Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 130 (Part 2):
The large rock hill had transformed into a shape that could no longer be called by its name. The giant rock had fallen sideways, and the surface that hit the ground was partially shattered, kicking up dust.
At the edge of the collision, near where the rock’s top had been before it fell, broken pieces of rock piled up like a grave.
As if the roar that had swallowed everything was a thing of the past, silence now enveloped the area.
Then,
-Kukruk.
A sound like something scraping followed, and a large boulder was flung away, rolling on the ground.
From where the boulder had been, a hand suddenly emerged. Soon after, the surrounding rock fragments collapsed.
Helmut emerged from the rock grave, sighing in relief.
“I almost died.”
This was the first time his heart had raced so much since being chased by Naho in the Forest of Roots.
He had learned that overconfidence was dangerous.
Why did he take such a risk? Was it pride, wanting to finish everything perfectly?
Or perhaps, he had changed, unable to leave a friend to die because of him. If that was the reason.
Helmut pulled Dino from beneath him. Dino was still unconscious, thankfully, which meant he was relatively unharmed. Almost trampled, but without serious injuries, except for the previously severed fingers.
Being crushed by a person is better than being crushed by a rock, after all.
It was probably for the best that he was unconscious. Witnessing the calamity would have caused panic.
There were many mages at the academy, so minor injuries could be treated.
“My hand hurts.”
Helmut finally sheathed his sword in his waist, which he had been clutching painfully.
The moment the rock came crashing down, Helmut had grabbed Dino and drawn his sword simultaneously.
He couldn’t completely escape the collision, but at the edge, he used his sword to shatter part of the rock.
That was Helmut’s plan, conceived in a flash.
It was also the most uncertain plan he had ever had because, while he had split people before, he had never split a rock.
“The important thing is that it worked.”
His body was covered in wounds. There were no large injuries, but the numerous scrapes and cuts throbbed.
His Vis was also significantly depleted. He burned magic and even shattered the rock. Perhaps a little more than half was left.
Yet, he didn’t feel like he would lose to Fasho. It wasn’t arrogance.
“Now I have to deal with that perverted guy. I wonder if the guys are okay.”
He had saved Dino. Wrapping him up, Helmut glanced briefly at the rock.
He could guess how the massive thing had fallen. The rock had already lost its balance, and it was being kept in place by a slight magical force. That magic had been withdrawn.
“Is it a runt?”
He hadn’t sensed anything, but Helmut had been focused on burning magic with his Vis. It wouldn’t be strange if he hadn’t felt someone approaching from the other side of the large rock.
The person probably didn’t have the skill to come close enough to stab him effectively.
Otherwise, they would have taken the opportunity to attack him while he was distracted with Dino.
‘There’s no time to delay.’
Helmut leaped up, using the same way as before to return to the camp. It would take a bit longer than when he came.
He could only hope that Asuka, James, and Andro would hold out until then.
***
“Ugh!”
James screamed. His shoulder had been sliced by a sword. Sharp pain surged through him.
James’s body was already drenched in blood. Blood poured from the cuts made by the dagger. Andro and Asuka, watching from the side, were horrified.
“Quite the drama queen, aren’t you?”
Fasho licked his lips, tasting the blood. The scent of blood was intoxicating. The thrill of fresh prey bleeding out and their moans of agony were all satisfying.
This mission had been a rare opportunity to kill nobles. He had offered mercy and been rejected, so what choice did he have?
‘Even with a time limit, I can’t give up on enjoying this.’
It wasn’t just for the sake of enjoyment. With three opponents holding their ground, he couldn’t just recklessly attack, even if they were weaker than him.
They had been trained together daily, and despite no prior teamwork, their coordination was good. But Fasho knew how to break them.
‘Attack the weakest link, and the formation collapses.’
Fasho instantly identified the weakest among them: James.
He blatantly targeted James, seizing every opportunity to slash with his dagger.
A 1st-rank mercenary assassin’s dagger was impossible for an ordinary academy sophomore to completely block.
James, with his body lacerated in various places, looked like a piece of meat still alive.
‘This won’t do.’
Asuka frowned. About 10 minutes had passed. Time crawled by. Even if Helmut ran back as fast as he could, he wouldn’t have returned by now.
Given what Fasho was up to, he must have planned something on that side as well.
In case of the worst, they had to figure out how to defeat Fasho on their own.
Fasho took a breath, knowing how to pace himself. He was relaxed, but his attacks were sudden and effective, always landing on James.
Whether in terms of reflexes or skill, the difference was undeniable. The other two, especially Asuka, were quick, but it was impossible to cover for everything.
‘If this continues, James won’t be able to fight anymore.’
He was already in a precarious state. As James continued to bleed from being attacked, his movements visibly slowed.
Weakness in the body leads to weakness in the mind. Fear was rising in his eyes.
If James fell, their formation would collapse entirely. The assassin would not miss the chance to exploit the broken balance.
Then perhaps.
Asuka made a sudden declaration.
“Hey, how about you and I go one-on-one instead?”
“Asuka!”
Andro exclaimed in shock. To him, Asuka seemed to be courting death.
“You’ve been saying since a while ago that I definitely need to be killed. Wouldn’t it be easier to fight just me?”
“Defending three to one is all you can manage, and you’re being arrogant?”
“What arrogance. I think I can win. What about you? Do you think you’re going to lose?”
Asuka tilted his head, his demeanor sufficiently provoking Fasho. He had a temperament that couldn’t stand the brashness of a young boy.
Beneath his mask, Fasho’s mouth stretched wide.
“Fine, I’ll give you the time to clean up your friend.”
“Andro, take James and retreat. You’re not needed here either. I’ll handle this alone.”
If the assassin suddenly attacked and took James hostage, that would be problematic.
If they couldn’t move as one, it was better to also remove Andro.
The two of them had done their part in facing a 1st-rank mercenary assassin this long.
‘Can’t expect too much from the incapable.’
As the top student, Helmut had gone to save Dino, so dealing with this assassin was now his, the second in rank, responsibility.