Though he was supposed to be an overwhelming powerhouse, Fuguo bled profusely from his head as he roared,
"Thousand Needles!"
With a frantic, desperate expression, he unleashed his absolute best technique upon the humanoid monster before him.
Thousand Needles was quite literally an attack that fired a thousand lethal, venomous needles capable of instantly killing any ordinary being in a single strike. Even a Colonel of the Evil Army should have suffered at least some wounds if caught by it.
And yet—
"Child's play."
The monster before his eyes did not even attempt to dodge. Accompanied by words of pure disdain, he merely swept out his left arm, which held a dagger. Entangled by the pure-white wind kicked up by the swing, the needles instantly weathered away into nothingness.
"Do not mock me! I am a Lieutenant Colonel of the Evil Army!"
As pitch-black despair threatened to consume his vision, Fuguo desperately stoked his wavering fighting spirit.
Every single one of his attacks had been completely nullified by the white wind drifting around the boy. Worse still, any part of Fuguo that brushed against that white wind eroded into dry, crumbling particles.
"The Evil Army? Never heard of it. Come on, fish. I'm not even breathing hard yet."
The boy aimed the tip of the dagger in his right hand at Fuguo, offering a blatant provocation.
Prior to fighting this monster, such a taunt would have infuriated him. Now, however, all Fuguo could think was—
(I have to get out of here somehow!)
His only thought was escaping this monster.
Against this opponent, the odds were hopelessly against Fuguo. It would be the same for Urokoonu. Dealing with him would require someone at least the rank of colonel in the Evil Army, and securing a safe, decisive victory would demand the raw power of a major general or higher. What mattered most right now was getting intelligence on this creature back to Evil Army Headquarters.
Just as he darted his eyes around to check the escape route behind him—
"Looking away in a situation like this?"
The moment that cold, dismissive voice rang out, Fuguo's field of vision plunged toward the ground.
"Gah!"
His torso slammed hard against the earth.
Scrambling to get back up, his eyes caught sight of his own severed lower half standing upright right in front of him. Gripping the daggers in both hands, the monster calmly strode forward and slashed through the severed lower body with a single stroke, reducing it to a pure-white mist.
(Why am I not regenerating?!)
Thanks to the divine protection granted by Lieutenant General Forneus, Fuguo was supposed to be able to mend his body in an instant, even if his torso was completely severed. Yet no matter how much mana he channeled to accelerate the healing, his flesh showed no sign of recovery.
"It's useless. I severed it while wreathing my blade in my ability—the Lord of White Flame's white flame. You'll never return to your original body again. Besides... look."
Stepping right up to Fuguo, the boy pointed the tip of his dagger at the cross section of Fuguo's severed torso.
When Fuguo shifted his gaze downward—
"Eeeek—!"
A bloodcurdling shriek tore from his throat. And understandably so. As if consumed by an invisible white blaze burning it to cinders, Fuguo's upper body was steadily disintegrating from the severed edge inward.
"Stay back, you monster—!"
It was terrifying. As Fuguo squeezed out a desperate cry through his constricted throat in sheer dread, the boy brought his dagger sweeping down upon him.
With his entire view cleanly splitting in two as the last thing he saw, Fuguo's consciousness snapped and faded into oblivion.