Chapter 9: Duel with Lord Razal

Hades, gripping his scythe with both hands, resisted the full force of the opposing lord's strike. The two were locked in a fierce standoff.

As Herila's figure gradually faded from view, relief washed over Hades. However, facing the psychic Lord Razal, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

The gap in their power was vast. One mistake would cost Hades his life.

Seemingly aware of Hades's ploy to distract Herila, a mocking, twisted expression appeared on Lord Razal's grotesque face.

"Weakling," Razal sneered, "you won't last until that monster arrives. I'll tear your frail body to shreds!"

Hades clenched his teeth, his body trembling from exertion, but he managed to retort, "Razal, but you've already lost, haven't you?"

Lord Razal's fury was instantaneous. His battered body, evidence of his disadvantage in his battle against Mortarion, tensed in rage. From within his massive form, a claw emerged, slashing at Hades with the speed of lightning!

Damn! I shouldn't have provoked him!

Hades quickly deflected the force with his scythe, narrowly avoiding the venomous, green-black claw.

That was close! A single scratch from that poisoned claw would be fatal.

Facing an enemy with such overwhelming power, what could Hades, a mere novice, do?

Adrenaline pumping, Hades quickly assessed the situation. They were on a narrow mountain path, with a sheer cliff on one side and a towering rock wall on the other. A few dead trees protruded from the rock face.

Hades's gaze locked onto Lord Razal, a grotesque beast resembling a fusion of man and tiger. His face, dripping with saliva, was grotesquely fat. From his massive body, which was riddled with strange indentations, emerged the claw. Embedded deep in his back was a fist-sized, eerie stone emitting a dim green glow.

According to the Death Guard's intel on Razal, this stone was a psychic amplifier he had acquired through human sacrifices. With its power, Razal had won many battles against other lords, gradually gaining control of the Morar region.

Yet, in their current duel, Razal hadn't used any psychic abilities, relying solely on physical attacks. This was inconsistent with Hades's intel.

Two possibilities crossed Hades's mind: Razal was baiting him, or he was injured in his previous battle with Mortarion and couldn't use his psychic powers.

As the battle raged, Hades's mind raced. He danced around the narrow path, dodging Razal's relentless attacks. His scythe clashed with Razal's claws, sparks flying.

But as Hades continued to defend, Lord Razal grew more desperate. Time was running out. He couldn't let this mere soldier delay him until the monstrous Mortarion arrived.

Suddenly, the psychic energy Razal was gathering vanished. An explosion erupted from the stone on his back, sending shockwaves in all directions. Using the force of the blast, Hades leaped into the air, hooking onto a dead tree with his scythe.

Blood trailed behind him, marking his trajectory.

Mortarion and Herila appeared on the path above, with Mortarion hurling a dagger at Razal.

But Hades, fully focused on his target, was oblivious to all this. His mind was clear, his entire being centered on his scythe.

With a swift motion, Hades brought down his scythe, ending Razal's reign of terror.

He was a Death Guard, humanity's reaper.

(Note: The protagonist possesses a trait similar to an "Untouchable" but for simplicity, he's referred to as an "Untouchable" later on. Think of him as a unique variant of an Untouchable. There's a minor inconsistency regarding the speed of a regular human female compared to Mortarion, but let's attribute that to the power of love, perhaps.)