King of Destruction

"What kind of nonsense is that?!"

Urek shoved the flower vase aside, his face twisting into a scowl. Some lunatic had barged in ranting about a "King of Destruction," and he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"That damned brat is smashing every last thing in the training hall! Everything he so much as touches falls apart!"

Leff slammed a clenched fist down on the desk.

"The second he lays a hand on something, it breaks! 'King of Destruction' is the only way to describe the bastard!"

"Calm down!"

Urek scooped the vase back into his arms and shoved Leff away.

"A few wrecked training-hall supplies isn't a crisis. A handful of practice swords and uniforms—you came all the way here for that?"

"You think I'd come here over a few snapped practice blades?!"

Leff pounded his chest in frustration.

"That madman shattered three Azure Jade Manacles and wrecked every last Eight-Sword Dummy!"

"What?"

The vase slipped from Urek's arms. He shot to his feet without so much as a glance at the shattered porcelain, his eyes blazing.

"W-what did you just say? Three Azure Jade Manacles and all the Eight-Sword Dummies?"

"Yes! All of them—destroyed!"

"How does that even happen? Don't tell me you never put the manacles on him?"

"N-no, I did. Whether it's brute strength or some technique, he just… breaks them. I'm telling you, he's the King of Destruction!"

"This is insane…"

A pair of Azure Jade Manacles cost a hundred gold coins. An Eight-Sword Dummy ran over two hundred. They were money-devouring monsters of equipment—but they were that expensive because they were that durable. The idea that they'd been destroyed was almost impossible to believe.

"Th-that's… nineteen hundred gold coins. Nineteen hundred gold coins, gone?"

Urek's pupils went dull and cloudy, like rotten eggs.

"That's not even all of it…"

"L-let's go. I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes!"

His jaw trembling, he stormed toward the training hall. Leff, at a complete loss, scrambled after him.

"Ah…"

The moment Urek arrived, his heart dropped into his stomach. The Eight-Sword Dummies installed along the right side of the hall had been smashed to splinters, and up on the dais the Azure Jade Manacles—still faintly glowing blue—lay crumbled like dry autumn leaves.

And the problem was, what Leff had reported wasn't even the half of it.

"The Sword Trace is split in two!"

The Sword Trace—a swordsmanship training tool that revealed imbalances in form through droplets of water—had been snapped like a dry twig. That thing was a gold-eating hippo in its own right, worth over five hundred gold coins apiece.

"And why are all those men lying on the floor?!"

Swordsmen of the Heavy Martial Palace were sprawled across the training-hall floor like the remnants of a routed army. From the look of them, they'd been injured badly enough to lose consciousness.

"What in the world happened here?!"

"Th-this is all Raon's doing."

"You didn't mention any of this before!"

"You charged out of the room before I could finish. Let me start over. During training…"

Leff laid out everything that had happened, omitting nothing.

"Ghhk!"

The color drained from Urek's face. A chief administrator was the lady of the house for an entire organization. He managed both the money and the people—which meant every shattered coin's worth of equipment and every injured swordsman here was, for all practical purposes, his responsibility.

"Where is that little shit right now?! Find him this instant and— hurk!"

He was trembling, fists clenched, about to go hunting for Raon, when a sound like shearing metal rang through the hall.

"Wh-what was that?!"

He spun toward the noise. A tall, blond young man was popping a green sphere like a balloon.

"Gahhhk! That's a four-hundred-gold Balance Ball!"

The sphere was an exceedingly rare training device designed to refine physical balance. Imbued with a high-circle mage's mana, it was the kind of item you could throw money at and still fail to acquire—and it had just been crushed flat.

And the madman showed no sign of stopping.

Crrrk—!

The instant Raon laid a hand on the massive shield beside the Balance Ball, the shield tore apart like a strip of tender beef jerky.

"Aaagh! That's a five-hundred-gold shield!"

It was a specialty piece, capable of stopping even sword-qi and a swordsman's strike once aura was channeled into it. A tool purchased for sword-qi training had been reduced to crumbs in that monster's grip, like a handful of crackers.

Still unsatisfied, Raon was already trudging off in search of his next victim.

"Somebody grab that bastard! Grab him right now!"

Raon was touring the training hall in name and demolishing its contents in practice when a scream erupted behind him. It was Training Instructor Leff, accompanied by a burly, middle-aged man.

Chief Administrator Urek, then.

The name had been in the Heavy Martial Palace roster Judiel had given him. Urek, the man who ran the Palace's household affairs, was charging toward him alongside Leff.

"Y-you—what do you think you're doing?! Why would you smash all of this?!"

Urek howled at the wreckage of the shield on the floor.

"Do you have any idea what this stuff costs?! Huh?! Just what you've broken today is over three thousand gold coins!"

"I was told to look around the training hall, so I just… touched a few things."

"Who told you that?!"

"The gentleman behind you."

Raon pointed at Leff, standing at Urek's back.

"You—!"

"I-I'm sorry! But I did tell him to stop earlier, I swear I did!"

"Shut up!"

Urek's face crumpled into a murderous scowl. Leff hung his head.

"Even if you were told to look around, you've inflicted massive damage on Heavy Martial Palace property. You will compensate for—"

"One moment."

The words came out of Urek's mouth exactly as Raon had expected. He raised a hand, his gaze perfectly calm.

"Before we get to that, I'd like to ask a few questions. The Heavy Martial Palace is one of the martial organizations that represents House Zieghart, correct?"

"Of course it is! With the Battle Demon Squad and the Thunderbolt Squad under our banner, the Heavy Martial Palace is the strongest there is!"

"And an organization that strong wouldn't be using cheap goods, I assume?"

"Naturally! There isn't a single cheap item in this training hall! Every last piece is top-of-the-line!"

"Last question. Do I look particularly strong to you?"

"Strong? A brat who hasn't even packed on proper muscle—what strength could you possibly have?!"

Urek was already furious with Raon; nothing charitable was going to come out of his mouth.

"Right. Then you've been defrauded."

"De-defrauded?"

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

Urek and Leff both went wide-eyed at the word.

"These things only look expensive. Their durability is rock-bottom."

Raon tossed the transparent shield still in his hand to the floor, his expression faintly bitter.

"Surely the equipment used by one of House Zieghart's strongest organizations isn't so cheap that a swordsman who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just earned the title could break it. As you so kindly pointed out, my arms are thinner than the other swordsmen's, I have no real strength, and my aura is sealed."

He lifted his arm, displaying the Azure Jade Manacles locked around his wrist.

"Burren. You saw that I never took these off, didn't you?"

"Huh? Ah—y-yeah. That's right."

Burren, called on without warning, answered honestly. His expression, however, said it all: This lunatic is at it again.

"See? How could I, without even using aura, possibly destroy equipment this sturdy? You've all been sold fakes. I went out of my way to inform you that you've been defrauded—shouldn't you be thanking me?"

"Ah…"

"Uh…?"

Urek's and Leff's mouths fell open. Neither of them had imagined an answer like that; their eyes simply went blank.

"W-wait a second! That's not—"

"I'll admit, being treated like a suspect stung a little. But it's fine. I'll let it go—it's my first day, after all."

Raon gave a light wave of his hand and stepped back. Urek and Leff stood rooted to the spot, as if they'd been turned into wooden dolls.

"Sophistry! You smashed all of that with raw strength!"

True. They'll figure out it's nonsense soon enough.

Raon nodded, a faint smile tugging at his mouth.

But they have their pride. They won't bring up compensation again.

"Don't tell me you planned this from the start?"

Judiel briefed me on their personalities, too.

Before coming here, he had received a document from Judiel detailing the officers' temperaments and tastes.

Chief Administrator Urek was the type who valued his pride even more than money. He had already backed down once in front of the other swordsmen; he would not raise the matter of compensation a second time.

"What are you all standing around for?! Clean up this wreckage!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

At Urek's order, the swordsmen who had been staring blankly began gathering up the shattered equipment.

"Hmph."

Raon perched on the stands, a sly smile playing at his lips.

Looks like I wrecked more than half of it.

There was still plenty of gear left, but he'd destroyed most of the expensive-looking pieces. The losses would be staggering. The thought of the look on Karun's face when he found out was enough to make him laugh.

"So that was the goal."

Burren dropped onto the seat beside him, a dry chuckle escaping him.

"You came here to smash the Heavy Martial Palace's equipment?"

He had clearly seen through everything, yet he wasn't agitated. He was only frowning, faintly.

"That's not why I came."

"Meaning you've got another objective. Well—you wouldn't have shown up just to break a few things."

Burren nodded as if he'd expected as much.

"Still, don't wreck too much. Keep it reasonable. It could get dangerous."

"Are you worried about me?"

"W-worried? Don't be ridiculous! I just don't want you breaking the equipment I have to use!"

He waved his hands, his face flushing red for the first time in a long while.

"You're not actually trying to stop me, though."

"I know who picked the fight first. It's hard to intervene. And it's not like you'd listen even if I told you to knock it off."

Burren lowered his brows and clicked his tongue.

"By the way—were you always this strong?"

"I told you. The equipment was cheap."

"Sure it was."

Burren rose with a faint smile.

"If I'm going to catch up to you, I'm going to have to work myself to death."

With that, he walked off toward the other swordsmen.

"Is that really the same pair of eyes This King remembers?"

Wrath narrowed his gaze, unable to make sense of it.

"It's rare for a human to change that much."

I know. I'm surprised too.

Burren had grown so easygoing that his old, sharp-edged temperament felt like a lie. He still snapped at Runaan and Marta, of course, but the man himself seemed transformed.

His vow to catch up to Raon, however, was apparently as firm as ever.

"So. What is your Strength at now?"

Strength?

Raon clicked his tongue and, for the first time in a long while, called up his status window.

That's absurd.

The numbers punched a gasp out of him the instant they appeared. A year's worth of stats gained from the system, the growth from his own training, and the bonuses harvested from Sloth had stacked together until his physical abilities had left the human species behind.

No wonder everything broke.

Until now he had kept his power under perfect control, never harming anyone with it. Unleashed at full force, though, that strength could shatter even iron—so long as he struck a joint or a seam.

Strength at 129.

"Wh-what did you say?"

One hundred twenty-nine.

"You deranged little—! When did it get that high?!"

You gave me most of it. Why are you asking?

More than half of those stats had come from Wrath making sloppy wagers or exploding in a rage he couldn't contain. Training and Sloth had helped enormously, but Wrath's sucker-punch generosity had been the greatest contributor of all.

"You accursed parasite! You're sucking This King's nectar dry like a fly stuck to a pineapple!"

Wrath ground his teeth, whipping up frost and fury.

Rumble—!

Icy cold and seething wrath knifed through Raon's mana circuits like honed blades. Wrath was even stirring the wrathful energy coiled around Raon's soul, as if to say this time he meant it.

"You cannot use aura right now! This round belongs to This King!"

I wouldn't be so sure.

The Ring of Fire wasn't aura.

Raon smiled faintly and set the rings resonating. Five rings circling his heart sang out, and the wrath winding around his soul subsided.

And besides.

The Azure Jade Manacles could suppress only a single aura. They had no hold on the second aura nested in his core—the frost of Glacia.

Hisssss—!

A wall of frost conjured from Glacia cut Wrath's cold off completely.

"You leech!"

Wrath poured out frost and fury for more than ten minutes, shrieking the whole time.

All that does is cost you, you know.

Raon shook his head and pointed at the message that had just appeared.

Look at that. It just hands them over. How is my Strength supposed to not go up?

"Daaaaamn it all!"

Wrath's howl—the cry of a king who gave and gave and gave—echoed on through the Heavy Martial Palace.

"That damned brat."

Urek sat in the stands, grinding his teeth as he stared at Raon. He'd been thoroughly played by that slippery little snake, but he'd already conceded the point in front of the other swordsmen. His pride wouldn't let him bring it up again.

I'll crush him properly. Slowly. Thoroughly…

"Urek."

"Hurk!"

He was in the middle of swearing revenge when a heavy, low voice rolled against his ear from behind. It was the voice he feared most in the world.

"L-Lord Karun!"

Karun Zieghart, Master of the Heavy Martial Palace, was approaching the training hall with ten escorts at his back.

"What brings you here…?"

"The Family Head ordered me to reinforce the Battle Demon Squad and the Thunderbolt Squad. They're out on assignment."

"Ah—y-yes, of course."

Urek swallowed dryly, feeling sweat soak through the back of his shirt. He'd been terrified Karun had come because of Raon. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.

"Hmph."

Karun glanced at Raon, who was sitting there in a daze, and let out a cold laugh.

"You remember what I told you. Gather information so that arrogant brat can be killed at any time, anywhere."

"Of course, my lord!"

"I'll be back within two weeks."

He flicked his hand and strode through the training hall, leaving the Heavy Martial Palace behind.

"Haa…"

Urek pressed a hand to his chest and exhaled in relief.

Thank the heavens.

He couldn't afford to waste this chance. Before Karun returned, he needed to humiliate Raon and compile a full report on the boy's strengths and weaknesses.

There's only one way to do that.

A spar. A spar was the perfect method.

"Leff!"

Urek beckoned to Leff, who was still standing there in a stupor.

"Y-yes, sir!"

"Fetch Garnet!"

Garnet was a swordsman whose aura was modest but whose talent with the blade was exceptional. Raon's gift for swordsmanship was said to be remarkable as well, but it wouldn't be enough to overcome the gap in years.

Urek curled his fist, a chilly smile spreading across his face.

"Today I'll show you your limits, Raon Zieghart."

During free time, Raon didn't train at full power the way he usually did. He simply loosened his body with light movements.

"What are you doing?"

Stretching.

"You're not going to train?"

A spar's about to start.

"A spar?"

Yeah. It's obvious.

The moment he'd returned to the house, an order had gone out to Judiel to gather information. The Heavy Martial Palace wanted everything they could get on him.

They weren't about to waste an opportunity that had walked right through their door. They would request a spar if only to extract that information.

"Fall in!"

Raon was making a slow circuit of the training hall when Leff climbed onto the dais and called everyone together.

"There was an unfortunate incident, but it's been resolved. We will proceed with the next drill."

He flicked a glance at Raon as he said unfortunate incident.

"This drill is a spar. You will wear the Azure Jade Manacles and subdue your opponent using only swordsmanship and footwork. That is the condition for victory."

Called it.

Leff's words matched Raon's prediction without a hair's difference.

"Hmph! Th-This King had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠already predicted as much!"

Wrath whipped his head away, his voice trembling.

"Bebin, Arun—step forward!"

At Leff's call, two swordsmen came forward and began exchanging blows. Both were outstanding fighters who had reached Expert Mid-Class, and even without aura the spar was gripping enough that no one could look away.

The two of them fought with a ferocity that rivaled live combat, until the swordsman named Bebin took a blow to the shoulder and the match was called.

"You saw that? The Heavy Martial Palace spars as if it were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the real thing."

Leff stressed the words the real thing, looking at Raon in particular.

"Next—Raon and Garnet. Step forward."

Raon stood and looked at the man called Garnet. He appeared to be in his thirties, with a solid, well-built frame. His aura itself didn't seem particularly impressive, but the presence rolling off him had been honed to a keen edge.

The way his gaze sat low and heavy as he looked this way said he'd made up his mind.

Raon climbed onto the sparring ground with a cheerful smile.

This should be fun.

Garnet looked down at Raon and ran his tongue across his lips.

I just have to wreck this arrogant brat.

Chief Administrator Urek had ordered him to harass Raon in the spar until the boy was forced to use every hidden sword technique and ability he had.

It wasn't a difficult job—and if he humiliated the kid properly, Urek had promised to transfer him to the Battle Demon Squad at the next personnel shuffle. That made it mandatory. The brat's pretty face had already gotten on his nerves. This was perfect.

Without aura, I can beat him as much as I want.

He would concede that Raon possessed an exceptional physique and formidable aura. But when it came to swordsmanship, Garnet was confident he stood above. So long as aura stayed out of it, he could toy with the boy.

"As your senior, I'll yield the first move."

Garnet flicked his fingers.

"Are you sure?"

"I am. Come at me before I change my mind."

He would never have done this if Raon could use aura. But they were both wearing Azure Jade Manacles, so he could afford to be generous.

"Understood."

The boy nodded and surged forward. In a blink he was right in front of Garnet, his sword coming down.

Just as I expected.

Garnet smirked. The sword's trajectory and speed were both well within his calculations.

I'll deflect it with style.

He was just about to tilt his raised blade and elegantly turn Raon's descending strike aside when—

BOOM!

The instant their swords met, a shock like his joints being ripped from their sockets slammed through him.

"Huh? Wh-what—?!"

The force behind Raon's sword was so overwhelming that Garnet couldn't deflect it, couldn't even hold his ground. His wrist folded.

"Th-this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠isn't how— gack!"

CRACK!

Garnet's own sword, driven backward, smashed into his forehead with brutal force. The sound of a ball bursting rang from the skull of a man who had just been clubbed by his own practice blade.

"Ghhrrrk…"

In Garnet's fading vision, Raon stood with a calm expression, his mouth opening.