Chapter 282

Why is one of Japan’s National Treasures here?

Jae-Hyeok was curious. Still, compared to curiosity, he cared more for seizing the advantage.

Clang! Clang!

“I suppose I deserved that.” Yamamoto chuckled.

With every clash, lightning sprang from Jae-Hyeok's sword and bent toward him. Yamamoto was impressed. Jae-Hyeok indeed lived up to the name Thunder God.

Alas, you ran into me...

He, Chivalrous Yamamoto, had wandered the world with a free heart and abided only by his own principles; along the way, others deemed him just, earning him his title, but in truth, "Chivalrous" was but a shallow interpretation of his deeper nature—a nature that his Skills and affinities embodied more honestly. After all, what was chivalry?

Chivalry was choice, and choice was freedom. And freedom—

Was like the wind.

"Storm Sword."

Yamamoto flicked his wrist, and from his sword a torrent of wind blades rushed out. Wind- and lightning-attribute mana clashed, and Jae-Hyeok’s lightning dissipated.

I’m also slightly superior in terms of mana.

Since Jae-Hyeok had first arrived at the mansion, Yamamoto had been studying him, and following this physical exchange, he was certain of Jae-Hyeok’s stats.

We’re equals in Agility, and he’s my superior in Insight, but I outstrip him in Strength, and my Stamina and Magic are also slightly higher.

As for swordsmanship...

Following the path of his Storm Sword, Yamamoto crossed the tunnel-like hole in Jae-Hyeok’s lightning aura. He arrived in a flash and, having caught Jae-Hyeok between sword-draws, pierced him in the chest with a clean thrust.

I’m superior—

Clang!

Yamamoto deflected Jae-Hyeok’s counterstrike inches from his nose.

For now at least...

Jae-Hyeok had used his sword-drawing technique several times while passing through Geum Tae-Byeok’s mansion—but Yamamoto had to admit that experiencing it firsthand was on a completely different level; Jae-Hyeok’s sword-drawing technique was blindingly fast, and his use of blind spots and holes in his opponent’s attention further complemented its speed.

Had I not probed him with Geum Tae-Byeok, I might really have been in trouble. As expected, the son of a tiger doesn’t disappoint.

Recalling

that

day eight years ago, Yamamoto became emotional.

Yaksha, even now, you find a way to threaten me... Fine. That’s fine. I’ll put him down, too.

Yamamoto drew a second sword from his waist.

A Yamamoto-original Skill—

“Shininya Kuchinashi.”

Each sword disappeared in a chain of afterimages that then traced a complex series of sweeping arcs and precise thrusts, fully entrapping Jae-Hyeok in his advance.

It was as if two separate Yamamotos had joined hands, such was the coordination on display.

Ultimately, blood spurted from Jae-Hyeok’s shoulder and waist, and he appeared as if he might collapse at any moment.

He survived?

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes to hide his surprise.

Shininya Kuchinashi... Translated literally, it meant “the dead don’t speak.” The move itself carried a deadly determination behind every strike.

Yet Jae-Hyeok had survived?

No, not just survived, even his limbs were intact!

He is an incredible master,

Yamamoto concluded.

Damn, that was... dangerous.

Of course, Jae-Hyeok didn’t share Yamamoto’s enthusiasm. Had he reacted even slightly slower, his shoulder tendons would’ve been severed, rendering his left arm useless, while the gash on his waist would’ve reached deep enough to free his organs.

That style...

Of his two swords, Yamamoto held one in reverse grip. Such a style granted maximal flexibility, and for that reason, the demands on coordination and precision were equally high. Even the slightest miscalculation on Yamamoto’s part could’ve led to self-harm.

Nevertheless, Yamamoto executed such swordsmanship in real combat.

He must’ve practiced that move for hundreds of thousands, no, millions of repetitions...

Jae-Hyeok blinked the sweat from his eyes.

I’m indeed weaker than him.

Chivalrous Yamamoto... he was a contender for the title of world’s strongest after all; that meant he was on the same level as the Thunder Emperor.

“Though it pains me to admit it, I’m not your match.” Jae-Hyeok sighed.

Well, he did lure me here, using the Geum family to probe my abilities and waste energy. So it’s not like this fight was fair from the start...

“From now on, let’s give it our all—Theodore.”

The shadow beneath Jae-Hyeok’s feet stirred, and a violet flash streaked out, transforming into an armor-clad death knight whose aura trailed behind it like a violet cloak.

“You handle the sword quite well,” it said.

Theodore...

Yamamoto had watched Jae-Hyeok’s battle with Qilin live on air. Of course, he knew of Theodore. He knew, and he’d prepared accordingly. However...

Boom!

Dismay flashed in Yamamoto’s eyes the instant he and Theodore crossed swords.

The power and speed behind Theodore’s onslaught were beyond calculation.

Indeed, as a Named monster, Theodore’s capacity for growth was as unbounded as any player’s, and having bonded with Jae-Hyeok, Theodore had also benefited from Zang Soso’s and Qilin’s deaths, earning a surge of experience.

“Hmph!”

Moreover, unlike players, Theodore’s skeletal body knew neither pain nor exhaustion. No matter how Yamamoto tried, he couldn’t separate from Theodore’s relentless advance.

“Such foul play!”

Yamamoto shouted curses over Theodore’s shoulder. Meanwhile, Jae-Hyeok finished applying a healing potion to his wounds and spent a moment reevaluating his strategy.

Thunderbolt Sword won’t work. His wind blades counter my lightning aura, and every time he conjures them, the lingering wind energy simultaneously enhances his speed.

Thinking to here, Jae-Hyeok decided to do away with Thunderbolt Sword. All Skills had a cost. Some required mana, while others were limited by cooldown periods. Thunderbolt Sword was like this, and Yamamoto’s Storm Sword was surely the same.

For Jae-Hyeok, it simply didn’t make sense to waste mana on casting Thunderbolt Sword when it was so easily countered.

Besides, whether I use Thunderbolt Sword or not, Yamamoto will have to guard against it all the same. He won’t be able to recklessly use his Storm Sword Skill.

Soon, Jae-Hyeok came to a decision; his eyes shone, and he entered the fray.

Iyagurt flickered into Jae-Hyeok’s hands, and in a flash, two crescents of black sword energy struck Yamamoto, who’d been too distracted by Theodore to react.

“

Kuhahaha

. Keep pressing him, Master!”

Theodore’s eyesockets burned with a frenzied light as blood splattered his skull.

“Groan.”

Yamamoto found no chance to breathe—Jae-Hyeok and Theodore’s joint assault threatened death from all directions, and only his expertise in duel-wielding was keeping him from the jaws of death.

Bam!

Theodore leapt from Jae-Hyeok’s raised scabbard and slammed an armored shin into the side of Yamamoto’s head.

The world shook in Yamamoto’s vision—yet his focus remained, deflecting the red flicker that was Jae-Hyeok’s sword before counterattacking Theodore.

Slash!

Theodore landed with a stumble, its ankle severed.

“Persistent guy! Hell Sword!”

Sword energy branched from Theodore’s sword in nine jagged lines, each of which raced toward Yamamoto from a different angle.

“Hah!”

Yamamoto immediately sensed the unique principles behind each thread of sword energy. His eyes widened in alarm.

That... It’s manifesting multiple sword techniques in tandem.

The reason Yamamoto used two swords was precisely to execute multiple sword techniques at once. Such was the essence of his swordpath. And yet, here stood a Named Death Knight, having achieved a higher form of his ideal.

There is only one way to block it.

Winds arose around Yamamoto—this time centering around each of his blades.

Storm Sword.

The gathering wind-attribute mana thickened until blue lights danced in the air. Seeing this, the lights in Theodore’s eye sockets flickered. As a master of swordsmanship, it knew the power of its Hell Sword well; however, the tumultuous winds radiated an aura that threatened to tear space itself.

What should I do... Huh?

Just as Theodore was hesitating, the winds around Yamamoto abruptly settled. Instead, Yamamoto used only the speed enhancement of his wind to narrowly contend with Theodore’s Hell Sword, twisting and dodging as if he were a double-jointed cat. Even so, Yamamoto didn’t escape unscathed, and blood dripped from his arms and chest.

At the same time, a smile spread across Jae-Hyeok’s face.

As expected. He’s still wary of my Thunderbolt Sword and won’t overextend carelessly.

Jae-Hyeok didn’t hesitate. He shot forward with Iyagurt, the tip of which projected a dozen threads of crimson sword energy.

Hell Sword.

The difference between Jae-Hyeok’s Hell Sword and Theodore’s was like heaven and earth. The crimson torrent swept over Yamamoto before he even had the chance to react.

“

Kuaack!”

After several breaths, the crimson threads dispersed, and Yamamoto was left, slumped in a pool of blood.

Surprisingly, he’d survived.

Then again, Jae-Hyeok supposed this much was to be expected from a player who contended for the title of world’s strongest.

“Let’s finish this.”

Theodore’s voice carried a rare note of seriousness as he stepped toward Yamamoto. But just then—

Clang!

Yamamoto dropped the sword in his right hand.

Theodore froze, as did Jae-Hyeok.

A swordsman, especially one at Yamamoto’s level, would never drop their sword accidentally.

Just as the boy and monster were wondering over Yamamoto’s intentions, Yamamoto dropped his free hand to the blue hilt at his waist—

His third sword.

Yamamoto drew the blade, which made a grating sound as it left the scabbard, and it was no wonder why: the sword presented to Jae-Hyeok and Theodore was double-edged, with both being as jagged as a saw blade.

A sword breaker

?

The purpose of a sword-breaker sword was self-explanatory: It was a weapon whose blade chewed into other weapons. Despite its alien appearance, sword breakers were quite common among swordsmen, being a popular choice among deviant sword variants, and were famously favored by American sword masters.

Had it just been the sword, Jae-Hyeok wouldn’t have thought much of it. But...

“A clone?”

Yamamoto raised the sword before himself, and the shadow stretching from his feet split in two along the shadow cast by the sword.

A Yamamoto-original Skill...

“Kagemusha.”

The shadow that arose from the ground spoke.

“You are the first person to witness this process.”

The shadowy form had the same appearance as Ymaamoto, except he wore a face on his mask...

A tengu mask.

It was none other than the symbol of Japan’s Sword Master!

“......!”

Why had Yamamoto lured him into this ambush? What feud did he have with the Kang family?

In that moment, all of Jae-Hyeok’s doubts were answered.

“I-it wasn’t just Qilin. The Japanese National Treasure called Sword Master also cooperated.

The others were no match for the Yaksha, but the two of them launched a surprise attack together.”

Jae-Hyeok’s heartbeat quickened as Phoenix’s words echoed in his head.

“Yamamoto!” he roared.