Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Warrior, Raise Your Fist
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Beren was awestruck by the power of the being before him.
'Hundreds... no, thousands of times stronger than an anima?'
Even Valak appeared to be suppressing his strength, just as Beren had done moments ago.
Intuiting that he was now the challenger, his heart pounded.
Shing—
"It's been ages since a truly fine warrior showed up."
"Honestly, I've got a ton of questions, but I'm the 'challenger' here, right? Don't want to ruin the moment by yapping on."
"You seemed so polite at first, but you're actually pretty straightforward, huh? Fine by me!"
Whoooosh!
Thud!
Valak gripped a greatsword that had flown in from the forest in one hand and slowly advanced.
"For someone as strong as you, the final trial is basically an insult. But this case is a little different."
"From the way you're talking, looks like I'll be facing the trial your juniors went through?"
"Exactly. Though it'll be a bit different."
Soon, a thread-like beam of light extended from the greatsword in Valak's hand.
The light wrapped around the blade, then split into dozens, hundreds of strands, intertwining with each other.
Like a master weaver crafting fabric, the result was densely woven.
Faint starlight sword aura began to flow along the greatsword.
Seeing the sword aura for the first time, Beren's fingertips tingled.
"That's..."
"Warrior, isn't 'martial arts' truly wondrous? For ones like us, it's like handing a brush and paper to a child."
Valak swung the faintly glowing sword once, then pointed it at Beren.
"Now, I look forward to the picture you'll paint."
"Talk about pressure..."
Unlike his words, Beren's face brimmed with confidence.
With all preparations complete, the two warriors locked eyes.
Pink petals began swirling in the sky.
As those petals rose into the heavens and slowly descended—
The lowest petal touched the ground—
KABOOM!!
Clang!!
They clashed.
*************
The moment the petal hit the ground, Valak's greatsword cleaved through the air downward.
Beren angled his sword obliquely to deflect the attack.
But the force in the blade was so immense that the shock rippled through his shoulder.
Valak then inhaled sharply and unleashed a barrage.
A overhead smash from above.
An upward reverse slash scraping the ground.
Finally, a punch from his empty hand.
Beren flowed like water, deflecting the onslaught.
In a single breath, three strikes and three parries followed.
In their rapid exchanges, their swords erased the distance between them.
Only the sound of tearing air echoed through the space.
In this instant clash, Beren assessed his opponent's sword and his own.
'From now on, clashing head-on will get my blade sliced clean off.'
He now understood the sword aura's role.
But deflecting is twice as hard as blocking.
Especially against Valak's superhuman strength.
The moment a deflection strayed even slightly—
Beren would be swept away by the torrent.
The second clash began.
Clang!!
Boom!
Beren endured unscathed again, and Valak, growing excited, stomped hard.
Boom!
Dust shrouded Valak's form.
Beren had no idea what Valak was planning.
But instinct told him standing still was death, so he charged.
Before his sword could swing, a spear thrust from the dust toward him.
Crunch!!
"Urk?!"
Unprepared for a spear from the ground, Beren's stance crumbled, sending him flying back.
As if Valak would miss—
In the blink of an eye, he closed in and slashed like lightning.
Midair, Beren spun acrobatically to evade.
His feet finally touched ground, regaining stance.
But as faint light flowed along the spear—longer-reaching than his sword—immense pressure bore down.
"This is... cheating?"
"Weakness begs to be exploited. Here I come."
Boom!
The spear tip pierced the air in rapid thrusts.
Each strike held wall-shattering power.
Beren didn't block the glowing tip but pushed the shaft outward, inching closer bit by bit to disrupt swings.
Seeing Beren close in, Valak retracted the spear.
Blade met shaft with a grinding screech.
Scraaaape!
Valak's other hand gripped the greatsword.
It swung sideways, wind gusting belatedly to tousle Beren's hair.
A stance break or gap here meant a spear thrust.
Thus, at blade contact, Beren twisted his wrist, spinning his sword to press the perilous fight.
Valak's iron storm crisscrossed without respite.
Mid-battle, rhythms twisted abruptly.
Feints like traps appeared.
Weapons tossed mid-fight—Valak pressured from all angles.
Yet Beren prevailed.
"As expected, you were holding back? Not a scratch."
"Sorry... this is brutally tough. So, trial over?"
"Heh, perfect score."
Soon, weapons floated freely around Valak.
Sensing the real fight beginning, Beren steadied his breath.
*****************
Word spread to the other floors' bosses: a hero challenging Valak.
A new face?
And holding his own?!
The Elder Council, sensing something off, checked the hero's info.
"Was there a young hero out there pulling off that level of performance?"
"There was one before."
"The Hero of Light? He vanished after the Great War."
"Then what's this guy?"
"Iren, huh..."
Beren was currently veiled by divine miracle, hiding his form and power.
They sensed something cloaking him.
But without knowing the power's nature, questions piled up.
Beren fought Valak with pure body and swordsmanship—no fancy techniques.
Plain yet overwhelmingly powerful combat was rare.
Succubus Queen Bellisa, who had peeked into many dreams outside, spoke.
"Somehow... he reminds me of that hero."
"Bellisa, who do you mean?"
"A commoner who became a Great War hero through effort and experience alone. His style matches."
"Surely the Iron Hero?"
"Iron Hero... that's the Sword Saint?!"
Hearing Bellisa, the Elder Council watched silently.
White smoke suddenly rose from Valak's body.
He stomped wide, hefting a massive hammer in one hand.
Boom!
The floor-shattering smash shook dimensions.
Beren launched skyward.
Yet midair, he stabilized and deflected a heart-piercing thrust.
In that moment—
The Elder Council glimpsed the alien power in Beren via wind brushing Valak's spear.
"Why is the Heavenly God's power in that being...?"
"Guess the Sword Saint's hiding his identity for some reason."
"But wasn't the Sword Saint captured by the Empire's Empress? Why's he here alone?"
Dungeon bosses got info from outside animas.
But palace internals were low priority.
Confirming it was Iron Hero Sword Saint Beren challenging Valak, the bosses weren't worried.
Their champion was an unbreakable guardian.
Curiosity sated on one point, they spoke.
"The Iron Hero wielded a 'holy sword,' right?"
"Undoubtedly."
"Chance to witness a holy sword hero's power firsthand."
How far could Beren—one of the rare holy sword wielders—push?
They watched the first floor duel fondly.
*****************
Breaking Valak's first phase smoothly, the Sword Saint gaped at faint stars beautifying the sky.
"What technique even is that...?"
"A warrior your caliber could mimic it easily."
"Hmm... not my style."
"Basic fighting's not bad either."
At Valak's gesture, star beasts lunged, maws agape.
They scattered everywhere.
The Sword Saint's eyes traced every weapon's trajectory encircling him.
Clang!!
Crunch!
Boom!
Amid endless aerial weapons, trajectories grew hard to read.
Yet he deflected all like river currents.
Each deflection deepened wrist vibrations.
Each clash chipped his blade.
And crucially—
"Don't tell me you've forgotten me."
"Urk?!"
Graaah!
Never lose sight of Valak.
Thereafter, near-prophetic foresight blocked meteor showers while deflecting Valak.
Finally!
Shatter!
A roar, metal shards scattering.
A swordless swordsman's end is fixed.
He couldn't block follow-ups.
But was there a way?
The Sword Saint swung his empty hand.
In that instant—
Something took form in his grasp.
Clang!!
"Hm?"
Valak thought the bout ended.
But a massive impact—time to assess.
His body reeled back, sending weapons via telekinesis.
Then, something wondrous.
Sword Saint moved on another level, crashing all meteors.
Valak saw him slowly: a shabby something in hand.
A sword unworthy of name—ruined.
Blade, silver no more, scarred and stained.
Half the hilt's leather torn, core exposed.
Yet inexplicable power flowed in that battered blade.
Now curious, Valak grinned.
"Once, another came alone like you. That hero had a title."
"You mean Herim?"
"Indeed. They called him the Heavenly Martial Hero. So, your true name and title?"
"...Iron Hero Beren."
"Your sword and title alike—crude... But!"
Valak discarded all weapons.
"You look truly strong."
"Surprisingly so...? Not exactly flashy."
"Flashy titles hide hollow shells."
"...Fair point. Why toss your weapons?"
"Iron Hero, since you've shown true skill, mustn't 'I' as well?"
"What?"
Valak clenched a fist.
Whoooosh!
Sword Saint beheld a death star beyond prior.
He intuited the being before him.
"You... a brawler?"
"Realizing now? Disappointing. I've used fists from the start—and plenty."
"Eh?"
Valak's weapon barrage was too impactful?
Outsiders forgot his first weapon.
Regaining senses, Sword Saint sighed deeply.
"Guess we've said our pieces."
"Yeah, what more for guys like us?"
They reset stances and clashed anew.
*****************
They traded blows relentlessly.
Sword Saint's life-worn blade didn't shatter against Valak's fist force.
But his time dwindled.
'...Three minutes left!'
The spell concealing him would soon end.
His body was bruise-covered.
Yet he never halted.
Sword Saint yearned to clash everything against Valak.
Did the holy sword sense it?
Tendons bulged on his wrist; the battered blade vibrated faintly.
Numbers counted in his mind.
[179...]
Pleased his sword aided fully, Sword Saint smiled.
Stage set, final clash began.
Clang!!
Air tore as Valak swung.
Deceptively simple, brutally direct.
Direct hit meant instant death.
[176... 172... 170...]
Tracking punches, Sword Saint twisted ankles to deflect trajectories.
Sword glancing along flowed to gouge Valak's armor.
"What insane hardness?!"
"My pride!"
Boom!!
[152... 151... 150...]
Mid-fight, Valak's fists blurred faster.
As if Sword Saint accelerated—Valak matched.
[65... 64... 63...]
Nonstop motion ragged his breath.
Dulling senses sharpened vision unnaturally.
Valak's shoulder twitch revealed next move.
[59... 58... 57...]
Crunch!!
Sword Saint's count nullified by one motion.
He failed to deflect counters fully.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Twenty seconds left.
Motionless, Sword Saint fell into mid-guard, gripping sword instead.
Valak sensed end, slowly opening fist to palm.
Stars drew toward each other.
Rec clenched gathered immense power.
Boom!
Valak advanced step by step.
Three steps between.
Each footfall trembled Sword Saint's tip.
Arms leaden, legs ground-stuck.
Yet he smiled.
Gathering all for final exchange.
[3... 2... 1...]
...
...
...
KABOOM!!!
Sword and fist met—shockwave warped space.
Sword Saint's body crumbled like cracked pottery under Valak's force.
Even the divine miracle shattered.
Yet his sword blocked to the last.
[0]
Count vanished.
Still, he smiled.
This clash sufficed.
As spell lifted, Beren dissolved in blue light.
******************
Dungeon open, Valak thrilled by first strong challenger.
Beren's situation differed.
Revived at church after dungeon death.
Divine veil gone!
What now?
"""You idioooooot?!"""
"Ahahaha... w-we lost."
Lighter was in uproar.