The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 87

Chapter 87: Corpse Bone Eater

All life equally faces death.

For all life, death is something terrifying and painful. No matter how much power one possesses or how much wisdom one gains, no one can escape from death.

Those who are injured, regardless of the size of the wound, become conscious of death. That fear turns into something like a prayer and brings forth a blade.

The name of that blade is “Corpse Bone Eater,” a cursed sword that brings the wielder closer to death and spreads death to others.

Its appearance resembled that of a Yomi soldier. His hair had turned as white as a ghost, and his skin had turned as blue as that of a corpse. The Corpse Bone Eater fused with his right arm, transforming Dougen into a menacing figure.

“Alright, let’s get serious!”

Tearing off his broken armor, Dougen laughs. A blade, similar to the Corpse Bone Eater, sprouts from his battered torso.

“…Activate, Mountain Armor ‘Kou-toku King Zanma’”

Donning his armor again, Dougen grips the Zanma. As he approaches, blades sprout from his body and fly toward Berg.

Creating earth walls around him, Berg blocks the blades. The earth walls shatter, but the flying blades pierce through the debris, and Berg swings the Zanma to defend. Dougen uses the Corpse Bone Eater fused to his right arm to block, and the trees around them shake with the force of the clash.

“You adapted in an instant! And it looks like that sword can’t cut!”

With a smirk, Dougen creates a new blade from his wound and takes it in his hand. He swings the new blade at Berg, but Berg blocks it with his gauntlet, aiming for Dougen’s wrist.

From Dougen’s chest wound, another blade shoots out. Berg twists his body, but the blade grazes his side, causing a crack in his armor and bl00d to spill.

A sharp pain courses through his side, but Berg clenches his fist and punches Dougen in the cheek. Dougen stumbles backward, dragging his feet along the ground. When he looks up, Berg kicks him in the stomach.

“Ugh…!”

The sound of bones cracking echoes as Dougen is sent flying. He places his hand on the crack in his side and begins to repair his armor, standing unsteadily.

(This man… Is he intentionally taking attacks just to avoid death?)

He’s probably trying to unleash the full power of the Corpse Bone Eater. A madman who joyfully walks the tightrope of death, unlike Berg or Shion…

“Not bad… You’re targeting the spots without blades accurately.”

Dougen says as he cuts his own body with the blades. His abdomen, back, and other areas tear open, bleeding, but with every wound, more blades sprout from his body.

“How about this?”

The blades sprouting from Dougen’s body shoot out again. Stepping back, Berg swings his Zanma to knock the blades away. Every time a blade strikes a tree or the ground, the trees crack and fall, and the earth is gouged.

“Even at a time like this, I’m stuck babysitting a kid!?”

Dougen accelerates, swinging his right arm. Berg blocks with his Zanma, but they engage in a power struggle. The enhanced strength of Dougen’s blade forces Berg back, leaving marks on the ground.

Dropping his center of gravity to hold his ground, Berg redirects the force by deflecting the blade and counters with a headbutt.

“Don’t think you can take my life in front of me!”

Berg punches Dougen’s jaw with his left hand. However, when he strikes, his gauntlet is sliced by a blade, and bl00d splatters. Undeterred, Berg uses magic to form a rocky arm and slams it into Dougen.

“Ha! Then try and protect yourself!”

Dougen slices through the rocky arm, shooting blades from his entire body. Every one of them is aimed directly at Amelie.