Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 193: True Anti-Magic

Chapter 193: True Anti-Magic

Sun-young tasted blood and metal. Her coursing veins could be felt up to her heart.

Through the blood, sweat, and tears, she heard Jack’s voice. "What? Not you too..."

Her strength returned to her twice-fold! No, no...more! So much more! It was like several stacks of Stamina Surge came together and bolstered her muscles and dulled the pain. The lost-portion of Majin-ken was swiftly replaced by a black energy—by herself.

Sun-young opened her eyes and swung her sword. This time, it was Jack’s blood that spilled.

"What...?"

"Haaa!" Sun-young closed the minor distance between them as he staggered back. Her blade made contact and blood spilled once more.

A massive X-mark was cut across Jack the Ripper’s chest.

Sun-young planned to turn the X into an eight-sided compass and kept wailing at him. There wasn’t a thought in her eyes. She fought according to her instincts and blocked Jack’s half-hearted attempts to counter. His blade was impossibly heavy. Her solace came in the form of skill and balance. Even if his blows could rip her apart, they still had to adhere to the laws of physics.

The mana inside him spiked and as she anticipated black lightning erupting from the rapier. Her eyes were wide and open and she reacted right on time, leaping back and running adeptly. No crawling, no desperation, her eyes were laser-focused on him. Infinite stamina welled inside her muscles.

She felt...

’Amazing!’ She didn’t have a clue what happened. She didn’t know what a War Class was or what an Anti-Magic Swordsman did, but she didn’t have the time to stand around and check. She had to fight! She had to win!

’I feel like I can do this! I can win!’

Five feet to the left of Jack was Marta and...Jules? She was there, healing the kneeling Marta with a singing bird. Jack’s focus, however, was on her and Sun-young intended to keep it that way.

’I’m scared. I’m so scared...!’ His aura never left. The feeling of despair and death lingered, the black corpses a bleak reminder of her future if she failed. ’It doesn’t matter! Come on, Sun-young! Do it! Fight! Save Marta! Live up to something for once in your fucking life!’

"Distortion Slash!" Everything felt smooth. The long-range attack was deftly blocked, but in its cover, Sun-young ran up to him and followed up with a Nullifying Slash. Her speed was absurd and even Jack was put on the back-end due to her sheer acceleration. She heard a grunt from Jack.

"I always fight to help my opponent’s reach their full potential, but...a War Class?" A disgruntled chuckle. "This is a first. An honour even."

’Don’t die, don’t die, don’t die...!’ Sun-young muttered in her head, her arms shaking. Even with the boost, she was weaker than him. Even now, the grim reaper loomed in front of her.

"Nghh....!"

Jack’s laughter reverberated through her arms. "Is everything Jake with you, little dame?"

She didn’t answer him, instead scanning his body for weak points. His left hand was made of dark magic, but because of anti-magic, that left hand was often weakened, thus leading him to rely on the left side of his weight to compensate.

In accordance to Kumdo, Sun-young fought with both her hands. A habit she had begun to evolve from ever since her fight with August. She didn’t need to use both her hands, but that was what Jack thought she would always do. Two right strikes to his left, urging him to lean on it further and further, and then—

Bam!

She lifted her leg and kicked him in the side. It was an off-the-cuff move and she nearly lost her equilibrium from the sudden shift in style and the utter lack of damage she did. Jack laughed and watched as she backed-off.

"How daring. Trying something new against me, the Ripper. Frankly, I appreciate it. I feel that most of my opponents refuse to adapt. They have no interest in growing stronger, in being worthy, but you do." Jack pointed the rapier at her. "Come, Yoon Sun-young. Hit me with your best shot."

An aura of black mana enveloped him, thicker and stronger than ever. This was Advanced Flow of Mana. In nearly every stat, he was superior to her—

Clang!

Save speed. She was able to meet his rapier head-on with the pure concentration of anti-magic in the missing portion of the katana. She was able to clash against him while knowing she wouldn’t die just yet. Her broken katana was the only thing capable of opposing Jack—and she knew that in advance. They exchanged several more attacks, with Sun-young going on the offensive. At this point, she understood everything she needed to know about Jack’s fighting style. He preferred defense to offense and he relied on his superior strength and body weight for both, never implementing proper footwork.

That was the sign of a conceited fighter. Dodging was a formality for him. His habit was to take things head-on, even if there was no meaning in it.

Even now, Jack could very easily surprise her with a burst of lightning. But he didn’t. As he kept reiterating over and over again, he wanted to fight someone worthy.

Well, he’d get it and so much more.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sun-young upped her speed, focusing on his left side again. Jack fell into the rhythm and he blocked. The smile behind his mask was practically written on him. He was taller than her and she shifted her footwork accordingly, never letting herself be compromised.

’One hit,’ Sun-young told herself. ’One hit and he can end me. One hit, one whim, and this battle is over!’

Then, as he brought his blade closer and closer to her face, pushing her down with his superior strength, she landed a kick.

Jack anticipated a dull feeling.

Instead, blood gushed out as she removed her foot. He said nothing, failing to comprehend that Sun-young had filled her foot with anti-magic. At the corner of her vision was a black bar that dropped two-thirds down. It took nearly everything she had for this opening. To tear through his Advanced Flow of Mana with her anti-magic. He staggered back and—

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sun-young went at him. He was off-balance, bleeding, and very much puzzled. On instinct, he deflected her blocks, his rapier not once being compromised. But Jack was. As a consequence of leaning into his left side, there was an opening on his right. An uncontrollable thrill pulsed through her veins.

’I’ve got you now!’

She threw her entire body forward and the black end of her katana pierced into his heart.

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