The Heavenly Demon Divine Art's Secrets Unveiled
Cheon Seong had not mastered every single form of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Of the seven forms, he could only learn five.
Even though the mana required to wield the sixth form remained far too low, causing it to erupt wildly beyond his control whenever he tried to use it, he could still truthfully claim that he had grown stronger.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art that Beatrice had taught him was, without a doubt, the perfect martial art for him.
Every single form contained the very essence of Beatrice Le Arus’s entire life, and that life was something no one else could possibly endure.
Except for him.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art was already deeply corrupting the mind through its cultivation, but thanks to the Five Colors’ protection, it caused no harm whatsoever. The despair and pain sealed within the martial art had only grown more unbearable the stronger Cheon Seong’s own despair became.
Of course, he might have been insane without even realizing it, yet that only made him feel more at peace. He was still chasing revenge, and that alone was enough to satisfy him. Insanity or not, he could not care less.
[Then let’s take a short break and move on to sparring, okay?]
“No. Let’s start right now. I’m not even tired.”
He had no need to rest. After all, the Five Colors granted him the ability to manipulate every attribute of mana.
Thanks to the white mana specialized in healing and purification, his body recovered faster than anyone else’s. The red mana specialized in vitality and fire made it impossible for him to tire easily, no matter how much he used.
Even with so little mana at first, it was already absurd. Now that he had gained an immeasurable amount of mana thanks to the public mana stone, resting was nothing but a luxury.
[...Got it? Then let’s begin right away, okay?]
“Alright.”
Cheon Seong pulled away from Beatrice and took up his stance.
[I will give you the first move. Come at me with everything you’ve got!]
“Then I won’t hold back… and go!”
The first form he chose was White Night.
A blinding white light from White Night engulfed Beatrice.
Even though it was the most familiar form he had ever used, Beatrice simply watched him with a perfectly normal expression.
Of course, expecting any real damage from him was sheer arrogance. Seeing Beatrice untouched, Cheon Seong felt no sense of failure at all.
All he wanted was to land a few tiny wounds on her. He had no intention of winning.
“Here I come!”
Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Form I
Black Night
Like a night swallowed by the black ink of White Night’s sky, the devouring darkness of Black Night spread across Beatrice.
Whish
Yet the devastating blow of Black Night was swallowed up far too easily by Beatrice’s casual gesture. Cheon Seong panicked, his own Black Night being effortlessly blocked, and hastily prepared his next attack.
But this time, it was not his turn.
[I’ve seen enough of your offense. Now it’s your turn to watch my defense. Try to block this!]
If he wanted the fight to end quickly, then he would show her.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Form I
Weakened Form
White Night
The White Night Beatrice displayed was far weaker than the one she had shown him earlier, but it was still overwhelmingly stronger than the one Cheon Seong had used. It slammed down on him like a tidal wave.
“Damn it!”
Grade 4 Defense Magic
Protect
4 Layers
Crack! Crack! Snap!
Cheon Seong, who felt the immense threat of White Night’s searing white light, immediately cast Grade 4 Defense Magic Protect with four layers activated.
But the four layers began shattering one by one, leaving only a single layer intact.
Grit
Clenching his teeth, Cheon Seong focused everything on defense and barely managed to block Beatrice’s White Night. Yet it had cost him a full third of his entire mana pool on just one attack.
He immediately began preparing his next move, determined not to give her a single opening.
But Beatrice spoke calmly.
[Enough offense. Now it’s your turn to watch my defense. Try to block this!]
She had already said she would only defend.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Form I
Weakened Form
Black Night
Even though Beatrice used only weakened forms, every single attack she unleashed far exceeded the power and range of Cheon Seong’s Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
In the end, Cheon Seong had no choice but to abandon offense and pour all his strength into defense.
[Is this all you can do? When I consider your talent, your skill is truly pathetic. You dare challenge the Celestials with this level of power?]
“Shut… shut up! I’m not giving up yet!!”
Cheon Seong released the Protect shield he had been holding, and the moment it vanished, Black Night’s darkness swallowed him whole.
[What in the world are you doing right now?!]
Surprised, Beatrice rushed forward. Cheon Seong, who had been waiting for exactly that moment, erupted from the darkness of Black Night and drove his fist straight into her.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Form I
White Night
Beatrice, who had not expected an attack to come from Black Night, had no time to react to the sudden strike. Cheon Seong’s White Night slammed directly into her.
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The white light of White Night finally faded, revealing a completely empty forest where nothing remained.
[You truly fought beautifully just now. I never imagined you would abandon all defense and throw everything into your final attack against me.]
Yet the Beatrice who had taken the full brunt of Cheon Seong’s White Night, who had poured every ounce of power into that single strike, stood perfectly unharmed before him.
Cheon Seong, who no longer had the strength to stand, collapsed and barely managed to speak.
“Truly… you’re a monster… so strong…”
[Even though I am your master, what is there to say?]
“Pfft. You’re right about that…”
Haa
Haa
Cheon Seong’s breathing was so ragged he could barely speak, yet there was one last thing he desperately needed to ask.
“The… the final attack… how was it?”
The final attack.
When Beatrice answered Cheon Seong’s question about how she had felt after being hit by his White Night while he had abandoned defense against her Black Night, she knelt beside his head, gently placed his head on her thigh, and replied.
[You were wonderful.]
“...I’m glad…”
After those words, Cheon Seong lost consciousness.
Beatrice stroked his hair, snapped her fingers, and used a delicate teleportation spell to return him safely to his room. She continued to stroke his head, using her knee as a pillow so he could rest in peace.
[You really never fail to surprise me, my dear. Whether for good or ill… but I truly like that look on you.]
She said with a gentle smile.
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Meanwhile, somewhere near the mountain where Cheon Seong and Beatrice had been sparring, a man wandered around restlessly until he found the entrance to the cave he had been searching for. He let out a triumphant shout.
“Fucking shit!! I finally found it!! Why the hell does this fucking author hide it so goddamn complicated?!”
After cursing the author, the man entered the cave’s entrance and stared in disbelief at the completely empty interior.
“S-shit? Where… where did my public mana stone and the elixirs go?!?!”
His face drained of all color as he searched the cave from top to bottom, but it was nothing but an empty void. The man collapsed to the floor in despair.
“Fuck! Where the hell did my public mana stone and elixirs go?!”
His desperate cry echoed through the cave, but the cave only returned the sound of his voice, nothing more.
And the man never realized that those echoes had just begun to unravel his life.
***
When Cheon Seong opened his eyes, all he saw was absolute darkness.
“What? Is it still night?”
Because the last thing he remembered was the sunset sky, Cheon Seong assumed it was night and reached up to wipe his dry face.
Squish
But the sensation he felt when he reached out was not his own cheek. It was soft, plush, and warm. He did not know what it was, so he kept touching it, trying to figure it out.
Soft yet resilient, and overwhelmingly gentle
Cheon Seong, whose mind could not grasp what it was, muttered to himself without realizing.
“What the hell is this?”
[...Young man. How long are you going to grope my chest?]
The voice that answered Cheon Seong’s confusion was Beatrice’s. As his vision slowly cleared, he saw Beatrice’s flushed face and the familiar hand that was firmly kneading her full breasts.
“...Eh?”
Only then did he realize the hand was his own. Realizing he had been unconsciously groping Beatrice’s chest for who knows how long, Cheon Seong’s face turned beet red. He sprang up so fast he knocked his head on the ground and immediately apologized.
Thud!
“S-sorry!!!”
[...You really are a pervert. I never imagined you would touch my chest like that.]
Even though the soft sensation remained in his hand and Beatrice had spoken, Cheon Seong simply kept his head pressed to the floor, apologizing again and again. Beatrice sighed and accepted his apology.
[From now on, be careful. Weren’t you surprised when I suddenly let you grope me?]
“...I’m really sorry.”
No matter how much Beatrice accepted his apology, the warm sensation still lingered in his mind, and his face remained flushed. Avoiding her gaze, Cheon Seong continued to apologize.