Jepar's Proposed One Minute
Jepar proposed a single minute. Even that struck Nahen as excessively long.
Jepar was an extreme martialist among the Demon Kings. Despite holding the lofty fifteenth rank, the scale of his forces remained strikingly small. This was because he always stood at the vanguard alongside Barbatos and Lerajie whenever the Heavenly Demon War erupted. Yet he maintained such a high position purely through his own overwhelming strength. Setting aside the current pinnacles of power in the Demon Realm—Belzebuth, Agreas, Amon, and Barbatos—he could fairly be regarded as the strongest Demon King alongside Lerajie.
The two shared a close bond with Barbatos and belonged to the same Equites faction. Still, a subtle difference existed between them. Lerajie excelled in technique, while Jepar excelled in raw power. In other words, Lerajie held the advantage against opponents who relied on similar techniques, whereas Jepar dominated those who fought with brute force.
Seere, though harmoniously gifted in both areas, leaned slightly toward power when Nahen recalled their previous clashes. That made Jepar a poor matchup for her. After all, Seere had already been overpowered by him in terms of strength.
Yet Seere had demanded not one minute, but five. Five times the duration. Nahen, standing beside her, could only feel bewildered. Her eyes, however, burned with such deadly seriousness that he swallowed every objection.
All I can do… is believe in her.
Seere’s gaze fell on Jepar’s limping leg. To most eyes it would appear the easiest point to exploit, yet—
…It’s a trap.
It was deliberate bait. Jepar truly was lame, but that dragging left leg was no weakness. It was a lure designed to draw opponents in. When Seere refused to charge carelessly, having seen through the ploy, Jepar spoke with clear interest.
“Your eye is commendable.”
He moved first. His speed defied any notion that he was crippled. In the blink of an eye Jepar vanished, only to reappear directly behind Seere.
BOOM!
Seere’s sword met his strike in a flawless, economical block. Jepar smiled with leisure as he studied it.
“A fine blade.”
“It was a gift from my teacher.”
“Oh? Now I am truly curious where you obtained it.”
What astonished him more was the gap between them: Seere had used her sword, while he had struck with a bare fist. That fist had collided with a sharpened edge yet remained completely uncut—an astonishing sight for anyone facing him.
This is the pinnacle of the current martial faction…
Seere narrowed her eyes. She felt, with painful clarity, how far she still had to go. If even Jepar created such a gulf, she would never be able to touch Nahen.
“Hup!”
Seere drove forward with power, shoving Jepar back. His eyes widened a fraction as he allowed himself to be pushed exactly as she intended. To be overpowered in strength by her—Lerajie, who shared his faction, had never managed such a feat.
Jepar spoke with genuine admiration. “Seir’s power flows through you undiminished!”
The retreat lasted only a moment. He leapt again, closing the distance in an instant, then clenched both fists.
“Try receiving this as well.”
Bang!Kwaang!Bang!Kwaaang!Thud-kwaaang—!
What followed was a merciless barrage. Jepar’s fists hammered Seere without restraint. Each blow carried such weight that her sword shuddered violently. Even from the sidelines, Nahen could see how heavily she struggled.
He shows no mercy whatsoever.
Yet Nahen made no move to intervene. Jepar had no intention of killing her. The killing intent was real, but it stemmed only from his complete seriousness.
This will help her instead.
There were few paths left for Seere, who had already grown as strong as she could through ordinary means. Fighting powerhouses like this was one of them, and Jepar had willingly offered the opportunity.
Nahen murmured to himself, “Don’t worry about what comes after. Just give it everything.”
Kwaaaang—!
The final punch of the barrage slammed home, sending Seere reeling backward. The composure had vanished from her face. She had blocked nearly every strike in that storm—an impressive feat—yet she had still allowed one or two to land.
“Tch.”
When Seere spat out a mixture of blood and saliva, Jepar offered honest praise. “Your tenacity is remarkable. You truly remind me of the Martial King himself.”
His fists had delivered clean, powerful blows. Nevertheless, Seere had only been pushed back; she had not fallen. Jepar checked the time.
“Royal Preceptor, how much time remains?”
“Three minutes.”
“You spent more than a minute enduring what I just unleashed.”
Jepar’s admiration deepened. Enduring his barrage for over a minute—if this had been the original test, she would have passed long ago.
“You are not someone who belongs stuck at the fiftieth rank.”
Limping forward on his left leg, Jepar drew Seere’s fierce glare. This time, she took the initiative.
“You come first!”
Kwaaaang—!
Seere brought her sword down with tremendous force, only to narrow her brows. Jepar had stopped the blade with a single hand.
“Heavy. Splendid strength.”
No matter how powerful he was, stopping her sword with his bare hand was absurd. Seere let out a hollow laugh.
“…I see you truly possess an indestructible body.”
“It is close enough to the real thing. My flesh is harder than that of any gargoyle.”
Keeping one hand on her sword, Jepar drove his other fist forward. Since her blade was pinned, Seere met it with her own hand.
Kwaang!
“Few can match me in raw power.”
Seere’s hand completely neutralized Jepar’s fist. Looking at the thickness of his forearm, it should have shattered her fingers, yet Devata’s blood proved true. She spoke with visible relief.
“…It seems so. This is only the second time I’ve felt power like this.”
“Second?”
Jepar sounded puzzled, but Seere had no time to explain. She knocked his fist aside, retreated, and searched for another opening.
Jepar mulled over her words. The second time experiencing strength equal to his own? She had said it casually, yet the remark lingered in his mind.
“!”
Seere did not miss his momentary distraction. Her sword slammed into his flank. Though his iron body remained uncut, the impact rang through his bones.
“Did your focus slip?”
“…My apologies. I let my thoughts wander for a moment.”
Jepar unleashed a heavy punch. Its speed defied the eye. Seere could not dodge in time.
Bang!!
“Keuk!”
Driven back by the blow to her forearm, Seere examined her left arm. A single solid hit had delivered enough shock to make the limb feel sluggish and awkward.
“Let us focus, then.”
The change in Jepar’s eyes made Seere swallow involuntarily. Facing an opponent radiating such murderous intent was a first. Nahen had never directed killing intent toward her during their sparring. Even when she had confronted the Spear Hero and his army alone, the tension had not reached this level.
Seere gripped her sword with both hands and braced herself. As expected, Jepar moved first.
Clang—!
The collision of fist and sword produced a roar like two blades meeting with full force. Jepar began unleashing heavy strikes in a relentless storm.
Bang!Kwaang!Thud-kwaaang!
Faster and heavier than the earlier barrage. Seere was reduced to desperate defense. It was only natural. When judging pure personal ability apart from faction strength, Jepar ranked among the top ten Demon Kings. Simply enduring against such a being was an accomplishment.
With superhuman senses, Seere predicted the path of every fist. Even beneath the ferocious assault, her defense refused to crumble. She was beginning to discern patterns within his onslaught.
At that moment—
“Your skill is magnificent. However, allow me to teach you one thing.”
“…?”
“Predictions built on patterns collapse easily before the simplest variable.”
Jepar, who had been extending his left hand, suddenly spun, lifted his limping left leg, and swept it toward her. The kick flew straight at Seere’s temple.
She had never imagined the lame Demon King would use his leg. Naturally, she could not predict it.
Kuuuung—!
Seere narrowed her eyes, already prepared for the worst. Yet no impact came.
Between her and Jepar stood a man, one arm casually blocking the incoming kick.
“Teacher…”
It was Nahen.
Nahen, who had stopped Jepar’s foot, narrowed his eyes slightly.
“This is far enough, Your Majesty Jepar.”
“…Has the time expired?”
“Yes. It ended exactly five seconds ago. Since this is a test, the time limit must be observed strictly.”
“A fair observation.”
Jepar lowered his leg obediently. He studied Nahen with narrowed eyes.
At that moment…
The instant his foot had been about to crush Seere’s temple, Nahen—who had clearly been standing behind him—had slipped between them.
Could even my brother have reacted in time?
Even Barbatos might have failed to intervene at that speed. It defied description. Magic was impossible; there had been no time for an incantation.
Just who is he?
The question rose first. At the same time, he instantly understood Seere’s earlier remark about experiencing such power for the second time.
After gazing at Nahen for a long moment, Jepar gave a small chuckle. What he felt now was pure delight. Interest was inevitable. A Demon King barely past her twentieth year who could exchange blows with him, and a Royal Preceptor whose strength could not even be measured. They were fascinating.
What a shame I did not learn of them sooner.
“Devata’s blood has been passed down splendidly.”
“The test…”
“Indeed.”
Limping back toward his throne, Jepar declared, “You pass, descendant of the Martial King. I, Demon King Jepar, swear upon my honor that I will lend you my strength.”
Seere’s face lit up instantly. Seeing her expression, Jepar swallowed a laugh. For all her strength and youth, she still possessed a childlike innocence.
Nahen bowed deeply. “We are sincerely grateful, Your Majesty Jepar.”
“Think nothing of it. There is one more thing you desire from me, is there not?”
Jepar already understood Nahen’s true purpose in approaching him. Nahen saw no point in denial.
“That is correct.”
“I shall summon Lerajie and my brother to arrange a meeting.”
“We could ask for nothing more.”
“There is no need for such formality. This is simply my courtesy toward the strong.”
Nahen felt as though he had won the lottery. He had planned to seek Jepar’s recommendation, yet the Demon King was personally arranging the gathering. Conversation would flow far more smoothly.
“However, there is a condition.”
“What condition?”
“Remain in my castle for a time.”
“Pardon?”
Both Nahen and Seere looked startled. Jepar waved off their tension.
“The duration lasts only until the meeting is arranged. Until then, I would like you to stay in my castle and entertain me.”
Nahen and Seere immediately understood. He wanted them to serve as his sparring partners until the gathering could be prepared. It seemed he had enjoyed the earlier fight considerably.
Neither Nahen nor Seere saw any downside to the proposal.
This is the perfect chance for Seere to grow.
I’ll be able to close the distance with Teacher a little more.
Their reasons differed slightly, yet both arrived at the same conclusion: Seere’s skills would improve.
Seere answered cheerfully, “We’ll do it!”
“Excellent. Then I look forward to our time together.”
Of course, while Seere had drawn his interest, Nahen fascinated him far more. The competitive urge to cross blades with him still burned hot within Jepar’s chest. Even so, he refused to act hastily.
There is plenty of time.
He could savor the pleasure slowly. Jepar offered silent thanks for the rare, magnificent enjoyment that had come to him after so long.