Chapter 337
Chapter 337
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 337
Chapter Title: Those Martial Fighters
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His spiky red hair stuck out like a lion's mane, and the scar across his face suited him surprisingly well. But despite that wild, murderous vibe, his well-toned body and massive chest created a ridiculous imbalance. And his outfit—a pair of skimpy hot pants and a tube top instead of a proper cheongsam or martial uniform—made his femininity stand out in a major way.
But none of that mattered. He was the kind of powerhouse who could chew up most warriors and spit them out.
—Rijette, senior instructor of the Martial Fighters Guild.
She appeared from behind me and called out.
"Nice to meet you, you fucking bastard. What the hell did you do to my business operation?"
A thick wave of killing intent rolled off her as she spat out her words, pissed as hell.
And it wasn't just any killing intent—it was deluxe-grade shit. I glanced her over and spotted the vicious claws hanging from her hip. Sure, her outfit looked like it had zero defense, but she clearly packed her weapon.
Fine.
—Nice to meet you.
I lowered my voice and quietly told Lina to head home and keep grinding away in the mountains. Sensing the bad vibe, Lina bowed quickly and bolted like her life depended on it.
"I've been hunting your ass like crazy, you fucker. I went to collect my cut, and what do I find? Some pitch-black savage wrecked my whole operation? I show up and holy shit, everyone's fucking dead. Not a single coin left, you crazy bastard."
Looked like Rijette had come for her protection money and stumbled onto what went down today. With my distinctive look, beating info out of a few slum rats would've been a breeze for her.
"You're the one who did it, right?"
The rumors were already spreading about some gang getting obliterated on the streets. Rijette must've pieced it together, pegged me as the culprit, and chased me all over town.
...Thinking and acting just like me.
So running into each other wasn't all that surprising.
I'd wasted some time making out with Lisha, so she'd caught up in the meantime? I rested my hand on my sword hilt, glaring at Rijette and probing for an opening.
"I remember telling you this was my turf... I liked you enough to share my side-hustle cash cow, and you stab me in the back? Aren't you just a common thug?"
"A common thug?"
"What?"
No, you're the common thug, Rijette.
I'd pegged you for a righteous outlaw at first. But now that I knew the truth, I could say it straight to her face.
"I'm not the thug. You are."
You're no outlaw—you're just a goddamn crook.
"Huh?"
"Yeah, you're right. I did it. I smashed every last one of them."
"You crazy fuck, acting all bold? Your head on straight?"
"That's what I wanna say to you, you crook bitch."
Rijette wasn't some noble fighter—she was just a straight-up crook. When I called her out, she widened her eyes in disbelief and sneered.
"Crook? No, hold up. Fuck me. Do I really have to listen to this shit from you?"
"Damn right you do, you fucking cunt."
Even as she heard me out, she showed no sign of equipping her claws. But... no opening for a sneak attack either.
She looked wide open at a glance, but the second I moved, she'd counter hard.
Senior instructor for a reason.
"What? Side hustle?"
I sneered right back.
"You even know what you've done?"
"What'd I do?"
Rijette didn't seem to feel a shred of guilt over her actions. Time to school her on right and wrong.
Daily moral tutor Kim Katt reporting for duty.
"Because of your shitty side hustle, Rijette, do you have any idea how many innocent people suffered horribly?"
"Innocent people? You lose your mind in the heat?"
"No, fucker. Hear me out."
"..."
She narrowed her eyes at my shout, crossed her arms, and stared me down. Those tits stacked on her biceps... damn, they're huge. Could I target those as a weak point?
Screw that—her outfit was way too much.
Tits that big in just a tube top? And those rock-hard, trained legs fully on display in hot pants.
Cocky or just flaunting her sexiness? Either way, strutting into the slums like that wouldn't end well.
She'd just get leered at by a horde of horny bastards. Of course, she'd wreck a whole company of them solo.
"To pay you their tribute, those gangs ran wild. They extorted helpless slum-dwellers and kids, terrified of getting killed by you."
I laid out her sins nice and neat.
"All for your pocket change."
"What kinda bullshit is this?"
—Perplexed.
But Rijette just looked puzzled, nothing more.
"So what? Feels like I'm the thug now instead of you."
"Bingo, asshole. Still don't get what you did wrong after hearing that?"
"No clue, you fuck. It's so ridiculous it's hilarious. Keep flapping your gums."
She didn't fail to understand—she just didn't see it as a crime. Rijette spoke arrogantly, like she was looking down on me.
"Innocent victims because of the tribute you squeeze out of them."
"No way."
And then genuine shock.
"You're a softer bastard than I thought? Nah. You just massacred a bunch of kids and looted everything, and now you're preaching about innocents? Hilarious, you prick. What? Innocent victims?"
—Click.
Rijette reached back, untying the strap on her claws.
"Fine, maybe my business created a few innocent victims. So what? You get hurt or something? Weaklings get stepped on—that's life, dumbass. You know that. Or did slaughtering folks make you go soft and born-again?"
Even then, no opening. Like I'd said, she dragged out the talk—crack—twisting her neck, starting stretches.
"Fucking cool, you prick. Oh yeah? The lion of justice has arrived. I'm falling for you."
"Shut your cum-dump mouth. And don't fall for me."
"Liar, you slut."
"I know, asshole. Just kidding."
Honestly, a lot of what Rijette said rang true.
—The weak get crushed.
In this world, the weak get crushed. It's inevitable, natural. I agreed completely. In that sense, Rijette hadn't done anything wrong.
Exploiting the weak for cash was practically a virtue. Anyone who hadn't felt it firsthand would say Rijette was right.
Even I thought so.
"Anyway, what? Innocent victims? I wanna tell you to fuck off with that crap. You're not the type to spout that dumb justice bullshit, right? So what'd they do to you? Huh?"
But.
"No, you fucking Rijette bitch."
"What?"
The reason I was bitching.
"I'm bitching because I got fucked over, you cunt."
I was pissed because I took damage.
Innocent victims? Whatever. Exploiting the weak is par for the course. I didn't give a shit about that.
Just.
I, Kim Katt, got hit.
That was the problem.
Her actions led to me taking damage. An outrage like nothing else in this world.
When I laid it out, Rijette stared at me like I was nuts.
"You got fucked over? No shit, you saying those kids shook you down?"
"Like hell."
"Then?"
Me get shaken down? Please.
Lina did.
"My little sister got shaken down. By your gangsters."
"You have a little sister?"
"You got a mom?"
"Yeah."
"I got a little sister."
"Fuck."
Conversation kept derailing.
"Anyway, my little sister got squeezed by some of your goons, so I looked into it, and who’s at the top? You."
Gangsters shaking down folks are everywhere. I figured it was just some random crew. But nope—Rijette's outfit.
Who knew she'd set up shop that big?
Even had a three-story building.
"So I smashed them all."
I wrapped up the story, and Rijette actually apologized.
"Uh... sorry about that. Should've protected your sister better. But what? You wiped them out just for an extortion? I don't even do shit like that."
"Quit dodging, fucker. Word is you killed a bunch too."
"I offed a few who wouldn't listen. And you thug bastard—think they'd know she was your sister? If they did, I wouldn't have let it slide. Just take the cash back and done. You wreck my business over that bullshit? Unforgivable, you dog."
"Don't care."
No reasons, no logic needed.
You can't survive in this world nitpicking cause and effect.
If I took damage, and it was from weaker fucks, no explanations required. I do what I want. That's why her goons got massacred.
"Point is, I took damage."
"Bastard... yeah, makes sense. I like your mindset more every second. See blood, bite to the end. Great thug grit."
"If it wasn't my sister, I'd like your mindset too."
—Click.
Rijette fiddled with her claws.
"Anyway, now... I've seen blood too. Guess I do the same to you?"
She fully equipped her claws and declared it like a challenge. Right—she'd lost her business because of me. No need for causes or excuses.
Fight's on, you answer.
No logic, no reason.
When it's time to fight, you fight.
She really thought just like me.
"Words."
Words are useless.
"Pointless, right?"
"Come at me."
"Get ready to die, you thug fuck."
Cold murderous chill from her claws' blades.
High-quality material? Matched her feral look perfectly. She dropped into stance, ready to launch.
"You're the one dying here, punk."
I drew my sword, unleashing the opening form of the Execution Blade Art, throwing her words back.
"Here I go."
"Bring it."
Won't win with jaw-jacking.
Rijette's form blurred.
—Flash!
I'd been timing a preemptive strike amid all the trash talk—no dice. Had to be a straight-up clash.
Honestly, situation sucked.
I'd burned stamina and mana butchering twenty thugs earlier. Worse, that Execution Slash on Mershin the fucker had wasted half my remaining mana.
Not at full strength.
Even at full, she'd have the edge... so here we were.
But the fight was on.
Can I win?
No.
I will win.
—Screeeeech!!!
Rijette closed the gap in a blink, claws first.
Fast. Insanely fast. Faster than our Martial Fighters Guild scrap, and armed up made it lethal.
Two claws, three blades each.
Like bear talons—solid, sharp.
At her level, shredding my armor would be nothing. Just like I used mana, so did she.
"You're dead, fucker."
But.
I have my trusted sword and armor.
Full gear on?
—I don't lose.
Don't think that flimsy shit beats me.
"Think you martial fuck can take a swordsman?"
In the frozen moment, I tracked her move. That claw thrusting at blinding speed aimed straight for my neck.
Knock it away.
Then the other claw?
"Execution Blade Art."
—Crackle!
I thrust to block—the blades ground, sparking like fireworks. Her wicked grin lit up in the bursts.
One blocked, but the other claw whipped in.
Her winning combo?
—But.
I'm a swordsman.
And a fist fighter.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Execution Fist Art Dash!!!