I Tamed the Black Duke as a Terminally-Ill Saint (3 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 5
“I can use it.”
There was no time to think about why.
Relief filled my chest in an instant, knowing I now had a weapon capable of standing against Hades.
Hades, too, must have sensed the ominous aura, for his hardened gaze locked onto Denesor.
“Put it down.”
Hades growled lowly.
“Do you even understand what you’re trying to wield right now?”
Of course I did.
I knew all too well.
Though Denesor was publicly known as the Holy Sword, in truth, it was little different from a Demon Sword.
A blade that tempted its wielder onto paths of evil and madness.
Only those who could resist its endless temptation could truly become Denesor’s master.
The Crohittner family, aware of this secret, had guarded Denesor for generations but never actually used it.
But so what?
Wouldn’t this still be better than dying right here and now?
Besides, I knew precisely why Leto, the protagonist, and his companions had safely wielded Denesor—all that knowledge sat firmly in my head.
For a brief moment, silence reigned.
Then, the gleaming blade slashed through the air.
Clang!
A sharp metallic ring echoed throughout the corridor.
Everything seemed to slow down, as if time itself had slipped into slow motion.
Instinctively raising Denesor to block Hades’s initial strike had been easy enough.
But holding him off—that was an entirely different matter.
Just as I struggled to withstand Hades’s overwhelming strength…
Denesor trembled violently.
Crack!
The sword Hades held shattered into pieces, leaving only the hilt before crumbling to the floor.
“…….”
Hades stared at the remnants of his blade, disbelief written across his face.
This was my chance.
Without giving him even a sliver of opening, I struck at Hades once more.
Denesor, clinging snugly to my hand, hummed with vibration and unleashed fierce power.
Its tip grazed Hades’s neck, leaving behind a vivid red streak.
Hades stepped back a pace and fixed his gaze on me.
“A pitiful thief like you dares wield the Holy Sword?”
His icy voice sent involuntary shivers down my spine.
“Now that ownership has changed hands, I can no longer show leniency. I shall take your life and return the Holy Sword to where it truly belongs.”
This… feels like things just got worse…?
As if to confirm my suspicion, the blade began vibrating even more intensely.
My mouth went bone-dry.
I braced for his next attack—but Hades didn’t move.
‘What’s going on?’
There was no time to ponder.
An enemy’s opening was an opportunity.
Just as I shifted into an offensive stance, a dagger-like utterance slipped from Hades’s lips.
[Nyx Tempestas]I froze.
I recognized the true nature of those grand-sounding words.
The ultimate, final technique exclusive to Hades Crohittner in all of Leodel—a so-called ultimate skill.
A move feared most by players, for without thorough preparation, an entire party would be wiped out in under a minute.
True, casting it instantly consumed 30% of the user’s health—but what did that matter?
We’d all be dead before that penalty even registered.
Even through my thick cloak, a bone-chilling cold crept over my skin.
Frost began whitening the corridor’s windows, floor, and walls—surfaces that had been perfectly normal just moments ago.
‘I have to get out of here—now!’
I turned to flee, but my feet slipped on the ice-covered floor, forcing me to collapse helplessly.
“Nyx.”
Hades murmured quietly, and the floor began to tremble.
Shivering uncontrollably, I forced myself back onto my feet.
I couldn’t just give up simply because my opponent was strong.
There had to be some way… to survive!
“Tempestas.”
The moment the skill fully activated, a blizzard erupted.
I sank to my knees once more.
My eyes stung with heat.
How could I, alone, possibly defeat an opponent whom even the perfectly organized protagonist party had barely managed to overcome?
My despair deepened as a sword materialized at the heart of the raging blizzard, gleaming with terrifying majesty.
Named Hellkite, this weapon radiated a fearsome chill so intense it felt as though mere proximity could slice through flesh.
In the hands of Hades, a Grand Sword Master, Hellkite transformed into nothing short of a slaughterous instrument.
Many players had reportedly abandoned the game altogether after being repeatedly defeated by Hellkite alone.
Hades began walking toward me slowly.
I took a deep breath as I rose from the ground.
‘Stay calm.’
No matter how powerful Denesor was, with Angelica as its wielder, it could hardly perform beyond her stats alone.
To survive here, I—Angelica—had to rely on what I myself could do.
“The game is over.”
An icy chill, cold enough to freeze my very bones, wrapped around me.
I lifted my head straight.
Not a trace of emotion could be found on Hades’s frosty face.
“I’ll grant you a painless death—at least your courage is commendable.”
The man, who seemed like winter incarnate, raised his ice-forged blade.
Clang.
Denesor slipped from my hand and hit the floor.
Hades’s lips curled into a faint smile, apparently interpreting this as a sign of surrender.
But the moment I lunged toward him, that smile vanished completely.
A few seconds later…
We stood so close that I could hear his breathing.
“……!”
Shock blazed unmistakably in Hades’s widened eyes.
I tightened my grip on the icy blade. Sharp pain pricked my palm, drawing red droplets—but my hand remained intact.
Because the blade was already melting away.
Hellkite’s once-majestic power rapidly faded, snuffed out by flickering holy flames.
“……So you’re the Saintess.”
I offered no reply.
In truth, after manifesting the Holy Flame, there was no need to answer.
The Holy Flame—
Not merely a mark of ordination, but a divine fire only the Saintess could ignite, burning regardless of time or place.
Not even a blade forged of ice could escape its reach.
Though often dismissed as useless—inflicting no damage to people—this very ability had just nullified Leodel’s most infamous ultimate skill.
Hades spoke, his voice brimming with disbelief.
“A Saintess stoops to steal House Crohittner’s heirloom like some lowly thief.”
“Because I’ve lived a life worth even less than a lowly thief.”
I answered softly.
There was no point in groveling now, claiming I’d only done it to save my life.
I had endured Hades’s relentless assaults and shattered two of his weapons.
He’d already used his ultimate skill—one usable only once per battle—so he couldn’t possibly cast it again.
My blood began to burn.
‘I can win.’
Who was I, after all?
Wasn’t I the player who had cleared Leodel’s final difficulty first in the world, surpassing every other user?
After pushing Hades this far, losing now would be a blow to my pride.
I picked Denesor up from the floor.
The moment the sword vibrated with a deep hum , my body lifted with an odd, buoyant sensation.
Long gone was the ice that had filled the corridor—the moment Hellkite was neutralized.
I swung Denesor down toward Hades, who still seemed dazed.
…Naturally, he easily blocked it with his arm, raised like a shield.
Hades’s eyes sharpened.
“Do you really think you can kill me with something so feeble?”
He reached toward the now-wide-open window and casually snapped off a tree branch as thick as a human arm.
In mere seconds, the branch reshaped itself into a delicate rapier.
“……Hah!”
I deflected the rapier with Denesor and gasped, breath coming in quick bursts.
“Not bad.”
Hades laughed aloud.
“But judging by your state, you won’t last much longer.”
“…….”
Instead of answering, I glared at him fiercely. Only the final outcome would reveal the true victor.
Whoosh—the rapier again lunged toward my vitals.
Perhaps I dodged too hastily.
Tumbling gracelessly onto the floor, I knew I was already too late—but I still gripped Denesor tightly and readied myself.
‘Huh?’
He’d seen my opening, so I expected his strike to come crashing down any moment—but I felt nothing.
Instead…
“Stand up.”
He held the rapier in one hand and spun it lightly in the air.
His posture radiated not just confidence, but outright arrogance.
“I have no interest in killing an opponent who can’t even rise to defend themselves.”
Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself upright.
He’s sparing me because he looks down on me?
Fine.
That arrogance would become my advantage.
How much time had passed?
Neither he nor I had landed a decisive blow on the other.
Every one of Hades’s powerful strikes shattered against Denesor, while I’d only managed to inflict minor cuts on him.
Unbeknownst to him, we’d already left the original corridor entirely, moving precisely in the direction I intended.
‘Here it is!’
I pressed my back against the corridor wall and rolled backward.
Yes—
It was a small secret chamber hidden within the Grand Duke’s castle.
Moments later, Hades stepped inside after me, wearing an utterly bewildered expression.
“Do you really think hiding in a place like this will—”
BOOM!
An explosion sent his entire body flying backward.
The trap at the entrance had just been triggered.
Did I set it?
No.
It had existed in this map from the very beginning.
All I’d done was narrowly avoid it and slip into the secret chamber.
Only after the dust settled completely did I cautiously emerge.
Hades knelt on one knee, his clothes torn and battered.
It was the exact posture of surrender I’d witnessed countless times on my monitor.
Relief swelled within me.
Even when Hades had fallen into corruption, burning with vengeance as a killing demon, he remained a man of noble dignity.
He wasn’t the type to kill a worthy victor through underhanded means.
So now, with nothing else to worry about, I should just hurry and leave the castle—except…
“You’re the first to ever defeat me, Saintess.”
I halted mid-step, having been about to flee the corridor immediately.
His voice carried no trace of the anger or hatred I’d expected.
As if drawn by some unseen force, I turned—and found Hades staring intently at me.
His black hair clung to his sweat-dampened forehead, his pale skin still flushed with lingering excitement, and his violet eyes burned with heat.
And there, glowing faintly over his chest, were the shimmering letters…
-50+50 (Love and Hate)
Status Description: Goodness! He harbors complicated emotions toward you! Right now, love and hatred miraculously balance each other—but which way will the scale tip?
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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