Ch.91No Country for Old Men! (2)

#091

The doppelganger of the Abomination slowly approached and looked straight into Dexter’s indifferent eyes.

“You handle that weapon well, young Semu person.”

Hearing the Abomination’s rough, alien voice and foreign language, Dexter smiled lightly and placed his hand on his waist.

“…Semu person? Could you possibly be from the Central Plains?”

When Dexter also spoke in the alien language, Himena and Kuma, who were watching the two, became confused.

“What are they saying?”

“…I have no idea either.”

Unlike the two whose heads were filled with question marks, Dexter casually scanned the Abomination’s body and continued.

“I doubt someone from the Central Plains would participate as a test subject. I heard that in the Central Plains, people don’t carelessly treat their hair and body out of respect for their parents.”

“You even know our language well.”

The Abomination’s doppelganger laughed lightly at Dexter’s deduction.

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“Who you are. What reason would a Central Plains person who volunteered as a test subject have to come to this barren wasteland with nothing but rocks? Come on, that’s a bit strange, isn’t it?”

Nodding at Dexter’s sarcastic remark, the Abomination made a light fist-palm salute and said:

“In the martial arts world, I go by the humble title of Twin Claw Demon.”

For someone claiming his title was humble, the Twin Claw Demon spoke with considerable confidence. Dexter merely smirked.

“Yeah, it does sound pretty humble. I lived in the Central Plains for a while, and I’ve never heard of your title. People like Heavenly Demon or Blood Marquis… there are plenty of those, right?”

“…I spoke with courtesy, but you truly have the manners of a worm, befitting a Semu person. And what’s this about Heavenly Demon and Blood Marquis? Even I have only seen them from afar once, yet a Semu person living in this distant land claims to have seen them?”

Twin Claw Demon shot back at Dexter as if dumbfounded.

Understandably so, as the two people Dexter mentioned were masters of the highest caliber to Twin Claw Demon.

“I’ve actually seen both of them in person. Grandpa Heavenly Demon was surprisingly open-minded for his age, and Grandma Blood Marquis was kind. Ah, those sweets she gave me were really delicious.”

As Dexter licked his lips, Twin Claw Demon snorted and revealed his two claws, saying:

“Preposterous! How could someone like you, a Semu person, associate with the Heavenly Demon?”

“Oh, a few years ago, someone asked me to deliver something to Grandpa Heavenly Demon. Anyway, that’s not important, is it?”

In front of the indignant Twin Claw Demon, Dexter assumed a fighting stance with his fist extended forward and beckoned with his hand.

“Why waste words? Come at me.”

Dexter had noticed the current state of Twin Claw Demon wearing the Abomination’s disguise.

‘Without internal energy, one must rely solely on external techniques to fight.’

Dexter recalled the words of the “grandfather” who had taught him martial arts.

He doubted whether the Abomination before him was truly the master known as “Twin Claw Demon,” but one thing was certain: for a supposed master, he possessed not a trace of internal energy.

‘Then this should be manageable.’

While Dexter’s confidence extended to his biceps, Twin Claw Demon looked at Dexter, who seemed about the same age as his grandson, with disbelief.

“How impudent. A novice who doesn’t even know the basics dares to challenge me, the Twin Claw Demon?”

In response to Twin Claw Demon’s attitude of apparent reluctance to engage, Dexter provoked him with a single phrase.

“Scared?”

“What did you say?”

“I asked if you’re scared.”

At Dexter’s words, Twin Claw Demon’s eyes blazed with anger.

“…Insolent brat! Who are you calling scared?”

Twin Claw Demon curled his fingers on both hands, turning his five fingernails into blade-like weapons, and began charging at Dexter.

‘Those nails are seriously deadly.’

Though called nails, they were essentially like small knives attached to each finger.

One wrong move and Dexter’s fingers could be severed.

While the Abomination’s body, devoid of internal energy, couldn’t demonstrate Twin Claw Demon’s true martial arts techniques, he couldn’t bear to lose to the young Semu person before him who had barely outgrown his childishness.

In truth, Twin Claw Demon was a notorious sect leader from the Central Plains, a region on a planet dominated by martial arts and chivalry.

Though the body lacked internal energy, the power of the Abomination’s main form was overflowing, allowing the Abomination to perfectly replicate Twin Claw Demon’s movements that utilized internal energy for techniques.

“Excellent!”

“Excellent my ass. What are you, Freddy Krueger?”

Though Dexter spoke flippantly as Twin Claw Demon swung his hands, every attack was ferocious, befitting a sect leader.

Fighting bare-handed without even a common steel pipe was something Dexter hadn’t done in a while. As his concentration wavered momentarily, Twin Claw Demon approached fiercely, allowing no room for carelessness.

“Where are you looking!”

As Twin Claw Demon shouted and tried to scratch Dexter’s forearm, Dexter urgently pushed away Twin Claw Demon’s arm with the back of his hand.

When the nails came thrusting to scratch, he pushed them aside; when they tried to pin him down, he twisted his body to avoid them.

‘For someone without internal energy, his movements are too quick and powerful?’

It was evident that Twin Claw Demon was indeed someone with considerable experience, as he had claimed.

While Dexter could dodge the nails, it was barely enough, and he needed a breakthrough.

After deflecting another of Twin Claw Demon’s attacks, Dexter felt a tingling sensation in his hand and shook it as he spoke.

“That body you’re using now. It’s not originally yours, is it?”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

As sharp nails thrust toward his neck again, Dexter knocked Twin Claw Demon’s arm outward and jumped up with one knee bent.

It was a flying knee kick.

“…Nooo!”

Twin Claw Demon tilted his head back to avoid Dexter’s knee aimed at his chin.

Seeing this, Dexter straightened his bent knee and kicked Twin Claw Demon in the chest.

“Kugh.”

With the kick combined with Dexter’s body weight, Twin Claw Demon rolled back ungracefully.

“Twin Claw Demon or whatever, you’re not much.”

Dexter flicked his nostril with his thumb as he spoke.

“You’re getting cocky after landing just one attack!”

As Dexter’s confidence soared after finally landing an effective blow, Twin Claw Demon burst out in anger, finding it absurd.

“You talk too much. Come at me, I said.”

“Clearly, you insolent brat have been talking more… Fine, I’ll answer with skill!”

“Well, that’s fortunate…”

-Slash!

Twin Claw Demon’s nails momentarily grazed Dexter’s cheek.

Having twisted his face to avoid it, Dexter felt something warm flowing down his cheek and wiped it casually with the back of his hand.

“Huh.”

This was the second time Dexter had shed blood since coming to Earth, and his eyes slightly rolled back.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Dexter’s fist shot straight toward Twin Claw Demon’s chin, who tried to catch the fist with his palm.

“…Your strength is remarkable!”

Even though miniaturized, the Abomination’s body possessed enough strength to overpower an ordinary adult male.

But the hand that caught the punch, despite being filled with strength, began to bend backward under Dexter’s force.

-Keeeing…

As the sound of a blaster being charged was heard, Twin Claw Demon pushed Dexter’s fist away and tried to focus on attacking Dexter’s left hand to prevent him from firing the blaster.

-Slash!

As Twin Claw Demon’s sharp attacks resumed, Dexter furrowed his brow and responded.

Watching the exchange between the two that seemed straight out of an action movie, Himena and Kuma could only stare blankly, not daring to intervene.

“Amazing…”

“Not just that small Abomination, but Mr. Hughes is no pushover either. He’s incomparable to ordinary fighters.”

Using not just his hands but also his feet to launch various attacks, Dexter wasn’t struggling, but Twin Claw Demon, remotely controlling another body, was frustrated at being unable to use his internal energy, his greatest strength.

Moreover, the psychological pressure from the Chief watching him from behind his main body prevented him from fully demonstrating his skills.

Twin Claw Demon twisted his body oddly to avoid Dexter’s fist.

Simultaneously, he extended one hand, trying to grab and pierce Dexter’s neck with his nails.

‘I definitely shouldn’t underestimate him.’

Dexter pushed away Twin Claw Demon’s arm aiming for his neck.

The pushed arm caused Twin Claw Demon to momentarily lose balance and stagger.

It was a mistake a true master would never make.

‘I let my guard down!’

It was a mistake due to his underestimation of Dexter’s skills and his unfamiliarity with the body.

Dexter tried to drive a fist into his chest, but Twin Claw Demon struck down Dexter’s wrist.

Undeterred, Dexter drove his other fist straight into Twin Claw Demon’s grimacing face.

-Thud.

“Y-you brat!”

Having shamefully allowed the attack, Twin Claw Demon raised both hands skyward and then swung them down toward Dexter’s face and chest.

Just as he was about to swing them in an X-pattern, Dexter strongly blocked both wrists with his right hand and dove inside.

-Keeeing… Bang!

A high-powered blaster shot was fired at point-blank range, passing through the exposed chest.

Where the high-powered blaster shot had passed, the surrounding area turned black and smoke rose, similar to before.

“Eeek.”

Himena, who had been watching the fight, made a disgusted sound.

A hole large enough to fit an outstretched hand had been blown through the middle of the chest.

Twin Claw Demon, controlling the Abomination’s body, found he couldn’t move freely and realized his chest had been blown open.

“Damn it.”

The Abomination collapsed on the spot.

Soon, the body hardened like cement and suddenly crumbled to the ground.

Like a finely crushed stone statue, only ash-like powder remained on the ground.

At such an anticlimactic victory, Himena, who had been watching, pointed to the floating Abomination dust and said:

“…Did you defeat it?”

“Well, I’d like to think so, but…”

Dexter shook his head as he spoke.

Not only because of the unpleasant sound and presence other than the three of them in the vicinity, but also because something was missing from Twin Claw Demon’s reaction.

‘At the very least, he’s the type who would have said something more before leaving.’

-Rustle.

There was a faint sound of dry grass being stepped on.

Dexter, touching his already healed cheek wound, pointed to where the half-burned corpse of the large Abomination lay.

That was the source of the sound.

“Looks like it’s coming out again.”

“…How dare you use such sorcery!”

An Abomination identical to the one that had just turned to dust appeared again, bursting with anger.

The two who had been watching the fight couldn’t understand how the Abomination that had turned to dust had reappeared, but Dexter pointed as if it were obvious and said:

“How is a blaster sorcery? You dodged well without a word earlier. Are you going to call everything sorcery if you can’t dodge it?”

Twin Claw Demon had no response to Dexter’s direct hit.

Known as a “Demon” in his title for his cruel and monstrous deeds in the martial arts world, Twin Claw Demon, an old master who was practically the embodiment of sorcery, made an excuse without thinking to avoid losing to Dexter.

“All underhanded methods are sorcery!”

“The most underhanded one here is you. That body isn’t yours, is it? Your true form is elsewhere.”

Dexter had heard of non-humanoid aliens that abandoned old bodies and regenerated new, younger ones to live on, but he had never seen aliens that obtained new bodies in this manner.

“Besides, you’re a Central Plains person who doesn’t know about blasters or the power of plasma grenades. I’ve been to the Central Plains, remember? I don’t want to disparage your culture, but you guys still use matchlock guns.”

Dexter sneered.

“A Central Plains person wouldn’t have the scientific knowledge comparable to Earth people to use discontinued or ongoing experimental subjects.”

Dexter once again assumed his fighting stance and said:

“At the very least, it’s certain that someone is standing behind you.”

“…Has the Twin Claw Demon become evidence for your deduction?”

“Something like that.”

“Hahahahaha!”

Twin Claw Demon suddenly burst into loud laughter.

“Not bad, Semu person. What is your name?”

To Twin Claw Demon who suddenly asked for his name, Dexter readily revealed it.

“Dexter Hughes.”

“Dexter Hughes… That’s a long name…”

Twin Claw Demon once again revealed his nails and said:

“Though it may be underhanded, you’ve shown remarkable deductive skills, so I’ll tell you something.”

“What?”

“If you defeat me, I’ll tell you who stands behind me.”

Dexter snorted.

“That’s bullshit.”

“What?”

“Isn’t it embarrassing to talk as if you’re giving me a chance after getting beaten up until now? I should be the one giving you a chance.”

Indeed, the only effective hit Twin Claw Demon had landed on Dexter was the scratch on his cheek.

However, when you verbally beat someone with factual statements, they eventually resort to violence.

Unable to refute Dexter’s harsh words, Twin Claw Demon pointed at Dexter with his long index fingernail and said:

“…Your behavior and speech will lead you to make a grave mistake someday!”

With those words, Twin Claw Demon charged at Dexter.