Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

The collision between the raging crimson fist and the radiant golden slash detonated like a thunderclap.

A violent explosion of mixed energies erupted in the center of the clearing, sending a powerful shockwave that flattened bushes, snapped small trees, and hurled the weaker subordinates backward like ragdolls.

And for a brief moment, the two forces struggled against each other.

The leader’s destructive crimson aura roared, trying to crush the golden slash.

But Jake’s desperate, instinct-driven strike, fueled by [Battle Adept], [Instinct], and the last of his willpower held firm.

And soon—

CRRRRRRRK!!

The golden blade of light began to push forward.

Slowly at first... then faster.

The leader’s eyes widened in genuine shock as he felt his Crushing Rage being forced back.

The glowing crimson energy around his fist started cracking and splintering under the pressure of the radiant golden arc.

’What... is that...?!’

For the first time, real disbelief flashed across the scarred man’s face as he stared at the sword of light.

His Bone Crusher class was supposed to dominate in raw destructive power and ranked among the strongest Rare classes.

He had crushed armored knights and shattered stone golems with these fists.

Yet this Common-class brat’s desperate strike was actually overpowering him.

”Impossible!!” he roared, pouring even more power into his arm.

The crimson aura flared brighter, but it only delayed the inevitable.

SHIIIIIIIIING!!!

The golden slash finally broke through.

The radiant blade carved a deep, diagonal wound across the leader’s chest and shoulder, slicing through muscle and bone with terrifying sharpness.

Blood exploded outward in a dramatic crimson spray as the reinforced aura around his fist shattered completely.

”AAAAAHHH!!!”

The scarred leader staggered backward, his roar of pain echoing through the forest.

A long, cauterized gash ran from his lower abdomen all the way up to his left shoulder.

But Jake... wasn’t done.

Even as his body screamed in agony and his vision blurred, something primal awakened inside him.

His eyes, previously hazy with pain, suddenly turned cold... icy and emotionless, like those of a predator that had accepted death and decided to drag his enemies into the grave with him.

A low, guttural growl escaped his bloodied lips.

Tzzzzz!!

Golden light exploded around the short sword once more.

The blade hummed violently as [Light Manifestation] and [Slash] fused even more intensely under the influence of his heightened [Instinct] and [Battle Adept].

He looked like a wounded beast finally baring its fangs.

”...You talk too much,” Jake whispered hoarsely.

In the next instant, Jake exploded forward in a blur.

The leader roared and tried to block with his remaining good arm, but it was useless.

SLASH!

SLASH!

SLASH!

SLASH!

Dozens of golden cuts appeared across his body in an instant, arms, shoulders, chest, thighs... each one precise and vicious.

But Jake didn’t stop as he became a golden whirlwind of death, moving like a tornado as the short sword turned into a storm of radiant slashes.

Dozens, then hundreds of razor-sharp golden arcs exploded outward in every direction, forming a deadly, blinding vortex of light around him.

The air screamed as the empowered slashes cut through everything in their path with terrifying speed and precision.

Blood sprayed in wide arcs as the leader was torn apart by the relentless storm.

The Bone Crusher’s eyes widened in pure terror and disbelief.

All he saw were flashes of blinding golden light, followed by searing pain as more cuts opened across his flesh.

His reinforced aura shattered like glass under the onslaught.

”AAAAAHHH!! What the hell is this?!”

The man who had dominated battlefields with raw destructive power could only stagger backward as he was shredded alive.

His movements looked slow and clumsy compared to Jake’s instinctive, fluid assault.

Right now,

For some reason, the world had slowed dramatically in Jake’s eyes.

Every twitch of muscle, every drop of blood in the air, every desperate movement from the leader was crystal clear.

’What is this feeling...?’Jake murmured inwardly, his voice hoarse and detached.

’Everything... is so slow.’

His movements became terrifyingly fluid.

He looked at the scarred man’s face... eyes now filled with raw fear for the first time and felt nothing.

...Only the cold certainty that this man had tried to take Grace from him... and needed to die.

With that goal burning in his mind, Jake planted his feet, gripped the glowing short sword with both hands, and spun once more with explosive force.

”SLASH...!!!”

A massive, concentrated golden crescent blade, wider and brighter than anything before screamed forward like the scythe of death itself.

The leader tried to cross his arms in one final, desperate defense.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!

The golden slash cut straight through both arms without slowing.

THUD.

The scarred leader’s head flew cleanly into the air, his eyes still wide with shock and terror.

And a perfect, cauterized cut separated his head from his body could be seen.

The headless corpse remained standing for one grotesque second before it toppled forward with a heavy thump, blood fountaining from the neck stump.

Silence fell over the clearing.

The remaining subordinates froze in absolute terror.

”B-Boss...?”

One of them whispered in horror, staring at the decapitated body of their powerful Rare-class leader.

The man who had dominated them all had just been slaughtered by a half-dead Common-class brat in a storm of golden light.

Grace who currently still on her knees, looked up with wide, tear-filled golden eyes.

Her mouth hung open in pure shock as she stared at Jake bloodied, broken, yet standing with that cold, emotionless gaze.

”Jake...?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

But Jake didn’t reply and doesn’t seem to be himself.

His cold, beast-like eyes slowly swept across the remaining subordinates.

The golden light around the short sword in his hand flickered back to life, humming with lethal intent.

The survivors felt their blood run cold.

”R-Run—!!”

One of them screamed and turned to flee.

The others immediately followed, scattering in panic.

They didn’t get far.

SHIIING!

A single, blindingly fast golden flash.

The fastest runner’s head flew off mid-stride, his body still moving a few more steps before collapsing.

SHIIING!

SHIIING!

Two more clean, horizontal slashes.

Two more heads rolled across the forest floor.

The last two subordinates screamed in pure horror and tried to split up, but Jake was already behind them.

SHIIIIING!!!

One final, beautiful golden arc swept through both of them at once.

Their bodies were cut diagonally from shoulder to hip in a single fluid motion.

Blood sprayed like mist as they fell.

...In less than ten seconds, the entire group had been wiped out.

Silence returned once more.

Grace stared at the carnage in complete shock, her golden eyes wide and trembling.

The man who had been on the verge of death moments ago had just slaughtered elite fighters like they were nothing.

”Jake...” she whispered, her voice filled with awe, fear, and deep concern.

Jake stood motionless for a few seconds, golden sparks still dancing faintly around the sword in his hand.

His cold eyes slowly softened as the strange state faded from him.

Then his body finally reached its absolute limit.

The sword slipped from his fingers and his knees buckled.

Jake collapsed forward, crashing heavily onto the blood-soaked ground.

”JAAAAKE!!!”

Grace screamed and rushed to his side.

She dropped to her knees and pulled his broken, bloodied body into her arms, cradling his head against her soft, massive breasts as tears poured down her face.

”Jake... Jake, please... stay with me... Don’t die... I beg you...!”

She hugged him tightly, rocking him gently while sobbing like a baby.

Jake’s eyelids slowly drooped.

He looked at Grace’s tear-streaked face and smiled softly.

”...Don’t cry.”

With those final words, Jake lost himself to darkness.

...The forest fell silent except for Grace’s heartbroken cries and the distant roar of the burning town.