C753
Raon let out a hollow laugh as he looked towards the arena entrance.
'They're like a swarm of bees.'
Where did all these people come from? As soon as the weekend arrived, a countless number of people flooded the arena. It was incredible that everyone came to Hollam just to watch his duel with Martha.
'Well, we're both undefeated. I suppose they're curious to see who will win.'
Since entering the arena, he and Martha had achieved overwhelming victories. Word had spread that two fighters so strong that even the champion was reluctant to accept their challenge would face off. It wasn't surprising that people flocked from all over the continent.
'Were the betting odds even?'
Martha overwhelmed her opponents with her fierce personality and brute strength, while he subdued his challengers with mocking psychological warfare and speed. Their contrasting styles attracted even more attention and anticipation, resulting in evenly split odds.
Raon twisted his lips as he watched a middle-aged man with blue hair disdainfully enter the arena.
'I wonder where that gambling addict placed his bets.'
Rimmer, disguised as a nouveau riche middle-aged man, had been flitting between betting houses and bars all day. Judging by his shiny, oily face, he seemed to be having a good time.
-That Pointy Ears has improved his skills.
Wrath looked at Rimmer, clearly displeased.
'Indeed. It's quite strange.'
Despite spending all day gambling and drinking, Rimmer's aura and movements remained stable. It was disconcerting how he had improved when he shouldn't have been able to train all night.
-I've always said it. At some point, the mental image becomes the most important thing.
Wrath moved his round hands up and down.
-When you reach the Grand Master level, you can gain as much from the mental image as from physical training.
He snorted, telling Raon not to focus on only one aspect.
-However, to improve his skills in such a short time, it seems Pointy Ears has experienced some kind of mental shift.
Wrath narrowed his eyes, saying such a change wasn't easy.
'A change in mentality, huh…?'
After the practice duel at the house training ground, Rimmer's eyes and aura had clearly changed. Although he still strutted and relaxed, he had undoubtedly grown mentally.
'But…'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the line of people thinning out.
'When will those guys come?'
While the arena was filled with spectators and gamblers, not a single hair of the demonized humans from the Black Tower or the Sword Fanatics from the Holy Sword Alliance could be seen.
'There's no way I missed them.'
He had been watching all the entrances since the first spectator arrived. Since he couldn't have missed them, they must not have arrived yet.
'They'll definitely come.'
The Greedy Demon doesn't lie when it comes to money. Raon activated Wrath's demonic eyes to more closely scrutinize the inside and outside of the arena. As the crowd began to thin, a hooded group in black robes entered through the left corridor. Although they suppressed their aura, a sinister stench seemed to seep from their robes.
'They're here.'
Raon's fingertips tightened.
'It's the Black Tower.'
True to their nature as monsters who use demonic energy and death energy, the demonized humans from the Black Tower emitted a repulsive odor even while hiding their aura. However, from the man in the vanguard, no aura or odor could be detected.
'Is that Marang?'
Black eyes gleamed from between the robes, cold enough to make his skin crawl. It felt as if he were looking at darkness itself, not a human. As Denning Rose had said, he was a high-level Grand Master among Grand Masters.
Marang, paying no attention to the preliminary duels, headed straight for the upper-floor observation area where Tugui was.
The other demonized humans remained motionless like statues. Raon observed Marang's back as he ascended the stairs, then shifted his gaze to the right.
'Holy Sword Alliance.'
With steps that seemed to raise every hair on his body, the swordsmen dressed in gray robes entered. Unlike the Black Tower, they didn't hide their faces, and their sharp aura felt like the edge of a blade.
'That must be the White Demon Swordsman.'
His gaze naturally fell on the man in the front. His complexion was ghastly pale, and his arms and legs were abnormally long. From his body, inappropriately proportioned for a swordsman, emanated a well-honed sword aura. That man seemed to be the White Demon Swordsman of the Holy Sword Alliance.
'He's strong.'
An aura suggesting he could cut down anyone who approached enveloped his entire body. The White Demon Swordsman was also a high-level expert, not inferior to Marang.
-Hmm…
Wrath stroked his chin as he watched the White Demon Swordsman ascend towards the upper-floor observation area.
-They're insignificant like insects to me, but they're not far from your level. Can you really take down all three of them?
He narrowed his eyes, looking doubtful.
'It's not three, but two. And…'
Raon licked his lips as he looked up at the observation area.
'If I can't handle this, I might as well completely surrender to revenge.'
Derus Robert is a monster who has reached the pinnacle among Transcendent Warriors. To defeat him, one must constantly challenge difficult missions. After etching into his mind the martial prowess and movements of Marang, the White Demon Swordsman, and the Greedy Demon, Raon returned to the waiting room.
"You've arrived!"
Dorian, who had been waiting in the room, bowed his head.
"They say the duel will begin soon, so please prepare yourselves."
He relayed the manager's message as he approached.
"And Rose said all the beasts have entered."
Rose referred to Denning Rose, and the beasts referred to the Light Wind division. It meant that all the personnel were in their designated positions.
"Did you distribute all the antidotes?"
Raon tilted his chin as he looked at Dorian.
"Yes."
Dorian nodded quickly.
"Then tell them to drink it right before my duel with Martha begins, as planned."
"Ugh, understood…"
He sighed, clutching his chest which was rising and falling.
"I'm a little nervous. I'm not sure if I can do it right…"
Dorian licked his lips as he gripped his left wrist with his right hand.
"It's alright."
Raon shook his head calmly.
"Think about the training you've done."
"Hmmph!"
Dorian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded vigorously.
"Suddenly I feel very confident."
He tilted his head, saying he was fine now, and left the waiting room.
-The errand boy doubts himself, but not you.
Wrath snorted as he watched Dorian leave without a word, seemingly trusting Raon.
"Then I'll have to live up to that trust."
Raon flexed his fingers and curved his lips.
"And I told you, he's not an errand boy."
-You're the one who treats him like an errand boy!
"It's been a while for both of you."
Tugui greeted Marang and the White Demon Swordsman with open arms.
"Welcome to Hollam."
He spoke like a king, as if the Hollam Lawless Zone was his own land. Marang briefly scanned the Greedy Demon before sitting down on the right without saying a word. Even with his hands clasped, he didn't show any openings.
"Your jewels have increased."
The White Demon Swordsman sat on the left, his voice tinged with a metallic sound. He rested his hand on his sword hilt, ready to draw at any moment, and lifted his chin.
"I like money, but I hate accumulating it without purpose."
Tugui smiled as he stroked the rings on all ten of his fingers. He personally served drinks to Marang and the White Demon Swordsman before sitting down in his own seat.
"I'll refuse since I'm on duty."
Marang didn't even look at the drink, and the White Demon Swordsman pushed his glass forward, seemingly disinterested.
"What a narrow-minded mentality."
Tugui muttered that there was no poison and emptied his glass first.
"Why did you call us today? You should have had time last week too."
The White Demon Swordsman frowned, observing the liquid that was slightly trembling in his glass.
"Today is the day when the best fighters in our arena clash. A huge amount of money is at stake."
The Greedy Demon put down his glass and directed his eyes towards the arena below.
"It's pleasant when a lot of money comes in at once, isn't it?"
He laughed, saying that ordinary income no longer satisfied him.
"What a pathetic reason."
The White Demon Swordsman clicked his tongue but followed the Greedy Demon's gaze to observe Raon and Martha standing in the arena.
"Are they naturals?"
He immediately understood Raon and Martha's physical talents and licked his lips. Marang, seemingly disinterested in anything other than the deal, kept his gaze fixed forward without turning.
"Yes. Both are born naturals."
Tugui nodded, rubbing his palms.
"How much can you offer for those two corpses?"
He moved his finger towards Marang.
"Two?"
The White Demon Swordsman frowned.
"One is supposed to come out alive."
"Ah, sometimes they fight so fiercely that both end up dead."
Tugui laughed, saying it might happen by chance.
"You've used tricks."
The White Demon Swordsman snorted and pushed his glass further away.
"Don't worry. I don't bother regular customers who bring money on their own."
Tugui dismissively waved his hand and looked at Marang.
"As I've sealed their aura with poison, we can extract a huge amount of life force. How does that sound?"
Only then did Marang's gaze slide towards the arena below. His eyes, filled with darkness, gleamed faintly.
"One thousand."
Marang called out the number of gold coins without a moment's hesitation.
"You accept? As expected, you're refreshingly straightforward."
Tugui clapped, pleased with the response.
"Then, let's proceed with the deal after watching the duel. Today, we'll be able to see a spectacular show…"
"Disinterested."
Marang shook his head, indicating he didn't care about the duel. He took out an old book and a long sword from his spatial storage.
"The Manual of the Sacred Martial Sword, Changra Sword."
He glared at the White Demon Swordsman, as if urging him to proceed with the transaction.
"Still as impatient as ever."
The White Demon Swordsman, without taking his eyes off the sword manual, took out a necklace with a thumb-sized pearl. Inside the pearl, white and black mist-like substances seemed to be fighting, as if trying to devour each other.
"This is the Black and White Spirit Bead you wanted."
He carefully placed the necklace on the table. Suddenly, Marang's eyes, which had seemed devoid of emotion, began to gleam with dark desire.
"I suppose if you have money, that’s the real show."
The Greedy Demon smiled and extended both hands to collect the sword manual, sword, and necklace.
"They're all genuine. I stake my eyes as a guarantee."
He examined the Black and White Spirit Bead, the Manual of the Sacred Martial Sword, and the Changra Sword in turns, then nodded firmly.
"Then, let's begin the transaction…"
Just as Tugui was about to gesture for the money, a tremendous roar erupted from the arena.
"You know that even a Transcendent Warrior would have difficulty coming here with the three of us present."
Tugui smiled, gesturing downwards with his finger.
"Let's watch a little first."
The three simultaneously looked downwards. With a thunderous sound, Raon deflected Martha's fist, filled with killing intent, and lowered his stance.
"Go ahead. They're watching us now."
His voice remained calm, in contrast to the intense battle.
"How do you know that?"
Martha frowned, aiming a left hook at his chin.
"Because I've recovered my aura."
"Recovered? Already?"
She let out a gasp of disbelief.
"I suppose my body adapted after being constantly exposed to the poison."
Thanks to the 'Poison Resistance' skill and the 'Ring of Fire', his body had eliminated the poison on its own, without even actively seeking detoxification. As a result, he was now in peak condition.
"There are probably about 50 seconds left."
Martha bit her lip, realizing that both she and the Light Wind division needed more time.
"Then keep attacking me. With everything you've got."
Raon provoked Martha by wiggling his finger.
"We can't lose their attention now."
He could feel it through his aura perception. Tugui, Marang, and the White Demon Swordsman were observing the arena from the upper-floor observation area. They needed to keep their attention until all the members of the Light Wind division recovered.
"Alright. Let me show you what I've gained here!"
Martha gritted her teeth and charged forward, throwing a punch. Even without her aura, the wind whistled past his ears. Her movements were as vicious as if she were attacking a mortal enemy. With a light step, Raon dodged Martha's attack and struck her abdomen. Martha, who had been charging like a rabid dog, staggered back two steps.
"Uaagh!"
Even though he had controlled his strength, the pain must have been intense. However, she lunged at him with even more fury, her eyes seeming to have forgotten her mission.
-Urgh!
Wrath hid behind his own back at the sight of Martha's gleaming eyes.
-The meat girl has gone mad!
He trembled, seemingly terrified of Martha.
'She's doing it very well.'
Raon curved his lips as he deflected Martha's fist and struck her chin with the back of his hand. Even though her brain was probably being rattled, Martha didn't back down and continued her assault. She seemed like a person who had erased the concepts of pain and fear.
"Kyaaaah!"
Martha unleashed a flurry of explosive punches, utilizing her accumulated experience in duels. It was impressive development, even if it wasn't swordsmanship. The arena, once filled with noise, fell silent at the fierce confrontation of Raon and Martha. Everyone present held their breath, intensely focusing on the duel.
However, the fighters themselves were more focused on something other than the battle.
"Here it comes."
Martha said her aura had recovered as she aimed her fist at Raon's shoulder. The moment Raon confirmed Martha's aura had returned, he stamped his foot, signaling the Light Wind division. With a thunderous roar, the Light Wind division swordsmen began to trigger explosions throughout the arena.
"Uwaagh!"
"W-what's happening?"
"Why are there sudden explosions?!"
As the spectators who had been focused on the duel began to scream and move, the entire arena began to tremble.
However, the demonized humans from the Black Tower and the Sword Fanatics from the Holy Sword Alliance waiting on the second floor maintained their positions despite the chaos. Of course, this was also as expected.
"Martha."
Feeling the Demon, Marang, and the White Demon Swordsman's attention dispersing, Raon nodded to Martha.
"Got it!"
Martha stomped the ground with all her might. Instead of lunging at Raon, she leaped towards the upper-floor observation area. With a deafening boom, Martha's fist shattered all the glass in the upper-floor observation area, but the demonized humans from the Black Tower and the Sword Fanatics from the lower floors blocked her path.
"Who are you!"
"How dare you?!"
The moment the demonized humans and Sword Fanatics attacked Martha, causing her to fall, crimson flames erupted from beneath the arena. The spiraling flames simultaneously targeted the Greedy Demon, Marang, and the White Demon Swordsman, emitting tremendous heat.
"A futile ambush."
Tugui scoffed as he suppressed the powerful yet obvious flame attack.
"Greedy Demon! You bastard!"
The White Demon Swordsman gritted his teeth as he cut through the raging flames.
"Do you think I would do something so obvious?"
Tugui shrugged, implying it wasn't his plan.
"Nonsense! If it's not you, then that shadowy bas… Eh?"
It was the moment the White Demon Swordsman turned to look for Marang. With a piercing sound, a frost-imbued demonic sword plunged into Marang's chest, while a flame-wreathed divine sword sliced through his neck. In the brief instant when the two were suppressing the rising flames, Marang's body split into three pieces and burst into flames.
As the shock registered in the Greedy Demon and the White Demon Swordsman's eyes, Raon turned around. A golden light shone in his red eyes.
"Next."
-
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