Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 132 (Part 2):
Helmut spoke in a calm tone.
“I’m the hunter now, and you’re the prey.”
The roles had now completely reversed. There were no more traps, hostages, or anything to exploit. The only thing Fasho could use against him was his own body.
“You smell of blood. Asuka cut your shoulder, didn’t he? You must want to escape the pain quickly.”
Helmut’s eyes sparkled strangely.
“But you won’t die easily. And because of you, I’m quite angry.”
Since emerging from the Forest of Roots, all the enemies he encountered were mere bugs. This one, in particular, was an annoying bug. Mosquitoes sneak in while you’re asleep, irritatingly sucking blood before vanishing.
To Helmut, Fasho was just like a mosquito. That only stirred his killing intent further. Helmut wanted to kill Fasho. Intensely. A fierce smile formed on Helmut’s lips.
“Show me what you’ve got. Make it interesting for me!”
Helmut leaped from the tree, plunging towards Fasho like a meteor. Fasho drew his dagger, but he had lost too much blood. One arm was completely paralyzed, and his movements were significantly slowed. He chose to dodge. The first strike tore through the spot where Fasho had stood. Whoosh!
The slicing attack was powerful. The grey Vis channeled through the sword overwhelmed Fasho visually. Knowing his opponent could manifest Vis was one thing, but seeing Helmut’s Vis firsthand was terrifying.
‘The Vis is stable. That means he’s almost completely unharmed.’
His plan had failed. Fasho realized this. If that was the state of an injured Helmut, his abilities were beyond Fasho’s expectations.
The attack continued relentlessly. Fasho dodged the second strike, but the third, coming diagonally, was unavoidable. A flame-like red Vis blossomed on one hand. He had to deflect it somehow. But the moment he countered, a tremendous pressure smashed his good right arm. His Vis and strength were no match for the overwhelming force.
Fasho dropped his dagger. Thud, clatter. The sound of the dagger bouncing away and rolling on the ground seemed, to him, like his own head rolling. He still had weapons on his body, but nothing to counter a sword charged with Vis. Throwing a hidden weapon wouldn’t work. Helmut showed no openings. Despair swelled within him, a vast and overwhelming darkness approaching.
Helmut, having halted his attack, tilted his head slightly.
“Lost your weapon?”
His black eyes stared straight at him, emotionless, as cold and deep as the abyss.
It would be difficult not to feel fear in this situation. But sometimes, seeking a way out could save one’s life. Fasho raised his hands in surrender, dropping to his knees. Helmut raised an eyebrow at this unexpected action. Fasho spoke with feigned calm.
“I surrender.”
Helmut, visibly annoyed, walked over and kicked him in the stomach. Thump! It was precisely where Asuka had been kicked. Fasho spat out blood foam as he fell to the side.
“Ugh! You say you’re a student of the swordsmanship department, but is it right to treat a surrendered opponent this way?”
“This isn’t a duel.”
Helmut kicked him again. Thump! This time in the leg.
“Cough!”
It felt like being struck with a sledgehammer. The pain distorted his face hideously. Yet, even in that situation, Fasho desperately schemed. Villains cling to their lives, and Fasho was no exception.
“Spare me, and I won’t pursue you again!”
“You’d be unable to pursue if you’re dead. That sounds like a bad deal for me.”
Helmut’s tone was breezy, but he stepped on Fasho’s wrist. Crunch! The palm was forcibly flattened. He lightly brought down the tip of his sword, severing four fingers except for the thumb. This was for Dino.
The ground quickly soaked with blood. The sharp pain from just before meant that when his fingers were sliced off by the keen blade, it hardly hurt. On the brink of life, Fasho laughed hoarsely.
“Heh, I’m just one of the Hawk Eye. If I don’t return, others from Hawk Eye will target you next time. And it won’t be just one.”
“What does it matter? You’ll die here, and all your companions will die too. That’ll clean things up.”
His tone suggested it was no problem. However, Helmut was inwardly startled by those words.
‘It seems the level of difficulty is increasing. It was easy until this guy, but he gave me some trouble.’
If three or more like him came, it would indeed be troublesome. Regardless of their rank, they might come as a group, which could be difficult even for him. If they went as far as involving his friends or threatening Ethan… Since he had broken his own rule of not touching nobles, the opposition could become despicable and ruthless.
‘I don’t want to spare him, though. And there’s no guarantee he’ll keep his word if I do.’
No matter how much he thought about it, he had to die. It was not merely because Helmut wanted him dead. Recalling the basics learned at the academy, this man deserved death. He had committed enough crimes to warrant execution. He’s the type of guy who escapes from prison before the death sentence is executed, and that meant that Helmut had to ensure the execution himself.
However, there was a snag. The seed of darkness. Especially since he had reacted to the magic earlier. The sensitive thing is still wriggling slightly.
Helmut decided, since he had already captured Fasho, to find out everything he could. He was also willing to try a new form of dialogue to extract information. The execution could wait until after he had heard enough. This man wasn’t a small fry, and he seemed too concerned with his own life to consider suicide.
“What happened to the horses you stole?”
The first question Helmut asked. He showed affection for his first horse, White. He hadn’t had much chance to ride it before it was lost. The horse was also part of a payment for a job, a valuable asset.
Fasho answered readily.
“The horses are tied up east of here, in front of a cave. They’re all good horses, so I didn’t kill them. Just took them.”
Hearing White might still be alive lightened Helmut’s mood slightly. The cave was not far from here. Seeing how hard Fasho had been trying to escape, it seemed he planned to escape on horseback.