21 Chapter 21 : The Sunset Showdown

*SWISH*

*SLASH*

*CLANG*

The sound of metal clashing with metal rang across the area as Sam and Sung engaged in a duel. Delivering consecutive swift slashes, Sam immediately went on the offensive trying to put pressure on his opponent. Jinwoo on the other hand played it defensively, since he wished to see the full capabilities of this potential teammate.

"Come on now... " Sam spoke in the middle of the battle. "Surely this is not the extent of your abilities, are they? "

"..." Jinwoo remained silent as he ducked underneath yet another slash that was aimed at his head. He delivered a swift kick, which was blocked by Sam. However, the impact did sent him skidding back on the ground.

Quickly recovering from the blow, Sam merely smirked and rushed at Jinwoo once more. However, Jinwoo noticed that he was much faster than before.

*CLANG*

Almost instantaneously appearing behind Jinwoo, Sam thrusted his katana forward only to get it parried away. This time, it was Sam's turn to get surprised when Jinwoo seemingly teleported behind him and slashed with both his daggers. Sam barely dodged the attack by rolling forward. But just like before, Jinwoo once again appeared next to him and grabbed his right hand.

"Wha-"

Before he could speak, Jinwoo tossed him towards a nearby tree. But Sam managed to reposition himself mid-air and landed on its trunk. Without any wasted motion, he quickly sheathed his sword and bounced back at Jinwoo, using the tree as a foothold.

In an instant, Sam closed the distance between himself and his opponent. Then, in a speed that was incomparable to any of his previous attacks, he unsheathed his sword and delivered a powerful diagonal slash empowered by shinsu. Jinwoo arched his body backwards, narrowly avoiding the attack as the energy released by the slash travelled far ahead, slicing any object it came across into two.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." Sam commented, as Jinwoo put some distance between the two. "Ever since I became a regular, there aren't many who managed to avoid that."

"The rumors don't give you enough justice." Jinwoo praised his opponent. "But I can also tell that you still haven't given it your all."

"Hey there pot, name's kettle." Sam shot back, laughingly. "Tell me- What kind of archer uses blades instead of a bow to fight?"

"... I'm surprised you already knew who I was."

"I'd have to be living under a rock to not recognise the famous 'Huntsman of Black' " Sam retorted.

"You... Kind of are living under a rock." Jinwoo deadpanned, looking at the cottage behind him, which was now destroyed thanks to Sam's earlier attack.

"Dont sweat the details." Sam waved it off. "That's enough talk for now. I still have to judge your true worth, so give it your all." He readied himself once again.

"Well, if you are that eager to lose..." Jinwoo smirked under his mask.

"So be it."

[Skill Activated: Blink]

Sam's eyes widened when he saw Jinwoo seemingly disappear, until he sensed his presence a long distance away in the direction of the nearby forest. The process repeated a few more times and each time, he sensed his presence getting further and further away.

'He's going deeper into the woods? Wait. Don't tell me...'

His thoughts were answered when he saw something heading towards him from above at supersonic speed. Sam, however, used his katana to deflect the incoming projectile which fell to the ground, losing its momentum.

'An arrow made of shinsu?' He inspected the projectile, as it began dissipating into thin air. 'I'd assume he can keep firing them as long as he doesn't run out of gas.'

His assumptions were proven true in the next instant as he was pelted by a rain of arrows which darkened the sky. Clicking his tongue, he sheathed his sword and began using the quick-draw technique repeatedly and rapidly to deflect the arrows. His expertise with the blade was on full display as not a single arrow managed to pierce him.

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'He managed to stop all of them?' Jinwoo observed Sam's actions, while perching on the top of a tree in the middle of the woods.

'In that case, how will you deal with this?'

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'Hmm?' Just as Sam was about to enter the woods, he saw another arrow that was heading towards him. Without giving it much care, he casually tried to flick it away with his sword. But the moment his sword came into contact with the arrow, he realised his mistake.

*KABOOM*

The arrow exploded with a deafening sound, as Sam was flung to the ground. He slowly got up, revealing the burn marks on his skin and his tattered clothes.

'Son of a - He got me this time.' He dryly chuckled. But that chuckle soon turned into a frown when he noticed that his katana was emitting a red aura.

'... Looks like I'll have to end this quick.'

He quickly sprinted in the direction of the woods, aiming to put an end to this showdown once and for all.

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'Where is he hiding?'

This was the only question in Sam's mind as he made his way through the woods. Although the number of arrows being fired at him had gone down, it didn't completely stop. But this allowed him to point out the general direction from which Jinwoo was firing them.

'My best bet in defeating him would be a surprise attack. But if I want to take him by surprise.... *sigh* looks like I don't have a choice.' Sam finally resolved himself.

Jinwoo was preparing to fire another arrow at Sam, when he suddenly sensed his presence vanishing.

'Oh? He has a stealth technique as well?' Despite careful observation, he still couldn't pinpoint Sam's location.

'... I see. He's trying to take me by surprise.' It didn't take a genius to figure out what Sam's intentions were. 'Fortunately, I have a way to counter that.'

A few minutes passed, but Jinwoo didn't move a muscle and remained still. To the untrained eye, it would appear as if he was sleeping on top of the tree. But the reality was something very different.

Suddenly, his heightened senses flared up and warned him of an attack from behind.

[Skill Activated: Blink]

Jinwoo activated the skill just in time as the blade of a katana was swung in his direction, only for it to hit nothing. Although Sam could mask his presence, he couldn't mask his killing intent at the moment he attacked. Sam's eyes widened when he found Jinwoo disappear from the spot and appear behind him, upside down in mid-air and with an arrow drawn out.

' ...F*ck.'

*KABOOM*

It was the second time on this day that Sam got nuked. The explosion sent him crashing through several trees until he eventually came to a stop, rolling on the ground.

'... Was I too rough on him?' Jinwoo landed on the ground to check up on him. He was relieved to see that despite his injuries, Sam was still breathing.

'A heath potion should be able to do the trick.' He was about to pull out a potion from his inventory, when he sensed it - An incredibly unsettling feeling in the air.

It didn't take him long to figure out the source of this feeling. Right in front of his eyes, he saw Sam's blood red katana emitting an ominous aura.

'This feeling...' He took a few steps back , observing the situation. 'What the hell is up with that sword?'

But what happened next surprised him the most. Sam, who was lying on the ground beaten and bruised, slowly got up from the ground while holding a firm grip on the sword. But that was not all. The same bone-chilling aura that the sword was emanating was around Sam as well. The laid-back look he had on his face was gone, as he held a blank expression.

"Sam?" Jinwoo called him out, but there was no verbal response. Instead, Sam closed the distance between them and swung his sword in a downward slash. Jinwoo managed to block the attack using his daggers, but he was taken aback by the strength behind it.

'It's almost as if he's an entirely different person.' Kicking him square in the chest, Jinwoo pushed him back. Sam quickly recovered from it and leapt back towards Jinwoo, delivering several violent slashes. Jinwoo skillfully avoided his attacks , while returning a few of his own. Surprisingly, Sam didn't bother dodging any of the attacks and took them head-on.

'There is definitely something wrong with him.' Jinwoo tried to figure out the situation he was in. 'Earlier, he fought like a seasoned swordsman. But now? It's more akin to a berserker who doesn't care about his own life. Is that sword the reason for it?'

Even during the earlier face-off, Jinwoo knew that Sam's sword wasn't an ordinary blade. The sword was giving off a vibe that was very similar to two other weapons he had come across when he was in the second floor of the tower. Although unlike them, this katana had a more sinister feel to it. But this narrowed down the possibilities of the type of weapon it was.

'An ignition weapon.'

He jumped over a horizontal slash and delivered a kick right on Sam's face. But once again, Sam quickly recovered from the blow and delivered another slash - One which managed to draw blood from his opponent.

'And a powerful one at that.'

Jinwoo checked the wound on his right arm. Although it wasn't that deep, the fact that Sam managed to wound him was itself noteworthy.

Jinwoo found himself in a predicament. Although he was confident on winning against Sam even in his current state, that would inadvertently end up with Sam dying of blood loss. He needed to find a way to incapacitate Sam without killing him. But this was easier said than done due to the sword apparently possessing his mind.

'Wait... Ignition weapons typically have a soul within them. If that is the case...' Jinwoo suddenly had a stroke of genius. He looked at Sam who was now running towards him and stood still. 'It's a risky gamble. But if I'm right about this...'

Sam thrusted his sword forward, aiming to pierce his opponent's heart. Jinwoo slightly tilted to the side, causing the blade to pierce his shoulder instead. Without a moment's rest, he grabbed the blade of the sword and enacted his plan.

[Skill Activated: Bloodlust]

Typically, bloodlust was used to induce fear in another person or creature. But the target in question should be able to feel 'Fear' in order for it to happen. For this very reason, it was not usable on things like golems, automatons and other non-living things.

But what if it was used on a weapon with a soul?

What if the weapon had a clear will of its own?

The answer was just like what he expected. The creepy aura that was surrounding Sam suddenly withdrew itself back into the sword. Without the influence of it, Sam fell face first on to the ground as Jinwoo heaved a sigh of relief.

'He'll need some rest for now.' Jinwoo poured a health potion into Sam's mouth. Fortunately, his health was barely above the threshold for which potions would work on, which meant Jinwoo didn't need to find any external medical attention for him. 'But when he wakes up...'

'He's got a whole lot of explanation to do.'

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