Chapter 16: Easy battles

This time the skeletons summoned by Medea didn’t dally around and stumbled toward Haruki. The first skeleton swung down its stone sword. Even an old lady could dodge the attack, given she stayed calm in the face of a skeleton with two blue embers in its hollow eye sockets.

Haruki sidestepped the attack and snatched the sword from the skeleton. The stone sword with blue runes had a hefty feeling to it. No wonder the skeleton attacked slowly and mechanically like a rusty machine.

“Haa!”

Haruki gripped the sword with both hands and swiftly plunged the sword through the skeleton’s hollow ribs. Yet, the sword stopped a moment before it actually struck the spine.

“Physical defense,” Medea answered in his head.

The multiple joints in the skeleton’s spine shattered. Without proper support from a spine, it broke down into a pile of bones. The tiny flames in the skeleton’s eyes died.

He had no time to celebrate as two skeletons caught him in a pincer movement. A lance and longsword were ready to smash him into a pulp. A quick step to his right saved his bones. He hacked at one skeleton’s legs and spun, smashing the stone sword in the other skeleton’s face. The last two skeletons clattered toward him and stabbed his lungs with some coordination. Haruki parried the attacks and gave a cheap low kick to knock the skeletons off their feet.

His menacing eyes peered down at the skeletons. His lips broke into a twisted grin. Looking down on his enemy elated him. A strange feeling congested his chest. He lifted his leg and stomped the innocent skeleton’s head. Similarly, he crushed the other two skeletons’ heads.

“Master…”

The stark change in Haruki befuddled Medea. She saw a similar change when he read the letter left by his mother. This raging side of Haruki might become a detriment in the war. Of course, she took it as her duty to find the cause of this change. Perhaps it was related to the phenomena that turned his skin red as though fire surged through him. Of course, as his servant, she wouldn’t let anyone exploit her master.

Medea pondered, unknown to the changes happening in her heart.

The skeletons faded into ashes; so did the sword gripped in Haruki’s hands.

[Awakening progress: 0.22%]

The notification sealed the bubbling emotions. Haruki let out a long sigh.

“I went… overboard.”

He got drunk on power. He hadn’t gone through many emotional changes in this life other than the time his mother hung herself. Only his dragon race could be responsible for his anger issues. He just had this hunch.

“Fuck.”

His dragon race was a double-edged sword. Though the drawbacks were minor if he kept his head cool and focused on the battle.

“Sorry. I lost my cool there.”

“It’s fine, Master. Do you want to fight stronger skeleton warriors?”

“You have a stronger version?”

“These were the weakest ones. The better ones can utilize weapons and techniques like real warriors.”

“Heck yeah. I need a weapon… a spear is better.”

He poured hundreds of hours into sojutsu, only because it allowed him to use a simple stick as a weapon. Well, it was also the coolest.

“I can create a mystic code… it might take days if I start now.”

Mystic codes—a very versatile tool that could do many things such as enhancing a spell, performing a magecraft outside of a magus’s specialty, or storing things in an imaginary space. Some could even develop their conscience.

Medea’s item construction skill created mystic codes far above the ones humans of this era were capable of. And she could do so without wasting any wealth as her skill was also capable of creating any material with magic power.

Medea also knew how to create potions that granted limited immortality or turn a human into a walking magic stock.

She was a terrifying foe against any magus. However, servants with magic resistance were her bane.

“Mystic codes… I remember them. Can you make a spear capable of casting a reinforcement spell on me?”

“I absolutely can. However, as I said before, it will take time… I think putting time in my temple is more efficient.”

Haruki shook his head. Even if Medea fortified her temple to the limits, the results would be the same against Gilgamesh.

“Don’t forget we have Semiramis now.”

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was far superior in both defense and offense.

“My temple is inferior?” Medea whispered, eyes narrowed on Haruki. Losing against Semiramis of all people irked her. She never had any mercy for people who schemed against her, but she had to swallow her resentment as they both served the same master.

Haruki shook his head. “I never said that. It’s just not enough to take down Gilgamesh.”

Medea reluctantly agreed with Haruki. Gilgamesh, the king of heroes, carried every Noble Phantasm in existence inside the Gate of Babylon. He had a Noble Phantasm available for every situation possible, even to counter and nullify magecraft.

Medea summoned the skeleton warriors. They appeared the same but their aura was completely different. Haruki charged in the same manner and pulled the lance in a skeleton’s hand. Other skeletons grouped up and attacked him at the same time.

The skeleton couldn’t resist his inhuman strength. Haruki seized the weapon and spun an entire circle with the lance. The skeletons backed off to dodge before pouncing at him.

The previous skeleton warriors summoned by Medea couldn’t hold a candle in terms of tactics and coordination.

Could their teamwork be of any use before absolute strength? Haruki stabbed the lance in a skeleton’s open mouth and smashed the back of its hollow head. As he clutched the shaft with both hands, a stone sword crashed into his back.

The heavy sword surprisingly hurt less than the time he fell downstairs.

‘Dragon body.’

Appreciating the traits of his new race, he flailed the lance with a healthy skeleton, shoving the skeletons meters away. The minimum distance he required to demonstrate the full power of his Sōjutsu.

He swung the lance thrice, his movements a mere blur. Three skeleton heads burst into white fragments before their headless bodies collapsed.

For the next few moments, the forest echoed with bones cracking and occasional cooing of pigeons.

[Awakening progress: 0.29%]

Medea watched the battle through her hood. These levels of battles happened daily in her kingdom when warriors fought for a chance to become knights. However, Haruki’s precise movements caught her eyes. His talent and instincts were no less than any heroic spirits in their prime, and his race far more mysterious. If he survived this war, he had every chance to become a famous figure in this era.

Yet, this man was willing to throw away every chance to revive his mother. Praiseworthy and foolish at the same time.

“Give me more,” Haruki requested with a smile.

He could spare ten more minutes. He’ll need another shower to wash away the accumulating sweat.

Medea fulfilled his request and threw more skeleton warriors at him. For each batch, she sneakily increased their combat knowledge and made their structure sturdier. Yet, Haruki slaughtered even the strongest skeleton warriors.

She found it hard to believe that this man never learned magecraft.