Chapter 338
Chapter 338
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 338
Chapter Title: Those Brawlers
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Swordsmen who only swing a sword are second-rate.
Only someone like me—who can freely wield sword, fist, and kick alike—can call themselves a first-class swordsman.
When blades clash, bodies inevitably grind up close.
In those moments, victory boils down to cool judgment and lightning reflexes, sure—but if I had to pick the most crucial factor, it'd hands-down be fist and foot techniques.
I hadn't skipped a single day of honing my Execution Swordsmanship, and I'd diligently trained my Execution Fist Arts on top of that—not to mention pushing Taekwondo and the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to their absolute limits.
By now, my hands, feet, and sword felt impossibly close to being one, as natural as breathing.
The master of close-quarters combat? That's me in a nutshell.
"Die, you fucker!"
The instant my blade smacked away her claw, Ridget lunged into my guard. Her other hand's killer claw came slashing straight for my neck.
"Die my ass—"
I exploded into action with razor-sharp instincts, snapping my knee up.
The blessed steel-plated greaves from the Salvation Paradise Society—protecting my knee, shin, and the top of my foot—had been my most reliable battle buddy and friend ever since the zombie parade. They'd never let me down.
"—you fucking bitch!"
My steel knee rocketed like a missile, smashing her incoming claw dead-on.
BOOM!
The impact flung Ridget's claw upward. A split-second opening appeared—but not enough room for a sword slash. Fine, then: punch. The seamless flow from kick to fist mirrored the ever-shifting essence of Execution Fist Arts, letting me strike without a hint of delay.
I hammered an Asura Blood-Splattering Fist right into her face!
"Asura Blood-Splattering Fist!!!"
One hit from this, and nosebleeds would be the least of your worries, you crazy bitch!
"Ho? You little shit?"
The moment I caught that intrigued look on Ridget's face, I instinctively knew my attack was doomed to fail.
It was less than a second—the blink of an eye.
CLANG!
Ridget flipped to defense in a flash, parrying my killing blow with her claw.
"As expected—you punch way better than the average fucker. Hey, asshole. Good vibe. Swear fealty, and I'll let you live."
"Fuck off!!"
"Cute little shit."
Of course, my assault didn't end there.
Once the enemy switches to defense, you rain hell until they drop—that's the core philosophy of Execution Swordsmanship. A violent stubbornness like a brat's tantrum! Pure, unadulterated murder swordplay, true to its purpose!
Execution Swordsmanship!
Not going down easy like last time, you bitch!
Boiling Blood of the Heavenly Demon.
Legs rooted deep like ancient divine wood. Hips tempered through countless nights tangled with my wives. Raw power and grip strength forged by tormenting those glorious tits!
I channeled the pure essence of that flesh into a full-force thrust!
"Take thiiiissssss!!!!!!!"
SHWIIIING!!
As I pulled back slightly from Ridget, my blade shot forward. An unnatural speed surged through it, infused with inhuman power.
This one's gonna land.
That massive blade should've hit like a guillotine—but thunk! She blocked it effortlessly.
No fucking way?
"Your mom's a whore—this got blocked?! Are you insane, you bastard?!"
It was a goddamn monster of a strike!
Seeing my confident attack fizzle out left me on the verge of losing it. No bullshit—I felt like ripping my hair out and tap-dancing in frustration. I screamed internally.
"What nonsense is this?"
"You bitch!"
But I couldn't afford to panic. I whipped the hilt around for a follow-up combo, only for her to deflect it smooth as silk.
"Not working, dumbass. Tsk tsk—weren't you bragging last time about beating me if you had a sword? Looks like my claws even the score."
Even that carefully aimed strike bounced right off.
She blocks this well even with me wielding a sword?
Ridget was the real deal, alright. And like any top-tier fighter, she was arrogant as hell—slipping in gut-punches of trash talk between exchanges.
"Shut your fucking mouth!"
WHOOSH-WHOOSH.
Fuming, I sharpened my senses to the limit and shredded the air. My blade's tip clearly targeted her body, but she parried and deflected like a pro, controlling distance at will while hunting for openings.
"Try hitting me, you cute little shit. Can you even touch this?"
"Fucking hell!!"
She's definitely stronger than me.
Her pure combat experience clearly outclassed mine.
Ridget had survived countless life-or-death brawls, just like some demonic outsider. Honestly, I'd only been in this world about four years, give or take—but she was born and bred here.
There was an essential gap in experience.
An uncrossable chasm of time.
"Kekeke, how about this one?"
SHWIIING!
Suddenly, her claw arced in a bizarre curve, slicing at my side. A punch? I'd tank it with armor. But no bullshit—this was three vicious blades incoming at once.
Taking this would fuck me up...!
"Teeeeeennngggg!!!"
I bent backward like a shrimp to dodge! SCRAAAPE! Her claw's tip gouged a deep scar into my precious steel pauldron! No, fuck—this cost a fortune!
A cut above—strong enough to shred plate armor!
"Ooh, sorry about your armor?"
"You psycho bitch! Do you know how much this cost?!"
"How much?"
"4 silver!"
I bellowed like a dying man and swung down with a thrust. Ridget sidestepped easily, thrusting her claw at my face.
"Master will buy you a new one quick, kid."
"Bullshit!"
CLANG!
I crossed my guard to smack her blade away and counterattacked.
"Ho? Blocked that?"
This was serious shit. She was overwhelming. Sure, I only had about 30% mana left, but even at full it'd barely change a thing.
"Bet you can't block this!"
Even so, Ridget—despite her blatant killing intent—couldn't finish me off easily. She couldn't drop me quick either.
I had a shot.
We were both struggling to land a decisive blow. Looked like it'd come down to stamina and endurance.
Unless... my gear gave out first.
SHWIIING!!
My accelerating blade whipped through space again. Ridget dodged every which way—CLANG!—then smacked my empowered sword aside and thrust her claw. I blocked with swordsmanship and armor-boosted fist-and-foot work, countering right back.
CLANG!
BOOM!
Counter on counter.
Counter upon counter.
Metal clashed, sparks flying everywhere.
I could feel my gear's durability draining in real time.
Meanwhile, Ridget didn't have a scratch. Should I go for mutual destruction with Execution Slash? Nah, still no. She was faster, read distances perfectly.
She wouldn't give me an inch.
Without a clear shot, it'd whiff anyway.
I was one step behind.
"Where the hell am I gonna earn pocket money starting tomorrow? Should I just start my own gang?"
"Shut your crap, you bastard!"
Stamina was starting to wear on me. Sparing energy against Ridget? Impossible. Every blow and block was my all-out best. Upper-tier masters were no fucking joke.
"Persistent little shit."
"I'm not persistent—you just can't finish it, you bitch."
"You fucking what?"
CLANG!
Maybe her pride took a hit—she went wide-eyed and attacked with ferocious momentum. Pupils contracted tight. Her claws came in hyper-efficient arcs. But every one...
Every.
Single.
One... I could block!
"Heh! Can't finish it after all! Hey, I'll let you off today! Go home, wash your feet, and crash!"
"Don't get cocky, bitch. You're no match for me. Can't tell when you're being spared?"
"Fuck off, you titty bitch."
Her cleavage had been drawing straight lines and curves like crazy, those jiggling milk bags stealing the show. Couldn't help calling her a titty bitch.
"Titty what? You fucker?!"
Ridget smirked at that, then went berserk targeting my vitals.
"Ugh!"
I barely parried and jammed in a Blood Heaven Asura Kick-Heavenly Demon Sky-Shatter Palm combo. She twisted away with a spin—her tits whipping like fucking flails.
Fuck me!
"Your tits are killing my focus! Why fight in that skimpy shit?!"
I unleashed Execution Sword Dance while yelling. Using beauty like a dryad? Low-class.
"My body's mine, you black-haired mutt."
"Your body, sure—but as a warrior, consider your opponent! Underestimating me? Or seducing me with that honey trap?!"
"What the fuck are you on about?!"
Her onslaught grew even deadlier.
Brutal strikes prioritizing raw power over finesse. Seemed easier at a glance, but each hit packed enough to shred my armor—forcing ultra-precise dodges!
"You titty bitch!"
I backpedaled with Execution Footwork, trying to escape her range. Mentioning tits again made Ridget grin wickedly as she spat curses.
"This fucker. What? Turned on by my rack? Horny?"
Her tone was calm, but fury seeped through.
Truth be told, those huge tits paired perfectly with the black tube top. It highlighted her alluring shoulders and emphasized her chest—no normal guy would resist.
The intense jiggle during combat? Hypnotic.
I wasn't fazed only because Claudy had trained me and I ogled Winia's massive boobs daily.
"Not horny, you psycho bitch."
"Then why the fuck say titty?!"
"To do this!"
I thrust my blade in a surprise attack on her scoffing face!
"Ha, fuck. Still nothing, you worthless shit. How many times I gotta say it?"
"You blocked it."
"No surprise."
"Fucking impressive."
The fight hit a lull. Exhaustion hit hard, heart pounding like mad. Time to rally stamina—the one who couldn't would lose.
"Truth is, my hobby's beating wheezing losers like you. Know how many idiots hit on me in this outfit per hour?"
Ridget wasn't showing it, but she was backpedaling too. Was she tiring? Her skill outmatched mine, but my armor let me trade durability for defense.
That's why she couldn't dominate completely.
"Ten?"
"Spot on."
"What a shitty hobby, you bitch."
"Fucking fun, asshole. Nothing beats legally pounding people."
But... that was ending soon.
Minus the greaves, my breastplate, quilted armor, gauntlets, and pauldrons were shredded. One more hit, and they'd shatter from overdurability.
Then I'd be defenseless against her attacks—straight to fatal blows.
Can't win.
To settle it... before gear breaks.
No other hope anyway.
"Fuck, you're the craziest bitch I've met! No—beating people that fun? Grow a heart, you cunt!"
"Why the fuck should I take that from shit like you?"
I spat through gritted teeth, gathering every last drop of mana.
Once armor breaks, I'm done. She'd been chipping it precisely because gear was the equalizer. The instant it popped, I'd drop.
Last gamble.
We traded pointless banter, then sucked in our final breaths.
And—
FLASH!
No signal needed—we charged.
"Take thiiiissssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"What a retarded battle cry, you fuck!!"
Final breaths unleashed, burning every ounce of stamina! Channel boiling mana to a single point...! One shot! One strike decides it!
"You're! Fucking! Done for!"
"Bullshit! Get your coffin ready, Ridget!"
Dozens of clashes in seconds. Six blades from her dual claws shredded my armor at blinding speed. End of the line. This breastplate lasted forever. Farewell, you sexy plate...
Bye-bye, my pretty breastplate...!
GRROOOOAR!
CLANG! CLANG!
I seized the chance amid endless metal screams.
RRRIP!
Breastplate fully torn.
"Ha!"
Ridget exhaled sharply, targeting the exposed inside. Beast eyes. Quilted armor protected it, but not from her strikes.
"You're dead, you fuck—"
"—Execution!!!!!!!"
If I knew the target, I could counter!
"Slaaaaashhhhhh—!!!!!!!!!"
I rammed home a raging mana-charged strike—
CRASH!
"Ah, what the— you thug bastard...!"
In that instant, iron snow fell.
Shhh...
What sorcery conjured that dreamlike sight? Ominous dread washed over me. The iron flakes fell like snow—sharp as glass shards—scattering everywhere, slicing wounds into me and Ridget.
"Urk!"
"Kyaa...!"
My sword.
Was shattered.
All I held was the hilt. But it wasn't just mine—Ridget's left claw was wrecked too.
Couldn't seal it after all.
My final breath and mana burst only destroyed one weapon.
Yeah. That was it.
Shing.
"Not over yet."
Thanks, Mershin.
Your parting gift—that longsword—became my golden opportunity.
The sheath spat flames. Out slithered a long blade like a serpent. Stamina, breath, mana—all spent. Barely conscious, half-lost in dreamlike haze. But muscle memory kicks in—withdraw the sword. Attack. Told you, didn't I? Fist, foot, sword—one. Like breathing.
Sword swings.
Even in my sleep.
"Execution Slash Final Attaaaaack!!!!!"
"You goddamn maniac!!! My skin, you fuckeeeeer—!!!!!"
BOOM!
Her remaining claw collided with my longsword.
Somewhere beyond the sky, Mershin thumbs-upped with a grin. Nice even teeth.