Invincible with Twin Swords

Chapter 15 : If You're a Man, It's the Final Battle!

Gu Chung, the second participant of the greenwood, came up to the duel stage.

A big guy who looked like he didn't have a single parasite in his body, holding a large staff.

If the Blood Dragon Sect leader couldn't avoid that crudely shaped staff, the back of the sect leader staggering up to the duel stage now would be the last we would see of him.

The Blood Dragon Sect leader, Ma Yeonggeol, who had gone up to the duel stage, gathered all the internal energy of his dantian.

It was truly an enormous momentum.

The small grains of sand on the duel stage couldn't withstand the momentum and scattered in the air.

And gathering all his internal energy, he shouted loudly towards Gu Chung with the technique of the Lion's Roar.

"I forfeit!"

Then he added in a small voice.

"I have a chronic illness..."

As if he had fought a fierce life-and-death battle, he came down from the duel stage with trembling legs and fainted in the back seat. He must have been very nervous, as he was still trembling his legs while lying down.

"There's no need to write down the third one, right? From the greenwood, I, the Greenwood Tyrant King, Jang Dal, will participate."

I still hadn't recovered from the shock.

Why? Why? If the second duel was lost, it was all over, so why on earth? Where did it go wrong?

"On that side, the only one left is the Walking Corp... no, the Jade-Faced Div... no, Great Hero Jin Danyeong."

"No. I'm asking this because I'm really curious. Ah, I'm not saying I won't go out for the third one. But why on earth didn't you come out for the second duel? If I had come out for the second one and won, it would have been all over, wouldn't it?"

"Ah! I always come out last. If you're a man, it's the final battle, isn't it?"

I had overestimated this simple guy!

I was a fool.

* * *

Since I took up the saber, I have never avoided a duel. It's just that I'm burdened by having to clash with such a big shot while I'm not yet fully prepared. Besides, regardless of the outcome, it's not good for my name to be known. But now, I can't help it.

When did he get up and go over there?

The Blood Dragon Sect leader, who had just shouted 'I forfeit' with all his might and fainted, was now serving a cup of warm tea he had brewed himself to the Greenwood Tyrant King with both hands.

As expected, this is the way the man named Ma Yeonggeol lives.

We should all learn from that consistent attitude towards life.

Jang Dal was still not up from his seat and was savoring the cup of tea the Blood Dragon Sect leader had brought. Well, he must be confident.

Before I regressed, I would have lightly agreed to the duel with the intention of teaching him a lesson, but today, I'll have to face it with the mindset of risking my life.

"Shall we start soon?"

"Well, I'm always fine. Just let me finish the tea I'm drinking."

"I have one thing to say before the duel begins."

Jang Dal nodded.

"Regardless of the outcome of this duel, Han Deoksam will leave the greenwood and join the Flying Heaven Sect. This is his strong will. Everyone has the freedom to decide their own path. It's the same even if the opponent is the greenwood."

"Hmm. I promise! If Deoksam wants you, he must go."

After that, Jang Dal seemed to mutter something, but I couldn't hear it properly.

I think he said something like 'if you're alive...'.

I controlled my energy before the duel. I have now almost completely absorbed the Medicine King Divine Pill. I have obtained a much greater effect than I expected. Now, a pretty heavy energy is settled in my dantian. Even so, it's still not enough to fight the Greenwood Tyrant King properly.

First, I'll have to go with a dogfight!

The area around the duel stage was filled with greenwood and Blood Dragon Sect disciples. It's not easy to see the Greenwood Tyrant King's duel. No matter what anyone says, the protagonist of this duel was the Greenwood Tyrant King, Jang Dal. I was the supporting actor who would make him shine.

- Wow! Wow! It's finally the Greenwood Tyrant King!

When Jang Dal came up to the duel stage, the entire estate shook with a huge cheer. Jang Dal raised his beloved weapon, the Moon Shadow Saber, and responded to the cheer.

Tsk tsk. The mood has shifted.

I also raised the pretty good saber I got from the Iron Skill Gang above my head and slowly went up to the duel stage. There must have been at least a hundred people around the duel stage, but I only heard the pitiful sigh of 'tsk tsk'.

From behind, only Deoksam said a word in a small voice.

"Don't worry! If you die, hyungnim, I'll definitely find and kill the Heavenly Demon."

Y-yes. Thanks for the thought.

When I got on the duel stage, Jang Dal spoke first.

"Oh ho! You? You were a man?"

What is this? No matter how pretty and handsome I am.

"I didn't know you wielded a saber. You're a man who knows the flow of the times, aren't you?"

"Ah! Well, I use a bit of everything. I'm a little more used to the saber."

Jang Dal's expression suddenly became favorable. But it doesn't seem like he'll call off the duel, maybe he'll just kill me without pain if he's going to kill me?

In fact, I had also thought about holding a sword. If it's the Sword Emperor's Heaven and Earth Hundred Severing Sword Manual, it would be sufficiently threatening even if the opponent is the Greenwood Tyrant King. But I didn't want to face this duel with an incomplete swordsmanship.

There's also my pride as a fellow saber master.

"I hope it will be a good duel."

I just nodded slightly without answering.

From now on, the conversation we will have will only be through our two sabers.

The pressure from Jang Dal facing me on the duel stage was enormous. His build was similar to Deoksam's, but his energy was different. If Deoksam felt like an unrefined wild beast, Jang Dal showed the momentum of a more refined tyrant king.

Jang Dal was letting out the momentum that was spewing from his entire huge body without hiding it at all.

A tense tension is flowing as we face each other with our sabers.

Jang Dal's relaxed expression was gone, and he was focused only on me. He must have felt my momentum too.

- Pahat!

I charged first.

Jang Dal lightly blocked the saber aimed at the top of my head.

- Geugeugeuk!

The moment we clashed, I relaxed my strength and scraped the side of the Moon Shadow Saber's blade, deflecting his immense force to the side. Then I shot forward low as if rolling and cut at Jang Dal's thigh.

Shallow!

Jang Dal also quickly used his footwork to dodge me and turned around.

Now Jang Dal and I were standing in each other's original positions.

In an instant, there was a single clash, and drops of blood were falling from Jang Dal's thigh.

The expressions of the greenwood disciples surrounding the duel stage were stiff.

"What just happened?"

The startled Blood Dragon Sect leader, Ma Yeonggeol, asked Deoksam.

"Great Hero Jin Danyeong is strong! That's why I acknowledged him."

"Oh ho. Still, to this extent? Isn't his opponent the Greenwood Tyrant King?"

"But... the Greenwood Tyrant King is even stronger than that!"

Among the many people watching the duel, only Deoksam did not have a surprised expression. Even though I had gained an advantage in the first attack, only Deoksam was frowning as if he was worried about me.

The Greenwood Tyrant King was smiling slightly.

"This is fun! I apologize for underestimating you a little."

"Oh my. That was just luck. Please continue to underestimate me."

Jang Dal smiled slightly and then re-gripped his Moon Shadow Saber.

His eyes changed.

The resolve of a man who holds a saber is different from that of a man who holds a sword.

You have to accept it even if your forearm is cut and a piece of flesh from your thigh is torn off. To discard my small things and take the opponent's big things!

This is the mindset of a saber master.

- Swish!

This time, I lowered my stance and, with the tip of my saber pointing backwards, charged at his legs.

His Moon Shadow Saber easily blocked it.

Riding the momentum, I crashed into his chest with my left shoulder.

- Thump!

Jang Dal, as if flustered by the unexpected body slam, took half a step back.

Through the gap that was created, I squeezed in my saber and cut.

- Clang! Clang!

In no time, the duel stage was filled with flashing saber light. Jang Dal was continuously blocking my saber, which was relentlessly cutting and striking down.

I pretended to cut at his chest and circled to Jang Dal's side. I kicked the back of his knee as he followed and then struck his face with my right elbow.

Then I took a big step back and organized my breathing.

A thin line of blood was staining Jang Dal's left cheek red.

"Haha! Wonderful, wonderful. The wildness is alive!"

Jang Dal said, wiping the bloodstain on his left cheek with the back of his hand.

He was smiling even bigger than before.

"You are a truly strange person. You look young, but you are too experienced. Moreover, you don't follow the form. Like a ronin who has been rolling in bloody battlefields for decades."

Huh? This guy could set up a fortune-telling mat.

"But you can't beat me with just that."

"I was just warming up."

I know too. I can't face the Greenwood Tyrant King with such petty tricks. At best, I'll just make a few more scratches on those muscles that seem like a sword won't even penetrate, and in the end, it will end in my defeat.

I re-gripped my saber and took a middle stance.

The Saber Emperor was right. A saber is not a sword. It's not a flashy petal or a lush branch. A saber is a large tree.

I raised the energy of my dantian. Unable to withstand the force, the saber blade hummed and let out a low groan. With the internal energy increased by the Medicine King Divine Pill, I should be able to unfold the Limitless Saber Art to some extent with all my strength.

Jang Dal's eyes became serious.

He, in front of me, knows it too. That my momentum has changed.

"Originally, in the martial world, it is proper to yield three attacks to a person of lower rank, but you are not at a level where I need to yield."

Jang Dal also raised a huge energy.

On the duel stage, the two energies were clashing and creating a small whirlwind.

- Thump!

This time, Jang Dal stomped his foot hard and came in first.

A faint blue saber energy was gathered on the entire blade.

Just by facing it, a typhoon-like momentum swept past my two cheeks.

- KABOOM!

An explosion that was unbelievable to be the sound of two blades clashing rang out. The two sabers bounced off each other. At the same time, both he and I took a step back.

It was a single exchange of a second. I just swung and he just blocked.

But as if the two had exchanged an enormous offense and defense, their eyes looking at each other were overflowing with tension and excitement.

This is no longer a duel.

Only the pride of two saber masters remained, heating up the bluestone on the duel stage.

- KAKANG!

They clashed once again.

Ugh!

I have only felt a force this heavy a few times before.

It wasn't this much even when I received Deoksam's axe.

It's not a matter of strength. Jang Dal is a martial artist who knows exactly how to wield a saber. If Deoksam realizes this, there will be almost no one who can properly block his axe.

Jang Dal took his stance again.

It is the Tyrant Moon Saber Art that made Jang Dal who he is today.

Even before we clashed, a huge force pressed down on my whole body.

- KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!

Just by receiving it, I felt like all the true energy in my body was being drained. Without being able to even glimpse a single chance for a counterattack, my internal energy was hitting rock bottom just by receiving Jang Dal's saber. If I hadn't increased my internal energy with the Medicine King Divine Pill, it would have been difficult to even last this long.

- Thump!

This won't do.

Pretending to block, I used the force transmitted from the impact to bounce back.

I put some distance between myself and Jang Dal and caught my breath.

Blood was flowing from the hand gripping the saber and from the corner of my mouth.

The true energy in my body was boiling chaotically.

The area around the duel stage was quiet as if cold water had been poured on it.

A martial artist sees as much as he knows. They probably can't tell what meaning the few exchanges have.

But even if they can't see it, they can feel it.

They too must be feeling an enormous pressure. As if they were on the duel stage themselves.

A lot of internal energy has already been consumed by receiving and pushing back that immense saber. I probably don't have much time left.

I took a stance to unfold the Limitless Saber Art.

This will be my last attack.

What's next? Whatever happens, happens. Well, he wouldn't kill me in a duel, would he?

Great Force Suppresses the Form!

The first of the six forms of the Limitless Saber Art.

This time, I charged first, and the offense and defense were reversed.

- KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!

Jang Dal was clearly flustered by my relentless saber strikes. The Moon Shadow Saber that was receiving them was shaking, unable to find its center.

"Ugh! Ugh!"

He had already taken three steps back.

Great Force Suppresses the Form is, as its name suggests, a form that presses down with force. An attack with the momentum of Mount Tai rages like a storm seven times. And as it continues, the force is superimposed. There were almost no one in the past who could receive the final seventh strike without deflecting it.

- KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!

A thin stream of blood flowing from Jang Dal's hand gripping the Moon Shadow Saber was flowing down his wrist.

He was barely blocking it, but he didn't dodge or deflect it to the side.

It is the pride of a man who also holds a saber.

By the sixth strike, his knee that was blocking was half bent.

And for the seventh time, my saber struck down towards the top of his head.

I squeezed out every last drop of my remaining internal energy.

Jang Dal knelt on one knee and, with his last remaining strength, barely raised his saber and blocked the upper part.

Everyone around the duel stage was holding their breath and covering their mouths as they watched.

- Thud!

My saber fell powerlessly on top of Jang Dal's Moon Shadow Saber.

And my knees buckled, and I fell into Jang Dal's arms as if collapsing.

In the distance, I could vaguely see Deoksam shouting something and jumping onto the duel stage.

(End of Chapter)