Liu Yang puffed his chest and jabbed a thumb into it.
"This… THIS is the side character power-up moment! Cue the anime music, System!"
The System screen blinked:
[Error: Copyright Infringement Detected.]
[Warning: Playing copyrighted OST will trigger lawsuits across multiverse dimensions.]
[Host is advised to hum his own theme song.]
"Ha?! What kind of bullshit—fine! I'll hum it myself!"
He tilted his head back, chest swelling, then started humming loud, horribly off-beat.
"Dun dun dun… nanana… BOOM BOOM… SIDE CHARACTER RISING!!!"
Liu Yang raised his hand high, fingers curling in slow, then flicking out again, again, like he was calling them closer.
He snapped his fingers at the hunters, his grin stupidly wide.
"Come on, you bastards. Face me—the legendary… SSS Demon!"
He jabbed his finger at them, his chest puffed, his eyes glowing wild.
"Yeah, that's right! SSS this, SSS that—SSS strongest farmer, SSS slime tamer, SSS janitor—well now it's SSS Demon standing right in front of you!"
The cave echoed with his shout. His aura swirled, shadows dancing long behind him.
The hunters blinked. One tilted his head. The other scratched his helmet. The third mouthed words like he was trying to keep up with whatever the hell Liu Yang was even saying.
"…what is this clown talking about?"
Liu Yang planted his foot down with force, but a pebble slid under his boot. He nearly fell on his ass, arms flailing, before he barely caught balance again. He puffed his chest like nothing happened, pretending it was all part of the act.
"Yes… all according to plan."
The hunters stared at him, blank, their swords ready, but their faces showed doubt—was he strong or just clumsy?
The first hunter lunged fast, his sword cutting from the left. Liu Yang leaned back smooth, his hands still stuffed in his pockets. The blade sliced close past his nose, missing him by a hair.
He smirked like he had planned it all along—until his shoulder smacked against the cave wall behind him with a loud thunk.
"Cool… yes… planned that too…"
He muttered under his breath, his lips twitching.
The second hunter stabbed forward, sharp and quick. Liu Yang bent low, his hair swaying in the torchlight, his eyes narrowing.
For a second, it looked sharp, deadly. Then—clonk! His horn cracked into the hunter's knee. The man yelped, hopping back, his sword shaking in his hand, almost dropping it.
Liu Yang blinked. "Oh… yeah… that's how demons fight. Totally intentional."
The third hunter roared, his sword raised high above his head. He rushed straight forward, the blade ready to split Liu Yang in half.
Liu Yang stepped aside quick, his coat (imaginary) flicking behind him. His foot stuck out without him meaning to, and the hunter tripped right over it. His body flew forward, arms flailing, before slamming face-first into the ground with a dull, wet smack.
Liu Yang straightened up, nodding like he had just shown some secret master technique. "See? Easy."
System screen popped up:
[Host Luck +999 (Duration: 5 sec)].
The two still standing gritted their teeth and came together, swords cutting left and right, their blades swishing fast through the air.
Liu Yang bent his knees low, his head tilting side to side, his body swaying with the strikes. He moved just enough, letting each blade pass by his chest, his arms, his legs.
His feet never lifted from the ground. To them, it looked like he was dancing through their blades. To him, it felt like he was one mistake away from being sliced into noodles.
"Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip—holy shit that one almost took my nose off—DON'T TRIP!"
The first hunter swung wide, leaving his chest open. Liu Yang's elbow pulled back, and his fist shot forward. It slammed into the man's armor with a heavy bang. The iron dented, the sound echoing in the cave. The hunter stumbled back, gasping for breath, his sword shaking loose in his hand.
Liu Yang didn't freeze this time. His lips curled into a grin, his eyes sharp but playful. He lifted his hand, palm out, fingers wiggling in a lazy wave like he was sending someone off on a bus.
"See ya in the next life… my F-rank Hunter."
The hunter's eyes rolled back as he fell, his armor scraping the ground, the sound long and sharp in the cave.
The second hunter roared, raising his blade high. He swung it down with all his weight. Liu Yang tilted his head just enough, the sword brushing past his hair, cutting a strand loose.
His hand shot up, grabbing the man's wrist mid-swing. He twisted sharp, the sword stopping dead in the air. His other fist slammed into the man's stomach.
The armor bent in, the hunter lifted off his feet, and his body crashed into the cave wall with a crunch.
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he slid down the stone, his sword clattering beside him.