The Garbage Collector Who Stumbled Upon Mythical Weapons! - Chapter 46
“…Heh, hahaha.”
When Garm turned his gaze, Zaharo was laughing fearlessly. However, his right arm had been severed, and a large amount of bl00d was flowing from it.
“I see… So you’re the one who defeated Faunus.”
“Huh? Who the hell is that? Never heard of him!”
Zaharo smiled with certainty and regenerated his right arm. Garm was shocked at how quickly it returned to normal.
—So this is what demons are like?! Just like that gray rat I met in the Vidal Forest!
Zaharo extended his arm in an instant, grabbing the sword that had fallen midair when he was attacked.
As he returned his arm to normal, intense lightning surged from the sword he gripped. A wave of lightning attacks rushed toward Garm.
However, his shield’s ability Magic Barrier Defense activated, blocking all the lightning strikes.
A relentless opponent. Garm barely managed to keep up, and just as he let out a relieved breath, Zaharo’s face appeared right in front of him.
“What?!”
A sword slashed toward him. Garm barely blocked it with his own sword, but the impact threw him off balance, forcing him to retreat far back.
“Hahaha! You dodged well. You’re a worthy opponent. Here I come, human!”
Zaharo raised his sword and charged forward.
“Damn it! If I don’t kill him, I’ll be the one who dies!!”
Garm shifted his gaze to his sword. He poured magic into the newly obtained black gemstone.
“Take this!!”
Darkness overflowed from his swinging sword. The slash only grazed Zaharo’s body, but a black liquid clung to him.
“What is this?!”
Zaharo grimaced as he looked at the liquid sticking to his hands and body.
But then, he sensed a terrifying presence behind him. Turning around, he saw what lay beyond Garm’s sword—
A massive black sphere had formed.
“No way… Did you open a gate to the underworld?!”
It was the highest-level dark magic. Something no human should be able to use.
The enormous black sphere trembled. It began absorbing fallen stones, grass, trees, and even the surrounding air.
The people on the ground were also being pulled toward the sphere, desperately resisting its pull.
Then Zaharo realized—the black liquid clinging to his body was connected to the sphere.
“Ugh… This is—!”
The liquid pulled at his skin. The more he resisted being swallowed, the more it tore his flesh apart, dragging it into the abyss.
“GAAAHHH!!”
Parts of his body and his sword were pulled into the darkness. Once the sphere was satisfied with its shredded prey, it vanished without a trace.
Silence followed. Zaharo understood now.
This human was the one who defeated the Demon Beast they had been researching in the northern labyrinth. His flesh, torn away, began regenerating as smoke rose from his wounds.
Zaharo looked at the sword Garm held.
The black gemstone on its hilt—there was no doubt.
—The True Core of the Black Dragon King… It was meant for experiments, but he managed to absorb it? This man is an obstacle to our goal. I must kill him now.
Zaharo gathered all his power.
Black magic erupted from his body, and his form began to change. His flesh split, bones cracked, bl00d gushed, reshaping him into a monstrous figure.
Garm gasped. His mind struggled to comprehend the transformation before him.
—What the hell is this guy?!
A body over ten meters tall, long curved horns, dark rugged skin, and bloodshot red eyes.
“He’s a complete monster! Do powerful demons always transform like this?!”
Huge black wings spread wide as Zaharo hovered in the sky, truly resembling a demon. He raised his long arm and swung it down toward Garm.
Garm dodged in a hurry, but the sheer wind pressure destroyed part of the town below.
—Damn it! If I dodge, the town gets hit… What should I do?
As Garm hesitated, Zaharo’s massive right fist loomed before him.
—Crap, I can’t dodge this!
The punch landed squarely. Garm was sent flying to the edge of the town, crashing into the ground with immense force.
The impact shook the earth, sending dust clouds billowing into the air.
“Gahh!!”
Struggling to breathe, he twisted his body. Somehow, he managed to stand, but the damage was severe.
—That thing’s huge, but it moves insanely fast! Even with auto-recovery magic, I won’t survive if I take too many hits.
Gritting his teeth, Garm raised his sword and took to the sky once more.
In front of him, Zaharo hovered with his black wings spread wide. His eerie expression seemed to form a faint smile. This time, Zaharo clenched his left fist and lunged forward.
Garm had no intention of dodging. Instead, he raised his shield and braced for impact.
The shield and fist collided. The resulting shockwave exploded outward, sending the humans on the ground flying.
“Gahh!?”
Zaharo’s left arm was crushed, bones jutting out. It was the effect of the shield’s ability Physical Attack Amplification Reversal.
“Yes! This monster isn’t immune to my shield’s power. Now it’s my turn!!”
Garm pressed his attack. Kicking off the air, he dashed around at high speed, confusing his opponent.
—This is the same strategy I used against the gray rat in Vidal Forest!
His sword flashed through the air. A deep cut formed on Zaharo’s cheek, bl00d spraying out.
He moved even faster, slashing Zaharo’s neck, shoulders, back, and wings.
“Grr… Damn you, don’t get cocky!”
Dark mist burst from Zaharo’s body, spreading outward. It transformed into a shockwave of magic energy that rushed toward Garm.
“Whoa!”
Though unharmed, Garm flinched from the sudden attack. Zaharo didn’t waste the opening.
In an instant, his arm shot forward, grabbing Garm.
“Ugh… Damn it!”
“Hahaha! No matter how fast you are, once I’ve caught you, you’re done for. I’ll crush you in my grip!”
Zaharo tightened his grip. A fragile human body could never withstand such force. Or so he thought—
“What?!”
Flames erupted inside his hand. The unbearable heat forced Zaharo to let go—but it was too late.
Four of his fingers were already gone. They had been severed by the blazing sword.
“You…!”
“I don’t have time to waste on you! It’s over!!”
Garm raised his flaming sword and launched himself forward.
Zaharo couldn’t react in time. The moment the blade touched his body, the flames exploded, engulfing him in a raging inferno.