Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Subjugation Force (2)
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Demian stepped out of the camp for the duel.
“Things have gotten out of hand all of a sudden.”
Margata crossed her arms with a troubled look on her face.
“Oh, just so you know, no need to apologize. I didn’t like those bastards’ behavior either.”
Margata jerked her thumb over her shoulder. Behind her, Dionysio was visible, preparing for battle.
“Those guys are just bad luck. Always picking fights over nothing.”
“It’s clear they’re holding a grudge because Black Snow lost to our master.”
“I think so too. Demian, since it’s come to this, show them what you’ve got. Make sure no one can doubt you.”
Demian nodded.
Then, a thought occurred to him, and he asked.
“But why haven’t you doubted me, Lady Margata?”
Sanus of ‘Blinding Pain’, who held no grudge against the ‘Immortal Burner’, had suspected Demian.
In contrast, Margata had trusted him from the start.
“Huh? Obviously because Agnes trusts you, so I trust you too.”
Margata said it like it was no big deal.
“Agnes may be shy, but she’s good at judging people.”
* * *
Demian stepped into the clearing for the duel.
A crowd had gathered around to watch the two fighters.
“Are you all set? Steel yourself. Insulting our sect comes at a heavy price.”
Dionysio said, gripping his spear.
Demian just sneered silently. Murderous intent flickered in Dionysio’s eyes.
“Now~ Are both of you ready~?”
Sanus stood between them and spoke.
Since this duel stemmed from the conflict between the two sects, Sanus, a third party, had been chosen to officiate for fairness.
“With ‘Blinding Pain’ here, don’t worry and fight to your heart’s content~ Even if you lose limbs, I’ll reattach them right away~.”
Sanus casually spouted gruesome words with a smiling face.
“Then, begin~.”
Sanus dropped his raised hand.
At the signal to start, Dionysio summoned holy power and enveloped his spear.
Holy power was normally as bright and dazzling as light.
But the holy power Dionysio wielded was the opposite. It was a mix of gray and black, like ash left from a fire.
‘Intermingled Blizzard’
A sect formed by followers who had awakened to the authority over cold.
From the moment Dionysio unleashed his holy power, the temperature around them plummeted.
It wasn’t an illusion. Grayish frost began spreading across the ground.
At the same time, chilling cold pressed down on Demian’s entire body. It felt like being thrown naked into winter.
‘He’s properly learned how to wield his authority.’
The main tactic of the ‘Mixed Ice’ sect was to create ice shards to pressure enemies.
But that was a feint. The true weapon of ‘Intermingled Blizzard’ was something else.
The cold emitted by ‘Intermingled Blizzard’ stole body heat from enemies within a certain range and dulled their movements.
In the case of the great saint Black Snow, he could freeze and kill enemies approaching just with the cold.
Dionysio was merely a Rank 3 Holy Knight, so he didn’t have that level of power.
Even so, it was plenty threatening. A knight of the same rank would struggle just to endure the cold.
But this level of cold was no real threat to Demian. He could simply drive it out with mana.
‘There’s an even easier way.’
Demian opened his subspace and drew his holy sword.
As he unsheathed it, a dazzling blade gleamed.
“A holy sword? From someone who’s not even a Holy Knight?”
“Who gave a holy sword to an outsider?”
The watching Holy Knights cried out in shock.
Margata and Agnes averted their gazes slightly.
But Gamal wouldn’t let it slide.
“Margata! What is that? How does an outsider have a holy sword!”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s not like a holy sword is some amazing treasure.”
“The symbol of the Church isn’t an amazing treasure? What are you talking about!”
The freed holy sword radiated holy power.
The holy power cleanly expelled the cold invading Demian’s body.
It was one of the abilities of holy power.
Protecting its wielder from all harmful things.
Even the same holy power was no exception.
“You wield an item beyond your station!”
As the cold was sealed off, Dionysio gnashed his teeth.
“I’ll take back the holy sword after I defeat you!”
Dionysio concentrated holy power into the spear tip. Aura formed from holy power enveloped the blade.
Gripping the ashen aura, Dionysio charged.
Demian infused mana into the holy sword to counter.
Aura instantly blanketed the holy sword. Demian couldn’t help but admire the speed.
‘Truly an impressive sword.’
All weapons had a mana conductivity rating.
Weapons made from cheap iron had low conductivity.
Low conductivity meant greater mana loss upon infusion and slower aura manifestation.
This holy sword had almost no mana loss. Moreover, its aura manifestation speed was incredibly fast.
It meant high-quality materials had been used.
“Let’s see what you’ve got!”
Dionysio thrust his spear repeatedly as he closed in.
Demian blocked every one without flinching.
As his combo was effortlessly parried, Dionysio’s expression hardened slightly.
“You’ve got the skills to back up your attitude!”
But he didn’t back down and unleashed even more strikes.
Countless thrusts targeted vitals, but Demian deflected them without pause.
On the surface, Dionysio’s fierce assault seemed dominant. But in reality, it was the opposite.
The spectating Holy Knights had realized this early on.
“Blocking all those attacks without giving an inch…….”
“It’s not just blocking—he’s parrying them. And to parry…….”
“You have to perfectly predict every attack…….”
The Holy Knights were awestruck by Demian’s feat.
“He’s toying with Sir Dionysio.”
“I wondered how he killed three of Yulan’s black mages…… Now I get it.”
“No wonder Lady Margata insisted on bringing him into the subjugation force.”
“Pity. His skill surpasses Dionysio’s. But he knows nothing of ‘Intermingled Blizzard’.”
The Holy Knights acknowledged Demian’s superior prowess but had already predicted Dionysio’s victory.
“The cold from Intermingled Blizzard builds up in the body the more you parry it.”
“It’s bearable at first, but then it surges explosively.”
The cold from ‘Intermingled Blizzard’ could be repelled with holy power.
But the cold compressed into the weapon wasn’t so easily dispelled.
“He must be reaching his limit now.”
But contrary to the Holy Knights’ thoughts, Demian’s movements didn’t slow at all.
Instead, Dionysio’s breathing grew ragged. It meant he was nearing his physical limit.
The Holy Knights could only gasp at the sight.
“A Holy Knight of Intermingled Blizzard hitting his limit first?”
“Impossible. Sir Demian must be taking constant damage from the cold…….”
The Holy Knights couldn’t comprehend what was happening before their eyes.
“You’re all blind.”
Margata shouted triumphantly.
“He’s releasing aura every time their weapons clash to blow away the cold.”
Even after hearing Margata’s explanation, the Holy Knights didn’t understand.
It would block the cold that way. But to release aura with every parry against that barrage?
Such a feat was impossible even for a mid-class, let alone low-class.
“Lady Margata, even so, that’s…….”
“Impossible? But it’s happening right in front of you. If you don’t believe me, ask Gamal.”
All eyes turned to Gamal. He stared piercingly at Demian Haksen and spoke.
“……Margata is right.”
The Holy Knights’ jaws dropped.
* * *
“Damn it!”
Dionysio spat a curse.
“Why isn’t it working!”
Dionysio himself hadn’t realized at all why his cold wasn’t affecting Demian.
“Hey.”
Amid the exchange of blows, Demian spoke to Dionysio.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
At first, Dionysio didn’t understand why Demian Haksen said that.
“Show everything you have. That way, others will believe it.”
Only after the follow-up did he grasp Demian Haksen’s intent.
“That even a bunch of guys like you couldn’t touch me.”
His grip tightened on the spear. Fury exploded in his mind.
“……If you want to see it, I’ll show you plenty!”
Dionysio slammed his spear into the ground. At the same time, he released all his holy power.
The holy power spread along the ground in all directions. Dionysio converted it entirely into cold.
Ice spears erupted across the entire clearing, aiming to impale Demian Haksen.
Ultimate Technique - Thicket of Thorns.
There was no escape. Even if he dodged, a second attack awaited.
Once all the ice spears rose, they would shatter, scattering cold and shards.
As Dionysio was certain of victory, Demian Haksen took a single step forward.
* * *
Bulsungji Gwangyak (伐性之狂藥)
This mana cultivation method contained not only ways to accumulate mana but also several techniques.
One of them temporarily amplified physical abilities.
The human body is an incredible slacker.
Most motor abilities lie dormant, and only persistent movement can gradually awaken them.
But Bulsungji Gwangyak skipped that tedious process, allowing full activation of motor abilities in one go.
That wasn’t all. With mastery, it could even amplify physical capabilities.
Just like Demian now.
Demian circulated mana according to Bulsungji Gwangyak’s principles.
The mana instantly activated his muscles. His body temperature soared. A pleasant euphoria spread through his brain.
In that moment, the whole world slowed down.
The flapping of birds in the sky, leaves swaying in the wind.
Everything flowed slowly.
Demian lifted one foot.
Ice spears were sprouting from the ground. But it was fine.
Demian’s movement speed outpaced their growth.
He stepped forward.
His leg muscles exploded with power. His body accelerated. In the blink of an eye, he was in Dionysio’s face.
Demian swung his sword down. Dionysio couldn’t even react to the attack.
The straight-falling blade struck Dionysio’s shoulder.
Demian had already dispelled the aura. Dionysio’s shoulder was protected by chainmail. So his body didn’t split in half.
Instead, the shock shattered his collarbone. His body crumpled downward. His knees buckled and hit the ground.
“…….”
Dionysio just blinked. He couldn’t grasp what had happened to him.
“My victory.”
Demian said curtly, then sheathed the holy sword. He looked at Gamal.
“Will you believe me now?”
No response came from Gamal.
“I asked if you’ll believe me.”
Demian raised his voice once more.
Only then did Gamal let out a deep sigh and reply.
“I will.”
“Then you won’t oppose my joining the subjugation force.”
“Just one…… Just one question.”
Gamal asked Demian Haksen.
“Our Holy Knights joined the subjugation force to execute heretics and prove the greatness of God. Why are you joining the subjugation force?”
The dungeon the subjugation force had to enter was a black mage’s dungeon.
A place that went beyond dangerous to potentially deadly.
“Asking pointless questions.”
Demian responded as if it were obvious.
“Yulan executive Agito cursed our family’s territory and tried to kill my family. After doing something like that, killing just one isn’t enough to satisfy me.”
Demian said in a sharp voice.
“So I’m going to get revenge on the others.”
At that answer, Gamal’s eyes widened slightly.
“……Demian Haksen, we welcome your participation.”
Thus, Demian Haksen’s participation in the subjugation force was confirmed.