Chapter 67
It seems that pointing out Ned Ludd's appearance wasn't a very good idea after all.
Did they say that when a person becomes extremely angry, they instead find their calm?
The Luddite Leader, who looked like he would lunge at any moment, stopped in his tracks with his expression coldly hardened.
Suddenly, he pulled out a small, transparent Ampoule Syringe from his pocket and carelessly jammed it right into his arm.
It happened so fast that I wasn't entirely sure, but what my eyes momentarily caught... I thought I saw some Dark Blue Liquid sloshing inside.
Uh, hey. Wait a minute. That's a foul. I don't know what that is, but it's definitely going to fail a Doping Test.
Didn't I say that bringing drugs into our bar is also prohibited?
An Ominous Premonition brushed down my spine.
Feeling like I would die if I just stood still, I hurriedly raised my katana.
The exact same Offense-Defense Integrated Stance as before. Other than my leg tingling slightly, my balance remained steady.
It felt like I could Counter whatever Attack the opponent threw at me.
...And yet, for some reason, I couldn't feel relieved.
Ned Ludd's dwarfish, hunched figure straightened out completely.
Just a moment ago, he had shown signs of suffering from his injuries, but after injecting the unidentified Drug, there was no trace of that.
He looked as fresh and lively as if he had just woken up from a good sleep.
“Haa... Good.”
The ampoule he dropped while muttering to himself hit the floor and shattered with a clink.
As if that were a signal, he twisted his head in a chilling manner.
His Full Body Muscles were writhing like living snakes—and not just ordinary snakes, but thick ones like cobras or anacondas.
With his back perfectly straight, he let out a feverish breath and kicked off the Ground. He swung his katana with his left hand, its bulging veins standing out.
Where he had pushed off, the tiles were smashed and scattered in pieces.
Screeeech─.
Blocking it was pure luck.
At the chilling sensation, I instinctively turned the blade sideways and put strength into my back foot, and I barely managed to catch it.
If I had been even 0.1 seconds late, I would have been sliced right through.
He was definitely a meter away just a moment ago, so I thought there was no way a slash from there could reach me.
In the Blink of an eye, he was right in front of my nose, clashing his blade against mine with a Kkwaaang.
I definitely blocked it, but my bones rattled. My body shrank back as if I had been struck by a Club.
My firmly planted foot was pushed back, and my balance collapsed.
For a moment, the sensation in my arms disappeared. It felt like they were paralyzed. I was too busy retreating to even dream of a Counterattack.
It was absurd.
Like all swords and blades, a katana has a Center of Gravity.
The Center of Gravity gets lower towards the bottom, so utilizing the lower part of the blade allows for stronger Force, while utilizing the upper part carries less Force.
But just now, Ned Ludd definitely slashed with the upper part of his blade.
He smashed his Force in the direction that carries the least power, yet it worked.
Instead, I, who defended with the part slightly below the middle of the blade where enough Force is carried, was pushed back, feeling as if my hands were splitting apart.
Thinking about it logically and scientifically, it was a structure where I couldn't be pushed back, yet I was pushed back miserably.
Does this Make Sense? This is Crazy.
How could he get that strong just from taking some drug?
Is that also some kind of drug that concentrates the advanced Science and Technology of the 22nd century or something?
Kkwaaaaaang─!
Another Sword Strike exploded. A merciless swing that was closer to a battering than a slash.
The way he slammed it down looked more like swinging a Club than a sword. That Crazy person was beating me with the sword like a bat, using it like a Blunt weapon.
But that Crazy act was superhumanly fast and strong, so there was no way I could withstand it.
Dodge, my ass.
All I could do was block—no, not even block, just get beaten up.
Kkwadeudeuk.
I lowered my entire lower body and legs, putting the center of my whole body into both arms, and blocked with all my might, yet my arms bent.
My body was crushed down, and the blade was pushed back until it touched the helmet on my head.
In that state, I put strength into my head and somehow pushed him away once. Leaving a dented mark on the helmet, I threw my body away.
“Haak... Kkeuhuk.”
Only then was I barely able to create an opening, roll, and escape.
Seeing me sweating like rain and breathing heavily, Ned Ludd slowly approached as if deliberately mocking me.
Watching him leisurely drag his katana across the floor, smashing all the tiles in his path, I barely squeezed my throat to speak.
“Stop breaking... the Floor Tile. Do you know how much that costs? Last time, my bonus flew away just because one tile was broken. It's not like you're going to pay for it. Anyway, you're just a typical Troublemaker who only knows how to make a mess and doesn't know how to clean it up.”
“Kkeuk-kkeuk... You fearless bastard. You're about to die, but your mouth is still alive.”
Fearless, my foot. I feel like I'm going to die of fear right now.
That slowly walking figure looks like the footsteps of a grim reaper. I'm suppressing the urge to crawl away and somehow holding my Ground.
Because if I turn my back and run, the one who would love it more than anyone else is that Luddite bastard over there.
If I did that, he would immediately slice my neck off.
Rather, facing him head-on like this is the path with the highest probability of surviving, the highest probability of winning.
I forcefully swallowed down my nauseous stomach from fear and opened my mouth.
“Shut up. Does a Criminal Punk like you know the sorrows of the Service Industry? Do you know the feeling of having to speak somehow even when it's hard and you don't want to? If you're jealous, try working as a bar Manager for a few years yourself. You might become an Eloquent Speaker like me.”
Actually, it hasn't even been a week since I started working.
It's funny when I think about it. What am I doing right now at a Workplace where I haven't even worked for a week?
Ned Ludd must have found it funny too, as he giggled and suddenly reached out, grabbing me by the collar.
And I was caught just like that. I have no strength left in my body. I can't resist at all.
Is this deja vu?
I feel like I suffered a similar fate at the hands of the Man Hunter's subordinates just about yesterday.
“──Keuhuk.”
A sensation as if my body was shrinking tightly. My vision turned white, and the next moment, I was floating in the air.
The katana I was holding fell uselessly to the floor. A state of complete Neutralization.
Ned Ludd was looking at me with a Cold face, holding me up with one hand.
“I want to let you live just because the things you do are funny, but unfortunately, I can't do that. I don't know about the others, but if I Leave you alive, I feel like the future repercussions will be massive. bar Manager.”
As expected of the Luddite Leader, he's a guy with good Judgment.
He's on a different level from those Petty Villains who carelessly let people live only to get hit hard later.
Without hesitation, Ned Ludd raised his red-glowing katana with his other hand and placed it next to my head.
At that stinging heat, I felt death rapidly approaching.
He aimed exactly at the empty space under the helmet.
It was an Execution Stance, looking as if he would casually slice and cut off my neck at any moment. Is this what it feels like to stand before a guillotine?
He put strength into his muscles as if to swing the sword right then, but suddenly stopped and asked.
“Any last words, bar Manager?”
I thought he had good Judgment, but I guess not at all. Like a villain, he's giving me a chance until the very end.
If I end up surviving safely thanks to this, he'll beat the Ground in regret.
Of course, that is if I survive.
Yesterday, when I was put in this situation, Sey saved me.
But would that really be the case today?
‘You'd better not expect my help from now on.’
Can I not expect it even in a Critical Moment like this?
Suddenly, absurdly enough, irritation surged up while I was on the verge of dying.
While I'm rolling around like a dog like this, what on earth are the Bartenders doing?
Even I, who have only worked for a week, am doing all sorts of things as a Manager, so what are the Bartenders, who must have worked for a long time, doing just staying still?
Don't Tell me they're mixing cocktails even at this very moment just because they're Bartenders.
I wanted to look toward the Bar Table, but my head wouldn't turn.
No matter how much I rolled my eyes, it only hurt and didn't capture anything in my vision.
“Nothing to say? Then I'll end it right now.”
When I remained silent without saying much, Ned Ludd put strength into his arm once again.
Faced with the sensation of my skin and hair burning as the Heat Ray touched my neck, I urgently coughed and spoke.
“You have to... loosen that hand a bit for me to speak...”
“Hah.”
He snorted, but loosened the strength in the hand gripping my collar.
It was still painful, but it was enough that I could somehow breathe and speak.
Ugh, I thought I was going to die from suffocation. I threw a word right at his detestable face.
“Do some Strength control. As expected of a Drug Addict, you can't control your strength after taking a hit of drugs.”
“Is that your last word? Do you want to die quickly?”
“Did I say anything wrong? It's true. You must feel great turning the tables by borrowing the power of drugs after getting beaten like a dog before sticking that injection in. And──Keuk.”
My words must have touched a nerve, as the Iron Grip started to tightly squeeze my neck once again.
In my yellowing vision, Ned Ludd revealed his yellow teeth and spoke.
“And, what?”
“─I haven't... lost yet.”
A single phrase I barely spat out at the end.
Simultaneously with those words, a loud
Vrooooom─
sound echoed out.
That's right. If I stalled for this much time, you should come to help.
bastard, acting all high and mighty and running your mouth as if you've already won.
The corners of my mouth naturally curled up into a smirk.
I Admit it. I did lose the one-on-one just now.
How could I win when he took drugs and attacked like a Crazy person?
They say that even in bodybuilding, it's close to impossible for a Natural to beat a Roider.
It was the same in a Real Fight. There was absolutely no way to win by facing that head-on.
But it's okay even if I lose.
Because this was a Two-Front War.
If Ned Ludd and I were clashing on this side, the Chainsaw Man Ronin and the rest of the Luddite gang Members were fighting on the other side.
Even if I lose, if the Chainsaw Man wins the fight on the other side and comes to help, the situation will return to square one.
No, rather, it would become even more advantageous. Because there are two of us, and only one will be left on their side.
And I saw the possibility of that happening as quite high.
The momentum of the Chainsaw Man holding the Super-Vibrating jet engine saw was just that ruthless, and the rest of the Luddite gang Members were getting beaten without even being able to use their hands properly against the Tempestuous Sawing.
That was also why I could Decide to face Ned Ludd directly. Because I had Reinforcements behind me who would come to help if things went wrong.
It took a bit more time than I thought, but in the end, it flowed according to my expectations.
Now the flow is on our side.
And Ned Ludd also Recognized that fact.
With his eyes glaring, he quickly swung his katana. He must have thought he needed to quickly dispose of me before a new variable intervened.
But it was too late. That's why you should have killed me quickly instead of acting cool asking for last words or whatever.
Kagagagagagang─!
Along with an ear-piercing metallic sound, the engine saw exquisitely dug in between the striking katana and my neck.
The Chainsaw Man had rushed in like a flash of lightning and intervened.
In the place he had passed through, the bodies of gang members with a Grotesque Appearance, who had fallen with their limbs sliced off while trying to stop him, were scattered about.
─────!
With a chilling sensation that made my hair stand on end, the saw's vibrating Chain blade and the Heated Katana blade clashed right next to me.
Sparks and specks of metal splattered and stuck to my helmet, skin, and collar.
Amidst my neck turning red and stinging with pain, I put strength into my stomach with a power I didn't know where it sprang from.
While floating in the air, I barely lifted both legs and kicked Ned Ludd's chest.
Due to his pectoral muscles being fully pumped up by the drug's effect, it didn't seem to cause much damage, but the reaction bounced me away, allowing me to escape from his hand.
I didn't... manage to spin stylishly in the air and make a landing; because my Electrocuted leg was still numb, I had to roll a few times before I could limpingly stand up.
In my hand, I once again held the Jet-Black Katana that had been rolling on the floor.
And for a moment, silence flowed.
On this side, the Chainsaw Man, and the bar Manager who came back from the dead dressed as an inflatable tube man, called the hand Butcher—that is, me.
And on that side, a single Drug Addict, Ned Ludd, whose Full Body Muscles had swelled up with the drug's effects fully kicking in.
A two-on-one composition. Both sides glared at each other, continuing the Standoff.
As the old saying goes. There's no Champion in the face of Ganging Up.
Now that a reliable Colleague had arrived, I cracked my neck and shouted boldly.
“Round two begins, you dirty Drug Addict bastard.”
Don't call me a coward for bringing a Friend. You took drugs too, so we're even.