Chapter 19: The Grudge Flower Tile and the Young Fox

“The sword I hold in my hand... is the demonic blade that slays a thousand but remains insatiably thirsty!” With a murmured declaration, Vinigo tossed aside his cloak, wrapping it around his waist to reveal his half-bare torso. A cascade of intricately painted hanafuda cards scattered around him with this movement.

In the blink of an eye, his medium-length hair grew into a waist-length crimson ponytail. On his fierce, ruthless face, his eyes gleamed like those of a starving wolf, fixed intently on the alluring woman before him.

Yagami Manto, a berserker consumed by lust and the thrill of killing, who had fallen into the demonic path yet sought to cut down even the demonic realm itself—a villain of unparalleled brutality.

Such a character was perfectly suited for the infusion of the Dark Divine Power of the Tyrant Bear. Vinigo, having accumulated divine strength for a long time, now faced a formidable foe and was ready to unleash it.

“You may call me the Vengeful Swordsman of the Hanafuda,” Vinigo introduced himself. “Let’s talk swords. I want to see the true strength of the Silver Rudder’s master swordsman.”

“We have five of us,” the middle-aged seductive woman interrupted.

“Nonsense! Women should just obediently strip and wait on the bed!” Vinigo laughed wildly. “The three useless ones over there, die!”

With a swift movement, he glided forward like a ghost.

Triple Strike: Fang, Horn, Phosphor!

“How amazing! He’s grown so strong!” Little Wolf Princess licked her lips and charged fiercely forward.

The triple strike was incredibly fast—not only in the speed of the blade but also in Vinigo’s own movement speed as Yagami. Seeing this, Little Wolf Princess’s competitive spirit was ignited.

She sprinted at full speed!

Clang! Bang! Boom!

Among the enemies, besides the master swordsman and the female warlord, the other three were also experts within the Silver Rudder. Confident in their swordsmanship and powerful enough to take on a hundred, they were paralyzed by an overwhelming pressure when Vinigo’s blade pierced through.

One barely managed to lift his sword to block Vinigo’s thrust with the spine of his blade, but the sharp Meiying Poison slipped past like a phantom and struck his heart. Hanafuda cards scattered as a fountain of blood burst forth.

A lethal strike! Yet Vinigo’s Meiying Poison did not cease; it slid to another opponent with a dragging cut, then turned around with a heavy slash, sending the third man flying along with his sword.

Three cards hit the ground—one dead, two wounded!

At that moment, Little Wolf Princess howled and dashed into another’s embrace. Her claws struck fiercely, mimicking the Thirty-Six Style Wolf Spider taught by Sophie. Eight slashes flashed simultaneously, cutting at the opponent’s neck and head, splattering blood everywhere.

The blood spurred her on, her eerie beautiful red eyes blinking as she turned toward the warlord’s direction.

She sprinted again!

The female sorceress sneered coldly, “I shall introduce myself—Lady Flynne will grant you a death by burning!”

“Trash talk!” Little Wolf Princess replied.

Before her, an enormous pillar of flame erupted silently—Flynne’s fiery trap. The sorceress expected Little Wolf Princess to rush headlong into the flames, inevitably dying or at least severely burned.

But the wolf shifted direction swiftly!

With a sudden turn and another burst of speed, Little Wolf Princess appeared effortlessly beside Flynne and swung a claw without hesitation.

“Foolish beast!” Flynne sneered as six shields of red light formed around her.

“My Flame Shield can even withstand the master swordsman...” Flynne boasted, but her expression suddenly changed.

Thirty-Six Style Wolf Spider!

Four of the six fiery shields shattered instantly. The reflected flames struck Little Wolf Princess, causing only a slight frown and a brief wince—no serious harm.

At that moment, Hilda suddenly appeared behind Flynne, curiously touching one of the shields.

Indeed, it was just curiosity.

Not at all because Flynne had earlier dispelled Hilda’s fireball with magic, prompting revenge.

The remaining two shields vanished immediately. The little fairy, not versed in magical principles, instinctively manipulated the fire element to disrupt the elemental arrangement within the shields, hastening their collapse under Little Wolf Princess’s assault.

The rampant fire element blazed fiercely across Flynne’s body at Hilda’s touch, nearly stunning the sorceress.

Recalling her status as an exceptional warlord mage, Flynne screamed sharply, using some device to disperse the rampant flames, then quickly retreated to gather stronger fire magic.

But her speed could hardly match Little Wolf Princess’s.

Thirty-Six Style Wolf Spider!

Claw shadows flashed like lightning, cutting mercilessly toward Flynne’s chest with wind-like speed.

Meanwhile, the burly master swordsman had already drawn his blade.

Though slightly slower, his strength was like that of a lion.

Master swordsmen were a specialized branch of warriors devoted solely to the sword, forsaking other weapons and skills. In their hands, even an ordinary iron sword wielded magical power.

Vinigo silently stepped in front of him, holding Meiying Poison horizontally near his eye, pointing directly at the master swordsman’s heart, gently swaying.

Sakura Blossom Slash.

A hanafuda card, carrying the sharp sword energy of Meiying Poison, spun toward the master swordsman’s heart.

“A petty trick!” the swordsman sneered, blocking carelessly and dissipating Vinigo’s attack as if it were nothing.

“Your name?” Vinigo asked.

“Rasiru, chief sword instructor of the Silver Rudder Brotherhood,” the master swordsman replied, pressing his heavy sword downward before thrusting forward.

So fast...

Vinigo felt as though Rasiru wasn’t just thrusting a sword but rather was propelled by the heavy blade like a meteor hurtling toward him.

“Hah!” Vinigo intended to dodge. However, after the divine power infusion, he seemed infected by Yagami Manto’s berserk murderous intent and grew rougher.

He met strength with strength, speed with speed.

Rasiru’s power was great, Yagami’s power likewise formidable. Rasiru wielded his sword single-handedly, whereas Vinigo used both hands.

The heavy greatsword clashed repeatedly against the slender Meiying Poison, producing crisp, rain-like sounds that drowned out the surrounding noise.

“A worthy opponent,” Vinigo laughed wildly. “Kiriba: Radiant Blossom Slash!”

The brutal blade swept up from the ground, scattering several hanafuda cards that traced a vast cherry-colored arc in midair. The sudden surge of sword energy sent Rasiru flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

“Fine swordsmanship!” Rasiru praised, rising nonchalantly and swinging his greatsword in a flat slash.

In an instant, he was upon Vinigo.

Unlike Vinigo, who had the twisted habit of naming his moves with various Chinese, English, and Japanese titles, sometimes even shouting them aloud—perhaps to warn his opponents—Rasiru kept his techniques straightforward.

Watching Rasiru’s seemingly slow but actually lightning-fast thrust, Vinigo tilted his head.

Such speed... must have surpassed human limits! The rumors that master swordsmen gained supernatural powers through special rituals were true—they indeed possessed extraordinary abilities beyond mortal men.

As Vinigo instinctively raised Meiying Poison vertically to block the incoming greatsword, his expression changed, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto Rasiru’s face.

Terrifying... just one thrust! And he couldn’t defend against it?

This was not Vinigo’s original body but the Yagami Manto template—Yagami infused with the Tyrant Bear’s divine power!

Meiying Poison wailed in his hand as Vinigo lowered it, extending his left hand in a feint slash.

“What?” Rasiru slightly startled, noticing a fiery orb hurled by the flying fire fairy nearby.

“The true master swordsman fears no magic,” Rasiru thought, an invisible sword aura flickering briefly across his body. The flames vanished as if falling on an iceberg, leaving no trace.

This moment was but a fleeting instant, to be seized at the perfect time—this was the master swordsman’s trump card against a mage. Naturally, their keen eyesight and reflexes made timing their greatest strength.

Their physical abilities barely surpassed human limits; what was truly fearsome was their technique.

Pure technique enabled them to defeat a half-giant with ordinary human strength—this was the master swordsman.

“My specialty is precise swordsmanship,” Rasiru said proudly. “Therefore, my techniques are easy to read, like this...”

Indeed, his swordwork was transparent, always striking along the optimal path, unbroken and continuous, like a finely tuned machine.

But such speed, such power, such near-perfect force application and exquisitely honed angles... Even if one could see through it, what difference would it make?

Vinigo found himself suppressed by such swordsmanship, gradually losing the advantage gained from his previous sudden Kiriba: Radiant Wing Slash.

“A troublesome opponent,” Vinigo grumbled.

“Hilda!” he howled internally. “Come help me; show him what’s what!”

From above came the cheerful laughter of the fire fairy. Soon, a rolling red cloud formed around her, followed by a torrential downpour of fiery sparks!

This chapter is first published by Genesis Chinese Network, the premiere home of the newest, hottest, and fastest original online works!