WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: nemui
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◈ The Forgotten Curse Knight ◈
Vol. 4 Ch. 11: Hurry, but Don't Rush
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Several people besides the woman from earlier lay collapsed in the corridor. They had all become Cursed, with roughly a quarter to a third of their bodies turned red-black with curse marks.
Their injuries themselves were minor. Termea did not kill people in the first place. They could not increase their numbers unless they planted curses in living humans.
When people died because of Termea, it was because people killed the Cursed to keep Termea from multiplying. In other words, people killed people, telling themselves it was to prevent any further victims.
They said the Holy Knight Order had killed more Cursed than Termea. It was an awful thought.
（If we don't defeat the Termea quickly, these people will too...）
"Theo, hurry, but don't rush. When people rush, they allow themselves to become careless."
Hulk cautioned the impatient Theo.
Not merely becoming careless, but allowing oneself to become careless. Those words struck Theo deeply.
If he wanted to become a noble knight who kept himself disciplined, he could not indulge in the weakness of permitting himself to be careless.
"I'll be careful... Hulk, you sound like a priest."
"Sorry. Was that too preachy?"
"No! It makes me straighten up!"
It was true. Hulk spoke with casual humor, but Theo felt his words always cut to the heart of things and carried a certain sincerity.
Then, a sound came from around the corner of the corridor. It was the sound of something crashing into the building, a disturbance.
Hulk cautiously peeked around the corner and checked ahead.
"There it is."
Before a door that probably led to the tea room, a red-black mass squirmed and swayed. It was not particularly large. It had once been Carla's torso.
It had only about as much mass as a small girl crouching down. Compared to an animal, it was about the size of a medium to large dog.
Even so, Holy Knights who had turned Cursed were lying scattered around the Termea.
Red-black tentacles extended from its body. Blood Tails.
Ordinary Blood Tails had needle-sharp tips, but this Termea's Blood Tails ended in crescent-shaped scythes.
Three of them. In other words, it was a troublesome Pain Tail.
（Those scythes... They're the same as Carla's Curse Armament Manifestation.）
The Termea's scythes were not quite large enough to be called greatscythes. They were only a little larger than grass-cutting sickles. But when the Termea swung its tentacles, the scythes at their tips easily sliced through the door.
Beyond the shattered door, tables and chairs had been piled up. They had probably made a barricade. A figure was visible through a gap in it. It was probably Prince James.
The Termea raised its three scythes again. They had easily destroyed the door. Breaking the barricade would be nothing.
"Get away from the door!"
Hulk shouted at those inside and charged in first.
He dodged the Termea's Blood Tail attack, then used the momentum to bring his sword down on its torso.
The Red Steel sword cut deep into the Termea's body, but the blade stopped halfway through.
The pressure of the Termea's regenerated flesh had enveloped the sword.
Put simply, the severed parts immediately rejoined and clamped down on the sword. Because of that, Hulk could neither finish his swing nor pull the blade free.
Termea naturally had powerful regenerative abilities, but this was on another level.
"Carla's Immortality trait, huh... Still, that doesn't mean it can't die."
Hulk calmly let go of his sword and dodged the Termea's scythes. Then he picked up a sword a Holy Knight had dropped and readied himself again.
Meanwhile, Theo called out beyond the barricade.
"Prince James, correct? It's dangerous, so please stay away from the door!"
"O-okay..."
Behind the barricade were two elderly people who appeared to be servants, one man and one woman, as well as a man in clearly high-quality sleepwear.
He looked to be in his mid-thirties, somewhat younger than Crown Prince Richard. He was probably James, the second prince. Theo had heard that he was ill, but he looked healthier than expected.
（If we keep dodging, it'll destroy the barricade behind us. I need to deflect its attacks with my shield whenever possible.）
This Termea had been created by planting a Termea curse in Carla's torso.
Therefore, it possessed Carla's regenerative ability. On top of that, it was a Pain Tail that had even reproduced her scythes.
（That means it can probably fly too...）
Just as Theo expected, red-black wings spread from the Termea. The bat-like wings were also something Carla used through Curse Armament Manifestation.
Theo secretly thought it was fortunate they were indoors. Fighting an enemy that could fly outside would be extremely difficult.
The Termea leaped into the air on its red-black wings and swung its three Blood Tails. Theo blocked them with his shield while Hulk attacked.
"Maybe we should've brought Cherry Beauty after all."
As Hulk said, Rosé would probably have been able to force her blade through even if the pressure of its regenerating flesh stopped it midway.
Of all the Gray Knights Theo knew, Rosé probably had the most power behind a single strike. Hulk came next, but there was a huge gap between them. Theo was further below.
How should they deal with this kind of enemy? As Theo considered it, Hulk spoke calmly.
"With enemies like this, you've gotta patiently cut away at the extremities. It'll be a long fight, so don't overdo your Curse Armament Manifestation. Pace yourself, Theo."
"I was a miner's apprentice, so I'm confident in my stamina."
"Good answer. I'm counting on you, tough guy."
The Termea extended its tentacles and swung the scythes at their tips. Its attacks resembled Carla's scythe attacks, but since it swung scythes attached to the ends of tentacles, its patterns were far more irregular.
Watching the tentacles' movements carefully, Theo cautiously deflected the attacks with his shield.
（Hurry, but don't rush. Don't allow yourself to become careless because you're rushing.）
The power of 〈Self-Forgetfulness〉 he had used on the last mission in Rejilna Village. And manifesting the greatsword. Both were powerful, but they left him open as well.
（The greatsword is no good. It's not a weapon for indoors. But 〈Self-Forgetfulness〉... If it works, it can stop the enemy's movements.）
However, he would have to dive into the enemy's reach to use 〈Self-Forgetfulness〉, and Theo himself would be completely vulnerable for several seconds.
Theo waited for an opening while deflecting attacks with his shield. He had never practiced fighting in coordination with Hulk, but the coordination training he had done with Allen for years was paying off.
More than anything, Hulk fought with coordination in mind, which made things easier.
Seeing an opening, Hulk went on the attack. His sword severed one of the tentacles.
With a mass as large as its torso, the pressure of the Termea's Hyper Regeneration would stop a sword. But a thin tentacle could be cut through.
The instant Theo thought that, a scythe shot out from the tentacle at high speed.
Normally, even a Blood Tail's regeneration should take several seconds at the fastest. This took less than one second. It was abnormally fast.
（No, I can't get to Hulk in time...!）
Just as the scythe at the tentacle's tip aimed for Hulk's neck, the barricade broke apart from the inside.
The scattering tables and chairs became shields, protecting Hulk from the Blood Tail.
At the same time, a dark-skinned woman armed with beastly limbs on both hands and feet leaped in.
"If it's a party, let big sis join in."
Lenny poked its head out from Beryl's pocket and went, Mefun.
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