Chapter 292: Those Heading to Dmitry (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 292: Those Heading to Dmitry (5)
Two weeks ago.
Knight Commander Jonathan, who thought nothing could surprise him after Fred, felt his heart drop when he discovered a certain name on the list.
[Ares]
"...Ares? The Ares?"
He was utterly bewildered.
Applicants like Fred and Logan were already beyond imagination, but Ares was on an entirely different level. He was a genius in the truest sense of the word. Born in Valhalla, his growth had captured the world's attention. He shattered every record in his path, becoming the youngest person ever to enter the Valhalla Rankings.
If that were all, people wouldn't have crowned him the continent's greatest swordsmanship genius.
Ares was famous for consistently defeating Aura Swordsmen of a higher realm. Unlike the norm, he didn't rely on the sheer power of his Aura to win. Instead, he utilized a systematic, beautiful swordsmanship that suffocated his opponents. The martial art he had forged himself bridged the gap in Aura, bringing his foes to their knees.
Starting from rank 100, Ares steadily climbed the ladder.
Then, one day, an event shook the entire continent.
He challenged Schneider, a member of the Twelve Swords of the Continent ranked 12th overall. After a fierce battle, Ares emerged victorious, claiming the 12th spot for himself. The upset caused a massive uproar. Because the destructive power of Aura increased exponentially with each star, it was common sense that a 6-Star Aura could only be matched by another 6-Star. Yet Ares, who had reached the 5-Star Realm at an early age, proved that supreme swordsmanship could overcome that absolute gap.
A true genius of the sword.
The public showered him with praise, declaring that it was only a matter of time before Ares claimed the number one spot.
‘Ares is from Valhalla, but he’s a wandering swordsman bound to no one. The Emperor of Valhalla and the Emperor of Kronos spent over a decade trying to recruit him, yet he never once swore loyalty to a master. To think such a man would apply to become Young Master Roman's private soldier.’
It was unbelievable.
One thing was certain: no matter how Jonathan looked at it, Ares's application was a complete balance breaker.
* * *
The moment Ares stepped onto the stage, Chris knew the inevitable had arrived.
Although Knight Commander Jonathan and the others had argued that someone of Ares's caliber should bypass the test, Chris had firmly disagreed. Roman Dmitry had declared he was recruiting private soldiers. Even if applicants far exceeded the requirements, Chris believed the qualities of a soldier who would blindly follow Roman Dmitry could not be evaluated by martial prowess alone.
Therefore, Ares's name remained on the list.
When his turn came and his name was called, Ares stood under the collective gaze of the crowd and pointed directly at Chris.
And now...
Boom!
Rumble!
Chris was being pushed back helplessly.
This was completely different from his fight with Diego. Against Diego, he had been unilaterally overwhelmed by sheer, destructive power. But even though Ares used an Aura one level lower than Diego, the pressure Chris felt was infinitely greater. It was hard to even keep his wits about him. Whenever Chris raised his blade to block, Ares's strikes exploded against his weakest points. The moment Chris showed the slightest hint of faltering, Ares pressed in, refusing to grant him a single breath of space.
Clang!
Clash! Clash! Clash!
Sparks flew.
There was no time to think.
Chris blocked Ares's relentless onslaught purely on instinct, but the heavy Aura penetrated his defenses, rattling his insides.
Clang!
He deflected the sword.
Chris did not miss that split-second window.
‘Single Flash.’
Flash!
The realm of extreme speed.
The moment Chris unleashed the very attack that had defeated Diego and Fred in a single blow, Ares deflected it, his silver hair fluttering in the wind. Chris's face filled with shock. It was a strike most couldn't even react to, yet Ares's eyes had clearly tracked the trajectory of his blade.
And then...
Whoosh.
Slash!
Ares slipped into the gap and slashed across Chris's chest.
A crack appeared on Chris's armor.
Chris grimaced at the strike. Had it been even a fraction deeper, it would have been fatal. His opponent was truly worthy of his reputation as a swordsmanship genius. Beyond simply being strong, Ares was a completely different breed of swordsman from anyone Chris had ever faced.
On the Western Front, Chris had met Hannibal.
Ranked 3rd on the continent, Hannibal wielded an overwhelming Aura, and Chris had known he could never win a clash of raw destructive power against him. Yet Ares felt even more threatening than Hannibal. It didn't mean Ares was stronger, but rather that Ares's style of relying on pure swordsmanship was Chris's natural counter. If he couldn't gain the upper hand in technique, then Chris—whose Aura was less destructive—had no way to turn the tide of this one-sided battle.
Flash!
Rumble!
He attempted a counterattack.
Using a rapid flurry of strikes to force some distance between himself and Ares, Chris backed away a few paces to catch his breath.
"Huff, huff."
He didn't care about the gazes of the onlookers.
In his world, there was only Ares and himself. Putting the test aside, he genuinely wanted to win this fight.
‘...The moment my execution falters even slightly, I will lose.’
Ares approached.
With his sword lowered, he smiled, showing he still had plenty of room to spare.
"The Flash of Dmitry is not just an empty title, I see. Please, do not disappoint me before the very end."
Just then...
Boom!
Rumble!
An explosion erupted right next to them.
Kevin and Logan.
Their battle had reached its conclusion before Chris's.
* * *
Logan of Steel.
The moniker "Steel" represented his stubborn, unyielding nature.
Clang!
He deflected Kevin's attack.
As if expecting this, Kevin adjusted his footwork and slipped to the side, aiming for Logan's blind spot. Normally, this was a situation where one would retreat and defend. Kevin's movement was just that threatening. But instead of stepping back, Logan raised his sword high, took a step forward, and brought it straight down.
Rumble!
His exploding Aura fell like a bolt of lightning.
His body, shimmering with Aura, showed his absolute willingness to take Kevin's attack. Instead of avoiding getting cut, he intended to shatter Kevin's bones in return. Kevin had no choice but to pull his attack back and twist his body away. In a gamble of mutual destruction, the one who would lose his life first was bound to be Kevin, whose Aura was weaker.
Boom!
Rumble!
The floor of the arena shattered.
Logan's gaze locked onto Kevin instantly.
With his exploding Aura crushing the ground beneath him, Logan closed the distance in a flash, looking as if he would devour Kevin whole.
His mastery of Aura was top-tier.
While Ares pressured Chris primarily with swordsmanship, Logan's method of pressuring his opponent—using Aura to protect his body while utilizing its explosive power to boost his speed—was exceptionally refined. There wasn't a shred of weakness in him. In this arena, which others might dismiss as a mere test, he sought to prove his absolute worth by defeating Kevin.
Clang!
Clash! Clash! Clash!
A clear advantage.
Logan had seized the upper hand.
The onlookers covered their mouths in shock, realizing that the two pillars of Dmitry—Chris and Kevin—might actually fall today.
But then...
Grin.
Kevin smirked.
The stronger his opponent...
The more cornered he became, the more Kevin couldn't hide his delight. His lips curled upward uncontrollably. Ever since entering the Stage of Encroachment, his personality had become extreme. He had grown far more honest with his emotions, and whenever he faced a strong opponent like this, his blood boiled with madness.
Logan was strong. Logan of Steel was a swordsman who crushed his opponents with sheer, unyielding force. Because high-ranking rankers actively avoided fighting him, he remained at rank 19. In reality, his strength easily placed him within the top ten. It was no wonder Count Clive had thrown a fit and tried so desperately to hold onto him.
Logan, who was currently pressuring and overwhelming Kevin, was proving just how formidable he was.
And that was exactly why...
He was worth defeating.
Battling the strong was what gave Kevin's existence meaning.
‘I must be the number one person my Lord trusts. Not Chris, not Fernando, but me. I am the sword that represents my Lord.’
Therefore, Logan was the perfect stepping stone to make his own worth shine.
* * *
Kevin's smirk provoked Logan.
‘He's smiling?’
Against him, no one had the luxury of being relaxed.
Even if it were Roman Dmitry himself, Logan's pride would have been wounded, but to be looked down upon by someone like Kevin was completely unacceptable. He had heard the news that Kevin defeated Blanco in the Great Warrior Battle against the Kronos Empire. The Demon of Dmitry was now a famous figure whose name everyone knew, and Logan acknowledged his skill.
However, Logan was simply stronger.
Seeing Kevin cornered, Logan unleashed an explosion of Aura and surged forward.
Rumble!
Crash!
A torrent of Aura flooded the arena.
His previous attacks hadn't been mindless pressure; he had been systematically restricting Kevin's space, all for this single strike. Unleashing his Aura to sweep over the opponent all at once was Logan's secret technique: the Aura Wave. Putting aside the fact that this was just a test, Logan played his winning card to secure a decisive victory.
At that moment...
Flash!
The Aura split apart.
The flooding wave of energy was torn asunder, and from behind it, Kevin appeared with the face of a demon.
‘Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, First Half - First Form.’
Boom!
Rumble!
An explosion erupted.
The clash between the Aura Wave and the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique engulfed them both. Logan, refusing to back down, searched through the chaos for Kevin's position. But Kevin was doing the exact same thing. Kevin charged straight at Logan, showing zero intention of retreating, even knowing that a single misstep would leave him swept away by the overflowing Aura.
They stood on the very edge of a blade.
Kevin flared his Aura and swung his sword at Logan.
"Let's see you block this too!"
Boom!
Logan faltered.
Planting his feet firmly into the ground, he deflected Kevin's strike.
"And this!"
Harnessing the recoil of his deflected sword, Kevin immediately launched a follow-up attack. It was the perfect opportunity for Logan to counter. However, the moment he locked eyes with Kevin, he instinctively chose to defend. Rather than risking a fatal wound in a mutual strike, his instincts screamed that Kevin's blade would reach him faster than his own.
As expected...
Boom!
The attack connected.
Against a 5-Star Aura Swordsman, Kevin displayed pure madness.
"And this!"
Boom!
"And this!"
Boom!
"Try blocking this too!"
Boom!
Rumble!
It was the display of a complete madman.
On the edge of a blade where Aura raged, Kevin refused to back down, even against Logan of Steel. When his opponent counterattacked with all his might, Kevin used the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique to suppress him right back. Because his Aura's fundamental power was inferior to Logan's, his insides were churning and blood seeped from his mouth. Yet, Kevin simply bared his blood-stained teeth in a wide grin.
Madness was the hallmark of the Mad Demon. It wasn't that Logan was weak; it was that Kevin's fierce obsession with victory had manifested an anomaly.
Step.
Without realizing it, Logan took a step back.
Like a starving hyena, Kevin did not miss the opportunity and unleashed his full power.
‘Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, First Half - Third Form.’
In that instant, Logan's eyes flashed with ferocity.
Even in the face of Kevin's devastating strike, true to his moniker of "Steel," he chose to attack instead of defend.
Rumble!
Crash!
Aura Wave.
He swung his sword.
This was no longer a test; it was a battle of sheer pride, and neither swordsman yielded even a single inch.
Boom!
Rumble!
They collided.
A violent explosion ensued, and a thick cloud of dust rose, shrouding the arena. The onlookers held their breath. The battle between Kevin and Logan was just that overwhelming. While Ares systematically dominated Chris, Kevin and Logan displayed such a savage obsession with victory that it wouldn't have been surprising no matter who won.
The dust settled.
Soon, Kevin's figure was revealed.
Drip.
Blood trickled down his face.
As the price for exposing himself directly to the storm of Aura, he was covered in blood. Yet, despite Kevin's wretched appearance, the one on his knees was Logan.
Kevin's strike had been a step faster. Against an attack that tore straight through Aura, even the unyielding stubbornness known as "Steel" could not hold out. Accepting reality, Logan bowed his head with a grim expression. It was a situation he could never have imagined when he first left Valhalla.
"...I lost."
He admitted it.
Kevin deserved the victory.
The crowd did not cheer.
They were completely overwhelmed, staring blankly at the stage.
Kevin's gaze turned toward Chris's arena.
Wiping away the blood flowing down his face as if it were nothing, he shouted toward Chris, who was still in the middle of his duel.
"Sir Chris!"
People said that Chris was the second-in-command of Dmitry.
Kevin had always hated that. His burning inferiority complex made him constantly wish that he—not Chris—would be the number one person trusted by Roman Dmitry. It didn't mean he hated or loathed Chris as a person. While Chris had never viewed Kevin as a rival, Kevin had always seen Chris as a mountain he had to overcome.
Just as Chris sought to chase the back of Roman Dmitry, Kevin sought to do the same.
"I cannot bear to watch Dmitry lose! If you lose to that guy, Sir Chris, then I'm taking him next!"
He smirked.
An inferiority complex, and blind loyalty.
That was the very essence of the man named Kevin.