Barbarian in a Failed Game

Chapter 073: The Rebellion (5)

Khan casually sneered at the knights, pretending to be unfazed, and then took shallow breaths to collect himself.

“Crazy tin can bastard. Thought you were dead.”

From the aggressive posturing, it seemed like the fellow ranked as Tin Can No. 3 had launched a surprise attack, and Khan had almost taken a hit due to a delayed reaction.

If not for Elena’s blessing increasing his agility stat, he might have ended up with a substantial injury.

Still, things had gone according to the original plan.

“I did figure that getting into a scuffle with Tin Can No. 4 would attract some others.”

After all, these were the sorts who would shout about honor only in words, weren’t they knights?

By creating a gap with the magic circle prepared by Jan, Khan managed to significantly reduce their numbers.

Tin Can No. 4, having been hit squarely in the chest, was sure to be out of breath for a while, though his body, enhanced by aura, would recover sooner or later.

“Now, this is where the real challenge begins.”

He twirled the handle of his axe in his hand while continuously babbling to keep his mouth moving.

“Who’s next? Trying to salvage what remains of your already tarnished honor, are you?… Why didn’t you all gang up from the beginning?”

There were five Tin Cans left.

The one presumed to be Tin Can No. 2 had a surprisingly delicate body, seemingly a rarity among knights for being a woman.

Her weapon was a thin, short rapier, likely favoring stabbing akin to an executioner.

Tin Can No. 3 had already been dealt with, No. 4 was out of commission for now…

Tin Can No. 5 wielded dual swords judging by the long swords strapped on either hip, and the lowest ranking No. 6 used a scimitar-like blade reminiscent of what Green-Skin warriors might wield.

‘As for the most crucial, the Tin Can leader…’

He was unreadable.

While he wielded a standard long sword and appeared to wear finer armor than the others, his true skill level remained elusive.

Khan, who had recently found his instincts sharpened, still found it tough to even roughly gauge the leader’s capability.

The self-proclaimed Duke leading the rebels was originally a high noble.

If his strength was to be considered the greatest among them, he should be overwhelmingly more powerful compared to the other knights Khan had faced. Yet, to not be able to estimate his strength at all?

‘The best I can do is hold out as long as I can. After all, my goal isn’t to kill them all…’

Khan steeled himself, swallowing the tension.

“Hey, am I talking to myself here? Just come at me.”

“How dare you, a mere half-breed. Relying on the power of demons, you boast confidently.”

At that moment, the female knight, Tin Can No. 2, stepped forward drawing her sword, followed sequentially by Nos. 5 and 6. Luckily, the Tin Can leader seemed not to intervene.

‘This should be….’

There was no need for further strategizing, for the Tin Can trio had already lunged forward.

The first to strike was indeed No. 2. Though not as swift as No. 3, her speed was considerable. Blocking with his axe held horizontally, a heavy aura blast pushed back against him.

The power of a piercing strike, which would surely have significant impact, was challenging to deal with. This is why knights were so troublesome; aura could be utilized in so many ways as long as the user had the capability.

From the flank, the dual swords aimed for the ribs.

The sneaky gaze, similar to that of a serpent’s, flickered through the mesh of his armor. Khan managed to deflect one blade with his axe, but the other sword extended its aura in a swift motion.

He jerked his head back as far as possible to dodge. A blast followed the trajectory of the sword, pushing air away and causing a slight ringing in his ears.

Feeling nauseous and irritated, Khan kicked out.

But it was in vain. Tin Can No. 6, having intercepted with the flat of his blade, unbalanced Khan, leaving him vulnerable to No. 2’s rapier stabbing into his shoulder.

[Leap]

Using No. 6’s sword as a stepping stone, Khan leaped backward.

He rolled on the ground a few times but managed a fairly successful evasion, opening Aecharis’s pouch with a satisfied smile.

[Too late.]

‘Chatterbox.’

Listening to Draupnir cackle in his head, Khan gripped the magic sword and the axe blessed by the goddess in each hand.

The Tin Cans, having seen him pull weapons out of thin air, chattered about him using demonic powers, making Khan chuckle along with Draupnir.

‘Guess it is demonic power, after all.’

As if a signal wasn’t needed, the fight resumed.

Tin Cans No. 2 and No. 6 attacked simultaneously from both sides, with No. 5, wielding the dual swords, following behind.

Khan swung his axe and magic sword, blocking the first strike. Or rather, he pushed back.

Even the aura-enhanced bodies of the Tin Cans could not fully withstand Khan’s strength, resulting in a slight break in their stance. Seizing the momentary gap…

With a thud, Khan lunged forward, swinging down the magic sword while airborne. Tin Can No. 2, barely managing to block in an unstable stance, was driven into the ground, and Khan halted his axe mid-descent.

“Don’t mess around!”

It was a flurry of strikes from the dual blades.

As the pair of blades generated countless illusions, swirling chaotically towards him, Khan’s eyes darted swiftly to find an opening.Distinguishing between the real and the fake was meaningless, for every trajectory of aura was an attack with substance. Swords clashed with axes, the blue light of aura breaking more than ten times in quick succession. As the count surpassed twenty, Khan’s movements gradually began to entangle.

In contrast, Tin Can No. 5’s swordsmanship grew more complex as time passed.

“Damn.” Khan had not even realized when he had closed his eyes, so focused was he on tracking and countering the dual swords. Khan’s straightforward, efficient wielding stood in stark contrast to a knight’s systematic technique, making their differences glaringly obvious.

The flow had to be broken.

Boom!

Giving up on countering the rapid attacks, Khan instead charged forward, accruiting more wounds on his body. Yet, Khan stepped forward as if unfamiliar with pain, pushing Tin Can No. 5 steadily backward. It wasn’t a conscious defense but a natural outcome, partly led by Khan.

Even a body enhanced by aura can’t hold its breath indefinitely. Khan, waiting for the moment when the rapid attacks dulled, gleamed in his eyes and took another step forward.

One breath.

“…!” Tin Can No. 5, startled by the dangerously closed distance, attempted to push Khan away.

That was his mistake. Instead of receiving the blow, he should have leaped back to create more distance. At this close range, the sword’s power couldn’t be fully unleashed. Khan’s axe blazed as he instinctively found the perfect distance, tearing open Tin Can No. 5’s chest while splattering blood on his own shoulder. In return, Tin Can No. 2’s triple-bladed sword not only pierced Khan’s shoulder but also gouged deeply into his flesh.

Yet, Khan did not stop, stepping even further forward.

He narrowly dodged a longsword scraping past his side. He used the hilt of his magic sword to beat on Tin Can No. 5’s head. Rolling on the ground, he avoided another triple-bladed sword, and as a longsword aimed for his head from above, he defended with his axe. He then threw his magic sword, piercing Tin Can No. 5’s abdomen. The shocked cries of his enemies slightly uplifted his mood.

‘One down.’

What mattered in a fight against many?

A wide field of vision to capture the movement of many at once? The concentration to consistently defend against attacks from all sides? Or the overpowering force to dominate multiple foes single-handedly?

None of these.

‘The most important thing in a fight is momentum. Overwhelmed by numbers? It’s still the momentum! You must tear into them like a starving beast!’

The bastard responsible for the warrior’s trial had said. Khan had scoffed at it as nonsense, but now he deeply understood the meaning of those words.

“Lady Flora! This one, he seems oblivious to pain!”

“It must be the devil’s power! More importantly, let’s finish this…!”

It hurts like hell. No matter how often I experienced it, pain never became familiar. The cuts felt as if they were being burnt. But it’s okay. I’m used to enduring.

Even amidst taking hits, the way Khan managed to finish off Tin Can No. 5 must have been striking.

Fear appeared in the eyes of Tin Can No. 2 and 6. The fear that they too could be devoured had settled in their minds.

That was exactly what Khan intended.

Fear ties down the feet and adds unnecessary hesitation to movements.

“Uuuuaaa…!”

Just then, Tin Can No. 4, who had been focusing on recovery, screamed out, seemingly enraged by the fact he had been hit. Khan smirked and charged towards him.

“Wait, Sir Alvaro!”

“Better to join forces… Damn it. Sir Rodrigo! How long do you plan to just watch?”

The magic sword flew to Khan’s hand on its own, thanks to having previously bound it with Arachne’s Silence.

Tin Can No. 4 swung his greatsword with no interest in increasing his arsenal, overtaken by emotion rather than the sophisticated skill of before.

“This suits me just fine!”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Tin Can No. 4’s aura-imbued greatsword felt heavier than before, but to Khan, it now seemed lighter. He believed he could sever Alvaro’s head at any moment if he so desired.

However, he refrained.

To the enemies, Khan appeared to be steadily pushed back by Alvaro’s fierce sword strikes.

‘Come closer…’

By chance or desperate hope, Khan sensed Tin Can No.s 2 and 6 slowly closing the distance from behind.

Tin Can No. 1 had no intention of stepping in, staying right where he was from the beginning. What he was thinking—watching his comrades dying without moving a muscle—Khan didn’t bother to speculate.

‘I see it.’

Khan, withstanding the expanding aura of Tin Can No. 4, detected Tin Can No. 6 targeting his back with dozens of needle-shaped auras and Tin Can No. 2 aiming a lethal strike at his heart amidst his struggle to defend.

The knights, each revealing their hidden aces, launched a ferocious attack.

It was a future not yet sealed but a death sentence that loomed inevitably close, unescapable through an exhausted body and mind. Struggling might reduce their numbers by one, but that would be all.

“I see it.”

Another scene unfolded.

Predicting the aura of Tin Can No. 4, which seems to soar into the sky, Khan dodges its trajectory, and evaded Tin Can No. 6’s dagger with a leap.

Cough!

Once again, the tri-blade of Tin Can No. 2 pierced a large hole in Khan’s abdomen. What principle is this based on? It seemed like Tin Can No. 2’s blade chased Khan and struck on its own.

How many times has he seen his own death in a future yet to unfold? Unclear. The flow of time was bizarre. It felt as if thousands of hours had passed, yet also as if not even a moment had elapsed.

It was as though he was trapped in a crevice of time. And then—

“I see it!”

A seed sprouted.

─Acquired Combat Foresight (C) skill.

─Due to the effect of the Ancient Bloodline, Combat Foresight (C) grade increases. Acquired Combat Foresight (B).

[Combat Foresight (B) – 01%]

─Activates solely in combat situations.

“This is the end for you─!”

The explosive aura of Tin Can No. 4 casts a giant shadow overhead.

And the aura of Tin Can No. 6 transforms into dozens of daggers targeting the back, while Tin Can No. 2 vanishes from sight.

Everything was exactly as foreseen in the vision. At that moment, Khan did not hesitate and grasped the uncertain possibility of the future. The sole possibility leading to victory.

He blocks the great sword of Tin Can No. 4 with his magic sword.

Even Khan’s strength felt the shock making his shoulders tingle. And then, Khan’s hand moved at a strange angle.

Adjusting the magic sword’s blade to point towards the ground, the great sword’s aura scraped against the blade’s edge, flowing downwards.

Crash─!

The overturned earth and flowing soil obscured the view between Tin Can No. 4 and Khan. Khan sprang into the air. The aura daggers fired by Tin Can No. 6 were seen hammering the defenseless Tin Can No. 4.

“Now for the last.”

[Scout (D)]

Even then, Tin Can No. 2 had not revealed itself. Had the future seen in the foresight ended? Just as his tensely raised shoulders began to relax,

A sound—

Clang─!

The axe, strengthened by a goddess’s blessing, seemed to cry out. But he blocked it.

“What……!”

Following the surprised voice of Tin Can No. 2 and turning his head, the silhouette of the creature, wavering faintly, lay at Khan’s feet. Its blade, too, was twisted and grown like a serpent.

A blade designed to extend from the start. A high-grade spell or artifact built to easily deceive lower grade scouting skills.

Was this the reason he was utterly defenseless in the foresight? Tin Can No. 2’s finishing move was as sinister as that of a first-class assassin rather than a knight.

‘Well, its usefulness diminishes the moment it’s discovered.’

At least for an ambush, it was as good as a lethal blow. No wonder it was flustered like that…

“Ugh….”

That was also why it died.

Turning away from Tin Can No. 2, who had become as good as an axe handle along with Tin Can No. 3,

“Again, two. And then……”

Two cans remained alive.

*

*

*

“I thought at least one arm would have been lost by now. To catch them all, impressive.”

“Ptui.”

Khan spits in response to the old man praising him for killing all his companions, gripping the magic sword and axe firmly.

It was natural for his hands to be faintly trembling.

He was tired. The prolonged chase and several battles had pushed Khan’s body to its limit.

Even the sturdy body of a barbarian warrior was, after all, mortal. It was bound to tire. But—

“One last.”

He smiled as if it was nothing.

Enduring. Bearing. Pretending as if nothing mattered was one of his few specialties.

“I’m not sure what you had in mind by leaving these tin cans to die…”

The same was true this time.

“I assure you.”

Khan thought of only one thing.

To hold on. Until Ron, not present here, does his part.

“Old man. You’ll never kill me.”

At these words, Tin Can No. 1…

No, the sole knight trusted by the Duke flashed a bright smile.