Chapter 440: Integrated Ranking (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 440: Integrated Ranking (7)
Chris held nothing back in this duel.
He pressed the attack from start to finish. His simple, precise attack patterns had instantly crushed a powerhouse like Volkan, but Kevin was different. The counterattacks were incredibly fierce. Kevin lunged forward when anyone else would dodge, completely ignoring minor cuts and scrapes. In the midst of this breathtakingly tight clash, Chris couldn't help but acknowledge the man before him.
The boy from the slums.
The Evil Ghost of Dmitry.
They had started from completely different worlds.
To think a nobody had risen to these heights—just how much blood, sweat, and agonizing effort had Kevin shed to get here?
He was a monster.
If Kevin had picked up a sword at an earlier age, his absurd talent might have forged an entirely different life. Chris couldn't let his guard down for a single second. Seeing how much Kevin had improved since their second duel, and remembering the sheer power he had used to defeat Ares, Chris unleashed his aura, pressing down on his opponent even harder.
This was proof.
Even against a monster like Kevin, Chris was proving with his own strength exactly why he was Dmitry's second-in-command.
The clash was fierce.
They acknowledged each other.
Even against a comrade he would trust with his back on the battlefield, Chris didn't halt his onslaught. His face was stained with blood. He didn't relax his grip for a single moment, knowing that if he faltered even slightly, the momentum would be seized in an instant. Kevin was now a monster who couldn't be defeated unless Chris went all out.
A fierce clash of offense and defense.
They tangled together.
Then, it happened.
Just as Chris spotted an opening and prepared to press his advantage, mana boiled explosively from Kevin.
'Dangerous.'
At that moment, absurdly enough, Chris felt a surge of admiration.
The flow of mana Kevin displayed now was unlike anything he had shown before. It meant Kevin had created something entirely on his own. He had finally stepped into the realm of a Pioneer. He was no longer just copying what he saw and heard; he had forged something uniquely his.
A swordsman.
By definition, it was simply someone who wielded a sword.
But while everyone fell under that broad umbrella, each person swung their blade differently, giving every swordsman their own unique texture.
Kevin had evolved.
In reality, it only took a split second.
His presence swelled, threatening to swallow Chris whole.
'I truly acknowledge you.'
But that was all.
Chris didn't doubt his own victory.
The realm of a Pioneer that Kevin had just stepped into was a path Chris had already walked.
Chris had mastered Lightning through Roman Dmitry, and from that foundation, he had birthed the Single Flash. No one had handed him the answers. He had refined the Single Flash through countless hours of contemplation, gradually perfecting it through the daily agony of pushing himself to the absolute brink.
That was the difference.
The level of completion.
The moment Kevin unleashed his surging power, Chris was ready. He had been waiting for this exact moment—the split second his opponent felt most assured of victory.
Only then...
'Single Flash.'
Flash.
Slash!
...would his overwhelming victory shine the brightest.
* * *
Thousands of doubts and deliberations.
Tens of thousands of training sessions.
That was how the Single Flash was born.
While Kevin had entered a new realm by defeating Ares, Chris—who had been forced to pave his own path ever since he first met Roman Dmitry—had finally brought his own efforts to fruition. It was the ultimate fast sword technique. Struck by a devastating blow that completely tore open his chest, Kevin stumbled backward, spraying blood like a fountain.
Drip. Drip.
Blood poured onto the ground.
It wasn't just a few droplets; the blood fell in heavy clumps, and Kevin's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
It was dangerous.
In truth, Kevin's physical condition was far from normal.
No matter how exceptional the regenerative power of the Ghost Soul Demonic Art was, it wasn't omnipotent, and he was still suffering from the aftereffects of his battle against Edwin Hector. Because of that, the impact of this blow was devastating. Seeing the Evil Ghost of Dmitry stumble backward was such an unfamiliar sight that the arbiter seriously considered stopping the match.
There was no reason to risk lives in this duel.
Though the duelists themselves might claim it was important enough to die for, the Dmitry Empire had no desire to see either Chris or Kevin lose their lives. If necessary, the match had to be stopped immediately. But just as the arbiter raised his flag at Kevin's precarious state, Kevin screamed, his voice thick with raw spite.
"Don't stop!"
He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
It was shocking.
The secret weapon he had painstakingly refined had failed.
Even though he thought he had finally surpassed Chris this time, he hadn't even been able to react to Chris's final attack.
Anger surged within him.
But there was a truth that infuriated Kevin even more than the looming shadow of defeat.
"Why did you hold back? It would have been simple to finish me off cleanly. Were you afraid I would die?"
That final blow.
It should have been deeper.
If it had been, Kevin would have suffered a fatal wound, leaving him unable to even stand. But Chris had chosen to pull his strike. Kevin found that fact hard to accept. It wasn't just that he had been brought to his knees in a clash of their full strength; it was the realization that Chris still had enough leeway to show mercy. That was what truly enraged him.
Chris had been right in front of him.
Kevin thought he had finally reached his level after defeating Ares, but suddenly, Chris had pulled far ahead once more.
'Am I still not enough?'
He had to admit it.
Chris and Kevin.
Their starting points were entirely different.
Setting aside the age they first picked up a sword, Chris was born with a talent completely incomparable to Kevin's. If Kevin was a product of the Ghost Soul Demonic Art and sheer tenacity, Chris was talent in its purest form. And when a genius like that brought their efforts to fruition, the results were bound to be extraordinary.
In the past, and even now...
Chris was an insurmountable wall.
"I... wanted to be like you, Sir Chris. I wanted His Majesty the Emperor to look at me and show me the same trust he shows you. That is why I cannot let it end like this. If I accept reality in this pathetic state, I feel like I will never be able to catch up to you."
He staggered.
Chris's Single Flash.
Even knowing it was coming, Kevin had no confidence he could block it.
But even if defeat was certain, Kevin's worth was not determined by results alone.
"To perfectly prove that you are the winner of this tournament, Sir Chris, you must break my very will."
His eyes burned with unyielding desire.
He walked forward.
Though blood dripped with every agonizing step, Kevin gripped his sword even tighter.
"Even if I die, I will never give up."
* * *
It was an unstoppable tide.
An unquenchable desire.
The arbiter couldn't bring himself to stop the match. While the audience watched in a daze, Kevin kicked off the ground and lunged forward.
Whoosh!
Rumble!
He was undeniably fast.
To the eyes of ordinary people, it was an incredibly aggressive charge, but Chris could tell that Kevin had slowed down due to the massive blood loss. He was out of his mind. Chris wanted to scream at the boy, who was rushing in as if he truly wanted to die, but knowing Kevin's sincerity, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Fine. I will crush you completely."
To match his opponent's sincerity, Chris responded with his own.
Facing the raging storm of aura, Chris unleashed his aura once more.
Boom!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
It was a clear advantage.
The reckless charge was blocked instantly, and Chris completely overwhelmed Kevin's presence. In the chaotic exchange, Kevin was pushed back helplessly. Chris was an opponent Kevin couldn't handle even when fully healthy; simply parrying the attacks sent waves of agonizing pain radiating through Kevin's torn chest.
The match was already decided.
Even knowing this, Kevin unleashed his venom.
"Aaaaargh!"
Whoosh!
Rumble!
He shook off his opponent.
Counterattacking with raw spite, Kevin didn't miss a momentary opening and pressed forward fiercely. Meanwhile, his wounds were gradually healing. Thanks to the monstrous regenerative power of the Ghost Soul Demonic Art, the shredded flesh of his chest began to knit back together. Uncaring of any new wounds he might receive, Kevin swung his sword.
Slash!
His arm was cut.
Rumble!
He immediately aimed for Chris's head.
When the attack missed, his leg was slashed, but he lunged forward again, thrusting straight toward Chris's heart.
Murderous intent overflowed.
He didn't care if his opponent died.
He didn't care if he died himself.
Driven by pure, unadulterated malice, he tried to tear into his opponent by any means necessary.
It was the image of a cornered beast.
Watching Kevin shed his human guise and fight with such savagery, the spectators were left utterly speechless.
The finals.
There was a certain picture people had expected.
While the early stages had indeed been a fierce clash that exceeded those expectations, the scene now was so gruesome it was hard to watch. But Kevin felt no shame. This was who he had always been. He was someone who honestly laid bare the inferiority complex that others would hide as a weakness; he didn't care how he looked to the world.
Even if he lost, he would never give up.
To stand before Chris again one day, Kevin didn't hesitate to expose his own weakness.
Chris accepted that resolve.
Kevin was a dangerous challenger.
Regardless of skill, competing with him would be unavoidable for the rest of Chris's life.
The only way to resolve it was to yield his position, but that was something Chris could never allow.
Therefore...
'I will end this.'
Swish!
They tangled together.
Parrying Kevin's attack, Chris boldly closed the distance and slashed at Kevin's body. Even then, Kevin didn't retreat. Deflecting the blade at the last second, Kevin managed to gash Chris's forearm. But despite the sharp pain, Chris's eyes didn't waver.
Splurt!
He slashed Kevin's chest.
As his already mangled chest was torn open once more, Kevin's eyes finally lost their focus.
His body collapsed.
As he crashed to the ground, blood splattered in all directions.
It was over.
With his face stained with blood, Chris looked down at Kevin and spoke in a cold, resounding voice for everyone to hear.
"Remember today. Before His Majesty the Emperor, there is me, Chris, standing above you."
The long journey of the Integrated Ranking...
...had finally come to an end.
* * *
How much time had passed?
When Kevin finally regained consciousness, the first thing that entered his vision was the white ceiling of the infirmary.
"...I lost."
He remembered.
He remembered just how miserably he had been defeated.
Refusing to accept the outcome, struggling until the bitter end, he had lost consciousness with his chest completely torn open.
Looking down, he saw his upper body wrapped tightly in bandages.
Perhaps due to the meticulous care of the healers, there were no bloodstains, but he knew all too well that the wound had been life-threatening. It was a grim reality. Kevin had certainly made rapid progress, but Chris had also moved forward, widening the gap between them once again.
Yet, he had absolutely no intention of giving up.
If once wasn't enough, then twice. If twice wasn't enough, then thrice. He would keep challenging him until the very end.
That was why he hadn't surrendered.
Though the match had effectively ended the moment he failed to react to Chris's fast sword, he had to keep the embers of his will alive for the next time.
Kevin's awakening was quickly reported.
A healer arrived shortly after and examined him.
"How is your body feeling?"
"...I'm fine."
"Why on earth did you go that far? Fortunately, the worst didn't happen, but if things had gone even slightly wrong, it wouldn't have been surprising if you died. Please don't do that next time. From a healer's perspective, it's a nightmare when people like you, Sir Kevin, are brought in."
Kevin smiled awkwardly.
He couldn't promise he wouldn't do it again.
If the exact same moment came, he would risk his life without hesitation.
He turned his gaze away.
It was an attempt to avoid answering, but when Kevin happened to look at the bed right next to his, he gasped in surprise.
"...H-how did this happen?"
He couldn't understand.
Why on earth...
...was that person lying there?
Seeing Kevin's shocked face, the healer let out a heavy sigh.
"Haa. You probably don't realize this, Sir Kevin, but it's already been three days since you were admitted here. In the meantime, Sir Chris challenged His Majesty, Emperor Roman Dmitry. That duel took place yesterday. And..."
The figure on the bed.
It was Chris.
Though perhaps not as severely mangled as Kevin, Chris had clearly crossed the threshold of death.
"That is the result. I heard Sir Chris ended up like that from a single strike."