༺ Say You Want To Live – 6 ༻

Wolfen, instead of engaging in psychological warfare, vowed to kill me with sheer strength and Qi Arts.

Shit, to think he would pinpoint my weakness in straightforward physical combat. How cowardly.

Haaa. Is this the end? Can I not milk it for what it’s worth anymore?

Now, dragging out time was seriously, truly my only option left. I had to use every means at my disposal to delay.

“Killer Move!”

The revolver only had five bullets. What remained was an empty gun.

A gun without bullets was useless. I boldly threw the empty gun away.

“Gun Throwing!”

Clang. The flying gun was blocked by the shortsword. Having created a gap by even throwing my gun, I immediately rolled on the ground and hid between the buildings.

The narrow road between the buildings. A cramped space where two people heading in opposite directions would end up in an awkward situation if they met.

I ran down that alley, pulling out my next card.

8 of Diamonds. All Things Long And Thin.

Chains, wires, threads, iron strips, rubber. Mana cables.

Among the various types of knots contained in the card, I chose a wire. I hung the pre-knotted wire on one railing. With a Clank, the knot passed through the railing like magic and was secured tightly.

Having instantly set up three wire traps, I deliberately flicked one to reveal its presence. Wolfen, who was following behind me, saw the tightly drawn wire and hesitated to rush in.

｢…Trap? What a hassle. It is quite burdensome to break through with force.｣

Haha. How about that? Traps have been the best way to catch beasts since ancient times. Can you, who decided to rely solely on strength, truly enter this alley?

｢It seems this Umbra needs to kick off the wall and jump over.｣

That’s cheating!

Tap, tap. Wolfen lightly kicked off both walls, soaring up to 10 meters. Then, sliding down the wall as if descending a slope, he landed softly.

There was no time to stay still and watch. As my trump card of a trap became neutralized, I immediately leaped out of the alley. Wolfen rapidly closed the distance behind me as I fled.

｢Caught you. Now you cannot escape.｣

It was right when I turned the corner and Wolfen drew his shortsword, aiming at my back. Right at the moment when he jumped off the end of the slope and landed on the ground.

With a Whoomph, the ground beneath him collapsed. He plummeted down, along with all the glory of his perfect landing gesture.

For a very brief moment, Wolfen, having lost his footing, was greatly startled.

｢A trap? During what gap?｣

Even if just a layer of the road was peeled away, it was dirt. Since the inner mound of dirt was dug out, when someone as heavy as Wolfen landed, the road vanished as if sucked below.

A Sinkhole Trap created with Earthweaving. Reading Wolfen’s astonishment, I quickly drew the card I had been saving until now.

10 of Diamonds, Sword and Shield.

In my left hand appeared a small buckler, and in my right hand, a straight sword about the length of my arm. I thrust the buckler at Wolfen’s head while simultaneously stabbing at his flank with the straight sword.

A blow that pushed in my entire body, perfectly targeting the opponent’s weak spot.

Thwak. The buckler struck Wolfen’s face precisely. At the same time, my straight sword sliced his shoulder. Blood sprayed out as the fabric tore open.

｢He managed to strike a blow on this Umbra.｣

But there was no time to feel triumphant. After all, even in his confusion, a clear intent to attack was aiming for me.

｢However, it is slight. Fairly bearable.｣

As Wolfen’s head, pushed back by the buckler, returned, his eyes gleamed ominously. From the left, a dark blade suddenly emerged. The sooty Qi Arts that even swallowed light was aimed exquisitely to finish my life.

Feeling murderous intent, I clenched my teeth and pulled the buckler towards me by twisting my arm and waist tightly. I spared no effort in wrapping the buckler with the meager amount of Qi I had.

Screeeeeech.

The sturdy buckler angularly deflected the sword stained with darkness. In a normal confrontation between a sword and shield, the shield would be superior.

But in a battle between a sword wrapped in Qi and a shield wrapped in Qi, the stronger Qi would inevitably end up as the victor.

Crack. The buckler broke miserably. Almost pathetically. Like dropping a frozen loaf of bread on the ground, it shattered, finishing its role as a shield. The shortsword that broke through the buckler in an instant left a long cut on my left arm.

“OWWWW!”

That fucking hurts!

There was no time to even groan in pain. To block his attack, I needed a sword more than a shield. I pulled the straight sword I had used to slice Wolfen’s shoulder, aiming to cut off his arm.

However…

“You are…weaker than expected.”

Thud. Wolfen grasped my straight sword with the hand that had nothing in it. The blade, with his bare hands.

That was all he did, but the straight sword wouldn’t budge, as if it was stuck in a rock.

“Tch!”

If I get caught like this, I would die. I let go of the straight sword and immediately rolled backwards. Blood flowed profusely from my crushed left arm, but there was no time to tend to it.

In contrast, Wolfen, seemingly unfazed by the wound on his shoulder, muttered as he walked forward.

“Everything was mere petty tricks, it seems. From Alchemy to every kind of mischief was just a deception to hide your own weakness.”

Everything’s been exposed, huh.

Well, I guess it would have been more strange if he hadn’t noticed, given that I couldn’t block his sword with the shield and had to give up my left arm.

But I still couldn’t afford to lose my carefree attitude. I had to drag out time even if it was just a little more.

I pretended to still be relaxed and lifted my bleeding left arm.

“Ta-da. How was it? Was it fun?”

“Quite so. Oh Magician, perhaps you have the qualities to even surpass this Umbra as an assassin.”

He placed his hand over the shoulder wound that had been cut by my straight sword. An undulating Qi seeped into the wound, turning the blood black and quickly stopping the bleeding.

Wolfen, having easily nullified my critical hit, muttered as he removed his hand.

“However. This world is ultimately about strength. In the end, those without strength will be broken and those with strength will reign. That is the principle of the world.”

“I get your point, but so what?”

Wolfen looked at me with a face full of scorn and derision, as if I were a naive, immature child.

“If you wished to live, you should not have stood in this Umbra’s way. You were foolish, Magician. You dreamed far too big for your britches.”

“Haha. Then, is the dream you’re dreaming that humble? So much so that you plan to clean up the back alleys by borrowing the hand of the Military State and then take over as if it’s unclaimed property?”

“Being in the midst of those weaker is precisely how to reign completely.”

“You’re a petit bourgeois, I see.”

“It is just that this Umbra knows his place. Unlike you.”

He was being sincere. Wolfen truly was a remnant of the kingdom era, where one was strong against the weak and weak against the strong.

Ahhhh. That’s no fun.

Compared to the strength he possessed, his actions were no different from a petit bourgeois. He was just slightly stronger, more rational, and luckier than the average person.

“Boring. Seriously? You’re actually the type that just survived by luck.”

I lamented and flipped my hand. The few remaining Diamond Cards were caught in my grip.

7 of Diamonds. Magic Wand.

The card instantly transformed into a long wand with a curved handle. Nevertheless, Wolfen walked towards me without as much caution as before.

“All has been read. Your petty tricks will no longer fool this Umbra. This Umbra will come to you just like this and take your life. Thus, even your grand deceptions will not save you this time.”

Ahhh. Really? Is this the end?

My left arm was throbbing. Ah, a magician’s life is in their hands and arms, though. After suffering such a loss, it ends like this?

It was then. Something fell from the sky along with an urgent voice.

It was a golem.

『Please dodge!』

With that, the Golem stood in front, blocking the way to me. Unlike the stationary surveillance golems, this was a Synchro Type capable of moving on its own.

Iyaaaa. It’s kinda nice to see it again after so long.

After swallowing the tears that threatened to spill out due to the throbbing pain in my left arm, I asked.

“Captain. Have I bought enough time?”

While standing as if to protect me, the Synchro Type Magic Golem shouted.

『Affirmative! If you just hold on a little lon….』

The Captain didn’t even have the chance to finish her words. When Wolfen’s dagger was embedded into the golem’s torso, its voice started to fade as if it was cut off, before weakly collapsing.

I screamed towards the Captain, who couldn’t even last a second before her functionality stopped.

“CAPTAAAAAAAIN!!”

You should have at least held on a little bit longer! What’s the point of such a grand entrance if you’re going to exist so pathetically?! It’s so deflating!

“It seems too much time has been spent.”

And because you let him know, Wolfen is chafing to kill me! Look at him! He’s even more eager!

｢This Umbra shall not drag this out any longer. Die.｣

With a Tap, Wolfen kicked off the ground in an instant and lifted his shortsword. Without wasting any more Qi, fully focusing it within only his body and sword, he aimed to kill me outright.

Clear killing intent and the strength to achieve it. In the face of that, I had no choice but to powerlessly offer my neck….

However, overcoming this situation was the very definition of the extremity of magic.

Only if I found an unimaginable way to escape in a seemingly inescapable and desperate crisis… was I qualified to call myself the Magician.

“You didn’t perhaps think….”

I flung out my right arm. At the end of it, a new card appeared. I skillfully picked it up with two fingers.

A card I had prepared in advance for the Shadow.

The weapons manifested from the Suit of Diamonds were just a prelude for this one card.

“That the cards I have only brought forth weapons, did you?”

With that, the card I flipped over was the Ace of Clubs.

Unlike the sharply angled red diamonds, a round tree that had taken root in the ground emerged in front of Wolfen.

｢It is merely a petty trick. This Umbra will not be fooled. No matter what pops out, this Umbra will keep his eyes wide open and respond.｣

You see, I am like the Boy Who Cried Wolf.

After all, repeated lies bred deep distrust, forcing the opponent to adopt an unwavering stance.

Thank you. For watching my final magic trick so intently.

I flipped the card that had the Suit of Clubs drawn on it, releasing the mana contained within. The condensed mana gathered into the single Club, glowing white.

Wolfen furrowed his brows at the glowing card.

｢Are you trying to blind vision with light? What are you hiding?｣

Wrong.

It’s not that I’m blinding your vision with light; what’s hidden is the light itself.

As the Suit of Clubs added more light, a dreadful premonition passed through Wolfen’s mind belatedly.

｢…Could it be…Magic? Impossible!｣

He realized too late. After all, the magic had already been performed.

Let there be light.

“Piet Lux.”

Since he had gathered all his Qi, the darkness that enveloped him was all but gone. He had not scattered his QI Arts around, making diverse responses impossible.

In other words, Wolfen was completely defenseless.

The light concentrated in the center of the Suit of Clubs exploded.

All shadows existing in the street vanished. In an instant, a blazing white light began boring out from the card.

An overwhelming amount of light, like opening a window right in front of the sun.

Not even one’s eyelids could filter out the light. It seemed like the shadows of bones and veins were visible through transparent skin.

Light eliminates shadows. Wolfen, who had been directly hit with his antithesis, hurriedly covered his eyes, but regardless of his efforts, this brightness temporarily robbed him of his sight

“Fortunately for you, your Qi Arts is a darkness attribute. It seems you won’t go blind. Though it’ll be hard to move for a while.”

“You bastard…! Magician!”

Darkness may cover one’s eyes, but light was the one to blind them. As such, you and this magic are completely divided into a position of inferiority and superiority.

Wolfen, having lost his sight, stumbled backwards, swinging his sword in all directions. The dark Qi burst forth from his body once again; it was a preemptive measure against attacks he could not counter.

However, it was completely meaningless.

Though I’m better off than you, who took a direct hit, I can’t see well right now either, you see. So, I can’t attack anyway.

“Keuk…!”

“Thank you for watching till the end, Wolfen Fenshtein. You were quite a boring individual, but a fairly decent audience. However, those who follow the logic of power must be overcome by someone stronger. And in that sense, I am not qualified.”

“This Umbra shall kill you. On this Umbra’s honor as the Shadow, this Umbra shall kill you and everyone around you! Everyone shall die!”

“Ah, yeahhhh. Sure. Goodbye then.”

With that farewell, I ran away by following a pre-planned escape route. The street swallowed by light did not reveal itself anymore than the darkness did. No one saw me fleeing.

Actually, I couldn’t see in front of me and bumped my head while running away, but, well, anyway. I succeeded in escaping into a building.

My role here was done. It was dangerous, but somehow it worked out.

The next move was up to the Military State.