CHAPTER 33: YOU STILL OWE ME A VICTORY

"Shuā…"

Amidst the sound of the blade scraping against the scabbard, Konochi Kurusu slowly drew his Katana.

"Kurusu?" Araka Kibito exclaimed in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Ikoma questioned Konochi Kurusu with a tone of disbelief.

The surrounding Samurai exchanged glances, looking at each other with confusion.

Even Fang Li, observing Konochi Kurusu's actions, was unsure of what this guy was up to and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Konochi Kurusu stepped forward and pointed his blade at Fang Li with a sharp look in his eye.

"You want to save these two Kabane, don't you?" Konochi Kurusu's words deepened the frown on Fang Li's face, but he answered truthfully.

"At the very least, I won't stand by and watch these two people die at your hands."

Both Mumei and Ikoma were people Fang Li had known for less than an hour.

This period of time was so short that they barely had time to get acquainted with each other.

In theory, Fang Li had no obligation to care about Mumei and Ikoma. He could simply obediently listen to the Samurai's orders and return to the Main God's Dimension unscathed, with plenty of rewards.

However, Fang Li couldn't ignore this matter.

Being indifferent to "Death," Fang Li naturally didn't feel any sympathy to save the innocent Mumei and Ikoma.

However, Fang Li owed Mumei and Ikoma a favor.

If it weren't for Mumei, Fang Li would have had trouble reaching the garage and boarding the Hayajiro Train, let alone later when Mumei had gone to great lengths to protect Fang Li, allowing him to slaughter the Kabane army and reap great rewards.

If it weren't for Ikoma, Fang Li would have been bitten and turned into a monster when he was caught by the Kabane earlier, and he might have been overwhelmed by the attacking Kabane army with no place to die.

To put it bluntly, Fang Li could survive until now and accumulate over 20,000 Exchange Points, and even complete Main Quest Two, was all thanks to Mumei and Ikoma.

Fang Li had to repay this debt of gratitude.

"Besides, I've already promised that little girl to take care of what comes next," Fang Li spoke as he looked at Konochi Kurusu, enunciating each word.

"Therefore, I will protect these two people."

The entire scene fell into sudden silence and Ikoma's gaze toward Fang Li had completely transformed.

It was filled with gratitude.

As for Konochi Kurusu, his expression remained unchanged throughout. Upon hearing Fang Li's words, his gaze became increasingly sharp.

"In that case, you have to pass my test first," Konochi Kurusu said, both hands gripping the hilt of his sword, his sharp gaze resembling arrows as it aimed at Fang Li.

"You still owe me a victory."

Upon hearing these words, Fang Li finally understood what Konochi Kurusu intended to do at this time.

"So that's how it is, such a simple and brutal approach," Fang Li chuckled lightly, but his hand reached behind him, gripping the dagger as he asked, "What if I win?"

"I won't concern myself with this matter anymore," Konochi Kurusu replied coldly. "As for whether you can convince the others, that won't be my concern either."

"Kurusu?" Araka Kibito was astonished when he heard these words from Kurusu's mouth.

"Kurusu!" The Samurai also exclaimed in surprise.

In response, Konochi Kurusu gave the Samurai a single statement.

"Don't interfere. This is between me and him. After the victor is decided, do whatever you want, but until then, no one is allowed to intervene!"

Everyone fell silent.

At the same time, a familiar notification sound from the system signaled a late arrival.

Serial Number 11273 triggered B-Rank Side Quest: "Delayed Victory."

Quest Details: Duel with Plot Character Konochi Kurusu.

Success Reward: 5000 Exchange Points.

Failure Punishment: None.

Note: In the Dungeon World, only the failure of Main Quests results in punishment, while Side Quest failures have no punishment. However, depending on the circumstances, the failure of a Side Quest can lead to some negative actions from Plot Characters.

Reminder to the Divine Envoy: If this Side Quest fails, you will be considered an enemy by Plot Character Konochi Kurusu and be shot along with Plot Characters Mumei and Ikoma.

The notification sound from Space made Fang Li's gaze equally sharp.

"Wait!" Ikoma couldn't help but step forward and shout at Fang Li, "This has nothing to do with you. You don't need to go this far for us!"

"Does it really have nothing to do with me?" Fang Li smiled as he was unable to deny it but he shook his head and said, "Whether it has something to do with me or not is not for you to decide, but for me to decide."

With that said, Fang Li didn't give Ikoma a chance to speak anymore. He walked straight forward and stood in front of Konochi Kurusu.

Just like three days ago, they faced each other in the arena.

Fang Li's gaze silently met with Konochi Kurusu's, igniting an intense spark that hadn't been there before.

"Let me remind you." Konochi Kurusu's voice turned cold as he spoke, "This time, even if you use your hands to block my attack, I won't stop nor will I hold back."

"Then let me remind you as well." Fang Li silently drew his dagger before he raised his head and looked at Konochi Kurusu.

"This time, I won't care whether I have to take your life."

In an instant after his words fell, Fang Li's pair of eyes suddenly turned into ice-blue Mystic Eyes.

Mystic Eyes of Death Perception! Activate!

"You…?!" Konochi Kurusu's eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Your eyes…"

A faint smile appeared on Fang Li's lips, matching his ice-blue Mystic Eyes, giving him an extremely evil-looking appearance.

"You better be careful. This pair of eyes can definitely take your life!"

No sooner said than done.

Just like the previous duel, this time, Fang Li was the one to take the initiative.

"Pa—!"

Suddenly, with a crisp sound, Fang Li forcefully stepped forward, and his figure instantly burst out like a blurry shadow as he rushed toward Konochi Kurusu.

His speed was faster than the previous duel, naturally benefiting from the Skill Fang Li had obtained, which provided a dual increase in movement speed and attack speed.

Konochi Kurusu, who was unaware of this development, had a different thought when he witnessed this scene.

"He indeed concealed his strength before!"

With that in mind, Konochi Kurusu immediately raised his Katana and advanced instead of retreating, forcefully stepping on the ground and rushing toward Fang Li.

Compared to Fang Li, Konochi Kurusu's speed was also not inferior.

As a result, the clash between both sides erased the distance of a few meters in an instant.

The people around them held their breath, and Fang Li and Konochi Kurusu had already met.

"Ah—!"

Amidst the shouting, the sharp dagger and the keen Katana simultaneously sliced through the air.