Unexplainable silence.
After witnessing the sight of something impossible, Bu' was confronted with perfect decorum.
The air became heavy, and the putrid smell of corrupted blood filled the air.
It wasn't so much fear as it was shock.
The Demon General was simply amazed that a human had been able to cleanly slice a monster who was at least ten times bigger than he was—all in the blink of an eye.
It was utterly confusing, but Bu' couldn't allow himself to get distracted by such emotions.
'I can easily do the same...' Was what he used to justify the absurdity.
It was unfair to compare himself to a single human destitute, but since the yardstick was still within his realm of understanding, Bu' was able to overcome the initial surprise.
'Okay, so he's strong. That explains why he's all alone here, and why he could confront us without fear...'
The man whom Bu' now actively watched was holding a blade.
This blade wasn't shattered like the rest, but it was in pretty bad shape too.
Judging from the weapon's age and the numerous chips it had, it was only a matter of time before it also joined the rest in their shattered state.
As a weapons expert himself, Bu' understood the blade's durability more than anyone.
In a few more swings, the weapon was done for.
'Should I just send Demon Beasts in waves to make sure he exhausts the weapon's integrity? Once that's done, it'll be a simple matter to end him.'
Moving faster than he could retrieve another blade, Bu' was determined to personally end the human's life.
Carelessness was a sin! Such were the teachings of his master—Lord Zenkiel himself.
Both overestimating and underestimating an opponent could lead to defeat, so Bu' was prepared to sacrifice a few Beasts to achieve his goal.
If they ended up killing the man, that would prove that his worries were in vain.
However, if the man prevailed, his weapon wouldn't last much longer. That would be his window to strike.
Either way, Bu' was assured of victory!
"Attack. Kill him!"
At this command, a few dozen Demon Beasts charged at the human, who was already in a stance.
He muttered some words, but Bu' still didn't understand any of them.
>SWIIISH!!!<
In a single flash as well, all the Demon Beasts were felled.
Blood spurted out of them, and their lifeless bodies crashed on their blackish bloody pool. They, too, were defeated by the human.
'What? How is this happening? They were at least thirty of them...'
So far, he had lost approximately thirty-five Demon Beasts.
Bu' still had lots more to spare, but meaninglessly sending them to die would be a waste.
The Demon General racked his brain to figure out the best strategy to use in defeating the unflinching swordsman.
'Haa, I've got it!'
"Surround him on all sides. Cover his flanks and rear!"
The human was indeed very adept at fighting a straight-on battle, but he would surely lose against an overwhelming number attacking from all sides.
Those were the thoughts of the exceedingly brilliant Bu'.
As commanded, the Demon Beasts circled the swordsman.
Their large numbers were fifty—and their hulking figures made it pretty obvious who the victor of the round would be.
Even if a human was skilled... he still had limits.
There was no way—
>VWUUUUSSSHHH<
An instant burst of Mana surged from the human.
"Wha—?!"
Before Bu' could utter another word, the Demon Beasts that had completely trapped the destitute in the center were eliminated.
Their bodies were diced into large chunks and blood splattered everywhere.
The Mana of the swordsman was retracted as soon as the deed was done.
Now standing atop at the center of a scene of carnage, the human stared undauntedly at Bu', waiting for yet another challenge.
"Grrrrrr...." At this point, Bu' ground his sharp teeth with rage.
The Demon General was no fool, so he already realized that sending in more Demon Beasts would be a waste of resources.
Almost a hundred had been killed by this single human.
While he would have loved to see his limits, he couldn't allow any further deaths.
'As annoying as this is... I'll handle him myself.'
Bu' stepped forward, drawing one of his four weapons—a longsword.
He could wield all of them with his four arms, but doing so for a single target was a disgrace to him and his master.
'It's shameful enough that I have to even fight him directly...'
Any further, and Bu' wouldn't be able to handle the blow on his ego.
"Be grateful, human. You'll gain the privilege of dying by my hands."
In response to the General's obvious taunts, this human smiled—no, he chuckled.
'He dares—!!!'
The swordsman uttered more words on his tongue, smiling as he spoke.
There was a limit to Bu's patience, so he took his stance and infused his blade with Miasma.
Strengthening his body with Demonic Energy, the enraged monster was ready to make his charge.
"I'll kill you!"
However, just as he was about to strike, the human's Mana erupted to an even greater degree from earlier.
It was only for a moment, but even Bu' felt terrified by the sight of such an overwhelming force.
And then—
>WHOOOOOSSSSHHHH!!!<
—Sound caused lots of flesh being dissected echoed in the air.
Bu' was still standing, but he could hear lots of bodies heavily falling to the ground.
Blood flowing like water suddenly swept through the Demon General's feet and their gory odor invaded his nostrils.
The blackish pool of blood wasn't his, but Bu' had a rough idea whose they were.
Slowly turning his head, the self-proclaimed top five of the Nine Stars looked behind him.
His eyes bulged as he realized his fears were true. Bu's body trembled thanks to the horrid sight he witnessed.
Replacing the Demon Beasts he had as troops was a scene of carnage and gore.
Mangled and sliced flesh littered the ground and not a single one of the Demon Beasts was left standing.
They were all dead—killed by the human's blade.
'Over nine hundred... in an instant...?'
Bu' looked forward, at the end of the massacre, and spotted the swordsman.
The blade in his hand had shattered, but he was looking even more menacing than before.
The terrifying Mana he exuded vanished, and the destitute's sight now locked with Bu's.
The Demon General gulped upon receiving the frighteningly calm gaze of his opponent. The feeling of moderate caution was slowly being replaced by a stronger desire for survival.
It was instinctive—primal!
Before he knew it, Bu' had already unsheathed all his weapons.
Now, the human looked at him with a more serious gaze.
His lips parted once more, and even though Bu' couldn't understand the words, they still echoed in his ears.
"Martial Blade God Technique... Martial State."
