Chapter 554 - 554: Lunoire

A cold wind howled, while the shadow of the city wall formed a natural barrier that shut out the bustle of the city.

Bell stood in an open area near the wall, gripping the Goddess's Blade.

Reflected in his crimson eyes was not the familiar tavern attendant, but the bounty hunter wearing pitch-black gauntlets, [Black Fist].

"To be honest, I'd rather not fight a woman, Lunoire-san. I hope you'll step aside willingly."

Bell tried to persuade her.

Unlike Chloe, Lunoire excelled in direct combat. Among those working at the tavern, aside from Ryuu and Mia, she was the strongest.

Without using Magic, Bell would have a hard time holding back against her.

"You're only Level 3, yet you've already decided you're going to win? How arrogant."

Lunoire's fighting spirit did not diminish in the slightest.

There was a hint of provocation in her tone, but her gaze and stance made it clear that she regarded the boy as a genuine opponent. She had not let her guard down at all.

"Don't you want to help Chloe-san? From where I'm standing, Lunoire-san, you actually want to go after her very badly, don't you?"

Bell chose to attack her resolve instead.

In PvP combat, as levels increased, the advantage provided by technique gradually diminished.

That did not mean technique was unimportant. Rather, adventurers above Level 4 had already endured countless trials, so their own technique could not be underestimated either.

Bell could not completely make up for the difference in Status through Technique alone, as he had when fighting mercenaries.

This disadvantage had not been apparent during the simulated battles with the Loki Familia because Anakitty and the others were exploration-oriented adventurers who focused on advancing through the Dungeon. Most of their opponents were monsters.

But the [Black Fist] standing before him was a renowned bounty hunter and unquestionably an expert in PvP combat.

Bell felt that without using Skills or Magic, his Technique and accumulated Status alone probably would not be enough to overwhelm Lunoire.

"If Chloe and I had switched places, I'd want her to hold Syr and the others back for me too. So no matter what you say, I'm not moving. If you want to catch up to Chloe, you'll have to defeat me first."

Lunoire made her position clear.

Of course she wanted to follow Chloe and lend a hand to her precious friend.

But Lunoire could not do that.

Like Chloe, her hands had once been stained with the blood of countless people.

Just as Lunoire had once turned down the goddess Demeter's invitation because she could not bring herself to use those same hands to grow fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables, she understood how Chloe felt.

The Catgirl could not reveal the details to Ryuu, Syr, and the others. Only Lunoire, someone who had also been tempered by darkness and shared a similar past, could help Chloe hold Bell back without knowing the specifics.

So even if it meant taking the side of the "bad guy," Lunoire raised her fists.

"Bell-san, here I come!"

Lunoire knew there was no point in saying anything more.

They stood on opposing sides. It had nothing to do with right or wrong. The only way to settle this was to see whose fists were stronger.

She charged forward.

Lowered her center of gravity.

And threw a punch.

Lunoire unleashed a straight punch that sent a violent sonic boom tearing past the boy's ear.

There was no wasted movement and not a moment of hesitation.

Lunoire put her full strength behind every blow, turning the fight into hand-to-hand combat in its rawest and purest form.

"Lunoire-san, I often see you knocking Anya-san on the head. Did you beat her into being the way she is now?"

Bell joked as he dodged.

Lunoire's punches were ferocious. Every strike was strong enough to whip up a gale. She put the strength of her entire body into them, driving power from her waist, and whenever her feet slammed into the ground, cracks spread across the earth beneath her.

What dwelled inside that slender body was not a fragile young girl, but an unstoppable tiger.

Faced with such overwhelming strength, even Bell could not meet her head-on.

"You still have time to joke around? I heard you fought Chloe before, but unlike her, I don't rely on sneak attacks. Your favorite tactics aren't going to work on me. Take this!"

Lunoire continued her pursuit without pause.

One dodged while the other punched. Faced with such a straightforward fighting style, completely devoid of tricks or schemes, the battle wisdom Bell had accumulated through countless fights had almost no room to shine.

The fight had not ended immediately for one simple reason. Lunoire was not quite fast enough.

Their positions shifted constantly. Bell still did not counterattack, dodging again and again as her fists came straight for him.

"Lunoire-san, did you come up with these moves yourself? Your fighting style looks like it was built entirely around you."

Bell asked curiously amid the sharp whistle of the wind.

Lunoire's punches were heavy and powerful, but it was obvious she had never received systematic training. Her movements possessed a chaotic, primal beauty.

Bell could tell that these were techniques she had gradually developed through real combat. They were proof of the existence of the person known as [Black Fist].

"Where I used to live, you had to win if you wanted to survive. If your fists weren't strong enough, people would steal your food. Does this messy fighting style disappoint you?"

Lunoire spoke with a trace of self-mockery as she threw another heavy punch.

She had been on her own for as long as she could remember. Perhaps her extraordinary talent for fighting was the only gift heaven had ever given her.

"No. I think it's beautiful. Compared to flashy but useless techniques, the way you fight, Lunoire-san, carries the weight of a life lived through struggle."

Bell answered honestly.

The human girl's struggles, efforts, and determination had all come together to form this unique fighting style.

"Thanks for the compliment, but if this turns into a contest of endurance, I definitely won't lose!"

Lunoire's fist brushed past the boy's white hair.

She knew Bell's praise was sincere. That only made her more curious about why he had done nothing but dodge without making a single attempt to counterattack.

Normally, the boy should have fired off Quick-Cast Magic by now.

"Lunoire-san, a girl who's this fierce might have trouble finding a husband."

Bell continued to evade her attacks.

Whenever he could not dodge in time, he swung the Goddess's Blade against the defensive silver plate on her gauntlet, using it to redirect the path of her punch.

"Sorry, but I'm not like that perverted Cat. I'm not worried about anything like that right now. And trying to mess with my head isn't going to work!"

Lunoire maintained her relentless assault.

Her fists always fell just a fraction short of reaching the boy.

"So even if someone touched your body, Lunoire-san, you wouldn't mind?"

Bell pressed.

"Of course not!"

Lunoire hesitated for an instant.

"Understood. My apologies."

Bell seized that brief moment of uncertainty and suddenly shifted his stance.

In his crimson eyes, two distinct points stood out on the human girl's body.

There was no doubt about it. This was the effect of the [Netherworld Burial Flame Eyes] Skill. The reason Bell had held back from counterattacking until now was that those two points were located in rather awkward places.

Now that he had her answer, Bell no longer hesitated.

He lowered his body, slipped beneath her punch, and charged straight into Lunoire's embrace.