Black Online-Chapter 207: Maxima

"You feel helpless, don’t you, little brother?"

Raikou smirked, as if he were enjoying himself, and he ran his dagger down Fang Raon’s cheek, causing a small trickle of blood to follow in its wake.

"Argh!"

Fang Raon swung the sword at him, but then his shadow shot out from the ground and wrapped around his wrist.

The sword stopped before it could reach Raikou.

"Damn it!"

Fang Raon screamed.

"Hahahaha!"

Raikou just laughed, and then he stabbed his dagger through Fang Raon’s chest, but he didn’t go for the heart.

Therefore, it wasn’t an instant kill.

Health started dropping drastically.

’What the hell can I do? I don’t want to die... What if I go blind again... I don’t think I can afford a new game card...’

Fang Raon’s eyes shook.

The memories of his past came flooding back, reminding him of his struggles as being blind and having his body deteriorating.

’What if I end up back in that Caretaker Facility... Waiting slowly for my death... No, I can’t let that happen!’

Fang Raon gritted his teeth.

[Closing Sequence Activated!]

He didn’t know what it was, but there was something strange going on in his body, as if his body had just dipped in a hot spring.

From the very core of his entire being, anger boiled and erupted like a volcano. It was targeted at everybody around him, and even at himself.

However.

It wasn’t reckless anger, but concentrated anger, and it flowed through his left arm like a stream of molten lava.

"Argh!"

At that moment, Fang Raon wielded his shield with his left arm and swung it at Raikou with all his might.

"Foolishness... Shadow Shield!"

Raikou smirked and formed a shield in front of his face that was entirely made of shadows of nearby trees.

But in that moment...

"Aaaaargh!"

Fang Raon screamed as he felt like the anger was spreading throughout his whole body, and then...

His shield smashed through the shadows, destroying them as if they were made of paper, and his shield made perfect contact with Raikou’s shocked face.

CRUNCH!

Raikou got sent flying backwards with a bloodied face, and his face showed immense surprise as if he didn’t understand what just happened.

"...?"

Aizen’s eyes shook slightly, but then his gaze turned normal, and he whispered.

"...It looks like he also got that. It does not surprise me, he is Fang, after all. But it does look like he just awakened it."

"B-Brother?"

Anna looked genuinely surprised.

With a nonchalant expression, Raizen gazed at him briefly and then continued fighting Anna, but it was barely a fight.

Anna was just trying to survive while Raizen’s attacks were heavy and fast. He was clearly pushing her back.

’What was that...?’

Fang Raon frowned.

The overwhelming feeling was gone, and for some reason, he wasn’t feeling anger anymore, as if he were too "tired" to feel that powerful emotion anymore.

’I was able to destroy those shadows, so it is possible?’

Fang Raon thought and then turned to look at the shadows that were binding his ankles and the wrist of his right hand.

With the shield, he tried to destroy the shadows once again, but now, his shield just went straight through.

’What the hell? Why isn’t it working anymore?’

"You fucker!"

Raikou screamed, and he wiped the blood off his nose as he sauntered back with anger boiling in his eyes.

"So you were hiding Maxima from me. You bastard!"

’Maxima? What the hell is he talking about?’

Fang Raon frowned.

"Son, he just awakened it. He doesn’t know how to use it. Just stop playing around and kill him now!"

Aizen shouted.

"...Is that so?"

Raikou narrowed his eyes, and he didn’t mind killing his little brother now, as he had already had his fair share of fun.

’Move, body!’

Fang Raon tried moving his legs, but the shadows were holding him tighter in place than any steel chain would.

"Brother, no!"

Anna tried coming to his aid, but Raizen stopped her and pushed her back. She didn’t stop and tried to push past him to reach Fang Raon.

"Go to sleep, sister."

Raizen whispered, his voice dangerously calm, and he chopped his hand at Anna’s neck, causing her to blank out and fall unconscious.

He caught her falling body, carried her inside the shack, and laid her down gently on the floor and then proceeded to tie her up with rope to ensure she wouldn’t do anything stupid.

Then, he stepped outside to watch Raikou.

"Black Knife...’

Raikou whispered under his breath, and then, with two daggers in hand, started running towards the bound Fang Raon.

’That skill... Black Knife... Even if I quickly equip my King’s Armor, it wouldn’t be able to block that attack. I am dead!’

Fang Raon felt his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach, and he just closed his eyes, embracing the fate.

Raikou’s daggers came for his chest, and they were about to land, but then everyone heard a "Munch" as if someone ate something.

"Ahhhhhh!"

And following the sound of munching, a scream sounded—it was Raikou’s scream—as he suddenly lost both of his arms.

Fang Raon opened his eyes in shock and saw armless Raikou screaming while there was a big hound between them.

The hound was munching on Raikou’s arms and the daggers that those hands were holding, and then the hound swallowed them.

It looked like it enjoyed the quick meal.

"Who?"

Aizen frowned.

In that moment, people walked over from the stairs, and they were none other than Rock, Elena, and Della.

"...Why are you here?"

Fang Raon asked in surprise.

"We followed you."

Della said with a serious look on her face.

It didn’t look like she was in a joking mood, and she wasn’t smiling like she often did, as nothing about this scenario seemed funny.

"Why?"

Fang Raon asked.

"I was worried. If the meeting had happened within the city borders, I wouldn’t have been as worried, but when we followed you all the way to Ymir’s Forest, I had a very bad feeling."

Rock said.

"...Raon, if you die within the sacred land of Killua Temple, it has been said that your avatar will forever stay dead.

"It doesn’t matter if you get new game cards or not, your avatar will be lost forever, and you would never be able to play again."

Della said with a worried tone.

"Father, you would go that far?"

Fang Raon said in shock.

"I would. Your three friends will now also have the same fate. Raizen, kill all of them!"

Aizen gave an order.

With the spear in hand, Raizen stepped forward, and with just one step, he suddenly appeared in front of Fang Raon.

His spear was already within striking distance.

However, in that moment.

Rock moved through the air with speed that defied logic and parried Raizen’s spear with a sword that he pulled from his inventory.

"Ngh?"

Raizen’s spear was knocked out of his hand, and he was feeling stunned as he couldn’t move a muscle.

"Perfect Parry..."

He whispered.

"Raizen, you don’t have to do this."

Rock said with a serious look on his face.

"Unfortunately, I do."

Raizen summoned the spear back to his hand, and he clashed it against Rock’s sword and quickly pushed him back.

"You’re Mage, master. You are a good swordsman, but because you aren’t a Warrior, your sword attacks won’t do any damage. You cannot beat me."

Raizen said.

"I have no intention of defeating you with a sword."

Rock said, and then he summoned his snarly-looking grimoire, and four scary-looking hounds appeared around him.

"It’s mealtime, boys!"

He shouted.

With that shouted, his hounds drooled and lunged at Raizen.

Raizen pierced the spear through one of the hounds—impaling it like a skewered piece of meat—and then tossed it to the side as the other three hounds continued their advance.

However.

Raizen didn’t look worried, and he just waved his spear around, and with a swift movement, he struck down the remaining hounds one by one.

"Gulp~ gulp~ gulp~"

Meanwhile, Raikou gulped down some of the healing potions that he had, and then his arms quickly grew back.

"You bastard, how dare you take my daggers?!"

Raikou screamed, and from the shadows of trees, he formed shadowy-looking spears and hurled them at Rock.

"Black Spears!"

In that moment, Rock just wielded the sword and cut through the shadow spears as if it were nothing at all.

"Ah?!"

Raikou looked shocked.

"Y-you know Maxima?"

"Brat, I was the one that taught your big brother Raizen how to use Maxima. In return, Raizen taught that to you, your sister, and even your father."

Rock said.

"W-What?"

Raikou’s eyes shook in shock, as he had no idea that they happened to learn about Maxima because of this old man!

’Again they’re talking something about Maxima. Rock was able to effortlessly cut through those shadows with a sword.

’They did say something about me awakening Maxima... Is that the reason why I was able to destroy Raikou’s shadow shield?’

Fang Raon frowned.

"I’ll help you."

In that moment, Della whispered into his ear, and then she ripped apart the shadows that were binding him.

Even she was able to destroy the shadows as if they were nothing.

"You shouldn’t have come here. I don’t want you to die. If I happen to die, so be it, but I don’t want you to die for me."

Fang Raon said.

"I am your guild master."

Della said with a serious look on her face, and in other words, it meant, "It’s a guild master’s duty to protect their members at all costs, even if it means sacrificing themselves."

She then summoned her beautiful golden grimoire, and at that moment, she saw Raizen killing off the remaining hounds.

’Raizen the Spear Demon... He is as strong as my big brother... It will be a good test to see just how far I am from him.’

Della thought to herself.