Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Chapter 49: The Elf and Flower (2)

“We are the Black Dragon. We’ll handle these ones, so please evacuate at once.”

Just before the battle broke out—

Retina spoke to the crowd. Most of them obeyed. They had witnessed the bakery explode with their own eyes. There was no way they didn’t understand that they had to run.

The city guards were the same. Flower could have been hiding among the people. It was difficult to tell friend from foe. It was better to remove everyone from sight altogether.

The guards knew this too, so they followed Retina’s words.

As expected, however, a few did not flee. They stood their ground.

‘Ten in total. And not a single one of them looks ordinary.’

I thought as I fixed my cold gaze on the enemies.

‘Each one of them is a powerhouse on par with Kazan. We’re outnumbered.’

But the Black Dragon had their own trump card.

“I’ll take six. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Garan spoke with a grin of ecstasy curling on his lips.

He was a warrior. No matter how much he might despise his origin, he could not deny what he was.

His blood was telling him—fight the enemies before you, and win.

Perhaps sensing that spirit, the enemies’ expressions hardened. They, too, could feel it—Garan’s overwhelming, abnormal strength.

One of them soon spoke to him.

“Fine, we’ll grant your wish. You’ll fight six at once. But this place is too cramped to deal with a monster like you. Let’s move elsewhere.”

The moment he replied, seven figures vanished from the spot.

More than half the enemy’s numbers had disappeared. Even so, I couldn’t relax.

Neither I nor Ryan nor Rhuin could yet compare to Kazan. To deal with a single opponent, all three of us would have to fight together.

That meant Kazan and Retina would have to handle three on their own.

‘That mustn’t happen.’

If the opponents were of equal level, numbers alone would decide the outcome.

We had to lessen the burden on our seniors as much as possible.

Everyone else likely understood that, too.

I glanced around at my companions. Ryan and Rhuin’s faces had gone pale, while Retina and Kazan wore dark expressions.

‘Even after the Captain took six of them, there’s still such a gap in strength… This is hopeless.’

I thought grimly. It was a despairing situation. I couldn’t even begin to guess how we were supposed to overcome it.

So I chose to believe—in my body.

“I’ll take one of them. The remaining four of you handle the other three.”

I said, and silence fell. It was a shocking declaration.

The enemies were all as strong as Kazan. Even with Ryan, Rhuin, and me together, one opponent would be too much.

And I was volunteering to face one alone?

It was practically suicide.

But Kazan didn’t cut me off right away.

“Do you have a plan?”

“I’ll trust my body. At the very least, I don’t think I’ll die.”

It was a statement born of sheer willpower—without evidence or reason.

But Kazan knew. He knew my body. He knew what kind of beings warriors were—creatures beyond common sense.

“Can you show me a miracle?”

“I was just about due for one anyway. It’s time I beat someone stronger than me.”

A terrifying surge of energy erupted from my whole body. It was an aura that brought to mind a demon crawling up from hell.

Just feeling it was enough to send shivers down one’s spine. Everyone present understood it instinctively.

A warrior had resolved to die. And whoever fought him—no matter how strong—would not walk away unscathed.

That was when Cooper burst into laughter—a sound steeped in madness and delight.

“Good! That spirit! Even as an enemy, I can’t help but acknowledge it! Leon, was it? You impressed me before, but now even more so! I, the Executioner Cooper, will face you myself!”

“Executioner Cooper?”

Ryan’s face stiffened in shock, tinged with fear.

“Be careful, Leon. Executioner Cooper—he once brought nightmares to the Duchy of Kellyburn. I heard he was executed long ago… to think he’s still alive.”

“Ha! Luck was on my side. But to think you know of me—are you from Kellyburn?”

Ryan didn’t answer. His body was tense, rigid with unease. Cooper must have terrified him deeply.

“Ryan, do you know anything about how he fights?”

I asked. The man used an unfamiliar weapon. Any bit of information could be useful.

“I only heard he uses chains, but I don’t know the details. What I do know is—you need to be careful. He’s infamous for using underhanded tricks like he’s breathing. No one knows how he’ll try to humiliate you.”

“I see. Then that’s all the more reason I should be the one to face him.”

With a sound slicing through the air, I charged at Cooper. The speed was so great that even a blink couldn’t catch it.

Before Cooper could finish his words, sword and chain collided in midair. The impact was monstrous. The shockwave burst outward between us.

The gust whipped my hair wildly in every direction.

Cooper asked, disbelief flickering in his eyes that had moments ago been filled with madness.

I didn’t understand what he meant. Insane? Who?

It made no sense—he was the one who wanted to fight.

So why the sudden fuss?

Sparks sprayed from the clashing weapons. Through the shower of fiery embers, I saw it—

My own reflection in Cooper’s eyes. A face smiling like a demon.

Ah, so that’s why I looked insane.

‘This lunatic bastard!’

Cooper screamed inwardly.

‘Where the hell did this monster come from?!’

In front of him stood a handsome young man—a beauty rarely seen among men. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel•fire.net

His exposed abs alone could have drawn cheers from any woman watching.

But from Cooper’s point of view—blocking his attacks—it was nothing short of a nightmare.

KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!!

Heavy sword strikes came flying one after another in the blink of an eye. There was no finesse in them whatsoever.

He simply continued his assault—fast and heavy, one strike after another.

It was a bewildering sight. Did warriors of Elphrel ever fight ?

No. Cooper knew well how deceptively clever those seemingly brutish warriors were. How they displayed an almost genius-level instinct in battle.

But the warrior before him was different.

‘Foolish kid, he’s distributing his strength all wrong.’

Leon had been fighting at full power from the very beginning. That was a stupid thing to do.

A human could only move their body at full power for about ten seconds. No matter how intensely one trained, it was nearly impossible to maintain for more than a minute.

That was why most people only exerted their full strength when necessary—and even then, not for more than a second. Their stamina would plummet instantly otherwise.

‘Managing one’s stamina during battle is the most basic of basics. His spirit’s impressive, but he’s still a rookie.’

Look—his movements were already starting to slow.

It had already been a full minute since Cooper began blocking his attacks. Even a skilled fighter would start tiring by now.

He was still holding out, true to a warrior’s nature… but that wouldn’t last much longer.

So Cooper waited. For the moment Leon could no longer move.

For the instant he could strike him down.

Leon didn’t stop. His movements were slightly slower than at first, but his ferocity hadn’t lessened at all.

Cooper was shocked. They’d already exchanged more than fifty blows. By now, Leon should’ve collapsed.

How was he still fine?

‘Don’t tell me—what he showed at first wasn’t even his full strength?!’

It made no sense. Unless he had actually reduced his power midway.

But the proof was clear in his swordsmanship—his level was low. Just by watching his movements, it was obvious that he was still an unripe fruit.

‘His speed and strength are remarkable, but his swordsmanship itself is crude beyond belief.’

If even his technique had been at a high level, Cooper would already be dead.

That only made it all the more confusing.

The warriors of the North were known to be obsessed with technique—far more than with their bodies. Contrary to rumor, they didn’t rely on brute strength.

They typically mastered technique first, and only then refined their bodies.

So where did this strange hybrid come from?

‘No matter. Pointless thoughts. Focus on the fight.’

His swordsmanship might be rough, but if Cooper let his guard down for even a moment, he could die.

He couldn’t afford to lose concentration.

A chilling sound of bone breaking reached Cooper’s ears. The owner of that sound was none other than himself.

‘I let my guard down!’

Leon, clever as any of those warriors, hadn’t simply attacked straightforwardly.

The instant Cooper’s gaze shifted upward, Leon had stomped down on his foot.

A searing pain shot through him, spreading from his foot—like a heated blade stabbing through flesh.

‘Clever trick for someone who looks so straightforward.’

But Cooper didn’t lose his composure.

He might have been a criminal, but he was one who had survived countless brushes with death. A little pain wasn’t enough to make him lose his mind.

At that moment, Cooper swung his chain.

With a heavy impact, the chain struck Leon’s abdomen. He didn’t need to look to know—a rib or two had surely been cracked.

A blinding pain surged through him, enough to turn his mind white. But he endured it.

Leon had crossed the threshold of death countless times in his previous life. Even if he was a third-rate ronin, it wasn’t his first time wagering his life.

A couple of broken ribs weren’t enough to make him cry like a child.

Leon and Cooper’s eyes met.

Within them—mutual recognition.

He had planned to win through underhanded means, as he always did.

But before this warrior, he no longer wanted to fight that way.

‘He’s the kind of man who can ignite one’s heart.’

Strong. Stubborn. But such simple words couldn’t describe him.

Leon had a rare gift—the ability to draw out the heart of a true martial artist buried deep within others.

Even criminals had once held dreams.

And Cooper had once walked that same path.

He looked at Leon with the utmost seriousness.

Perhaps sensing that, Leon gave a faint grin.

Then he stepped forward.

An aura befitting his massive frame flowed out of him—like a bear striding powerfully toward its prey.

It was a technique Zeke had shown not long ago. Though still faint in comparison, it was unmistakably the king’s art.

Men like Cooper couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe before it.

A fierce energy erupted from Leon’s whole body, as if a tiger were roaring.

‘My martial art won’t work on him. I suppose that’s because my own comprehension is too shallow.’

That only made him want to defeat the man even more.

Leon had been told countless times that he lacked talent. Because of that, every battle had been one where he relied on others’ help to win.

He had always felt ashamed. To call oneself a warrior yet depend on others in battle—

Wasn’t that just an overconfident amateur?

Leon wanted to prove himself. To show that he could stand and fight on his own.

‘This time—I’ll defeat my enemy by myself.’

Leon charged at Cooper with beast-like movements. There was no technique in it whatsoever—just raw speed and overwhelming strength.

It was the movement of someone who had lost himself.

Which was why Leon didn’t notice—

That the blue light of his Four Seasons Star Cloud Technique was slowly turning red.