Chapter 76
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: A One-Sided Beating
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“When did he reach the wall of 4-Star?”
As the Majin murmured in surprise, Yurian let out a soft sigh.
Then, he drew his bowstring taut.
Without an arrow, with his bare hands.
A Black Sword bloomed in the hand gripping the string.
It was a Formless Arrow, using the Black Sword.
Next, he unleashed ‘Black Sword Transformation,’ the 4-Star state of freely manipulating the Black Sword.
The Black Sword split into sixteen streams, and sixteen Formless Arrows shot into the air.
Yurian’s Black Swords struck every single one of the splintering swords without missing.
Jupien’s eyes widened as she watched her own swords shatter and disappear.
“Sorry, little sister.”
Yurian whispered softly.
So that no one could hear.
“Because you’re not the only one who can’t afford to lose.”
His cryptic words scattered into the air.
Yurian’s gaze lowered, and Jupien’s body, afflicted by the Curse of Exhaustion, slowly collapsed.
The duel was over.
“Woooah!!”
As the healers carried Jupien away, the Majin cheered.
Both Yurian, who had displayed outstanding skill, and Jupien, who had shown fighting spirit beyond her abilities, deserved the applause.
However, Chris couldn’t watch their duel with a peaceful mind.
It was because of Yurian.
‘That last move he showed. That’s not the skill of a 4-Star.’
He was certain.
Yurian was hiding his true strength.
‘He’s at least 5-Star, for sure. I need to be even more cautious.’
Chris thought gravely.
He would inevitably clash with Yurian, so he had to be prepared.
In any case, that was a matter for later.
“Christian, Maisac. Come on up.”
At last, it was Chris’s turn.
The arena fell silent.
The Majin swallowed hard.
The animosity between Maisac and Christian was a well-known fact in the Dark Magic House.
A tense atmosphere filled the training grounds before the fight even began.
However, not many expected Christian to win.
No, there were none at all.
It was only natural.
‘It was too reckless. Even if Young Lord Christian possesses outstanding talent, to challenge the 4-Star Young Lord Maisac…’
Many now knew that Christian possessed exceptional talent.
But this was still too much.
He should have laid low a bit longer—that was the consensus among the Majin.
Many also predicted a major incident would occur.
‘A duel between Majin is a life-or-death battle where one can take the opponent’s life. Considering Young Lord Maisac’s cruel methods, Young Lord Christian is likely to die or be crippled here.’
This was not an excessive worry.
Maisac growled at Christian like a wild beast.
“For once, I’m grateful to you. Daring to make such a challenge without knowing your place. Now I can cripple you with a clear conscience.”
Chris scoffed.
“Oh, really? We'll have to see who ends up crippled. By the way, did you get your mommy's permission before coming up here? What will she do if you get hurt? Wouldn't your mommy cry?”
“You bastard!”
*Kwaang!!*
The air in front of Chris violently exploded.
It was the Destruction black magic, ‘Compressed Explosion.’
A fierce gale raged due to the negative pressure created by the momentary vacuum, and Chris’s body swayed uncontrollably.
“I’ll kill you!!”
A dazzling array of Destruction black magic followed.
Flames of Darkness, thick with murderous intent, swept toward Christian.
Christian tried to move and dodge, but an invisible rope bound his body, restraining him.
“Wh-What?!”
“He’s in danger?!”
Destruction black magic is similar to the Alliance’s elemental magic, yet different.
The Alliance’s elemental magic uses the power of nature as it is.
But Destruction black magic is imbued with the principles of curses.
The flame-based Destruction black magic Maisac had just cast, ‘The Pyre,’ included a powerful binding effect, making it impossible to evade.
It was black magic that forced the victim to suffer in horrific, burning flames, as if tied to a stake.
*Fwoosh!*
The flames completely engulfed Christian’s form, and he couldn’t even let out a scream.
Maisac smirked triumphantly.
“To be so arrogant with such pathetic skills. I’ll cripple you like this and make you beg for death.”
*Crackle.*
This time, lightning sparked from Maisac’s hand.
A spear of lightning, possessing a cutting power strong enough to sever any matter it touched, beyond the mere properties of electricity, was gripped in Maisac’s hand.
“Hah!”
*Zzzzzap!*
The spear of lightning surged violently toward Christian.
*Slice!*
Christian’s feet were severed. As an added bonus, the lightning completely cauterized the severed ends, mangling them.
Unless a healer from a Divine Doctor family was brought in, they could never be reattached.
“I’m not done yet. Next, I’ll mince your arms.”
Like a child tearing the limbs off an ant, Maisac’s eyes gleamed with cruelty.
A destructive wind gathered in his hand.
‘Blade Whirlwind.’
It was a Destruction black magic that finely butchered the opponent’s body with rotating blades of wind.
A black magic commonly used for torture rather than combat. It was a distasteful spell that was even imbued with a curse to amplify pain.
As Maisac’s lips curled up, anticipating the screams that would soon erupt from Christian, a whisper reached his ear.
“Having fun, are we? Enjoying yourself?”
“……!!”
Maisac’s eyes shot open.
‘What?’
A voice he should never have heard.
But Maisac couldn't continue his thought.
*Thwack!!*
His head snapped back as if struck by a hammer.
Chris’s fist, wreathed in magi, had struck him squarely in the face.
The bridge of his nose collapsed instantly, and blood streamed down.
“A 4-Star getting tricked by a shoddy illusion and gloating over it. You idiot.”
Chris said with a smirk.
“Ready to take a beating? Don't cry because it hurts, alright? It'll upset your mommy.”
And then.
Hell unfolded.
* * *
A deathly silence fell over the training grounds.
*Thwack! Pow!! Thwack!!*
A one-sided assault was taking place.
Christian was beating Maisac like a dog, quite literally.
Maisac screamed.
“You bastard—! Kuaargh! How dare you?! Uwaaah!”
“Shut up. Why are you such a crybaby?”
*Thwack! Thwack!*
Maisac’s face was no longer that of a human.
Not only was his nose broken, but his cheekbones were caved in, and he barely had any teeth left intact.
“H-How?”
“This is impossible!”
The Majin murmured amongst themselves.
Maisac was the more skilled one.
That much was certain.
The black magic Maisac wielded was nothing short of 4-Star level. Christian, at best, was at the 3-Star level.
But it was Maisac who was being pushed back.
And it wasn't even a contest.
It was an incomprehensible situation.
The more experienced, veteran Majin understood what was happening.
‘Young Lord Christian has perfectly identified and exploited Young Lord Maisac’s weakness.’
‘That’s why Young Lord Maisac is completely helpless.’
Maisac’s weakness.
It was simple.
His abilities were skewed toward Destruction black magic.
Due to his mother’s influence, he had neglected his studies in other fields.
He hadn’t even diligently trained in the Dark Magi and swordsmanship that were the very identity of the Dark Magic House.
As a result, despite being a young lord of the Dark Magic House, Maisac had characteristics more akin to a black magician from the Destruction House.
‘Dealing with a black magician is simple. You just have to mercilessly beat them up at close range, so they don’t have the presence of mind to cast their spells.’
Chris thought as he furiously swung his fists.
Blood splattered and screams echoed.
‘And it’s not like this guy is a proper black magician, either.’
If Maisac were a true black magician, he wouldn't be taking such a one-sided beating.
Black magicians have thorough countermeasures prepared for when an enemy closes in.
But Maisac had no such countermeasures at all.
Above all, Maisac lacked proper combat experience.
‘Coddled by his mother, he probably only had formal duels with people who were scared of him. He never would have faced any real danger.’
The result was this.
*Thwack!*
A one-sided beating.
“Gah, gack. Y-You bastard.”
*Thwack!*
Every time Maisac tried to do something, Christian’s fist landed.
A one-sided duel.
A duel between Majin only ends when one is completely incapacitated or admits defeat. Though the duel was technically ongoing, the outcome was as good as decided.
‘…Still, I didn’t expect this guy to be so pathetic.’
Christian was lost in thought.
His original plan was to show everyone his superiority through this contest.
But Maisac was so incompetent that he felt his own brilliance wasn’t being highlighted.
Eventually, Chris stopped punching.
“……??”
As the merciless assault ceased, Maisac blinked his eyes.
Christian shrugged.
“Your mother is watching, and I felt bad for just beating you up, so I’m giving you a chance.”
“…What?”
“See? Your mom is crying right now. With her being so sad, shouldn't you try a little harder instead of just taking it like a loser?”
“You bastard…!!”
Maisac ground his teeth.
“I’ll… I’ll definitely… kill you!”
*Fwoosh.*
A violent magi began to boil up.
It wasn't Dark Magi.
It was the red magi of the Destruction House.
Maisac reached into his clothes and pulled out a magitech tool shaped like a two-headed phoenix.
It was a red magi amplifier used by the direct lineage of the Destruction House!
“Th-That…?!”
The onlookers let out stunned gasps.
Beyond being a duel, this was a contest.
A place for the young lords of the Dark Magic House to display their achievements.
But to use a magitech tool from the Destruction House?
It was an absolutely unacceptable act, but Maisac had already lost all reason.
“Die!!”
*FWOOOOSH!!!!*
A deep darkness descended.
*Crumble. Crumble.*
The stone floor of the training grounds, touched by the darkness, turned to dust and scattered as if crushed by immense pressure.
It was the 5-Star Destruction black magic, ‘Requiem of Destruction.’
“What?!”
The Majin in the arena shot up from their seats at the sight.
“How can Young Lord Maisac use 5-Star Destruction black magic?”
“It’s not his own power! He’s borrowing the power of the magitech tool!”
The tool Maisac had pulled out didn’t just amplify red magi; it had a 5-Star Destruction black magic spell embedded within it.
“That’s against the rules of the contest. It must be stopped!”
The Majin began to clamor.
Merian, who was beside the Old Lord, frowned and rose from her seat.
“Maisac has crossed the line. I will intervene.”
However.
“No, stay put.”
“My Lord? But?”
Merian’s eyes widened.
5-Star black magic possesses power comparable to a ‘Black Aura Blade.’
Of course, in this case, since it was forcibly cast with a magitech tool, its power couldn’t compare to one properly cast by a 5-Star black magician, but still, one would need strength at least equivalent to a Black Aura Blade to block it without taking damage.
“Look at that boy’s eyes.”
“!!”
Christian, watching the encroaching darkness of ruin, was surprisingly, intensely, shining his eyes.
As if he felt no fear.
No, as if he intended to face it and win.
“In the worst-case scenario, I will step in. So stay put. Besides, aren’t you curious?”
The Old Lord’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Just what kind of absurdity will that brazen brat show us this time?”