"Around the time you were coming, he fled in that direction. Just moments ago," Asuka, clutching his stomach, pointed in the direction Pacho had escaped to, adding smugly, "He's bleeding. I got his arm!"
It seems the method he bragged about worked well. Looking around, except for Andro, they all suffered significant injuries. In actual combat, Andro's skills might have been the best. Helmut harbored an unjust suspicion towards Asuka.
He uttered a brief word of encouragement.
"You held up well."
His tone was calm, as if he was saying they did a good job. At that moment, a deep sense of relief settled over the three boys who had fought against Pacho here.
'It's over.'
"I'll pursue him. If we let him live, he'll be a headache. Stay here."
The likelihood of Pacho dodging Helmut and returning here was slim.
Suddenly, he sensed several presences rushing towards them from the road. Familiar presences. It seemed the instructors were using magic to come here.
'I can leave these guys to them.'
"Helmut! Asuka! Dino! James! Andro!"
Voices calling out their names with urgency echoed as they approached. It was Instructor Patricia's voice.
"Here, Instructor!"
Andro waved and shouted. Helmut glanced at them briefly, then kicked off the ground.
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Pacho was running through the forest. He didn't even have time to properly stop the bleeding from his arm. He just tied it up with a cloth. For now, he had to run, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the campsite. There was no time for any tricks.
Pacho had completely given up on fighting Helmut at this point. Regardless of Helmut's condition, his own was not good. Fighting in this state, reeking of fresh blood, was very disadvantageous for Pacho. He couldn't attempt his specialty of assassination. He wouldn't be able to hide from such a keen opponent.
'He will definitely pursue me.'
Pacho instinctively knew this. The opponent must be furious by now. He should have swiftly killed his friends and left, but the leisure time he thought he had quickly dwindled to a flickering candle flame.
The reason for Pacho's failure was simple. Not because the opponent was strong, but because he was complacent.
'I got too carried away.'
If he had fully exerted his power from the beginning, it would have ended quickly. It had been too long since he had such an interesting prey. Normally, being associated with the academy alone would make them untouchable, young boys with soft skin and full of camaraderie. Facing such lively and promising youths brought him a unique thrill.
Pacho was excited because he was human. A human succumbing to desires! Whether through words or daggers, he wanted to toy with and enjoy them, but he got carried away.
'Especially that effeminate commoner.'
Thinking of Asuka, he ground his teeth. Among the three, he was the smallest and seemed the most insignificant. Yet, he had considerable skill. Although he hadn't reached the point of materializing his vis, he was proficient in enhancing his muscles and channeling it into his sword.
Such achievements were extraordinary for his age, especially for a commoner who likely had little opportunity for systematic education from a young age. It's difficult for a commoner to achieve such skill despite their talent, given their physical and environmental constraints.
Pacho narrowed his eyes as he thought that far. He recalled the unsettling sensation he felt during the fight, which he had ignored due to the battle. Pacho visualized Asuka's swordsmanship in his mind. How was he during the three-on-one fight and when he fought alone?
Pacho, who needed to remember the characteristics of his targets, recalled many features of swordsmanship. One particular style came to mind. If his guess was correct, that boy might be...
'Could that kid be...'
If what he realized was true, Pacho's failure to kill Asuka today was fortunate for him and for Black Hawk. It was fortunate that he realized it, albeit belatedly.
With a chill in his heart, Pacho regulated his breathing. A lack of intelligence almost led to disaster.
'I must report this to the higher-ups.'
He would have to report his failure, but what Pacho discovered would offset it.
Even as he thought, he was steadily moving away from the campsite. Pacho had long legs and was fast. Any ordinary person would not be able to catch up with him if they started a few minutes after him.
If they were just any ordinary person.
At that moment, he felt a chilling sensation. Without looking back, Pacho immediately threw his body to the side. Thwack! Something long and slender flew towards where he had been, but unable to withstand the impact, it shattered instead of embedding. It was not something that flew by chance. Pacho regained his balance and looked around. His heart felt like it was frozen.
'Has he caught up? Where is it?'
His gaze naturally lifted. A figure stood atop a tree. Like a grim reaper, a boy with eerie black eyes, holding a bow, was looking down at him. Along with a premonition, his heart raced wildly.
It was a premonition of death.
"You're the first from Black Hawk to dodge that. I'll give you that."
A languid voice echoed from the darkness. Pacho remembered the five bodies he had been informed about. All were impaled on tree branches. So, this was how he did it.
Helmut spoke in a calm tone.
"I'm the hunter, and you're the prey."
The situation had completely reversed. There were no more traps, hostages, or tricks to play. The only thing Pacho had to oppose him was his own body.
"You smell of blood. Asuka cut your arm, didn't he? You must want to escape the pain quickly."
Helmut's eyes sparkled strangely.
"But you won't die easily. Because of you, I'm quite angry."
All the enemies Helmut had encountered since leaving the Forest of Parha were mere bugs. This guy was especially an annoying bug. Mosquitoes stealthily fly in while you sleep, annoyingly sucking blood before disappearing.
To Helmut, Pacho was no different from a mosquito. That's why he provoked even more desire to kill. Helmut wanted to kill Pacho. Intensely. A fierce smile formed on Helmut's lips.
"Show me what you've got. Make sure I'm not bored!"
Helmut leaped from the tree like a meteor straight towards Pacho. Pacho drew his dagger. But he had lost a lot of blood. One arm was completely paralyzed. His movements were noticeably slower. He chose to evade. The first strike tore through the space Pacho had been in. Swoosh!
The air-splitting blade strike was powerful. The ashen vis imbued in the sword overwhelmed Pacho visually. Although he knew the opponent could materialize vis, the vis Helmut displayed was terrifying.
'His vis is stable. That means he's almost in perfect condition.'
His plan had not worked. Pacho realized that. If that was not his full strength, then Helmut's skills were beyond his expectations.
The onslaught continued relentlessly. He dodged the second strike, but the third, slashing diagonally, was inescapable. A flame-like red vis flared in one hand. He had to at least deflect it. But at the moment of impact, Kaang! An enormous pressure struck his healthy right arm. His vis and strength were utterly insufficient to withstand the force.
Pacho dropped his dagger. Thud, clatter. The sound of the dagger being flung from his grasp and rolling on the ground seemed almost like the sound of his head rolling on the floor. There were still weapons on his body, but nothing to block a vis-imbued sword. Throwing hidden weapons would be futile. Helmut showed no openings. Despair swelled within him. A vast and overwhelming darkness approached.
Helmut, having paused his attack, tilted his head slightly.
"Lost your weapon?"
His black eyes fixed directly on him. Those emotionless, abyss-like eyes seemed impervious to any plea.
In such a situation, it's difficult not to feel fear. But sometimes, seeking a way out can save one's life. Pacho raised his hands and knelt down. Helmut's eyebrow rose unexpectedly at this unforeseen action. Pacho calmly spoke.
"I surrender."
Helmut, incredulous, walked over and kicked him squarely in the stomach. Thwack! Right where Asuka had been kicked. Pacho spat out a froth of blood as he fell sideways.
"Kuh! You say you're from the Swordsmanship Academy, but is it okay to treat someone who's surrendered like this?"
"This isn't a duel."
Helmut kicked him again. Thwack! This time, it was towards the legs.
"Kuh!"
It felt like being hammered. The pain contorted his face. Yet, even in that situation, Pacho desperately thought. A villain always cherishes their own life. Pacho was no different.
"If you spare me, I won't pursue you again!"
"Even if you die, you won't be able to pursue me. That would be too much of a loss for me."
Helmut replied breezily and stepped on Pacho's wrist. Crunch! The palm flattened under pressure as the hand was forced open. Bringing his sword down lightly, he severed four fingers other than the thumb. This was for Dino.
The ground quickly soaked with blood. The pain from the previous blow was so intense that he barely felt the sharp sword severing his fingers. Pacho, on the brink of death, chuckled.
"
Heh. I'm just one of many in Black Hawk. If I don't return, others from Black Hawk will target you. And next time, it won't just be one person."
"But what does it matter? You'll die here, and so will your colleagues. That'll clean things up."
Helmut's casual response indicated no concern. However, he didn't show it, but he was slightly startled by those words.
'Their level seems to be getting higher. Until now, it was easy, but this guy gave me some trouble, didn't he?'
If three guys like him, or even more, join forces next time, regardless of their rank, and come at him altogether... Even he might find it difficult to handle. Especially if they start taking his friends or even Ethan as hostages... Now that he's broken the rule of not touching nobles, they could come at him as dirty and ruthlessly as they want.
'But I still don't want to let this guy live. Even if I spare him, there's no guarantee he'll keep his word.'
No matter how he thought about it, he had to kill him. It was definitely not because Helmut just wanted to kill him. Even according to the common sense he learned at the academy, this guy deserved the death penalty. He's committed enough crimes to warrant it, and since he's a fugitive who wouldn't hesitate to escape prison, it's up to Helmut to execute him definitively.
But there was a sticking point. The Seed of Darkness. Already sensitive from the earlier interaction with vis, it was now slightly stirring again.
Helmut, having caught Pacho, decided to extract all possible information from him before deciding on a new approach for their conversation. He pondered how to torture him to spill everything. Executing him could wait until he had heard enough. This guy, not just a small fry and clearly cherishing his own life, wouldn't likely attempt suicide.
"What happened to the horse you stole?"
The first question Helmut asked was about the first horse he had ever owned. He had grown attached to White, a horse he had barely ridden before losing. That creature was also part of the payment for a job. It was a valuable loss in terms of property.
Pacho readily answered.
"The horses are all tied up east of here, in front of a cave. They were all good horses, so I didn't kill them, just took them."
Helmut's mood slightly improved upon confirming White's survival. The cave was not far from here. Given his hasty escape, he probably planned to escape on horseback. Stealing others' horses to sell them off, what a thrifty guy.
Feeling a bit better, Helmut inquired further, driven by his newfound interest in interrogation. Despite the potential for a grim outcome, he felt compelled to delve deeper, motivated not only by the desire for information but also by a personal vendetta against Pacho for his actions and the threat he posed.
As Helmut prepared for what might be a brutal interrogation, his thoughts also turned to the implications of letting Pacho live or die, weighing the strategic benefits against the moral and practical risks involved in his decision.