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Chapter 277: Fate and Intense Combat! (10k) (Part 1)
Chapter 277: Fate and Intense Combat! (10k) (Part 1)
As Hawkins spoke, his body sprouted straw, enveloping him and causing his figure to swell, transforming him into a terrifying scarecrow.
"Demon-Subduing Form," he declared.
With startling speed, he opened his mouth and spat out a barrage of nails, crying, "Nail Gun!"
The onslaught of nails left no room for evasion. Xif crossed his twin blades in front of him, swiftly slashing and creating afterimages. The movement of his blades stirred up gusts of wind, forming a whirling wind barrier.
"Twin Blade War Dance: Overlapping Barriers!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Xif nimbly stepped forward, taking advantage of the whirling wind barrier to close in on his opponent. The barrier, driven by the relentless motion of his blades, deflected the nails, allowing Xif to draw near the colossal scarecrow.
Hawkins raised his massive straw-clad arm, his grip tightening on the sword that had also transformed into a thick bundle of straw. With a mighty downward chop, he unleashed a powerful strike.
In essence, it was still a sword, but the straw's properties had endowed the blade with added flexibility, allowing it to be lashed like a whip. Underestimating it due to its straw nature would undoubtedly lead to a severe disadvantage.
Clang!
Xif crossed his blades upward, blocking Hawkins's swift downward chop. Before Xif could make his next move, Hawkins shifted, appearing at his side and delivering another sword strike.
Clang!
Xif swiftly extended his left arm, parrying the sword below with his blade. With a forceful upward motion, he deflected the stabbing sword, intending to strike with his right-hand blade. However, his opponent once again blurred, reappearing on the other side and slashing with relentless force.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each of Hawkins's strikes—overhead chops, downward hacks, leftward thrusts, and rightward swings—was accompanied by a swift shift in his position, forcing Xif into a circular defensive pattern. As Xif spun, seeking an opportunity to counterstrike, he found himself slashing at empty air.
"Speed in movement is all about aggression, leaving no room for your opponent to react."
"Twin Blade War Dance!"
After blocking Hawkins' piercing sword strike from the side with his curved blade, a red dot appeared in Xif's eyes as he quickly twisted his wrist, deflecting the longsword away. Simultaneously, he thrust both hands forward.
"New Fillet!"
Xif's twin blades slashed from top to bottom, creating afterimages that filled Hawkins' entire body.
"I only have two blades. They won't suddenly multiply, Straw Man."
Facing the onslaught of piercing strikes, Hawkins merely uttered in a calm tone, "The flow of your attacks creates currents in the air. No matter how I predict your movements, I can always dodge by following the flow of air."
Indeed, the Kenbunshoku Haki was powerful, allowing its user to sense danger and anticipate their opponent's actions. However, the Straw Man technique focused on moving with the flow, adapting to the shifts in air currents caused by attacks.
Even if one predicted the trajectory of his dodges and changed their attack, he would simply adjust his evasion accordingly, following the changing air currents.
Xif seemed to realize this as well. After a series of rapid stabs, he suddenly altered his blade's trajectory, transitioning from stabbing to slashing. With a half-circle swing, he cleaved horizontally with both blades.
"Moonwalk."
Dong! Just as Xif changed his move, Hawkins stepped up, soaring into the air. He performed several consecutive stomps, creating smoke rings beneath his feet. The sword in his hand glistened, slicing through the air and leaving a bright white trail as he delivered a powerful downward chop.
The red dot in Xif's eyes remained, thanks to his Kenbunshoku Haki. He sidestepped slightly, crossing his twin blades diagonally upward, anticipating Hawkins' descent.
"Demon-Subduing Form."
As Hawkins descended, his body was once again enveloped in straw, transforming into a gigantic scarecrow. The longsword he wielded also turned into a straw sword, imbued with immense power as it chopped downward.
With the increased range, Hawkins didn't need to adjust his angle; he simply chopped straight down.
Xif's pupils constricted as he quickly sidestepped to dodge the attack. Just as he moved, the massive scarecrow descended upon him.
Boom!!
Hawkins' sword cleaved a deep furrow in the ground, nearly grazing Xif as he dodged. Without hesitation, Xif raised his twin blades and cleaved horizontally.
At that moment, Hawkins' body shifted, shrinking the scarecrow back to human size. The change in size caused Xif's horizontal slash to pass over Hawkins' head, allowing him to stab forward with his sword.
A ruthless glint appeared in Xif's eyes as he deflected the incoming sword with his twin blades. He intended to slash downward with his right blade, but suddenly, he seemed to think of something. His body jerked backward, and his blade slashed across Hawkins' sword. With a quick stomp, he pushed off the ground, propelling himself backward.
"Straw Hand, Ready Blade."
In a casual tone, Hawkins remarked, "Close, but no cigar." His sword morphed into a straw whip, writhing like a flexible snake towards Xef's chest.
Clang! A crisp clashing sound rang out. Xif, still in the air, reacted swiftly, crossing his twin blades to press down on the straw sword, deflecting it to the side. He twisted his body, sticking close to the edge of the straw blade, and landed before rolling to the side like a bouncing ball, leaping backward to create distance.
Xif moved his left hand to his waist, revealing a smear of blood.
He hadn't managed to block the previous attack completely; the straw sword had pierced through his leather armor and grazed his waist.
He glanced at Hawkins and said, "A little slower, and I would've been impaled. You're not just a simple ability user, are you? Those moves earlier, were they the Six Styles?" Xif had heard about them.
The Kingdom of Galeth was part of the Free Cities, and he had encountered Navy personnel and some formidable individuals who practiced the Six Styles.
Since joining the pirate crew, Hawkins hadn't merely focused on fortune-telling. Sage also provided training for them, and over time, Hawkins had mastered a few of the Six Styles.
He didn't need Iron Block, Finger Gun, or Tempest Kick, but he had learned Moonwalk, Shave, and Straw Man thoroughly.
"I only aimed to demonstrate that my blade is no less formidable to parry. You seemed prepared for a straight-up duel earlier. As expected from your moniker, 'Warrior,' you don't shy away from a head-on collision," Hawkins said calmly.
Xif shook his head and smiled. "That's right. I remember now; you have an immortal body, don't you?"
He was the 'Fate Warrior,' and aside from his ability to foresee fate, he was also a formidable warrior.
Warriors were known for their ability to engage in direct confrontations.
In that previous downward chop, if they were both ordinary humans, the blond-haired man would've been at a disadvantage. He might have been able to stab Xif in the chest, but his head would've been cleaved in two.
However, Xif knew that Hawkins possessed an immortal body, and instead of being afraid, he found it advantageous for this type of combat.
"But even that has its limits, doesn't it? Killing you eight times wasn't enough. How many times will it take? Ten? Twenty? Or maybe..."
Xif's gaze lowered to the soldiers who had fainted on the ground. With a downward slash of his curved blade, he effortlessly sliced off a soldier's head.
"Once all these men are dead, will your ability disappear?" Xif's eyes burned with intensity as he stared at Hawkins.
Hawkins' eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but there was no sign of panic. "Aren't these your men?" he asked.
A smile played on Xif's lips as he stepped forward, his twin blades moving like a harvester, effortlessly taking the lives of a dozen soldiers.
"I only respect the old king, and I serve him. Warriors like me will do whatever it takes to win; we don't care about the means."
He wasn't a swordsman or a noble; he had no concern for honor or the intricacies of dueling. All a warrior needed was combat and victory.
Since Hawkins' ability allowed him to transfer damage to these soldiers, Xif decided to eliminate them first, rendering Hawkins' ability useless.
It was just killing.
"I'm just a mountain bandit."
With a swift slash of his blade, Xif beheaded a soldier lying on the ground. "I despise nobles and their armies.
"Long before, Xif was a mountain bandit roaming the main island of Galeth. As for why he became an outlaw, it was because the army of that time had destroyed his village, and he turned to banditry out of desperation.
Later, after gaining some infamy, he was defeated and recruited by the old king. Wanting to survive, Xif followed the old king.
During that time, life was at its best. Although the old king couldn't stop the nobles and their armies from causing destruction, he did his best to ensure fairness.
But when the old king died, everything returned to how it used to be.
The reason Xif chose Princess Tihana was simply because he disliked the army, even though he felt William should win. He should have followed the guidance of fate and chosen William, but he accepted the princess's invitation instead.
However, that doesn't mean he likes the nobles. These nobles with their fiefdoms are only slightly better than the cruel armies. Killing the private soldiers of these nobles doesn't burden him at all.
'As long as we beat you, that's all that matters!'
Xif's eyes blazed with crimson light as he let out a sinister smile at Hawkins.
Hawkins frowned slightly, and his longsword once again transformed into a straw whip, splitting into several tendrils that surrounded his opponent.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
This time, Xif merely waved his blades a few times, effortlessly deflecting the straw whips. Compared to before, he seemed noticeably more relaxed.
The Kenbunshoku Haki in his eyes remained active as he moved, reaping the lives of the soldiers while speaking, 'Time's up. I've seen enough of your current attacks. I've grasped the rhythm, and your assaults are no longer effective.'
'There's no helping it. How convenient it would be to have the abilities of an ability user or some other means at my disposal. All I have are heightened senses and more experience. When facing formidable foes like you, one must have their own set of tricks.'
'As long as I fight someone for a prolonged period, and their frequency of attacks is revealed to me, I can automatically grasp their rhythm. Your speed, strength, and the way you attack—I've grown accustomed to them all. By focusing my spirit and controlling the frequency, I can counter your moves.'
Xif slashed his twin blades downward, beheading several soldiers on the ground before looking up and continuing, 'War Dance: Rhythm.'
Urki, who was observing the battle, nodded in astonishment. 'So that's how it is. An extraordinarily powerful combat experience, combined with the Kenbunshoku Haki, creates this technique. Although it takes time, once the frequency is mastered, one can achieve a breaking power. How formidable.'
Hawkins quietly watched as Xif relentlessly reaped the lives of the soldiers. In just a short while, dozens of soldiers had perished. Then, Hawkins reached out and pulled out a stack of Tarot cards.
'My ability isn't just a simple stand-in. Your technique is indeed impressive, but as I said, our chances of winning are 99%. Let's draw a card!'
He quickly shuffled the deck and drew a card, glancing at it before a smirk appeared on his face.
Urki was taken aback and blurted out, 'Is it the Smashing, Crushing, and Cheering Crowd?'
Hawkins shot him a sideways glance. 'Stop listening to Sage. You're a monk, not an illiterate brute.'
As he spoke, he revealed the card to Xif. It wasn't the 'Bloody White Dragon' that Sage often shouted about, but rather a skeleton in a black robe holding a scythe.
'Tarot Card: Death.'
Hawkins explained, 'My ability is divided into pursuit, support, influencing the situation, and surpassing my own limits with these cards. However, against you, I don't need to surpass any limits. A standard use of my ability will suffice.'
'This Death card, in its upright position, represents failure, destruction, plague, and stagnation. In its reversed position, it signifies a glimmer of hope, breaking free from a slump, and recovering the body. Simply put, the upright position weakens, while the reversed position strengthens. And this ability of mine targets you specifically.'
Hawkins looked at Xif and said, 'Upright Death: Slow.'
Buzz!
A purple light descended upon Xif, who was in the midst of reaping the soldiers' lives. His steps faltered, and his twin blades moved noticeably slower, as if burdened by a heavy mountain.
Whether it was his senses, his strength, or even his internal organs, everything felt heavy and dull.
Hawkins' ability overwhelmed Xif's Haki, allowing him to draw a card with incredible smoothness.
'You...' Xif turned his head, the confidence from earlier now gone from his face.
"Indeed, I'm taking advantage of these hundreds of soldiers. The more cannon fodder there are, the more severe injuries I can withstand. My ability limit is ten times, but as long as you don't kill me ten times before I activate my ability, I can defeat you before you finish off these soldiers."
Hawkins drew another Tarot card and nodded. 'According to my divination, our chances of winning are 85% before you kill the last hundred soldiers, and 99% before you kill the last ten.'
'But there's no need to test that. We're ensuring an absolute victory. If you want to compare notes, we can do so if you survive. Urki, it's your turn.'
They were a team of two.
Boom!
As soon as Hawkins finished speaking, a sound of tearing air came from nearby. Xif sensed it, but his dull reaction caused him to raise his hand just as the wind reached him.
'All Things Are Impermanent!'
A giant, prism-shaped pencil was thrown by Urki with full force, slamming into Xif and sending him flying.
'The little monk is here!'
Urki strode forward as Xif was airborne, closing in on his landing spot. He threw a powerful punch.
'Twin Blade War Dance: Secret Cross Barrier!'
Xif, just climbing to his feet, gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his twin blades. Despite his dull reactions, the blades he swung remained fluid, creating walls of wind that stood in Urki's way.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Urki paid no heed to the wind barriers, allowing them to tear into his flesh. His sinister smile widened, and his already massive frame expanded even further.
Hawkins's bulky arms bulged with protruding veins as he clenched his fists tightly, the area covered by his palms encompassing Xif's entire chest. With a fierce punch, he sent Xif flying.
"Cause and effect!"
Bang!
The powerful blow caused Xif to spit out a mouthful of blood as he was knocked backward. Before he could even get far, a giant hand grabbed his body.
Urki reached out with both hands, grabbing Xif and turning him around so that his head faced the ground. With a mighty force, he slammed him downward.
"Sever Attachment!"
Bang!!
The violent impact created a large dent in the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Xif's head hit the center of the dent, his body trembling as he slowly fell over. Blood seeped from his body as he gasped for air, having clearly sustained significant injuries.
His dull reaction caused even his will to seem sluggish and numb, leaving him unable to use his Haki in time.
"I, I..."
Trembling, he propped himself up with his hands and staggered to his feet, intending to continue his attack with the twin blades.
(End of Chapter)
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