Chapter 70: The Master Killer
"Bring it!"
Mason reached for his waist with both hands, and when he raised them again, they were encased in metal gauntlets. He raised them to block Storm Shadow's slash.
At the same time, he gripped Storm Shadow's blade with his fingers and twisted!
Screech!
The blade vibrated slightly but remained undamaged. Storm Shadow reacted instantly—seeing Mason holding the katana, he slashed outward, the blade tearing sparks from the metal gauntlets.
But his sword, which had previously cut through metal like butter, failed to penetrate the thin layer of advanced alloy. Mason lunged forward, driving his knee into Storm Shadow's abdomen.
Storm Shadow curled defensively, pulling his arms back to block.
Thump!
Mason's strength was devastating. Storm Shadow was thrown five or six meters, but he adjusted his trajectory mid-air, sliding two meters before coming to a controlled stop.
"Who are you?"
Storm Shadow held his blade horizontally before his eyes with his left hand, his right arm poised to attack, though the constant trembling revealed how heavy the impact had been.
Mason clenched his fists, adopting an offensive stance, staring intently at Storm Shadow. "You came to kill me, yet you don't know who I am?"
"You are not Mason. Skills and physical capabilities like yours cannot be achieved through ordinary training!"
Although they had only exchanged one serious blow, Storm Shadow understood his opponent's strength all too well. Aside from the advanced gauntlets, the force he'd absorbed during their collision was extraordinary.
As a martial artist who had surpassed human limits, he knew that after crossing that threshold, every improvement, however slight, was incredibly difficult to achieve.
Comparing his opponent to himself, he couldn't imagine the brutal training regimen required to develop such formidable physical power.
However, a warrior like him, adhering to his own code, would not retreat even against the strongest opponent.
"You are a worthy adversary, and I will grant you an honorable death!" Before the words were finished, Storm Shadow surged forward, his speed significantly faster than before, appearing beside Mason in a heartbeat.
His blade flashed like quicksilver, carving sinister arcs of light along the dark forest path.
Mason's eyes narrowed. His movements became a fluid combination of blocks, parries, and deflections, desperately countering Storm Shadow's explosive assault. The blade strikes were so rapid that ordinary people couldn't even track them with the naked eye.
Mason had learned from Snake Eyes that although he and Storm Shadow were both Arashikage, their personalities dictated completely different martial philosophies.
Storm Shadow was utterly ruthless, focused on assassination, and his attacks were ferocious. Against opponents weaker than him, he could often end fights in seconds. Snake Eyes was different—more measured, which manifested in his sword work as a more balanced approach, emphasizing defense over pure aggression.
Furthermore, Snake Eyes's primary weapon wasn't the katana. In fact, his talent for sword work was inferior to Storm Shadow's, and the blade he used to defeat Storm Shadow in their clan duel wasn't even a traditional longsword.
Storm Shadow's attack frequency was unsustainable. It wasn't apparent against ordinary fighters with inferior physical capabilities, but against someone like Mason, whose attributes all exceeded peak human performance, he would soon reveal a weakness.
Mason only needed to withstand the initial onslaught and wait patiently.
Although he possessed accelerated learning abilities, Mason's training time was still limited, and he certainly couldn't match Storm Shadow's decades of mastery. However, his advantage lay in his enhanced physical attributes. If used properly, victory was only a matter of time.
The clang of metal against metal echoed through the forest. It was nighttime, and Storm Shadow had chosen a relatively isolated location for his ambush, so the two fought for an extended period without encountering a single passerby.
Storm Shadow appeared effortless, but he had actually unleashed his full power. As time passed, his breathing became increasingly labored, and sweat soaked through his tactical suit.
By this point, Mason had completely adapted to his opponent's attack rhythm and decoded his sword techniques. He pressed forward, his strikes intensifying, forcing Storm Shadow to retreat step by step.
But then, a sudden gleam flashed in Storm Shadow's eyes. His footwork shifted, and he successfully broke free from Mason's pressure. He then connected the hilts of his twin swords together.
The conjoined blades spun like a windmill, instantly filling the entire forest with a silvery storm. A primal roar erupted from Storm Shadow's throat.
"Shadow Strike!"
Facing Storm Shadow's devastating technique, Mason didn't retreat—he advanced. He clasped his hands together, extending razor-sharp spikes from his fingertips. Then, confronting the whirlwind of blades, he charged forward!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The blades tore at Mason's clothes, but his eyes remained resolute. His hands formed claws, and he forcefully carved a path through the storm of steel!
The twin blades were separated at their center. An overwhelming force struck, tearing the weapons from Storm Shadow's grip. The katanas arced through the air before embedding themselves in the ground.
Mason, seizing the opening, lunged to Storm Shadow's flank, his claws ripping through Storm Shadow's outer protective layer. He then delivered three consecutive devastating punches to Storm Shadow's chest.
Even with the advanced tactical suit, Storm Shadow coughed up blood and stumbled backward!
Mason seized the momentum, launching a relentless counterattack, completely dismantling Storm Shadow's defensive capability in a single exchange. Through this battle, Mason gained complete understanding of his own strength—his enhanced attributes were no longer just numbers, but had transformed into genuine combat superiority.
Mason pressed forward, grabbing Storm Shadow by the throat and pinning him against the tree behind him, his sharp fingertips pressed against Storm Shadow's carotid artery.
With just slight pressure, Mason could easily end Storm Shadow's life.
"You won. Kill me!" Storm Shadow choked on blood, speaking haltingly.
"To die at the hands of a warrior like you is preferable to dying from bullets." With that, he closed his eyes, awaiting death.
Mason released his grip, letting Storm Shadow collapse to the ground.
Storm Shadow opened his eyes, surprise crossing his face. "You're not going to kill me?"
Mason retracted the spikes from his gauntlets. "Storm Shadow, I've heard of you—the infamous Master Killer."
Storm Shadow's eyes flickered, but he said nothing. However, Mason's next words made his expression shift.
"I'm curious. Since you clearly didn't kill the Hard Master, why do you never defend yourself to outsiders?"
Storm Shadow's eyes widened. "How do you know?"
"I don't know you personally. I've only heard that you never kill women." Mason took a few steps back, turning away casually.
"I heard the Hard Master was stabbed in the back and died." Mason turned to look at Storm Shadow. "But I always felt that a proud warrior like you would absolutely disdain attacking someone from behind!"
"That's your honor, Storm Shadow!"
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