Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: One More Round
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“Eek?”
At the unexpectedly adorable shriek that escaped Xiaolin’s lips, Oh-jin couldn't help but burst out laughing.
To think that the woman who carried herself with the proud, aloof air of a lone flower blooming on a snowfield could make such a sound.
“Quite the adorable sound, huh?”
“Y-You!”
Xiaolin glared at Oh-jin, her face flushed and her eyes wide.
She never imagined she would suffer such a humiliation.
She bit her lip and raised her sword high.
An intense killing intent, accompanied by a biting chill, was directed at Oh-jin.
“…I won’t let you get away with this.”
“Hey, you’re the one who shrieked. Why are you taking it out on me?”
“Sh-Shut up!”
Xiaolin drew upon the power of her Stigma and swung her sword fiercely.
Even if she had been caught by an unexpected counterattack, Oh-jin was in a critical state, barely able to move.
If she pressed her attack just a little more, victory would be within her grasp.
But.
“Hnngh!”
Xiaolin’s expression contorted violently as she tried to swing her sword.
*Crackle, sizzle!*
The remnants of blue lightning paralyzed her body.
She gritted her teeth and tried to move, but even a single step sent a dizzying pain through her, as if sharp needles were piercing her body.
“What’s wrong? Too much pain to move?”
Oh-jin chuckled and gripped his spear.
‘Charge.’
*Crackle!*
He condensed the blue lightning into his spear.
Once, twice, three times, four times.
And a fifth charge followed.
A destructive energy, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, condensed within the spear.
In the past, pouring this much magic into the spear would have caused it to explode from the strain.
‘When I think back to creating Adam's Apple, this is child’s play.’
That had been a mere apple, but this was a sturdy silver spear forged with Sacred Stones.
The difficulty of imbuing it with magic was several times easier.
“Urk…!”
Sensing the fearsome energy coiled in Oh-jin’s spear, Xiaolin swallowed hard, raised her sword, and drew it across the ground.
“O Earth.”
Pure white snow blossoms bloomed along the path of her sword.
“Freeze.”
The snow blossoms, sprouting from the cracks, froze the ground they had taken root in.
*Krrrrrack!*
The ground was covered in a sheet of transparent ice.
White petals scattered on the swirling, frosty wind.
“In your condition, you won’t even be able to move.”
No matter how powerful an attack, it was useless if it didn't connect.
Xiaolin spoke coldly, her eyes fixed on the spear in Oh-jin’s hand.
“Oh, really?”
Oh-jin let out a puff of white breath and grinned.
Just as she said, the swirling white snowflakes made it impossible for him to approach her.
“Then I’ll just have to do this.”
“…What are you.”
He drew back his right arm, the one holding the spear.
“*Hooo.*”
He took a deep breath.
He extended his left arm forward and pulled his right leg far back.
His right arm was cocked back to its absolute limit.
*BOOM!*
With a powerful stomp—he hurled the spear straight at Xiaolin.
*Zzzzzzzzzzzzt!!*
The lightning bolt tore through the fluttering snow blossoms.
In the blink of an eye, the spear was right in front of her.
“Explode!”
The blue lightning condensed within the spear erupted.
A volcanic blast of blue lightning became a tidal wave that crashed down upon Xiaolin.
“Hmph.”
Xiaolin narrowed her eyes at the tsunami of blue lightning that surged toward her, threatening to swallow her whole.
‘I just have to block this one attack.’
A spear throw.
It was undeniably a dangerous attack, but throwing one’s weapon carried a risk far greater than any other move.
If she could deflect this attack, Oh-jin would be weaponless and unable to continue the fight properly.
“Hyaah!”
With a short cry, she gripped her sword with both hands.
She raised the sword above her forehead.
The white petals swirling around her gathered on her blade.
When the blade was completely covered in white petals.
“Snow Flower Flash.”
*RUMBLE!*
A sword strike swung as if to part the tsunami of blue lightning in two.
The raging blizzard, along with the lightning, split the very ground.
As if a tidal wave had been parted, pillars of ice dozens of meters high shot up along the path of her sword strike.
Massive pillars of ice rose high enough to block the view from the spectator seats.
The sword strike, formed of pure white snow blossoms, cut through the lightning and aimed for Oh-jin behind it—
“Huh?”
Xiaolin’s eyes widened.
Oh-jin was nowhere to be seen.
‘Don’t tell me!’
She hurriedly looked up.
Dozens of meters high, the pillars of ice had shot up along with the white snow blossoms.
And there, perched on top of one, was Oh-jin.
“When did you get up there…!”
Xiaolin frantically swung her sword at Oh-jin.
It wasn't an attack concentrated with the power of her Stigma like before, but a white sword strike imbued with a deadly aura still shot toward him.
*Tap!*
Oh-jin kicked off the wall of ice.
Anticipating that he would use ‘Lightning Trace Step’, Xiaolin’s eyes gleamed as she gripped her sword.
‘His speed isn’t that great when he uses Lightning Trace Step.’
Perhaps because he hadn't fully mastered it yet.
It was true that moving through the air was much slower than moving on the ground.
She followed the path where the lightning would form in the air.
Lightning Trace Step was a technique where one created lightning in mid-air to step on.
If she watched carefully where it formed and attacked, she could make sure he was hit the moment he stepped on the trace.
*Crackle!*
Just then, a lightning trace formed in the air.
‘Now!’
As Xiaolin’s eyes flashed and she swung her sword.
*BANG!*
A gunshot suddenly rang out.
Before she could even register the sound.
*WHIRRRRR!!*
With the whir of a mechanical device, Oh-jin’s body abruptly changed direction in mid-air.
“Wha…?!”
Xiaolin’s eyes widened as she tried to track Oh-jin, who had suddenly vanished from her sight.
But before she could find him.
Having fired a wire into an ice pillar, Oh-jin dropped down behind Xiaolin.
*Thud.*
Oh-jin’s hands clamped down on Xiaolin’s shoulders.
“Heup!”
She tried to swing her sword with a horrified expression, but.
“Too late.”
*FZZZZZZZZT!!*
A fearsome torrent of lightning erupted from Oh-jin’s hands, striking her directly.
“Gyaaaaaaah!!”
This time with a more desperate scream, Xiaolin’s eyes rolled back into her head.
*Thump.*
Her body lost its balance and collapsed to the ground.
[…]
“Is he… insane?”
“The Snow-White Flower… l-lost?”
Disbelief spread through the arena.
Breaking the curtain-like silence, Spica raised the sphere in her hand and shouted.
[An un-unbelievable event has occurred!!!]
Her excitement-filled voice boomed throughout the stadium.
[Defying everyone’s expectations, Awakener Kwon Oh-jin has defeated Awakener Xiaolin!!!]
*WAAAAAAAAAH!!*
A storm of applause and cheers erupted.
[With this, Awakener Kwon Oh-jin has defeated three of Lady Deneb’s twelve Apostles to claim victory!!]
Spica turned to Deneb, whose face was a mask of despair, and smiled brightly.
“Dammit!”
Deneb gnawed on her fingernails, spewing curses.
“L-Lin!”
Leaping from the arena railing, Xiaoran rushed frantically toward the fallen Xiaolin.
Cradling the unconscious Xiaolin, she glared at Oh-jin with eyes that burned like fire.
“You…!”
As Xiaoran exploded with energy, looking ready to charge at Oh-jin at any moment, Allen spoke up.
“That’s enough. The match is already over.”
“Urk…”
Allen let out a deep sigh as he looked down at Oh-jin, who was standing with great difficulty, breathing heavily.
“It seems we were the ones who couldn’t distinguish between courage and recklessness.”
He had never imagined that an Awakener who had just reached 7-Star could be this strong.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
Deneb stomped her foot in frustration.
After fuming for a moment, she finally rose from her chair.
“…Don’t think this means you’ve beaten my children.”
Oh-jin had won the bet.
But he hadn't won against an Awakener ranked in the top three of Deneb’s twelve Apostles, the ones known as the ‘Seven Stars’, who were considered the strongest.
“Still, a deal’s a deal.”
Deneb shot a glare at Vega, who was looking at Oh-jin with a proud expression.
“I’ll give Vega the divinity.”
As she placed her right hand on her chest, about to draw out a portion of her divinity.
“Next.”
A single, quiet word instantly froze the cheering stadium.
“—What?”
[My child…?]
Deneb and Vega stared at Oh-jin with wide eyes.
Oh-jin, however, seemed to ignore their gazes.
Clutching the spot on his stomach where Xiaolin’s sword had pierced him, he gestured to Xiaoran with a flick of his finger.
“You’re next, right?”
“……”
The corners of Oh-jin’s mouth twisted upward.
A chilling glint in his eyes, like a beast stalking its prey.
Oh-jin looked at Xiaoran and let out a cackle.
“What are you doing? I said you’re next.”
“You crazy bastard!”
*CRASH!*
With a savagely contorted face, Xiaoran stomped her foot.
The arena floor cracked as if it had been hit by a cannonball.
“What nonsense are you spouting…”
“It’d be a shame to end it here, wouldn’t it?”
Oh-jin stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.
He turned to Deneb and beckoned with his fingers.
“Let’s go another round.”
“……”
A cold killing intent swirled in Deneb’s eyes.
She gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and glared at Oh-jin.
“Are you saying… you want to fight a fourth opponent?”
“Yeah.”
“Ha.”
*Hahahahahaha!!*
Deneb clutched her stomach and burst into laughter.
[M-My child! What in the world are you…!]
Just as Vega was about to leap into the arena.
“Lady Vega.”
Liac stood in her way.
Vega’s brow furrowed slightly.
[Move.]
“That brat wouldn’t have proposed another bet without a reason.”
Liac looked at Oh-jin, who was clutching his stomach and gasping for breath.
Despite his near-fatal wound, Oh-jin’s eyes shone with a brilliant light.
They shimmered with a burning desire and thirst.
“Fine… whatever. I’ve already lost the divinity anyway.”
Deneb’s eyes flashed coldly as she turned to Xiaoran.
“Xiaoran. You said you wanted to teach that arrogant bastard a lesson, right?”
“Yes.”
Xiaoran carried Xiaolin, who was in her arms, out of the arena.
She looked at Oh-jin with eyes that blazed like fire and gave a small nod.
“I’ll go and completely demolish him.”
Xiaoran stepped onto the arena floor.
“Right. That’s more like it.”
Oh-jin smiled brightly.
He closed his eyes and tilted his head back.
*Thump, thump, thump.*
The pulsating beat of his heart echoed in his head like a great drum.
His head was hot. His vision swam as if he were drunk.
A dizzying pain spread like ink from the sword wound.
It wasn't an unpleasant feeling.
Quite the opposite.
He wished this strange sense of euphoria filling his mind would never end.
‘Just a little more.’
It felt like if he pushed just a little more, he could grasp something.
Like he could tear down the wall before him and see a landscape he had never witnessed before.
And for that.
‘I need prey.’
He felt a burning thirst.
An insatiable hunger urged him on.
Oh-jin watched with a savage expression as Xiaoran climbed onto the arena floor.
*Flicker.*
As his eyes slowly opened, a blue ghost fire flickered within them.