus’ sword aura so ominous and foreboding?

It was a sword that seemed to harbor only murderous intent.

It contained nothing but malice aimed at destroying and breaking others.

Belief? What belief could be found within that?

Even if it did contain some belief, Ellis felt she could neither comprehend nor accept it.

A Pure evil.

Somehow, those three words became indelibly etched in Ellis’ mind.

At that moment, she felt a strong conviction. To achieve the world everyone desired, this man must be eliminated.

For the first time, Ellis thought about someone who had to die.

* * *

Kill It!

Reason and instinct screamed simultaneously.

Right after the miracle found me, my mind was bleached white.

All I could think about was killing that spider.

I had to kill the enemy.

Even if I had to burn myself alive, I had to kill it.

My body felt light. It was as if the poisoning from earlier had been a lie.

The venom was still rampaging inside me, but it had no effect.

Never before had my sword felt so much like an extension of my body.

Wherever I intended to cut, the sword was already moving, and my eyes seemed to predict the optimal path, foreseeing moves two or three steps ahead.

“Haaaah!”

A spark flashed before my eyes.

It was a faint flicker.

Compared to the descriptions of how it would engulf its surroundings when drawn, it was pathetically weak and insignificant.

My sword aura was just as feeble. It barely wrapped thinly around the blade, my utmost limit.

But right now, this was enough.

A dark mist enveloped the steel blade. As my sword moved, the night sky opened amidst the morning sunlight.

That tough, durable exoskeleton was sliced like paper.

I slashed the spider’s body recklessly.

Cutting off its legs. Slicing through its eyes. Stabbing deeply into its outstretched head and then severing it, slicing through the jaws that were about to spit venom.

The spider was rushing towards death in an instant. That it was still alive meant it wasn’t dead yet.

It’s not dead until it’s dead.

The blood boiling within me cried out.

- Kill it!

- Move your arms and kill the enemy before you.

Destroy anything that gets in the way, cut down everything that hinders.

All the strength in my body was for this purpose alone.

Suddenly, I didn’t like the sword I was swinging.

A heavier, larger sword would be better. How great would it be if a single slash could leave a bigger wound?

Right. If one isn’t enough, then use another.

I spotted the axe Sirien had thrown earlier. I pulled it out and swung it down.

Crack! Crack!

The contents inside the spider’s head scattered wildly.

Eventually, the spider collapsed.

My eyes didn’t miss its still twitching legs.

‘It’s still alive.’

Then I had to finish it.

I beheaded the spider.

The severed head got in the way, so I kicked it aside.

Scalding breath poured out of my mouth.

I understood.

Why Razen’s sword had to be so extremely aggressive.

This power came with terrible overload on the body.

Every time mana flowed through my bloodstream, it felt like it left tiny wounds inside me.

This was the price of becoming a half-baked Sword Master.

In exchange for the destructive power I gained, this was the price I had to pay.

There was no need to announce this.

Razen was strong enough and had enough talent.

No one doubted he became a Sword Master through the standard path.

The Razen in the novel also lacked time. To survive, he needed power, even if it was incomplete.

How many more times did I swing the sword and axe?

I stopped swinging the weapons in a state of trance.

“Haa... Haa...”

As I regained my senses, a horribly mangled corpse was left.

It was a relief. I was reaching my limit, too.

As soon as I withdrew my sword aura, the venom eagerly tightened its grip on my throat.

The last thing I saw as I collapsed was Sirien’s figure rushing towards me desperately.

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