"Hey, you say you're here for a martial arts exchange? Perfect."
Raian, at 188cm, towered over Gusion, looking down with a taunting expression. "I'm the strongest here. I'll be the one to kill you."
Facing Raian's blatant killing intent, Gusion grinned, "I've heard all about the Kure Clan's Devil, but you're even more bloodthirsty than I expected. I said I only came to spar, not to kill."
"Huh?"
Raian tilted his head, black eyes looking at Gusion as if he were an idiot. "If you want a real exchange, what's the point in sparring? You gotta go all out and fight to the death!"
Fusui could feel things heading toward disaster. Just then, she caught sight of a savior.
At the top of the ancient steps, a skinny old man stood with his hands behind his back, smiling at the two below. It was the Kure Clan chief, Kure Erioh.
"Isn't this interesting? He's a guest from afar, Raian —entertain him well."
The chief's words made Fusui's heart sink.
She wanted to tell him that Gusion was extremely dangerous. If it was just sparring, fine, but letting Raian exchange with Gusion would end in death.
If Gusion died, fine, but what if it was Raian?
"Heh, for once I agree with the old man. This is the first time I've seen anyone dare come here for a martial arts exchange."
Raian leaned forward, hands in pockets, face full of provocation. "I can't just let you go without a good beating, can I?"
"I'll admit," Gusion stared at Raian's arrogant face, "you're even more arrogant than I thought, to the point of stupidity."
At this, veins bulged on Raian's forehead, his killing intent spiking. "You've got guts—are you in a hurry to die?"
Gusion shook his head. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead dozens of times. You still don't realize what you're up against."
Enraged, Raian didn't even bother with the usual training ground—he launched an attack.
But Gusion was faster. He stepped back, twisted his waist, and struck with his palm, sending Raian flying up the steps to land beside the clan chief, Erioh.
Raian, shocked, steadied himself and looked down to see a red palm print on his chest. Next to him, the chief squinted even more.
"I held back to give you a chance to use Guihun …"
Gusion relaxed his stance, glancing at the torii and surrounding buildings. "Don't you have a proper venue here?"
"Hahaha, you're interesting. Raian!"
Erioh shouted, stopping Raian from charging back down. "Take our guest to the dojo, and calm down. Use everything you've learned—don't embarrass me."
Raian, annoyed, finally relented under the chief's gaze. He made a throat-slitting gesture at Gusion, "Let's go—to the execution ground."
Gusion followed a grim-faced Fusui up the steps. As he passed Erioh, he remarked, "So you're the first Fang of Metsudo? Time spares no one—I wish I could've seen your prime."
Erioh's eyes flickered, then his withered face smiled, "You seem to know a lot about us. But even now, killing you wouldn't be hard for me."
Gusion grinned, "I only came to make friends through martial arts, but I'd love to see the Kure Clan's assassination arts at their peak."
"Young man, get past Raian first."
Erioh's eyes narrowed, hiding his killing intent.
Gusion said no more and followed Raian to the dojo, where a crowd had already gathered—word had spread about his match with Raian.
Erioh entered, and the clan members cleared the way for him.
"He's strong… is this Gusion just a smuggler and murderer?"
Nicknamed "The Wailing Demon", Kure Hollis frowned. He was one of the Kure Clan's top fighters, and just by looking at Gusion, he could tell this guy was no ordinary man—probably a master of ancient martial arts.
"Raian, I permit you to use our clan's secret art—go all out."
The chief's announcement signaled the start of the fight.
Raian stuck out his tongue, taunting Gusion, "I'll tear your limbs off so you regret not finishing me earlier."
Gusion sighed and glanced at the chief, "Maybe you should fight instead. Your genius seems a bit overrated—he still doesn't get the key issue."
The chief was annoyed, feeling embarrassed. He shouted, "Idiot! Use Removal already—your opponent has given you another chance!"
With his sharp eyes, he could see Gusion was an anomaly.
Though Gusion's build wasn't as big or muscular as Raian's, his strength was extraordinary—probably even stronger than most Kure Clan members after using Removal.
Even with full potential, Raian's body might only be a bit stronger than Gusion's.
So Gusion wasn't bluffing—he could've killed Raian in the first strike but held back to see what Raian's peak was like.
"Shut up! You're so annoying!"
Raian roared. As his anger surged, his skin turned purple-black, veins bulging like lightning patterns.
With Removal activated, his aura spiked, his killing urge rising—truly a demon.
Sensing Raian's power-up, Gusion finally looked interested. "Now this is more like it—worth fighting."
When he entered this world, Gusion noticed people here generally had poor perception. He could roughly sense opponents' strength.
But Raian lacked that talent. He acted arrogant, but his stats were only a bit above average. Even after Removal, he was only a bit above Gusion.
"Hah? Once I rip you apart, you'll stop talking!"
Raian lunged forward, fists aiming for Gusion's gut and face—the Kure family's "Mountain Breaker" technique.
But his two punches missed. Gusion used both palms to deflect them to the sides. As Raian's momentum carried him past, Gusion jumped, kneeing him in the jaw.
With massive force, Raian's head snapped back, teeth and blood flying. The impact rattled his brain, knocking him out briefly—even with his excellent bloodline and full Removal.
Gusion didn't stop. He stepped forward and punched Raian in the chest, sending him flying into the dojo wall.
Boom—!
Raian crashed into the wall, leaving cracks, then slid down, eyes rolled back, kneeling on the floor.
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