Chapter 301

Chapter 301: Chapter 301

He could kill a Danger Beast on his own, so his strength passed.

He was handsome, and his smile was easy on the eyes, so his looks passed.

Judging by the way he dressed, he was clearly an adventurer accustomed to dangerous frontier regions, and from the way he had casually hunted down that Danger Beast, his background and interests passed too.

All three boxes checked.

Esdeath liked what she saw.

So naturally, she wanted him for herself.

"Wha...?"

Jeanne froze, her mouth falling slightly open.

"You..."

Ryuu narrowed her eyes, a dangerous gleam flashing within them.

"What? Is there a problem?" Esdeath asked.

"Of course there is!"

Jeanne did not know whether to laugh or sigh.

"You can’t just meet someone for the first time and declare that they belong to you. That’s extremely rude."

Esdeath gave a disdainful smile.

"I can because I’m strong enough. That means you have no choice but to submit to me."

She tilted her head.

"As for manners... what are those?"

Ryuu and Jeanne were both stunned by the sheer simplicity of her logic.

She was strong.

She wanted something.

Therefore, she could take it.

That was apparently her entire thought process.

"Absolutely not!"

Ryuu’s voice rang out firmly.

"As if I’d hand him over to a woman like you."

"Well, you heard her."

Kiriya spread his hands.

"I’m already taken."

Ryuu immediately glared at him.

Seriously?

Now was not the time for jokes!

"Oh, I see."

Esdeath did not get angry.

Instead, excitement appeared in her eyes.

"So that means we have to fight, right?"

She smiled.

"If I defeat you, then he becomes mine."

With that, Esdeath drew her sword and charged.

Clang!

Ryuu pulled out Stardust Sword and intercepted her.

The instant their blades collided, however, the force transmitted through Ryuu’s weapon made both her arms go slightly numb.

’That kind of strength... Level 5?’

And this human girl looked only sixteen or seventeen.

Had they really been lucky enough to meet an absurd genius the moment they arrived?

Ryuu was surprised.

Esdeath was even more surprised.

Then the surprise transformed into pure exhilaration.

"You’re strong too!"

Her smile widened.

"Good! Now this is a fight worth having!"

She raised her sword.

"Be careful. Don’t let me kill you!"

The next instant, her blade exploded into a dense storm of sword light that engulfed Ryuu.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Weapon struck weapon in a rapid barrage like torrential rain.

The force of their clashes shook the ground, while the invisible pressure radiating from the two fighters spread for kilometers.

Animals throughout the surrounding wilderness fled in panic, desperate to escape the dangerous area.

"That girl... is incredibly strong."

Jeanne watched the battle with growing alarm.

Ryuu’s swordsmanship flowed smoothly and naturally.

Anyone could tell at a glance that she had received excellent instruction and had long since developed a complete style and system of her own.

Esdeath’s swordsmanship was different.

Her movements were brutally refined.

Every strike was designed to kill.

There was nothing decorative or unnecessary in her style, only lethal efficiency honed through what seemed like countless battles in the harshest possible environments.

For a time, neither woman could gain the upper hand.

"Oh no, please stop fighting."

Kiriya muttered halfheartedly from the side, while inwardly feeling more than a little pleased with himself.

Two breathtakingly beautiful women were fighting over him.

It was practically a miniature Trojan War.

He never thought he would live long enough to become the handsome idiot at the center of one.

Jeanne immediately rolled her eyes at his completely unconvincing protest.

"This is not the time to joke around. Think of a way to stop them."

Several times already, Ryuu had narrowly avoided having a vital point pierced.

Jeanne’s nerves were stretched tight just watching.

"Stop them?"

Kiriya shook his head.

"Don’t be ridiculous."

He pointed toward the battlefield.

"Can’t you tell? Ryuu’s enjoying herself."

Jeanne focused more carefully.

Then she saw it.

The corners of Ryuu’s mouth were rising.

She was smiling.

"A perfectly matched opponent and a battle where she can go all out."

Kiriya crossed his arms.

"That kind of opportunity doesn’t come around often. If I interfere too early, I’d be ruining a valuable chance for her to grow."

He smiled.

"Besides, there’s nothing to worry about. If anything actually goes wrong, I can pull her out immediately."

Jeanne sighed helplessly.

At this point, she could only accept it.

Clang!

The longer Esdeath fought, the more excited she became.

Different moves, feints, angles, and ideas flowed from her without pause, each one bringing increasing pressure down on Ryuu.

And then Ryuu noticed something astonishing.

Esdeath’s speed, strength, technique, and even her grasp of timing were all becoming more refined as the fight continued.

In other words—

This girl was getting stronger during the battle itself.

’She’s an absolute monster.’

Ryuu could not help thinking it.

At the same time, an unprecedented competitive fire ignited within her.

She had once been a prodigy who stood alongside the Sword Princess.

Ryuu had her own pride.

If Esdeath could grow stronger during battle—then Ryuu would simply grow stronger too.

Her concentration sharpened further.

Her mind gradually approached the same empty, perfectly focused state she had reached while training Afterglow.

Without realizing it, she began absorbing elements of Esdeath’s fighting style and using them to refine her own.

"See?"

Kiriya pointed proudly toward them.

"They’re both ridiculously talented."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Deep trenches were carved across the ground before being shattered by the force of subsequent impacts.

The pristine white snowfield became scarred with streaks of dark brown earth.

And the two girls responsible remained completely absorbed in their battle.

If nothing unexpected happened, the fight might have lasted an entire day before declining stamina finally decided the result.

Naturally—

Something unexpected happened.

Crack!

A sharp sound came from Esdeath’s sword.

Under another collision with Stardust Sword, the blade shattered into pieces.

The weapon had originally been taken from a bandit.

It was certainly a fine sword by ordinary standards, but naturally it could not compare with Ryuu’s Stardust Sword.

The fact that it had survived this much punishment was already something of a miracle.

At that moment, the two fighters had been locked in a contest of strength.

With Esdeath’s weapon suddenly breaking, an enormous opening appeared in her defense.

If Ryuu attacked immediately, she might have been able to decide the battle right there.

But if she did that, she would not be Ryuu.

"Why did you stop?" Esdeath asked in confusion.

"I won’t take advantage of you."

Ryuu sheathed Stardust Sword and tossed it toward Kiriya.

Then she raised her hands and settled into a close-combat stance.

Swordsmanship might have been her greatest specialty, but her unarmed combat was far from weak.

"Interesting."

Esdeath’s face lit up.

"Very interesting!"

She laughed freely and charged again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The battle resumed.

This time, however, the balance quickly shifted.

Compared with Ryuu’s painstakingly refined swordsmanship, her hand-to-hand combat was ultimately a step behind.

Esdeath had spent years hunting both Danger Beasts and humans across the wilderness, surviving countless battles of every scale.

Whether armed or barehanded, she had developed a clean, ruthless, highly practical fighting style.

Ryuu’s defeat became inevitable.

BANG!

Esdeath whipped out a powerful kick and sent Ryuu flying dozens of meters.

The tremendous force left Ryuu’s arms aching badly.

Esdeath immediately seized the opening and followed with several aggressive attacks, eventually forcing Ryuu into a completely exposed position.

Ryuu closed her eyes, preparing to accept defeat.

But Esdeath’s fist stopped before striking her.

"Why did you stop?"

Ryuu frowned.

"You gave me a chance when my weapon broke."

Esdeath snorted proudly.

"What, do you think I have less pride than you?"

Ryuu raised an eyebrow.

Her impression of the domineering girl improved slightly.

Then Esdeath spoke again.

"You lost."

Her grin returned.

"So according to our agreement, that guy belongs to me now."

Ryuu’s expression immediately darkened.

She was not someone who refused to accept defeat.

She had voluntarily given up her weapon advantage and chosen to continue barehanded.

Losing under those circumstances was something she could accept.

But seeing the smug look on Esdeath’s face still annoyed her.

"I lost, so I won’t stop you."

Ryuu folded her arms.

"If you can actually take him away, then go ahead."

"That makes sense."

Esdeath cracked her knuckles and turned toward Kiriya.

"In the end, fists decide everything."

She pointed at him.

"Hey, you. Are you coming with me willingly, or do I have to beat you up first and then take you with me?"

Kiriya smiled.

"I choose option three."

He stepped forward.

"I beat you up, and then I go wherever the hell I want."

Esdeath froze.

Then her face blossomed into an even brighter smile than before.

"I like confident men too."

She raised her fists eagerly.

"Let’s hope you can handle mine."