Chapter 7: Hunted Down
Dusk reached out to grab the young man's weapon. But the youth quickly retracted his iron rod and dropped low, aiming to sweep Dusk's supporting leg out from under him.
Such a simple trick would never work on Dusk. He raised his foot and stomped down swiftly on the young man's ankle.
A crack.
The youth's ankle was dislocated from the blow, but he clenched his teeth and swung the rod straight at Dusk's injured arm.
Dusk flinched. His body wasn't in any shape to dodge. The wound on his arm worsened as the iron rod struck it again.
'That strike... he's no amateur. From the moment he sensed hostility, he's been aiming at my weak spot. This level of combat sense in a time of peace... he's like a protagonist out of a novel. The me from 300 years ago wouldn't have stood a chance against him. Wait... didn't someone mention a few days ago that a kendo champion would be visiting this area for charity? This guy must be him.'
Thoughts raced through Dusk's mind, but this wasn't the time to get distracted. Gritting his teeth, he launched a kick straight into the youth's stomach.
The young man flew back nearly two meters, coughing violently, spitting frothy saliva as he hit the ground.
He was already injured from the building collapse—this blow only deepened his wounds.
Dusk coldly picked up another knife and began walking toward him, step by step.
"Hmph, not bad. But this is where it ends. Goodbye, brat."