I’m Here to End This Fight – Chapter 253

Chapter 253: Yuri vs. The Black Sword Corps (4)

Yuri’s eyebrows twisted in irritation.

He grumbled with a crooked voice.

“Wow, it must be my fault, huh? Yeah, I made a huge mistake, didn’t I?”

Even though Yuri’s sarcastic reaction could easily have soured the mood, Coco just looked at him with curious eyes.

“So, tell me… how did you really make it this far?”

Coco was well aware that the difficulty level was absurd, to say the least.

It wasn’t just a matter of whether cadets could clear it; even a certified sixth-rank expert wouldn’t stand a chance.

After all, it was impossible for a fellow certified sixth-rank to break through the Black Iron Formation that included a certified sixth-rank Black Sword captain.

‘But this guy actually managed to pull off the impossible?’

Wasn’t it an incredibly amusing situation?

Initially, it was just about getting some petty revenge on the guy who increased her workload, and maybe giving him a hard time.

But watching Yuri crawl his way through what she herself thought was an impossible difficulty, she started to reconsider.

Coco was immensely curious.

‘What on earth is his deal?’

What exactly did the Old Man Johan teach this guy?

What secrets was he hiding?

From the first Hundred Steps Ceremony when Yuri took fifteen steps, all the way to the present.

The curiosity and questions that had simmered within her while observing Yuri had finally exploded today.

That’s why Coco ignored everyone’s advice and went directly to the ninth floor.

‘Let’s see… how thoroughly I can tear him apart.’

Just as Coco’s gaze filled with anticipation settled on him—

“……?!”

Yuri’s expression instantly hardened as he put some distance between himself and Coco.

His palm, resting on the hilt of his sword, was damp with sweat.

Seeing Yuri’s wary reaction, Coco’s eyes sparkled with interest.

‘This kid has an uncanny sense, doesn’t he?’

She had just barely stirred her aura, yet he caught onto it.

This went beyond just being quick-witted; it was an instinctive, almost animalistic sensitivity.

‘This is truly fascinating.’

Coco’s gaze grew more intense, driven by a restless urge.

Yuri quickly raised his hand in response.

“Stop!”

“Hm?”

“Come on, this isn’t fair!”

“What’s unfair?”

Yuri raised his chin and shouted firmly.

“Substitute the player!”

“……?”

“Hey, is anyone there? Can we get someone other than Coco over here?”

“Huh?”

What on earth was going on?

Coco stared at Yuri with disbelief.

Yuri boldly puffed out his chest.

“I guarantee you, I can’t win.”

“Win what?”

“What else? Of course, I’m saying I can’t beat you, Coco.”

“…And how do you know without even trying?”

“Do you have to taste it to know whether it’s dung or mud? It’s reeking right now. This is clearly dung.”

“I get the feeling you’re calling me dung, but maybe it’s just my imagination?”

“Oh, did you catch that… I mean, why would you take it that way? It’s just a metaphor! Anyway, I’m not fighting you, Coco. I mean, I can’t! So just swap out the player.”

“…You, you weren’t the type to give up so easily, were you?”

If Yuri had been the type to easily give up and get discouraged, he wouldn’t have achieved what he had so far.

He also wouldn’t have received the Sword Master’s acknowledgment in the Hundred Steps Ceremony.

But despite Coco’s question, Yuri simply scratched his ear.

“It depends on the situation.”

Yuri flicked away the earwax from his finger.

“I’m not the type to charge in recklessly, you know?”

“Weren’t you?”

“Of course. I always assess the situation before diving in, and right now, it’s clear as day. Going against you is just a waste of time.”

“Huh? A waste of time?”

At Coco’s incredulous response, Yuri spoke calmly.

“The skill gap between you and me is obvious, and there’s no way you’d throw the match as the opponent. Plus, since I’m already on the ninth floor, if I can’t beat you, then I’ll just end up failing the quest and leave empty-handed.”

“…….”

“So why waste my energy on a quest that offers no rewards? Why hurt myself for no good reason?”

Of course, there were some gains to be had.

A fight against someone like Coco, whose level he couldn’t even gauge, would certainly be a valuable experience.

However, Yuri’s current attitude stemmed from sheer annoyance.

‘Damn it, there’s a limit to everything.’

A customized difficulty targeting him from the start?

And then the difficulty subtly… no, blatantly increasing along the way?

Fine. He could accept that.

But no matter how much he tried to be understanding, this current situation was just too much.

Yuri shot an irritated glare at Coco.

“Even if I let it slide that the quest difficulty was sneakily ramped up until now… having you as the opponent on the ninth floor is basically cheating.”

“Che… cheating?”

Hearing a word she had never even considered before thrown at her face, Coco blinked.

Yuri snorted dismissively.

“Isn’t that right? Anyone can see this is a rigged setup with zero percent chance of me winning… Anyone who knowingly enters such a rigged game is an idiot, aren’t they?”

Despite the potential valuable experience from a spar with Coco, Yuri had no desire to engage in a battle with a zero percent win rate.

No, more precisely, he had no intention of participating in Coco’s rigged game.

Even if he had to play in a rigged game, Yuri wanted to be in one that he set up himself, with at least a one percent chance of winning.

After all, any rigged game with a one percent chance of victory was still worth a shot if there was something to gain.

‘And in a situation like this… it’s time to cause a scene.’

Since he didn’t like the current setup, he’d just have to flip the table and start anew.

Thinking as such, Yuri’s stance became even more resolute.

“If you don’t switch out the player… I’m just going to drop this whole bet and quest, and head home.”

Coco’s brow furrowed at the genuine determination in Yuri’s voice.

However, she remained silent for a while, deep in thought.

Despite his stubborn attitude, Yuri wasn’t wrong.

After some contemplation, she finally spoke up.

“…Let’s do it this way.”

“How?”

“No player substitution.”

“That’s a bit disappointing.”

“But!”

Coco shot a sharp look at Yuri, who kept interrupting, then gestured at her cigar.

“I’ll consider it your victory if you can touch even the hem of my clothes before I finish this cigar.”

“…What’s the criteria for ‘finishing’ the cigar?”

“When the lit end reaches this boundary.”

Coco pointed to the end of the cigar in her mouth.

The cigar was wrapped in white paper, but the part near her lips was stained a yellowish color.

The boundary she referred to was where the white paper met the yellowed section.

“…….”

Yuri gazed intently at Coco’s cigar.

Then he turned his head sharply.

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

…Really?

Coco snapped in annoyance.

Yuri responded with a disgruntled tone.

“To be honest, you admit the quest difficulty was ramped up as part of someone’s little joke, right?”

“…So?”

“How about increasing the rewards?”

“You said it was fine before, that you’d let it slide.”

“That was then.”

Yuri turned his head the other way again.

Coco sighed slightly at the sight.

“So… what do you want?”

At her question, Yuri slowly straightened his head and responded in a slightly prim voice.

“Well, if you add about five more reward boxes, the balance should be about right….”

“…….”

To think someone could be this annoyingly coy with such a pretty face—Coco clicked her tongue but nodded.

“Fine, is that good enough?”

“Are you accepting the terms? Then let me summarize!”

“…Go ahead.”

“If I touch even the hem of your clothes before you finish that cigar, I win! So, in addition to the original rewards, add five more boxes for a total of twenty-five, plus the extra winnings from the bet, making it thirty reward boxes in total. Right?”

“Yes.”

“Great!”

Seeing Coco nod reluctantly, Yuri flashed a satisfied smile.

Coco lit her cigar and said.

“Then, shall we get started?”

*Hiss.*

As the sound of the cigar burning filled the air, Yuri raised his hand again.

“Oh, wait a moment!”

“What now?”

“I’m too exhausted.”

“……?”

“Let’s rest a bit and start later, okay? I’m pretty tired.”

Yuri, who had interrupted the flow, waved his hand weakly as if on the brink of collapse.

Coco stared at him.

Then, suddenly, she smirked.

‘…Huh?’

Yuri felt a chill run down his spine.

‘No way… This woman?!’

An uneasy premonition never fails.

“But what do we do now? I’ve already lit it.”

*Hoo.*

White smoke billowed from her lips.

And from beyond it, her figure wavered and disappeared.

Instinctively, Yuri tried to step back, but Coco was already right in front of him.

Yuri’s face hardened.

‘She’s fast!’

There was a time when he competed in speed against many others, starting from Theresia.

But recently, Yuri’s speed had reached a level far beyond the cadets or even the Black Sword Corps.

Thus, realizing how quickly Coco had closed the distance, Yuri’s heart pounded for

the first time in a while.

He drew his sword.

*Shwing.*

As the white blade was halfway unsheathed, Yuri’s eyes met Coco’s.

Her gaze flickered with danger.

‘……?!’

Suddenly, like lightning, Coco’s hand struck the hilt of Yuri’s sword as he tried to draw it.

*Thwack!*

The blade, which had been about to come free, snapped back into its scabbard.

Although failing to draw his weapon should have startled him, Yuri immediately redirected his hand to snatch Coco’s.

Seeing such quick reflexes, Coco laughed internally.

‘He’s not an old man, but how can he stay this calm even now?’

In a situation where a swordsman couldn’t draw his sword, those with less experience would freeze in panic or try to draw again.

But Yuri, despite being a swordsman, immediately gave up on his sword and instead went for Coco’s hand.

It was commendable, but…

‘But how rude! Trying to grab a lady’s hand like that.’

Coco had no intention of letting Yuri grab her hand.

*Swish.*

Coco’s arm moved in a bizarre motion, dodging Yuri’s grasp.

Yuri’s eyebrow twitched.

Realizing that her hand movements were too strange and fast for him to catch, Yuri quickly gave up.

Instead, he planned to use the gap created by her hand’s retreat to draw his sword again.

But—

‘Not so fast!’

Of course, Coco had no intention of allowing Yuri to draw his sword.

*Smack!*

Coco’s hand, hovering in the air, once again pushed Yuri’s sword back into its sheath.

The silver blade, once again partially drawn, snapped back into place.

Yuri’s eyes flared in frustration.

‘So, you want to play, huh?’

Yuri’s hands moved like lightning.

Coco’s movements became even more bizarre as she countered him.

Yuri tried to draw his sword while Coco repeatedly pushed the hilt back into its scabbard.

Yuri’s pale hands darted out to grab her, while Coco’s dark hands slipped away with ease.

The speed of their movements was astonishing, leaving afterimages in their wake, but their hands never met or clashed even once.

It was truly a bizarre sight.

Even more incredible was that the two were not just standing still but moving swiftly across the ninth floor.

Yuri kept trying to put distance between them, while Coco relentlessly closed in on him.

As this continued, Yuri clenched his teeth.

‘At this rate, it’ll never end.’

To be honest, if Coco wanted to end it, it would’ve been over long ago.

Right now, she was just playing around, and this would continue until she decided to stop.

The problem was that Coco’s little game was proving quite tough for Yuri.

‘Damn, I’m going to die at this rate!’

He was already on the verge of collapse after blazing through the eighth floor.

Having reached the ninth floor without even a proper rest, now being toyed with by Coco, his body screamed in protest.

‘Ugh!’

Yuri groaned internally as he glared at Coco, who looked like she was having fun.

‘Enjoying yourself?’

It seemed she was quite pleased with this little game of hers.

Since meeting Coco inside the cradle, this was the first time Yuri had seen her smile like this.

A faint glimmer flickered in his eyes and then retreated into their depths.

‘Fine, enjoy yourself to the fullest.’

As long as Coco stayed caught up in her game and didn’t go all out.

As long as she eventually let her guard down.

Yuri forced his creaking body to keep moving, waiting patiently.