Chapter 7:
Zero
JUST BEFORE RIN first attacked Yanagi, he noticed something. He didn’t sense Nameless’s effects activate, which indicated Yanagi’s level hovered somewhere between ten thousand and thirteen thousand. That Yanagi could dodge Rin, a speed-focused adventurer himself, denoted some serious dexterity stats. Add to that Yanagi’s use of daggers, a weapon favored by the speedy. With such clear evidence, Rin decided Nameless wasn’t the best weapon for their fight.
“Switch,” he commanded his Item Box. Speed Sword swapped places with Nameless in his right hand.
Speed Sword
A short sword made with a Blacksmith skill.
Recommended equip level: 6,000
Attack +6,000
Speed +3,000
Attack power was unlikely to determine the outcome of this fight. Rather, speed would. Thus, Rin decided to dual-wield Greed and his Speed Sword. Ready to fight, he lunged after Yanagi.
Yanagi clicked his tongue in frustration, fully focused on Rin’s short swords. Against the slashing short swords, he could barely defend himself.
He’s fast, Yanagi thought. And each attack is so heavy! What’s with this guy?!
As the two traded blows, Yanagi felt that Rin’s physical strength was higher than his own. Doubts arose in his mind, much like the way the ache from blocking Rin’s blows crept up his arm.
Impossible, impossible, impossible!!! He was only level 5,000 a few days ago! Does his unique skill multiply his strength this much? How else would he have gotten so strong in such a short time?!
Even for Yanagi, who took pride in his rapid leveling, leveling up so much was outside the realm of possibility. His whole being rejected the notion that the levels Rin seemed to have gained were real.
Obviously, he wasn’t going to ask Rin how he did it. At this rate, he would lose. He had to think of something—a different method to turn the tides!
Yanagi had stolen many fantastic skills with Plunderer, so one of them should’ve come to mind, but his vision was clouded by the flash of Rin’s tri-colored sword.
“I hate it!” he yelled childishly. “If it weren’t for that annoying short sword!”
Tallying the skills he’d plundered, he found that half of them were magic. Each one of them boasted the power to reverse the situation, but as long as Rin wielded that short sword, Yanagi’s magic would be turned back on him.
The more he gnawed on the problem, the larger it felt. The short sword must have activation limits, but he couldn’t test his theories. It was all he could do to evade Rin’s attacks and block his blades. Yanagi’s only saving grace was the difference in raw stats, which allowed him to focus on defense. At least, as long as he didn’t use magic, Rin wouldn’t have magic to steal.
There would be an opening and chance to counterattack somewhere, but he couldn’t skate on thin ice forever.
“Release,” Rin commanded.
“No!!!”
Rin slashed his blade. Yanagi panicked, and his response to the action was too late. Greed released a spear of ice that pierced his right foot and pinned him in place.
“Ghhh!” he choked out.
Rin didn’t hesitate to swing Speed Sword at him.
Not like this! Yanagi thought. He wasn’t meek prey. He couldn’t dodge anymore, but he could block! He raised his dagger in front of his chest, barely—but successfully—saving himself.
The short swords in Rin’s hands vanished. “Wise Man,” he said.
“Huh?”
As Rin said the strange words, he punched Yanagi solidly in the chest. He heaved as each fist pummeled his ribs and sent him flying. Faster than he could see, he struck a wall, back first. Thorny, strangling agony lanced through his body. White sparks framed his vision as his HP fell by nearly 30 percent.
What did he…he punched me bare-handed? That power doesn’t make any sense for bare hands! Who is he?!
He pressed his left hand to his chest and desperately turned his head. Rin ran toward Yanagi faster than his thoughts could race. The short swords were back in Rin’s hands. Yanagi couldn’t move, let alone run.
Is this my end? he agonized.
If Rin struck him a few more times, he was bound to die. Facing death might’ve made someone else’s life slow down as it flashed before their eyes, but his thoughts picked up speed.
I’m going to lose to a guy like him?
As if that was possible.
I’m going to be stolen from again?
As if he would allow that to happen.
If it means survival…I’ll bet my life!
“One-winged Flight,” he said.
He would play the last card in his deck.
One-winged Flight LV 6
+60% to Speed (Decreases HP by 1% per second).
One-winged Flight had more negatives than positives, so it was a skill that disgusted Yanagi to his very core. Gale Wind, which anyone could obtain, didn’t have such a dangerous price attached to it. With his HP already low, he didn’t want to rely on it—but in the face of death, he was out of options. This useless skill was the only way to overcome Rin’s LV 10 Gale Wind.
Even if I have to gamble everything…
“I’ll kill you, Amane Rin!” He swallowed the pain and ran toward him. “Take this!”
“Huh?!” Rin gasped.
One-winged Flight propelled his speed beyond Rin’s by far. He couldn’t elude Yanagi any longer.
I can do this!
Yanagi slashed Rin’s side with invisible speed, far faster than he could dodge. The high of success flooded him—until a ting sound vibrated up his blade.
“Why are you like this?!” he screamed in fury.
No matter how tough Rin was, it was impossible for a human body to make that high-pitched sound. Somehow, an invisible barrier surrounded Rin. Yanagi had put everything he had behind that attack, but it was deflected like nothing.
Oh, but he wasn’t going to cry and beg for mercy so submissively! His mind was made up.
“Well, color me surprised, Amane Rin,” he drawled. “You have a defense against physical attacks too. How funny! Allow me to see how long it lasts!”
Yanagi refused to stop until his HP drained to zero. He ran circles around Rin and struck pitilessly with his daggers. This time, he was on offense, and Rin was on defense, but he couldn’t match Yanagi’s speed fast enough to block. Even though Rin could follow Yanagi’s movements with his eyes, he couldn’t keep up.
With Rin unable to evade or defend, Yanagi showered him in slash attacks until the moment he’d waited for arrived. One powerful strike at Rin’s back resulted in a cracking sound, as if something glass-fragile had broken.
“I knew there was a limit!” Yanagi gloated. “I’ll break it entirely next time!”
“Release,” Rin whispered.
A ball of fire shot from Greed. Yanagi sidestepped it by a millisecond. He didn’t appreciate the interruption in his string of attacks, but Rin only had one more spell to wield, making one less thing for Yanagi to worry about. One more strike!
Yanagi flew faster than he ever had before.
“Time to die, Amane Rin!”
Rin faced Yanagi head on and stilled. Was Rin just a rabbit, frozen under the shadow of a swooping hawk? Or was he baiting Yanagi into letting his guard down?
You freakin’ idiot. I know you’re strong in your own right, but that’s exactly why I’ll do everything it takes to kill you!
Still…something was off.
Why isn’t he afraid?
Rin’s eyes flashed defiantly, almost as if he didn’t believe death was imminent.
I’m imagining it. My victory is secure! This strike will end him!
He swung his dagger wide. No matter how much Rin’s stats had multiplied, he wasn’t fast enough to evade him.
At least, that was what he believed. He had no idea what his prey was truly capable of.
If Yanagi had made just one mistake, it was this: he’d acted without knowing what Rin’s unique skill could do—and without knowing that it no longer required activation time.
“Dungeon Teleportation, LV 20,” Rin whispered. “Time Zero.”
Yanagi had been outrun.