Chapter 42 (Patreon)

“Satisfied now...?” Ripper coughed weakly, his voice already fading.

Ragnar Kagenou glanced at him indifferently.

“Yeah. That settles it… you can go on ahead.”

A crimson glow bloomed in his hand—the Rose of Traumatic Destruction gathering cursed energy—

Boom!

A violent surge of cursed energy erupted, forcefully interrupting him.

Ragnar’s gaze shifted.

“Kenjaku… I thought you preferred hiding in the shadows and watching everything unfold.”

The figure stepping out of the rain and mist was none other than Kenjaku.

“How could I allow you to eliminate my pieces one by one?”

The moment Ragnar saw him, his eyes narrowed slightly.

“You’ve switched bodies again in such a short time.”

Kenjaku now wore a metallic mask. His chest was exposed, revealing an intricate mechanism of gears and metal plates embedded into his body.

Kenjaku replied calmly,

“I had no choice. You’re far too dangerous. A normal human body wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

Ragnar tilted his head slightly.

“So whose grave did you dig up this time?”

Kenjaku smiled faintly.

“This time… you can experience it for yourself.”

Click.

He reached to his chest and twisted a winding key.

The gears embedded within him began to rotate, producing a cold mechanical rhythm.

Then, from his waist, he drew two snow-white T-shaped blades.

“Now then… come, Ragnar Kagenou.”

Before the falling raindrops could even reach the ground—

Kenjaku vanished.

“So fast—!”

A flash of white cut through the rain.

Golden ripples erupted behind Ragnar at the last possible moment, intercepting the strike with a metallic clash.

Clang!

“…Faster than Ripper.”

Without hesitation, Ragnar widened the distance between them and dismissed the golden armor covering his body.

With it on, his mobility was restricted.

The next instant, Kenjaku struck again.

Ragnar reached into the Gate of Babylon and drew out a compact version of the Axe of Marduk—

Bang!

The axe was knocked upward on contact.

Kenjaku pressed forward, his second blade already hidden within the shadows of his movement.

Just as he thought victory was within reach—

Clang!

A straight sword appeared in Ragnar’s hand, perfectly intercepting the killing blow.

“The blade’s trajectory is too obvious, Kenjaku.”

Ragnar twisted his wrist and countered, slashing down toward Kenjaku’s chest.

Rain continued to pour relentlessly.

Water slid down the blade.

Kenjaku staggered slightly, clutching the wound.

Then—

Ragnar frowned.

“…This feeling?”

Kenjaku slowly turned back toward him.

From the wound… no blood flowed.

Only dust.

“…Sand?”

Ragnar narrowed his eyes.

“No wonder you’re still standing.”

Kenjaku chuckled.

“It’s pointless. Even if you strike me, you won’t hit anything vital.”

Ragnar said nothing.

The straight sword in his hand was no ordinary weapon.

It was the Teigu—

One-Cut Killer: Murasame.

A blade that inflicted a lethal curse upon any being it cut. Once the poison took hold, death was inevitable—no cure, no escape.

But this time…

He had miscalculated.

Kenjaku wasn’t using a flesh-and-blood body.

“You really are… lucky.”

Even so—

If he pierced the head, the curse would still destroy the brain.

At that moment, Kenjaku spoke calmly.

“I now possess an immortal body, Ragnar Kagenou… You have no chance of winning.”

Ragnar’s expression remained calm.

“Immortal?”

Before he could finish speaking—

Kenjaku struck again.

A cold flash split the rain, leaving behind a lethal afterimage.

Ragnar moved instantly.

The axe vanished back into the Gate of Babylon, and he gripped Murasame with both hands.

Clang!

Steel collided violently, sparks exploding between them.

Then—

A chilling gleam flashed through Ragnar’s eyes.

“What I cut… is immortality itself.”

Golden ripples bloomed once more.

From them, Ragnar drew forth a blood-red odachi, its aura ominous and suffocating.

The blade resembled fresh blood.

Cursed energy surged from it like a violent tide, staining the surrounding air crimson.

“—!”

With a single motion—

A black-red, ink-like slash tore through the rain.

“What—?!”

Kenjaku’s expression changed instantly.

Too late to dodge.

He raised his blade with everything he had—

Crack!

It shattered instantly.

The slash struck his body without resistance.

And immediately after—

Another, even more violent slash followed.

This time, Kenjaku was sent flying dozens of meters, like a broken kite thrown into the storm.

Boom!

He crashed into the ground.

A deep wound carved across his chest—deep enough to expose what lay beneath.

Yet still—

No blood.

Only dust and metallic framework.

“What… is this?!”

Kenjaku’s voice finally carried shock.

He could not understand how that red blade could damage him.

Because that sword—

Was no ordinary weapon.

It was the Mortal Blade — Baili.

A Noble Phantasm that could sever immortality itself.

As Kenjaku was sent flying, his gaze landed on Ripper—barely alive.

In the next instant—

He moved.

Ripper’s pupils shrank.

“What are you—?!”

Kenjaku’s expression turned cold.

“Your final use… is to become my strength.”

He grabbed Ripper.

And in that moment—

Refined him.

Ripper’s cursed energy was forcibly extracted and absorbed into Kenjaku’s body.

“—!”

A surge of black cursed energy erupted violently.

It flowed over his body like thick oil, twisting and writhing.

Even with Ripper’s resistance—

It was meaningless.

Before Kenjaku, it was completely suppressed.

Thunder roared across the sky.

Lightning split the darkness, illuminating his figure standing in the rain.

At that moment—

Kenjaku’s form shifted.

He now wore a long military trench coat reminiscent of the German Empire, a black peaked cap resting atop his head.

Hands behind his back.

Standing calmly in the storm.

Rain poured down over him.

Noble Phantasm: One-Cut Killer — Murasame

Rank: C+

Type: Anti-Personnel Demonic Sword

Description: A cursed blade that delivers instant death upon cutting its target. Once the curse is inflicted, it spreads rapidly and kills without exception. However, if the blade fails to properly cut the opponent, the curse does not activate. It is also ineffective against non-living constructs such as corpse puppets or artificial bodies.

Noble Phantasm: Mortal Blade — Baili

Rank: C++

Type: Anti-Personnel Demonic Sword

Description: A crimson odachi capable of slaying even immortal beings. Its power severs the concept of immortality itself. However, wielding it comes at a price—those without the ability to transcend death cannot truly master it.