Chapter 8: No-Doubt Choice

"Choose, teacher."

No armor, not even the finest crafted by the schools, can halt the force of a charging halberd.

Even if the blade is deflected by wrist armor, it won't matter. It's already too close.

What difference does a slight deflection make when the halberd's point is driving through your chest?

The halberd's blade is wide, sharp. Once it carves through, at least two organs will be torn apart—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys—none will escape unscathed.

You must block the thrust with your own weapon.

But at the same time, you can't protect your alchemy pouch. The potions and bombs inside are your only chance for survival in the coming fight.

Two archers, a persistent spearman, and your student—the demon hunter.

There's no way out unless you drink the potion to strengthen your body or hurl the expensive bomb.

Raine had left signs along the path, easy for the law enforcement squads to track. He wanted them to follow.

Three shots had been fired since the fight started, no more than twenty seconds ago.

And yet, in that short time, Raine had already sealed Bordon's fate with cold, calculated efficiency.

If you looked closely, you could see it in the eyes of the two young men—the faint, rapid calculations, deductions cascading down like waterfalls from their pupils.

Lane temporarily ceased using his mental power on [analysis] and focused his brain's full capacity on the immediate situation. His biologically enhanced mind did exactly what it was designed to do.

No matter what choice Bordon made, he wouldn't survive.

He would die today.

Bordon himself realized this with an unsettling clarity.

His great body stiffened.

Most demon hunters of the Bear School had long since lost the ability to feel emotions. After their mutations, their only goal was survival, day by day.

Bordon had faced death before, more than once. Every time, his cold, calculating mind found a path to survival. He would claim his reward with the monster's head in hand.

But this time was different.

This death trap was crafted by human intellect and lethal intent. And here, his cold logic left him adrift.

Worse yet, a surge of magical energy was now erupting from Raine's hands.

The Axial Seal!

It was a technique Bordon had only demonstrated before Ragnar, never truly teaching it to him.

He never would have imagined that his opponent had reached a level capable of wielding it in battle.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit the strong demon hunter, the terrifying realization intensifying his confusion.

The impulse to take an enemy down with him evaporated in the face of his inevitable demise.

He could not muster any hatred.

Even his instinct for survival faltered for a moment, a brief pause that sealed his fate.

"Puff…"

In the end, the long halberd—its trajectory expertly altered by Lane—pierced through Bordon's abdomen.

Bright red blood sprayed out in a gruesome arc.

Meanwhile, Lane had dove under the steel sword of the Bear School, rushing to his mentor's side. With lightning speed, his dagger severed the strap of the alchemy pouch.

He caught it just in time.

Bordon's last hope of recovery slipped from his grasp.

Even for a seasoned demon hunter, a wave of helplessness swept over Bordon as the sharp blade tore into him.

He was pushed back several steps by the force of the halberd until he slammed against a tree, his legs giving way as he sank to the ground.

The nervous halberdier remained in a daze, still gritting his teeth, pushing forward with the long pole.

It was only when Lane approached him, placing his palm on the hand gripping the pole, that he finally snapped out of it.

"Calm down, man. It's over."

He screamed as if awakening from a nightmare, panting heavily.

The whole ordeal had lasted longer than the entire battle that had just unfolded.

From the distant hilltop, the two archers descended, having maintained a vantage point. The crossbowman didn't lower his bow, the arrow aimed menacingly at Lane.

The long-range archer hurried over to the fallen sword-and-shield soldier, who lay still, the cries now silenced.

Under the scrutinizing gazes of the halberdiers and crossbowmen, he checked his captain's eyelid and pulse, then shook his head.

Lane felt no surprise. Considering the blood loss, even a mage could not have saved him.

"F*ck*ng mutant freak!"

The halberdier spat, cursing in a low voice.

The Vilen were accustomed to death, and professional soldiers even more so. Their only recourse was to vent their fear of magic and mutants.

The halberdier took a couple of steps forward, boots crunching on the ground, attempting to pull the halberd from Bordon's stomach.

Perhaps the demon hunter's survival instincts were truly remarkable; the brown bear of a man remained alive, quietly seated, a pair of feline eyes fixed on his student.

But if he extracted the halberd, the heavy bleeding would undoubtedly claim Bordon's life within a minute.

Rann held the halberdier's gaze and raised a hand to stop him from drawing his weapon.

The remaining three soldiers tensed, as if a fuse had been lit.

The crossbowman nocked an arrow, while the long-range archer swiftly drew his bow, aiming it at Rann.

They had just witnessed the raw power of a demon hunter and the harsh reality of magic, stained with blood and loss.

And Rann, with his cat-like eyes, was not an easy sight to behold.

It was hard not to feel anxious.

The alliance between Rann and them had been forged in the heat of battle, and it had come as a shock.

"What do you want, freak? Are you seeking death!?" the crossbowman shouted, rage boiling over. Rann noticed the man's finger trembling on the trigger.

The halberdiers and archers mirrored his fury, their expressions twisted with anger, yet they swallowed hard.

Rann stood sideways, calmly turning his head to observe them until their breathing steadied.

After a long silence, he spoke with a measured tone.

"I only have a small knife, gentlemen. And you? You have two arrows nocked and ready."

The three men seemed to ease, or perhaps it was their advantageous position that settled their nerves.

But Lane's next words, delivered with a slight tilt of his head, flipped the mood entirely.

"But can two arrows truly solve my problem?"

"Try it, freak! Go ahead! I dare you!"

Lane remained impassive in the face of the spitting crossbowman, which only fueled the man's desperation.

"Gentlemen, you have just witnessed the survival and killing capabilities of a demon hunter. You—without weapons—are mere halberdiers and two archers wielding one-handed swords, standing within five paces of me. If it comes to a fight, you won't last ten seconds."

In reality, they could probably hold out for at least a minute. Lane was far from his master's physical prowess, equipment quality, and swordsmanship.

Yet Bordon's presence had intimidated them to the point of confusion.

"I… we still have two arrows!" one of them stammered.

"Yes, two arrows," Lane said, nodding while maintaining his sideways stance. "However, if you want to kill me within ten seconds, you'll need to aim for the heart or the head."

At his calm words, the gazes of the three men shifted to those vulnerable spots.

But then, the expressions of the two archers darkened.

They were veterans and knew exactly what that meant.

"Yes, gentlemen. I'm leaning sideways. If you aim for the heart, the arrow will have to penetrate my arm, three layers of cotton armor, skin, ribs, and a pair of lungs. It's unlikely to get through. By the time I'm hit, I'll have enough time to take you all down, which means your only option is to shoot for the head."

"And if the target is confined to such a small area as the head, I'm confident I can block two arrows, even with a small knife."

His arm, holding the hunting knife, was already raised to the side of his face, clearly indicating his intent.

—You can aim for the heart if you want, but whether you fire those crossbow arrows is entirely up to you. However, I've made the consequences of shooting quite clear.

Silence fell, and the three Temoryan sergeants opposite him clenched their jaws.

Rann's expression remained calm, as if the grim prospects of death he had just outlined were nonexistent.

He suddenly smiled softly.

"So, there's no need for things to escalate, is there? I just want to have a word with my kind for a moment. It's clear he can't be saved. Even if the priests of Meriteri were here, they couldn't do anything for him, could they? Use this time to recover the body of this honorable soldier. By then, he will be nearly gone, and you can carry the bodies to the lord's castle to collect your reward. We've seen enough blood today."

While their positions hadn't changed, the atmosphere began to relax.

Perhaps it was Rann's smile or the mention of money that eased the tension.

The longbowman hesitated, murmuring to himself before finally speaking.

"You're not coming with us? The lord has put a bounty of 360 aurum on this murderer, and that's…"

"That's a lot of money," Lane interrupted, nodding.

"But let's be honest, gentlemen. I owe you a debt—your entire squad."

"Although we still have our blades drawn, the truth is you saved me from my teacher, and a worthy sergeant lost his life in the process."

"We've seen how formidable my teacher is, and I had no hope of escaping under his command."

"You are the law enforcement team sent by the lord, and it's your duty to capture him. But life is precious, whether it's your duty or not. I must repay this debt of gratitude for saving my life. Especially since you've lost a man; I won't take a single aurum from the bounty."

His heartfelt words lightened the mood, and both archers lowered their bows slightly. In response, Lane turned to face them directly.

"People say that demon hunters with snake eyes are as emotionless as snakes, but it seems that's just slander."

The long archer retracted his arrow into the quiver and nodded to the young man.

The crossbowman followed suit, withdrawing his arrow.

"We appreciate your sincerity, but Captain Barron is a widower. The bounty you forfeit won't help his family. To be honest, you should reconsider."

"Forget it, guys," Lane smiled and shook his head, sheathing his dagger.

"I owe you this. If this sergeant has no family, please use the bounty to give him a proper burial. I believe my life is worth more than 300 aurum."

If I don't repay the favor of saving someone's life, Lane would never forgive himself.

The three men exchanged glances, finally nodding in agreement and giving the two demon hunters some space.

By now, Bordon's beard was stained with the pinkish blood bubbles escaping his mouth, the telltale color of blood in his lungs.

He continued to gaze at his student.

Lane, looking down at him, slowly crouched.

"Finally, we can have a proper talk, teacher."

There was no need to hide anymore or to remain an iceberg.

Lane smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.