Chapter 278: Kalma's Leader, Malak

Kang Oh instantly swung Blood. The snow-white blade's odd, scarlet energy arced in the air like a monochromatic red rainbow and came right for Rondal's neck.

"Tch!" Rondal quickly drew the sword at his waist.

Clang!

He just barely blocked Kang Oh's surprise attack.

However...

Whoosh!

A spinning arrow flew through the air, aiming for his heart.

Sun Piercing Arrow!

"Grr." Rondal gritted his teeth and twisted his body. Although the arrow missed his heart, it still managed to hit his right shoulder.

Thwock!

"Ugh."

The force was such that Rondal fell to the floor.

Now it was Kang Oh's turn.

Slash!

Swish.

Kang Oh's blade left a lengthy wound on the downed Rondal's forearm.

"Die!" Kang Oh thrust his sword.

"Grr!" Rondal gritted his teeth and rolled on the floor. He just barely dodged Kang Oh's blade, and Blood embedded itself in the ground.

However, Rondal had no time to rest. A large, thick arrow fiercely flew towards him! Rondal rolled to the side once more.

Bam.

The arrow struck the area where he'd just been.

'This is my chance!'

Kang Oh was busy pulling Blood out of the ground, and Sephiro was notching another arrow.

Rondal quickly pulled out some paralyzing needles, and carelessly threw them. Then, he turned around and began running away as fast as he could.

With the paralyzing needles fast approaching, Kang Oh gave up on pulling out his sword and rolled forward. The needles flew over his head.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Kang Oh stood up from his front roll and extended his palm.

Darkness Chain!

Swoosh.

The chain flew faster than Rondal could run. Once the chain wrapped around Rondal's waist, Kang Oh forcefully pulled.

"Uheok."

Kang Oh had pulled him right back.

"L-Let me li..."

"Die!" Kang Oh pulled Blood out of the ground and mercilessly swung it. Sephiro showed no mercy either.

"Kyahk!"

Rondal died with his eyes wide open, his body riddled with cuts and arrows.

[You have defeated Kalma Rondal.]

"How do we deal with the body?" Sephiro looked down and said.

"Over there." Kang Oh looked around and then pointed at a downward sloping passageway; it had a lot more shade than the others.

The two lifted the body from either side and dumped it into the dark passageway. The darkness concealed the body from afar, but if you took a closer look, it was clear that a human being was in there.

"It's only a matter of time before someone discovers the body, so..." Kang Oh said.

"We act as fast as possible," Sephiro said.

Bam!

The two sprinted, following the Chaser to their final destination!

* * *

They followed the Chaser until they found themselves in front of a lavishly decorated door. It was a clear indication that someone important was inside. Malak had to be in there. After all, the Chaser was pointing at the door too.

"Summon Eder," Kang Oh whispered.

Then, Eder appeared, wearing a wolf head.

"Shh." Kang Oh brought a finger to his lip and shushed him. "Our target is right in front of us. Quietly prepare for battle!" Kang Oh whispered.

Eder nodded his head.

Kang Oh approached the door and then knocked.

Knock, knock.

"I told you I didn't want anyone to bother me!" Malak replied angrily.

"I apologize! I have something urgent to report regarding Aguta, so it couldn't be helped."

Since Aguta's death was a hot topic right now, Kang Oh used his name to serve his purposes.

"Aguta?"

"Yes."

"Come in. Let's see what you have to say."

Kang Oh turned his head and whispered, "If it gets loud inside, please come in immediately."

Sephiro and Eder simultaneously nodded.

Kang Oh opened the door and went inside. He then bent on one knee and respectfully bowed his head.

Malak was like a stick. The middle-aged man was tall, but also thin, almost dangerously so. He had slicked back hair, a goatee, and a two-layer black skull necklace around his neck.

"What do you have to report?" Malak said angrily.

"We found out who killed Aguta," Kang Oh said.

"What? You interrupted me for something as unimportant as that!?" Malak lost his temper and raised his right hand. He quickly drew a sharp dagger; it was clear he intended to kill Kang oh.

"It's not unimportant. Do you know why...?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm the one who killed him!" Kang Oh took the initiative and swung Blood at Malak.

"You crazy bastard!" Malak didn't just sit there. He immediately threw his dagger.

Swoosh!

Swish!

Kang Oh twisted his body and avoided the dagger. At the same time, Malak bent backwards, dodging the tip of Kang Oh's blade.

"Tch."

Kang Oh's surprise attack had failed; nevertheless, he immediately followed up with another attack.

Malak was ready for battle. In no time at all, he held a dagger in either hand.

Then, the door opened and in came Sephiro and Eder. But Malak saw their clothes and mistook them for his subordinates.

"Deal with him." Malak pointed a dagger at Kang Oh.

Eder and Sephiro took advantage of this.

"Yes, sir!"

They acted as though they were attacking Kang Oh, but launched an arrow and bone spear at Malak.

"You bastards!" Malak was momentarily taken aback. It was a perfect surprise attack!

However...

Malak suddenly divided into two. The arrow and bone spear passed right through the left Malak.

"A multi-form technique?" Sephiro furrowed his brow.

Then...

Gyaaahk!

The black skulls around his neck wailed.

[You have heard an Ominous Cry.]

[You have been beset with misfortune.]

[Luck -100.]

[Likelihood of taking fatal damage has increased significantly.]

"The Kalma are coming," Kang Oh said.

The sharp cry would definitely draw the rest of the scoundrels here. Thus, they had to kill Malak ASAP.

"I'll kill you myself." Malak's body split into three and simultaneously attacked Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder.

Swish.

His dagger, both quick and precise, came for Kang Oh's neck, but it wasn't so overwhelmingly fast that Kang Oh couldn't dodge it.

Kang Oh rushed at another Malak, who was attacking Eder with his back turned to him.

Swish.

Malak's dagger struck Kang Oh's back. No, it appeared as though it did. Kang Oh was completely unscathed.

'As expected.'

When Malak attacked him, Hyper Intuition hadn't warned him of danger. In other words, the Malak that was attacking him was just an illusion!

Kang Oh had recognized this immediately, so he'd rushed at the one attacking Eder.

Whereas...

"Huh?"

Sephiro didn't have Kang Oh's Hyper Intuition, so he believed that the one he was facing was real. Thus, he did his best to dodge his dagger, but Malak suddenly disappeared.

Groan.

His violent movements agitated Waryong, causing it to cry out.

"Damn it."

Realizing that he'd been tricked, he got back into position and stared at Eder. If Kang Oh and Sephiro's opponents had been illusions, then the one attacking Eder was the real one!

Fortunately, Eder was unharmed. By attacking the real one, Kang Oh had caused Malak's attack on Eder to fail.

Swish.

Malak nimbly retreated and stared at Kang Oh. "What pointless resistance."

"That's my line. Why don't you stop resisting and die peacefully?" Kang Oh replied.

"Hmph. My subordinates will be here soon. Let's see if you can still say that once they're here." Malak smiled cruelly.

Kang Oh quickly thought things over. 'Malak's right. Time's not on our side. If that's the case, then we have to buy some time!'

"Eder, Mr. Sephiro."

"Yes!" the two replied.

"Go outside and stop the Kalmas from interfering. There's only one passageway that takes you here, so take advantage of that to buy as much time as possible."

"Then what about Malak?"

"I'll be plenty. His multi-form technique won't work on me."

"Understood."

"Where do you think you're going!?"

They were about to leave, but Malak tried preventing them.

"I'm your opponent!" Kang Oh blocked him.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Kang Oh versus Malak. They both swung their weapons four times in a single breath, resounding with four separate metallic 'clangs'.

Meanwhile, Eder and Sephiro rushed out of the room. In no time at all, Eder and Sephiro were engaged in battle.

* * *

"You bastard!" Malak relentlessly swung his dual daggers.

Chop of Death!

This was an Assassin class skill, one which unleashed countless attacks that aimed for the target's vitals.

Kang Oh responded in kind.

Red Butterfly's Dance!

[Your evasion is doubled for 10 seconds.]

Whenever he moved, he left behind an afterimage. This was a sign that he'd used Red Butterfly's Dance!

Anyhow, combining his Hyper Intuition, his already high evasion, and Red Butterfly's Dance, made Kang Oh even more formidable. He moved splendidly, dodging all of Malak's attacks, and then one-sidedly beat down on Malak!

"This is impossible!"

Malak was hit again and again, sporting an expression of disbelief. Whereas Kang Oh overpowering Malak didn't interest him at all. All he was thinking about was killing Malak as quickly as possible.

Kang Oh pointed his blade at Malak. At the same time, he summoned a Fire Bomb in his off hand.

Lightning Breath!

Crackle!

The electric beam shot straight at Malak.

"Not a chance!" Malak used his multi-form technique, dividing into two.

One of them was devoured by the Lightning Breath, and Kang Oh threw the Fire Bomb at the other. Kang Oh had expected him to use his multi-form technique.

Bam!

The Fire Bomb exploded right in front of him.

Roar!

The fierce flames engulfed Malak.

"Kuhahk!" Malak screamed in pain. However, that wouldn't last long.

All of a sudden, black bat wings protruded from his body. He forcefully flapped his wings, extinguishing the flames.

"So that's your true form." Kang Oh looked him over.

He was covered in black fur, had triangular ears, a pig's nose, and disgustingly large eyes! His face was clearly that of a bat.

His arms had transformed into wings, and his hands, now fused to his wings, still held two daggers in them.

To put it simply, he'd turned into a batman!

Malak leapt into the air and hung off the ceiling.

"Anyone who's seen this form has died."

Swoosh.

Malak descended upon Kang Oh, his body spinning round and round like a top.