[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 177

Chapter 177: A Bloody Bait

Darius’s long blade clashed against thick, monstrous flesh. The vibration of heavy impact rattled through his weary bones.

He jumped to the side, dodging an incoming strike from the hulking orc in front of him. He barely stabilized his body, but his breath still came in ragged gasps.

The silver sword tore through the nearest orc’s chest, but the beast was persistent. Even as it bled, it still swung its massive claws at him.

Darius twisted his sword just in time to block the strike, but the sheer force sent him staggering. His muscles were burning from exhaustion.

His grip faltered for a mere second, but in a battle like this, a second was the difference between life and death.

These high-level orcs before him were nothing like the mindless beasts they had slain before.

These creatures were intelligent and much more cunning than the blind ones. They had learned from their fallen brethren. Their crimson eyes gleamed with malicious hunger as they stared at Darius.

The second orc lunged at him. Its grotesque gaping mouth, dripped with smelly saliva as it aimed straight for his throat.

He barely managed to dodge the direct attack, and yet its crooked nails raked across his arm.

Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth and retaliated. His silver blade plunged deep into its gut.

Yet, even as he cut it down, he felt the shift in the air.

A third one was already aiming to bite his back. This one had waited, biding its time, watching for an opening. And now, it lunged at him from behind.

Darius turned too late. His body was sluggish from both mana depletion and constant fighting. His vision blurred for a second.

Just as he desperately blinked his eyes to clear his sight, a shadow blurred past him.

Xion.

The black-haired healer had moved without hesitation, throwing himself between Darius and the oncoming strike.

His body, so much smaller compared to the towering orc, took the full brunt of the attack.

The sickening wet squishing sound of claws tearing through flesh echoed loudly in Darius’ ears. Blood sprayed across the battlefield.

Yet, Xion did not fall.

Even as the orc’s jagged claws carved deep into his side, he remained standing, shielding Darius with his own body.

Xion staggered from the impact but refused to fall, planting himself between Darius and the monsters.

At the same moment, from the opposite side, Ray did the same.

Gritting his teeth, he blocked another strike with his sword, though his injured arm barely had the strength to hold up his blade.

Darius felt his heart lurch in his chest. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Why was Xion here?

His body moved before his mind could catch up. Instinct, desperation and something primal surged through him.

His mana flared up without any prior warning.

His sword trembled in his grip as the silver blade became consumed by the ominous energy. The streaks of corrupted mana crawled along the steel, flickering like eerie flames under the torchlight.

Darius didn’t hesitate. With one hand he yanked Xion back and with the other, he swung his blade.

The corrupted mana erupted. The air rippled as the blade met flesh, and in one strike, the orc that had dared to touch Xion was severed in half.

Its corpse hit the ground with a sickening thud, steam rising from where Darius’s blade had burned through its body.

It died without a sound.

For a brief moment, silence hung over them only to be broken by Xion’s words.

"Ray, take him away!" _{fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm}

Darius barely registered it. His mind was still reeling from fury while his body thrummed with even more exhaustion.

But Ray heard it. And for the first time, the knight captain did not look to his master for approval.

Ray’s grip tightened around Darius’s uninjured side. He had one goal. Get His Grace away from here before it is too late.