Chapter 157 The Man Closest To Being ≪Extreme Sword≫
In the central district of Necronia, there exists the Central City Hall, which governs the city's administration.
It's a massive building with a vast grounds, second only to the residences of the [Four Great Families of the Seals] in the city.
In the roundabout in front of the city hall, 6 figures were fiercely fighting.
"Hahahah! You're so weak! Do you think you can take on me and my monkey friends?!"
"Take this, take this, take this! If you don't want to die, bring some booze!"
"Hyahahah! I'll pay with magic stones, so bring it on!"
They shouted and laughed loudly as they drove away the massive gorilla-like beasts and wild apes that were attacking the city hall with incredible force.
And soon――
"Hey, hey, stupid monkey... Your body is totally empty, you know!?"
A man dodged into the belly of a gorilla and punched his right fist into its torso.
Of course, it's difficult to take down a gorilla bare-handed, even for an explorer. Without a weapon, they can't defeat the guardians of the 25th floor of the [God's Remains Labyrinth].
However, this man was a rare Job that could activate aura and skills without a weapon.
"――Guhgyauu!?"
A heavy, dull sound echoed, and in the next instant, a massive hole had opened in the gorilla's abdomen.
Fist-type Unique Job 'Burst Puncher' skill――"Burst Punch"
The aura released from his fist exploded, easily blowing away the gorilla's sturdy abdomen and scattering the explosion.
So, the man――the leader of the Adventurer Party ≪Drunken Round Table≫ and a member of ≪Wooden Sword Way≫――took a few steps back from the giant, collapsed monster and looked around.
"Whoa, looks like we took care of it!!"
Just as he said, the numerous monsters that had attacked the city hall were defeated by him and his 5 companions. The only things left were the countless lifeless bodies, which were being converted back into magical energy.
The city officials and citizens, who had been watching from the city hall entrance, were stunned by the scene. They had been unable to escape because of the surrounding monsters, but they had witnessed the heroic acts of the ≪Drunken Round Table≫.
"Wow, that's amazing!!"
"They defeated that many monsters?"
"Who are these people, anyway?"
Among the murmuring crowd, a male official-like figure stepped forward and bowed to the ≪Drunken Round Table≫.
"Ah, thank you so much! We owe you our lives!"
"Oh, no problem! You guys should head to the outer perimeter for evacuation too! ...Or would it be safer to stay in the city hall?"
The leader's words made the official look a bit uneasy, but he replied firmly.
"True, there is a shelter underground here, but it wouldn't be of much use against mid-level monsters. If possible, we'd like to evacuate to the outer perimeter too..."
The leader nodded at his words.
"Alright, we'll escort you to a safe area."
"R, really?!"
"Ah, don't be shy. If you're polite, treat us to a drink next time, okay?"
"Ah, thank you so much!!"
At that moment, a bright voice leaked out from the crowd that had been listening to their conversation.
It seemed that they, too, had been left behind at the city hall and were worried. But with the possibility of being saved, smiles began to float around.
At that time...
"――!? Tsk!!"
"Leader!!"
"I'll go out there!! You guys defend this place!!"
The leader, who had been talking to the male employee, quickly turned around and clicked his tongue. Then, one of his companions shouted. In response, the leader instantly jumped forward and ordered his companions.
"What's going on!!"
The male employees, who couldn't keep up with the sudden situation, were left behind, while the members of ≪Drunken Round Table≫ came forward to protect the employees and citizens, forming a defensive formation with the shield-bearer at the center.
However, no attacks came down on them.
The attacks all concentrated on the leader, who had jumped out alone.
Burst Puncher skill――[Burst Step]
The leader, who had accelerated instantly by exploding aura from his feet, advanced about 20 meters (≈ 65.6 feet) in one step. Counterattacks, intercepts, or neutralizing attacks were too late. Moreover, the enemy was too far away to be within the leader's range. Therefore, he was forced to take the one-sided attack.
The incoming attacks were skills using aura, magic attacks, and various other types.
However, each and every one of them had extraordinary power that surpassed common sense, exceeding the conventional wisdom of explorers.
Over Skills――.
Over Magic――.
Those attacks numbered 8. If it were a giant ape like the one they defeated earlier, it would evaporate in an instant, leaving no trace behind, with a power that's off the charts.
The moment he grasped that power, the leader burst out laughing.
"Heh!! Who do you think I am!!"
As soon as he shouted that, the 8 attacks engulfed the leader.
"""Uwaaaaaaaahhh!!?"""
"""——."""
The aura and magic reached a saturation point, swelling up, then exploding, and a shockwave burst forth. The windows of the city hall shattered all at once, and the non-combatant civilians and staff screamed as they took cover, while the members of ≪Drunken Round Table≫ fixed their gaze straight ahead, unwavering.
The attacks blew away the stone pavement, creating a massive crater, and smoke billowed up from the impact site, further ahead. Eight wielders of weapons emerged from the surrounding buildings, flying in from the direction of the attack.
They revealed cruel smiles as they said, "Let's start with one." However, they immediately took back their statement, saying,
"Well, we'll send them all to the afterlife soon, so counting is pointless."
In response, the members of ≪Drunken Round Table≫, still unwavering, retorted, "Don't underestimate us."
"You can say that only after you've defeated our leader."
"What? ...Stop bluffing. He can't survive this."
"Ha!! You don't know what our leader is called in the clan, do you? Let me enlighten you."
One of the members of the Round Table spoke with confidence.
"――The man closest to being ≪Extreme Sword≫. That's what our leader is called, you know?"
"...≪Extreme Sword≫, huh?"
The man's eyebrows furrowed as he exchanged words with the Round Table member.
As if to supplement, the Round Table members continued.
"We're from Clan ≪Wooden Sword Way≫, part of ≪Drunken Round Table≫. And our leader is a man who's said to be the closest to being ≪Extreme Sword≫ among our clan members... Don't you know why?"
"≪Wooden Sword Way≫... I think it's a clan founded by ≪Extreme Sword≫..."
At those words, the staff and townspeople raised voices of surprise.
"≪Wooden Sword Way≫... I've heard of it!"
"Isn't it the largest clan in Necronia?"
"Not just that! The Clan Master is said to be that ≪Extreme Sword≫!"
"And all the members are Expert explorers, right?!"
The crowd praised ≪Wooden Sword Way≫. The man snorted, looking unimpressed, and replied.
"What's the big deal? Are you saying your clan is strong because you're close to ≪Extreme Sword≫? You think we're intimidated by that?"
"A-ah, no, it's not that!"
"Huh... Ah, yeah."
"......"
"......"
An awkward silence fell between the two.
The man who had confidently spoken, but was rejected, looked uncomfortable and remained silent for a moment, before opening his mouth with a "Hmph!"
"So what's the deal, then? Haa!!"
He was slightly annoyed.
The response didn't come from the Round Table member who was talking to the man, but...
"That's a simple reason!!"
It echoed from inside the crater, which was still emitting smoke.
Immediately after, an explosion occurred at the source of the voice.
BOOM!! The explosive blast blew away the smoke that was rising.
And from within that smoke, the leader of the ≪Drunken Round Table≫ emerged.
The leader, who was somehow still alive, shouted "Haaaa!" as he jumped out from the crater's interior, landing on the crater's edge to face off against the enemy men.
"You...!! You're still alive after that...!? ...? ...How did you survive that just now?"
The man, who was staring in shock, cautiously approached the leader, tilting his head slightly, but seemed to swallow his doubts and continued speaking.
The leader, meanwhile, explained the reason for his survival.
"My unique battle technique――[Reactive Aura Armor]... This is a skill taught to me by my master, which allows me to wear an explosive aura armor that reacts to enemy attacks and cancels them out. Since my Job is 'Burst Puncher', it was relatively easy to acquire... but there's one major flaw."
The leader let out a deep sigh, "Phew...", and continued with a serious face.
"If the enemy's attack is too strong, the aura that makes up the armor gets depleted and disappears. In that case, I can just replenish the aura to revive the armor, no problem... but if I need to rapidly replenish the aura like just now, I won't have the time to do so."
In other words,
"That means I have to regenerate the aura armor from my bare skin... underneath my clothes. ...Inevitably, my clothes will get caught in the explosive reflection and get blown to smithereens."
I think you already understand, but just in case, let me make it clear.
The Leader was completely naked.
"In other word..."
The Leader continued.
"When I fight, the more intense the battle, the more likely I'm to end up n*ked. That's... the reason why I'm called the man closest to being ≪Extreme Sword≫ within the clan."
"......What?"
The men listening to the Leader's words couldn't understand what he was saying.
Of course, it's only natural. Most people wouldn't understand.
The man was the same. However, the man who was cautious of the Leader, who had taken their attacks without a scratch, suspected that there must be some intention behind his words.
In other words, the man thought, "Is he trying to bluff us, or is he trying to stall for time?"
"What are you talking about? Are you saying that ≪Extreme Sword≫ fights naked like some kind of pervert? That's ridiculous! I don't know what you're planning, but I don't have time to waste on your stupid talk."
Just as he was about to restart the battle,
"――Wait!!"
The Leader shouted, holding out his palm.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)