"This isn't scientific... This isn't reasonable!"
Watching the wild creatures decrease one by one, Rhode increasingly felt something was amiss.
If the enemy was strong enough to take out a creature with one move, how did the hunters in the village survive?
"Maybe 'it' has already met some condition and become stronger than before." Erza wore the Celestial Wheel Armor.
Just now she had fired a round of flying swords, and both of them heard the sound of metal clashing, but the opponent's attack didn't stop, likely the flying swords were blocked.
"Receive: Shadow Wolf!" Rhode chose a form that had some reconnaissance ability in the fog.
He and Erza retreated together again, with the remaining two River Crabs and two Beaked Birds also retreating to the front of them.
The Shadow Wolves, capable of detecting the enemy's whereabouts, had already been eliminated.
This left Rhode's current form as the most dangerous one.
Erza asked, "Any discoveries?"
"A smell of rust... There's also a blood scent, but it's very faint... on the left!"
Sixteen Celestial Wheel Swords fired simultaneously, the shadow in the fog, holding a sword, clanged a few away while three swords pierced its chest and shoulders.
But it didn't fall; instead, it continued charging forward.
"Celestial Wheel: Pentagram Sword!"
Erza, holding two swords, slashed out five intersecting sword lights in an instant, as if drawing a pentagram with her slashes in the void.
The humanoid shadow was hit by the swords, pieces of armor scattered on the ground, and it fell on its back with a thud.
This time, Rhode caught a whiff of blood, "It seems there's a person inside?"
"It feels like cutting a person. This should be the mission target. Let's just take the person and the sword back together."
Erza took two steps forward and suddenly struck a defensive posture.
The person who had just fallen stood up again, the scattered armor pieces flying back onto him piece by piece.
He rushed toward Erza; Erza slashed down with crossed swords, their figures passing by each other.
Two Celestial Wheel Swords were actually cut off, and even the steel wings on the back of the Celestial Wheel Armor were sliced halfway.
"Requip: Black Feather Armor!" Erza donned black armor, her black wings flapping, quickly charging towards the enemy, "Moon Flash!"
The chest armor on the opponent was slashed diagonally, clanging onto the ground, with blood marks appearing on the chest as the figure fell forward.
But just before hitting the ground, the two pieces of chest armor flew back again.
"Wolf Spirit!" Rhode waved his hand, and a shadowy Wolf Spirit flew out, biting onto the opponent's blade.
He remembered the mission target was actually this Cursed Sword.
Crack, crack...
The sound of teeth grinding against metal was extremely unpleasant.
The armored figure tried to pull the sword back, but the Wolf Spirit held on tightly.
Erza slashed her longsword towards the opponent's wrist, yet he didn't show any fear.
With a crisp clang, the armor on his hand shattered, getting taken by the Wolf Spirit along with the longsword.
The armored figure was like it lost power without the sword, kneeling on the ground, but at this time the ground lightly trembled.
A skeletal arm reached up, supporting the ground to pull out a skeleton.
Then came the second, third... More skeletons were emerging from the ground amidst the dense fog, making the scene extremely horrifying.
Rhode didn't dare touch the longsword seized by the Wolf Spirit, afraid of contracting some curse.
But the skeleton soldiers still charged at him.
Crunch, crunch!
The River Crabs swung their pincers, crushing or clamping a skeleton soldier to pieces, but the shattered skeletons quickly reassembled.
"Is this a strategy to overwhelm with numbers?" Rhode pondered whether to release the Void Nest Insects to gnaw them down.
But Erza, gripped her sword with both hands and chopped down fiercely, targeting the sword lying on the ground.
Clang!
Sparks flew, and the ground beneath the sword split open, but the corroded sword blade only showed a scratch.
This seemed to touch some kind of switch, as the skeleton soldiers suddenly became frantic, desperately pouncing at Rhode and Erza.
Erza made a judgment, "It seems the key is indeed this sword."
"Receive: Deep Red Beaked Bird!" Rhode spread his wings and soared, grabbing Erza's shoulders with bird claws, lifting her into the air.
"Flying Feathers!"
Nearly a hundred Feathered Flying Knives scattered, accurately penetrating the skeleton soldiers' skulls, preventing them from grabbing the longsword.
"Requip: Giant Armor, Evil-breaking Spear!" Erza signaled Rhode to release her.
Her body, nearly bow-shaped in midair, suddenly hurled the spear downward, "Evil-breaking!"
The longspear transformed into a stream of light, piercing the air with unimaginable power, hitting the rusted sword in the center.
A dazzling white light flashed, dark purple ominous aura emitted from the sword, but was quickly engulfed by the white light.
The rusted sword shattered, its fragments scattering in all directions.
Rumble~
The Evil-breaking Spear triggered a massive tremor, with shockwaves carrying white light blowing away the surrounding fog and all skeleton soldiers deprived of strength.
The armored figure nearby was knocked away, his helmet flew off, and the armor pieces scattered once more.
This time, the pieces did not automatically reassemble.
Lying on the ground was a young man... probably a young man.
His appearance was difficult to discern, as he was pale, with a shriveled face and limbs.
Rather than saying it was a person, it was more like a desiccated corpse.
Amazingly he could still bleed when wounded.
From the ground, no new skeletons crawled out, and the fog surrounding the battlefield was gradually dissipating.
Rhode and Erza approached with necessary caution for observation.
Erza squatted down and placed her hand on the opponent's neck, "Should be human, still alive."
"Stereoscopic Text: WATER."
Rhode waved his hand, magic power forming into clear water sprinkling onto the person's face.
The young man lying on the ground opened his eyes, and after having a clear view of Erza and Rhode, coughed a few times, "Cough, cough, cough... Where am I?"
His voice was weak, seemingly even speaking was difficult.
Erza said, "It's we who should ask you. Who are you, and why did you attack those approaching here?"
The young man, upon hearing this, seemed to remember something, pondering for a while before answering:
"Xi Mansch, that's my name."
Rhode said, "Mansch? That sounds familiar."
"I'm a descendant of General Eli Mansch."
"Eli Mansch? Isn't that the one infamous for indiscriminate killing 200 years ago..." Erza recalled the stories told by the client earlier.
"So you're here to look for the ancestor's relic and... gain his power?"
"Yes and no," the young man named Xi gave a wry smile, "That war 200 years ago caused a mutiny due to the ancestor's indiscriminate killings, ultimately leading to our Sai Wen Kingdom's defeat.
The ancestor was declared a war criminal by three united countries, resulting in our entire family being ostracized and oppressed for 200 years. I... don't want to continue living like this, so I wanted to find the legendary sword.
My ancestor turned into what he was because of that sword, and I wanted to publicly destroy it in front of the royal palace to express an apology on behalf of the ancestor, and at least strive for a normal life for us descendants.
However, I didn't expect... didn't expect that after painstakingly finding it, I would immediately be influenced by it. It led me to find the ancestor's tattered armor and wanted me to kill people, to kill even more.
Just a few days ago some people trespassed here, and although I tried to resist its will, I still hurt some people. It's said those who are injured by the sword are cursed, and I don't know how they are now..."
After quietly listening to him finish, Rhode nodded, "I don't believe you."