Chapter 580 – Duel with the General

Tauro had failed to eliminate the enemy commander.

Even amid the chaos of the battlefield, both of his surprise attacks had been thwarted.

“General!”

Several officers who had gone forward to deal with Tauro’s Rock-series puppets noticed the attack and hurried back to their commander.

“…I see. So you really are an Imperial general. No wonder my little tricks weren’t enough to take you down,” Tauro said, acknowledging that the man in front of him was probably stronger than he was.

“Hah… To be wounded by a child. I must be getting old.”

The man his subordinates called General faced Tauro and raised his sword again.

Murderous pressure radiated from the point of the blade. The general was clearly using [Intimidation].

“…Unfortunately, I have no intention of fighting all of you head-on by myself,” Tauro said as three of the general’s subordinates closed around him.

“Are you saying you’ll fight us with that slime on your shoulder? Your surprise attack caught me off guard, but it seems you’ve underestimated us.”

“I’m not underestimating you. I’m buying time.”

At that moment, Aeris and the others arrived.

Adam and Eve, Tauro’s two human-shaped puppets, moved to either side of him and engaged the approaching monsters. Seth, the boy-shaped autonomous-thinking puppet, followed close behind Aeris and the others.

“More puppets… Then the one controlling those stone puppets must be among the people who just arrived. Good. Monsters, prioritize the enemies here!”

The general used a small staff to direct the monster force that had continued fighting the Rock series instead of retreating.

If they could kill the [Puppeteer], the entire situation might still be reversed.

But the Rock series, which until then had been fighting according to simple automatic instructions, suddenly began moving with much greater coordination.

Four units had already been destroyed, leaving ten.

Those ten now struck from behind at the monsters converging on Tauro and his companions, coordinating their attacks instead of merely reacting to whoever struck them last.

Seth had arrived and was now issuing complex instructions to the other puppets.

“General, I’m finished stalling. I’ll end this here.”

Tauro drew Modified Shortsword Tauro and readied his Guardian Doll Round Shield.

“I show no mercy on the battlefield, not even to children. You have some strange techniques, but you won’t fool me twice.”

The general tossed the monster-commanding staff to one of his returning subordinates and gripped his sword with both hands.

“The [Puppeteer] must be among the ones who just arrived. Kill him!”

In the next instant, the general swung his sword at Tauro.

There was still considerable distance between them, so to an ordinary observer it might have looked like an empty swing.

Tauro knew better.

He had seen the same technique from Ankh.

[Flying Slash].

Because he recognized it, Tauro immediately poured magic into Modified Shortsword Tauro. The weapon’s blade of light extended, and he used it to intercept the flying strike.

“Wh—!? You reacted to my killing blow that easily…?”

For the first time in a long while, the general seemed to recognize an opponent worth taking seriously.

“One of my companions can use that technique too,” Tauro replied.

He concealed the trembling in his hand.

He had appeared to block the attack with ease, but the impact had been tremendous. The general’s technique was far beyond the ordinary version.

His ability made it clear that an Imperial general was no ordinary warrior.

“I meant to finish you with one strike, but perhaps I was unconsciously holding back because you’re a child. Then I’ll use this.”

The general raised his sword again and poured magic into it.

“Leader, the next one’s coming!” Ankh warned while fighting nearby soldiers and monsters. He had recognized what the general was preparing.

“Got it. Thanks!”

Tauro readied himself.

“So there’s someone on your side who knows the same technique. That still won’t save you!”

The general swung.

A wind-infused [Flying Slash] tore toward Tauro.

It was far more dangerous than the first attack. Countless blades of wind accompanied the flying sword strike, so even if the main slash was blocked, the wind magic would tear into the target. Defending against it required protection from both the sword technique and the magic layered over it.

Tauro answered with only two words.

“Pella, please!”

He put Modified Shortsword Tauro into [Magic Storage] and drew the Bow of Artemis.

Tauro entrusted his entire defense to Pella and prepared to dominate the mid-range distance with arrows.

The wind-infused [Flying Slash] appeared to hit him head-on, throwing up a cloud of dust.

“My finishing technique won’t be stopped by a slime!” the general declared.

Then a [Holy-Dark Arrow] shot out from behind the dust.

It was less powerful than Tauro’s heaviest attacks, but among his magical arrows it excelled in speed.

At such close range, the small, fast projectile slipped through the opening between the general’s helmet and armor and pierced his right eye.

“Gah…!”

The general flinched at the agony, but only for an instant. Even after losing one eye, he immediately refocused on Tauro.

That instant was enough.

A second [Holy-Dark Arrow] struck his left eye.

“Ghh…!”

The technique wasn’t Tauro’s most destructive, but its extraordinary speed allowed him to deprive the general of his sight before he could recover.

The blinded general instinctively raised a hand to his face.

Tauro had already trusted that both shots would land. The moment he released the second arrow, he returned the Bow of Artemis to [Magic Storage] and drew Modified Shortsword Tauro again.

Then he charged through the dust.

Unable to see, the general nevertheless sensed the murderous intent rushing toward him and released another [Flying Slash] purely on instinct.

“!”

Tauro had believed he saw the opening that would end the duel, and he was already too close to evade.

But there was one ally who could still respond.

Pella.

Rather than trying to dodge halfway and ruining his attack, Tauro trusted his familiar and continued straight ahead.

Pella instantly intercepted and deflected the [Flying Slash].

Almost at the same moment, Tauro poured magic into Modified Shortsword Tauro. Its light blade extended through the opening between the general’s helmet and armor and pierced his throat.

“Gah…!”

The general coughed blood and collapsed.

The duel was over.