Chapter 201: The Butcher, Samu’dra (5)

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

The sound of metal colliding echoed throughout the cavern, making the entire place tremble.

The nagas watching the battle had already retreated to a safe distance.

They stared at the two monsters fighting before them, fear visible in their eyes.

Every clash between their swords sent powerful shockwaves through the cavern, making the surrounding stone shake.

Red auras flashed outward with every collision, tearing through the surrounding rocks and leaving destruction in their wake.

Seeing the terrifying power contained within those shockwaves, none of the nagas dared to get any closer.

They could tell that this was no longer a battle they could interfere with.

These two monsters were simply on another level—

CLANG!

Jake and Samu’dra’s swords collided as they stared directly at each other, both wearing wide grins.

Neither of them noticed that their eyes had begun to glow with a faint red light.

Then, in the next moment—

BOOM!

Their figures exploded forward.

Jake’s sword of light flashed toward Samu’dra’s neck.

Samu’dra swiftly tilted its head and twisted its massive body, narrowly avoiding the blade.

At the same time, its greatsword came crashing down toward Jake.

Jake raised his sword and caught the descending blade.

CLANG!

The impact shook his entire body, but instead of retreating, he stepped forward and pushed Samu’dra’s greatsword aside.

BOOM!

His grin widened.

"Ha!"

His sword immediately swept toward Samu’dra’s ribs.

SLASH!

But Samu’dra’s smaller sword snapped into position.

CLANG!

The blades collided again.

Samu’dra’s single eye widened with excitement.

"...HAHAHA!"

Its deep roar echoed through the cavern.

But Jake didn’t stop.

He twisted his wrist and redirected his sword, changing the angle of the attack in an instant.

Seeing this, Samu’dra’s grin grew even wider.

It quickly raised its greatsword—

CLANG!

Jake’s blade struck the side of the massive sword as sparks exploded between them.

"...Again!"

Samu’dra roared excitedly.

Before it could counterattack, Jake had already stepped inside its reach.

Then he thrust forward.

WHOOSH!

"...!"

Samu’dra bent backward, allowing the sword of light to pass just above its chest.

Then its smaller sword suddenly swept upward.

Jake’s pupils contracted.

He immediately pulled his body backward.

SHING!

The blade passed dangerously close to his face.

Jake landed a short distance away and wiped the thin scratch across his cheek.

He looked at the blood on his fingertip.

Then he grinned.

"Nice."

His eyes seemed to burn brighter as he lowered his stance.

Then—

Jake’s foot slammed into the ground.

BOOM!

He shot forward again.

Samu’dra’s eye gleamed with excitement.

"...COME!"

Its roar shook the cavern.

Jake spun and swung his sword in a wide arc.

Samu’dra crossed both swords in front of its body.

CLANG!

A violent shockwave erupted from the collision.

Both figures were pushed backward but neither stopped.

The moment their feet touched the ground, they charged again.

BOOM!

Jake’s sword flashed and Samu’dra’s two blades always followed.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

Their swords collided faster and faster.

Jake’s expression was now completely different from how it had been before.

The usual calmness he carried had vanished, replaced by pure excitement in his eyes.

With every clash of their swords, his grin widened.

"HAHA!" he roared, swinging his sword once more.

Samu’dra answered with an even louder roar.

"RAAAAAAGH!"

Its two swords moved so fiercely to match the flashes of crimson lightning.

Even though the two looked as if they were absorbed in their fight, Jake’s thoughts were still racing even while exchanging blows that shook his arms.

Strangely, he was very clear-minded in this moment despite his outward appearance.

Jake narrowed his eyes as he had finally started to notice something.

’This guy has... a pattern.’

Samu’dra’s swordsmanship was wild and aggressive, but it wasn’t completely chaotic.

Every attack seemed reckless at first glance, yet there was always a purpose behind it.

The greatsword was usually used to force Jake into a certain position.

Then the smaller sword would follow immediately, attacking from the angle Jake was most likely to leave open.

Jake’s eyes shifted toward the greatsword.

’The big sword controls the space...’

’And the smaller sword is used to punish my movements with its speed.’

It was a simple combination.

But because of Samu’dra’s incredible strength and speed, it was extremely difficult to deal with.

Whenever Jake blocked the greatsword, the smaller sword would attack.

Whenever he avoided the smaller sword, the greatsword would follow.

And whenever he tried to create some distance, Samu’dra would immediately rush forward and close it.

Jake’s eyes became sharper.

’He’s not just swinging those swords randomly.’

At that moment, Samu’dra suddenly charged again.

Its greatsword came sweeping horizontally.

Jake immediately recognized the attack.

’There.’

He ducked beneath the blade.

WHOOSH!

Just as he expected, Samu’dra’s smaller sword came stabbing toward his chest.

Jake’s glowing red eyes followed the blade as he shifted his body to the side.

WHOOSH!

The blade passed beside him.

But instead of counterattacking immediately, Jake continued watching.

As expected, Samu’dra’s greatsword was already moving again.

CLANG!

Jake blocked the incoming strike.

His expression became thoughtful.

’The moment I dodge the smaller sword, he immediately follows with the greatsword, and vice versa.’

Jake’s grin slowly returned.

’So that’s how you fight.’

Samu’dra roared and swung both swords again.

Jake moved backward, avoiding the first strike, then stepped to the side as the second sword followed him.

He ducked as the greatsword swept over his head.

CLANG!

Jake blocked another attack.

His eyes remained fixed on Samu’dra’s movements.

He wasn’t simply fighting anymore.

He was studying Samu’dra.

He watched every step, every swing, and every subtle change in its stance, committing each movement to memory.

And Jake realized something else.

’You’ve been fighting alone for so long that your swordsmanship has become completely built around yourself.’

Samu’dra didn’t fight like a swordsman who had spent years fighting different opponents.

It fought like someone who had spent years fighting against its own imagination.

There was no hesitation and no uncertainty.

Its attacks were incredibly direct because it had never needed to adapt to another swordsman’s style.

It had simply developed the style that felt most natural to its own body.

’That’s why it’s so difficult to predict at first.’

Jake’s eyes narrowed as a faint grin appeared on his face.

"But it also means..."

"...it’s easy to predict once you get the hang of it."

He suddenly stepped forward instead of retreating.

Samu’dra’s single eye widened.

Jake slipped past the path of its greatsword and moved directly into the space between its two blades.

For the first time, a trace of panic appeared in Samu’dra’s eye.

Jake grinned.

"I’ve figured out where your rhythm breaks."

His sword of light flashed forward.

SLASH!

Samu’dra hurriedly twisted its smaller sword, bringing the blade up to block.

But Jake had already seen through the movement.

’Too slow.’

Even if Samu’dra managed to block the attack, Jake knew his sword of light would simply pass through its smaller blade and continue toward its body.

’I’ve got you.’

Jake’s eyes sharpened as his sword closed in.

But just before the attack landed—

The panic on Samu’dra’s face suddenly disappeared.

And... its eye curved into a grin.

"...?!"

Jake’s expression changed.

Something was wrong.

Then—

TING!

The instant the sword of light touched Samu’dra’s smaller blade, Jake immediately felt that something was wrong.

It wasn’t a normal clash.

There was almost no resistance.

Instead, the force behind his own strike suddenly rebounded back at him.

BOOM!

Jake’s entire body jerked violently.

His sword was suddenly knocked upward as if an invisible hammer had struck the blade from below.

Both of his arms were thrown high above his head.

His shoulders were pulled backward, leaving his chest completely exposed, while his feet nearly left the ground.

"What?!"

Jake’s eyes widened in disbelief.

His entire stance had been thrown off balance in an instant.

’What the hell just happened?!’

For a brief moment, Jake couldn’t understand what had happened.

His gaze instinctively snapped toward Samu’dra’s smaller sword.

Then realization struck him.

His expression turn dark.

"...The second sword."

Jake’s pupils contracted.

"The ability of that sword is... Deflect!?"

It was such a simple ability, yet the way Samu’dra used it made it incredibly effective.

But it was already too late.

Samu’dra had been waiting for this exact moment.

Its massive body twisted as the muscles beneath its scales bulged with power.

It pulled its greatsword back, gathering all its strength before swinging.

Its single eye burned with excitement.

"RAAAAAAAAGH!"

Its roar shook the cavern.

Then—

WHOOSH!

The greatsword came crashing toward Jake with terrifying force.

Jake’s eyes widened as he desperately tried to bring his sword back down.

But his arms were still raised above his head, and his balance had been completely destroyed.

’Damn it!’

The massive blade was already right in front of him.

Then—

BOOM!

The greatsword slammed directly into Jake.

A massive explosion erupted from the point of impact, caused by the sheer force behind Samu’dra’s swing alone.

BOOOOM!

The entire cavern shook violently.

A tremendous shockwave exploded outward, blasting rocks and dust into the air.

The ground beneath Jake’s feet shattered from the force.

The surrounding nagas were forced to cover their faces as the shockwave swept through the cavern, while loose stones were sent flying in every direction.

"JAKE!"

Aria shouted as she shielded her face from the shockwave.

Her hair whipped wildly behind her as dust and debris swept past.

For a moment, Jake’s figure was completely swallowed by the explosion.

Aria stared anxiously into the cloud of dust, trying to see what had happened to him.

She was so fixated on the scene and the chaos around her that she... failed to notice the movement above.

High on the cavern ceiling, the four-eyed naga suddenly moved.

Its slender body coiled tightly.

Then—

BOOM!

It launched itself from the ceiling like an arrow.

The swift naga shot downward at terrifying speed, tearing through the dust cloud as it opened its jaws wide.

All four of its eyes were fixed directly on Aria.

Its mouth opened wider and wider as it descended toward her.

WHOOSH!

Aria finally sensed something above her.

She looked up—

And saw the jaws coming straight toward her.