Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Slaying the Sword Master
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“What’s so funny? Giggling like that?”
Yakim charged with a murderous aura, thrusting his sword forward.
It was lightning-fast.
Just as the blade was about to touch Arthur’s body!
Arthur vanished.
“……!”
Yakim’s eyes widened in shock, and at the same moment, he felt the man’s presence behind him.
‘What the hell?’
He spun around in a hurry, swinging his sword.
But it only sliced through empty air.
Yakim swallowed dryly, his face a mix of tension and bewilderment.
‘What in the world is going on?’
The enemy’s movements were now too fast for his eyes to follow.
And his demeanor had completely changed.
A sudden ominous premonition swirled in Yakim’s mind.
“You annoying bastard!”
Yakim swung his sword wildly in all directions, unleashing aura blades without restraint.
Boom! Kwang!
The area around them was torn to shreds.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
As Yakim panted heavily and scanned his surroundings,
He clearly felt the enemy’s presence from the left.
“Damn it!”
He was shocked that his merciless barrage hadn’t even killed the man, let alone injured him.
As the dust settled, the enemy’s figure emerged.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
“Don’t screw with me! That cheap trickery!”
Yakim kicked off the ground and charged, swinging his sword.
Arthur no longer dodged. He drew his kukri and met him head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each clash of the deep blue aura-wrapped sword and the golden aura-clad kukri unleashed deafening roars and shockwaves that ravaged the surroundings.
Pillars of wood as thick as columns snapped under the impact.
The two ignored their environment, exchanging fierce blows.
Whenever Yakim’s sword came flying, Arthur blocked it with his kukri using Spetsnaz Systema dagger techniques, then immediately counterattacked.
He executed MUSAT, the close-quarters combat tactics used by the Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Group (UDT/SEAL).
“……!”
Yakim faltered against the deadly, unpredictable strikes targeting his vitals.
And as time passed, the attacks grew even faster.
“Damn it all!”
Yakim’s face twisted more and more.
Meanwhile, Arthur felt no fatigue—only surging power with every strike.
“What makes you think you can take down the Count’s family?”
He slammed down his kukri with full force.
Boom!
“Shut your mouth!”
Yakim blocked the attack with his sword, shoved Arthur back, and thrust forward.
It shot toward his chest like lightning.
But Arthur parried the sword with his kukri and defended.
Yakim unleashed attacks with all his might.
Each one was lightning-quick and carried the weight of a mountain.
But none landed on Arthur.
Arthur parried the sword with his kukri, readjusted his grip, and unleashed a mix of dagger techniques and comprehensive martial arts.
Kukri strikes alternated with fast, short punches and kicks that dove in.
It wasn’t the standard knightly attack pattern.
He’d never seen a mercenary pull off such erratic assaults.
“Against this nameless crap…….”
Yakim started missing the relentless onslaught one by one and began taking damage.
Crack-.
His armor tore with every graze.
“This, this can’t be…….”
Yakim’s eyes shook violently.
Seeing Yakim’s weakness, Arthur thought of the soldiers he couldn’t save, and rage boiled up.
It felt like massive lava surged within him. The golden aura enveloping his armor blazed like flames.
His heart and body felt like they might burst from the endlessly swelling mana.
“Ugh…….”
His eyes turned bloodshot.
As Arthur’s aura suddenly went berserk, Yakim’s face darkened sharply.
‘Just what the hell is this guy……!’
Thwack!
“Guh.”
Yakim quickly retreated and glanced at his side.
A single hit from that bizarre blade had torn his armor like paper.
“N-No way…….”
“I’ll never forgive you.”
Arthur unleashed a barrage.
The golden aura-wrapped kukri flew with terrifying momentum.
Yakim tried to block, but the rapidly shifting attacks left him defenseless.
His side took another hit.
Thwack!
A kick followed the kukri strike.
Thud!
“Kraaagh!”
The impact sent him stumbling back five or six steps.
The shock reverberated to his bones.
“So Sword Masters aren’t anything special.”
“Damn it…….”
Yakim glared venomously at the kukri and Arthur alternately.
“What do you think the Emperor will do when he finds out you’ve been hiding your power?”
“I don’t care about that.”
“What?”
“Right now, I’m just thinking about how to kill you.”
“You cocky bastard!”
Yakim swung his sword with everything he had.
An aura blade shot forward like an arrow.
Arthur didn’t dodge—instead, he charged straight in and deflected it with his kukri.
Boom!
“Huh!”
Yakim’s eyes widened in horror.
Arthur was suddenly right in his face, flashing a chilling smile.
“Kneel first.”
He kicked Yakim’s knee.
Crack!
With a dull thud, Yakim staggered forward. Arthur drove his knee into his face.
Smack-.
“Argh!”
Yakim’s head snapped back, blood spraying everywhere.
His legs gave out, and he dropped to both knees, head bowed low.
He collapsed face-down on the ground.
“That’s right. This is the eye level between you and me. Have you been strutting around on that pathetic power all this time?”
“……!”
Alarm bells rang in Yakim’s head.
He had to escape this guy somehow.
Survival instinct kicked in, numbing the pain.
All he could think was that he had to live.
As he tried to roll sideways to get away!
The kukri slammed into the ground right next to his face.
“Gasp!”
Yakim’s body froze stiff.
There was something he’d overlooked.
Arthur was a battle-hardened veteran who had survived hellish battlefields on Earth time and again.
He could read Yakim’s mind like an open book.
“If you start a party, you see it through to the end.”
Arthur smashed the helmet with his kukri.
Boom!
The helmet flew off with the impact.
“P-Please, spare me.”
Terrified, Yakim forgot all about Sword Master pride and begged for his life.
“You have to take responsibility for your words.”
“I-I misspoke.”
“Shut up!”
Arthur smashed his fist into Yakim’s mouth.
“You, a worthless scum, thought you could make the Julius Count family disappear?”
Arthur brought the kukri down mercilessly on his shoulder.
Thud!
It pierced straight through the armor.
“Gaaack!”
Yakim’s eyes bulged as if tearing apart.
Indescribable agony crashed over him like a tidal wave.
The pain was so intense he couldn’t even scream.
Arthur glared with bone-chilling killing intent.
“For insulting my mother, death is the only punishment.”
He yanked the kukri from the shoulder and slit his throat.
Slice-.
The head separated from the body and hit the ground.
Arthur kicked the torso away and grabbed Yakim’s head.
He’d killed him, but the power still surged within.
If he didn’t vent it, he’d go mad.
Clang! Clang!
Sounds of battle echoed from afar.
“Kill them all!”
“Don’t let a single one escape!”
He couldn’t tell if it was allies or enemies, or the situation, just from the voices.
But he feared nothing.
“Wait for me.”
Arthur dashed forward, radiating killing intent.
***
“Retreat!”
Dark blocked the endless enemy attacks and shouted.
Mullan, Latel, and Perry finished off their opponents and hurried to the next trap.
Then Berro, who had been attacking alongside the Red Warrior Group, yelled.
“They’re running!”
“After them!”
As his men surged forward, Dark appeared and blocked their path.
“Kill me first!”
“You bastard!”
Two of them charged at Dark, swinging their swords.
Dark dodged swiftly, targeting gaps in their armor and stabbing with his dagger.
“Argh!”
Berro grimaced as his men fell easily and stepped forward.
“Playing tricks, are you?”
His sword flashed like lightning.
“……!”
Dark’s eyes sharpened as he retreated quickly.
But it flew far beyond his expectation.
“Damn!”
Clang!
The sword embedded in his left shoulder.
The armor blocked it, thankfully, but the shock reached his bones.
“Pathetic worm!”
Berro thrust at the staggering Dark’s heart.
Just before it hit!
Dark barely parried with his dagger.
The immense force sent him flying into the air and crashing to the ground.
“Stop flailing and die!”
As Berro charged wildly for another thrust, something flew in from the left.
“What the hell is this!”
He swung his sword like lightning.
Slice!
The incoming object split in two and fell.
Seeing it, Berro’s eyes widened in horror.
“T-This is…….”
It was Yakim’s head.
As shock whitened his mind,
Arthur burst from the forest like a bolt and swung his kukri.
Slice-.
Berro, staring blankly at Yakim’s head, lost his own in one strike.
After felling Berro, Arthur roared like a lion.
“Don’t fall back!”
His shout echoed through the forest.
Helot and his squad, locked in deadly struggles with the Red Warrior Group everywhere, lit up at the sound.
“It’s the Young Master!”
Helot ran toward the voice.
“Everyone, follow me!”
His squad followed in unison.
Likewise, the Devil Squad members heading to the next trap turned back at Arthur’s voice.
At the same time, the Red Warrior Group charged toward Arthur like beasts hunting prey, radiating killing intent.
Moments later.
A group appeared where Arthur was.
It was the Red Warrior Group.
Seeing his golden armor and black hair, they sensed he was no ordinary man.
One shouted.
“He’s connected to the Count’s family! Kill him no matter what!”
At his words, they all charged Arthur, swinging swords.
Swords flew from all directions, but Arthur didn’t blink—he deflected them all with his kukri.
“I’ll kill you all!”
Arthur craved even more power.
He recalled the scouting party slaughtered by these men, igniting his vengeance.
Rage blazed, and his mana went berserk.
“Raaargh!”
Arthur bellowed, expelling mana outward.
His eyes bloodshot, he exuded terrifying killing intent.
The attackers flinched at his unnatural aura and fell back.
Then one stepped on something and looked down.
“Gasp!”
He collapsed in terror.
His comrades looked and saw a severed head.
The leader of the Red Warrior Group—their hero!
It was Yakim.
“Heavens!”
“H-How…….”
As they panicked, a despairing voice came from the side.
“Lord Berro too…….”
Berro lay with his head severed.
“I’ll send you all to hell.”
Mad with fury, Arthur charged like lightning, swinging his kukri.
With every thrust and swing of the golden aura-wrapped kukri, enemies fell.
Some tried to counter, but it was like moths flying into flames—straight to the reaper.
In an instant, over ten died by Arthur’s hand.
“M-Monster…….”
“R-Run…….”
Terrified, they backed away and fled.
That’s when Helot, his squad, and the Devil Squad arrived, attacking them.
The Red Warrior Group, gripped by fear of Arthur, lost all will to fight and crumbled helplessly.
Arthur dove in, unleashing relentless fury.
Covered in enemy blood, slaughtering without pause, he was a berserker incarnate.
He inspired courage in allies, sheer terror in foes.
“Argh!”
“T-That guy’s a demon!”
Leaderless, the Red Warrior Group fell like lambs to slaughter.
When the area was soaked in their blood.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Arthur and everyone halted.
The Red Warrior Group lay dead or dying, bleeding out.
“Young Master!”
Helot rushed to Arthur, drawing all eyes to him.
Arthur, radiating killing intent, stared into the distant forest.
Clashing weapons and screams rang vividly in his ears.
Just from the sounds, vivid scenes of brutal combat painted his mind.
“Helot.”
“Yes!”
Helot ahead of him bowed deeply.
“Leave the wounded and follow me.”
Arthur leaped into the forest without another word.
He slashed obstacles with his kukri, racing toward the battle.
“From now on, it’s a hunt.”