Chapter 266 : Snowman Killer

Was it thanks to periodically taking the poison that Linda urged me to eat every day, pretending I couldn't resist?

I had overcome the deadly poison that the Snowman had been spraying in particle units.

On the other hand, Schmidt and Hud were bent over at the knees or waist, as if they had suffered internal injuries.

I looked at the Snowman, who was reigning as king even here.

'You mushroom-like bastard.'

To think he had been spreading spores without me knowing.

An unimaginable attack.

For now, I was the only one who had overcome his attack.

My realm had risen from being immune to a hundred poisons to being immune to a thousand poisons.

I had certainly overcome his attack by reaching the realm of being immune to a thousand poisons, but.

"Keuk...!"

I kept an eye on him, pretending to be in pain.

As always, those who were under the illusion that victory was in their hands were bound to be careless.

And I was the swordsman who could best take advantage of that.

Now, all that was left was to stab him at his most careless moment and turn the situation around.

The snowman murder case was not far off.

But, how was I supposed to stab him to death?

When no attack worked.

And so, I was racking my brain, pretending to have been hit by his attack...

【You who have come from the land of hardship...】

He gathered the raging blizzard and then said something unexpected.

【I... propose a deal...】

"...A deal?"

The abyss, where the blizzard had stopped, was just quiet.

In that state, I stealthily approached Hud and Schmidt and asked.

"What kind of deal are you talking about?"

In any case, this was a chance to catch my breath.

For now, I decided to buy as much time as possible to give them time to recover.

【I... don't want to kill you...】

You don't want to kill me?

It was a novel piece of nonsense that I could never have imagined coming from the mouth of a magical beast.

【Take me... to the land of hardship...】

"To the land of hardship?"

【To the land of hardship... where it doesn't snow... where ice doesn't freeze... to that place where flowers are in full bloom...】

After thinking for a moment, I opened my mouth.

"So."

I summarized the Snowman's deal.

"You want us to help you sneak past the wall by hiding you?"

【That's right...】

Needless to say, it was rejected.

Was I crazy?

He would cross the wall and bring winter with him.

If that happened, a white hell would unfold all over Maia.

A dangerous guy who could dye the entire vast Maia Kingdom with winter. That was the king of the magical beasts and the Snowman right in front of me.

I looked at Hud with a dazed face for a moment.

But it was a situation where I had to buy time for them to recover.

And I also had to devise a way to deal with him.

I tried my best to continue the conversation.

"Are you serious right now? You want us to secretly transport you beyond the wall? What's the reason we're fighting right now? Are you telling us to destroy Maia with our own hands?"

【There is... a misunderstanding...】

"What misunderstanding."

【I have no intention... of destroying Maia...】

A sneer came out.

"If only you couldn't talk."

【...】

The Snowman looked at me without a word for a moment, then raised his head and looked up.

A faint light was seeping in.

【I know that my birth... is your tragedy...】

Was it just my imagination?

His voice, mixed with the wind, sounded rather pathetic.

【But... I do not want a tragedy... therefore, I intend to choose death myself...】

"...? You're going to commit suicide?"

【That's right... my tragedy is enough...】

A magical beast that was going to commit suicide?

I had never even heard of such a thing.

Putting that aside.

His words didn't add up.

If he intended to choose death himself, he would have had plenty of opportunities.

If so, why was he heading to the wall, leaving us trapped in the barrier?

When I asked, the Snowman answered.

【I am just... heading to the land of hardship...】

"To go to the land of hardship, you have to destroy the wall, right?"

【That's why... I am proposing a deal, am I not...】

"Hmm."

So, he didn't want to bring tragedy to the humans by destroying the wall, so he was asking us to smuggle him in.

Was this really the king of the magical beasts?

Come to think of it, the titles of king and queen were also names we had arbitrarily given them.

As I listened, a question arose.

"Why are you trying to visit the land of hardship so much?"

The Snowman, despite being a magical beast, said in a wistful voice.

【To see... the flowers...】

"...Flowers?"

【Yes... flowers...】

Come to think of it, I remembered when I first encountered him while on reconnaissance.

He had suddenly asked if flowers bloomed there.

【It is my last wish... before I die... I just want to see the flowers...】

"..."

【If I could just see a garden full of flowers for the last time... I would have no regrets even in death...】

It was strangely serious, and it seemed to be sincere.

But considering the harm that would occur if it wasn't, the answer was already decided from the beginning.

It was a choice between the destruction of a country and the wish of a magical beast.

The answer was clear.

But I pretended to think for a moment to buy time and then said.

"Can you give us a moment to discuss?"

【Of course...】

As if telling us to talk comfortably, he stepped back slightly.

I watched the Snowman for a moment and then approached Hud.

Schmidt also stealthily gathered.

Hud looked at me with her brilliant, purple eyes and whispered.

"You're not... seriously considering it, are you?"

"Of course I'm serious. We can't all die here."

As I said that, I winked one eye.

A form of communication that any human would know, but a magical beast would not.

Because since he was the blizzard itself, there was a possibility that he was listening, no matter how quietly we spoke.

"He says he'll just see the flowers and then die quietly. Then there's no harm, right? Isn't that right?"

While speaking lies with my mouth.

—How is everyone's condition?

I checked their condition by using sign language with my hands.

Hud, who had noticed my intention, quickly matched my pace.

"What? Are you crazy?"

"He doesn't seem to be lying."

"Let's say he's not lying. What if he changes his mind after he crosses the wall? What will you do then?"

"Then should we just die here together?"

"That's not it, but..."

—Not good. It seems his mana has penetrated deep.

—And Schmidt?

—Me too. It's hard to move my body.

While putting on a realistic performance with my mouth, I explained the plan with my hands.

—We only have one chance. In other words, we just have to move properly once. Schmidt. Can you do it?

—Yes. That much.

—And you, Hud?

—I can also do it once...

—Good.

I explained the plan I had come up with while talking to him.

—Hud. It seems the wind is following his will. Can you take that authority away? Just for a moment.

—I have to, even if I can't. Or it's the end.

—That's true.

—What are you going to do?

—His true form is the blizzard. That form is just a part of him. That's why there was no particular damage even if it was broken. Because it just returns to its original state of snow.

—Hmm.

—I'm going to take away the authority of the wind from him and gather all the snow here in one place. And then I'll cut it.

Hud frowned.

—So what are you going to do? There's no damage. Even if you cut it, as you said, it will just return to snow particles.

—I'll do something about that. Just get ready.

Hud stared at me blankly.

—You don't trust me?

Hud sighed.

—...Alright.

I looked at Schmidt.

—The start is with your attack, Schmidt. You have to attack him and distract his concentration for a moment. You have to create an opening so that Hud can take away the authority.

—Will that work?

—It will. No matter how much that is not his true form, it's true that it's a part of his true form. A small opening will be created.

—Yes. I'll try.

—Hud. You don't miss that opening.

—I got it.

I concluded the meeting.

—Keep your wits about you. We only have one chance.

—Yes.

—Alright.

—I'll give the signal. Just pretend to be in pain.

While talking in sign language, in words, after a fierce process of opposition and persuasion, the opinion leaned toward accepting the Snowman's deal.

In the end, after deciding to make a deal, I got up.

I slowly approached the Snowman.

Of course, with the acting of panting as if I were about to collapse at any moment, as if I had been severely hit by his blizzard.

Seeing me approach, the Snowman also slowly approached.

【Have you... reached a conclusion...?】

After closing the distance to him to some extent, I answered.

"Hooo... yes. I'll just ask one thing."

【Speak...】

"If I refuse... what happens then?"

Whoooosh—

The blizzard, which had stopped, raised its head again.

【A tragedy that no one wants... will just happen...】

The Snowman said loftily, engulfed in the blizzard.

【Starting with you...】

The blizzard that had stopped began to blow.

"Keoheok!"

I bent my waist and bit my tongue slightly, spitting out blood.

Since everyone was coughing up blood, it would be a little strange if I were the only one who was fine.

And then, I stealthily brought my hand to my waist.

Suddenly, Shushuruta's words echoed in my ears.

—Ashuban! Don't forget the rules of the commission!

It was something I had told her once, prioritizing things.

According to that commission rule, the first thing to follow was one's own survival.

If survival was the top priority, it was right to get out of here and run away.

But, I couldn't do that.

I let out a sneer without realizing it.

To say it and then not be able to keep it.

Then for whom was that rule?

I grabbed the hilt of my sword and shouted.

"Now!"

Swoosh!

A golden spear flew and pierced his chest.

"Silape!"

Following that, Hud's voice echoed.

Whoooosh!

I realized that the control of the wind had passed to Hud.

Since I was also a close friend of the wind, I could read its flow.

【What... are you doing...】

WHOOOOOOOOSH!!

The wind raged, and all the small snowflakes in the area concentrated on the Snowman.

The Snowman, with snow stuck all over it, instantly became a monster over 10 meters tall.

"Ashuban! Now!!"

Screech—

I drew my sword.

It wasn't the Night Sky Sword I had been wielding until now, but a half-sword that shone with a silver light.

Magical beasts tended to dislike silver.

I'll send you off grandly.

I created the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art and poured each of the energies into both hands.

When I poured the energy of the Snow Branch into my right hand, which was holding the sword...

Frost formed on the blade, and then it froze white, becoming a white branch.

And when I stroked the blade with my left hand, where a Blue Flame was created...

A blue snake naturally coiled around it.

I had produced the complete Snow Branch Blue Flame on the broken half-sword.

The lake in my dantian was rapidly shrinking.

The internal energy that flowed out formed a river.

Kiiing!

The sword cried out.

What I was holding in my hand was something beyond the Heaven-Reversing Light.

I had already cut through his blizzard once and escaped from the nightmare.

There was no way I couldn't do it twice.

"No more...!"

Hud collapsed, vomiting blood.

At the same time, the Snowman, who had become a giant in an instant, extended its foot as if to kick me.

Thump!

I kicked off the ground and soared into the air.

I raised my sword to cut.

Then, this time, he swung his arm.

He was desperate, as if he had realized that the power in my sword was unusual.

Could I dodge an attack that came from the air?

Normally, it would be impossible.

Because there was no place to step.

But I was no ordinary man.

Thump!

I kicked off the air again with the Black Immortal Steps and soared even higher.

I looked down at him from the air.

Life and death. Victory and defeat.

They are decided in an instant.

For some, in a moment of carelessness, for others, in a moment of certainty of victory.

For someone who had been waiting for that moment to come without giving up until the end, at a very opportune moment.

"Shall I tell you a secret?"

So it will be a fleeting moment.

The world we live in.

"I'm actually a snowman killer."

The blue and white sword split the snowman in half.

(End of Chapter)