### Chapter 43: Twins, Leaks, Solo, Predation, Insult (2)
Mantis Shrimp Style — 【Second Foundation: Armed Fist】
Wyvern Style — 【Biting Twin Swords】
Clang!
The clash of cold steel resonated through the Black Valley border. Richard marveled at the two swords of different lengths. Using two swords of different lengths is a very tricky business, but Haidar and Meiguer, using their two brains, were executing it brilliantly.
Clang, Chang!
"Hahaha! This is fun! You are strong —Worthy of being killed!"
Bshul!
A small amount of blood suddenly sprayed from Haidar and Meiguer’s muscles. The twin swords, which suddenly increased in speed, struck Richard’s side.
Twang!
The "Spiral Shell Armor" blocked the attack, but Richard was surprised by the sudden burst of speed.
(They gained a momentary boost of power using "Mana Route Frenzy." You can call them Berserkers).
An attack using mana route frenzy is a self-destructive enhancement method that ruins the body.
"You don't seem to value your body."
"The body is just a sword —And it's natural for a sword to wear out!"
Haidar and Meiguer released a massive amount of mana and flew into the sky. Then they swung their swords randomly, using a technique from the Wyvern style.
Wyvern Style — 【Spiral Sliding Cut】
Kagagak!
Their blades grated against Richard’s greatsword. The twin swords failed to penetrate the Spiral Shell. In terms of pure skill, Richard was superior to Haidar and Meiguer. Moreover, the Spiral Shell granted Richard an absolute advantage in a prolonged fight. Haidar and Meiguer seemed to have the upper hand for a moment, but they were very likely to eventually collapse from exhaustion.
"Kahaha! This is fun —Try and defeat me!"
But they paid no mind to such things. The twin brothers simply enjoyed risking their lives to kill their opponent.
Kagak!
The crossed swords bit into Richard’s torso like a pair of scissors. A technique mimicking a Wyvern chewing its prey to death, Wyvern Style — 【Biting Twin Swords】, crushed Richard’s torso.
"No one has ever survived this technique —Die!"
"Yawn, is this the best you can do?"
With a bored expression, Richard flicked his finger.
"No matter how unbalanced my mana is, if I fight all this time, I can at least release a small burst."
As soon as he finished speaking, he used 【Unarmed Fist Application: Finger Strike】.
Booom!
With an explosive sound, a shockwave traveled through Haidar and Meiguer’s upper body. Due to the recoil that shook their mana rings, blood flowed from the brothers' body.
"Cough An attack like this... But this feeling of mana recoil is familiar!"
The brothers coughed up blood but did not lose their madness. On the contrary, they mocked Richard, saying it was a familiar feeling for a berserker.
"Oh? In that case, how about this?"
Richard gripped his greatsword in a reverse grip and moved it swiftly.
Clank!
The tip of the greatsword twisted and wrenched the opponent's weapons away. The twin brothers blinked, looking at the blood flowing from their fists; blood had erupted from their hands as the swords were forcibly wrenched away.
"No weapons... No matter, we can bite with our teeth..."
Thwak!
Before Meiguer could say anything, Richard's fists rained down on their body. Not a shockwave, but pure physical force... Richard encased his fists in the Spiral Shell and struck the brothers' body as if tenderizing meat. It was just like a mantis shrimp hunting a small crab.
Dudududu!!
The sound of a beanbag hitting the ground shook the forest leaves. The brothers felt that something was going very wrong.
(W-we are being hunted).
(To think that we are the ones being hunted, not the hunters!)
Was it because they were being beaten so soundly? An old memory flashed in their minds like a revolving lantern.
(Born with two bodies attached? How could such a creature exist...!)
An unfriendly environment for a conjoined twin. No unexpected developments occurred; they simply had to leave the village.
(Get out of our village).
Haidar and Meiguer left the village and lived as mercenaries. Their adventures continued until they met a knight from a minor sword family.
(Your skills are not bad. You look scary, so you'll do well as guards).
They were suddenly hired, and their skills were recognized, allowing them to learn a "Sword Visualization Style."
Two techniques from the Wyvern style: "Biting Twin Swords" and "Spiral Sliding Cut" were the maximum Haidar and Meiguer were allowed to learn.
(You want to learn more? Sorry, but two are your limit. You should know that just learning these is a great privilege).
Haidar and Meiguer wanted to become stronger. Mastering the Wyvern sword style was a great achievement, but after tasting the ecstasy of the sword, they ended up doing something dangerous.
(Hey! Entering the archives is grounds for immediate execution!!)
Just entering the archives was not enough. To master the techniques perfectly, they had to review them while observing the monster's mana routes directly. The twin brothers immediately headed to the Wyvern's habitat. Naturally, there were guards blocking the way, and they killed about ten of them in the process.
Sgogok!
(They forcibly applied their interpretation of the routes to their bodies. These men, with death at their doorstep, became berserkers).
Haidar and Meiguer completely lost their minds and devoted themselves to carnage. Even the skilled knights of the Wyvern Sword family were taken aback by the ferocity of the twin duelists who attacked with madness. But the resistance did not last long. In the end, they were subdued by the masters of the Wyvern Sword family.
And now, after some time had passed.
Thwak! Kwaguagua!
They were being crushed into a rock by the Mantis Shrimp style.
Cough!
Was it because the shock returned their mana routes to normal for a moment? The brothers' blurry memories became clear for a second. The technique of the knight they faced before being captured flashed in their minds.
(This is the "Flame Breath Cut" of the Wyvern style. Take one last good look before your execution).
(Wyvern style...)
Koooong...!!
As they collapsed onto the ground, dust flew up. Blood flowed from the brothers' noses.
"Blood... it's blood."
Haidar and Meiguer raised their heads and looked at the sky. The round sun was pouring its light onto the ground.
"Ah..."
In their childhood, the brothers always hated the sun. When it shines, it becomes bright. Drought comes. They get thirsty. It becomes unbearably hot. But as they began to seek power, their affection for the sun grew.
"The sun —I want to become like it."
Even if humans die because of the sun, you cannot blame the sun. Nature is an irresistible force. If a certain pattern repeats, the responsibility for failing to prepare lies only with humans. The sun simply plays its part. That was why they admired the sun. The sun became their hope.
"I —I want to become like that too."
Haidar and Meiguer smiled and activated their mana rings. Their berserk mana routes immediately made them irrational.
Bushum!
Even with blood flowing from all over their body, they did not stop.
The twin brothers were simply...
Vooosh!
pouring all their power into mimicking the information from the archives and what just appeared in their minds.
Wyvern Style —. An unlearned sword form.
As Haidar and Meiguer’s swords crossed, fire erupted. Not just sparks, but materialized fire wrapped around their swords like a serpent.
Vooooosh!!
They flew into the air. The movements of conjoined twins differ from those of a normal body.
【Twin Strike: Flame Breath Cut】
Was that the reason?
Richard was unable to read the line of intent and allowed the opponent's attack to land.
"The Twin Sword —Starts now!!"
Boook! Kagagagak!!
Haidar and Meiguer’s twin blades struck Richard directly in the abdomen. Encased in flames, Richard was pushed back. The brothers expected Richard to heat up and become bright orange like a cooked shrimp, but...
Kadodok.
Richard’s Spiral Shell inflated on its own, protecting his body from the fierce flames. The shell expanded, creating a gap between the crimson flames and his skin. The damaged shell was immediately filled with new mana from the inside, breaking the fire's momentum completely. A fire defense method that uses much more mana than usual! It was a technique Richard devised as a countermeasure against the Fire Dragon Sword family.
Because it was an extreme method of creating a new shell by immediately discarding mana into the air instead of recovering it, there was almost no damage to his body.
(I blocked that using the equivalent of one mana potion. Even considering the cave, I can't say the exchange rate is very good. Is that why mana grass quality is so important?)
Richard stood up, calculating the replacement rate of the mana potion.
"For a berserker, you are quite serious about the sword."
He then looked at Haidar and Meiguer and asked: "You two, how many monsters have you killed so far?"
"We don't know such a thing! —Just die!"
"I take back what I said about you being serious. Pitiful..."
A sword style dedicated only to killing. This was not the direction of the sword visualization style Richard sought. It seemed best to deal with the twin duelists here.
"Since you mimicked a monster, you can die as one."
Richard's eyes flashed fiercely. Then his body moved swiftly.
Mantis Shrimp Style — 【Targeting the Octopus Forehead】
Voom! Thwak!!
Richard moved in an arc, targeting an opening, and drove his fist into the brothers' side. When their lower body center, which was weak compared to their torso, was attacked, their flight posture faltered. Richard did not miss the opportunity, grabbing the brothers and forcibly dragging them into the sea below the cliff.
Splash!
"W-water! —We can't use fire here!"
Blub, blub.
Their words scattered with bubbles. Richard didn't even feel the need to use a powerful technique. After a few punches with his unarmed fist underwater, the twin brothers sank helplessly into the sea.
(These men are not good swimmers).
For some reason, Richard felt disappointed. Why did he prolong such an easy battle for so long? Fighting in the sea after a long time reminded him of a story his family leader, Edward, once told him.
(Other sword families might look down on the Sea Dragon Sword style, but what would happen if they entered the sea? They would lose their lives in an instant! Therefore, everyone here can be proud).
(He's right).
The sea, boasting a vast area. A sword style has dominance there. One could even say that more than half the world is the domain of the "Mantis Shrimp Style."
Perhaps that was the reason. Richard's affection for the sea-dwelling mantis shrimp grew deeper. So much so that he composed an impromptu poem about it.
(And if the fierce waves rage, I have no fear.
For a sturdy armor embraces me.
The crashing waves are but a joyful dance.
A deep blue sea, overflowing with the vitality of life.
I am the mantis shrimp that leaves no trace).
Richard enjoyed swimming in the sea for a while.
"Hmm hmm~."
Katerina was diligently cleaning the fortress for the first time in a while. Although she was no longer a maid, cleaning was the most important aspect of the mantis shrimp style.
(The mantis shrimp spirit I learned in the punishment annex! I will continue to hold onto it!)
Richard had personally cleaned the dust-covered punishment annex building. A young lord of a sword family, cleaning his own room... To Katerina, who was a maid at the time, it was a shocking scene.
(The mantis shrimp has a habit of tidying and decorating its home by collecting shells and stones. I am just following the spirit of the mantis shrimp and tidying my room).
Katerina felt tears gathering in her eyes as she recalled Richard’s words. She didn't know the exact reason; the tears simply flowed. Katerina knelt before the mantis shrimp tank.
(Even though danger is near, I still don't really know what the mantis shrimp style is... but every time I clean, I find myself thanking you).
Bubble, bubble.
The mantis shrimp in the coral cave rolled its eyes, assessing the situation.
"What a blessed creature you are..."
"To be served with such devotion, one might call it a blessed creature."
"Hmm, not just served with devotion. Sometimes I cook and eat it."
"What...? Doesn't that distance it from being blessed??"
"No, no."
Katerina stood up and drew her sword.
"I said it's blessed because that includes the fact that it's exceptionally delicious as well."
Srrrng.
The eerie sound of a blade being drawn settled inside the fortress.
And so, the battle between the "Sword of Leak," Spoiler, and Katerina began.
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