บท 58: Chapter 223 - The Gentleman Who Was Smacked by the Lady
No words were needed to begin.
Both Enkrid and his opponent had already taken their stances, and that was enough.
The woman raised her shield forward.
Enkrid thought that his opponent would use a defensive strategy based on the shield, as that's the effectiveness of wielding a sword and shield.
Up until now, those with similar armaments had fought in that way.
Experience guided Enkrid's movements.
One step forward.
It was a move to take a more advantageous position in the fight.
The moment she advanced with his sword raised, the shield expanded. It grew. In an instant, it covered his entire field of vision.
'Damn it.'
A curse involuntarily rose in Enkrid's mind. There was no time to speak it aloud.
Before he knew it, the gray steel wall was right in front of him. Everything else disappeared from view.
In a split second, Enkrid crossed his arms in front of his chest and face, taking a defensive stance while still holding his sword.
Bang!
The gray steel wall slammed into his forearms.
The impact shook his vision, and a second jolt followed as his back hit the ground. Reflexively, his slammed her left hand onto the ground to execute a roll, something akin to a breakfall.
It was all thanks to the relentless practice of the Balaf-style martial arts.
Though his insides twisted with nausea, his didn't vomit.
The strike had come at an unexpected timing, and it was a heavy blow.
Thrown backward, his back hit the ground, causing her to fall awkwardly.
"Ha!"
Enkrid exhaled sharply and took a deep breath, trying to recover from the shock. He attempted to rise quickly, but there was no time.
Something flew over hisr head with a swoosh. She didn't have time to confirm what it was.
Of course, he didn't have a moment to catch his breath either.
Feeling a sharp tightness in his chest, Enkrid swung his sword upward while half-lying on his back.
Clang!
As his struck, his right foot slammed into the ground and he rolled to the side.
He couldn't deliver a proper overhead strike. His posture, position, and timing had all been taken from him, so it was unavoidable.
Attempting to deflect the blow with a half-hearted swipe of the sword, he was only partially successful.
His sword veered off, but he couldn't block the follow-up attack.
The opponent let her sword pass by and used her foot.
It felt like a mace was coming right at her face.
'Steel boots.'
The sight of the iron boots flashing before his eyes was unmistakable.
Thunk!
The toe of the boot struck his chest.
He was knocked back and rolled, the distance far greater than when he had been knocked by the shield.
The shock from the impact had sent him further away.
"Ha."
While rolling, Enkrid planted his left hand on the ground and used it to propel himself into a quick recovery, flipping back to his feet.
"You've got some skill."
The woman warrior said, already in a defensive posture again, pulling her shield back to cover herself, just as she had at the beginning.
That bothered Enkrid. It was hard to find an opening.
More than that, her opponent's combat style was no joke.
'Experienced.'
She knew how to exploit the weaknesses of her opponent through her equipment and stance.
That meant she was well-versed in both combat and fighting.
Drip.
As her foot was struck, a sharp stone may have grazed her forehead, and a drop of blood trickled down to her temple.
The blood slowly ran down her cheek and gathered at the tip of her chin before dripping off.
That seemed to be the signal.
The giant hybrid woman warrior stomped the ground again.
Boom!
With a noise, the same gray steel wall appeared before him once again.
It was a large, round shield made of solid iron, covering half of her body. If swung, it could function as a blunt weapon.
Even for a well-trained person, it would be heavy, and unless you were a giant or a frog, it would be hard to handle.
It was the same tactic, the same surefire move. How could he block such a wide, fast, and powerful weapon?
'If I can't block it...'
Then she would dodge.
The beast's heart awakened.
A single point of focus created total immersion.
With that focus, he opened his eyes and heightened his senses, moving accordingly.
Enkrid's body bent sideways like a shadow stretching along the flickering light of a lamp in the night. The sharp acceleration gave the impression of flowing shadows.
At the same time, he aimed at his opponent's sword arm and slashed down with his sword. It was a heavy, downward strike.
Her opponent's shield also moved, swinging sideways.
The shield blocked and pushed forward. The swords clashed.
The force of both collided through the blades and shield.
Boom!
The sound of the collision was deafening. One side awakened the heart of immense strength, while the other carried the blood of giants.
It sounded like an explosion spell had gone off, and all the onlookers covered their ears.
"Ugh!"
"Ack!"
Various exclamations filled the air.
As Enkrid's sword struck his opponent's shield, he saw a blade grazing his side.
He twisted his body to avoid it, but the glancing strike was inevitable.
It wasn't a deep wound, but blood flowed. His side quickly became wet.
He wore thin leather armor, but his opponent's blade was sharp. It wasn't an ordinary weapon.
It was at least as sharp as Enkrid's own sword.
Though it appeared to be a heavy and blunt-looking blade, it performed like a razor-sharp weapon.
The sword was a modified longsword, and though his opponent's large body made it look like a typical arming sword, it was far from ordinary.
"Fast."
His opponent spoke.
Her face remained expressionless, as if she didn't feel any excitement from the fight.
'Strong.'
She fought well, sliced well, and her reflexes were exceptional.
Enkrid had hoped to meet someone like this, a worthy opponent outside of Rem, Audin, Ragna, and Jaxen.
He felt like he had found a rare gem in a drought.
"Ah, let's do it again."
Enkrid couldn't help but smile. It was a rare expression, one that only appeared when he was truly enjoying herself.
"Look at that expression. She probably thinks we're crazy."
It was not an easy opponent. Rem and everyone else recognized it at once.
In the midst of it all, Rem spoke while watching his broken leader, who was grinning uncontrollably.
"Well, it is disorienting the first time you see it," Rem said.
Ragna added to his statement.
"He probably didn't know that's how they are."
Unusually, Jaxen spoke up.
"Heh, looks like the brother doesn't like it."
Audin joined in. Rem, too, nodded slightly at his words.
Even when he didn't have the Beast's Heart, he'd still be like that.
Rem had seen it before — he'd climb up something as decayed as a rotten tree trunk, laughing like that.
How long before it breaks?
What's so enjoyable about that?
'Back then, I thought he'd die any moment.'
Before he knew it, they were already behind him. The human who had been far off in the distance was now close enough that a shout could reach them.
'I don't want to be caught.'
Rem observed the fight, thinking to himself.
No matter how he looked at it, the female warrior had come to kill his leader.
Should he stop it?
In the past, he would have. If this was a battlefield, he would have intervened. But now, he couldn't do that.
This was a human who had carved their own path toward their dream.
'If I stepped in now, they'd resent me terribly, right?'
Of course, if things were close to life-or-death, he would step in.
It didn't seem like he was the only one thinking this way.
Ragna, standing beside him, narrowed his stance slightly, and the sly presence of the hidden cat faded. Audin, still chuckling, subtly leaned forward.
'Crazy bastards.'
At least he was the only normal one. His leader was obsessed with fighting, no matter if he lived or died.
The rest were all just as abnormal.
'I need to pull myself together. I have to.'
After all, didn't he almost kill Dunbakel, the beast-woman, to get to this point?
'Beast-women are sturdy.'
There's satisfaction in beating them.
Well, they'd recover quickly. He knew that, so he didn't hesitate to push her limits.
Rem continued to watch the fight.
Enkrid had been cut across the side, but he didn't even seem to feel the pain.
Another shield charge came.
'That should split it.'
But it wasn't going to be easy.
Previously, Rem had dodged and looked for openings, but it had been blocked.
And now, it was the same.
The opponent took a step aside, leaving a faint afterimage behind. At first, it seemed like the same move, but it wasn't.
As the shield followed, Enkrid moved faster than before.
He usually used only about half of his Beast's Heart strength, but now it seemed like he was using his full power.
Enkrid's body sped up.
Soon, he had grabbed the back of the hybrid giant's shoulders, and his sword swung around in a wide arc, following the opponent's movements.
Kkakakakakakakak!
As the sword grazed the surface of the gray iron shield, it clashed and bounced repeatedly, sparks flying.
For most people, the speed of this exchange would be difficult to even see with the naked eye.
Soon after, Enkrid's blade grazed his opponent's side.
But the opponent didn't falter.
Losing sight of Enkrid, she swung her sword downwards without even looking.
Hwang!
The modified longsword, with its thicker blade, cleaved the air.
Having just grazed the side, Enkrid was already distanced from his opponent.
As soon as he avoided the blade, he charged forward again.
It seemed like vengeance for the earlier shield strike.
This time, Enkrid used his body like a decoy, launching his sword as if it were an arrow.
'That move...'
It was the same technique used by the opponent who had last stepped forward in Martai.
'Used it on me like crazy back then!'
Now, he pulled it out again. The sword seemed to fly from its sheath like a divine weapon.
Clang!
His opponent blocked it, but this time, she didn't manage to block it fully.
Enkrid's sword scraped along the side of the shield and struck the opponent's shoulder guard, knocking it off.
Of course, it wasn't just the shoulder guard that was hit.
Thud.
Blood began to flow from the hybrid giant's shoulder.
But she didn't care. She continued her movements, bringing her shield back in front to block her body, while her right hand awkwardly raised her sword in a defensive stance.
It was a textbook-like stance for using both sword and shield.
The hybrid giant didn't even grunt.
Instead, she clenched her teeth so tightly that her jaw muscles tightened.
And then she charged again. Enkrid pulled his sword back from the thrust and spun his body, swinging it with great force.
It was a heavy, rotating strike, almost as fast as a thrust, but with the heavy power of a giant.
Bang!
The hybrid giant blocked with her shield, holding her ground.
The opponent blocked with her shield and swung her sword with the same hand.
That was the reason she carried both a sword and a shield.
Her sword fell from above once again.
Thanks to the perfect timing, it was a strike that almost stole Enkrid's breath.
Rem couldn't help but twitch his right index finger.
He almost threw his axe.
And it wasn't just him.
Ragna, Audin, and Jaxen also felt the same.
But they stopped. There was no need to act yet.
Just when they thought it was a crisis, Enkrid drew a second sword.
Thud!
After blocking once, the middle of his sword cracked, but it still did her part.
The sword he drew with his other hand blocked the opponent's strike.
"…Left hand?"
The hybrid giant spoke while their swords clashed. Enkrid nodded.
"It's one of my specialties."
"Do you have any other specialties?"
"Many."
"Maybe it'll end before I see them all."
The giant's words were urging Enkrid to show everything he had.
In the extreme bluntness of her words, this was the first time the usually quiet hybrid giant spoke at length.
Enkrid smiled as he answered.
"I can't show you everything. Flirting with women is also one of my talents."
Rem, overhearing this, smirked.
He has a way with words too.'
Enkrid's tongue was indeed the sharpest of his weapons.
"Is he insane?"
The hybrid giant briefly spoke the truth about Enkrid's identity before swinging her sword once again.
The classical techniques of sword and shield.
If one were to describe it, it was a technique of sword fighting with the added skill of handling a shield.
Enkrid threw away his half-broken sword and readied just one.
'Dual swords are for when they're really needed.'
It was a solid strategy.
Their battle ended by dusk.
If one had to judge the winner...
'He lost.'
It was Enkrid's defeat.
It was clear even with the eyes.
His cheek was slashed.
When the cheek was cut—no, more accurately, after it was cut—several of the women watching screamed in shock.
Enkrid's reputation within the city had been at its peak.
He was considered the best match for a spouse, and there were women who would sell everything they had just to be with him.
Yet here he was, with his cheek cut and a few ribs broken.
He had sustained small cuts all over his body.
After trying to engage in close combat, he had landed eight hits but had taken one in return, breaking a few of his ribs.
The opponent had been struck in the jaw and sternum, but withstood the blows.
It was the endurance of a giant.
Enkrid hadn't underestimated his opponent.
But no matter how well-trained the body, it couldn't withstand overwhelming force.
'Lost by judgment.'
It was likely the conclusion everyone had reached.
Enkrid breathed heavily. His irregular breathing signaled that he was exhausted and had reached his limit.
The hybrid giant had realized she couldn't finish off her opponent.
The mission had failed. Despite her opponent's frenzy, he hadn't even reached the rank of a knight, so she thought it wouldn't be too difficult, but…
'He's strong.'
The man before her was strong.
In skill, in resolve, and especially in his mental fortitude.
'Is he strong because he's insane?'
While this thought rippled through the warrior's mind, Enkrid assessed his own condition coolly.
He examined himself once, then looked up at his opponent.
The opponent was in as bad shape as he was.
"Let's do it again tomorrow."
"…What?"
For the first time, his opponent looked astonished by Enkrid's words. Before she could say anything, an axe was thrown right between them.
"Didn't you hear? If you want more, we can do it tomorrow or the day after. Take some time to recover. Oh, the inn is free, meals too. The gentleman who was smacked by the lady over there will cover it."
Rem pointed to the severely injured Enkrid with his thumb.
At this rate, it couldn't be killed. The chance to fight only existed when it was happening.
Right now, there were dangerous people all around.
Even the one holding the axe in front of them.
As the warrior pondered, Rem spoke again.
"If you'd rather leave, feel free to go."
He sounded like he didn't care at all. Even though his leader had been half turned into a bloody mess.
Of course, that bloodied mess was still standing.
Unbelievable resilience. Not quite as strong as a giant, but there was something fundamentally different about him.
In reality, it was thanks to the Isolation Technique and Audin, the demon, but that was beyond the hybrid giant's understanding.
"You're planning to intervene in the fight?"
The warrior asked.
"No, after watching today, I don't think it's necessary."
The warrior didn't immediately understand the meaning of those words. However, she knew that she had another chance.
There was no way she could return now.
After failing the mission, could she go back unscathed?
Betrayal and treason would be the talk of the town.
Every action and movement would be questioned.
"Then."
The warrior silently stepped back.
"Well, that's good then."
Rem turned to his leader with a glance.
"Yeah, it's good."
Enkrid seemed satisfied. Could his body heal in just one day, covered in wounds?
Audin had said that after breaking, things would become stronger during recovery, so now, he had no choice but to rest.
"I learned a lot."
"Was it that enjoyable?"
Enkrid, his legs wobbling, was supported by Rem. With his arm around his shoulder, Enkrid replied.
"Moderately."
Moderately? He was about to drool from exhaustion.
Rem silently grumbled to himself while supporting him.
And then the next day came.
The female warrior realized she wouldn't be able to easily achieve what she wanted.
Enkrid, however, wore a smile twice as bright as the day before.
Anyone who knew him would recognize that it was a smile that rarely showed.
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