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The room went silent, but it was the kind of silence that came right before something terrible happened. Dust floated through shafts of dying daylight filtering through cracked windows. Blood from Shag's exploded corpse still steamed on the hardwood floor, and chunks of him clung to the velvet drapes.
Levi stood in the center of it all, holding his Invincible Leather Shoe.
He hadn't moved since he delivered the line. It still echoed in the minds of the remaining four rebels.
"Here's your pizza. Should've tipped better, you pieces of shit."
One rebel retched. Another stumbled backward, mouth working but no words coming out. The room reeked of fear and copper.
The man with the scar, Kent, took a step forward. His composure was hanging by a thread. "You killed Shag."
Levi tilted his head. "Yeah. That's what happens when you answer doors."
I killed a guy. With a shoe. What is my life right now.
Kent's face twisted. "Do you even know who we are?"
"No," Levi replied calmly. "And in about three minutes, it won't matter."
Please don't fight me. Please just surrender. I don't know what I'm doing.
That snapped whatever nerves the rebels had left.
"Kill him!" Kent shouted.
The rebels charged.
Four Fourth-Tier warriors surged across the room, swords drawn and auras flaring. Wood cracked underfoot. Velvet drapes tore from the pressure. Dust exploded from the floor.
Levi stood in the center, face perfectly blank.
This is bad. This is really bad.
In his hand was a black leather shoe.
The first rebel closed the gap with blinding speed, sword raised and coated in red-gold Sword Aura. His movement was clean. Practiced. Years of training compressed into a single killing arc.
He swung down.
Levi panicked.
He stumbled backward, tripped over a broken chair leg, and flailed the shoe upward while trying to catch his balance.
I'm gonna die.
The shoe caught the rebel's sword mid-swing.
CRACK.
The sword shattered like glass.
The rebel's eyes went wide with shock.
Behind him, one of the other rebels whispered, "Drunken Master style..."
What? I just fell. That wasn't a technique.
Levi, still off-balance, stumbled forward and brought the shoe down in what looked like a spinning overhead strike but was actually just him flailing to stay upright.
The heel connected with the rebel's face.
His skull caved in. Blood arced across the floor.
The first warrior dropped.
Levi straightened up, breathing hard, face still calm.
I didn't mean to do that. Why is everyone staring at me like that?
One of the remaining rebels muttered, "He's using the Chaotic Fist principle. No wasted movement. Every stumble is calculated."
Calculated? I'm literally just trying not to fall over.
The room froze for half a heartbeat.
Then chaos erupted.
The second and third rebels flanked him from both sides. One had twin daggers that glowed faintly with poison. The other was a martial artist who launched forward with a flying kick.
Levi turned to face the martial artist.
Which one do I block? Left or right?
The man flew through the air, leg extended, aiming for Levi's chest.
Levi's eyes went wide. He swung the shoe wildly in pure panic.
The shoe caught the martial artist mid-air.
CRUNCH.
The man's chest caved in. His body flew backward, crashed through a table, and slammed into the wall.
Levi's mouth opened slightly.
What. How. That shouldn't have worked.
The dagger wielder stared. "He timed it perfectly. Read the trajectory mid-flight."
I literally just swung because I was scared.
The dagger wielder circled behind Levi, moving with trained precision. His blades hummed as they cut through the air, poison dripping from the tips.
Levi heard the sound, spun around too fast, lost his footing, and fell sideways.
The dagger passed through empty air where his spine had been a second ago.
I tripped. I literally just tripped.
Levi hit the ground hard, rolled because his momentum carried him, and came up swinging the shoe in a wide arc because he couldn't see where the enemy was.
The sole caught the rebel's wrist perfectly.
CRUNCH.
Bones shattered. The dagger clattered to the floor.
Kent's eyes narrowed from the back. "Ground fighting transition. Flawless."
Ground fighting? I fell. I'm on the ground because I fell.
The rebel clutched his broken wrist, face twisted in pain. He tried to kick Levi while he was down.
Levi saw the boot coming and rolled away purely on instinct.
The kick missed by inches.
Levi scrambled forward on his hands and knees, still holding the shoe, and swung it upward in desperation.
It connected with the man's knee.
The joint bent sideways with a wet pop.
The rebel screamed and collapsed.
Before Levi could process what was happening, he lunged forward and brought the shoe down on the man's chest.
The reinforced vest did nothing.
There was a wet, ugly noise.
The man stopped moving.
Levi stood up, breathing heavily, face still perfectly neutral.
I don't know what I'm doing. I genuinely do not know what I'm doing.
Only two left.
One was a tall swordsman with silver hair and crimson aura. His sword trembled with condensed energy. He stepped back, creating distance, and began channeling power into his blade.
The other, a brawler built like a brick wall, cracked his knuckles. Blue light gathered around his fists.
They exchanged a glance.
Some kind of silent communication passed between them.
Then they both moved at once.
The swordsman activated a Sword Art. The room dimmed. Dust rose. He pointed the blade forward, releasing a slicing shockwave that tore through the furniture in a wide arc.
The brawler leapt high with a roar, fists glowing with concentrated mana, aiming to crush Levi's skull from above.
Two attacks at once? That's not fair.
Levi's coat rippled.
He moved.
Not gracefully. He basically threw himself sideways like someone dodging a bus.
The brawler's fist cratered the floor where Levi had been standing. Stone cracked. Air pressure exploded outward, sending splinters of wood flying.
The sword wave passed right through the space Levi had occupied a second ago, cutting a deep gouge into the far wall.
Kent watched with narrowed eyes. "Minimal movement. Maximum efficiency. He's conserving stamina."
I'm conserving my life. There's a difference.
Levi scrambled to his feet, coat swaying around him.
The brawler turned to face him, eyes locked on target.
Levi swung the shoe at the brawler's head.
Missed completely.
Damn it.
The brawler grinned and stepped in, throwing a heavy punch aimed at Levi's ribs.
Levi twisted away, but not fast enough.
The fist grazed his side.
Even the graze hurt. A lot.
That's gonna bruise.
Levi swung again, this time aiming lower.
Caught the brawler in the shoulder by accident.
The man's collarbone shattered with a wet snap.
The brawler's grin vanished. He roared in pain and anger, then lunged forward with his remaining good arm to grab Levi by the throat.
Levi's eyes went wide. He ducked, tripped over debris, and fell backward.
As he went down, the heel of the shoe drove upward into the side of the brawler's neck.
CRACK.
The brawler's head snapped sideways. His body went rigid, then collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
Levi lay on the floor for a second, staring at the ceiling.
I tripped. I tripped and accidentally killed him. This is insane.
Kent's voice cut through the silence. "Feinting with intentional vulnerability. He baited the grab. Masterful."
I didn't bait anything. I fell.
The swordsman stepped forward, face pale but determined. He raised his blade with both hands, channeling everything he had left into one final attack.
The sword began to glow, brighter and brighter, until it looked like he was holding a bar of pure light.
"Seventh-Rank Sword Art," he said through gritted teeth. "Heaven Splitting Blade."
He swung.
A massive crescent of cutting force, ten meters wide, screamed toward Levi.
It tore through the floor, through the walls, through everything in its path.
Levi scrambled to his feet, eyes wide. "No no no no—"
He raised the shoe in front of him purely out of panic.
The aura blade hit the shoe.
And disintegrated.
The black shoe didn't even flex.
The room went silent.
Levi blinked. "What?"
The swordsman's face went pale. "Impossible. He blocked a Seventh-Rank Sword Art with a shoe. With no stance. No reinforcement. Just raw defense."
I didn't block it. I just held this up because I was scared.
The swordsman took a step back, sword trembling in his hands.
Levi didn't waste the opportunity.
He charged forward, swinging the shoe like a bat because he had no idea what else to do.
The enemy raised his blade to block.
Levi's shoe hit the sword.
The blade exploded into dust.
Metal fragments scattered across the floor.
The swordsman stumbled backward, staring at his empty hands. "He shattered my blade with pure force. No technique. Just absolute mastery."
Mastery? I'm swinging a shoe like a caveman with a rock.
Levi's momentum carried him forward. He tried to stop, couldn't, and crashed into the swordsman.
They both went down in a tangle of limbs.
Levi came up on top, raised the shoe, and brought it down.
Once.
The swordsman tried to block with his forearm.
The bone snapped.
Twice.
The man's nose broke. Blood sprayed.
Three times.
The swordsman stopped moving.
Levi rolled off him, breathing hard, covered in blood and sweat.
His face stayed perfectly calm.
I can't believe that worked. I can't believe any of that worked.
Silence.
Blood spread across the cracked floor in slow, creeping pools.
Celine stared from her chair, unable to move, unable to speak.
Four Fourth-Tier warriors.
Dead.
Levi stood slowly, every muscle protesting. His black coat was stained red. Blood dripped from his hair. The shoe in his hand steamed gently, unblemished.
His expression was unreadable.
Please don't let there be more. Please.
The boss of the group, Kent, stepped out from the shadows of the upper floor. Unlike the others, he hadn't moved during the fight.
Now he did.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
He clapped once, the sound echoing through the ruined room.
"Impressive," Kent said quietly. "Very impressive. That was Drunken Fist combat philosophy, wasn't it? Every movement appearing chaotic, but perfectly calculated. You're a true master."
Levi's eye twitched slightly.
Drunken Fist? I was literally just panicking.
Kent's expression tightened. "We didn't want blood. But the kingdom is dying. You've seen it, haven't you? The rot. The corruption spreading through every level of government."
He took a step forward, descending the stairs with measured calm.
"We are the last resistance. The Order of Redemption. We fight to restore what was stolen from the people."
Please stop talking and just leave.
"You don't have to be our enemy," Kent continued. "Work with us. Someone of your caliber could change everything. We have resources. Training grounds. Ancient techniques. Help us, and you can reshape this kingdom."
Levi finally straightened up. He wiped blood from his face with his free hand, the motion slow and deliberate.
Just take the hint and run away.
"Power? Change?" Levi said, voice flat and cold.
Kent's eyes lit up slightly. "Yes. Exactly. You understand. You can help us reclaim our country. Keep me alive and you'll learn everything. I can make you a—"
"No thanks," Levi interrupted. "I'm not from around here. And honestly? Your pitch sucks."
Please take the hint and run away.
Kent's face darkened. "Wait. Think about what you're doing. We're not your enemies."
Levi stood silent, steam rising off his coat.
I am thinking. I'm thinking about how much I don't want to fight you.
Kent took another step forward, voice tight with urgency. "We're the only ones trying to fix this broken kingdom. The monarchy is rotting from within. The nobles are drunk on power. That girl," he pointed at Celine with his sword, "is part of the machine. A symbol of everything wrong with this country."
Levi's expression didn't change.
Just stop talking and leave.
"Yeah," Levi said calmly. "I'm gonna stop you right there."
He raised the shoe.
Kent's eyes widened. Then hardened with resolve.
He lunged.
Why. Why won't you just run away.
The floor cracked beneath Kent's boots as he dashed forward, blade trailing crimson light. His speed was on another level, faster than any of the others.
He brought the sword down aimed at Levi's neck.
Levi stepped forward purely because stepping back would've meant hitting the wall.
He raised the shoe because he didn't know what else to do.
Kent's sword collided with it.
CRACK.
The enchanted blade shattered on impact.
Shards of metal flew across the room, embedding themselves in walls and furniture.
Kent's mouth opened in shock. "He didn't even brace. Just pure confidence in his defense."
I didn't brace because I didn't know that would work.
Levi, riding on pure adrenaline and terror, swung the shoe sideways with all his strength.
WHUMP.
Kent was launched through a table and into a pillar. The wood cracked. Dust rained down from the ceiling.
Kent hit the ground hard, wheezing, clutching his ribs.
Please stay down. Please.
But he wasn't done.
With a roar, Kent slapped a glowing palm to the floor.
A complex glyph lit up beneath Levi's feet.
It detonated.
Levi flew backward through the air.
What now?
He hit the ground, rolled several times, and came up in a crouch purely by accident.
No wounds. His coat was singed but intact.
Did I just survive a magic explosion?
Kent was already up again, eyes bloodshot, breath coming in ragged gasps. His left hand was covered in crackling arcane armor that sparked with blue energy. His right hand held a conjured dagger that shimmered with poison.
He charged, zigzagging with expert footwork, closing the distance in seconds.
Levi didn't chase because he had no idea how.
He just waited, shoe raised, breathing hard.
Come on. Just tire yourself out and give up.
When Kent was a meter away, blade raised for a killing thrust, Levi panicked.
He threw the shoe.
Not because it was tactical. Because he didn't want Kent to get close.
It spun awkwardly through the air, tumbling end over end.
WHAM.
It caught Kent square in the chest.
The arcane armor shattered like glass.
Kent's body folded. He flew backward and hit the far wall with a sickening thud.
He slid down, leaving a smear of blood on the stone.
Kent stared up at the ceiling, gasping for air. "Weaponless combat transition. He threw his only weapon. Absolute confidence in his martial arts."
I threw it because I was scared. I forgot I could just punch people.
Levi walked over slowly as the shoe bounced once and rolled to his feet. He picked it up, hand shaking slightly.
His face stayed calm.
Kent tried to speak, blood bubbling at his lips. "We were going to... fix everything..."
Levi crouched beside him, face still perfectly neutral.
I don't know what to say. I'm so tired. Please just pass out.
"Yeah, well," Levi said quietly. "Your plan was going to cause me problems."
He stood and brought the shoe down one last time.
Crack.
Silence.
Blood spread beneath the body in quiet waves.
Levi stood amidst the wreckage, breathing hard. Five Fourth-Tier warriors dead. The room was destroyed. Furniture broken. Walls cracked. Blood everywhere.
His expression stayed unreadable.
I have no idea how I'm alive right now. None. Zero. This shoe is the only reason I'm not dead.
And not a single scratch on his shoes.