"…I'm sure I said the skill's duration is 30 minutes."
As we remained calm, Shishio looked at us with suspicion. The other Japanese hunters also glanced around nervously, seemingly intimidated by the melted ground. The power that easily dealt with five SS-class monsters would be more than enough to handle a few S-class hunters.
If it were a lie, they'd run away screaming, but that would only create more problems. It would reveal that my explanation of the skill was false, making my life much harder. There are already plenty of people targeting me; do I need more?
"It's 30 minutes, indeed—honestly and without a lie."
"What? Then what makes you so confident?"
"My younger brother."
The hunters looked incredulous. It was understandable since we had only one S-class hunter on our side. Though Peace was there, it was not a full combat force as it had to protect me. On the other hand, they had Shishio, a strong S-class hunter, plus two more S-class hunters. One of them was the same as the furniture that faced Yerim.
Out of the five S-class hunters in Japan, three were here. Additionally, there were six A-class hunters, likely supporting and healing, as well as providing defensive roles.
'I remember Choi Seokwon and Yoon Kyungsoo.'
They had come swarming after me before. Thanks to Liet, Seong Hyun-jae easily crushed them, but now we couldn't afford to lose even one, making it a more dangerous situation than before. Even though I trust Yoohyun, it's hard not to worry. Yoohyun himself mentioned that Shishio wouldn't be easy. Specifically, it was more of a hassle to capture him alive.
"Ahem! Han Yoojin. Since we have prepared flame resistance items, it would be better to give up any futile resistance. You seem to care a lot about your brother. If you surrender willingly, I'll guarantee the lives of both of you. If you agree to publicly announce that you and the Flame Horned Beast were killed by SS-class monsters and that the Haeyeon Guild Master will keep the secret, I have no intention of making you bleed unnecessarily!"
"Hmm, I'm sorry. I'll apologize."
"Apologize? Then."
"I thought you were a pig but turns out you're just a mutt. You really yap a lot. Woof, woof."
"W-what…!"
"Now that I see, your fur is all dingy, just like the neighborhood stray. I wonder why I didn't notice it earlier. My apologies."
Oh, my eyes have been a bit blurry lately. Maybe I should get new glasses. I smiled at him, and he snarled like a mad dog. Maybe they don't have such proverbs in Japan. Such a bleak place.
"Ha, fine! I was going to take you in nicely, but you've chosen to provoke me!"
Shishio, enraged, drew his weapon—a massive blade resembling the Blue Dragon's tail. Did I scratch him too much?
"Hyung."
Yoohyun took a step forward, flashing a bright smile as he looked back at me.
"Did Amaterasu Guild have many S-class swords?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"Can I take a few?"
"Of course! You practically took down all the monsters anyway. Take as much as you want."
"Thanks."
But why suddenly… Ah, could it be.
'The skill he used in Hong Kong.'
I hadn't seen it myself as I had lost consciousness, but I was curious about what it was. Is he planning to use that? And this time, not with an A-class weapon but an S-class one.
'…It's over.'
If that's the case, we can't win. Naturally, not against Yoohyun but those Japanese hunters.
"You insolent brat! Say your goodbyes to your brother!"
"Wow, it sounds like it's a fair one-on-one duel just from the talk. But look at you, swarming like a pack of dogs."
"Shut up! If you fall into my hands, I'll make sure to correct that nasty habit of yours!"
"Is there no owner for this dog? It barks too much. Big as it is, it seems quite cowardly."
It's clear that they're just going to bark and swarm. Shishio had that look, wanting to take me on instead of Yoohyun. If he falls for it, it would be beneficial for me. After all, Peace would be faster, and Yoohyun could handle the remaining ones.
But, as expected of a guild leader, he was grinding his teeth. The end of the Blue Dragon Blade struck the ground with a thud, and Shishio's skill activated. His domain expanded in a circle.
I wish I had a microphone or a loudspeaker.
"Ah, a brief announcement. Mr. Shishio, the guild leader of Amaterasu, has a remarkable skill. It boosts defense within a certain area, reduces the enemy's speed and defense, and finally, it has a trap effect that immobilizes the enemy by manipulating the ground!"
"Y-you bastard!"
I had recalled this skill from memory. I should thank him for reminding me of a guy who couldn't even make it into the top 10 in the overall rankings.
"The skill's name is something like 'Piggy Mud Pit,' right?"
"It's 'Lion's Domain!'"
"It's read as 'Piggy Mud Pit' but meant to be 'Lion' something, isn't it?"
Honestly, it doesn't sound like the real skill name. Maybe he just named it that himself. It's quite satisfying to strike him every time.
Meanwhile, various weapons were being dropped around Yoohyun. Along with A-class swords.
'…That's too precious to waste.'
An S-class longsword with a white sheen was thrust into the ground. Next to it was an S-class dagger. Excluding Yerim's spear, which was custom-made, there were only fifteen S-class weapons produced domestically. Though the small dagger was categorized as a support weapon rather than a real weapon, it was still valuable.
Next to the small dagger was a large, pointed Rundle Dagger. That too was S-class. It was something he had shown me before, suggesting I keep it for self-defense. I had rejected it, thinking it too valuable.
'I'd like to ask for the longsword to be returned.'
No, there are plenty of S-class weapons. The Amaterasu Guild's storage is practically mine. It's fine.
The weapons embedded in the ground trembled lightly. The Japanese hunters, including Shishio, looked at Yoohyun, wondering what he was planning.
"No matter how many you take out and spread around, you only have two hands!"
With Shishio's confident shout, the other two Japanese S-class hunters readied their weapons. Their plan was obvious. They intended to drive Yoohyun into Shishio's domain. Since the area was quite large, it would be advantageous for them once Yoohyun was inside.
Yoohyun glanced at me once and lightly waved his fingertips. Flames flared up, and the surrounding swords began to melt away.
"What… What is he doing?"
The furniture was bewildered, and the other Japanese hunters also looked surprised. Precious high-grade weapons were melting. Even S-class weapons. Any hunter would be stunned and would try to stop it if it weren't for the enemy.
Han Yoohyun's special support skill, Sword Devourer.
As the name suggests, it was a skill that devoured and melted down sword-type weapons with flames. It could melt any grade of sword as long as it came from his inventory.
At first glance, it seems useless and a skill that should never be used.
'Weapons affected by the skill have their grade increased by one level.'
In other words, an A-class weapon becomes S-class, and an S-class weapon becomes SS-class.
Hisss— The molten metal cooled and then began to boil again. The melted weapons swirled around Yoohyun in a red halo, radiating intense heat and light.
Three S-class weapons and six A-class weapons melted into a red stream. The will of their owner made the stream squirm and reshape. Some turned into slender longswords, which were so hot that an ordinary person couldn't even get close. A white hand lightly gripped one of these blazing swords.
An SS-class sword. The ultimate weapon with enhanced attributes from the merged abilities of other weapons.
The fact that A-class and S-class weapons were used up in a single go was a waste, so it was a skill I had never seen properly before. It might explain why I had only seen the name and passed it by during the rankings matches before the regression. I wondered if Yoohyun had used it. What weapon did he have at that time? The last time, in his hand.
I bit my tongue. No need to dwell on unnecessary thoughts.
Gripping the sword, Yoohyun stomped the ground decisively. Instead of avoiding or retreating, he leaped straight into Shishio's skill zone.
"Is he out of his mind?!"
One of them shouted. They seemed to be caught off guard by the fact that he came willingly. Shishio, though surprised, quickly assumed a combat stance, claiming to be Japan's strongest. The ground trembled as if it was trying to grab Yoohyun's ankles.
"Blue Willow Leaf."
There was no way he'd make a foolish move like falling for a skill he already knew. The leaves fluttered and then ignited. Despite the speed reduction, thanks to his gear, Yoohyun dashed straight towards Shishio. His instantaneous movements remained as swift as usual, effectively avoiding the penalty for close-range speed.
"One hit and he'll go down!"
However, the defense reduction still applied. Shishio swung the Blue Dragon Blade like a windmill, resembling a round shield. It was intimidating, and anyone would flinch at its ferocity. But Yoohyun, with his speed, stepped on the willow leaf with one foot and spun his entire body.
Kwah-gak─!
Fragments flew. It was the Blue Dragon Blade breaking into pieces. The heated blade's added rotational force shattered the Blue Dragon Blade and destroyed it. There was no significant difference in strength; in fact, Shishio was likely at an advantage.
But with an S-class weapon facing SS-class, especially one of the highest level, it couldn't withstand the blade's edge.
"Ugh!"
Yoohyun danced through the shattered fragments of the Blue Dragon Blade, spinning once more and kicking Shishio's torso with his foot. Disarmed, Shishio was pushed back violently.
"Shishio!"
Two S-class hunters charged at Yoohyun, and the support and healers in the back also prepared their skills. But Yoohyun was not idle.
The remaining molten red metal moved through the air. With a whoosh, several slender needles were formed, which Yoohyun swiftly collected and threw.
"Block it!"
The defensive hunters stepped up. Though they were A-class, they could block S-class attacks with skills. Even if it was just throwing thin needles. Two hunters confidently raised their shields and activated their skills.
"Ugh!"
"Gah!"
The flying needles pierced through the shields. To be precise, they melted them. The needles were thin, but they melted through and burned holes as large as a child's fist. Given the state of the shield, it was no surprise that people wouldn't escape unscathed.
The defensive hunters fell one after another, and the support and healers hiding behind them met the same fate.
"Die!"
Immediately after Yoohyun threw the needles, Gaku sent a sword strike. The attack cut through the air and was blocked by Yoohyun's armored forearm. Gaku's eyes widened in surprise.
"Defense… surely…"
Given that it had been weakened, the arm should have been deeply cut. I was momentarily puzzled until I remembered.
'That beetle bastard!'
I recalled the explosion smoke from the beetle. The Thunderhawk armor had a stacking defense effect that increased with each attack. How many explosions had there been? Each time it was hit, it kept erupting, so the defense boost from the armor was undoubtedly at its maximum.
At maximum stack, the duration is one hour, and it increases by ten minutes each time it is attacked.
Thus, Shishio's mud pit skill had little effect on Yoohyun. The ground trap was countered by the willow leaf, and the speed reduction and defense decrease were all covered by the armor.
'It was worth jumping in directly.'
Yoohyun charged at Gaku, who had paused momentarily, stunned by the ineffectiveness of his attack. The air around him seemed to ripple, but it had no effect on Yoohyun. Unlike with Yerim, Yoohyun's skin showed no change as he swung his sword deeply.
Clang! The clash of swords, and soon, Gaku's sword was cleanly severed. Yoohyun's sword angled sideways, slicing through Gaku's arm. The arm holding the broken sword fell to the ground.
"Ugh!"
"Damn it, Gaku!"
Another S-class hunter roared, swinging his fist. The knuckled fist sliced through the air sharply, but Yoohyun had already evaded. Without even glancing at the S-class hunter pursuing him, Yoohyun moved toward Shishio, who was drawing a new spear. As Yoohyun approached, flames erupted behind him. The S-class hunter instinctively backed off, and Yoohyun closed the distance in an instant, swinging his sword at Shishio.
"That sword, ugh! What the—!"
The spear was once again easily sliced off. Unable to block, Shishio had no choice but to avoid. Large weapons were disadvantageous since they couldn't match Yoohyun's blade. Retreating, Shishio grabbed a pair of knives.
Shishio, skilled in hand-to-hand combat and hunter experience, moved with surprising proficiency, attacking like a hungry beast and skillfully evading Yoohyun's strikes. But since he had to focus solely on evasion, he was at a disadvantage. Especially with Yoohyun.
"Ugh!"
With the longsword as his main weapon, Yoohyun continuously transformed his other weapon. It became a long spear for thrusting, or a flexible blade for slashing unpredictably.
The heated wire twisted around Shishio's ankle. Yoohyun held the wire and jumped high. Shishio, struggling against the pulling force, struck the wire with his knives, but his weapons broke.
Yoohyun yanked the wire, hurling the longsword with force behind his back. The impact sounded with a crunch, followed by the sound of flesh and bone being sliced. An S-class hunter who had tried to attack Yoohyun through the flames had his own weapon, and his body, pierced through.
"Truly, ugh, ridiculous!"
Shishio shouted in disbelief. The sword that had pierced through the Japanese S-class hunter liquefied and smoothly returned to Shishio's hand, transforming back into a sword. Staring up at Yoohyun with cold eyes, Shishio forced a weak smile, unable to believe his defeat.
With the blade leading, Yoohyun leaped downward. He stepped on the low-hanging willow leaf, melting the ground with flames, and thrust his sword toward Shishio. Shishio, narrowly dodging the blade, tried to swing his knives but—
"Ugh!"
His ankle, bound by the wire, couldn't move. The other end of the wire had been buried deep in the ground, reinforced by Yoohyun's flames, embedding it in something like rock.
As the wire stopped pulling and Shishio lost his footing, Yoohyun's knee struck his solar plexus. With a muffled groan, Shishio's knife was smashed by the longsword.
"Arrgh!"
The hand gripping the knife was sliced open. The sword pivoted and struck Shishio's shins, followed by another spear thrust into his other leg.
"Ugh, cough…"
Yoohyun delivered a strong kick to the collapsed Shishio, pressing his foot firmly on his throat.
"My debt to you."
The foot pressing down seemed to declare, "How dare you challenge me?"
"Yoohyun, don't kill him! He's someone we owe a lot."
He's someone we need to repay with items in the future. Let's see, how should the contract be drafted?
— Hyung!
At that moment, a small voice came from near my neck.
"Ri─"
— Shh! Yoohyun will hear.
Irin, who had somehow come to me, whispered softly.
— Just listen, hyung.
…What's going on suddenly?