96 – Chapter 96. Total Annihilation (3)
“…”
The Yongjugol ninjas hiding in the alley.
Maksimus absentmindedly toyed with a small axe in his hand, lost in deep thought.
Ten years ago, during the civil war in the Irugal Kingdom, Maksimus, who was employed by the kingdom’s army, engaged in fierce battles against the rebels.
The trigger for the civil war was taxes. For several years, the nobles, who hadn’t even shown their faces, suddenly decided to raise taxes to more than four times the usual price.
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It was a year when even farming didn’t go well. The people’s grievances soared, but the nobles didn’t back down and continued on their path.
The uprising happened in an instant. The flames that started in Beas spread to Blofelt, and the scattered flames in Blofelt converged in Telas.
A resistance force formed around the people, and they soon came to be known as the rebels.
As Maksimus killed the rebels with his comrades, he was consumed by a profound sense of guilt.
The enemies he had to kill were neither monsters nor warriors.
The woman he split open with an axe had been holding a one-handed sickle used for farming, and all the rebels he captured were children.
There were also nobles, knights, and mercenaries on the side of the rebels. But even if he killed them, his sense of guilt wouldn’t disappear.
Though his mind told him it was wrong, his body, accustomed to cruelty, continued to move tirelessly.
It was the limit and destiny of someone who had wielded a sword at the command of others.
The army he belonged to advanced triumphantly, pushing into the rebels’ stronghold. The weakened rebels abandoned their base and fled, while the resolute commander, his momentum undeterred, ordered an advance without hesitation.
Naturally, it was a trap.
The rebels had gathered all their forces to attack the invading royal army, which had been scattered in pursuit of the enemy. Caught off guard, the royal forces were overwhelmed.
The moment of defeat drew near.
– “By the wheat, it’s the Sword of Change! The Sword of Change and the Order Maintenance Army!”
– “Heroes of the North! Heroes of the North!”
The Sword of Change, Jade, and the Order Maintenance Army arrived amidst cheers.
– “So the ruffians have gathered here. Insects… how delightful.”
As Jade raised his sword, countless weapons scattered across the battlefield slowly floated in the air.
– “Pay the price for disrupting order.”
That day, Maximus witnessed thousands of weapons moving all at once. Like arrows, they pierced through the rebels’ shields and bodies, and the tide of battle shifted in an instant.
Among the rebels were renowned magicians and two members of the Seven Swordsmen. However, there was not a single person who could withstand the assault of the Sword of Change.
– “No need to take prisoners. Cut them all down.”
After the war ended, the Order Maintenance Army not only killed the rebels but also the children of those who had collaborated with them.
– “Heroes of the North! Heroes of the North! Heroes of the North!”
The cheers grew louder, and the blood on the ground did not dry.
Terrified, Maximus fled the mercenaries as if running for his life. It wasn’t just the overwhelming power of Jade that scared him; it was also the slight but unmistakable smile on his face.
It wasn’t a smile that couldn’t overcome pleasure. It was a bright and refreshing smile, as if she had fulfilled her mission. She was smiling even though she had shed so much blood.
In an era where those with immense power rampage under the pretext of justice, ordinary people can only crumble before their mercilessness.
Maximus was terrified of that.
“But Robin was different.”
That was the reason why he, who had been living quietly after the civil war, set foot in this world again.
He never bothered ordinary people, the commoners.
He had the power to mete out justice and punish evil with righteous and upright beliefs.
He could distinguish between enemies and civilians, and he didn’t compromise with the enemy.
He was truly a figure worthy of a hero…
“What are we going to do?”
Maximus’ thoughts were interrupted. A woman with sharp features was looking down at him.
Lunox.
She was famous for scoring full marks in the knight exam three years ago. There was a ridiculous nickname for her, “The genius knight who even defies the gods,” but her skills were real.
Having clashed swords with her a few times, Maximus knew that Lunox could reach a higher level than himself in no time.
She had joined the Crimson Dragon Knights and become the direct disciple of the Sword Master, Yu Geomgyeong, but she was daring enough to refuse the path that promised success in becoming a ninja.
“Let’s wait a little longer.”
Respecting her difficult choice was only natural as a fellow warrior, no, as a ninja. That was why Maximus used honorifics when speaking to her, despite her being only 20 years old.
Well, it was also because she had officially received the knighthood.
“Oh, there they come.”
Everyone’s attention focused on the words of a ninja.
He had a rough appearance and was dressed in leather, the kind that would fit well with a bunch of thugs. The man with the missing left hand was approaching, swinging his hook hat.
It had been a week since Maximos and the Yongjugal ninja entered Neoneo-Solitron.
There were people who seamlessly blended into the city as merchants, as well as those who took on various occupations in different places to gather information.
Hook, who had infiltrated the criminal organization known as the “Avocado Transport Union” to gather information, impressed the organization’s boss with his overwhelming fighting skills.
Fortunately, the Avocado Transport Union was a newly arrived organization in the city, so they were lacking in talent. In just a few days, Hook was given the task of being the boss’s bodyguard.
“You’re a bit late.”
“It took me some time to avoid surveillance… I couldn’t help it.”
“Is everything alright?”
Maximos asked, and Hook smiled as he replied.
“Y-Yes, I think everything went well.”
The Pufferfish Clan and the Transport Union had a temporary alliance as their businesses didn’t overlap. More accurately, it was the Transport Union that extorted money from the Pufferfish Clan under the guise of protection fees.
Maximos had confirmed the location of the Pufferfish Clan’s headquarters, as told by Celine, and was looking for the right time to strike and completely destroy their influence.
“This building is definitely it.”
It was the day when the executives of the organization, who had always acted separately, gathered periodically. And today was that day.
“Prepare yourselves.”
Maximos and the ninjas put on their blue hoods. They all looked tense, but there was no sign of fear.
Except for the young girl who had never experienced a life-or-death battle.
“It won’t be too dangerous. Just keep an eye out.”
Maximos lightly grabbed Heidi’s trembling shoulders.
“Don’t worry too much. You’ll be safe as long as you stay behind us.”
After taking off his leather armor and revealing his martial arts uniform, Hook nodded slightly with a soft voice.
The ninjas, who had cast shadow illusions with the signal from Maximos, moved their feet. Their target was the three-story house, the headquarters of the Horned Eel Clan, with no windows.
Although it was early evening and there were people around, their shadow illusions, honed over six months, went unnoticed.
Rook, who arrived first, gave a signal to Maximos and the escapee ninja, who was called Big Bread Dumpling. Then he kicked open the door.
“What’s going on?”
“Huh?”
From the guys sitting at the table playing cards to the ones standing guard at the stairs leading up to the second floor.
It was clear that they were all members of the Horned Eel Clan.
Before they could do anything, the magician raised his staff and activated the prepared blackout spell.
Crackle!
“Intrud-“
The man’s voice, trying to alert his colleagues on the upper floor, didn’t reach the end.
“Ugh.”
The man with a dagger in his forehead trembled and fell to the ground.
Shh! Shh!
The shurikens thrown by the ninjas accurately hit the enemies’ faces, without a single miss.
“hehehe~!”
The guys who quickly turned around and tried to go up to the next floor caught Maximos’ eyes.
Judging that it was too far to throw the shuriken and hit, Rook was the first to move.
“-Helicopter Swordsmanship.”
Tatatatatata!
With a sound that cut through the air, the whip-like sword moved mercilessly, relentlessly battering the bodies of the enemies.
“Ebubat!”
“Baebat!”
Criminals with scars all over their bodies screamed in a grotesque manner, spewing blood. The men who had axes and knives at their waist were left defenseless, unable to draw their weapons as they crumbled.
Hook swung his sword with a wrathful expression, venting his anger on a specific target.
With his right hand covering the enemy’s mouth, Hook used the hook on his wrist to mercilessly stab the criminals’ bellies, exactly matching the description of the Yakuza’s habits that Robin had mentioned, but Maximos didn’t bother to point it out.
The first floor became a blood-soaked mess in an instant. However, there was no noise. The ninjas calmly and quietly slaughtered the Yakuza, who offered little resistance.
The magician swung his staff, shattering the enemies’ bones, while Occulius, who had jumped out of Choker’s embrace, injected a neurotoxin into the enemy’s hind leg.
Lunox chased after the fleeing Yakuza, thrusting his sword into them, while Maximos read the overall flow of the battle and intervened appropriately, ensuring that the ninjas did not get hurt.
“Ugh…”
Heidi watched the scene of blatant violence with wide eyes.
– Watch with your own eyes what we are doing and have a sense of mission. With a sense of mission, even the overseer can be overcome.
The runaway ninja had said that, but Heidi still didn’t understand his words. How could a sense of mission be found in such actions?
To her, who had spent peaceful days in the village of Andes, it was unfamiliar and frightening.
“We’re going to the second floor.”
Maximos whispered after finishing the clean-up, and the ninjas moved slowly. They moved against the wall, making no sound with their footsteps.
Shh!
It happened when a few guards had their temples pierced by shurikens.
“Don’t you dare ask where this is!”
The man with a gloomy face rushed at the ninjas, swinging his club, but Maximos blocked the attack with his “Axe of the White Dragon.”
“Just by looking at your face, I can tell.”
Maximos lightly deflected the club and smirked.
The appearance of the man in front of him closely resembled the impression Saline had heard. It was clear that this man, with a fierce look, was Lukasau.
“You crazy bastard!”
“Don’t curse. The ‘Clickety-Clack’ Rudley and the ‘Uninvited Guest’ Toran must be here, right?”
Lukasau, whose attack was blocked, became angry and snorted.
“Yeah! You can come in as you please, but when you leave…”
Lukasau couldn’t finish his sentence.
“-Even if you stand up a thousand times… there is no victory before them.”
Tatata!
As soon as a woman started dancing with a sword, the heads of Rudley and Toran, who had been sharing the organization’s power with her, flew off.
“Yeah! Let’s negotiate like civilized people!”
Lukasau, whose face turned yellow, slowly placed the club on the ground.
“Savage behavior won’t do! If you present what you want, I will-“
In an instant, a small axe pierced Lukasau’s head.
“Didn’t you know? Ninjas don’t negotiate with the Yakuzas.”