121 – 121. Wilhelm (3)
A chill strikes.
Hrimturus. Wilhelm’s favorite sword and secret sword that he brings out only when he’s exhausting himself.
When he finally drew the sword, time and space itself froze. A feeling of pressure that can only be felt like that.
In spite of the flames of Park Cheol that bloomed everywhere, the cold that penetrated the skin cut through Midsummer, removing the cold that was wrapped around the bodies of the other hunters.
The cold that the Hrimturs radiate is so strong that it is no longer necessary to protect them from the heat of the flames.
Besides.
“Midsummer Student.”
The moment Wilhelm took out his beloved sword was the moment when midsummer would finally come out.
“Now.”
-Pot!
Midsummer stretches out her hand at Ahn Su-ho’s instruction.
Her fingertips pointed towards the high sky, Wilhelm’s beloved sword, Blur Turus.
The superpower of midsummer does not stop at simply making ice. Her psychic power is the ability to literally encompass everything related to ice. From the creation and manipulation of ice to melting.
-Jureuk.
A drop of water flowed down Hrimturus’ blade.
‘Melting!’
As Midsummer concentrates her powers, the number of water droplets continues to increase, two, three, four. The sword itself had such extreme cold that it froze as soon as it began to melt, but her psychic powers clearly began to cut away Hurricturus’ blade.
-Ho?
A strange light appeared in Wilhelm’s eyes. Seeing his beloved sword repeating freezing and melting, he laughed as if he was laughing.
-That’s ridiculous. Would that petty ability compare to the power of the Frost Spirit?
As the saying goes, Midsummer focused her powers on melting Turse, but her sword barely melted. It was freezing much faster than it was melting.
‘But that’s enough.’
However, Ahn Su-ho did not care. Hurturus is Wilhelm’s secret skill and secret weapon. If they were able to catch Wilhelm’s ankle who pulled it out, if they could cut off its strength even just a little bit, they would have done a good job.
‘Hrimturus rapidly consumes its stamina and mana just by manifesting itself. Not to mention, since Midsummer’s ability has made it even more burdensome, I can’t keep it out for a long time.’
The hunters exchanged glances with Wilhelm in between. After he took out the Hurricturus, it was already discussed in advance how he would move. Without exchanging a word, they took their positions.
-It’s a useless struggle.
Wilhelm dismissed their actions with just one word. The next moment, as if denying that, the hunters rushed at them all at once.
“Kuaaa!”
The first one to jump out was Sung Eugene. Wilhelm swung his sword into the air at him with sharp teeth and claws.
-Kagagagagak!!!
Then, an ice pick with unparalleled sharpness and momentum surged along the ground.
Sung Yu-jin swung her arms in all directions. In front of Sung Yu-jin’s physical ability, that ice pick was no obstacle. He lunged at Wilhelm, shattering her ice pick with a thud.
“Keugh?!”
However, the rush did not continue to the end. A look of bewilderment appears on Seong Yu-jin’s face at the sudden stop.
He bowed his head. Her hands, which had crushed the ice on her, and her feet, which had been running like a gale, froze white before she knew it. With the monster’s reason, he grasps the situation.
It was not a separate attack. But why
The moment she thought that, Seong Yu-jin caught glittering ice powder in her field of vision. Fine diamond dust flying through the air, scattered as a result of his crushing the ice pick.
The moment those tiny grains touched his skin, it was hard! He sighed and covered his skin with ice. Only then did Seong Yu-jin realize his mistake.
Wilhelm’s frost magic, which has become many times stronger by taking out the Hrimturus.
Its power instantly froze everything it touched with the ice created by Wilhelm. In other words, it is impossible to defend against his attacks any longer.
-It’s strong, but it’s still a beast.
Aiming at Seong Eugene, who was a beat late in realizing that fact, Wilhelm, who smiled viciously, swung his blurturus.
Toward Sung Yu-jin’s defenseless chest.
Seong Yu-jin desperately bends his back before the sword touches him at the death blow.
-Suddenly!
The sword passed through his chest. No blood was spilled. The moment the sword passed, his skin, muscles, and blood vessels froze.
“Sung Eugene Hunter!”
To the left and right, Jin So-wol and Seol Ah-hyun appeared. Wilhelm’s ice pick aimed at them. The two dodged the attack instead of blocking or crushing it in order not to follow in the footsteps of Sung Yu-jin.
– Wedge love liquid!
The exit of the two. The punch and spear blade with the momentum of a raging clash with Wilhelm’s breastplate.
-Tuqwaaang!
With a shrill explosion, Wilhelm’s body was pushed away. At the same time, the ice covering his chest shatters and fragments scatter in all directions.
-Kaddeuddeudeuk!
Even those fragments were Wilhelm’s attacks. As the scattered fragments touched Seol Ah-hyun and Jin So-wol’s skin, white frost spread.
“Awesome?!”
“Ugh!”
“Stand back, both of you!”
At that time, Oh Ji-hoon appeared as if protecting the two and brandished a greatsword. The greatsword split into nine swords and attacked Wilhelm.
“Chul Park!!!”
At Oh Ji-hoon’s cry, Park Cheol hurriedly ran. The flames from his hands quickly thawed the three frozen bodies.
“…… His ability is stronger than expected. One attack should almost freeze your entire body.”
At Seol Ah-hyun’s words, the other people’s expressions darkened. The ice itself can be melted with the flame of iron bar. However, it is impossible to run to Park Cheol every time one attack is over in a close combat situation where weapons are complicatedly intertwined.
“That’s a headache!”
“If one person attacks, the other person has to fill the gap while the frozen body is thawed. If the timing is even a little off, you will be beaten in an instant.”
“I will go first. Seol Ah-hyun Hunter is my backup. Seong Eugene Hunter, treat your injuries first.”
Jinsowol activated her psychic powers by squeezing her spear with her tingling hand.
Fa-kyung. A simple ability that accumulates power and explodes it all at once.
Jin So-Wol lowered her stance toward Wilhelm, who was deflecting the swords controlled by Oh Ji-hoon.
“Mr. Cheol.”
“Cancer!”
Park Chul fired sparks from both hands. Blue flames flew past Oh Ji-hoon’s sides and collided with Wilhelm’s body, causing a huge explosion.
‘Now!’
Taking advantage of that gap, Jin So-Wol kicked her to the ground. Her stored energy exploded in an instant as she hurled her spear at supersonic speed.
-Kaaang!
A ray of silver ore ran through the air. As she ran through the flames, her blow grazed Wilhelm’s shoulder.
-Charaaagh!
“Keugh… ….”
Jin So-wol groaned as she slid across the ground with the same momentum as she was rushing forward. Even with the momentary clash, half of the spear blades were frozen, and white frost was spreading all over her body.
-Tuhwaaak!
At that moment, Wilhelm struck down his sword. The flames that enveloped him dissipated and Wilhelm rushed towards Jin Sowol.
At that moment, Jin Sowol smiled lightly. Wilhelm’s shoulder. The part where her spear had been stabbed a moment ago was greatly dented.
– Wedge juice!
Jin Sowol evaded the trail of Hrimturus. A desperate evasion maneuver performed with a half-frozen body. However, it was unreasonable to dodge the ensuing series of attacks.
“Keep down!”
-Kaang!
However, at that moment, Seol Ah-hyun’s gauntlet slashed the side of Blur Turus. A feat that is close to a miracle of striking the side of a swinging sword and bouncing it off.
-Kidduck!
Moaning at the gauntlet starting to freeze, Seol Ah-hyun confronts Wilhelm instead of Jin So-wol. The trajectory of her death flying towards her. At that moment, Seol Ah-hyun’s eyes turned red.
A single sword that slashes from top to bottom. Ice fragments scattered in all directions the moment they collided with the ground. A horizontal slash aimed at that gap and swung.
Seol Ah-hyun’s body moved like flowing water as she glimpsed a series of futures in a fleeting moment. She dodges her sword, spills fragments, and red energy dwells in her eyes again.
Wilhelm’s wrath-like series of attacks hit Seol Ah-hyun. Seol Ah-hyun withstood the attack by flashing red light in her eyes dozens of times in one second. I desperately bought time.
Time for Jin So-wol to reorganize.
And.
“Kuaaa!!!!”
-Tuqwaaang!
Time for Sung Eugene to recover from his wounds.
-Quarrr!
Sung Eugene rushed at Wilhelm who was rolling on the ground. Before he could even come to his senses, his fists continued to pierce Wilhelm’s body.
– Bang! Bang! Bang! Quaang! Kwaaang!
Ignoring even the freezing of his fists, he pours out a series of attacks. Wilhelm’s body began to creak at that mad fisting. Clutching Hurturus tightly, he unleashed an intense chill to counterattack.
-Paat!
However, just a little bit ahead of him, Seong Yu-jin took a big leap and dodged. The moment Wilhelm stood up to pursue him.
-Whee Oh Oh Oh!
-Furr rrr rrr!
The sound of the wind. And the sound of burning flames.
When Wilhelm turned his head, Ahn Soo-ho and Park Cheol were reaching out their hands toward the sky. Blue and black waves gushed from their fingertips.
Ahn Soo-ho’s right hand emits Talisman’s blue light and emits black smoke. The black haze swirled and devoured the blue fire, turning it into a blue-black firestorm. Even Wilhelm forgot what to say at the majesty of the whirlpool, which had the power to burn up even the clouds in the sky.
-…… Ice melt.
Instantly, he raised his sword and inserted the Hurricturus deep into the ground. Ice spreading in all directions. And the vibrating earth.
Soon after, the moment a firestorm fell over Wilhelm’s head, hundreds of thousands of ice pillars rose from the ground with the momentum to pierce the sky.
-Quarrr
A roar that shook heaven and earth.
Fire, ice, and extremely compressed smoke gathered together to create a huge explosion. Ice shards protruding in all directions froze everything they touched, and a wave of flames that arrived a beat late burned everything.
“Retreat! Retreat, love, love!!”
The aftermath of the explosion reached even the hunters in the guerrilla group who were fighting from a distance. The hunters who dealt with the last four knights, Ein Dietrich, escaped from the aftermath of the Burinake explosion. A beat later, a wave of ice and fire sweeps the place where they were.
-Go oh oh oh oh…….
Soon the storm subsided, and a calm came over the battlefield filled with steam and black smoke from melted snow and ice.
“Awesome…….”
Seol Ah-hyun groaned and stood up in the invisible haze. Despite being nearly swept away by the blast at close range, she was in relatively good shape. It was because of future poetry.
‘Others…… ?’
The moment a red energy appeared in her eyes, two shadows jumped from behind.
“Mr. Ahyeon!”
“Suho? And Park Chul Hunter…….”
It was the two people who had just caused the fire storm that appeared. After Seol Ah-hyun checked her condition, Park Chul opened a spark and melted the castle that clung to her body.
“Has anyone else seen it?”
“It must be over there.”
Ahn Soo-ho looked in one direction at Seol Ah-hyun’s question. It was the same that he couldn’t see an inch ahead, but now all the black smoke spreading widely in this space was no different from Ansuho’s limbs. Knowing where the air flow clearly diverged, he led the two of them on their way.
“This is… ….”
Soon, the three of them encountered a huge ice wall. However, it wasn’t Wilhelm’s creation, it was an ice wall built by Midsummer to block the explosion.
However, the ice wall was halfway collapsed. Beneath the ice wall, Seong Yu-jin, bleeding profusely, was crouching with something wrapped around her.
“Sung Eugene Hunter!”
As Seol Ah-hyun shouted, he raised his head. Then the identity of the thing in his arms was also revealed. It was midsummer and Jinsowol.
Sung Yu-jin protected the two from the aftermath of an explosion that the ice wall in midsummer could not prevent. As a result, dozens of small ice fragments were embedded in his back. Midsummer had melted all the ice stuck to her skin, but the open wound was still spitting out red blood.
“Suho. An extra potion.”
Ahn Suho took out a potion from the pouch on his waist and handed it to him. When the potion was applied to Seong Yu-jin’s back, his wounds began to heal slowly along with Heo Yeon-kim. However, due to the large area of the wound, it was not possible to cure all of them with one potion. In the end, it was only after using one more potion that his injuries were completely healed.
“Thank you for protecting me. Seong Eugene Hunter.”
“…… Thank you.”
Seong Yu-jin silently nodded to Jin So-wol and Mid-summer’s thanks. A look of hardship was evident on her face.
“Hey. Did Oh Ji-hoon ever see that child?”
At Chul Park’s question, Han Yeo-reum shook her head.
“Just before the explosion, he was some distance away from me. He probably flew somewhere because of the explosion…….”
I looked beyond the steam rising in the heat of midsummer. The temperature around her was so cold that she would sink quickly, but it would still take some time.
“Ahn Soo-ho. Mr. Suho Ahn, can you remove steam with your superpower?”
“Perhaps it is possible. If you create an explosion in one direction, like pushing away steam—”
-Cheong! Chaeeng! Kang!
At that time, a sharp metal sound rang out from beyond the misty steam.
“Mr. Suho!”
At Seol Ah-hyun’s cry, Ahn Soo-ho immediately activated Talisman. The smoke was fired as if it swept over the widest possible range, dispersing the water vapor scattered around Ahn Soo-ho.
Now then.
“Over there!”
About 50 meters away from them. Oh Ji-hoon was exchanging battles with Wilhelm with swords in each hand. Around it, several swords were frozen and stuck to the ground.
“Let’s join in!”
Hunters ran towards Jihoon Oh. However, the fight between the two was already coming to an end. Against Wilhelm, who displayed all his might, even Oh Ji-hoon could not hold out for long.
-Kwajik!
“Kwaaa?!”
Aiming for a very small gap, the Hurrictus penetrated Oh Ji-hoon’s shoulder armor. One pin bounce froze in an instant, and white frost began to spread rapidly on the surface centering on his shoulder.
“Jihoon Oh!!!!”
Park Cheol hurriedly shouted and sparked. At the same time, Wilhelm turned his gaze to them.
-Pagagagagak!
Ice rose violently along the ground. The ice wall that rises in the shape of a huge wave is pakan! It shattered and turned into hundreds and thousands of tiny ice picks. All of them fly towards Ahn Su-ho and the others.
“Damn it!”
Park Cheol set off fireworks and Midsummer built an ice wall. In the defense of the two, not a single ice pick reached them. However, Park Cheol’s expression was infinitely frowned.
-Wheek.
At that moment, a gigantic figure flew through the wall of ice and fire. It was Oh Ji-hoon, whose whole body was frozen.
“Jihoon Oh!!”
“!! You can’t take it with your hands!!”
Midsummer shouted urgently and made an ice wall at an angle to get Oh Ji-hoon’s body. His body, which slides down as if riding a slide, reaches the hunters.
“Jihoon Oh!! Reply to Oh Jihoon!! Take care of yourself, you bastard!! Uh!?”
“Ugh, ugh…” … “
At the cry of Park Cheol, Oh Ji-hoon groaned. However, he was speechless as his half body literally froze to death. The midsummer quickly began to thaw his frozen body.
“Ahead!”
However, there was no way Wilhelm could just watch this. While the gaze of the hunters was sold to Oh Ji-hoon, he charged and swung a blur. Hundreds of ice picks spewed out.
“You damn bastard!!”
Park Cheol, filled with anger, responded with fierce sparks. The flying pieces of ice could not cross the wall of flame and were oxidized.
However.
– Kkaduk!
“…… Uh?”
An ominous sound heard from close range.
Midsummer, who had been paying attention to Wilhelm, lowered her head. Oh Ji-hoon’s frozen half-body. Suddenly, a huge ice pick erupted from there.
-Pababababababak!
“Keuouk!!”
“Keugh?!”
The hunters were bounced in different directions by the ice picks that rose up as if they were exploding. Drops of frozen blood splatter and white frost begins to spread over their bodies.
-Pot!
Aiming for that gap, Wilhelm lowered his stance and charged. Toward Midsummer, who was walking backwards, clutching his frozen shoulder.
“Midsummer!!!”
Ahn Soo-ho, who was the first to notice the rush, vomited smoke. A barrage of black bullets crashed into Wilhelm’s side. However, because it was shot so quickly, I couldn’t compress her performance properly. It was not enough to stop his rush.
-Sereung.
Wilhelm’s beloved sword cried softly. The Hurricturus, which had been pulled to its fullest with a profound echo, swung in a blue trajectory.
“Kruaaa!”
– Bang!
However, at the critical moment, Seong Yu-jin rushed in and punched Wilhelm in the side. However, his fists were blocked by an ice shield created in the air and did not touch Wilhelm’s body.
-Suddenly!
Wilhelm’s sword cuts through Seong Eugene instead of Midsummer. A huge stab wound to his abdomen.
“Kuaaa!!”
However, Seong Yu-jin swung her fingernails, not paying attention to the body that was starting to freeze. The momentum is like a storm.
-Kang! Caang! Visor! Chaeeng! Awesome! Blood shot! Awesome!
In an instant, dozens of agreements were exchanged. Seong Eugene’s fingernails occasionally touched Wilhelm’s armor, creating large and small scars on its surface. However, every time that happened, Wilhelm’s sword carved more deadly wounds into Seong Eugene’s body.
“Kruaaa”
However, Sung Yu-jin did not stop. An outstretched fist with the force of a raging sword. The fist suddenly opened and gripped Wilhelm’s helmet tightly.
-Whoa!
He threw his fist to the other side with all his might. Wilhelm, who had flown several tens of meters, choked aaagh! He landed scratching the ground.
“…… Grrr.”
However, that was the final blow that Seong Yu-jin concocted. Cooong! As he knelt down, blood bubbled from the corner of his mouth. The body that had been hacked up by Hurricturus was already covered in red ice mixed with blood.
“Damn it…… “
Ahn Soo-ho sighed after confirming the appearance. The balance of victory and defeat, which had been barely maintained, had rapidly tilted toward Wilhelm. He checked the condition of the other Hunters.
Park Cheol was warming Oh Ji-hoon’s body by holding onto his side, where his blood was flowing. However, Oh Ji-hoon, whose half body was frozen, was almost dead. Even if you poured potions, you could only barely hold on to your life, and further battles would be impossible.
And it was the same for Sung Eugene. He was frozen to the depths of his intestines by being sliced open by Hurmurturus several times. However, even his life was in a state of light in front of the wind.
Beside him, Han Yeo-reum and Jin So-wol started treating Seong Yu-jin. However, both of them were not in good condition. Midsummer had an injury on one of her shoulders, and Jin So-wol had an injury on her thigh, and the area was covered with white ice.
Though Seol Ah-hyun had no significant injuries, she also had to freeze and thaw several times during the fight with Wilhelm. Her mind and body were also quite exhausted from fighting while forcibly thawing her frozen body several times.
‘I shouldn’t have given him a chance to counterattack since I brought out the Hrimtures, but I should have pushed him down… ….’
Ahn Su-ho, Park Chul’s firestorm and Wilhelm’s freezing blast. An unexpected explosion caused by the clash between the two. Because of the small gap created by the explosion, they eventually allowed Wilhelm to counterattack. The result was the current situation.
‘But there is still a way.’
Ahn Su-ho looked down at his left hand, holding his posture. His wrist was filled with the breath of a morning star that had never been activated.
– Hui oh oh oh.
Instantly, cold air began to gather on the palm of his hand, creating a small piece of ice.
An ability that is completely identical to Wilhelm’s frost magic, which can be used through the Token of the Frost Spirit.
Although its output is incomparable to Wilhelm’s, there was one ‘gamble’ that An Su-ho could try with the judge’s board in that it was the same ability anyway.
‘If this gambler fails, no one else will know, but at least I will surely die.’
In that case, should I plan my future and run away? However, even if they ran away, there was no guarantee that they would be able to get out safely.
In the past, he was able to miraculously escape by aiming for Wilhelm’s gap, but since he already has a record, Wilhelm will keep an eye on Ahn Soo-ho’s movements more closely than before.
‘…… Okay. In the end, it’s one of two things: whether we defeat him or we fall. Then… ….’
I have no choice but to do it. Thinking so, Ahn Su-ho took a step with his sword clenched.