The Incompetent Hero and Pirate Extermination (6)

Every swing of the sword carved a golden line across the world.

Every thrust of the spear split the sea beneath their feet.

And all of it happened again and again within the span of mere seconds.

Clang! Claclaclack! Kang! King!! Tung!!

"Hwahahahahat!!"

"Huryaaaaaa!!"

Each time their weapons, thick with qi, collided, a shrieking roar tore through the world and the ocean itself split open. Their battle churned the surrounding waters into a raging hellscape—a kind of demonic domain that even the creatures of the sea dared not approach.

"Whoa~ now ain't that a fine piece of work? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Be straight with me—are ya really human?"

"Where the hell else are you gonna find a human more human than me?!"

Radiant golden light of dawn and the deep, abyssal blue of the ocean depths slammed into each other over and over. Their auras ground against one another as if trying to scrape the other down to nothing, scattering motes of power that melted into the world itself. Within that demonic domain, a landscape so fantastical it defied description bloomed.

"Just what the hell are you people?! Why are you suddenly helping the Beastman Alliance?!"

"Didn't I already tell ya?! Their shenanigans looked real damn fun, so I'm helpin' 'em out!"

Kang!!!

The breathless exchange of blows finally broke as they put distance between them, settling into a brief lull.

"Ain't often I run into someone who can hold out this well."

"I've never met a bastard this tenacious either."

"Kyahaha. Ya sure know how to talk funny."

He spun his spear once with casual ease, then exploded forward again, launching into a storm of spear techniques.

Intuition + Great Counterattack

Damn it! I have to force my way inside somehow!…

In a sword-versus-spear matchup, the spear held the fundamental advantage. That was only natural—the basic reach difference between the two weapons was overwhelming. When their skills were roughly equal, there was even less to say about it.

Aside from those first few exchanges, the bastard seemed to have acknowledged me as his equal. He never once allowed me inside his reach. Thorough hit-and-run using that reach. Trying to land Sword King Secret Arts from range was no easier.

Sword King Secret Arts + Spatial Slash

"Mt. Tai Cleaver!!!"

A flash of golden dawnlight blazed. The bastard slipped past a slash that ignored distance itself by a hair's breadth, the corner of his mouth curling up.

"No matter how many times I see it, it's still damn weird—a sword strike that leaps across space itself."

"Says the bastard who keeps dodging it!!…"

Spatial Slash was a technique that could cut a target while ignoring distance. But it only ignored distance—the act of swinging the sword was still required. And this bastard read the tell of that swing, slipping past even Sword King Secret Arts that transcended space.

Sword King Secret Arts were rooted in fundamental swordsmanship. Their activation speed was overwhelmingly faster than other styles. And when I used them with Technique 999, they should have been unavoidable instant-kill moves. They should have been. Yet he still caught those microscopic tells and dodged by the skin of his teeth.

"Might look easy from where ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you're standin', but it's real damn hard. What kind of sword aura has so little tell to it?"

"And yet you keep finding it, you bastard…"

"That's 'cause I'm tryin' that hard. One hit from your sword and it's over. Over. Ya get me?"

"I'm not the one who's gonna get hit by my own sword…, you get me?!!!"

Kaaang!!!

The sea split open once more.

On the surface it was a perfect stalemate—but the reality was anything but. I burned mana just to walk on the water. On top of that I had to draw Gang-gi through my entire body just to weather his assault. I was squeezing every drop of efficiency out of my Qi stat, but even that would run dry eventually.

Meanwhile that bastard… was free in the sea.

In other words, if I didn't hurry, I'd burn through every last drop of mana, fall into the ocean, and lose by default.

Just a little… even the tiniest opening would do!… If only something—anything—would change!!…

Kiiing!! Kang!! Clang!!

"So why the hell are you after Seolrin?!"

"Seolrin? Aah, that kid who inherited the Imugi's blood, ya mean?"

"Yeah!"

I went for Wind-Evasion Jaw Technique. Draw his attention elsewhere through conversation, then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠finish him with a single decisive strike.

"Come to think of it, the Beastman Alliance went after the Dan family first. Why? Their stronghold and Sichuan are pretty far apart."

"And why exactly should I go tellin' ya that?"

He cut straight to the heart of it. Wind-Evasion Jaw Technique: failed.

"Well, I kinda like ya… so maybe I'll spill?"

Good. Wind-Evasion Jaw Technique: success.

"Ain't nothin' all that grand. Ya know this? The Imugi's blood carries a powerful grudge, see. If ya mix that grudge just right… ya can make Death Poison."

"Death Poison?"

"Yeah. An extreme poison so lethal it can even kill a god."

A poison that could kill even a god. That was why they'd targeted the Dan family first and tried to seize control—and why this bastard had gone after Seolrin above all else?

"…That's one more reason I have to put you down."

"Oh? Now that's some fine news."

No matter how much of a pigheaded tomboy she was, as long as she was within reach of my sword, I wasn't about to watch her die like that.

"I'll say this now. From this point on, I'm not holding anything back."

"Hmm? So up till now ya were holdin' back 'cause ya were thinkin' about what comes after—that what you're sayin'?"

"Exactly… that!!"

Sword King Secret Arts

Puh-oong!!!

"?!"

"Earth Cleaver!"

I drove into his guard at a speed beyond anything I'd shown so far and swung. But this monstrous bastard reacted even to that, twisting his body just enough to evade. I'd already expected him to dodge, though.

If I'd closed the distance this far—and if he'd thrown his balance off scrambling to avoid it—that was enough.

Sword King Secret Arts — Revised

"Consecutive Cleaver!"

Puh-hwak!!

Countless golden lines carved through the air. In the same instant I split his weapon and carved into his body.

"Kh?!"

"You son of a bitch—finally landed one!"

I rained additional slashes down on the now-weaponless bastard. The accumulating cuts drained his Gang-gi and drew blood. Just as I was about to drive the finishing blow home, his aura suddenly concentrated into a single point.

"Hup!!"

"?!"

Kwaaang!!!

A sudden explosion of power. Because the energy had gathered so abruptly I'd already braced for it, so the damage wasn't too severe—but the fact that I'd lost the hard-won distance made me scowl as I looked at him.

"Petty little tricks…"

"Haa… haa… damn, you're the real deal."

"Your weapon's broken. Why don't you just give up already?"

"Weapons? I can just make another. I wanna savor this razor-edge feeling a little longer—ain't felt it in ages."

With that, he reached out into empty air.

"?"

"Come forth. Gyoryo-a: Shark Nest Fang."

A pillar of water surged up from the sea and was sucked into his hand as if drawn by a current. The seawater-shaped mass soon transformed into a solid spear.

"Ain't they say best two out of three? First round went to you. How 'bout we try the second?"

"Fuck."

Who the hell calls best two out of three after the first round's already over, you cheap bastard.

"Hoo… hoo…"

"Haa… haa… aigoo… that ragged breathin' of yours… I can hear it all the way over here… already worn out, are ya?"

"Worn out…? Who the hell's worn out…"

Tch!!…

It felt like the fight had barely started, yet my mana was already bottoming out. The scenario I'd feared from the beginning—total mana depletion and a default loss—was steadily becoming reality. Damn it all, this was entirely because we were fighting on the ocean. If we'd been on solid ground I at least wouldn't have had to worry about falling into the sea and losing by default!…

"I can see your internal energy drainin' away clear as day. Just give it up already. We had a good time, so I'll let ya live."

"You can 'see' it draining? Sounds like your eyes are shot—maybe get them checked."

The golden Gang-gi that had once blazed like a rising sun was growing faint. At the same time, Fukhaedaeseong's deep-ocean-abyss blue Gang-gi was fading as well. Both of us had burned through nearly everything we had.

Just a little further.

Truly only a little remained.

"Hoo… you're real damn stubborn. That's part of why I like ya even more. Never figured I'd have to use this, though."

"Don't you fucking start talking about a phase two—that shit makes me nervous."

"Do ya know much about us?"

"I've already told you I don't, how many times do I have to say it?"

What is this, is he just screwing with me?

Either way, I didn't have time to waste mana on pointless chatter. I had to finish this for certain before my mana vanished completely!…

"We are, to put it precisely, the Old Demon Kings."

"…Old?"

I'd been about to drive my sword in no matter what he said—then the bastard said something that snagged hard on my nerves.

Old Demon Kings?

"We Seven Demon Kings are trials. Trials that every living thing on this land must overcome. Demon Kings born for that purpose."

"…What kind of bullshit is that. Born out of necessity… as trials?"

"That's right. That's why we possess not only the stature of Demon Kings, but another original power as well. Ya get me? I'm Fukhaedaeseong, the Flood Demon King. But my stature as a Demon King was stolen by the current Demon King. So what stature do ya think the power I've been usin' against ya this whole time belongs to? Can ya figure it out?"

"…"

His body… was changing.

The form that had been human stretched longer, longer still—

wrapped in seawater…

until it took on the shape of a dragon.

"Never imagined there'd come a day I'd properly introduce myself again."

"…You, son of a bitch."

"My name is Fukhaedaeseong, Flood Demon King Gyocheon. And my other name is… Dragon King Ananta."

Only then did I understand.

The reason Fukhaedaeseong's status window had never displayed properly was because he was a Demon King who had simultaneously been stripped of a Demon King's stature—observation itself had been impossible… meaning these were his true stats…

"Take this."

The dragon's maw yawned wide. At the same time, crimson flames began to writhe. The gathered fire erupted without delay—wide, so very wide. Riding across the surface of the sea, a mountain of flame carrying enormous mass was vomited forth.

Sword King Secret Arts

"Earth Cleaver!!!"

A single flash.

A slash that gathered every scrap of power split the breath. I held the golden flash before me like a shield, enduring the oncoming wave of fire. But the golden light of dawn could not last long. Battered again and again by the tide of flame, the light began to fade—and the moment even that final fragment vanished completely, the crimson fire crashed over my entire body.

"KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

Bubble… bubble…

Ah…

I got played.

A phase two right there was crossing the line.

Pain like my entire body was on fire crashed over me. They say you shouldn't get seawater in open wounds…

That bastard was still up there. He didn't seem to be moving yet… but there was no telling when he'd go after Seolrin.

So… I had to move…

This goddamn near-death penalty…

Isn't there something useful in the Sword King's memories?… He couldn't have always fought in perfect condition!…

"!"

There it is! A penalty-mitigation skill!!

At the same time, power surged through my entire body as if overflowing. Paradoxically, only by reaching a near-death state could I finally draw out 100% of my strength—something I'd never been able to fully recover to until now.

Kwaaang!!!!

"…So you were still alive after all."

"Yeah… I've got a phase ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠two of my own to show you."

I felt like I could use it now.

The technique I'd never been able to use until this moment—the Sword King Ultimate Arts.

"Sword King Ultimate Arts…"

"Hahahaha! Come!! Hero!!!"

"Heaven-Earth Cleaver."