Chapter 379: The Hound of Nouvellebag (3)

“Grrrrrrrr……”

Sakkuth’s pupil had no focus.

His face, like that of an owl, was turned sideways, with froth and saliva dripping down from the corners of his mouth.

“No need for all this. I’ll kill you lot and become a Level Nine. That’s how I’ll make the ‘boss’ take notice of me again.”

The target of those crazed eyes was none other than Kirko and Garam.

Swish—

Kirko laid her long knife horizontally and assumed a stance ready to spring at any moment.

But Garam still trembled, whimpering.

“K-Kirko. Wouldn’t it be better to run away now?”

“If we do, it’ll affect the guards in other zones. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t care, but with him, he might spread the plague to the entire district.”

“B-But still…”

“If you’re scared, you go alone, idiot. I’ll fight.”

With a look of disdain towards Garam, Kirko shifted her gaze back to the silent figure in front of him.

The distinct aura of a sword expert lingered around the tip of her sword.

It was an aura with a dense concentration, as if it could turn into liquid and drip down at any moment.

Seeing this, Sakkuth grinned widely.

“Grrrr— For someone born and raised in Nouvellebag, you’re quite something.”

In an instant, Kirko’s expression changed drastically.

Though tension filled the air, cracks appeared in her icy and ruthless demeanor.

And Sakkuth noticed.

“About twenty years ago, wasn’t it? There was an incident where a prisoner forced a guard to degrade themselves. Because of that, the guards in Nouvellebag are especially sensitive.”

“……”

“Grrrk— Grrrk— Grrrk— Heard they even had a product of that shameful incident born.”

Sakkuth was poking at the trauma buried deep within Kirko’s heart.

It became a trigger, igniting Kirko’s rage.

“Don’t mock other people so lightly.”

Soon, Kirko’s sword shot forward like an arrow.

The aura with gaseous properties spread widely, slashing and piercing wherever possible.

It was an effective method against bulky prisoners like Sakkuth.

…However. This was merely a form of punishment that instilled fear by causing bleeding and wounds over a wide area, not an ideal method to suppress a riot by prisoners prepared to die.

“Grrrrrrrr!”

Ignoring the onslaught of the broadside assault, Sakkuth leaned forward.

“Like a frog born and raised in a well, you’ve never seen the outside world, have you? How dare you, fucking insect? You’re utterly useless, just die in this abyss!”

With a chuckle, Sakkuth reached out with thick arms and grabbed Kirko by the throat.

“….Ah!”

Kirko attempted to retreat backward, only to be caught by the hem of her clothing by Sakkuth.

In an instant, the sharp teeth of Sakkuth were directed towards Kirko.

Kirko instinctively shut both eyes tightly.

…At that moment.

“Take back your words!”

There was a trident suddenly thrusting out from the side.

Thunk!

With a loud noise, it shattered Sakkuth’s teeth.

“Huh!?”

Sakkuth staggered back, clutching his mouth with both hands.

Kirko, who had fallen to the ground, raised her head with a dazed expression.

There, she saw Garam’s back, which she hadn’t expected to see.

In a moment of peril, Garam bravely stepped forward to protect Kirko, wielding the trident.

It might have been more impressive if his arms and legs weren’t trembling like leaves.

However, Garam’s voice did not tremble like his limbs.

“Kirko is my colleague, someone I admire and respect! You’re not worthy to insult someone like her!”

“…W-What!”

For a moment, Kirko’s ears turned red.

But Garam, focused on Sakkuth standing before him, didn’t notice.

“Grrrrrr……”

Sakkuth laughed, spitting out his broken teeth.

Then, with frothy lips, he glared at Garam.

“Is it ‘foolish Garam’? You’re unusually brave today for a lowly dog of a guard, huh? Because of some unrequited love?”

“…T-That’s not it!”

“A guard like you, who’s so pure-hearted towards prisoners, seems to have quite a soft spot, huh? Does your crush know about that? That you’re a weak and cowardly excuse for a guard?”

“No! That’s not true!”

“Grrrk— Grrrk— Grrrk— Not true, huh? Well, in the aspect of offering something to prisoners, you and that bitch are quite similar. Whether it’s bread or body. Grahhhahahaha!”

“…Ughhh!”

Garam infused mana into the trident.

The mana, overheated from anger, trembled uneasily.

At that moment.

“Enough.”

There was a hand resting on Garam’s shoulder. Kirko. She stood calmly beside Garam.

“Don’t get caught up in the psychological warfare. He can’t use mana. He’s just trying to unsettle us.”

“Oh! I-Is that so?”

“Yeah. Let’s handle it together, just the two of us.”

Garam’s expression quickly brightened at Kirko’s composed tone.

“Yeah! That’s right. Kirko, you’re amazing as always!”

“Ugh, idiot…”

But seeing the rare smile on Kirko’s lips, Garam felt happy.

…However.

There was no typical heroic development like those found in ordinary adventure s or boys’ comics.

Thwack!

The BDISSEM chain, sent flying by the swing of Sakkuth’s arm, lashed out like a whip.

Kirko’s smiling face suddenly flew away,

Crunch!

Without even a chance to scream, Kirko fell backwards, her neck twisted at an odd angle.

She hit her head against a rock and collapsed.

Crriiiick…

Blood spurted from her head.

“…Huh?”

Garam stared dumbfounded, not yet comprehending what had just happened.

Laughing gleefully, Sakkuth walked forward.

“Oh? Still alive? Impressive woman you are.”

Sakkuth licked his lips intermittently while looking at the convulsing Kirko.

“You’ve got promising qualities. That blow just now was hard and if you manage to survive that, you’ll make quite the remarkable hero when you’re older.”

Soon, a sinister and lascivious desire gleamed in Sakkuth’s eyes.

“It might be nice to crush such a budding hero in advance. Your face and body seem quite balanced, too…”

But before Sakkuth could take another step, Garam stood in front of the fallen Kirko, wielding the trident.

“Hands off Kirko, I’ll never let you touch her.”

“Grrrrrrrr—”

“I’ll protect her with my life. She’s someone I admire and respect…”

But Garam’s words were cut short.

Sakkuth punched Garam away as if annoyed, sending her crashing into a rock.

“Shut your cringy ass up.”

Thud—

Garam slumped to the ground like a broken marionette.

Sakkuth chuckled.

“You’re just a worthless grunt who can’t keep quiet. I’ve made a vow, staking my life. I must rise to Level Nine and regain the boss’s favor.”

Approaching Kirko with bloodshot eyes, Sakkuth prepared to strike.

But…

Thunk—

An unexpected blow from the trident struck Sakkuth’s shoulder from behind.

It was clearly Garam’s strike, lacking any strength.

“…?”

Sakkuth turned his head in bewilderment to look at Garam.

A barely audible whisper came from Garam’s neck.

“Don’t… touch Kirko…”

Veins bulged on Sakkuth’s forehead.

“You annoying little…”

Sakkuth raised his elbow and viciously struck Garam’s chin.

Crack—

The jawbone shattered, teeth protruding.

Splatters of blood scattered in all directions.

However…

Thunk!

Garam fell, yet still managed to grab Sakkuth’s ankle.

“To… Kir… ko…”

“You’re quite persistent. Lemme have a good time with a woman for once…”

Sakkuth looked down at Garam lying on the ground…

He revealed his bloodied teeth with a smirk.

“When you’re facing someone, you have to emit a fierce, concentrated energy. You have to aim it at one point with a strong determination to kill. Otherwise, you’ll just be like a worthless dog. Got it?”

Having said his piece, Sakkuth shrugged off Garam’s weak punch and turned away.

He wasn’t even worth killing.

“Grrrrrr— Well then—”

Sakkuth reached out both hands towards the fallen Kirko.

…No, he tried to.

Kuoooooo!

If it hadn’t been for the terrifying aura bursting out from behind, threatening to tear his throat out at any moment…

“…Huh!?”

Sakkuth instinctively covered his throat, unaware of what had just transpired behind him. The aura that had exploded from his back moments ago was truly beyond imagination, capable of not only tearing out the throat and heart but also penetrating the entire body tens or hundreds of times over.

With a face drenched in cold sweat, Sakkuth turned to where Garam had been.

“Little foolish Garam.”

Behind the fallen junior guard, there stood a prisoner of similar build.

“This is how you emit that fierce energy.”

The terrifying aura was emanating from him.

Vikir. Night Hound..

He had been silently watching over everything from behind.