Chapter 96

"There's not a single reason why so many of us have to spill blood. I meet you men for the first time today. You are not my enemies. I have no enemies at all."

- Thorfinn

Invincible (無敵) is the 96th chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
Thorfinn successfully takes Drott's first 31 hits. From the crowd, Wulf notices that he's subtly turning his hips and neck to take away the force of the punches right before they land. Olmar arrives with Snake to give the Ketil family's surrender; Thorfinn takes the full brunt of one of Drott's hits when he's distracted by Snake trying to break up the fight. Snake chides Thorfinn for his decision, but Thorfinn insists no one truly tried to talk peacefully, instead deciding to fight when the other side drew their swords first. He gets up to take the remaining hits. When he reaches 100 and remains standing, Drott apologizes for doubting Thorfinn and calls him a true warrior. Wulf asks him why he didn't beat Drott to prove he was a former royal bodyguard instead; Thorfinn replies no good would have come of a peace negotiator talking through his fists. He asks why so many had to spill blood for a disagreement between Ketil and King Canute and states no one here is his enemy and that he has no enemies at all. Wulf commends his mettle and agrees to let him go speak to the king. Thorfinn calls Einar forth to go talk to Canute with him.

Summary
Drott keeps punching Thorfinn, soon reaching 20 hits. The crowd's amazed at Thorfinn's tenacity, especially given his size. One of the soldiers tells Drott he lost all his money because of him. He tells Drott to split Thorfinn's head open already. Drott wonders why his punches aren't getting much of an impact. Observing from the crowd, Wulf notes that the messenger really knows how to take a hit, subtly turning his hips and neck to take away the force from the punches right before they land. Einar wonders if this was what Thorfinn meant by "taking the first choice" — to bear the pain when hit. Olmar, accompanied by Snake, arrives to give his surrender. Snake sees the crowd and asks a nearby soldier what's happening. Once he sees Thorfinn, he tells everyone to stop and that Thorfinn has nothing to do with the farm. Distracted by Snake, Thorfinn loses his footing and gets hit with the full force of one of Drott's punches. He's sent flying to the ground, his hair untying in the process. Snake asks Einar how Thorfinn ended up in this position, as he thought they already both left the farm. Einar replies that Thorfinn made a bet with them: they'll let them speak directly to the king if he can take 100 punches. Snake says it's insane to do something like that for the sake of the farm; Olmar looks shocked. Snake tells Thorfinn it's enough and that the Ketil family has already decided to surrender; he calls Thorfinn an idiot for pulling a stunt like that without even discussing it. He points out that if the situation could have been resolved through talking alone, it would've been resolved long ago. Thorfinn asks if anyone seriously put in the effort to resolve the problem through talk alone, or if they simply chose to fight when the other side drew their swords first. The soldiers, who started dividing up the winnings, notice that Thorfinn is upright again. Thorfinn spits out a couple of teeth and asks Drott why he's sitting around drinking. He says a mosquito's bite is more effective than his fists and tells him he doesn't have all day for the 68 hits he has left. Snake starts to protest, but Einar holds him back.

The crowd watches more solemnly as Thorfinn keeps taking the hits; Olmar can barely hold back tears. Drott collapses after delivering his hundredth hit. Thorfinn still stands, his face disfiguringly swollen from the punches. Drott apologizes for doubting Thorfinn and calls him a true warrior. Wulf approaches and Drott greets him, telling him that Thorfinn is certainly a former royal guard and that his request should be granted. Wulf tells Thorfinn he can really handle punishment despite his small stature. He asks why he refused to fight back, as he certainly could have proved his claims of being a former royal bodyguard by beating Drott. Thorfinn asks what good would have come from a peace negotiator talking through his fists. He tells the soldiers that he never met them before that day, knows nothing about that and bears them no grudges, and asks how it would have made sense for everyone to bloody themselves in a meaningless fight. He asks why Ketil and King Canute couldn't have simply settled their own dispute through something like a game of Hnefatafl and points out there was no reason for so many of them to spill blood. Thorfinn states that they are not his enemies and that he has no enemies at all. Wulf calls him a man of mettle, as not many warriors would refuse to fight even when provoked and surrounded. Wulf laughs at the idea of the king and Ketil playing Hnefatafl; when Thorfinn asks what he finds so funny, Wulf says Thorfinn should try suggesting that idea to Canute. He notes that the king did not pursue the battle because he's fond of war either and that Thorfinn will understand if he speaks to him. He grants him permission to see the king and tells the soldiers to clear the path. Thorfinn turns and tells Einar to come with him. He says that they're going to meet the man responsible for starting the conflict and asks if he doesn't have things he wishes to say. Einar agrees he has a lot to say and follows Wulf and Thorfinn.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Drott
 * Thorfinn
 * Wulf
 * Einar
 * Snake
 * Olmar