N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 324
Raon and the Light Wind squad entered the arena just like they did yesterday.
"Wowww!"
"It's Zieghart!"
"The Swordmaster of the Snowflakes has arrived!"
"The Tempest Sword is here too!"
"Verdant Moon Sword! Please smile!"
The audience's reaction was completely different from yesterday, a complete 180-degree turn. Those who had ignored and mocked were now shouting Zieghart's name and cheering with enthusiasm that could burst their eardrums.
This tremendous cheer was thanks to Raon, who had saved both Burren and Runaan from their intense battle, and had even defeated Borini Kitten while being injured.
Raon led the Light Wind squad to the front of the stage. Unlike yesterday, the leaders of the Six Kings were seated atop the stage.
"It's like their personalities are on display."
Glenn maintained a poker face, King Leckros of Owen Kingdom had a soft smile, and Chamber continued asking Glenn questions despite his unresponsive demeanor.
Ogrem yawned, seeming bored, and Derus maintained the affected laughter he had shown yesterday.
"Please go ahead!"
Raon and the Light Wind squad politely nodded to the leaders before heading towards the waiting seats.
"Who's this Tempest Sword they're calling like that?"
Burren looked around, raising an eyebrow.
"You."
Raon pointed and smirked at Burren.
"M-Me?"
Burren half-opened his eyes, not yet fully recovered.
"Yeah. The Tempest Sword is your title. They call you that because of how you manipulate the wind rising from your sword."
"Title. My title..."
He clenched his fist, shaking his head. He had wanted a title for himself, and it seemed he was touched by the impressive title that people had given him.
"Runaan you're the Verdant Moon Sword. They said the blue frost blooming from your sword is reminiscent of winter moonlight."
"Verdant Moon Sword..."
Runaan murmured the title a few times and then nodded. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Even for her, who rarely showed her emotions, the beautiful title seemed to bring joy.
"What about me?"
Martha approached and swallowed nervously.
"You don't have one."
"Why wasn't I given one?"
Martha's tongue twisted, a rare occurrence for her.
"You advanced to the semifinals by default, so you didn't leave as striking an impression as Burren or Runaan did."
Raon imitated Martha's tone, chuckling.
"Since you haven't shown anything, you don't have a title either."
He raised the corner of his mouth in a teasing manner. It was meant to provoke, but it wasn't a lie. Martha had advanced to the semifinals by default, so compared to Burren and Runaan, she didn't leave as strong of an impression.
"For crying out loud. Did I do it just because I wanted to advance?"
Annoyed by not having a title, Martha chewed on her lips.
"If you defeat Princess Jaina and Prince Greer today, you'll end up with one, whether you want it or not."
Raon looked at Martha, his gaze determined.
"Do you think you can do it?"
"Of course."
Martha nodded without hesitation.
Aren't you going to tell her?
'About what?'
About that conceited girl, and the pros and cons of the Beef Girl?
'Of course, I'll tell her, just not now.'
Huh?
'It'll be more fun to tell her when she starts feeling that something's off during the fight.'
Revealing it when Jaina was exploiting Martha's weakness during the battle would be even more stimulating.
-Ugh…
Wrath stared at Raon, his mouth agape.
Wherever you go, never utter the word 'demon'.
"Huh? Why?"
Because there's no lunatic like you even in the demon realm!
* * *
The Announcer ascended the stage and raised a finger towards the sky. His voice, resonating with enthusiasm, echoed across the arena.
"Thank you for your patience! We will now commence the expert-level semi-finals of the Six Kings Assembly Duel!"
"Wowww!"
"Finally, it's starting!"
"I couldn't sleep at all yesterday!"
"We trust the Third Prince!"
"Princess Jaina! Glory to Balkar!"
"Martha! Smash them just like the other Ziegharts!"
The crowd cheered, adding to the festive atmosphere.
"Unfortunately, we have only one match in the semi-finals, but I am confident it will provide the excitement of at least two matches! The first match! Martha Zieghart versus Jaina Rune Balkar! Please step into the arena!"
Upon the Announcer's announcement, Martha took a quick breath and walked onto the stage. On the opposite side, Jaina, still holding onto yesterday's grudge, glared at Raon and then leaped into the arena.
"Are both of you ready?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
As both of them nodded, the Announcer stepped down from the stage.
"Then, let the first round of the Six Kings Assembly Duel Semi-Finals begin!"
As soon as he raised his hand, Martha struck the ground. With a force resembling a wild boar's, she swung her sword downward.
"Hmm…."
Jaina observed quietly, then seemed to manipulate space, swiftly evading Martha's attack. It was a movement technique called "Jipbaram," which employed spatial magic.
Quaaang!
Martha harnessed the force from her sword striking the arena floor to twist her body. She pursued Jaina while channeling more aura to increase her speed.
Thud!
Martha's aura erupted before Jaina, creating a brief spatial passage that instantaneously pulled them in.
"Tch."
Unfazed, Jaina moved as if she had foreseen this. She employed Jipbaram to shift to the other side.
'It was real....'
Martha's movements and timing, as explained by Raon, were genuine. If she hadn't been informed beforehand, she might have fallen victim to the explosive aura displayed just now.
'I don't know what's on his mind, but...'
Make sure to make good use of it.
Jaina formed a cold smile, deftly dodging Martha's aggressive sword strikes that approached like catapulted stones.
"Mirror!"
As Jaina clenched her right hand into a fist and pushed it to the left, Martha was sent hurtling away, akin to being struck by a battering ram.
"Argh..."
Martha wiped the blood from her lips with the back of her hand and charged once more. Her speed was faster than before, and despite her more relaxed stance, the flow of her martial arts remained consistent.
Following Raon's advice, Jaina repeatedly employed Jipbaram to evade Martha's assaults, then flicked her fingers after dodging, causing space to fold.
Chiiiiing!
Space folded thinly, and blood spurted from Martha's shoulder and arm. It was a potent version of her Severing Magic, enhanced by the application of spatial magic.
"Heh."
Jaina looked at Martha with a twisted expression, a cold laugh escaping her lips.
"The reason you're losing is because your restless aura is driving you crazy."
Quaaaang!
Martha clenched her lips as she managed to evade the torn space caused by Jaina.
"What on earth is that?"
While she was well aware of the danger posed by Jaina's spatial magic, she had no idea that Jaina possessed such skill in martial arts.
Jaina moved as if she knew Martha's every move and the flow of her aura, making it impossible for Martha to land a hit. Especially with her teleportation-like movements during critical moments, it was impossible to predict her attacks. Martha felt like her psyche was completely exposed.
"Tsk."
Martha clicked her tongue and struck the ground. She attempted to predict Jaina's movement and block her path on the left, but Jaina used magic similar to a Blink, dodging to the right.
Martha tried to chase after her, but Jaina cast a spatial spell on the ground to halt her momentum, thwarting her advance.
Chiiiiing!
Martha grimaced and swiftly cut away the spatial magic that surged around her ankles and above her head, then sent out a series of sword strikes.
Quaaaang!
Jaina's vision was obscured by the sword strikes, but she parried them and leaped to the left. She also gathered her aura in her left hand, anticipating an attack from that direction, and swung her sword down with the confidence that Martha's attack would be intercepted.
"Slow."
Jaina scoffed and leaped into the air, avoiding the sword strikes altogether. She grabbed the air and pushed, instantly moving to the opposite side of the arena.
"She's even aware of my attacks from behind?"
Given that she had moved to a different spot instantly, it seemed Jaina had sensed not only attacks from the left and right, but also from behind.
"She seems to know a lot about my attack patterns."
She hadn't revealed that much to be so easily discerned.
[Team Leader 1.]
Martha thought something was odd, and at that moment, she received an aura message from Raon.
"What? I'm busy right now..."
[Doesn't it seem like that high and mighty princess knows you a little too well?]
"Huh?"
Her trembling intensified at the distorted voice.
"No way, could it be you..."
[Yep, it's exactly that. I gave her your information.]
Martha bit her lips and turned her head. Raon grinned and winked.
"That darn bastard is really…"
[Well then, give it your all.]
Raon waved his hand as if encouraging her. Martha was so enraged she wanted to punch Raon, who was below her, even more than the insolent princess boasting in front of her.
"Now finished showing off?"
Jaina coldly smiled and lowered both of her hands diagonally. The two spaces folded, pressing down on her shoulders.
"Showing off? Showi-i-i-ng off? You filthy beings!"
Martha exploded with fury, raising all of Titan's auras. The yellow energy emanating from her acolyte surged and clashed with Jaina's spatial magic, creating a massive blaze.
"Hufff!"
A haze of smoke billowed from Martha's mouth.
"Do as you wish. Pathetic magic like your rusty scissors won't work on me!"
"Bold words!"
Jaina furrowed her brows and intensified the power of her spatial magic. While the arena's space folded even more extensively, it was unable to dispel Martha's auras.
Quaaaang!
Martha's eyes blazed with fire as she stomped her foot in determination. The center of the arena, which had been protected by two layers of defensive magic, collapsed with a crash, and the surroundings split like drought-stricken fields.
"Ugh..."
Jaina's loss of balance was a fleeting moment, but it was enough time for Martha. She swiftly leaped and reached Jaina.
"Blink!"
Jaina didn't have the time to activate Windstep; instead, she used Blink to teleport behind Martha.
"Now I can attack again... Huh?"
As Jaina attempted to use spatial magic to attack Martha's legs once more, a large fist appeared in front of her.
"Get lost!"
Martha had anticipated Jaina's simple Blink movement and immediately pursued.
"If you stretch any further, your arms will be severed!"
"I don't care!"
Jaina, true to her Balkar bloodline, used the brief moment to set up spatial magic. Martha, undeterred even if her hand was torn, unleashed a punch that struck Jaina's jaw.
Squuuunch!
The sound of impact echoed through the arena. Jaina, hit by Martha's fist, rolled across the arena floor with her eyes turned back.
"Ugh..."
"Uff..."
The announcer stood dazedly, snapping to attention upon hearing Jaina's groan.
"T-the winner is Martha Zieghart..."
"You crazy bastard!"
Before the announcer even finished declaring the winner, Martha descended into the arena and seized Raon by the collar.
"What the hell is this nonsense? Why did you reveal my information?"
"I didn't receive anything in return."
"Then why?"
"You just improved your aura control and increased its volume a bit."
Raon maintained a relaxed smile even with Martha gripping his collar.
"What is this... Hmm?"
Martha released Raon's collar and came to a halt.
"It has indeed increased. And by quite a lot..."
In her anger over Raon's perceived betrayal, she hadn't stopped to think and had simply drawn out all her strength, whether Raon had deceived her or not. However, in hindsight, she realized that both the amount and level of her aura had significantly risen.
"So, in your berserk state, you've been suppressing your anger to maintain rationality?"
"How did you...?"
"Your power partly stems from anger. If you forcibly suppress it, won't it explode when it's released? Rationality is important, but sometimes you need to let it out."
Raon smirked and waved his hand.
"You tend to get immersed in one thing. While it's good to go berserk, you're still in a phase where you can explore various possibilities. Broaden your scope of thinking."
"So, you revealed my information to that brat for this reason?"
"Get treated first."
Raon pointed to the makeshift treatment station set up at the edge of the arena without giving a clear answer.
Martha stood there dumbfounded, unable to say anything.
"Team Leader, let's start with the treatment for now."
Yedi, the Deputy Team Leader of Team 1, led Martha to the location where the healers were stationed.
"Ugh..."
As Martha received treatment on her shoulder and hand from the healer, she gazed at Raon.
"Did you really give my information to that insolent girl just to help me grow?"
From Raon's calm tone and his leisurely demeanor, that was the only conclusion she could draw.
He seemed to have done such things to elevate himself to a higher position.
"Is that guy really not a fool?"
Amidst focusing on his own battles and tasks, it felt regrettable that he was also looking after himself and other members of the Light Wind squad.
"Fool? Regret?"
Who was saying what to whom?
Martha stared at the ground, biting her lip. Droplets of blood fell from her torn lip, staining the floor.
"He's not a fool, but I am."
The sense of gratitude towards Raon ignited her chest and brought a tingling pain akin to scratching her heart.
"After all, he helped me not just today. On the other hand, I..."
I haven't done anything for anyone.
"Instead of giving something, I ended up causing harm."
During their trainee days, Martha had attacked Raon first, mocked him, and constantly picked fights. A combination of youthful recklessness, feelings of inferiority due to being an orphan, and anger towards the White Blood religion had culminated in a burst of inferiority complex. But the fact that she had attacked Raon remained unchanged.
"Furthermore, I haven't even properly apologized."
After losing to Raon, she had simply brushed it off vaguely, mocking him and not offering a sincere apology for her jeers.
"He even offered kindness..."
Martha's gratitude towards Raon and the irritation caused by her own lack of action collided within her.
"I need to apologize properly."
Martha slapped her own cheek and looked at Raon and the Light Wind members.
Just looking at them warmed her heart. The people she had disliked so much had somehow become a family for whom she would stake her life.
"The time has come."
It seemed like the time had come for her to open her heart and confide in her comrades.
"If I win today..."
After defeating the third Prince in the finals, Martha resolved to share her circumstances with the Light Wind squad members. And...
Martha looked at Raon and clenched her fist.
"Even apologize."
"Ahahaha!"
* * *
Chamber burst into laughter, looking down at Raon in the arena. She found it extremely amusing, so much so that she slapped her knees while sitting on her chair.
"He gave away his comrade's information without any compensation!"
She had read the content of the message that Raon had sent to Martha, so she knew the entire conversation.
"Is that guy seriously not crazy? This is just too entertaining!"
Chamber slapped her knees and chuckled.
"He's certainly an unusual one."
King Leckros stroked his beard, chuckling heartily. His face was also radiating joy.
"I can feel that he was really observing his comrades."
"I thought he was a tough guy, but turns out he's just crazy!"
Ogrem grumbled, his lips twisting. Despite calling Raon crazy, he seemed even more interested in him. (The translation of his name often changes between ogram, ogrem and ogrim, I think Ogrem sounds cool and easier to remember.)
"Hehe."
Derus looked at Raon without a word. His laughter was so thick that it gave him a doll-like expression.
"Sir!" (she sometimes calls Glenn as uncle, Sir, or old man, which confuses me)
Chamber climbed onto her chair and called Glenn on the other side.
"How did you even raise that guy! How do you make something like that! Tell me, including how to make a good-looking face!"
"I didn't do anything."
Glenn shook his head with a trembling smile, using his aura to forcefully suppress his trembling lips as he raised his head.
"That child, from a young age until now, has made all decisions and acted on his own. Neither I nor the others have done anything separately for him."
He attributed everything to Raon himself, claiming he hadn't done anything.
"The fact that he thinks and moves on his own might have contributed to his growth. Not to mention his prowess, determination, empathy, and even his appearance..."
Glenn's voice, which had begun rather calmly, gradually escalated and sped up.
"Sir?"
"Old man?"
Chamber and Ogrem tilted their heads, looking at Glenn with surprise. It was an unfamiliar sight, and they seemed a bit bewildered themselves.
"Ahem!"
Glenn cleared his throat and stopped speaking.
"Well, in any case, it just turned out that way."
Whatever had happened, everyone nodded their heads at Glenn's words, even though they weren't sure what exactly had transpired.
* * *
"Since there's only one Expert League quarterfinal match, and Martha Zieghart is injured, we'll start the Master League quarterfinals first instead of the Expert League finals!"
The announcer shouted to give Martha some time to recover.
"Oh, so we get to see the crazy and wild Raon right away?"
Chamber grinned mischievously and leaned forward, looking at Raon.
"Hahaha!"
Ogrem burst into laughter and turned his gaze to Glenn.
"What do we do about this? Even the little one that old man boasts about has made it this far."
He pointed towards Blue dragon Garona on the opposite side of Raon.
"Pathetic stabs with a sword like that won't work on him."
"Is that so?"
Glenn chuckled coldly and looked back at Ogrem.
"Then he just need to break it skillfully."
"What?"
"Just watch."
His red eyes shimmered like Raon's as he spoke.
"That child will shatter your son's fancy muscles."
"Wowwww!"
"Raon! Raon! Raon!"
"Garona! Garona! Garona!"
The spectators shouted the names of the two contestants in the arena and waved their hands.
"Phew, it's tense. Who's going to win?"
"It's like a clash between a spear and a rock."
"Not a shield, but a rock?"
"Garona's not just strong in defense. One good hit and the game's over."
"That goes for Raon too. If he can break Borini Kitten's sword, he can handle Garona!"
"Will it be Raon's sharp sword that made Matis and Borini Kitten kneel, or Garona's hefty fists that destroy opponents?"
"A showdown of strength and skill?"
"Exactly. Raon will target Garona's weaknesses."
The spectators eagerly anticipated a battle of strength and skill.
'Strength and skill...'
Raon smiled as he heard the cheers from the audience.
'Unfortunately, that wish can't be granted.'
The fight with Garona wasn't about honing his skills.
"Raon Zieghart."
Garona loosened his grip on the hilt of his neck sword and raised his head.
"I'll give you a warning."
He revealed his sharp teeth like a beast and laughed.
"Rely on that little toy of yours, and you'll be torn apart in an instant."
As if his words were true, a fierce aura emanated from Garona's entire body. It was an intense force that condensed the extreme limits of power.
"I'll give you a warning too."
Raon's cool smile appeared as he drew out the Blade of Requiem sword.
"Underestimating this 'little toy' will leave you with holes all over your body."
"Hahaha! Fine! I can handle whatever comes!"
Garona pounded his chest as if to say he could handle anything.
"Ah, are you ready?"
The announcer seemed afraid as he had already descended from the arena.
"Let's get started!"
"Yes."
With nods from both Raon and Garona, the announcer tremblingly raised his hand towards the sky.
"Then, let's begin the first round of the Master Level Top 4!"
As soon as his hand dropped, Garona's figure disappeared. No, it wasn't just Garona; Raon's form vanished from that spot as well.
Kuooooaaang!
A collision of intense energy erupted at the center of the arena, sending a terrifying shockwave sweeping across the entire space.
"Aaargh!"
"What, what's happening?"
"Why is there such a strong wind...?"
The spectators hunched over, shielding themselves with their hands as they couldn't even open their eyes properly.
Whooosh!
The gray smoke that covered the arena dissipated, revealing the two fighters.
Kukukukuk!
Raon and Garona stood at the center of the arena, generating massive energy and pushing against each other with tremendous force.
"What, what's this..."
"Raon isn't backing down?"
"It's not about skill versus power, but power against power?"
"And he's not budging either. the Frostfire Sword of Valor didn't yield to Blue Dragon!"
The spectators were wide-eyed, witnessing Raon stand firm against Garona's immense strength.
Kwaaaang!
Amidst the overwhelming clash of power, sparks continuously flew between Raon and Garona.
"Urgh..."
Raon growled at Garona, who roared like a beast, as he prepared to retaliate.
'Learning the way the Beast Union uses their strength. I should take notes.'
