Kapitel 21: Chapter 21: A Good Man

"Young Master Itadori," Mulan lowered herself into a Dulibu stance, her legs bent slightly at the knees, one arm raised defensively in front of her, and the other positioned above her head, palm facing outward in a poised and balanced manner. "Accepts the duel."

Her grin widened. "Let's dance."

"HAHAHAHA!" Atlas's laughter boomed like thunder as he leaned forward, muscles bulging beneath his crimson cape.

With a powerful kick, he launched himself off the ground, the earth cracking slightly beneath his boots from the sheer force. His immense figure barreled toward Mulan like an unstoppable force of nature who mirrored his movement, her body a blurring as she sprinted toward him.

Just as they reached the middle, Atlas pulled his right arm back, his gauntleted fist gleaming under the sunlight, the massive mechanical fingers clenching tightly with the metal creaking from the sheer force of his grip.

"ATLAS PUNCH!" With a roar, he brought his arm crashing down toward the much smaller girl, the air whistling as the fist descended like a comet from the heavens.

Mulan, however, was unfazed. As his enormous fist careened toward her, she calmly uttered, "Nine Elemental Martial Style."

Time seemed to slow.

"Water Reversal."

Her left arm moved fluidly, almost in slow motion, rising to meet Atlas's massive gauntlet. The sheer difference in size between her hand and his mechanical fist seemed laughable, much bigger than the difference between a gorilla and baby's fist, but this didn't seem to matter.

With a graceful twist, her hand made contact with his descending fist, her fingers sliding along the side of his gauntlet, finding its way to the wrist joint. In one fluid motion, she pushed his wrist slightly upward while pulling his elbow downward with her right hand, causing the force of his punch to shift upwards and towards the giant himself.

With a sickening crunch, Atlas's own gauntleted fist slammed into his face, the metal of his gauntlet smashing against the helm with a deafening clang that reverberated through the battlefield.

Twice.

His head snapped back violently, the sheer power of the strike crumpling the front of his helmet inward with a crack, metal groaning and splitting as it caved under the blow. Mulan moved instantly, as her left leg shot up, the sole of her boot lightly meeting Atlas's mid-abdomen, which was at the same height as her face due to his towering size.

Even from the seemingly soft contact, a powerful burst of energy erupted outwards from her boot's sole. The force was invisible yet unmistakable as the colossal man's abdomen seemed to ripple and cave in, his head snapping forward as blood gushed out from his crinkled visor and splattering on the ground behind Mulan.

He was then hurled backward, his body flung into the air like a rag doll before slamming onto the ground with a tremendous boom, more than thirty meters away, rolling uncontrollably across the earth. His tumbling finally came to an end as he laid on his back, limbs sprawled out beside him.

And then there was silence.

No movement.

He was completely out cold.

"Just like that!?" The two elves shouted in disbelief, their voices almost trembling as Mulan lowered her left foot back to the ground.

But just as they began to wonder if the fight was truly over, the giant man performed a powerful kick-up stand, his enormous body launching from the ground with a fluidity that belied his size. He stood upright, blood pouring from the cracks in his mangled visor, dripping down onto his clothes and staining the ground beneath him.

Without a word, Atlas slowly raised his right hand. Mulan immediately shifted into a defensive stance, but, instead of attacking, his massive gauntleted fingers gripped the side of his helm. In one swift motion, as if tearing off a piece of paper, he ripped the right side of his helmet free as the chainmail that protected his face behind the metal broke apart, clattering to the ground. He tossed the right half of the helm aside with a clang, the left side crumbling under its own weight as it fell to the ground, revealing his face.

It was a mess of blood and bruises. His nose was broken, a crooked mess, blood leaking from his nostrils. Cuts from the caved-in helm streaked across his face, and his lips were split in several places. He spat blood onto the ground, along with three broken teeth, the crimson mixing with the dirt at his feet.

Still silent, Atlas pulled his cape, the already loose cloth unfastening around his neck, and then he threw it to the side, letting it fly to in the wind. With that, he returned to his boxing stance, his shadowed crimson eyes locking onto Mulan's black.

Without warning, both fighters disappeared from their positions, their speed blurring them from sight of the level 0 elves. They met in the center once again, and Atlas's left arm came crashing down toward Mulan, the same devastating move he had attempted before. However, this time, it seemed more 'controlled.'

Mulan moved, her smaller hand finding the side of Atlas's massive wrist as she redirected his punch, and the difference in their height made it even more effective. Atlas's left fist slammed into the ground beside her with a bone-rattling thud, cracking the pavement beneath it, the deflection causing him to lean forward and down. Now, his enormous head was at her eye level.

For a brief second, Mulan prepared to counter, but there was no pause in his movement as his right fist, the size of her entire torso, came barreling toward her. The sheer speed and size of it made her eyes to narrow, but she didn't falter.

With a quick spin on her heel, she pivoted to her left, narrowly avoiding the incoming punch. However, just as she thought she had dodged it, the trajectory of his fist changed. Atlas's right punch, which had been aimed forward, suddenly shifted into a devastating backhand.

'!!!' Mulan's eyes widened and with no time to avoid it, she raised her left arm in a guard, her right arm supporting it as she braced for impact.

The backhand collided with her guard, slamming into her left forearm with a thunderous force. She grunted as the blow sent her flying sideways, her body flipping through the air as she was hurled across the area. She skidded to a stop, sliding on her heels before planting her feet and spinning back to face him.

However, he was gone, and then a shadow covered her, causing her gaze to shoot upwards—Atlas was above her. His right arm was cocked back, the gauntlet clenched into a massive fist that glinted menacingly in the sunlight. As he came crashing down at her, he punched down, his overhead punch aimed directly at her head.

Mulan leapt back just in time, her body twisting gracefully through the air as the massive fist smashed into the ground where she had stood only moments before. The impact shattered the paved ground beneath his fist, large chunks of stone and dirt flying in every direction.

Atlas landed on one knee beside his fist still buried in the broken ground and without hesitation, he dragged his right fist across the ground, the earth grinding beneath his gauntlet as he swung it upward in a sweeping uppercut. The punch came toward Mulan with terrifying speed, carrying dirt and debris with it as a powerful gust of wind surged upward.

She barely stepped back in time as the punch flew upward in front of her, missing by a hair's breadth, the gust of wind it carried blasted into her, sending her hair whipping around her face. Dirt and rocks shot into the air like shrapnel, but Mulan remained calm, her feet sliding back into position.

Then suddenly, Atlas stepped forward, changing the momentum of his raised arm as it came crashing downward in a hammering motion, his massive gauntleted fist like a meteor about to strike.

"Nine Elemental Martial Style: Unmoving Earth!" Mulan chanted aloud, her arm quickly raising above her head in an X-formation.

The massive fist collided with her guard, the impact so intense that the earth beneath her cratered as a dome-shaped gust of wind exploded outward, sending stones, dust, and debris flying in every direction. The sheer force of the blow reverberated through the area, but Mulan's stance held firm, her feet rooted to the ground despite the overwhelming power behind Atlas's attack.

Atlas followed up with a vicious right hook, his left fist coming at her like a freight train. Mulan's left arm moved swiftly from her guard above her head, dropping to her side in time to block the incoming blow, his fist slamming into her forearm with a resounding boom.

There was no break as in a fluid motion, his knee shot forward, his towering height allowing it to quickly reach Mulan's face. His knee struck with the force of a battering ram, slamming into her with enough power to send her flying backward. Blood trailed in the air as Mulan's body flipped, her golden hair tie flying off, with her hair loosening.

But she quickly controlled her body's motion, landing on her feet in a slide, with her black hair falling behind her to reach her mid back. Spitting blood to the ground, she didn't care about her broken nose as she immediately dashed forward, her eyes locked onto the charging giant.

They met in the middle as Atlas brought his left fist crashing down, aiming to smash her from above, while Mulan punched upward with her right fist, her smaller, cloth-wrapped hand colliding with his massive gauntlet. The impact sent a powerful gust of air outward, but despite the size difference, Mulan's punch held equal weight in the clash, causing both of their fists to be repelled by the force of their strikes.

Red, shadowed eyes met piercing black as Atlas threw a right fist down, and Mulan punched up with her own left. Their fists met again with a thunderous boom, the impact sending another shockwave through the area. Then came another punch, and another. Each blow was met with equal force, their punches raining down and flying up, all colliding in the center with resounding explosions of power.

*Boom. Boom. Boom* The sound of fists meeting flesh and metal echoed like thunder, and with every collision, concentric waves of air blasted outward, traveling far across the ground. The gusts were so powerful that some even reached the factory more than 100 meters away, rocking the closed doors on their hinges.

Inside the factory, one of the Evilus members, dressed in the usual black cloak and mask, stood guarding the door with his sword drawn, his body tense from the constant rattle of the door. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword as he turned to his comrades, his voice uneasy.

"What the fuck is going on out there?"

Another man, standing beside him, glanced at the window, too afraid to peek outside. "Mulan's handling some giant," he replied, his voice shaking slightly as another gust of wind blasted through the windows, the intervals between the gusts so short it felt like a continuous storm.

A female voice came up from the corner. "Should we help her?"

"Help her?" A mocking chuckle came from the back. "You saw how that giant ripped apart those other guys. Wasn't even phased by four fucking magic weapon."

"Yeah," another woman added. "Let those Level 2s take care of each other. No need for us fodders to get involved."

"If a level three comes..." A man trailed off. "Why didn't we get a level 3 guard…?"

Tension hung heavy in the air as a man suddenly shouted, frustration and urgency in his voice. "HURRY THE FUCK UP! More than ten minutes have passed! Our front line might've fallen by now, and it won't be long before those bitches of Astraea show up!"

A roar from further back echoed through the factory. "The retrieval team already left!"

"We're finishing the setup!" another voice chimed in, snapping back, "Just do your fucking job and stand guard!"

The man guarding the door grumbled under his breath, his fingers clenching the hilt of his sword tightly. "Thinks they're superior because they know more about magic-stone tech..." His eyes flickered with irritation as the door rattled again. He turned fully toward it, his knuckles whitened around the hilt of his blade.

"If I die here," he muttered, his voice filled with resentment, "I swear I'll come back to haunt this city."

Outside, the battle between Atlas and Mulan raged on, neither giving an inch as their blows continued to clash with the force of titans. The ground beneath Atlas and Mulan had long since cratered, the pavement torn apart from their brutal exchanges, exposing the raw earth below. Dust and debris swirled in the air, and both fighters stood, seemingly unfazed by the destruction surrounding them.

Then, it happened.

Amid their relentless barrage of punches, one landed twice.

The sudden, unexpected power behind the blow sent Mulan's arm recoiling back, her body twisting as her knee buckled, and her back bent sharply, leaving her torso almost horizontal to the ground. Mulan's eyes widened, her pupils shrinking as she stared up at the towering giant before her, whose right fist was already cocked back, ready to finish her.

Before she could react, Atlas's right gauntlet slammed down on her torso with the force of a warhammer. Her back struck the ground hard, the impact causing spiderweb cracks to explode outward from the edge of the crater. The wind was knocked out of her lungs as she gasped, her vision blurring, but Atlas did not give her a moment to recover.

His left fist came crashing down next, slamming into her torso again. Her eyes went wide as her vision briefly went white, a mouthful of spit ejecting from her mouth from the sheer force.

Another fist.

Then another.

Another...

Each one hit harder than the last, driving her deeper into the ground. Dust rose with every strike, each punch sending waves of shock through the earth, the tremors even felt within the factory walls. The guards stationed at the factory door, who had been standing their ground, took a collective step back.

"That's the strength of a level 2?" A man clenched his sword tighter. "Did this bastard max out his strength at level 0, 1, AND 2!?" However, they knew he wasn't a level 3. If he was, Mulan would have been dead a long while ago.

Another man, his grip loosening on his sword, whispered, "We are fucked if Mulan loses?"

"HURRY UP!" The same man from before screamed back.

"A FEW MORE SECOND!" An agitated voice returned. "CALM THE FUCK DOWN!"

Outside, Atlas's fists continued to rain down on Mulan, her body barely registering the impacts anymore. Her muscles tore, bones cracked under the onslaught. The defensive capability of her Earth Style martial technique helped her last this long, but one thing was clear—a few more hits would kill her.

'Should I use that?' Adrenaline surged through the young girl's veins as time seemed to slow.

Her eyes locked onto the giant's face, which was shrouded in shadow except for his glowing crimson pupils, staring down at her emotionlessly. Another punch was falling toward her, but her instinct told her something simple—she would die if she didn't use it.

A sudden rush of energy flooded her body. "Nine Elemental Martial Style: Cypher Space!" Mulan roared, her eyes glowing a fierce red, just as Atlas's fist landed.

Twice.

A certain death if Mulan had been hit by it, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Atlas stood up, his massive frame rising from the crater they had created. With a powerful clap of his gauntleted hands, a shockwave blasted outward, clearing the dust and debris that filled the air around him. The battlefield was revealed—an enormous crater over five meters wide, the pavement completely gone, cracks snaking outward for another ten meters.

And there, more than seventy meters away, stood Mulan.

She was near the factory door, standing straight but visibly damaged. Her clothes were torn in multiple places, revealing bruises that colored her skin a deep brown. Her nose was broken, her left eye swollen shut, and her right arm bent at an unnatural angle. A shard of her rib jutted out from the side of her body, blood staining her skin and the ground below her.

But the injuries were not the most change to her body.

Her black hair was now a spiky pink-red, and black line tattoos etched across her wrists, arms, exposed abdomen, and face, with a black mark on her forehead. In her barely functioning left hand, she held the rusted silver spear with a crimson tip—the very same spear Atlas had launched earlier.

Atlas's eyes expression showed no changes as he prepared to charge, his massive body tensing, but Mulan raised her voice.

"Cypher Space: Dismantle."

With a swift upward slash of her spear, the air around them seemed to distort.

In an instant, Atlas's right arm was cleaved clean from his shoulder, the massive arm flying to the side, landing with a heavy thud on the ground. Blood sprayed from his armless shoulder, the crimson liquid splattering the crater as his right arm twitched involuntarily on the ground, the gauntlet instinctively clenching into a fist as it lay detached from his body.

Atlas turned slowly, his eyes wide with horror, staring at his severed arm with pupil shrunken to a pin.

"Cypher Space: Dismantle."

Mulan's voice came again, her words carrying a lethal finality as she began a horizontal slash with the spear. Atlas's instincts screamed at him as he immediately leaned back, his back parallel to the ground as he 'felt' the space where his neck had been 'cut.'

A mere millisecond separated him from death.

"Cypher Space..." Mulan's voice continued, her lips moving as she prepared the final blow, and he knew:

In his position, he realized another strike could end him. "Equip..."

"Disman—"

"Tsar—"

Her words cut off abruptly, which also made Atlas stop his 'chant' as he quickly recovered his stance. He stepped back, covering his bleeding shoulder with his left gauntlet, trying to stanch the flow of blood, his eyes turning to Mulan.

Her cheeks puffed out as she coughed up a mouthful of blood that splattered on the pavement, more crimson liquid pouring from her lips like a waterfall, splattering the ground in front of her. The spear in her hand trembled before slipping from her limp hand, cluttering to the ground.

Mulan staggered forward, collapsing to the ground, but before her body could hit the earth, one of the Evilus guards near the factory dashed forward, catching her just in time. Another guard, standing beside them, raised a crystalline dagger as he covered his with his other hand.

"BLINDING FLASH!" the guard roared.

A brilliant flash of light exploded from the crystal blade, brighter than the sun itself. The sudden burst of light blinded Atlas, causing him to stumble back, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. When he finally forced his eyes open, blinking against the afterimage of the flash, the guards, Mulan, and the spear were gone.

~~~~~1st Person POV — Noah~~~~~

The adrenaline coursing through me early was like a fire—blazing, numbing everything else. When my arm was severed, I barely felt it. Just a strange lightness, the spray of warmth as my blood hit the ground.

But now, after it left?

The pain rushed in all at once.

It felt like my shoulder had been dipped in molten iron, burning, sizzling. Every heartbeat sent a wave of white-hot pain shooting from where my arm should've been, the muscles there twitching, as if they still expected my arm to be attached.

It was like my body couldn't comprehend that the limb was gone, and each attempt to move it—each flicker of instinct to use it—only made it worse. The raw, open nerve endings sent lightning bolts of agony through my chest, up my neck, down my spine. The pain was so overwhelming that I could barely see straight. My vision blurred, darkening at the edges as I staggered.

I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth against the urge to scream. I am a man and ain't no way I am screaming like a little bitch—

"FUCK!!!" Elixir. Elixir!

No, "Supreme Elixir!"

The Supreme Elixir spawn midair in front of me. Releasing my shoulder, I let the blood flow as a round bottle the size of an apple fell on my palm. Its slightly elongated top was covered with a wooden cork, and inside, filling almost the entire bottle, was a golden, glistening liquid.

I immediately threw the bottle into my mouth and then dived for my right arm, grabbing it, then sticking its clean cut 'shoulder' to my armless 'shoulder.' I then a bit down on the bottle, its glass shards ripping inside my mouth, and the moment the Elixir hit my mouth, it was like everything—everything—stopped.

Time itself seemed to halt as the golden liquid slid down my throat, spreading like wildfire through my veins. The pain, the fatigue, the blood pouring from my arm—all of it disappeared in an instant. Instead, this overwhelming wave of pure, unfiltered bliss surged through me.

"Fuck~" I couldn't help but moan as the sensation hit.

It was beyond anything I had ever experienced. Better fucking my hands.

My body felt weightless, like gravity itself had abandoned me. I was floating, suspended in the air, completely free. Every muscle, every nerve, everything that had once been screaming with pain and fatigue was now humming with a soft, gentle pleasure.

It was as if I'd been wrapped in the warmest embrace, cradled by invisible arms that soothed every hurt I never knew I had. My skin tingled, my mind went quiet. I felt loved. Like someone, or something, had finally noticed me. It was like being high, but better than any drug could ever promise. I felt untouchable, invincible, like I could just stay here forever. For a fleeting moment, it was just... peace.

Nothing to hate.

No burden.

Just floating.

Just being.

Weightless. Free. Loved.

But then... it was gone.

Everything crashed back down, hard, like a fucking tidal wave. Gravity slammed into me like a hammer, dragging me back down to the earth. I could feel the weight of my body return, the heaviness in my chest. The euphoria ripped away from me like a rug pulled out from under my feet. The emotion came flooding back all at once.

The pain was gone, but the memory of it remained, lurking in the back of my mind. My spear—my fucking uncommon spear—was gone. Stolen and I had been defeated.

Beaten by a sixteen-year-old girl.

A fucking kid!

The loneliness settled in like a lead weight in my gut. The cold, hard truth that no one would ever love me. My only love, my father, was gone. The only thing left was my hands and the game in my head.

I just stood there, staring at the ground.

And for a moment. For a single moment, I almost decided to end everything in my life, this fucking city. I almost released Tsar from its leash like I did the moment I saw I was going to die by that kid's hand.

But then I realized.

"Why the fuck am I feeling emotional." That feeling from the Supreme Elixir was face. Null. It meant nothing. I have lived for years. I am soon to be crowned a sage. Why end it now? Besides, if I became a god, I have years. An eternity to have fun.

Fuck that feeling.

"HAHAHA!" Oh, God. I was fucking pathetic. I almost cried when the effect of euphoria left. "What a joke."

'Whatever.' I unequipped Atlas Gauntlets and flexed my right arm. I clenched my fist, moved my shoulders, and punched. It felt natural, like it was never cut. Except, obviously, the cut in my combat shit and the blood.

Not only that, I felt energized.

Extremely energized.

Well, there goes my sleep and hunger for the next few days. Unlike normal Elixir that is removed through urine after it did its job, the Supreme stays in the body and while in the body it removes all fatigue, hunger, and everything. If you get injured, it will heal. If your arm gets served, it will heal it.

Yes, the remaining Elixir stored in your body will run out if you get injured too much, but that injury would need to be fatal, like the one that just happened to me.

Haah. I guess I will just go on a hunting spree.

_____________________

Status

Rank: 0 [Rank Up Possible] (!)

Level: 3701 (+106) [3788]

Level Exp held: 198

Strength: S 927 (+28) [S 955]

Endurance: S 901 (+20) [S 921]

Dexterity: S 945 (+19) [S 964]

Agility: S 928 (+20) [S 948]

Magic: I 0 (+19) [I 0]

_____________________

I got a lot of EXP from killing Evilus members, but I doubt they will let that slide, so I need to get to rank 1 as soon as possible before they start hunting me down. 'This wouldn't have been the case if I had killed everyone that saw me.' No revenge if everyone that knew it was me was dead.

But alas…

And yes, I see I can now rank up and when I click the exclamation mark it tells me it's because my four physical stats are now S rank, but I need to max them out at 1199 for the best effect.

And magic is still at 0.

I would say my speed is slow, but today was only my third day in this world. I haven't been here that long, so I don't need to beat myself over the fact I haven't ranked up yet. 'But that needs to be done soon.' I'd rather not have to rely on my friend Tsar again anytime soon.

Walking to my cape, I picked it up from below the rabbles. Dusting it, I sent it to my inventory and then walked to the factory. From my map, it looked like multiple green dots were moving to the center as they defeated the 'last line of defense' made by Evilus members.

I was inside the 'zone' when Evilus attacked so I didn't have to go through the frontline, and thank god for that. There were a lot of level 2 and 3s, and I even noticed a level 5 man named 'Aatrox' fighting multiple level 4s from Astraea Familia, and it seemed like they were the ones now moving towards this area.

Did they defeat bro? I hope not, but it wouldn't be his fault if he dies. He had to go a 1 vs 5 because his other team members were underfed after they decided to not go into the dungeon to farm and just kill normal humans.

"Now," I enter the factory, "What did they come here for?" Yeah, I am too stupid to investigate that shit. I didn't even know what was in here in the first place so how would I know what they took?

And I definitely can't stay here long. With my negative charisma, those people coming will think I am part of Evilus and I will get one tapped and thrown in jail, but I just wanted to look around a bit.

And I saw it.

Bodies. Lots of bodies were scattered around, head severed, limbs crushed, abdomen torn open. It was a slaughterhouse filled with bodies of the deceased. 'The fuck am I doing in here?' Am I some kind of psycho?

Time to leave!

But then a slightly ajar door drew my attention and I wanted to find myself in the magic stone storage just out of curiosity. "Damn." And I found five massive magic stones, the smallest being about half my body and the largest being more than three times my size.

"Monster Rex?" I wasn't stupid. These massive shits are most likely from monster rex—

After touching the smallest stone, a screen appeared.

[Magic Stone of the Floor Boss, Goliath. Recharge value (300 Premium Currency). Do you wish to use this magic stone to complete the first time recharge]

'Hmm?' I must still be high from that potion.

I touched the largest.

[Magic Stone of the Floor Boss, Udaeus. Recharge value (1,980 Premium Currency). Do you wish to use this magic stone to complete the first time recharge.]

Eh, no.

Why would I do that? I mean, yes I kill people, but that was only because they were killing others. But, it's true, I am tempted. Like, really tempted. But I can't do that. If it was another time, I am sure I would have, but the destruction caused to the city by Evilus needs money to be fixed.

And those monies will come from these crystals. Yes, I am a monster according to Evilus, but not a villain. People need a home to return to. People died. Husbands and sons were lost.

I can't just take these.

Yes, last time I said I won't kill, and I ended up killing, but I am not taking this.

"Haah,"

I am a good man.

I turned and left the storage room with no magic stone in my hand, but for some reason the storage looked emptier than before.

I don't know why.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was this chapter good? I hope so. Not really good at writing long, drawn out fight like I did this chapter. Was a first but I think my experience from reading made it good. Right? If you're wondering, or maybe you noticed, most of his 'techniques' were inspired by Marisa from Street Fighter 6. My big mommy.

Also, I did a bit of 'calculation' and placed Noah at peak of 9-A (Small Building Level) while under the boost of adrenaline and just above 9-B (Wall level) at base. Mulan scales different as she has different 'forms' but Cypher Space pushes her into the 8-C (Building Level) tier. In this form, she will 'one tap' a level 3 and injure a level 4 or even fatally injure them based on their build. However, since *SPOILER* dismantle only happens after the 'slash' with a 'bladed weapon' has been completed, a faster level 2 can dodge similar to Noah. So as long as they aren't of guarded, a level 3 should be hit by dismantle.

I will explain 'Nine Elemental Martial Style' soon. Maybe next chapter? The next chapter will also introduce the those bitches of Astraea so look forward to it. And I hope the emotional part wasn't cringe. When i was writing it, I had to leave my dorm and go for a walk due to how embarrassed I was writing it. Like I said, I don't like writing emotional stuff. I am emo. But it was useful for the plot so I had to put it in.