Soul Devourer Chapter 4 Episode 53 — Negotiations Break Down | A Fierce Battle With The〘Hunting King〙
The final Dragon, Ninth Dragon of〈Kowloon〉, initiated his assault with an unavoidable【Lightning Magic】strike from overhead.
Then, in a blink, he vanished.
I exposed an opening to that absurdity and took a powerful blow to the back of my neck, slammed violently into the water’s surface.
The impact was tremendous.
But the damage was zero.
In the next instant, I sprang up with a handstand, twisted my body midair, and unleashed a sharp kick.
No impact.
Ninth Dragon, had vanished again. My kick cut through nothing but air.
About ten meters away, a man reappeared.
Slender. Sharp eyes. A longsword gripped in his right hand.
Even his stance alone marked him as no ordinary opponent.
The aura clawing at my skin was akin to the roar of a raging dragon.
…So this is〈Kowloon〉’s strongest Hunter.
I immediately activated【Discernment】.
Nothing appeared.
As expected, his【Subterfuge】was maxed out.
Then, with a cold expression, the man suddenly spoke in fluent Japanese.
“Nice to meet you, Matsubara Yuito. I am the one who commands〈Kowloon〉, and one of the three in the world who bear the title〘Hunting King • Regalia〙, Wang Haoran.”
In this situation, introducing himself so casually… I swallowed the retort rising in my throat and instead asked what needed confirming.
“…You’re really that〘Hunting King • Regalia〙?”
“Yes. If you doubt it, inquire with the Hunter Guild.”
There was not the slightest hint of a joke.
To think I’d meet one of the〘Hunting King • Regalia〙here.
As an enemy, no less.
Many hunters admire and aspire to reach S-Rank.
An S-Rank Hunter is estimated to be capable of destroying, a Hunter City ranked below B-Class, alone.
Upper-tier S-Rank Hunters are said to be capable of annihilating, alone, a Hunter City ranked below A-Class.
And〘Hunting King • Regalia〙…
Hunters of the highest echelon in the world, possessing the power to destroy an entire nation alone.
They exist on a different level from upper S-Rank Hunters.
When two of equal standing clash, the scale of battle escalates to the level of nations.
And now, one stood before me.
Yet something was strange.
While I stood thinking, he had countless opportunities to attack.
But he didn’t.
“…You didn’t come to avenge your comrades?”
When I asked, Haoran looked at me, as though, genuinely exasperated.
“If they were defeated by a single man, then they were no comrades of mine. More importantly… I’ve taken an interest in your strength.”
The ease with which he dismissed them as weak carried the natural arrogance of one born with chosen power.
“You possess a Unique Skill, do you not? That abnormal large-scale annihilation magic, the inherent abilities of monsters, a body sturdier than even Divine artifacts… I’ve considered many possibilities, yet I cannot be certain. Would you tell me about it?”
He likely asked only out of formality.
“There’s no way I’d reveal my power to an enemy.”
“Then allow me to reiterate myself. Earlier, I fought to reconfirm your strength… but that is no longer necessary. Matsubara Yuito, join me.”
So that was why he had held back.
Recruitment.
“Join you… As in?”
“I would have you belong to the reorganized〈Kowloon〉. You would take the position of Eighth Dragon. Ideally, you would come to China, but if not, you may govern Japan.”
“….”
“With you and me together, China would become the strongest hunter nation in the world. If we bring in the two from Russia and America as well, we could place every nation under our dominion. The king of the world would be me.”
It sounded like absurd delusion.
Yet what made it dangerous was that, with his power, it might not be impossible.
But my answer was no.
I never sought wealth or fame. I pursued strength to become a Hunter.
To serve under someone else was unthinkable.
“Sorry. I decline your offer.”
“Oh? At least give me your reason.”
“Then you join under me. Do that, and I’ll join〈Kowloon〉. I’ll even help you recruit the other two.”
“…I see. Then negotiations have failed. Regrettable, but it seems I must kill you.”
(E/N: Buddy got his ego hurt 🤣! If only he accepted Yuito's offer…)
A brief silence fell.
Our gazes locked.
The tension in the air thickened.
〘Hunting King • Regalia〙, Wang Haoran…
And Japan’s S-Rank hunter, Matsubara Yuito…
The fierce battle between the two now begins.
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E/N:
Keep yo filthy words to yourself, Haoran! Let's talk business on the battlefield!
Stay tuned!
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Check out my other translation -
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