Ch.327Breaking the Seal (3)

My role was simple. I just had to roam around as widely as possible, cutting down enemies one by one to reduce their numbers.

“There he is!! Block him!!!”

“That guy’s the ace!! Just neutralize him and we’re done!!”

An enormous number of guys blocked my path.

But whether there were ten or twenty of these small fries, it made no difference to me.

“Haaah…!!”

While charging my breath for a flash strike, I kicked off the wall and leaped high.

Whoooosh-!!

Simultaneously, I wrapped my sword in wind blades.

“Hyaaaaaah!!!”

I swung my sword in a wide arc.

Slaaaaaash-!!!

The wind-enhanced sword strike tore apart all the enemies in front of me.

Thud-! Flop-!!

The disciples all collapsed at once.

“Huff….I’m getting tired of these weaklings.”

This wasn’t even training for me anymore.

“Hohoho. It seems I’m the one who should fight you after all.”

Just then, a voice came from behind me.

A short old man stood there holding a sword.

“I knew you’d come, old man.”

In the end, it was fate for ace to face ace.

“Yes. I’m so excited to fight you that I feel my little friend standing at attention.”

The old man smiled as he raised his sword.

“Old man…no need to bluff. Your little friend…at your age, it doesn’t stand anymore.”

That’s what I said.

“Don’t underestimate me!!! It stands sometimes!! Very occasionally!!! Very occasionally I land a critical hit!!”

The old man got angry. Seems like…I stepped on a sore spot.

“Anyway, let’s fight quickly. You don’t want to be part of this farce because of your granddaughter either, right?”

I shrugged my shoulders and raised my sword.

“I see…..You must be so excited to fight me that your little friend is standing at attention too.”

The old man smiled as he raised his sword.

“It’s not.”

I waved my hand dismissively. No matter how desperate I might be, I wouldn’t get excited facing an old man like him.

“Before we fight, let’s introduce ourselves. You, what’s your name?”

The old man asked.

“Arigiri Shota.”

I said curtly.

“Hmph. My name is….Fleur Holchak. Remember that name well.”

The old man smiled as he raised his sword.

“I see you’re Gonzaemon’s son. I owe that fellow something. I’ll hit you thinking you’re Gonzaemon.”

The old man said.

“Master……”

This guy seems to have quite a few grudges. What did you do this time?

“Well then…let’s begin.”

In that moment, the old man closed the distance instantly.

Clang-! Clang-! Clang-!

A barrage of overwhelming strikes came at me in an instant.

“Ugh…!”

I had no choice but to focus all my strength on blocking his sword strikes. He seemed to compensate for his short stature with the speed of his attacks. Think of that green old man from Star Wars. He was jumping around and swinging his sword so wildly that I couldn’t find an opening to attack.

“Hohoho!!”

Holchak kicked off the wall and came around toward my flank.

“I see you!! Old man!!!”

I immediately swung my sword toward my side.

Claaaaaang-!!!

My sword and Holchak’s collided.

Shriiiing-!

In that moment, the impact I felt quickly diminished. My sword cut through empty air. Holchak had used that technique again. He had slipped away like flowing water and burrowed into my guard.

“It seems your umamebong is…located in your stomach area.”

Holchak’s words sent a chill down my spine. He had already figured out the location of my umamebong.

“Ugh…!!”

I clicked my tongue and immediately took a defensive stance.

“There it is!!”

Holchak swung his sword, trying to destroy my umamebong.

Booooom-!!!

With Holchak’s thrust, an explosion echoed from all directions.

“Phew…..”

I barely managed to raise my arm to block the sword strike.

“Hmph. You sacrificed your arm to protect your umamebong. Good sense.”

Holchak said with a smile.

“You use an annoying sword style, old man.”

I sighed and widened the distance between us.

In terms of specs and physical abilities, I wasn’t losing. However, my sword strikes weren’t reaching Holchak at all. He was easily deflecting all my attacks.

“Still…I’ve got a feel for your sword style now. Your attacks are crude.”

I said with a smile.

That’s right. Holchak’s thrusts were strong but not as good as Kana’s Tennen Rishin style. His slashing attacks were ordinary, his thrusts were ordinary. It wasn’t a style specialized for offense. It was an extremely defensive sword technique focused solely on deflecting the enemy’s attacks.

“That hurts because it’s true….young man.”

Holchak didn’t deny it.

“But…this sword style has never been broken. Because it maintained its supremacy, our Fleur family became renowned for swordsmanship.”

Holchak took another strange stance.

“No matter how strong your sword style is, it won’t reach me.”

Holchak said confidently.

I knew that wasn’t just bluster. So far, I hadn’t been able to break through Holchak’s sword style.

He was a formidable opponent.

‘Is he worth converting into a memory of a strong opponent….’

I sensed that intuitively.

If so, I had no choice but to approach the enemy in a new way.

“Haaaaaah….!”

I charged my Incandescent Stance. As my body glowed red, steam rose from my body.

“Ah….that. Kiryu Second. The technique Gonzaemon used. Do you think that will work?”

Holchak said with a smirk.

“It’s not Kiryu Second. It’s Incandescent Stance.”

That’s too much plagiarism.

After charging my Incandescent Stance, I took my position.

“I’ve figured out your pattern, old man. You barely block the enemy’s attack, then immediately twist your body to burrow into their flank.”

By dodging right before being hit, he could deceive his opponent. Because the enemy thinks their attack has landed, they complete their motion, creating a delay that he exploits to launch his own attack.

If that was the case, I just needed to catch him even during his evasion timing.

“Young people are so spirited. Let’s see what you can do.”

Holchak said with a smile.

“Here I come!!!!”

I immediately kicked off the ground and charged forward.

———-

At that time, Thumbs-up Man was engaged in a chaotic battle.

Swish-! Swish-!

He was swinging his sword diligently, but all of Thumbs-up Man’s sword strikes slipped off Bald Man.

“Ufufufu!! Slippery, isn’t it?!! This is the perfected form of my sword style!!”

Right after that, Bald Man swung his sword widely.

Claaaaaang-!!!

Thumbs-up Man barely blocked the sword strike, but his body was pushed back significantly.

“To reduce friction to zero….”

Thumbs-up Man had no idea that was even possible.

“Heheheh. This is the state I’ve reached by pursuing the ultimate baldness.”

Bald Man laughed.

“Bald…because he’s bald.”

The moment he heard that word, Thumbs-up Man realized something.

Thumbs-up Man took out a medicine bottle from his waist. It was the miracle hair growth tonic that Shota had given him before. Due to the previous incident, it no longer had any effect on Thumbs-up Man, but out of some inexplicable attachment, he continued to carry the bottle like a charm. It was a trace of his lingering regret.

Even if it had no effect on Thumbs-up Man…it could work on this guy.

“Well. Let’s finish this. I’ll make you pay for opposing the Fleur family.”

Bald Man slid forward and was about to swing his sword at Thumbs-up Man.

Thumbs-up Man opened the medicine bottle with determination. It was essentially the only remaining sample of the miracle hair growth tonic. He had been told that it would take an enormous amount of time and budget to make it again.

‘But…winning comes first!!’

Once engaged in battle, Thumbs-up Man couldn’t back down.

“Hnnnngh…!!!!”

Thumbs-up Man pretended to swing his sword, then sprayed the medicine directly at the approaching Bald Man.

Splash-!!

The brown liquid splattered all over Bald Man’s body.

“Ugh…!!”

Bald Man staggered after being hit by the liquid.

“Haha!! Not poison or anything like that!! Just a cheap trick!!! However!! You’re only delaying your defeat!!”

Bald Man laughed and swung his sword.

But a strange phenomenon occurred immediately.

Sprout-! Sprout-!!

An enormous amount of hair grew all over Bald Man’s body. Not just on his head, but on his chest, arms, legs—everywhere.

“Th-this…!!”

Bald Man’s movements noticeably slowed down.

“It seems the hair growth tonic is working.”

Thumbs-up Man smiled as he raised his sword.

“With this….your body now has friction too.”

While Bald Man was still in shock, Thumbs-up Man immediately closed the distance.

“D-damn it…!! Stop!!”

Bald Man frantically grabbed his sword.

“Take this!!!!!!!”

Without hesitation, Thumbs-up Man brought his sword down on Bald Man’s head.

Thwack-!!

This time, the sword strike didn’t slip off. The bamboo sword cleanly struck Bald Man’s head. Because hair had grown, Bald Man’s body itself now had friction.

“Ugh….huff!!!”

Bald Man gasped for breath, then collapsed.

Thud-!!

Bald Man fell face down, his backside in the air.

Pop-!

Thumbs-up Man immediately picked up the umamebong that was stuck in Bald Man’s backside.

Crack-!

Thumbs-up Man lightly broke the umamebong.

“I won. Shota…..”

Thumbs-up Man slumped to the ground. He wasn’t unscathed either. He had used too much energy in the battle.

“The rest….I leave to you all.”

Thumbs-up Man then closed his eyes.

With this, three members of the Fleur family had been retired.

———

At that time. Back to Shota’s perspective.

“Here I come!!!”

With my body wrapped in the Incandescent Stance, I closed the distance to Holchak.

Whoosh-!

First, a quick strike. As expected, Holchak almost got hit by the sword but then twisted his body. I had read that far. Holchak’s speed was already at a level that couldn’t be tracked by the eye.

If I watched with my eyes, I would be deceived. Knowing this, I immediately closed my eyes.

I had to read the enemy solely through their presence. Because presence doesn’t lie.

Swish-!

As numerous breaths swirled around me, I detected Holchak’s breath.

“There you are!!!!!”

I shouted loudly and immediately swung my sword. Without being deceived by my eyes, I swung my sword toward where I sensed his breath. If I missed, it would be my defeat; if I hit, it would be my victory. I bet everything on this sword strike.

Thwack-!!!!!!

The sword cleanly struck Holchak’s chest.

“Gaaaah…!!!!”

Holchak rolled dramatically across the ground.

Crack-!

The umamebong on Holchak’s chest shattered into dust.

“Elder abuse….you rascal…!”

With those final words, Holchak passed out.

With that, I had defeated Holchak.

I had beaten a formidable opponent and was thinking about taking a short break when…I sensed a presence from afar.

It was Senior Sayaka’s presence. Her breathing was extremely disturbed. Senior Sayaka was in danger.

It would be too late if I ran there directly.

“Violet!!! Come!!!”

I immediately called for Violet, my mobile dimensional gate.

“Seriously!! Stop using me so casually!!!”

Despite complaining like that, Violet opened a portal nearby and jumped out right away. Heheh. What a tsundere.