The Terminally Ill Young Master is the Mad Dog of the Underworld
Chapter 240

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]

Chapter 240: Soul-Penetrating Black Moon

'Alright, let me organize this.'

I want to pierce through Siena's Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor with my Penetration technique.

However, to prevent Siena from sensing something strange and responding differently, I need to make her block my attack of her own volition.

'For that, I'll need to set the right atmosphere first.'

I looked around at the audience who were entranced by this high-level battle.

"Everyone, are you enjoying this fight between two proud geniuses that both clans take pride in?"

"Yes, we are!"

"Truly admirable, young master!"

"Please win!"

I grinned and spoke like a theatrical actor.

"But this is troublesome. The Young Lady's defensive technique is practically invincible, isn't it?"

Sensing that I was trying to stir something up, a few of my close allies played along.

"Yes, it's really solid."

"There seems to be no way to break through it."

Good job, Chase and Kaimak.

"I agree. Oh, absolutely."

I nodded readily.

"However, having crossed swords with her, I noticed that in terms of pure offense, it doesn't match her defensive capabilities."

"!"

Siena's gaze sharpened. As expected, it's having an effect.

"Thanks to that, I've gotten some breathing room."

I continued speaking while being conscious of Siena's eyes.

"Actually, it's somewhat regrettable. The result you can achieve by cowering is at best a draw, isn't it?"

"...!"

"If I were a judge scoring this match, I'd want to raise the hand of someone who overwhelmingly pressed their opponent and narrowly achieved a draw, rather than someone who barely managed a draw by taking a defensive stance. What you might call a decision victory?"

"...Young master."

Siena, unable to listen any longer, interjected.

"What is this behavior in the middle of a fight?"

Siena's expression was cold as ice.

"You lack respect."

Of course, this was psychological warfare.

An attempt to provoke Siena's pride with appropriate taunts.

"Oh, please calm down. It's not like that."

I shamelessly spouted lies without batting an eye.

"But facts are facts, aren't they? It was clear that while your defensive technique is sublime, I was ahead by a step in direct confrontation. Therefore, just as many hands make light work..."

At this point, I looked around at the crowd before continuing.

"I sought wisdom from the crowd gathered here to overcome this predicament."

"Stop with the clumsy provocation."

Siena dismissed it outright.

"Or are you admitting that you can't win without agitating your opponent with such childish taunts?"

Look at that, her counterattack skills are quite formidable.

"That's not it. This is a kind of gesture, you could say."

"...A gesture?"

Here I brought up something Siena absolutely couldn't refuse.

"Because I intend to end this match by breaking through your defensive technique 'nonetheless.'"

"...!"

With these words, even Siena's composure finally cracked.

"Absurd."

"Then won't you make a bet with me?"

Bets and gambling.

Things I'm particularly fond of.

"What kind of bet are you talking about?"

"If I fail to break your Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor this time, I'll accept defeat regardless of the reason."

"...Haha."

Even Siena couldn't hold back at this point.

"Fine. If I block it, it will be my victory."

I smiled wickedly.

"No taking back those words."

Confidence in her technique, combined with anger at being pushed back in offense as I claimed, clouded Siena's judgment.

'Provocation, successful.'

Just like the initial clash of power, this would be a truly excellent and impressive decisive battle.

'This is a different kind of appeal from actual combat.'

For instance, I'd never leisurely engage in a technique battle with someone like Huten to determine victory, even if I died and came back to life.

'Even if we made a bet, the moment that bastard started losing, he'd suddenly throw a dagger or set off a smoke bomb and run away.'

I glanced at the hushed crowd, then met eyes with my father looking down at us from above.

'Hehe.'

Now I know.

That stern downturn of father's mouth is deliberately held down to suppress laughter.

"Then please deploy your Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor once more. I too will attempt to break it with my strongest technique."

"Come at me with everything you have."

Whoooosh!

As Siena deployed her Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor, the barrier of chain scales enveloped her once again.

'Just like a walnut.'

Though it looks completely different, the feeling is somehow similar.

"This is the first time I'm using my full power against a person."

"...What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

I replied.

"This is a technique I completed two days ago by gathering all my insights for the fight with the Young Lady."

"...!"

It reminds me of when I created Moon Dance.

In a state of selflessness, I stared blankly into space, afraid I might forget the insight that struck like lightning in an instant.

'It was the same when I perfected the Penetration technique.'

Creating something that doesn't exist in the world is a joyful thing. Is this how a grandmaster feels?

'But the hardest part is coming up with a cool name.'

After a full day of contemplation, I was able to give my new finishing move a quite impressive name.

"Young Lady, a cool name is nothing, but it's also everything."

Just like when I chose the Current Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique.

"...Are you still playing around?"

Siena's voice grew even colder.

She probably felt I was mocking her.

"Not at all. I'm just somewhat talkative by nature."

I lightly placed my fist against the surface of the Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor.

"?"

With a face that couldn't understand what I was trying to do, Siena lowered her stance and drew up her mana.

'Good wariness.'

She didn't have the same carelessness as her younger brother.

But she couldn't possibly know what was about to happen.

"Here I go."

I relaxed my body's tension.

Starting from my feet, I accelerated the force through my knees, pelvis, waist, and shoulders...

I released the combined power of Light Star, Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique, and dark mana through my fist.

"Soul-Penetrating Black Moon."

The Penetration technique at maximum power struck the Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor.

There was a moment of silence. Then...

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A heavy vibration spread from within the defensive barrier like striking a massive bell.

"!!!"

What the Penetration technique hit was the protective mana Siena had wrapped around herself.

Crack, crackle...

The ripples that spread like waves seemed momentarily blocked by the protective mana, but soon shattered it with disappointing ease.

"Ugh!"

Siena, unable to withstand the shock, exhaled sharply...

'It's over.'

As the flow of mana was severed, the iron-wall-like Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor also crumbled on its own.

Crash!

CRAAAASH!

The sight of the Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor shattering like a glass wall, and the training ground's bricks crumbling along with the wave of dust, was so spectacular it was almost beautiful.

'...Should I call it fortunate? The Penetration technique didn't fully pass through both defensive barriers.'

If it had exploded inside her body, she might have suffered irreversible internal injuries.

'Probably because the Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor that served as the first barrier was too solid.'

No matter how much the Penetration technique's mystery lies in passage and penetration, it couldn't pass through such a solid defensive barrier without any loss.

'Perhaps multiple defensive barriers might be harder to pierce than a single barrier.'

I kept the insight I gained to myself while checking on Siena's condition.

"Young Lady, are you alright?"

"...Stop it. Worrying about your opponent's condition in the middle of a fight."

Siena, kneeling on one knee and catching her breath, replied in a chilling voice.

...That was also the most symbolic scene showing who the winner of this bet, and furthermore this fight, was.

"WAAAAAAAH!"

"The young master has won!"

"Glory to the great future of Grunewald!"

Listening to the crowd's cheers, I suddenly felt dizzy.

'...Wow, if this hadn't ended, I would have been in slight danger too.'

I was also in a state of considerable exhaustion.

'But let's not show it. Stay confident and arrogant.'

"The winner is Young Master Allenvert!"

With the official victory declaration, I raised my left hand high.

"WAAAAAAAH!"

"It was a great match, young master!"

"To so magnificently defeat Young Lady Siena, famous as a genius..."

"Does this mean the 6th seat of Ete Nistyrnur belongs to the young master?"

"6th seat? Even a 3rd or 4th seat wouldn't be unreasonable!"

Leaving the cheers behind, I approached Siena, who had a dejected expression.

"It was a good match."

"...Complete defeat. I was half a step behind in skill, but I was also beautifully caught in psychological warfare."

Siena was right.

If we had fought seriously without word games, the battle would have been much more intense.

'Siena wouldn't have allowed the opening needed to use a major technique like Soul-Penetrating Black Moon.'

However, the result wouldn't have changed.

"By the way, hmm. Young Lady Siena?"

"Speak."

"When you return, please go find and beat up someone around the 3rd or 4th seat of Ete Nistyrnur next time."

"...?"

"Then my ranking would also rise accordingly, wouldn't that be good for both of us?"

"Another absurd thing to say."

Siena chuckled as she replied.

"I will never forget today's defeat."

"You're not holding a grudge, are you?"

"Of course not."

We clasped hands.

"I've finally found him, my lifelong rival to challenge."

"?"

"...Just as our ancestors did."

Siena's words reminded me of the relationship between our ancestors and two heroes, Vitenfeld and Ernst.

"Are you thinking of challenging me again?"

"May I not?"

"Well, hmm."

I thought for a moment before replying.

"There's nothing wrong with that."

At that, color returned to Siena's face.

"Good, I'll come often."

"?"

The members of the Special Operations Division were shocked anew when Allenvert's technique, Soul-Penetrating Black Moon, was revealed to the world.

"What the hell kind of technique was that?"

"Penetration technique? With that kind of power?"

"Soul-Penetrating Black Moon? Was there such a technique in the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique?"

"There wasn't."

Ulbhild replied simply.

"That's a technique Allen created himself. Just like Moon Dance."

"Huh."

Harold, who had been hit by that very Moon Dance, clicked his tongue.

"That annoyingly insane genius bastard."

"I agree with that."

Ulbhild recalled the moment of conclusion.

'For an instant, it seemed like the afterimage of a black crescent moon appeared, then it directly caused ripples inside the supposedly impenetrable Black Dragon Scale Lock Armor.'

"Just piercing armor or shields is already a great level, but being able to penetrate such tremendous density of a defensive barrier and cause that much damage is something I've never heard of."

"Perhaps it's because he took sufficient time to bring out maximum power? After all, they agreed to settle it with each other's techniques, and he had the right to attack."

Harold sharply read Allenvert's strategy.

"Right. And all that chatter was probably also meant to buy time."

In short, this was also a victory in psychological warfare.

"Soul-Penetrating Black Moon, quite a cool name."

Ulbhild admired.

'Does it mean a black moon that penetrates into the soul?'

I didn't know my brother had the qualities of a bard.

"Anyway..."

Ulbhild acknowledged.

"Allen has long since transcended the late expert level."

"Yes, he's already at a level where he can seriously discuss rankings with those who have trained in martial arts for decades."

At Rudgarda's words, Ulbhild nodded.

"...There couldn't be a more perfect debut."

The entire kingdom would remember the name Allenvert Grunewald.

As the 6th seat of Ete Nistyrnur, and as another genius born from Grunewald.

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]