𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬
Just before contact.
Fisto assumes a stance.
Lowering his hips while tensing all the muscles in his body, he positions his left half forward and his right half back.
His right arm is cocked at his waist, drawn tight like a bow and arrow ready to fire.
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The moment I come within range, a fist is unleashed at a speed that’s impossible to catch with the eye.
A devastating straight punch, thrown with no fancy tricks, all power focused into it.
Even if you see it coming, it’s hard to deal with.
It felt like it was saying, “Try and block it if you can.”
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But unfortunately for him, that kind of attack is my prey.
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In the blink of an eye, align the sword precisely with the fist and deflect it with Flowing Blade, then rotate.
The usual leg sweep, something I’ve done against the Demon Mantis and the Sword Saint Skeleton.
Take away his mobility, and the advantage is all mine.
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However, he’s not the kind of opponent to be easily taken down with such a simple attack.
Using the momentum of his punch, Fisto spins his body, lowering the left leg I had targeted to dodge my slash.
I continue my blade’s momentum for another spin, aiming for his flank, but it’s easily blocked by the crude gauntlet on his left hand.
ㅤ
The initial clash ends in a draw, neither of us taking damage.
An excellent outcome.
I’m holding my own against a hero, and things are going as planned.
Get ready, hero.
I’m pulling you into my stage now.
ㅤ
Using the recoil from Fisto’s blocked left arm, I activate Rapid Current.
I sprint past Fisto to his rear.
I’m heading toward the path of Dragon Zombie’s neck.
That’s right, I’m ignoring Fisto to target the Old Hag Demon!
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“What?! Fisto!”
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Naturally, this will force the Old Hag Demon to summon Fisto to this neck path.
Obediently following the command, Fisto leaps over me from behind to stand in front of the Old Hag Demon.
But the moment Fisto jumps, I release a flying dark slash towards the Old Hag Demon.
The Old Hag Demon moves Dragon Zombie’s neck to dodge it. . . . . .
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“Damn. . . . . .?!
ㅤ
She seems to have realized her mistake immediately.
The neck of the Dragon Zombie that was just moved is our footing.
And Fisto is currently in the air.
For Fisto, this means the ground has suddenly shifted, and there’s nowhere to land.
Even a hero can’t fly.
If he falls like this, he won’t be able to return until after I’ve killed the Old Hag Demon.
That would mean I win but. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Well, it’s not going to be that easy.”
ㅤ
The Dragon Zombie moves its neck again, securing a landing spot for Fisto.
I immediately unleash a second dark slash.
If she dodges it, it’ll be the same as before.
Timing-wise, this time Fisto will certainly fall to the ground.
However, if she doesn’t dodge, it would be a fatal blow for the Old Hag Demon.
Hesitating on how to respond, the movements of the Old Hag Demon and the Dragon Zombie pause for a moment.
ㅤ
The one who solves this is Fisto, who is still in the air.
He swings his fist, knocking down the flying dark slash.
Indeed, a man with the legend of successfully protecting retreating heroes.
Protecting allies is his forte.
It’s sad that such power is being used for one of the demons who killed him.
ㅤ
But, thanks to the series of pointless moves just now, I’m confident.
I have the advantage in this battle on the neck road.
This unstable footing is difficult for me to fight on, but it’s even more so for the other side.
Although they control the footing, it seems difficult for the Old Hag Demon to make good use of that advantage given the current situation.
The Dragon Zombie’s breath also can’t be used to its full extent as long as we’re here.
If used carelessly, it could potentially harm not only Fisto but even the Old Hag Demon.
Small breaths are the most they can use.
Medium and large breaths are pretty much sealed off.
ㅤ
Most importantly, Fisto has to protect the Old Hag Demon, which is a weakness.
No matter how good a hero is at defense, carrying such a big and exposed burden makes the battle more difficult.
The staple of fighting is to do what the enemy dislikes and create an advantageous situation for oneself.
Fairness be damned.
A weakling like me is trying to flip the overwhelming strength difference and achieve an unlikely giant-killing feat.
I can’t afford to choose my methods.
For the sake of winning, to gain even the slightest advantage, I’ll play every hand I can.
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What I want is not an honorable victory, or one where pride is at stake.
I just want to win, no matter how dirty or gritty it is.
I want to win and win and win and earn a future with Stella.
That’s all there is to it.
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“Aaaaaa!”
ㅤ
To get pumped up, to put some pressure on the enemy, I roar as I run along the neck road.
The Old Hag Demon swings her staff, Fisto jumps again, and the Dragon Zombie swings its neck around.
Then, Fisto readies both fists in the air, and the Dragon Zombie’s remaining two heads aim their breaths at me.
ㅤ
Sending Fisto into the air, they plan to shake my footing and disrupt my posture, and then snipe me with long-range attacks.
They’re blatantly using their advantages.
It might be an effective strategy, but I can handle it.
ㅤ
I predict the direction and speed of the shaking platform and continue running while taking appropriate measures.
If the neck moves upwards, I’ll run while maintaining a low center of gravity.
If the neck moves downward, I’ll either run upside down towards the throat or grab onto the scales and endure.
I defend against long-range attacks with distortion and sweeping away, and sometimes hide behind the Dragon Zombie itself.
ㅤ
What’s important is to observe and feel the flow of power.
Before a fist is swung, the shoulder moves first.
When the ground is stepped on, that force moves through the hips to mobilize the entire body.
Understanding this flow allows me to predict an opponent’s moves from their first preparatory action, even the erratic movements of a dragon’s neck.
To grasp this feeling, the me in my dreams needed over a decade.
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And mastering this feeling is the essence of my swordsmanship.
My ultimate killing technique, the Seven Deadly Swords, all rely on this sense, except for the exceptional Dark Moon.
『Flowing Blade』 leverages the enemy’s power by going along with the flow.
『Distortion』 subtly interferes to twist the trajectory.
『Slashing Sweep』 stirs up and disperses the stagnation in the flow of power.
The other three techniques follow similar principles.
ㅤ
Applying this foundational sensation of my killing sword makes running on a shaking platform easy.
But, naturally, that alone won’t secure victory.
The enemy includes heroes of the past, dragons that slay even heroes, and higher demons who control them.
ㅤ
Suddenly, the Dragon Zombie that had been thrashing wildly comes to a complete halt.
As if its previous rampage had been a lie, it stops dead in its tracks.
Then, Fisto lands in front of me and takes a stance.
It seems the Old Hag Demon has opted for a fair fight, abandoning any tricks.
The fact that Fisto needs to protect the Old Hag Demon hasn’t changed, but this is a much better tactic than stubbornly sticking to some advantage.
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So, this is how it turns out.
Even with all the tricks, I couldn’t ignore Fisto and take down the Old Hag Demon.
But that’s fine.
I wasn’t expecting that much to begin with.
I managed to drag Fisto into a relatively favorable battlefield, and that’s good enough.
The distance between me and the Old Hag Demon has significantly closed.
I’ve taken any advantage I could get.
Now, it’s time to decide the victor.
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“『Dark Moon』!”
ㅤ
First, I use Dark Moon as a feint while running.
If Fisto dodges, the Old Hag Demon behind him would get hit, so Fisto has no choice but to block.
But my opponent is a hero.
The attack I unleashed with my pathetic strength doesn’t affect him at all; he easily guards with one hand and neutralizes it.
ㅤ
As if to return the favor, Fisto releases a light punch with his left arm, which turns into a flying strike aimed at me.
It doesn’t stop there; Fisto’s left arm moves at high speed, firing a flurry of punches.
Rapid consecutive jabs.
All of them become flying strikes rushing at me.
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“He’s fast. . . . . .!”
ㅤ
I use Distortion Chain to block all the blows, but blocking such high-speed attacks at this distance is no easy task.
Thanks to his divine protection of immense strength, Fisto’s power surpasses that of the Sword Saint Skeleton in sheer physical force alone.
Fisto is using all of that excellent muscle power for speed and rapid-fire attacks.
This is literally a barrage of fists.
It can’t be anything but troublesome.
Needless to say, a direct hit means instant death.
Even if the attack is light and focused on speed rather than power, if it lands, I can easily die.
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“Guh. . . . . .?!”
ㅤ
If I keep moving forward, I will inevitably get hit because I can’t block them all.
It’s also a matter of compatibility.
The most effective attacks against Distortion are those that exceed my ability to cope with the number of strikes.
And obviously, fists can rotate faster than swords.
Although I manage to avoid direct hits and minimize the impact, the reverberating shock still hits me hard.
That leads to a vicious cycle: the pain and shock hinder my movements, creating openings that cause my stance to break, increasing the number of hits I take.
However, by moving forward, the distance between Fisto, the Old Hag Demon, and myself is closing.
The time of just getting pummeled will soon end.
ㅤ
“What?!”
ㅤ
Just as I thought that, Fisto flies even further back.
He widens the distance between us, risking even the Old Hag Demon getting involved.
Given that the Old Hag Demon doesn’t look surprised, it must be her command.
As evidence, the three heads of the Dragon Zombie facing us release a breath attack aimed at me, who is pinned down by the barrage of fists.
This is a very risky strategy.
For the Old Hag Demon, who usually lets her minions do the fighting while she watches from a safe distance, this is bold.
Seems like I underestimated the demon who has survived hundreds of years and countless battles.
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What to do?
Avoiding it is hard, but not impossible.
I could also retreat for a moment to escape the pressure of the barrage of fists and go to the side of the neck road to block breaths or Fisto’s attacks from other directions.
While holding onto the scales, all I have to do is fend off the remaining breath attack that reaches me.
ㅤ
But doing that would just widen the gap that I’ve struggled to close.
If that happens, I’ll be back to square one, facing a barrage of fists while dragging all the damage I’ve taken so far.
I may be able to escape a desperate situation, but it’ll only put me at a disadvantage.
ㅤ
“Then. . . . . .!”
ㅤ
I have no choice but to break through while my body still moves.
This is not the time to retreat.
Overcome adversity. Break through.
Move forward.
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“Aaah!”
ㅤ
I quicken my steps, moving forward.
Doing so will intensify the pressure from the barrage of fists.
My injuries will increase, the damage will accumulate.
It’s only a matter of time before I suffer a fatal blow.
Even if I miraculously endure, if I can’t escape the range of the breath attack, it’ll be game over either way.
ㅤ
So now, right here, I will evolve my technique.
ㅤ
What drives a person to grow the most are challenges, adversity, and formidable opponents.
Overcome difficulties by trial and error, refine your power to break through adversity, and get stronger to defeat tough enemies.
People evolve in a desperate struggle when driven by necessity.
This happened earlier when I managed to block a medium-sized breath attack.
I showed unparalleled focus and evolved my technique to escape from a desperate situation.
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This time is no different.
Come on, Allan.
If you don’t evolve, you’ll die.
Evade the barrage of fists, escape the range of the breath attack, and get close to Fisto and the Old Hag Demon.
The skill you need is 『Distortion Chain』.
Dodge the flying strikes and use them to counter other strikes.
Increase efficiency.
Incorporate multiple strikes into a single Distortion.
Calculate and implement it instinctively, minimize waste to the extreme.
Step forward.
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—Sharpen your focus.
ㅤ
“『Distortion Chain』 Aaaah!”
ㅤ
I ran.
I rushed through the barrage of fists, cutting them down as I went.
A burst of breath erupts behind me, its splash blocked by Sword Saint Skeleton’s kimono.
Finally, I stand before Fisto once more.
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“Fisto!”
“『Hero’s Fist』.”
ㅤ
Due to ingrained intuition, Fisto muttered softly and swung his fist.
Pulling back his left arm, which he had been using for jabs, he launched a straight punch with his right arm.
A textbook example, cutting out all the waste and maximizing efficiency, a blow that felt even beautiful.
Fisto, protected by divine power of great strength, had no technique enhanced by divine power.
This means, this power is all his own, honed through dedication.
It’s Fist Hero’s pinnacle strike, crafted through a lifetime.
ㅤ
I met it head-on.
Reading the flow of the power, at the perfect timing and posture, I matched my blade to his fist.
I deflected it and spun to the right.
With Flowing Blade, I aimed to slice him in half from the outside of his right arm.
ㅤ
“Huh?!”
ㅤ
But Fisto perfectly defended against it.
Truly perfectly, in the worst way for me.
ㅤ
Fisto’s left hand had grabbed the blade that was supposed to come from his blind spot.
He caught it with his palm and gripped tightly.
Because of this, Fisto’s rugged gauntlet cracked, unable to withstand the dark power of Kurotenmaru.
In return, Fisto had completely nullified Kurotenmaru.
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As expected of a hero.
The me from a little while ago would’ve been finished for sure.
Even in my dreams, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything if I lost my weapon.
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“But.”
ㅤ
Now, I have a second blade.
The moment I realized Fisto had grabbed Kurotenmaru, I instantly let go and drew another sword from my waist.
The blade I drew was my current partner, the renowned sword 『Onryomaru』, which I had clashed with when fighting the Sword Saint Skeleton.
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I swung it with all my might, riding the momentum of the flowing blade.
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“Ooooooh!”
ㅤ
Fisto’s right arm had just thrown a punch.
His left arm was being used to hold Kurotenmaru.
In other words, at this moment, both of Fisto’s arms were occupied, leaving his guard open.
I didn’t miss that opportunity.
ㅤ
Onryomaru sliced through Fisto’s defenseless torso, splitting his body neatly in half.
ㅤ
“Wha━, Fisto?!”
ㅤ
The Old Hag Demon let out a scream, and the Fist Hero from centuries ago returned to dust.
I burned that sight into my memory, and the next moment, I was running toward the Old Hag Demon.
To deliver the final blow to the one who had done this to him.
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“W, What the hell are you?!”
ㅤ
Due to defeating Fisto, the Old Hag Demon, who had been right in front of my eyes and nose, let out such a scream.
Who am I?
I’m still nobody.
I haven’t accomplished anything yet.
But if I had to say. . . . . .
ㅤ
“I am 『Sword Demon』 Allan.”
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A nickname someone started calling me at some point.
When I asked Rin about it out of curiosity, the answer was, “Maybe it’s because you’re recklessly seeking battles like a demon,” a somewhat derisive nickname.
I can’t be compared to respectable titles like 『Hero』 or 『Sword Saint』.
But that’s fine.
Someday. . . . . .no, in the not too distant future, I will make this nickname resound.
To become a man worthy of the sound of that name.
And then, to be extolled as 『Sword Demon』.
ㅤ
“A man who stands next to her and fights as a friend of the hero!”
ㅤ
I declare my resolve against the demons, the absolute enemies of the hero, and swing Onryomaru.
This time, a vertical slash intended to split her in two.
And it shatters the Old Hag Demon’s head.
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“Aaaaargh?!”
ㅤ
However, the Old Hag Demon let out a scream without dying.
Therefore, I continue to swing my sword until she is completely eradicated.
Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, upward, downward.
I minced her.
Before long, the screams disappear, and the scattered remnants of the Old Hag Demon return to dust.
At the same time, the Dragon Zombie, which had been serving as my footing, also turns into dust and disappears.
It seems that if the caster is defeated, their zombie disappears; at least that was the case here.
I’ve heard that the Dragon Zombie was once the pet of a past Demon King, so maybe it’s a phenomenon limited to such ancient zombies preserved by the Old Hag Demon’s magic. But either way, I was saved.
ㅤ
I jumped off the disappearing Dragon Zombie and landed with a roll.
Then, Kurotenmaru, which had been held by Fisto and left behind, fell from above and stuck into the ground. I picked it up.
Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to win.
Thanks to Onryomaru and all my weapons.
ㅤ
Getting Kurotenmaru back was great, but I have confidence that I’ve grown a lot through this battle.
The Sword Saint Skeleton, the Old Hag Demon, the Dragon Zombie, Fisto—facing these strong enemies one after another is, in a way, very lucky.
By overcoming the wall called strong enemies, one by one, I am becoming stronger.
I’ll continue to do similar things and reach the level where I can stand next to Stella within three years.
For now, I want to set my sights on the Patchwork Demon that headed toward the town. . . . . .
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“. . . . . .I’m tired.”
ㅤ
I’m totally worn out now.
I’ve reached my limit.
Well, it’s been nonstop since the Sword Saint Skeleton battle.
Although I did take breaks on the way back from the labyrinth, those were just short naps while keeping an eye out for wandering zombies.
I want to get back to the inn and rest properly.
My body’s pretty battered, and my own Healing Magic will take quite a while to heal me. If possible, I’d like Rin to do the healing.
ㅤ
Anyway, let’s head back to town.
That town is currently under attack by the Patchwork Demon, but that can be easily dealt with if the Sword Saint is there.
Ah, come to think of it, I might be able to watch the Sword Saint’s battle if I go back now.
Alright, let’s go back.
Let’s go back immediately.
ㅤ
And so, I began walking back to town, dragging my wounded body along, while turning my back on the Cave of the Dead that helped me grow significantly, feeling grateful.
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