Chapter18

'Oho, would you look at this guy,' he thought, the decision coming so naturally it almost surprised him, 'then let's do this head on.'

Instead of backing off, he stepped in.

The move felt so clean that for a second it almost pissed him off, because this should not have been easy for him. He slipped inside the swing by a hair, saw the man's eyes widen, then drove his fist straight into his face with everything he had.

The impact cracked across the clearing.

"Gah-"

The man's head snapped sideways and his whole body stumbled with it, the axe swing breaking apart on the spot while Hajin planted his foot and kept his balance.

'What the hell?' he thought, staring at his own arm for a second, 'since when can I move like that?'

The guy staggered back, spat to the side and looked up with pure disbelief on his face.

'Get up again,' Hajin thought, lowering his stance a little, 'come on, I want to see if that was luck.'

Maybe that was a stupid thing to think when he had been half dead a little while ago, but right now the feeling in his body was too strange to ignore. He wanted to know what had changed, how much had changed, and the angry idiot in front of him was giving him the perfect chance to find out.

The man cursed and rushed him again.

Hajin met him head on for the second time, knocking the axe aside with his sword before stepping in close and driving his shoulder into the man's chest. The hit broke his balance just enough for Hajin to slam the pommel into his mouth, then kick his knee when he folded.

"Ghk-"

He barely got the sound out before Hajin hit him again.

This time it was a punch to the stomach, followed by an elbow to the side of the head that sent him crashing to one knee.