The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 267

It is common sense known even to a child that it is more advantageous to fight with a weapon, any weapon, than to fight empty-handed.

For this reason, the number of people who primarily trained in fist and foot techniques was overwhelmingly smaller compared to those who primarily trained in weapon techniques.

Furthermore, most of those who primarily trained in fist and foot techniques mainly focused on fist or palm techniques that used the hands, and then learned kicking techniques as a supplement.

Everyone knows that landing one kick is stronger than hitting with a few punches.

On top of that, kicking techniques can be more easily linked with footwork, which is a must-learn for any martial artist, so it could be called killing two birds with one stone, but people were still reluctant to learn kicking techniques as their main skill.

"How long do you plan on keeping that dirty foot on my sword."

This was because of the risk that, due to the nature of a kick, the moment one's attack is blocked, one's balance is shaken, making it difficult to step back and create distance from the enemy again.

The Sword of the Earth glared at Lee Shin with a displeased expression and spun his sword.

At that, Lee Shin, who had his leg on the Sword of the Earth's sword, was thrown back by the impact transmitted through the sword.

Lee Shin's body, launched into the air, trembled slightly, unable to completely absorb the shock transmitted through his leg.

Grip-

The Sword of the Earth, not wanting to miss the brief opening while Lee Shin was in the air, put more strength into the hand gripping the sword and cloaked it in internal energy.

First, he intended to cut off Lee Shin's two legs, which had insolently stepped on his sword.

"No!"

"Dodge!"

Seeing this, Mio and Rwen, forgetting their own condition, shouted with wide eyes.

It was understandable, as from their perspective, it seemed there was no way for Lee Shin, who was in mid-air, to dodge the Sword of the Earth's attack.

"If you have time to move your mouths, put more strength into your eyes and use your heads to grasp the situation."

But Lee Shin, hearing their voices, just muttered in a small voice, as if to say, what's all the fuss about.

At the same time as Lee Shin's muttering spread through the air, a small flame bloomed from the tip of his foot.

Simultaneously, the trembling from the shock remaining in Lee Shin's body turned into a heat haze of flame, and the flame that had bloomed from the tip of his foot soon enveloped his entire body.

The greatsword, swung aiming for Lee Shin's two legs, missed its target in vain and only cut through the empty air.

In the place where the greatsword had passed, small fragments of flame remained, playfully flickering as if to mock the Sword of the Earth.

"Ah, right."

Lee Shin, having finished his brief flight and landed back on the ground, tapped the ground with the tip of his foot and grumbled.

"I should have used the Lightning Wood Flash Steps to dodge, but I accidentally used the Flame Leaf Circling Steps. Well, the knack is similar, and that Rwen kid is smart, so this much of a demonstration should be enough."

Lee Shin said so, took a stance, and took a deep breath.

It was Lee Shin's blatant signal that he was about to start his attack, so get ready.

'It's strange, as I thought.'

Watching Lee Shin, the Sword of the Earth felt the doubt in his heart growing ever larger.

The stance he was taking and the movement of his muscles changing according to the flow of his power.

Lee Shin's body was clearly preparing an attack, aiming for his neck.

But contrary to the information his two eyes were telling him, the Sword of the Earth's senses could not feel anything from his opponent.

The information gathered from his two eyes and the information felt from his presence were so contradictory that his head was becoming slightly confused from the sense of disconnect.

'What on earth is this guy?'

It was not yet certain whether the man before him was the hero chosen by Gaia or not.

But the Sword of the Earth put such things aside and judged that even if the man was not the hero chosen by Gaia, there was a need to capture him and investigate him thoroughly.

Having made his decision, the Sword of the Earth put more strength into the hand gripping his sword and rushed toward Lee Shin.

Grin-

At that moment, Lee Shin finished all his preparations, stopped inhaling, and smiled lightly.

At the same time, he faced the approaching Sword of the Earth head-on.

'This kind of blatant fight isn't really my style.'

Lee Shin let out a small sigh inwardly, but what could he do.

The level of his students was still too low, so he had no choice but to be considerate.

"This is the real last one."

Lee Shin muttered so and lightly and smoothly shook his hands to the side, as if a bird were preparing to take flight.

'White Flame Dragon Fighting Method.'

At that, numerous fragments of flame fell from Lee Shin's fingertips.

The fragments ate the wind, grew in size, and spread, filling the area around Lee Shin.

"Sister, that's..."

"Yeah, that's right."

Mio nodded at Rwen's words.

The form Lee Shin was using now was the form of the two's, or more accurately, Mio's martial art.

'Crimson Wings Fill the Sky.'

When the red fire dragon spreads its wings, the flames that fall from its wings fill the sky.

The sight of Lee Shin standing in the center of the red flames clearly showed why the form had such a name.

The sight was magnificent, but Mio's eyes, looking at Lee Shin, were filled with questions instead of admiration.

'He said Crimson Wings Fill the Sky wasn't a form to be used so openly.'

The essence of the technique called Crimson Wings Fill the Sky was, after all, to confuse the opponent's senses and assist in an attack.

It was not a form to be used head-on.

That was a fact that even Rwen, who had taken Lee Shin's classes alongside her, knew.

As the two's eyes were filling with questions at Lee Shin's incomprehensible actions.

'White Thunder Dragon Fighting Method.'

From between the flames that had spread around, a golden lightning revealed itself.

Seeing that, Mio and Rwen realized what Lee Shin was trying to do and opened their mouths in astonishment.

"Sister, is that, by any chance, the Twin Dragon Formation?"

"No, was that something that could be reproduced by one person?"

The two had continuously strived under Lee Shin and Irhegue, and thanks to that, they had been able to accumulate some knowledge about martial arts.

Therefore, they could quickly realize what Lee Shin was trying to do now, and how crazy it was.

Therefore, the two, without realizing it, were about to tell him to stop, but.

"Golden Wings Split the Sky."

Lee Shin continued his form as if to laugh at their worries.

By taking only the essence of the formation the two used and compressing it so that it could be contained by one person, he had succeeded in performing the Twin Dragon Formation by himself.

The two's forms linked and connected like a chain, becoming one.

Crimson Wings Fill the Sky, Thunder Wings Split the Sky.

When the crimson wings fill the sky with flames, the golden wings cut across the sky, cloaked in lightning.

Lee Shin spread flames with both hands, and then moved freely within them, attacking the Sword of the Earth.

The lightning that shot out at high speed from within the flame-filled space was threatening, but.

Kwaang-! Kwaang-! Kwaang-!

The Sword of the Earth, as if it were laughable, simply moved his hands slightly and easily blocked all of Lee Shin's attacks.

Even seeing that, there was no disappointment in Lee Shin's eyes.

It was just the beginning.

Fire Dragon Swings its Claw, Thunder Dragon Flashes its Fang.

The dragon that had revealed itself by spreading its wings growled.

At that moment, Lee Shin accepted more of Irhegue's memories and ego, and at that, the flames and lightning around him trembled even more violently.

"Kraaaaaaah!!!"

When the fire dragon swings its claws, the flames shake its body, and when the thunder dragon flashes its fangs, the lightning roars.

Lee Shin's left hand, bent like a hook, and his leg, curved like a fang, each wrapped in flame and lightning, fiercely struck the Sword of the Earth's defense.

That attack was also continuously blocked just like before, but Lee Shin continued his attacks without rest.

Chalkak- Chalkak- Chalkak-

Like a puzzle being disassembled and reassembled, and then disassembled again, the forms combined and disassembled repeatedly through Lee Shin's body.

Numerous changes were created from Lee Shin's hands and feet, pressing down on the Sword of the Earth.

And then, the moment the Sword of the Earth's sword trembled slightly and a small opening was seen.

Flame Horn Annihilation, Thunder Horn Light Extinction.

Horns of flame and lightning flashed and shot out from Lee Shin's hands and feet, revealing themselves.

This was the last form Lee Shin had taught the two, and at the same time, it had the strongest power among the forms he had taught.

The horn of flame burns everything in front of it until it disappears, and the horn of lightning emits light and eliminates everything around it.

Those two techniques were now resonating with each other, raising their power.

The power of the two techniques Lee Shin unleashed was so outstanding that Mio and Rwen, who were watching from a distance, were captivated.

And the Sword of the Earth, who faced that technique head-on.

"Pathetic."

He muttered so in a calm, bored, and disappointed voice.

And as if to prove those words, he withdrew his sword.

At the Sword of the Earth's unexpected action, Lee Shin's eyes briefly showed a glint of interest.

Even so, Lee Shin reached out his hand and swung his leg without hesitation, aiming for the Sword of the Earth's heart.

However, Lee Shin's attack was blocked by the ocher-colored armor the Sword of the Earth was wearing, and it failed to inflict any damage on the Sword of the Earth behind the armor.

"What the..."

Lee Shin muttered so, his eyes trembling slightly as if he couldn't believe it.

Watching him, the Sword of the Earth opened his mouth.

"The first technique that the holy knights of our Earth faction, one of the three pillars that support the church, learn is not attack, but defense."

The earth is a being that receives all attacks and yet maintains its silence without any agitation.

Therefore, the holy knights of the Earth faction made long-term battles based on their immense stamina and a defensive art that thoroughly blocked the enemy's attacks and pressed them, their specialty.

"And I, being the strongest among such holy knights of the Earth, was granted this 'Sword of the Earth' from the church, along with the name Sword of the Earth."

After finishing his words, the Sword of the Earth took a step toward Lee Shin, lowered his eyes, and looked down at him.

Lee Shin, who had entered the shadow cast by the Sword of the Earth's large frame, looked incredibly small and shabby.

"Ugh, uwaaaaak!!!"

Lee Shin screamed and tried to attack the Sword of the Earth.

But unlike before, Lee Shin's attacks were incredibly crude.

Watching Lee Shin literally flailing, the Sword of the Earth clicked his tongue and muttered.

"It was just a warm-up."

If even the refined attacks from before couldn't pierce the defense of the armor cloaked in internal energy, there was no way such crude attacks could.

The Sword of the Earth ignored Lee Shin's attacks and took a heavy step forward.

The Sword of the Earth, having taken his stance.

For the first time in this fight, swung his sword at Lee Shin with all his might.

It was, to use a metaphor, a massive landslide on the scale of a mountain range collapsing.

It was a great judgment of the earth that covered everything made by man and erased it with ocher.

The sword, containing the Sword of the Earth's absolute power, was swung.

"Cough...!"

Struck head-on by that blow, Lee Shin was thrown back, spewing a large amount of blood from his split chest.

"It's over."

The Sword of the Earth was about to approach the distant Lee Shin to cut off his limbs and capture him.

It was at that moment.

"Oh, this looks just right to eat."

As if a shark, aiming for a quietly swimming fish, swam up without a sound and bit down, a man suddenly revealed himself.

Confirming the face of the suddenly appeared man, the Sword of the Earth's face contorted as he shouted.

"Sword of the Sea!!!"

The ground trembled at the Sword of the Earth's roar, filled with rage-infused internal energy.

But the Sword of the Sea, who took that anger head-on, showed not a bit of fear and instead sneered at the Sword of the Earth.

"Thanks for the meal."

At those words, the Sword of the Earth urgently rushed toward the Sword of the Sea.

But the Sword of the Sea's hand reached the sword at his waist faster than the Sword of the Earth could reach his location.

Grin-

And faster than the Sword of the Sea could draw that sword and swing it at the collapsed Lee Shin.

"Thanks for the meal~"

Lee Shin, who had been pretending to be collapsed on the ground with a serious injury, took out his spear from the [Black Room] and swung it, which was much faster.

(End of Chapter)