Episode 257
I aimed for an opening with a front kick. Even though Peter Fang walked on two legs, he was hunched over like a beast. This naturally made him vulnerable to attacks from below.
The moment my foot slammed into his jaw, Peter Fang staggered. Then he leaped onto a rooftop before I could follow up with another attack.
I wondered if all heroes were naturally so tough. Even a thick-skinned ogre would've felt its internal organs twist from that blow, but Peter Fang had regained control over his body in an instant and retreated to safety.
He coughed a few times with the full moon behind him. Then he glared down at me with fierce eyes and growled, "You. Are you the contractor of the ominous black snake?"
"What?" I replied.
"Don't play dumb. That creepy presence and distinct appearance... Most of all, you saw through my stealth. There is no other explanation except the ominous black snake."
"I don't know about ominous, but I did sign a contract with a black snake."
"As expected." Peter Fang suddenly acted like he knew everything. "Yes. Since you're the contractor of the black snake, I'll go all-out."
The moment he uttered those unwelcome words, I heard the sound of bones and muscles twisting in Peter Fang's body.
Was he about to transform? If so, I wasn't about to just watch and wait. I abruptly threw the Seven Sins Sword.
Peter Fang's body had just started contorting, but he twisted his body in an unnatural posture to dodge the thrown sword, remarking, "You're better at dodging than I expected."
I grinned and leaped onto the roof. By the time I re-sheathed the Seven Sins Sword, Peter Fang had finished his transformation. He had grown nearly twice as big, and there was no longer any sense of reason in his eyes.
I'd heard that there were many types of transformations for beastfolk. This one was probably the type of transformation that greatly increased their physical abilities in return for sacrificing their sense of reason.
I tended to look down on beings that had no reason. Monsters with incomprehensible power were far less troublesome than masters who had spent decades honing a single martial art and reaching deep enlightenment.
However, I had to admit that Peter Fang's transformation was quite threatening. It was said that overwhelming power didn't require technique.
Peter Fang had doubled in size, but his speed had increased. That was to say nothing of his pure strength. His attacks were just slow enough that I could dodge, but I felt a chill run down my spine every time his sharp claws grazed my hair.
There was one fortunate thing, though. After a long series of battles, the effect of the First Fire Technique had started manifesting quite dramatically. I couldn't use the purple flames or blue flames, so my only hope was to enter the White Flame state. Fortunately, my mind turned white in the middle of my battle with Peter Fang.
Baaaang!
He had lost his sense of reason, but he hadn't become a complete fool. This guy showed obvious surprise at my change.
Now that I had entered the White Flame state, I had the option of defending instead of just evading. I could now face Peter Fang's offensive head-on. Of course, that was only possible thanks to the combination of the White Flame state, the divine beast's blessing, and the Hidden Scales Armor.
As the battle dragged on, my body became hotter and I could feel heat rising in my head. My chest and throat tickled as if I was going to sneeze at any moment.
It looks like I need to push myself, I thought. I couldn't keep using my right arm as an excuse.
From the looks of it, Peter Fang had pushed himself to the limit and dragged out all his strength. If I played it safe for fear of repercussions against such an enemy, I would only end up suffering greatly.
I gathered internal energy in my right arm. The unique energy of the First Fire Technique surged through the damaged meridians of my arms, flooding the veins within. I once again felt a searing pain like pure fire.
Endure it, I thought. For the first time in a while, I engaged Peter Fang with both hands.
"Hah." A voice reached my ears. I didn't know if it was admiration or despair from one of the fallen heroes.
"What is this?" I murmured.
Was this proof that I hadn't fully immersed myself in this fight? Or was it a manifestation of caution, that I was still paying attention to the intrusion of others in the midst of the battle with Peter Fang?
It's the latter. It must be. I, Luan, was a positive person, so I decided to interpret it that way.
At the very least, forcing internal energy into my right arm had paid off. I was able to continue fighting for a while with Peter Fang, who had become a monster.
And yet, at some point, I started being pushed back again.
Huh? I thought.
It wasn't because Peter Fang had suddenly become stronger. It was purely a problem with me. My right arm was a mess, so it wasn't easy to use my internal energy properly. At this rate, I was starting to wonder if it was better to just fight like before. The efficiency of the infused internal energy was that poor.
I felt like I wouldn't be able to win if I tried to force myself like this, so I was forced to stop using the internal energy attack in the end. Naturally, I changed back to using the White Sun Eclipse with my left hand and wielding the Seven Sins Sword with my right hand.
It was the complete opposite of my usual fighting style, so my limbs felt uncoordinated. It was like holding a shield in my right hand and a sword in my left. It was an unexpected challenge, but I thought it would be a clue to the next realm that I had been searching for.
I'd always talked about how I could handle the sword better with my left hand, or that the power of the White Sun Eclipse would be greater with my right hand. Put in a positive light, that could be construed as a strength; but on the flipside, those could all just be called excuses.
In contrast, my master would be able to wield a sword with both feet as well as both hands. He would also be able to easily use all the techniques of the White Sun Eclipse.
Then, something unexpected happened again. To my surprise, the feeling of swinging my sword with my right hand stopped feeling as bad as I initially thought. I was uncoordinated at first, but as the battle continued, the form of my swordsmanship strangely began to stabilize. It was like tuning an instrument.
No, more than that, my moves seemed even stronger than before. Just then, I thought of the Martial God's movements. Like most martial artists, he was right-handed. That meant the Galaxy Sword was originally created for a right-handed martial artist.
The Galaxy Sword I used with my left hand wasn't bad, but as a human, my left and right hands weren't exactly the same. From the major structure of the muscles and bones, to the shape of the fingernails, the number of wrinkles, and even the location of moles, there were bound to be differences.
Above all, martial arts was about systematically attacking the opponent's vitals. However, the vital areas in humans weren't symmetrical.
I can't believe I'm only realizing such a simple thing now, I thought to myself. Every once in a while, people experienced such a thing. A troubling problem or long-standing doubt was suddenly resolved with a ridiculously simple realization or change.
Grrrung!
Peter Fang's cries became fiercer, but compared to the ferocity in his voice, the overall battle had shifted in my favor.
By this time, the awkwardness of swinging the sword with my right hand had completely disappeared. I even felt a sense of familiarity.
In the first place, before the tendons of my right arm were cut, I'd mainly swung a sword with my right arm. In a broader sense, wasn't this fight more like rehabilitation than training for me?
Forget about the White Sun Eclipse for a moment. For now, it was the right move to respond only with the sword.
Luan Badniker must use the White Sun Eclipse in order to do his best. In fact, even that thought could have just been my own bias.
Full power meant using all of one's strength. However, strength was relative. It was greatly affected by the environment and one's current condition, as well as the opponent.
In many ways, combat was full of variables. That meant the best quality a master had to possess was the flexibility to draw out their full power no matter the situation.
The Seven Sins Sword hummed as if resonating with my realization. It wasn't grandiose enough to be called a sword cry, but it carried a rhythm worth listening to.
For the first time in a while, I heard the Martial God's voice.
—It is fine to pursue freedom, but you must at minimum maintain the standard of your form.
Had the sword's hum woken him up?
—This isn't a contradictory teaching. Some martial artists believe that enlightenment involves getting rid of one's form and transcending it, but I have a different opinion. Martial arts in themselves are a treasure trove of human history. Even something as simple as a straight punch today undoubtedly began as something cruder and more primitive. Many of our ancestors studied and refined such forms, and found a balance between minimizing the burden on the body and maximizing power. Therefore, the most important thing in martial arts is always finding that middle ground.
I listened silently.
—I will say it one more time. Pursue freedom, but maintain form. If you can do that...
The voice of the Martial God slowed down for a moment. It was because my energy detection had sharpened to the extreme. I could even see the mana condensed around Peter Fang's teeth. It seemed he was going to end this with a bite. I made that prediction based on Peter Fang's gaze, his muscle contractions, and above all, the movement of his mana.
Regardless of the prediction, it was a foregone conclusion that the attack had to be broken head-on.
My blade is harder than the fangs of wild beasts, I thought. There was nothing lacking about the durability of the Seven Sins Sword. That meant the outcome of the battle would be determined by my internal energy management and precise control.
I gripped the hilt with both hands. Using the Seven Sins Sword as a medium, I poured internal energy into my left arm, while my right arm took charge of control and coordination.
Just like when I performed the Setting Sun Barrier against Heero, I used three different flames. Compared to that time, there were almost no side effects on my body. Of course, there would be far less waste when used for attacking than defending, so I tried to unite the scattered flames as much as possible.
It was as if I was compressing the flames as they rushed through the blade, rather than integrating them. The technique that came to mind at that moment couldn't quite be called the Galaxy Sword or the White Sun Eclipse. I had no choice but to give it a new name. Of course, I didn't have the luxury to do that right now, so I would leave it for later.
This attack had to be a single blow, and it had to contain all my strength. So just as I compressed the flames, I needed to compress the sword's trajectory.
I had to forget about sharpness for the moment. My understanding was too insufficient to confront Peter Fang's killing energy head-on. The strongest attack that I could show right now, the best move I could choose in order to display my full power, could only be embodied by solidity.
I wondered why. The most recent opponent who had left me flustered using solidity was probably Heavy Sword Heero. However, at this moment, it was Mir Giant who popped into my mind.
An image of Mir that I had actually never seen flashed through my mind. It was a little giant, laughing and standing up despite being trampled on by a doll dozens of times heavier and hundreds of times larger than her.
This kind of spirit couldn't manifest merely through a strong body. No, what needed to be trained now wasn't my weapon or internal energy attack, but my mindset.
Stab.
The moment I settled into the stance, the three flames wrapped around my blade shot forward and pierced the wolf's fangs.
Baaam!
The sound of shattering teeth filled the air as those fangs, which were much thicker than even a craftsman's callused fingers, were smashed to pieces.
Peter Fang staggered. He was experiencing the temporary dizziness that came from pouring all of one's mana into an attack, only for it to be blocked. Such a disruption was fatal in a duel between top masters.
I immediately narrowed the distance to Peter Fang. He tried to follow my movements as best he could with his dazed eyes, but I disappeared from his field of view, causing him to lash out blindly.
The direction and accuracy were quite fierce for something done on instinct. I could dodge it, but letting go of this golden opportunity would be even more foolish. Despite the sharp pain of my chest being slashed, my mind remained calm as I searched for Peter Fang's weak spot.
Oh? It was hard to see due to all the fur, but there was a clear imprint of my foot on his solar plexus. It was natural, as that front kick had struck him pretty hard. There was no way there would be no impact.
I grinned and punched the exact same spot.
Baaaang!
The sound that rang out wasn't something one would normally hear upon landing a body blow. That showed me just how hard Peter Fang's body was.
However, no living creature could train their internal organs. Peter Fang spurted blood and collapsed.
—Every martial art has a purpose for its creation, and the Galaxy Sword is no different. At this moment, your mindset has become freed in an ideal form, but you haven't forgotten its essence. A compressed sword path and a strong mindset. This could be considered as simultaneously completing two stages.
"Two stages?"
—Yes, Messenger. I congratulate you on reaching the realm of Phecda.
Hah.
I panted. Before I could respond, I felt a throbbing pain from my chest. There was a diagonal claw mark across it. Peter Fang's final attack had left a wound. It looked dramatic and bled a bit, but it wasn't fatal.
The realm of Phecda?
I had unintentionally leapt two stages in the realms of the Galaxy Sword. It was like stepping backward and accidentally crushing a rat. Of course, that was a good thing for me, whose priority was to become stronger.
With a sigh, I belatedly steadied my breathing and tightened my chest muscles. I could stop the bleeding if I focused enough, but in the end, it was only a first aid measure. I needed hemostatic medicine and bandages.
Of course, I couldn't show weakness in a situation where I was surrounded by enemies. Thus, I looked at the heroes with an expression that was as nonchalant as possible, calling out, "Who's next?"
Was Peter Fang's defeat such a big shock? The heroes hesitated as they looked at me in silence. I could see surprise, awe, and fear in their eyes. Come to think of it, I probably didn't look sane as I smiled under the moonlight, covered in blood.
This was why there was a saying that momentum won fights. Regardless of physical condition, if they had that kind of timid mindset, then I could continue my winning streak even against A-class heroes. Of course, it would be best if they became scared and retreated.
I asked, "Zach, was it? Don't you think it's time for you to step up? Stop sending your underlings."
Zach opened his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted.
"No. I will be next." A cold voice came from above me.
I wondered how that was possible, as I was currently standing on the roof of a fairly tall building. However, I understood what was going on the moment I heard the sound of wings flapping and looked up at the night sky.
A man from the winged race, said to be the second-rarest of the seven races after the dragons, was floating in the air. White wings spread out behind his back.
This time, I couldn't even laugh at the absurdity. Perhaps I was so tired that I couldn't gauge the situation properly. I forcefully shook off the pressure on my shoulders.
The aura I felt now was much stronger than that of Peter Fang, Laura, or even Zach. It was a natural presence that only a strong person who had reached the level of a master could have.
I had experienced this kind of presence before when I confronted the Iron-Blooded Lord, when I met Maxim, and when I angered Taon Gludd.
The man asked, "Did you say that if someone was higher than B-class, they should introduce themselves?"
I said nothing.
"My name is Feed. Heavenly Wind Knight," he said.
Heavenly Wind Knight Feed was a hero whose name I knew well. This man was someone whose position was inviolable even in the Hero Society: An S-class hero.
