kscans

Chapter 100 - The Third Battlefield: Shinsuke vs. Danmes

My battle with Danmes had begun.

Danmes was fast, and the swing of his iron club was incomparably swift compared to any enemy I had faced before. I dodged it by a hair's breadth. Evasion was all I could manage; I had no opening to counterattack. After dodging, I unleashed my fire magic.

A fireball shot toward Danmes.

Having just attacked, he couldn't intercept it in time, and it scored a direct hit.

A fierce explosion roared. But I didn't think for a second that I had finished him.

Sure enough, Danmes emerged from the smoke unscathed.

Taking the hit, Danmes taunted me.

"...Is that all?"

I replied, "...Just a greeting."

With that, I switched to a two-handed grip on my sword.

My body was enhanced with lightning, my sword filled with magic. My speed was still inferior to Danmes's, but it would be difficult for him to dodge.

Danmes held his iron club in his right hand and met my charge.

Our weapons clashed, sending a spray of sparks into the air.

Danmes, who had been wearing a relaxed expression, now looked a little sour.

Then, Danmes unleashed a powerful horizontal swing, sending me flying.

But it wasn't a blow that broke my stance—it only forced me back a few steps.

I immediately closed the distance again.

A fierce exchange began. I swung my sword relentlessly, a flurry of strikes so fast a normal person couldn't follow them.

Meanwhile, Danmes swung his iron club with equal ferocity. His speed was slightly greater than mine, and his strength superior.

His attacks were like a tempest. And he was doing it all effortlessly with just his right hand.

His free left hand was just hanging loosely at his side.

I felt a surge of irritation.

I was going all out, yet he was acting like this was a walk in the park. But I quickly calmed myself. If I attacked recklessly now, I would create an opening. That would mean my death.

This situation was perfectly described by the saying, "The true enemy lies within."

Our weapons clashed again and again. My sword showed no signs of chipping. The iron club had no noticeable damage either.

I had used `Analysis` on the club beforehand and understood its composition: one hundred percent Adamantite.

Honestly, its construction was so absurd it felt like a joke.

But my sword was just as durable.

The proof was that it could still fight after so many impacts. After dozens of exchanges, we were locked in a stalemate again, neither of us able to move an inch.

In the midst of it, Danmes spoke.

"...Not bad. I see why Lord Sidoor has taken an interest in you. But you're still naive!"

As he shouted, his left hand shot out and grabbed my right shoulder.

A searing pain erupted. His grip was incredible. He forcefully threw me sideways.

A brief feeling of weightlessness, followed immediately by the shock and pain of impact.

My consciousness threatened to fade.

But I quickly shook my head and regained my senses.

When I looked at Danmes, he was right beside me, his iron club raised high. And then, a merciless blow descended upon me.

I instinctively blocked it with my sword. The ground beneath my feet didn't just dent; it caved in. His strength was overwhelming. My posture was terrible, making it impossible to retreat. I was on one knee, unable to move properly, and trying to push back was useless as he was far stronger. It was a truly desperate situation. In that deadlock, I considered using `Turmoil`.

If I used it now, I could escape, but my magic would drain uncontrollably afterward.

Since I still didn't know the full extent of his power, making such a gamble was not a wise move. I thought of another way to escape. But there was no time.

He was gradually overpowering me. I had to decide now.

I took a breath.

"...Haaaaah... `Flame Daruma`!"

Flames erupted violently from my body.

Danmes took the full force of it. His face showed a flicker of surprise, but he didn't let go. He was still pinning me down. I had expected as much. An attack of this level wouldn't be enough to make him move.

But the true purpose of this attack wasn't to burn him to death. In this inferno, it was difficult to breathe. If he couldn't breathe, he would have no choice but to let go. The same applied to me, but I was somewhat used to this.

It was a battle of endurance. The flames showed no sign of weakening.

Danmes's face gradually grew strained. And then, he let go.

Seeing that, I dispelled the flames and stood up. I was a little tired, but I still had plenty of energy left.

Danmes was breathing heavily, taking several gasps of air.

"...What was that? What did you do?"

To his question, I replied.

"...It's simple. You can't breathe inside a fire. That's all."

I gave him a blunt answer.

Hearing this, Danmes smirked.

"...I see. As expected of an Otherworlder. Your way of thinking is different."

He said something that caught me completely off guard.

"...How did you know about that?"

I was so taken aback that I blurted out my true thoughts.

Danmes's smirk widened.

"...Want to know? Then you'll have to defeat me."

With that, he once again took a thrusting stance with his iron club.

I readied my sword.

Tension filled the air.

And then.

Danmes shouted.

"...`First Strike`!"

Suddenly, my sword shattered.

The impact sent me flying backward. I skidded across the ground before coming to a stop.

I didn't know what had happened, but I could guess.

An attack, too fast to be seen, had struck my sword.

Danmes called out.

"...What's wrong? Is it over already?"

To his words, I replied.

"...Not yet. It's just getting started."

I sheathed my broken sword and drew my katana.

I charged. I felt that keeping my distance would be meaningless.

The best defense is a good offense.

I brought my katana down with all my might. Danmes countered with a horizontal swing of his club. A fierce shower of sparks erupted.

Danmes was momentarily surprised by the flash, which was far brighter than before. I didn't miss that opening.

I launched a ferocious assault, and Danmes was forced onto the defensive.

But that wouldn't last long.

Danmes found an opening in my onslaught and countered. It seemed the same trick wouldn't work twice.

The intensity of the sparks from our clashing weapons was something no ordinary observer could comprehend. I wreathed my katana in lightning, and fierce flames erupted from it.

But I didn't try to control them. I just attacked with that momentum.

Danmes used his club as a shield to block. The scorching flames could burn through anything. But the Adamantite club showed no signs of melting.

Danmes parried my katana. He returned with a horizontal swing of his club, and I met it head-on.

If I dodged, I would create an opening. I couldn't afford to waste stamina like that.

It was an exchange of pure offense.

Dodging, defending—none of it mattered.

Just keep attacking. That was all this battle was.

There wasn't a shred of intellect in it, but for some reason... it felt incredibly fun.

The breathless battle came to a sudden end. We both swung our weapons in a wide arc.

The impact of the collision broke both our stances.

Our breathing was heavy and ragged. We were both gasping for air, shoulders heaving.

I panted.

"...Hah, hah, hah... This is fun, somehow."

The words escaped me before I could even catch my breath.

Danmes replied.

"...Hah, hah... Same here. I think I finally understand... a little."

He said it with a smirk.

I didn't know what he understood, but it seemed he had no intention of elaborating.

Fun, huh?

I rarely felt that way in a fight. When I was hunting, I'd feel a sense of enjoyment after it was over, but never during. That's because I always thought it was disrespectful to feel such a thing in a life-or-death situation.

But this was different. One wrong move, and I would surely die.

I felt fear, but at the same time, I felt an undeniable sense of enjoyment.

Living creatures are strange.

But that's enough introspection for now. We had both caught our breath.

The battle would continue.

I declared.

"...From here on out, we're settling this. Skill: `Turmoil`!"

I activated my trump card.

Considering my remaining magic, holding back any longer would be more dangerous. I was betting everything on this.

My eyes glowed red, and power surged through my body.

I readied my katana. Seeing this, Danmes readied his club.

And then, I moved. Literally faster than the eye could see.

In an instant, I was behind Danmes. A thin line appeared on his face, and from it, a red liquid—blood—began to trickle. Danmes looked surprised, turned around, and touched his face.

He saw the blood on his fingers and broke into a grin.

"...Now I see why Lord Sidoor acknowledges you!"

With that shout, he charged.

He brought his club down. His speed hadn't changed. But to me now, it looked slow. I dodged it by a hair's breadth and slashed horizontally at his exposed midsection.

A small spray of blood, but Danmes ignored it and threw a punch with his left hand.

I crossed my arms to block.

The impact was tremendous. I was sent flying, kicking up a cloud of dust, but I remained standing.

Danmes took a thrusting stance with his club.

"...`Second Strike`!"

A double thrust from his club shot toward me.

I couldn't see the first one, but I could see this one. I parried it with my katana.

The katana, enhanced to its absolute limit with magic, didn't shatter or even chip.

Seeing this, Danmes roared.

"...Yes! Yes! This is how it should be!"

Magic erupted from his entire body.

It was like steam from boiling water.

Danmes took his stance again.

He was overjoyed. At first, he had thought I was just a reasonably skilled human. But as the fight continued, a feeling of enjoyment he hadn't experienced in a long time welled up inside him.

As a sign of his gratitude, he would unleash a special technique.

A technique he had witnessed from a human who had come near his village long ago—a swordsman named Okita Souji.

He had seen that technique, refined it, and made it his own.

"...`Third Strike`!"

Three high-speed thrusts.

No one who had faced this had ever lived. But what Danmes saw next was something he had never expected.

When I saw Danmes take his stance again, I knew this one would be powerful. Using a technique you've already shown once is a foolish move. The fact that he was doing it anyway was proof that it was much stronger than before.

I readied my katana. And then, the three thrusts were unleashed.

Their speed was too great to follow with my eyes.

I decided to rely on my combat instincts to block. Three consecutive attacks, each one a killing blow. I managed to block them all. To be honest, I can't even remember how I did it.

But more importantly, I noticed that my katana was incredibly hot.

It must have been the impacts. The ferrocerium alloy must have reacted.

At that moment, an epiphany struck me.

What would happen if I used this heat to create a blade of flame? I immediately used my fire magic, adding even more heat to the heat already dwelling in the blade. Then, the yellow flames turned blue.

It was the color of the very pinnacle of flame.

But normally, no metal could withstand this flame. However, at an exhibition I visited on Earth the other day, I saw a metal called Rhenium. It was the hardest metal in the world, a substance that could withstand a boiling point of about five thousand degrees.

After I returned, I immediately added it to my katana.

The result was a blade made of 40% Tamahagane, 40% ferrocerium alloy, 10% Adamantite, and 10% Rhenium. A truly composite metal.

And the blue flame was ten thousand degrees. Rhenium alone couldn't withstand it.

But by fusing it with Adamantite, its strength and heat resistance increased exponentially. With this, it could endure.

I declared.

"...Here I come, Danmes! This is my ultimate technique: `True Inferno, Kagutsuchi`!"

With that, I leaped into the air.

Kagutsuchi, also known as Kagutsuchi-no-Kami. The god of fire from the Kojiki.

One of the children born to Izanagi and Izanami, but during childbirth, he burned Izanami, causing her death.

A flame that kills gods. That is Kagutsuchi.

It's a rather grandiose name, but I couldn't think of anything better.

I will deliver a blow with all my soul. That is all.

Danmes saw the blue flames emanating from Shinsuke's weapon.

That was a demonic flame. A flame said to be usable only by the pinnacle of the Seven Demon Lords, Bamhal the Dragon King.

He wondered why a human could use it, but that didn't matter now.

Shinsuke leaped into the air.

This would be the final blow.

Danmes roared.

"...Interesting! I accept your challenge! `Demon Combat Club`!"

As he shouted, his black iron club turned crimson.

This was a characteristic of the Minotaur race: by imbuing their weapons with magic, they could change its attribute to whatever they desired. However, the altered attribute was exclusively for close-range combat. It couldn't be projected. Of course, there were exceptions.

Danmes readied the fire-attributed club in both hands and waited for Shinsuke.

The clash of their ultimate techniques.

And then.

"Cheeeeeeest!"

"Kieeeeeeeeeeeeh!"

They collided.

A violent impact. The very atmosphere trembled, and anything that came near was repelled.

The two combatants roared.

But it would soon be over.

Shinsuke's katana was melting the iron club.

In the midst of the struggle, I felt it.

I was pushing him back, just a little.

I roared.

"...Ooooooooh. Aaaaaaaaah!"

I poured every last bit of my strength into it and cut through the iron club.

With that momentum, my blade bit into Danmes's left shoulder and sliced it off.

Danmes cried out in agony and fell to his knees.

The match was decided.

Danmes clutched his left side with his remaining right hand, enduring the pain. His iron club was split in half.

I raised my katana to deliver the final blow.

At that moment, I felt a killing intent from somewhere.

I turned to look and saw something in the sky above. I couldn't see it clearly.

I calmed myself a little.

"...Danmes. I was once spared by Sidoor. For that reason, I will not kill you."

I dispelled the flames and sheathed my katana.

Danmes, his face contorted in pain, replied.

"...To be shown mercy is a warrior's shame. But Lord Sidoor would not wish for that. You have won, Shinsuke. I will depart peacefully."

With that, he picked up his club and stood up.

His face showed that just standing was a struggle.

"...You can have this left arm. Use it as you see fit."

With those final words, he left the battlefield.

It was only then that I remembered. How did he know I was an Otherworlder?