Ghoul vs. Ghoul ⑤
Ah, so it has come to this after all.
The rage had activated.
There is nothing I can do about it now, regardless of my will.
Yet even when rage activated, my will did not vanish.
What is this, then?
I do not understand.
Is it better to be driven mad while perpetrating slaughter, or to stand idle and witness the scene of slaughter?
Either way, not a pleasant feeling.
Even so, astonished.
Even with my attack activated by rage, it failed to inflict significant damage.
A normal person should have been cleaved in two by a horizontal strike, yet the girl’s injury was limited to her arm being severed halfway.
Even with a status value exceeding ten thousand, it was illogical to survive an attack while in Anger Activation state with only minimal damage.
Upon closer inspection, white scales were adhering to the girl’s skin.
Not just resembling scales—those were scales, plain and simple.
She was already under scrutiny for possessing a skill exclusive to draconic species. The effect of the Sky-Scale skill explained it.
The reason she had a skill restricted to dragonkind remained unclear. Yet, thanks to the Sky-Scale skill’s ability to drastically enhance both physical and magical defense, she had blocked my attack.
Moreover, her severed arm was immediately sealing the wound.
Hardened, and healing rapidly.
Combined with her preference for long-range combat, minimizing damage taken, it was nearly impossible to land a hit.
This should be unbeatable under normal circumstances.
Of course, she could not overcome me while in Anger Activation.
Through combat with the girl, the importance of skills became clear.
The girl, whose status was inferior, had gained an advantage through skill—there was no denying it.
Yet, if the status gap widened tenfold, even skill advantage could be overturned.
The blade carved through the girl’s body.
She could not keep pace with my movements.
Her defense had failed to activate in time.
No matter how high the defense of Heavenly Scale, sustained attacks with enough force to sever an arm halfway through would rapidly deplete HP.
As she was slashed across the body, the girl activated ice magic.
The same crimson diamond dust magic that had taken my severed arm earlier.
But the situation now differed from before.
My body plunged without hesitation into the crimson diamond dust, passing through unharmed.
The girl’s eyes widened.
At the fatal opening, the blade descended toward her neck.
Resistance felt.
Solid impact.
The blade pierced through, then shattered.
The girl’s head detached and flew through the air.
Simultaneously, the鉴定 result displayed her HP declining rapidly.
Her hand reached up, catching her own head, pressing it back onto her neck.
Wait—?
Is that even possible!?
Ignoring my internal shock, my body—consumed by rage—acted swiftly.
If the head failed, target the heart.
The traditional method of vampire extermination: impaling the heart.
A high-speed thrust launched toward her chest.
She blocked it with her raised greatsword.
The sword shattered upon impact, hurling her body backward.
The attack prioritized impact over penetration—attribute bias skewed heavily toward shock damage.
The greatsword shattered, but the strike failed to reach the girl.
Worse, the impact sent her flying backward, deliberately creating distance that favored her.
This is likely the flaw of rage—loss of reason.
Activating rage causes a loss of rational thought, resulting in a berserker who appears to act only through instinct.
Yet, some degree of technique remains.
Especially for me—bearer of the Sword God skill.
Even without reason, the skill persists.
Still, mistakes occur due to diminished capacity for fine judgment.
The increased distance granted the girl a brief moment to recover.
A glow of magic ignited, covering the girl’s neck.
The severed neck reknit itself.
Truly, this is not fair.
Her resilience is extraordinary, truly.
But she is not truly immortal.
Her HP has visibly decreased.
The damage from decapitation heals on the surface, but it still consumes her life force.
If this happens again, she will not survive.
Still, she possesses the skill "Undying General" and the resurrection ability of a vampire.
Due to these two skills, she can revive under limited conditions—she cannot die.
No matter what attack I unleash, she can still endure.
Spare that resilience for escape.
She must understand this.
She cannot defeat me while I am in rage mode.
Therefore, fleeing is the correct choice for survival.
It may be difficult, but with her extensive attack options and seemingly invincible defense, she can certainly evade me.
So, run.
The thought was futile. The girl laughed.
Her eyes made it clear—no intention to be swayed.
Still, is there some plan left?
What intrigues is the skill labeled "Jealousy," its details obscured even after inspection.
Judging by the name, it likely holds power equivalent to Anger. But can it shift the tide in this situation?
The girl was thoroughly battered.
In contrast, my lost arm had just completed regeneration, and I was drawing a blade from space.
Even if Jealousy possessed the same strength as Anger, it could not overcome this disadvantage.
Yet, a clear confidence remained on the girl’s face.
Then, I will trust it.
She can defeat me.
If that is true, there is no need for concern.
I will die as I wished.
Die.
The heart in my unliberated body seemed to pulse heavily.
Afraid?
Of dying.
After killing so many, are you afraid to die now?
How selfish.
Fear.
There's no other option but to die.
What meaning is there in living under these conditions?
What value does it hold?
That shouldn't be possible, should it?
Then there's nothing left but to die.
And yet, to say it was frightening—
As if mirroring my despicable desire to live, my body lunged at the girl with full force—unbidden, relentless.
The girl was attempting something.
Black. Utterly black. Simply black.
A man like that appeared before me.