Chapter 274: Advent of the Heavenly Demon (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 274: Advent of the Heavenly Demon (6)
Groans rippled through the crowd.
Duke Bamford stared in shock at the blood pooling on the ground.
...Diego was defeated by a mere 4-Star Aura Swordsman?
It was utterly mind-boggling.
As a battle-hardened veteran who had commanded countless wars, he possessed a deep understanding of swordsmanship, even if he wasn't a great swordsman himself. That was why he had accepted Roman Dmitry's proposal. Even if Roman had prepared some unexpected, special plan, it made no sense for Diego—a member of the Twelve Swords of the Continent—to lose to Chris.
The Twelve Swords.
They were monsters who had reached the absolute pinnacle among countless Aura Swordsmen.
Diego's explosive, boiling 6-Star Aura should have completely erased Chris's very existence.
And yet...
He had lost.
It was impossible to even see how Chris's attack had been executed. Even as they watched with wide, straining eyes, blood had simply erupted from Diego's chest. A 4-Star Aura overpowering a 6-Star Aura was baffling enough on its own. Watching Diego stumble and collapse, face-planting into the dirt as he bled out, Duke Bamford stared at the unfolding scene, utterly speechless.
Blood flowed.
The crimson puddle filling the hollowed-out earth was undeniable proof of Diego's futile death.
"Waaaaah!"
"Chris! Chris!"
"Chris! Chris!"
The soldiers of the Cairo-Dmitry Alliance erupted into thunderous cheers.
They, too, had harbored doubts.
From the moment they recognized Diego's name, they believed it would be nearly impossible for Chris to win. This unexpected outcome sent them into a frenzy of explosive excitement. They didn't care to analyze the duel with common sense. Even if a fluke had decided the match, the only thing that mattered to them was the undeniable reality: Chris had won.
The first duel.
It was Dmitry's victory.
As Chris flicked the blood off his sword and stepped back, Kevin stepped forward, acting as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.
Damn it.
Duke Bamford's face contorted.
He had only brought two 6-Star Swordsmen for this operation.
With Diego dead and others deployed elsewhere, he desperately wanted to send out Hannibal. Even among 6-Star Swordsmen, Hannibal was on an entirely different level. For him, defeating Kevin—a known 3-Star Swordsman—would be child's play. However, the problem was the declaration the Duke had already made.
Going back on his word.
That was unbecoming of the Kronos Empire's prestige.
Swallowing his rage, Duke Bamford called out a name.
"Blanco."
"Yes, my lord."
A man in his early forties with an imposing, massive build and a sharp, square jaw stepped forward at the Duke's call.
"Your opponent is a mere 3-Star Swordsman. I warn you now: if you lose to that brat, I will slaughter your entire family. You understand what that means, don't you? Defeat is not an option in this fight. But if you return after exalting the name of the Kronos Empire, you will be handsomely rewarded."
"...Understood."
He nodded.
Though he showed a hint of tension, Blanco was confident.
The opponent before him really...
...looked so weak that it made him wonder how the boy had ever been chosen for a Great Warrior Battle.
* * *
He stepped onto the battlefield.
"I am Blanco."
Introducing oneself was basic etiquette.
However...
There was no reply.
Kevin just stood there, muttering something under his breath in a voice so low and slurred that even Blanco's sharp senses couldn't make it out. Blanco's face twisted. He was ranked 7th in Kronos, the strongest individual outside of the top six monsters who had reached the 6-Star Realm. The mere mention of his name should have made his opponent tremble. Kevin's complete disregard ignited his fury.
"So, you think words are unnecessary."
Shlick.
He raised his sword.
No words were needed.
In fact, this was exactly what Blanco—who desperately needed a swift victory—wanted.
Tap.
Rumble!
He kicked off the ground.
A vortex of Aura erupted as he closed the distance in an instant. Blanco unleashed his 5-Star Aura, showing no intention of holding back from the very start. Even then, Kevin did not move. The moment Blanco closed in and swung his sword, Kevin's gleaming, blood-red eyes locked onto his movements.
Boom!
Rumble!
A violent clash ensued.
Kevin targeted the weakest point of the 5-Star Aura, slightly tilting his blade to slip inside Blanco's guard. Irritation flared within Blanco. It was infuriating enough that his attack had been blocked by a mere 3-Star Aura, but the way the boy lunged forward without a shred of fear grated on his nerves.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Clang!
Swords flashed.
Blanco quickly pulled back his blade to strike, and in an instant, they exchanged a flurry of blows.
An opening.
Kevin's chest was exposed.
The moment Blanco thrust his sword forward to seize the split-second opening, he witnessed a baffling sight. Kevin was launching an attack of his own, completely ignoring his defense. At this rate, it would undoubtedly result in mutual destruction.
His hesitation was brief.
Though he was confident he was faster than Kevin, looking into those madness-filled eyes, he couldn't bring himself to make such a reckless gamble.
Swish.
He evaded the attack.
As expected, Kevin didn't back down. Blanco parried the counterattack and grazed Kevin's forearm.
Slash.
He felt the sensation of his blade cutting flesh.
Blood visibly splattered, yet Kevin's face didn't contort in pain, nor did he show any sign of fear or retreat. It was an incomprehensible sight. Like a man rushing to his death, Kevin lunged forward relentlessly, treating the exact moment Blanco retrieved his sword as an opportunity.
Swish.
Blanco aimed for his head, but Kevin dodged slightly and thrust at Blanco's chest instead.
Swish.
Blanco took a step back to deflect the blow, then unleashed an explosive burst of Aura, aiming right back at Kevin's chest. The Auras clashed violently. Sensing that the typical violent recoil of Aura was missing, Blanco realized his opponent was blocking his attacks using a method he didn't understand.
Flash.
He whipped his head aside to dodge a surprise attack from Kevin.
At a distance so close he could feel the boy's breath, Kevin's judgment—blocking the attack and boldly striking back simultaneously—was nothing short of admirable. A 3-Star Aura contending with a 5-Star Aura. And a sheer, unyielding boldness. He finally understood why people feared this mere 3-Star Aura Swordsman, calling him the Evil Ghost of Dmitry.
But.
In the end, he is no match for me.
He could feel it gradually.
With every violent clash, his opponent's strength was waning.
Though Kevin was somehow managing to block his attacks, the overwhelming difference in destructive power was slowly breaking him down. It was a clearly advantageous fight. Blanco didn't rush; he resolved to systematically dismantle Kevin, who fought with utter disregard for his own life. Against a lunatic like this, the best approach was to avoid overextending. No matter how glorious the victory, if he ended up crippled, his life as a swordsman would be over.
Once again...
Swish.
The sword grazed past.
It was a missed attack.
Just as Blanco was about to counterattack, an urgent voice shouted from behind.
"Wake up, Blanco! You're cornered!"
It was Duke Bamford.
In that instant, Blanco's heart sank.
In the breathless heat of battle, he had failed to properly grasp his own situation.
The duel he thought he was winning...
One step.
Two steps.
Retreating three steps as he parried his opponent's attacks, he had...
...What on earth?!
Before he knew it, he had been backed into a corner, with his own soldiers right behind him.
* * *
The Stage of Encroachment.
His head spun.
Even as he was completely consumed by madness, Kevin voiced his dissatisfaction with the situation.
"I wanted a 6-Star Swordsman. Not a piece of trash like you, but a 6-Star Swordsman like that guy back then."
Blanco looked utterly bewildered.
He couldn't comprehend why this boy, who had backed him into a corner, was muttering to himself like a madman.
Over the past few days, Roman Dmitry's teachings had led Kevin into a whole new world.
In that astonishing moment of realizing the true essence of Aura, the existence of the "Heavenly Demon Sword Technique" that Roman Dmitry spoke of was nothing short of ecstatic. Thus, he had learned up to the third form of the first half of the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique. Roman had explained that the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was a realm Kevin could not master since he had already learned the Ghost Soul Demonic Art. Furthermore, utilizing the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique purely through the foundation of the Ghost Soul Demonic Art would push his body to its absolute limits, even if he only used the first half.
On that day, he had grasped a powerful strength.
With his circumstances completely changed, he, like Chris, wanted to test his might against a 6-Star Swordsman.
And yet, Blanco had stepped forward instead.
He was displeased. He was angry.
Having intentionally exposed his own body just to corner his opponent, Kevin spoke, his eyes gleaming with madness.
"I will attack three times from now. If you block all of them, I will admit defeat and offer you my neck."
His opponent was cornered.
He would have no choice but to give it his all.
Blanco seethed with rage.
Kevin's words made it sound as if the boy considered himself a level above him.
"You arrogant little—"
It was then.
Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, First Half, First Form.
Rumble!
Aura exploded.
Faced with an attack from which he could not retreat, Blanco hurriedly summoned his Aura to counter it.
Boom!
Crash! Crash! Crash!
A massive shockwave erupted.
The watching soldiers were blown away, and Blanco felt a shock so intense it felt as if his Mana had been instantly vaporized. His eyes shook violently. According to public information, Kevin was a mere 3-Star Aura Swordsman. It made absolutely no sense for someone like him to unleash an attack of such monstrous power.
Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, First Half, Second Form.
Rumble!
It was the next attack.
The second strike Kevin had promised.
Sensing an ominous energy, Blanco gritted his teeth and drew out every ounce of his power. He believed in himself. In a clash of pure strength, it was impossible for him to fall to a mere 3-Star Swordsman.
However...
Crack.
His Aura shattered.
Cracks spiderwebbed across his 5-Star Aura, and in an instant, it burst into countless fragments.
Shatter.
That was Blanco's last memory.
It was only the second attack, yet the strike that tore through his Aura slashed cleanly across his body.
"Aaargh!"
Spurt!
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Stumbling with unfocused eyes, he collapsed to his knees.
Three attacks.
This was only the second.
Kevin looked down at Blanco with cold eyes, disappointed that he couldn't even test his full power.
"I told you. I wanted a 6-Star Swordsman."
Flash.
He severed the man's head.
The head soared into the sky.
Beyond it, Duke Bamford's face, pale with shock, came into view.
* * *
Diego's defeat...
He had forced himself to rationalize it.
Chris's swordsmanship, which relied on speed, possessed an advantage that could bypass the sheer difference in Aura.
But Blanco's defeat was utterly unacceptable.
The Aura swirling from Kevin's sword was far too destructive. In a simple clash of raw power, a 3-Star Aura had completely overwhelmed a 5-Star Aura. For Duke Bamford, his entire understanding of common sense had just crumbled. Regardless of the reason, what had unfolded before his eyes was an utter impossibility in reality.
Kevin's condition did not look good, either.
The previous attack seemed to have taken a heavy toll on him as well, but that did not change the fact that he was the victor.
The duel was over.
Dmitry's victory.
It was a humiliating situation.
Duke Bamford trembled violently with intense shame.
"Roman Dmitry! I don't know what kind of cheap tricks you've pulled, but the outcome of a Great Warrior Battle does not decide the victory or defeat of a war!"
He was denying reality.
As the Duke screamed in bitter rage, Roman Dmitry merely smiled in silence.
At that smile, a realization struck Bamford.
Roman Dmitry had wanted a total war from the very beginning. Everyone on the continent—including the Kronos Empire and the Kingdom Alliance—had denied it, thinking it was impossible. But this madman had intended to settle things in a head-on clash with Kronos all along. It was absurd, yet at the same time, admirable. The fact that someone capable of such thoughts existed in this world, and that he had successfully turned the tide of the situation through the results of the Great Warrior Battle...
Roman Dmitry was the real deal.
The moment things went according to his intentions, even an army of 300,000 might be reduced to defeated remnants.
That could never be allowed to happen.
Duke Bamford made his decisive move.
"Listen, all forces! Though we have lost the Great Warrior Battle, this is merely a cheap trick by Roman Dmitry to seize the momentum! We possess a military force that completely overwhelms the enemy! Our army of 300,000 and the presence of Lord Shepir, an 8th Circle Mage, do not allow for even a one percent chance of defeat! Believe in yourselves! Believe in the Empire! If you risk your lives for the Empire, you will always be victors!"
He shrieked at the top of his lungs.
Normally, there would be a brief intermission after a Great Warrior Battle. But having lost, he could not afford to miss this golden opportunity with the enemies exposed right there on the plains.
"All forces, attack!"
"Attack!"
The command was issued.
At those thunderous words, the soldiers of the Kronos Empire charged all at once.
A single speech had completely reversed the atmosphere. As the fervor spread like wildfire, they showed absolute confidence in their victory.
Kronos!
The invincible army!
They surged forward like a tidal wave.
At the sudden assault, the soldiers of the Kingdom Alliance hurriedly raised their weapons.
It was then.
Passing through the crowd, passing by Kevin, Roman Dmitry walked forward.
Seeing Kevin trying to follow him, Roman spoke.
"You did well. From here on, it's my turn."
This war.
It was reckless, just as people had said.
But living as the Heavenly Demon, Baek Joong-hyuk, there had never been a single smooth moment in his entire life.
Shlick.
He raised his sword.
The Central Plains Murim used to say:
The Best Under Heaven.
If there were nine sword techniques that represented the Heavenly Demon, there were nine steps that supported them.
Throughout his current life, Roman Dmitry had never once unleashed his full power—a state where his cultivation method, footwork, and swordsmanship became one.
And now, looking at the surging enemies, Roman Dmitry took his first step.
Heavenly Demon's Sovereign Step.
Finally, the true Heavenly Demon had descended upon this current life.