TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 67
Lakradiyon was currently witnessing an absurd situation.
It was the direct line of Balheim hurling insults and provoking Pendal.
No matter what, the fact remained that Pendal had initiated contact with the direct line of Balheim.
But never had he imagined that a noble like him would react in such a manner.
And Pendal felt the same.
Though rage surged within him, making him want to strike Kraush immediately, he reminded himself that the man was from Balheim and held back with sheer determination.
Watching this, Kraush strolled with a mocking smile.
“You were so fearless when scheming behind the scenes, but now you seem scared.”
“…Do you think you can handle the consequences? You said you’d conquer the 8th Floor, yet you’re making an enemy out of me?”
Kraush scoffed.
“Pretending to be a king in the Demonic Bastion must have made you blind to reality.”
Pendal’s eyebrow twitched.
However, Kraush paid no mind and began to walk outside.
“Then it’s simple, isn’t it? If I crush you, won’t those oppressed by you finally show themselves happily?”
A sharp glint appeared in Pendal’s eyes.
That statement was tantamount to declaring a fight.
“Growing up in the greenhouse of Balheim, do you not even recognize the difference in levels?”
“Then you’re just an idiot who doesn’t even know what a greenhouse is.”
Kraush’s unyielding retort left Pendal’s gang silent.
It was because no one had ever dared provoke Pendal to this extent in the Demonic Bastion.
Pendal, too, let out a stunned breath at someone daring to provoke him like this after so long.
Then, clenching his fists, his eyes gleamed.
“If I end up smashing you, Balheim won’t come seeking revenge or anything like that, will they?”
“Why would we do something so disgraceful?”
Kraush looked at Pendal, seemingly baffled by the very question.
“The premise is wrong from the start. Why talk about something impossible?”
His provocations were truly masterful.
Thanks to that, Pendal barely managed to restrain the breaking threads of his reason.
Kill him.
‘No matter what it takes, I’ll kill this guy with my own hands.’
With that boiling rage barely suppressed, he gestured for Kraush to lead the way.
His mind was filled with the thought of trampling Kraush.
As Kraush and Pendal stepped outside, the previously tense tavern turned into chaos in an instant.
Pendal, who reigned as king in the Demonic Bastion, and Kraush, a direct line of the world’s mightiest family, Balheim, were about to clash.
Naturally, it was bound to cause an uproar.
Along with Pendal’s gang, people swarmed after them in droves.
With such an entertaining spectacle unfolding, no one wanted to miss the moment.
As the crowd spilled out, Lakradiyon also slowly rose from her seat.
Thinking that she couldn’t fathom the direct line of Balheim’s intentions, she decided to go and witness the outcome herself.
＊ ＊ ＊
Pendal.
Known for skillfully wielding two hook swords, he was a renowned powerhouse in the Demonic Bastion.
Though he lacked the formal training of knights from empires or kingdoms.
The swordsmanship and killing techniques he had honed by surviving in the Demonic Bastion were nothing short of impressive.
However, he had encountered a wall on the path to becoming a Master and stopped advancing further.
He had come to terms with his own limitations.
Even so, it was enough for him to reign as king in the Demonic Bastion.
After all, most of the world consisted of mediocre individuals who couldn’t even reach the top ranks.
And standing before him now was Kraush.
A direct line of Balheim, he appeared to be casually warming up by lightly tapping his feet.
Pendal was dumbfounded.
No matter how he looked, Kraush seemed to be barely at the level of an Expert high rank.
Even among Expert high ranks, there was a clear disparity.
And that gap was far wider than one might think.
Let alone the fact that Pendal had far more combat experience.
How much combat could a mere 14-year-old from Balheim have possibly experienced?
‘Is he relying on some secret technique of Balheim?’
That most powerful family surely had a few hidden techniques up their sleeve.
Pendal’s eyes narrowed into a sleepy gaze.
‘Secret technique or whatever.’
Ultimately, the existence of a wall doesn’t change.
“You won’t regret this, will you?”
“Why are you talking so much? Just come at me already. Let’s get this over with.”
Pendal abandoned further contemplation.
There was no point in talking anymore.
He just needed to smash this brat.
With that thought, Pendal’s figure blurred.
Like his nickname as the Wolf implied, he lunged at Kraush in an incredibly low stance, closing the distance in an instant.
At that moment, his low posture gave the illusion that his reach extended even farther, as his sword rushed at Kraush.
Clang!
The sound of Pendal’s hook sword clashing with Kraush’s sword rang out.
At some point, Kraush had drawn his sword and intercepted Pendal’s attack.
It was an exceptional ki-gathering technique, too fast for the eye to follow.
Moreover, his sword was rather peculiar.
Not only was its blade jet black, but it also appeared exceptionally sturdy.
‘Black Iron?’
A material notoriously difficult to forge due to its high density, yet nearly unbreakable if handled correctly.
As expected of Balheim, even their weapons were of the highest quality.
However, Pendal’s hook swords weren’t ordinary either.
With a twist, he hooked Kraush’s sword and pulled it toward him.
Strength and aura—this side had the upper hand.
Naturally, Kraush was dragged along as if tethered to Pendal’s sword.
At the same time, Pendal’s other sword swiftly lunged at Kraush.
He intended to use the hook sword to ensnare Kraush’s neck.
A significant scar on his neck would be satisfying, at the very least.
Clang!
Yet again, the sound of swords clashing echoed.
Pendal’s eyes faintly widened.
Kraush’s sword, which had been hooked by his own, twisted and blocked his other sword.
‘This guy.’
Kraush had deliberately loosened the grip on his sword momentarily to divert it at a precarious angle.
If he hadn’t, he would have lost his sword and been struck as well.
It was an impeccable distribution of force that allowed him to block the attack.
However, Pendal’s brow furrowed for a different reason.
That maneuver just now wasn’t an instinctive reaction from Kraush.
He realized it was executed through experience and precise calculation.
What did that mean?
It meant that in the recent exchange, Pendal had been outmatched in terms of experience.
‘Has this guy slaughtered thousands of people or something?’
Pendal couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of disbelief.
At that moment, Kraush changed his approach.
He stepped forward and dove in deeply.
At the same time, flames erupted from his sword with a whoosh.
Startled by the sudden blaze, Pendal hastily withdrew his sword and retreated.
“…A skill?”
Pendal’s eyes narrowed.
As expected of someone from the Balheim Direct Line, even possessing a skill—what a blessed life.
But so what?
That ambush just now ultimately ended in failure.
Judging that Kraush had shown all his moves, Pendal spread his hook sword to both sides.
“Shall I show you why I reigned as king?”
He flashed a sneering smile at the silent Kraush.
Crackle!
In that instant, emerald sparks burst forth from his hook sword.
Those who saw the dazzling sparks couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
It was none other than a skill.
Pendal was the only skill user in the Demonic Bastion at present.
Even among the nobles, not everyone enjoyed the privilege of a skill, but Pendal had been chosen by the gods to wield one.
This was a key reason why Pendal could stand apart from other raiders in the Demonic Bastion, and it played a significant role in bolstering his pride.
It fueled his belief that he was far superior to mere knights or mediocre nobles.
One side wielded roaring flames.
The other wielded crackling lightning.
Eventually, it was Pendal who moved first.
Crackle!
Leaving a trail of lightning in his wake, Pendal surged forward even faster than before.
As the emerald-sparking sword swung toward Kraush, Kraush moved his sword simultaneously.
Clang, clang, clang!
Sparks and flames exploded in all directions amidst the rapid clash of metal.
Pendal’s relentless assault was so fierce it was nearly invisible to the naked eye.
The sparks erupting each time threatened their surroundings with a menacing gleam.
But Kraush was not to be outdone.
Kraush’s sword blocked every trajectory of Pendal’s strikes with almost precognitive precision.
It was thanks to his blunt sword, intertwined with his sixth sense.
Observing this scene, Lakradiyon’s emerald eyes widened.
“A blunt sword?”
A blunt sword is not something one masters overnight.
Even experienced swordsmen find it notoriously difficult to handle.
This is because a blunt sword requires an immense accumulation of experience to master.
Yet Kraush appeared to be not even of age.
And still—a blunt sword?
Lakradiyon couldn’t believe the sight before her eyes.
Just who was this boy?
Pendal was no exception.
To think his every strike was being deflected, as if anticipated.
It was unbelievable.
In terms of aura and speed, he was clearly superior to Kraush.
Yet not once had his sword touched Kraush, squandering all his strength in the process.
Setting aside the complexity of blunt sword techniques, the fact that Kraush was keeping up with him infuriated him.
Had his skills dulled from spending too much time assembling gangs?
The notion that he couldn’t overwhelm a mere child made his blood boil.
Thus, Pendal revised his thoughts.
This was no longer about crushing a mere sprout.
It was a moment that demanded fighting with all his strength against a true opponent.
Crackle!
A streak of lightning coursed down his arm.
The aura infused in his arm propelled him forward even faster.
If Kraush intended to keep blocking with that blunt sword—
“I’ll smash it to pieces along with him.”
Like a wolf tearing into its prey’s throat.
With a burst of sparks, Pendal’s sword launched a ferocious assault on Kraush.
Its overwhelming power seemed to dare Kraush to block it, leaving Lakradiyon in shock.
That lunatic had swung his sword with the clear intent to kill the Balheim Direct Line.
Just as Lakradiyon moved to intervene—
She saw Kraush quietly inhale.
And in that moment—
Black flames surged from Kraush’s sword, colliding with Pendal’s at a speed on an entirely different level.
It was a swing that far surpassed Kraush’s limits.
BOOOOOM!
Lightning and flames clashed, unleashing a raging storm.
“Uwaaah?!”
“Gaaah!”
As spectators were swept away by the storm, rolling across the ground, Lakradiyon stared unblinkingly at the scene.
Through the smoke, Kraush moved with a speed that far exceeded Pendal’s comprehension.
Pendal tried desperately to block Kraush, but it was already too late.
Unable to withstand Kraush’s strength, Pendal’s arms were forced wide open, and Kraush struck his jaw with a decisive grip.
Thud!
The impact from his jaw reverberated through his brain, causing Pendal to drop his sword. Kraush immediately stomped on Pendal’s chest as he collapsed.
Boom!
“Guh!”
Kraush’s sword pointed at Pendal’s throat as he lay on the ground.
As the smoke began to clear, one by one, people took in the sight.
“P-Pendal… lost?”
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Pendal, who had ruled as king in the Demonic Bastion, had been defeated by a boy not even of age.
Those who knew Pendal’s strength were utterly shocked by this revelation.
“As expected of Balheim.”
“Even Pendal couldn’t stand a chance.”
“Tsk, tsk. He strutted around arrogantly, and yet he ends up like this.”
They quickly began tearing Pendal down, clearly pleased.
Many had never viewed Pendal favorably as the ruler of the Demonic Bastion.
It seemed no matter how hard he struggled, he was no match for Balheim.
As they shook their heads, Lakradiyon’s lips parted slightly.
Having witnessed the entire battle with her own eyes, Lakradiyon realized this was not merely about lineage.
The black flames that had erupted from Kraush—
She, too, had once wandered during the World Erosion and knew.
Those flames were closer to a curse.
“That boy…”
He had not walked the ordinary path of knights or nobles.
Those ominous flames were a terrifying form of self-imposed curse, suppressed and then released explosively.
“Just what…”
She stared blankly at Kraush.
A combat style born from experience with the Blunt Sword, combined with flames imbued with suppressed curses.
Kraush had only shown things that could be gained by sacrificing pieces of himself.
Until just now, she had thought the boy from Balheim had become stronger through his natural physique or by learning a Secret Technique.
However, what he had just displayed was far removed from innate talent or secret arts.
Seeing it, Lakradiyon recalled the sword she had once wielded.
Had she ever pushed herself to such extremes at his age?
No, was she even doing so now?
Lakradiyon’s fist clenched tightly.
The efforts she had made in the past, trapped behind the wall at the threshold of Master, were they truly enough to overcome that wall?
At this rate, there was no difference between her and Pendal.
Shameful.
At the same time, she felt an urge to swing her sword.
A sword meant solely for advancing to the next stage.
In the face of a duel shown by a single boy, it was the moment when a swordsman dared to dream once more.