The Devil Brides had encircled Ganz, their eyes fixed on the man who had just obliterated their comrade in a split second, too fast for them to even react. Tension hung thick in the air as they observed him cautiously, aware of the deadly power he possessed.
Gabriella barked orders to her comrades, her voice sharp and commanding.
"Stay in front and stall him! First lieutenant Bridget and I will use our enhancer potions."
Bridget, her voice tinged with worry, said.
"Lady Gabriella, even with the enhancers, this will be a bloodbath. You saw how he moved."
Gabriella's face was grim as she replied.
"I know. We miscalculated. We underestimated him, and now we'll pay the price."
Five female knights immediately charged at Ganz, while Gabriella and the red-haired woman with the massive war axe retrieved small potion bottles from their belts. As they drank, Gabriella's skin turned pale, and the irises of her eyes momentarily faded to an eerie white standing completely still frozen in her place. The other woman grew scales on her forehead and cheeks.
The women surrounding Ganz launched their attacks from all sides simultaneously, gradually adjusting to his blinding speed. They managed to dodge his strikes, but it became clear that neither their bodies nor their weapons could withstand even a single blow from him. A hit from Ganz was lethal, rendering any counterattack futile, getting hit even once meant a guaranteed instant death.
After a tense standoff, Ganz finally found an opening, closing the distance with one of the women. With a devastating strike, he shattered her defenses, her sword offering no protection as it splintered under the force of his blow.
A loud shout echoed across the grass field.
"Get down!"
Commanded the red-haired shield maiden as she charged forward, her war axe poised to strike. Obeying her superior, she lowered her broken sword and crouched, preparing to dodge.
But Ganz, unfazed and relentless, continued his attack. The war axe clashed with the iron mace, the impact creating a deafening boom that reverberated through the air.
Despite her strength and the force of her swing, the red-haired woman was overpowered by the sheer weight of Ganz's mace and the otherworldly force behind it. The blow sent her staggering backward, her war axe wrenched out of her grasp and flung in the opposite direction. The mace, unstoppable in its trajectory, crashed down on the shield maiden who had crouched just moments before, smashing her into the ground. Her head was split open, the white flesh of her brain and red blood spilling onto the dirt. Her death was instant and brutal.
From behind the window, Arat watched in shock. He finally understood why he had never been able to land a hit on his grandfather during their sparring sessions. Arat who had never saw anything like this could only watch the scene silently as a spectator.
The gruesome sight sent a wave of horror through the ranks of the male soldiers and the warrior women. one could easily feel the tension in the air. In that moment, they all understood one grim truth: if the right hand of their commander, enhanced by a powerful potion, couldn't even match Ganz's strength, then many of them would not come out of this fight in one piece.
Bridget, the knight wielding the war axe, forced herself to her feet after being thrown back. Steeling herself, she spoke with renewed determination.
"Damn this heathen, What now Gabriella?"
Bridget snarled; her frustration palpable.
"Keep stalling him," Gabriella commanded coldly as she stood still only her lips moved her appearance was Identical to someone who had been possessed by a force beyond this world.
""Tch, I can only hold him off for a minute or two,"
Bridget grumbled, gripping her war axe tightly.
Ganz, overhearing their exchange, spoke in a hoarse, mocking tone.
"You overestimate yourself. Do you really think you can survive that long?"
Undeterred, Bridget let out a fierce battle cry and charged forward, her war axe raised for a powerful strike. Ganz met her challenge, lifting his massive mace and bringing it down with terrifying force. Feeling the force of the attack Bridget side stepped back wards, she didn't dare take an Attack like that head on.
As Bridget engaged Ganz, the remaining devil brides, without the need to hear a word, downed their enhancer potions. One by one, they underwent grotesque transformations—eyes and skin colors shifting, blood vessels bulging beneath the surface. The most striking changes occurred in two of the women: one's face morphed, her mouth widening unnaturally as a gland under her jaw swelled like a frog's; another grew scales similar to Bridget, her skin turning a deep, blood-red hue.
What is this? Arat thought in shock as he watched from his hiding place. They're like me… Are these women half-demons too? If so, why do they call me an unholy beast, but why their blood is red?
Bridget successfully dodged Ganz's initial attack but what she didn't expect was the relentless series of strikes coming at her afterward, the bowmen had their arrows drawn, ready to shoot, but with the two combatants moving at such inhuman speeds, aiming became impossible. In a desperate move, one of the devil brides, wielding a steel bow adorned with intricate, jagged designs, let loose an arrow, aiming at the chaotic clash between Bridget and Ganz.
Surprisingly, the arrow's aim was true. Ganz stepped back, moving the metal sphere of his mace into the path of the projectile. Instead of deflecting and falling to the ground, the thick, heavy steel arrow lodged itself into the mace's head.
Ganz's eyes widened, his eyebrows arching in surprise.
I meant to catch it with my hand, but I hesitated and opted to block it with the mace instead. If I hadn't, it could have easily pierced my skull.
"Seems like you lot aren't entirely useless after all."
Ganz muttered, casting a sharp glance at the woman.
Without wasting a second, Bridget charged forward again, while the bow woman quickly notched another arrow and took aim. Despite being surrounded by warriors, Ganz's sharp observation didn't miss a thing.
This is troublesome. Her steel bow and strength pack quite a punch. If I get hit, keeping up will be hard, especially considering that those arrows are poisoned too just like the on they shot at Arat.
Arat, watching a real battle unfold for the first time, couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, despite the dire circumstances. He felt a swelling pride in his grandfather's strength. He analyzed the situation.
It seems the other male bowmen don't have the confidence to shoot at Grandpa. That scarlet-haired woman is way too fast—I can barely keep up with their moves. Grandpa must have been holding back during our sparring sessions, hiding this strength.
Ganz traded blows with Bridget, forcing her to retreat, but the warrior's agility repeatedly saved her from his powerful strikes. Realizing his time was running out, Ganz crouched slightly, scooping a fistful of dirt from the ground, and flung it toward her face. Bridget dodged the cheap trick with ease, chuckling angrily, a gleeful smirk spreading across her face.
"To think someone like you would stoop so low," she taunted.
But Ganz had anticipated her arrogance. He exhaled a thick, crimson smoke from his mouth, blinding the woman. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged forward, only to be intercepted by two arrows whistling through the air. He deflected one with his mace, but the other grazed his leg, tearing the flesh on the surface.
Seeing his grand-father wounded Arat shouted
"No!"
His voice was too low to be heard by the people outside thou.
With Bridget now within reach, Ganz hurled his mace toward the bow-woman, who was preparing her next shot forcing her to dodge the massive heap of iron momentarily disrupting her attacks. Without hesitation, he closed the distance with Bridget and delivered a crushing punch to her throat. Her eyes filled with tears, the small red blood vessels visible, showing the agony she was in. The force of his fist crushed her windpipe into her throat, leaving her gasping for air as she crumpled to the ground, trying to breath while scratching her throat peeling the skin with her nails.
Ganz knew what would happen next. The women, now recovered from their earlier daze from drinking the potions, were regaining their focus. The leader, Gabriella, stood at a distance, her eyes now completely white, as if she was observing every detail.
Ganz deliberately scanned his surroundings.
I had to distract that annoying sharpshooter, but now I'm exposed if I go toward the archers to retrieve my weapon. However, if I stay close to these knights here, they won't have a clear shot at least only one of them will.
Ganz glanced at the wound on his thigh, noticing the blood seeping from it and the yellowish tinge around the edges.
As I thought, the arrows are poisoned. If I want to go after the others, I need to grab one of their weapons and use it. But it'll be harder to take them down in one shot, and if I charge at the archers to retrieve my mace, they'll turn me into a pincushion filling me with holes.
One of the male warriors yelled:
"Keep your distance from him so we can shoot him down"
Ganz chuckled for the first time during the fight, a grin breaking his usually stern demeanor.
"Easier said than done."
In an instant, he lunged forward with blinding speed, closing the distance before his opponents could react. His target was the woman next to the warrior he had previously torn apart her lifeless lower body still lying on the ground. She charged at him, but Ganz sidestepped her attack, deftly avoiding the blade. As if he didn't want to fight her in the first place, he then pivoted toward the black-haired woman he had killed moments ago, rolling on the ground to grab her spear. With the mid-ranged weapon in hand, he quickly armed himself once more.
As he lifted his head, he saw a ball of yellow liquid hurtling toward him. The devil bride with the enlarged gland beneath her throat was spitting the liquid she had gathered in her mouth. Ganz had no choice but to dodge every one of the toxic projectiles. While he was evading her attacks, another arrow came flying toward him.
This time, with no room to maneuver, Ganz acted swiftly. He slashed through the air with such force that the wind pressure dispersed the small orb of yellow liquid, and the arrow was deflected off course as it hit the spear. He had successfully fended off both attacks.
Ganz murmured to himself,
"If I wield something this light, you won't even see my strikes."
He adjusted his grip on the spear, knowing that his speed would be his greatest asset.
These warriors are smart, I can't drag this out any longer.
He then vanished into the thin air one more, reappearing before the devil bride with the unnaturally large mouth. His spear shot forward with lightning speed, too fast for her to react. The sword she attempted to raise in defense barely reached the handle of the spear before it had already pierced through her chest, steel armor offering no resistance. The dying woman stared at the wound in shock, realizing her end was near she shouted
"You fucking bastard,"
as she spat blood through gritted teeth.
"I won't let you off so easy."
With her last reserves of strength, she gripped the spear embedded in her chest and gathered a final glob of yellow phlegm, attempting to spray it onto Ganz.
But Ganz's reaction speed was greater. Twisting the spear violently, he inflicted unbearable pain on the devil bride, forcing her to loosen her grip. Her eyes widened in agony as she lost control, her aim faltering.
Meanwhile, the bow-woman, seeing their chance, loosed an arrow.
"Our sister has pinned him down, now is our chance!"
she commanded. The other archers, who had been waiting for the right moment, released their arrows in unison, each one aimed directly at Ganz.
The woman with the wide mouth, her face twisted in a malicious smile, whispered,
"This is your end."
he replied
"We will see"
But Ganz was not so easily trapped. With the spear still lodged in the devil bride, he used her body as a shield, twisting it around to intercept the incoming arrows. The projectiles thudded into her back. Their momentum stopped by her dying body.
Ganz pushed the body forward, wrenching the spear free and running toward the line of archers he closed some distance. With a final burst of speed, he lunged at the remaining archers, knowing that he had only moments before they could knock another round of arrows.
"This ends now," Ganz growled, his eyes filled with relentless determination.
The bow woman who knew what she had to do aimed for her comrade's neck and unleashed her steel arrow, As the bow woman's projectile struck the gland on her comrade's neck from behind piercing through, a spray of yellow liquid erupted, splattering across Ganz's chest and face. The caustic substance began to sizzle and burn through his skin, but Ganz, driven by sheer willpower, pushed the corpse away before the liquid could do more damage. As he did so and looked toward the enemy he was greeted by another arrow. It pierced deep into Ganz's chest, close to his heart, the impact sending a shockwave of pain through his body
Arat now worried, was biting his lips her fingers tightly gripped on the wooden frame of the window.
The remaining devil brides and soldiers closed in, their resolve hardened by the sight of their comrade's blood staining Ganz's spear and skin. But the fear in their eyes was unmistakable they knew they were facing a man who had embraced death, and there was nothing more dangerous than that.
The devil bride who held a bow commanded.
"Lady Gabriella still needs some time"
The other women each standing on the left and right side of the house with a group of ten men behind them drew their weapons and joined the fight. One of them ordered her soldiers
"You stay here, we can't let that child run away"
One of the male soldiers said:
"But lieutenant that guy is heads and shoulders above you. we can't just stay here and watch"
"That's exactly why you should keep yourself out of this we don't want you around while we are fighting him"
The two lieutenants joined the fight trading blows with Ganz. As the battle went on, they realized that the old man that seemed like a monster had lost his edge he was now obviously slower than before yet wielding that spear with such mastery was enough to put them in a clutch.
Ganz roared, a deep, guttural sound that shook the battlefield. he then took out the steel arrow as he couldn't it. His body, though riddled with wounds and poisoned, seemed to ignore the pain. He moved with terrifying speed, the spear in his hand a blur of deadly precision. The first of the devil brides to engage him was met with a vicious strike to the side, the spear tearing through her armor as if it were made of paper. Blood sprayed across the grass as she fell, her eyes wide with shock.
The archer kept teasing Ganz with her arrows once again, amidst the furious battle Ganz who was holding himself in-front of four warriors as the effects of the giant's blood ran out took another arrow in his right knee. Forcing him to kneel on the ground as he lost his balance.
The devil brides who were being massacred in a one-sided fight finally had the upper hand now with the old man infected by poison and wounded by arrows. Ganz's breathing became heavy, he lifted himself from the ground with immense pain and took his stance once again. The devil bride became more and more offensive with their strikes knowing that their enemy had been weakened now.
But Ganz did not stop his pressing attacks even though he couldn't remove the spear stuck in his knee. He twisted and lunged; each movement fueled by the raw power coursing through him. Another devil bride attempted to strike from behind, but Ganz spun, his spear catching her in the stomach and lifting her off the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he sent her flying into two more of her comrades, knocking them down like dolls.
The archer, seeing Ganz's relentless approach, loosed another arrow. This time, it struck him in the shoulder, but Ganz didn't even flinch. His eyes were locked onto her, and she knew that her time was running out. Desperately, she reached for another arrow.
Out of nowhere Ganz felt a sharp pain in his back, he twisted his body along with his spear performing a 180-degree slash, but saw nothing once again another slash cut his hand. Before him stood a woman covered in golden armor with two rapier swords with blood on their sharp blades.
Gabriella was smiling at him with the blood from before on her face.
Gabriella, charged at Ganz with her rapiers flashing. She moved with incredible speed, her blades dancing in the air, but Ganz was ready. He met her attack head-on, parrying her strikes with his spear. The clash of steel against steel echoed across the field as they exchanged blows, each one trying to find an opening in the other's defense
Ganz, despite the effects of the Giant's Blood beginning to strain his body, fought with the ferocity of a cornered beast. He blocked one of Gabriella's rapiers with the shaft of his spear, and with a swift kick to her chest, sent her staggering backward.
He then shifted his focus back to the archer. Ignoring the searing pain from the arrows lodged in his body, he charged at her with everything he had left.
Lady Gabriella shouted
"All of you, don't let him kill the Archer, you crafty old man, that was what you were aiming for right?"
The archer, terrified, tried to flee, but Ganz was upon her in an instant. With a single, brutal thrust, he drove the spear through her chest, pinning her to the ground.
Gabriella screamed in rage,
"No!"
She rushed at Ganz again, her rapiers flashing in the dim light, but she was too late. The archer, the key to their strategy, was dead.
Ganz, panting heavily, blood dripping from multiple wounds, turned to face Gabriella and the remaining devil brides. His vision was starting to blur, and his body felt like it was on fire from the inside, but he stood tall, ready to face whatever came next.
Gabriella knew that even if Ganz was on the brink of death, he could still take more of them down with him. She hesitated for a moment, weighing her options, but the look in Ganz's eyes told her that there was no turning back.
Ganz gave a solid expression; he then took a small glass bottle out of his belt. the liquid inside was the same as the previous one, a scarlet liquid, the Giant's blood. he calmly said with a faint smile.
"Ready for round two?"
Gabriella caught off guard hadn't imagined something like this.
"You are a mad man, taking two of these will kill you. Have you gone insane?"
Ganz chuckled.
"Like something else is going to happen if I don't"
Ganz drank the contents of the bottle in one gulp tossing the empty bottle on the ground.