[Karen being pressured in this chapter didn't mean he couldn't win. He was simply careless, and the first two waves had drained some of his stamina, leading to this outcome.]
Mike suddenly let go of his massive iron hammer and retreated. Karen's blade barely grazed the skin over his knee, drawing drops of blood.
Karen didn't stop. He flicked the blood off his Cane Sword and attacked again, its tip aimed straight at Mike's heart.
Mike sneered and suddenly drove his huge fist toward the oncoming Karen.
Karen saw it coming and swiftly raised his Cane Sword to block. The two collided with a deafening metallic clang, sending sparks flying.
The sharp Cane Sword tore open Mike's fist, exposing a weapon gleaming coldly beneath-
It was a pair of Brass Knuckles forged from refined steel, their surfaces covered in barbs. Thick metal encased each finger, with short blades extending from the ends to slash enemies-a terrifying weapon in close combat.
"I didn't expect you to take my punch head-on!"
Mike was astonished that Karen's seemingly frail body possessed enough strength to meet him head-on.
"But this is where it ends!!"
With a low roar, he brought his other hand crashing down, also equipped with Brass Knuckles.
Karen's gaze sharpened. Gripping his Cane Sword with both hands, he braced its blade against Mike's fists. The tremendous impact numbed the webbing between his thumbs and forefingers, and he tasted blood rising in his throat.
As expected of the world's No. 20, Mike's strength was terrifying. Karen's Cane Sword shook violently. An ordinary weapon would probably have shattered long ago.
Having those blows rain down from above put Karen in an awkward position. It was harder to exert force from below than from above. Their strength was actually about equal, but the difference in positioning had left Karen temporarily pinned down.
I can't let this go on... Karen thought. He quickly broke free and pulled back.
Karen scanned his surroundings, searching for somewhere he could counter Mike's advantage.
The height difference was difficult to overcome. He had to find somewhere that would erase it, or he would remain far too passive in their exchanges.
His eyes lit up when he spotted the stairs.
That's it, the stairs. Mike's about half a meter taller than me. Three steps should do.
Having chosen his battleground, Karen fought while retreating toward the stairs.
Mike assumed his offensive was forcing Karen back, and he attacked with even greater enthusiasm.
Mike's attacks were blisteringly fast. The short blades on his Brass Knuckles sliced through the air, whipping up gusts of wind.
Karen had only one weapon, yet he had to block a pair of Brass Knuckles at the same time. Fortunately, his reactions were quick enough.
Karen was already swearing inwardly. Apart from when he faced Yor, when had he ever been this frustrated?
It was his own fault for being careless. He had assumed his opponent was a tank with high attack power but low attack speed, only to discover he had secretly picked up a few attack-speed items too.
A battlefield could change in an instant, yet he had actually forgotten that.
Karen kept watching the stairs, and soon reached their foot.
Now that he had arrived, Karen stopped pretending.
He suddenly sidestepped Mike's attack while sweeping his Cane Sword toward Mike's calf.
Mike checked his movement, dodged the blade, then threw a fierce punch.
Karen suddenly leaned back and jumped onto the stairs. Mike's fist barely skimmed past the tip of his nose.
Karen exhaled and taunted him. "Whew-you're even worse with those Brass Knuckles than with your hammer. Such nimble weapons, and you haven't landed a single effective hit. Heh..."
"Shut up, you bastard!"
Eyes bloodshot, Mike charged with a roar, bringing both fists and their Brass Knuckles crashing down again.
The longer he fought, the more alarmed he became. His Brass Knuckles had always been unstoppable. Everyone who had seen this weapon of his had long since become a corpse that could no longer speak.
Most people assumed he specialized in heavy weapons. Little did they know that Brass Knuckles were what he used best. By exploiting that preconception, he had killed many already-famous assassins when he first started out.
Yet today, the Black Nightmare facing him could completely fend off his attacks with nothing more than a blade barely forty centimeters long.
Was this what the world's No. 2 was capable of? Weren't his speed and reactions a little too ridiculous?
With the height difference erased, it was Karen's turn again!
Karen's Cane Sword darted lightly toward Mike's chest.
Mike hurriedly blocked with his Brass Knuckles.
But Karen subtly shifted the direction of his Cane Sword, its sharp edge leaving a bloody line across Mike's arm.
Mike howled in pain.
Karen's offensive never slowed. His Cane Sword rained down like a raging storm.
Mike gradually fell behind. His Brass Knuckles were sharp, but Karen's Cane Sword was a cut above them.
Against Karen's agile footwork and precise attacks, the Brass Knuckles couldn't unleash their full power.
Finally, Karen seized an opening and struck Mike's left shoulder hard with his Cane Sword, forcing him to let go of the Brass Knuckles on that hand.
Mike roared, abandoned his left-hand Brass Knuckles, and drove his right fist toward Karen again.
Karen quickly rolled backward. Mike's fist slammed into the stair railing, spraying wood chips everywhere as the railing snapped apart.
Karen leaped up the stairs, weaving between the steps like a ghost as his Cane Sword precisely targeted every opening Mike exposed.
Refusing to back down, Mike quickly pursued him, his right fist and its Brass Knuckles hurtling toward Karen like a meteor.
Karen shifted slightly sideways, his Cane Sword tracing an elegant arc that cut off Mike's attack.
The two fought a fierce close-quarters battle on the stairs, every clash accompanied by flying wood chips and the clang of metal.
With Mike's left-hand Brass Knuckles gone, Karen fought even more fiercely.
One weapon against one weapon-he had never lost.
Although both of them had now reached the second floor and Mike still had his height advantage, he was clearly losing ground against Karen.
Seeing himself at a disadvantage, Mike immediately drew the pistol hanging at his waist. The instant Karen thrust his blade, he pulled the trigger repeatedly.
Gunshots thundered, muzzle flashes flared, and bullets tore through the air toward Karen's vital points.
After slicing through two bullets, Karen sidestepped to evade the rest. He had already burned through a fair amount of stamina, so he saved what he could.
Before you continue