The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Boom!

Clash!

Every time their weapons crossed, it was as if an explosion magic had been unleashed, shaking the area with shockwaves.

Despite the intense assault, Kurt remained calm, steadily deflecting Duke Newgoros’s sword without faltering.

When Kurt’s spear struck down heavily, Newgoros’s sword naturally redirected the force, creating an opening. Newgoros aimed his sword at Kurt’s chest, but Kurt spun his spear shaft, deflecting the blade.

The ferocity of their strikes was like a storm, making it difficult for even an ordinary person to follow with their eyes, let alone approach.

Though their clash had only just begun, the garden they stood in was already in ruins, flowers and grass swept away as if by a typhoon. At the center, only the dazzling trails of their weapons’ aura remained visible.

“Is this Kurt’s true power…? But his opponent isn’t falling behind either…”

“Damn it… Fighting evenly with Duke Newgoros. That Lizardman must be a master too. What was the Holy Kingdom thinking, sending such a monster?”

Tirving, and even Mari, who was part of Kurt’s group, could only watch the battle, unable to intervene in the clash between these two powerhouses.

Sword and spear.

Human and Lizardman.

The essence of the Empire’s martial arts, refined and passed down over centuries, versus the instinctive, beast-like genius of a self-taught master.

Though their martial arts were fundamentally different, their momentum seemed evenly matched.

…Or so it seemed.

But with each exchange, Kurt’s expression grew darker.

“Kekeke. Young lizard. Can you feel it? Your death is drawing closer.”

“You even have the leisure to talk during combat.”

“Isn’t it true, though?”

“…”

Kurt didn’t respond, biting his lip as he swung his spear.

Boom!

Clash!

As Duke Newgoros had said, with each swing of his spear, Kurt felt defeat creeping closer.

The difference lay in the nature of their weapons.

The Empire’s swordsmanship was designed for human combat, while Kurt’s martial arts were honed against monsters—creatures larger and stronger than humans.

Moreover, there was a clear gap in experience.

Compared to Newgoros, who had trained with the sword for decades, Kurt, still in his twenties, lacked both the depth and breadth of experience. His proficiency was spread across various weapons—spear, bow, and sword.

Yet, Kurt could keep up with Newgoros thanks to the Lizardman’s natural strength and stamina.

Even among masters, small differences could decide the outcome, and Kurt’s racial advantage was the only thing allowing him to stand against Newgoros.

After several exchanges, Newgoros swung his sword, acknowledging Kurt’s strength.

“Indeed, your strength and speed are superior.”

“…”

“But that’s all! A battle between masters isn’t decided by mere strength or speed! Technique! Experience! Weapons! Strategy! It’s the sum of all these that determines victory!”

Clash!

Clash!

Clash!

Clash!

Little by little, but surely, with each swing of Newgoros’s sword, Kurt was pushed further into a disadvantageous position.

Kurt, a self-taught genius who had reached mastery, instinctively deflected Newgoros’s strikes with perfect precision. But Newgoros, though appearing youthful, was like a seasoned, venomous snake.

For every perfect exchange, Newgoros was already planning the next move.

Though Kurt could defend, each defense came at a cost—greater stamina expenditure, lost opportunities to attack, or being forced to retreat.

“Ahaha! Born a scaled creature and reaching mastery—your talent is dazzling, but your skill is barely mid-tier among masters! And even that relies on your Lizardman physique! Without it, you’d be at the bottom!”

With each step back for defense, the next exchange became even more unfavorable.

The scales of battle tipped further against Kurt.

‘If this continues… I’ll lose! If I lose, not only me, but Mari will also be torn apart by his sword!’

Finally, to break the stalemate, Kurt decided to gamble.

Clang!

For the first time, their weapons clashed not with a shockwave, but with a clear metallic ring.

At the same time, Kurt’s body was launched into the air.

‘Feigning a downward strike, I’ll use Newgoros’s counterforce to leap up!’

Now defenseless in mid-air, Kurt also succeeded in creating distance from Newgoros.

Using the recoil, Kurt adjusted his posture in the air.

It was the stance for throwing his spear.

Simultaneously, an aura of unparalleled brilliance began to gather on Kurt’s spear.

“To immediately resort to a gamble when faced with a disadvantage—bold. But do you really think such a shallow trick will work on an Empire’s master?”

At the same time, Duke Newgoros gripped his sword with both hands, gathering an equally dense aura of mana.

When the auras of both combatants filled the garden, Kurt’s spear shot down like lightning toward the ground.

Simultaneously, Newgoros swung his sword.

Crackle!

Boom!

Their strikes collided somewhere between heaven and earth.

In that moment, Kurt’s blue aura and Newgoros’s yellow aura mixed, dyeing the world white.

Boom!

A moment later, an enormous roar and shockwave swept through the area.

The intense impact left Mari barely able to stand, focusing only on protecting herself with mana, while Tirving threw himself in front of his servants to shield them.

When the light that had filled the world faded, all that remained was a ruined garden and the two figures standing at its center.

Mari, who had barely managed to stay standing, clutched her pounding chest as she watched the battlefield.

“…Who won?”

The answer came quickly.

“Guh…!”

Kurt spat blood.

“Kurt!”

Mari had never seen—or even imagined—Kurt spitting blood.

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, but the result was undeniable.

“For a young Lizardman, this level of skill is impressive. If you had ten more years of experience, even I couldn’t guarantee victory.”

Newgoros, who had withstood Kurt’s strike, also bore some minor wounds, but compared to Kurt, he appeared unscathed.

“…It’s not over yet. It’s not over.”

But even so…

“Your weapon is already shattered. Can’t you accept defeat? You don’t seem that foolish.”

“I can’t beat you, but if I’m prepared to die, I can at least take you with me. Even if I die, my companions will be safe. So, I have no reason to give up.”

At those words, Newgoros smiled with amusement.

“Oh? Concern for your comrades. That makes it even more regrettable. To have to kill a master of such talent with my own hands. If you were human, I might have tried to recruit you for the Empire. A pity. A true pity.”

Yet, despite his words, Newgoros showed no hesitation.

The Duke infused his sword with aura and stepped toward Kurt, who drew a dagger from his waist and did the same.

Just as Newgoros was about to charge at Kurt…

“This won’t do. Fighting so flashily makes it hard to control information. You should think about the subordinates who have to work hard to manage it.”

A third master appeared.

And unlike Newgoros, this master was someone both Kurt and Mari recognized.

“Shail… Deltain?”

“What a coincidence to meet here. It’s been a while.”

As always, he wore an inscrutable smile as he looked at Kurt.

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