Volume 6 Chapter 36 Devouring
I thought that to defeat Sieg, I had to thoroughly destroy his body.
His fist is already half-destroyed. But his fist is just a physical object. As long as I can damage it, it's not the source of Sieg's power.
Arms, chest, waist.
In the chain of muscles like that, a single blow that can destroy Sieg entirely is born.
So, the way to destroy him is to target each part of Sieg's body one by one and separate them from the battle.
What's necessary for that is to prevent Sieg from dodging and land a solid attack. A blow that can't be dodged. An unpredictable slash. Unstoppable.
Let's try it, I thought, and I struck my left hand's crystal eye.
I launched crystal swords around Sieg. Sieg easily destroyed the crystal swords that flew towards him, but he couldn't do anything about the ones that stuck into the ground.
This is just a setup. But it's not time to activate it yet.
I lowered my stance. I could attack from right there, but I didn't. Such an attack wouldn't work on Sieg.
So I used Repulsion to lighten my body and shot it out from the ground.
"Not bad, you're pretty fast, but...?"
Sieg tried to knock me down, but I jumped over his head. Sieg was caught off guard and missed his punch.
So I used the crystal sword stuck in the ground as a foothold and launched myself with Repulsion.
I struck. One blow. Sieg, who was caught off guard, suffered a shallow wound on his foot.
"Hmm, you're quick."
"Next one's coming!"
I launched myself again with Repulsion, using the floating crystal sword as a foothold, and struck from 3 dimensions. Sideways.
"Hah, you're using your head."
Sieg raised the corner of his mouth. "But" ―― he let out a breath.
"You think you can win with that?"
Sieg quickly caught up to me, who was using the crystal sword as a foothold to strike, and kicked me. My body was split in 2, and my chest was crushed.
"Ha, the tables have turned."
"No way, not yet!"
I dropped Durandal, used gravity magic to float, and strengthened the impact to pierce Sieg. It's a shallow wound. But Sieg didn't understand the situation and furrowed his brow.
I took advantage of the opening and dodged Sieg's attack, getting back to my feet. I regained control of Durandal. Sieg was looking at me with an unreadable expression.
"I'm surprised. I didn't expect that to happen."
"You can't underestimate the power of a clever trick."
But I thought, this strategy might not work out after all. It's too easy to counter.
I quickly retreated, creating some distance between us. Sieg was staring at me intently.
I thought to myself, what's my next move? What would be fun? A head-on battle would be exciting, but it would be over too soon. I want to prolong the fight.
So, I decided to switch tactics. Let's start with a long-range battle.
I floated Durandal in the air using gravity magic. Since the magic was connected to the sword, I could control it without any issues. Durandal remained suspended in the air, its size, weight, and shape unchanged.
I decided to go for it.
I poured magic into Durandal and ordered it to split. Unlike before, Durandal slowly divided into 3 parts.
Three swings.
Durandal had increased to 3 swings. Anything more would be difficult. But 3 should be enough. If it multiplied indefinitely, the crystal sword would become useless.
"Sieg."
I punched my left hand with my right fist, unleashing hundreds of crystal swords.
"Why don't we change our strategy and engage in a long-range battle? You can fire your fist pressure too, can't you?"
"Hmm, that's an interesting proposal. I'll accept it."
Sieg took a half-step back, raising his fist. I spread out the crystal swords, pointing all of their tips at Sieg.
I reached out to Sieg.
"Let's begin."
The crystal swords rained down on Sieg. Sieg didn't do anything. I furrowed my brow.
The crystal swords had gathered too much, making Sieg look like a porcupine. But he still didn't do anything, remaining silent. I tilted my head, then reached out again.
The second wave descended. The porcupine-like figure grew larger. Even Sieg might be crushed to death. I was getting increasingly worried.
And then the third wave. I mixed in one Durandal, unleashing a simultaneous attack with the crystal swords.
Sieg's voice rose.
"I've been waiting for this moment."
The shockwave destroyed everything and spread out.
Crystal fragments rained down like rain, and I couldn't help but cover my eyes. Then, I uncovered my arm and stared.
Sieg was gripping Durandal with one hand.
"Hey, you! That's cheating! You can't do that!"
"You have 3 of them. Lend me one, will you?"
"Don't say something so childish! You're not a kid playing with toys!"
Sieg grinned, swinging his sword with a practiced hand. Durandal danced in his hand with a familiar touch.
"Long-range battles are my win, it seems. Then, let's propose the next match from my side."
Sieg pointed his sword at me.
"A sword fight, then. You were cut down multiple times just now, but you're not a swordsman, Wade. So, let's have a sword fight with me, who's also not good with swords."
"A fight between those who are bad at swords?"
"That sounds fun!"
"Ah, I'm so excited! I can't stop!"
I gripped 2 Durandals in my hands, taking a dual-wielding stance.
The wind blew. We both waited, our tension building. But at the same time, I couldn't help but find it ridiculous.
The original Durandal, now in the hands of my enemies, was about to clash with me. This was an unexpected development, even for Durandal. And so was I.
Both Sieg and I burst out laughing. Our feet tapped the ground impatiently, as if we couldn't wait.
We both lost our patience at the same time.
Sieg and I jumped out simultaneously, swinging our swords and clashing. Since neither of us was a professional, our swordplay was rough and wild.
But even so, our attacking power didn't change. Our Durandals clashed, sparks flying as we exchanged blows.
"Hah!"
"Huh!"
That's it.
"Hahah!"
"Huh, hahah!"
Really.
"Hahahah, ahahahah!"
"Fuhahahah, hahahahahah!"
It was unbearable, yet so enjoyable.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"FUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
We clashed swords, our wild and rough swordplay cutting into each other's bodies, as if devouring each other.
I went all out with my dual-wielded swords, and Sieg swung his sword wildly, relying on his speed. It was a force so strong that even Wrath and Brada would get angry if they saw it.
The shattered fragments of Durandal flew everywhere, and I couldn't dodge Sieg's sword, which my body was easily cut in 2 and regenerated. Meanwhile, Sieg couldn't defend against my dual-wielded swords attacks, and his body was gradually getting injured.
It was a reckless, all-out battle, but it was ridiculously fun. I'd already forgotten about the pain. My brain was overflowing with the thrill of combat, and I was laughing maniacally as I swung my swords wildly.
Swords.
The afterimages of our swords were coloring the air around us, like we were at the center of a whirlwind. It was a strange, thrilling feeling. I couldn't even tell whose sword afterimages they were, mine or Sieg's.
The only thing I knew was that the end was near.
My head flew off, and I finally cut off Sieg's leg, collapsing to one knee. My head quickly healed, but Sieg wasn't so lucky.
"...It's sad."
Sieg said, struggling to stand up.
"This battle that's been so much fun is finally coming to an end. I'm going to miss it."
"Yeah, me too. I wish it could go on forever."
"But..."
"Ah, yeah. We have something to carry on our backs."
Sieg laughed fiercely and threw away my sword. I caught it with my gravity magic and switched to a 3-sword style with my magic.
Sieg clenched his fists.
"In the end, this is what we are. Fists. We can only communicate with our fists."
"Yeah, that's right. I'll go back to my usual fighting style too."
I transformed my dual-wielded Durandal into a fist-fit shape, and it changed into a gauntlet on my arm. The only difference from usual was that the hilt remained on my palm, making it easier to grip.
This way, I could fight like myself. Both hands were fists, and my sword was just a magic-enhanced swing.
I destroyed the remaining crystal swords, shattering them into pieces that fell to the ground, filling the area with magic energy. That energy would temporarily support my Anahata chakra even if my brain was destroyed.
"Let's go, final battle, Wade!"
"Yeah, let's do it, Sieg!"
We took a fighting stance, the 2 of us. As always, we clashed simultaneously, our fists meeting in mid-air.
The battle of fists began. Infinite attack power collided with infinite attack power. Sieg unleashed a flurry of punches that could kill me with a single hit, and I countered with a series of punches that could take him down.
But our exchange of blows was on a different level. We didn't hold back, and our punches didn't land. Despite being faster and more accurate, our battle was unlike any sword fight.
It was more intense than a chaotic sword fight, and the burden was heavier. We didn't land a hit, but our breathing was labored. We were dead serious, and neither of us would back down.
In the midst of it all, Sieg shouted.
"Wade! I'm carrying the king's expectations! The king is my best friend! We're bound by a rotten friendship! I want to see the world where the king's dreams come true!"
"Sieg! I have many precious friends! That's why I have to protect Karditsa! I have 3 wives, 3 best friends, and a daughter!"
Ice, Toxy, Sandra. My 3 wives.
Clay, Alex, Frain. My 3 best friends.
Moruru. My only daughter.
I increased my punching speed even more.
"Wade, you're a parent at your age?"
"Yeah! I can't lose for my child's sake!"
Our fists clashed, and we fiercely exchanged blows. I thought to myself, "I won't lose to Sieg's fists." Sieg laughed maniacally, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
"I had someone I loved too! It's a distant past now! That person was like a sister to me, but she was r*ped and killed by an orc!"
Sieg's fist flew towards my face. I dodged it at the last second, but the wind pressure split my cheek.
"I swore an oath! I'll put an end to a world where the weak are oppressed! That's why I made a contract with God, I'm the only faithful believer, and to me, that God is the only God!"
"You're having a pretty intense life, aren't you? But I won't lose to you, Sieg!"
"I won't lose either, Wade! Sorry to say, but I'll win, even if it means hurting your family!"
Our fists pierced each other's cheeks. My head flew back, and Sieg's brain reeled. We both fell to our knees, but quickly got back up.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA! My knees are laughing, Sieg! Your Fist of the Dragon's name is crying!"
"You're the one who's not growing at all, you're stuck in the same old rut! In this fight, you haven't even gotten a single hit in, and now you're saying you're Slow? Give me a break!"
"That nickname, to be honest, I don't really like it!"
"That was bad!"
Sieg's body blow pierced through my torso. At the same time, I used my gravity magic to summon a sword, Durandal, and stabbed Sieg with it.
As I figured out how to increase my power, Durandal pierced through Sieg's torso. Sieg's eyes widened, but he still laughed ferociously, blood dripping from his mouth. But that was just a minor issue.
"And what's with that?! Who's not growing at all?! Who got pierced by a sword in one hit?! Huh?!"
"You're just used to wielding a familiar weapon, that's all! Don't get too cocky just because you won an argument, Wade!"
"Ah, yeah! Our true strength lies in our raw fighting power!"
Our hooks clashed. Fist of the Dragon's head was bleeding, and I got my skull cracked and almost died in an instant. But I managed to dodge the consecutive headbutts by ducking just in time.
As I stood up, I threw an uppercut. Sieg spat out blood from between his teeth. In that opening, I pulled out Durandal from his torso, and blood gushed out of Sieg.
But Sieg didn't let my slow movements go unnoticed. He landed a quick jab, and my head flew back. I got hit again while trying to recover, and I was on the verge of defeat, my brain getting destroyed.
However, the electronic signal I sent to my muscles before my head got crushed stopped Sieg's fierce attack in 3 hits.
Sieg's arm got hooked. Sieg received a shock to his joints, and his right arm's movement became stiff. I took that chance to regenerate my head and stepped forward.
Consecutive hits. To the head. To the body. When Sieg took a big stance, I took a step back and slashed at his leg with Durandal. Sieg's leg got cut off again, and he fell to his knees once more.
Even so, Sieg didn't lose his smile or his intimidating aura.
A wounded beast. That's exactly what he was like. Sieg stumbled but still managed to stand up, and then he threw a punch with unchanged power.
He'salways on the brink of defeat. But Sieg won't fall no matter what. I feel terrified, I feel awed, and yet, I end up enjoying it.
"Sieg."
"What's up, Wade?"
I said, still fiercely exchanging blows.
"Sorry, I'm gonna end this fight."
Sieg looked up, his eyes widening in shock. Above us, the massive Durandal, as big as the ground itself, was floating.
I didn't let that chance slip away. I used Durandal's fist to strike Sieg's leg, crushing his knee joint. With the returning fist, I pierced the hole I opened in Sieg's torso and twisted it around. And with another returning fist, I struck Sieg's face, knocking him down.
Sieg stumbled, blown away. I raised one finger high in the air, then lowered it.
The massive Durandal, now huge, fell towards Sieg. Sieg let out a roar, swinging his fist wildly with his battered body.
The falling Durandal. Sieg's unleashed fist.
In the end, it was Sieg who emerged victorious.
The Durandal, now as large as a castle, was completely shattered by Sieg's fist. I watched the scene, my face contorted in shock―――
As Sieg lay on his back, covered in blood, gasping for breath, and screaming in agony, he received the fragments of Durandal on his body. He looked like he was about to die.
"My body, won't, move."
Sieg muttered, his voice trembling. I responded by raising my fist to the sky, and like Sieg, I collapsed.
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