I stumbled backward and fell. I landed on my butt, but the shock was greater than the pain.
The guy in front of my eyes right now was Lucian Vane, short in stature with a cowlick twitching.
He grinned maliciously.
"What are you doing, being such a pathetic wimp? No wonder you’re treated like a gigolo."
"...You’re me, aren’t you? Why are you doing this?"
"To be precise, I’m the past you once abandoned and refused to acknowledge. How about it?"
"Th-that’s really true? How could such things...?"
"Don’t we look like twins when you see us like this? Not that it’s funny."
Lucian chuckled cynically. He sighed and then gestured to me.
"Alright, I won’t use Dawn specifically."
Sticking Dawn into the ground, he provoked me.
"Come on, come on."
"You want to fight...?"
"If you truly intend to fight and seize something. If you think you have the right to."
"...You think I’m a cripple, you son of a bitch!"
A condition for escaping from here. One of those conditions seemed to have just appeared.
If so, I should gratefully accept it.
I regulated my breathing and charged. Although it was my original body, my reach would still be longer than his!
I feigned a punch and attempted a takedown. Lucian blocked my face with his upper body and simultaneously stretched his two legs backward like a frog. He held that position.
It was a sprawl good enough to be put in a textbook.
Soon, he, who had been tensing his lower abdomen, pushed my face away with his left arm.
He probably intended to push me back like this. But I feigned retreating and grabbed his shoulder to prevent him from coming up further.
I landed a knee kick to his abdomen.
"Keok...!"
Lucian, who had been hit first, bent his upper body. I wrapped one arm around his neck and attempted a standing guillotine choke.
Now, all I needed to do was jump and wrap my two legs around his waist.
He started frantically pummeling my abdomen and sides. It hurt more than I expected. Had a bone broken?
"Ugh!"
I barely managed to retreat. He rubbed his neck, then closed the distance in one stride.
He tried to perform a flying knee kick by leaping into the air. He was trying to overcome the disadvantage in weight class with agility.
I thrust my elbow forward to counter, then tried to grab him.
But he was faster. As if by magic, his other leg came up and slammed into my face.
"Kuh, shit...!"
My head spun. Only stars twinkled in my vision.
I shook my head and staggered. He agilely performed a roundhouse kick.
His foot struck my solar plexus like a pickaxe.
"Aaaargh!"
I was thrown backward and fell. I heard his mocking laughter.
"Is this all you’ve got? You’re trash."
My chest felt constricted, and I barely managed to cough. I felt a little better.
As I caught my breath and got up, he continued to provoke me.
"You don’t want to fight. You’re a natural coward, incompetent, and a cripple. That’s why there’s no one around you."
"...You’re full of shit. Are you any different?"
"Of course I am. That’s why you’re down, and I’m standing, aren’t I?"
"Ha, you just got lucky with a few hits."
"You don’t even have that kind of luck."
Lucian shook his head and shrugged. He smiled faintly.
"That’s why you failed. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? No, wait, you never even liked yourself to begin with, did you? Because you’re a failure."
Lucian spoke heavily, as if delivering a verdict. I watched him, gritting my teeth.
Lucian, delighted, chattered on.
"To be honest, you don’t have what others have. Not a single thing! Have you ever eaten a packed lunch with your parents at a school sports day? Or confessed to a girl you liked and dated her? Have you even received a compliment, at the very least?"
"That’s enough."
"All you know how to do is play games and be a cripple who just accepts being trashed by others. This goes beyond pitiful... what should I even call it?"
"Stop it!"
I yelled with all my might.
Honestly, it wasn’t wrong.
"Yes, I was a pathetic guy even in my own eyes. So, perhaps it was fortunate in a way that I transmigrated into Lucian."
At least Lucian, though a little effeminate, was better looking than me.
He also had a beautiful aunts, and if things went well, a harem route was open.
I closed my eyes. One by one, the precious people in my life came to mind.
"Even with my eyes closed, I can see."
The women I had relationships with and loved came to mind.
I remembered spending enjoyable times with them and having delicious meals.
I also remembered genuinely desiring each other, exchanging affectionate glances, and having sex.
And even being finally recognized as a Hero by countless people.
It all came back to me. It was all vivid.
Only then could I open my eyes. I had almost given up everything. I nodded.
"Yes, it was all me."
"What? Have you lost your mind?"
"...Whether it was the incompetent Lucian or Lucian acting out after transmigration. It was all me. Whether it was the good side or the bad side. I’ll embrace it all. Because it’s all me."
"Easier said than done."
"It’s not just words. I’m going to fight here, ready to die. As Lucian, not just the original...!"
I made up my mind. More solemnly than when I decided to confront Lao.
Then my right hand grew heavy. Looking down, I saw Dawn gripped in it.
Lucian clicked his tongue.
"That’s more like Lucian!"
He drew Yeomyeong and charged. I, too, ran towards him, pointing my sword at him.
We both swung our swords at each other as we passed.
Swords clashed and brushed past each other. We immediately turned around.
I feigned a thrust. When he flinched to defend, I immediately extended my foot and stepped on his instep.
I tried to push him with my shoulder to break his stance.
But Lucian’s elbow was striking my jaw.
Lucian pushed me away, creating distance. Before the distance widened completely, I launched a front kick.
It landed in his solar plexus.
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style - Nameless Thrust]
Following that was the Nameless Thrust. Lucian chuckled as if amused, then held his sword diagonally.
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style - Counter Flow]
Lucian countered my sword strike directly. He really knows his stuff, after all.
I staggered sideways and retreated. Lucian was not one to miss such an opening.
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style - Pruning]
His sword coiled like dozens of snakes. If the sword strike activated like this, I would surely be hit.
There was only one way to stop what had already been activated.
"Overwhelm it from the first strike with absolute power!"
I can do it. I can do it.
Because my weight class is higher than his right now. I have to believe in myself.
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style - White Lightning]
I swung my sword with all my might. It clashed with Lucian’s sword at full force, ringing out as if in resonance. My ears were ringing.
"Euh!"
"Huu."
With that impact, we both dropped our swords simultaneously.
I moved first. I took Lucian down with a double-leg takedown.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, Lucian arched his back. He flipped over as if by magic, and I was swept.
"If anyone’s doing the hitting, it’s me!"
Lucian threw punches. I pulled my upper body back as much as possible, blocking Lucian’s sides with both my thighs.
Whenever Lucian tried to force in a punch, I countered by extending and then folding my upper body like a sit-up, delivering an elbow strike.
Lucian’s head snapped back. Yet, his fists didn’t stop.
I extended my upper body again to create distance, then folded it back, striking with another elbow.
"My reach is longer than his right now. I need to use this to my advantage!"
I felt something alien, but I kept fighting. I even felt a sense of guilt, wondering if this was alright.
But I had to win. I had to prove myself.
"I won’t run away anymore!"
Lucian retreated sideways, aiming for my side. At the same time, he grabbed my wrist, trying to control me.
In that case, there was a way.
I placed my elbow on the ground, lifted my body for a moment, then kicked Lucian. The kick landed in the side of Lucian, who was in ground control, and he rolled backward.
I also retreated and stood up. We both gripped our swords simultaneously.
"Huu...."
"Haa."
We glared at each other, then closed the distance again. We swung our swords a few times, as if testing the waters.
It didn’t matter if they didn’t reach the opponent. It was enough to ignite the fighting spirit.
Dozens of sparks flew between me and Lucian. We moved our feet, simply glaring into each other’s eyes as we charged.
Fragments of already shattered space blocked our way, but they were all pulverized by our two sword strikes.
Then, when we reached a place with no more cover, Lucian suddenly thrust his sword.
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style - Nameless Thrust]
I flinched in surprise and dodged sideways. I lifted my leg and delivered an oblique kick.
Lucian agilely moved his feet and swung his sword with small, quick movements.
Small wounds appeared on my body. In a little more time, they would open into long red gashes.
"He and I are the same. But one difference is that I am Lucian. I’m fighting as Lucian!"
I gritted my teeth and closed the distance. Lucian yawned.
"Another simple attack pattern? Disappointing."
Instead, Lucian took a step closer and raised his sword.
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style - White Lightning]
He intended to steal my timing and decide the match in an instant.
I dodged sideways as if sliding. I activated the Nameless Thrust towards his exposed flank.
"I saw that earlier too!"
Lucian, as if already knowing, tried to use Counter Flow. If I were hit by Counter Flow this time, I would definitely be severely damaged.
In terms of sword skill depth, he was subtly superior.
Because he learned earlier, and the sensation of having been taught directly by Aunt remained.
However, I had an irregular pattern.
"Who said I was going to thrust? I’m going to beat you up."
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style - Divine Strike]
I changed my sword strike, crushing Lucian’s stance from above, which he had been using to attempt Counter Flow.
Swords clashed, screaming. Lucian’s expression contorted as his stance broke, and in that moment, I prepared a finishing move.
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style Finishing Move - Sparrow Drop]
Lucian also gritted his teeth and activated the same move.
[Leonhardt Severing Sword Style Finishing Move - Sparrow Drop]
Our swords glowed. Our swords flickered like lights about to disappear.
As the sword blades split and moved towards each other’s bodies.
As many as three sword strikes canceled each other out and vanished. But Lucian smiled.
"That’s as far as you go. My fourth...!"
"You blocked that well. Then what about my fourth and fifth?"
Lucian had one more sword strike. But I had two.
Seeing that, Lucian’s eyes widened. Two surging sword blades were reflected in his large eyes.
The fourth sword strikes canceled each other out, and then my final sword strike landed in Lucian’s solar plexus.
The match was decided.
"Ugh, cough...!"
Lucian coughed up blood. At the same time, the surroundings suddenly changed into a pure white void.
"Excellent. You’re more like Lucian than I am...?"
"Who are you?"
In response to my question, Lucian smiled with a blood-stained mouth.
"I’m the real Lucian Vane. Both you and I were played by Tris Narg, weren’t we? Still, it’s a relief. To know that you... are stronger than me."
"You, you’re him?!"
I had finally met the real Lucian.