Chapter 264
The fact that their skills had become evenly matched was one thing, but the difference in mindset between Gerard and Banatel was also an issue.
Banatel had always fought with the resolve that he would not mind losing his own head if it meant killing Gerard. On the other hand, Gerard could not bring himself to do the same.
It was not because he was desperately clinging to his life. The issue was that Gerard had yet to find a successor to carry on the legacy of Gym Unbreakable. If he were to die, the great teachings would be lost, and he would never be able to repay the immense debt he owed to his master. No matter what, he could not fight with the same reckless abandon as Banatel.
“But things are different now, Banatel! You must have heard what my new title is!”
Gerard shrugged his shoulders proudly. Banatel scoffed and mocked him.
“You mean that ridiculous title, Fist Emperor? Do you really think going from a king to an emperor makes you any more impressive?”
Gerard smirked and clenched his fist.
“King, emperor, who cares what people call me?”
In Gym Unbreakable, the Fist King was given the title Fist Emperor when he successfully passed on his teachings to a successor.
“What matters is that I’ve finally found my disciple!”
Even while fighting Banatel, Gerard had been tirelessly searching for a successor to inherit Gym Unbreakable. Until he could properly train a disciple and secure the legacy, he could never go all out against Banatel. The ability to recognize talent only came from mastering Gym Unbreakable’s martial arts to the extreme, meaning it was not something he could entrust to others. Gerard had to find one himself.
But after wandering across the continent, he realized just how scarce true talent was. Only then did he fully understand why his master, Lastil, had burst into tears the moment he found him.
At least his master had found him after ten years. Gerard, however, had wandered for a staggering thirty years without success. Along the way, he had discovered a promising young girl in the Kingdom of Hallein and had high hopes for her, but ultimately, she fell far short of Gym Unbreakable’s standards.
Still, he felt reluctant to part ways without giving her something, so before leaving, he taught her a breathing technique. He figured that if this girl, Christine, grew up and eventually married, she might give birth to a worthy successor to Gym Unbreakable.
And so time passed. Fourteen years ago, during his final deadly battle with Banatel in the southern region of the Vasily Kingdom, it finally happened.
While recovering from injuries sustained in his fight against Banatel, Gerard came across a small farmhouse. There, at long last, he found the successor he had dreamed of.
“Grandfather, why are you crying?”
“It’s nothing. Child, what is your name?”
“They call me Teslon.”
Bringing the child along was not difficult. The family was extremely poor. It was as if all they did was eat and make babies, they had nine sons. When Gerard handed them a handful of gold coins, they eagerly handed the child over, even asking if he wanted any of the others as well.
After that, Gerard disappeared from the world. He secluded himself in the mountains, dedicating himself entirely to training his successor. Fortunately, the child grew quickly and became an outstanding Gym Unbreakable martial artist. There was a moment when he suddenly insisted on calling himself Repenhardt, as if something had gone wrong in his head, but at least his body was perfectly fine.
His disciple was now called the Fist King, a proud martial artist in his own right. Gerard’s long-cherished wish had finally been fulfilled. He still searched occasionally, wondering if he might find another disciple worth training, but he was no longer desperate like before. Now, he had no regrets, even if he were to die at any moment.
Gerard let out a hearty laugh as his muscles swelled dramatically.
“Now, I can fight you without a single worry on my mind!”
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day!”
Banatel ignited his crimson aura even more fiercely.
“The past doesn’t matter! In the end, the one who wins last is the true victor, Gerard!”
Gerard, too, unleashed golden flames in both hands. The dragons of aura swirling up his forearms coiled around his fists, pulsating as if ready to explode at any moment.
“I can’t say I agree with the first part, but the second, I fully agree with, Banatel!”
With both of them pushing their power to the limit, Gerard and Banatel locked eyes.
Then, once again, they lunged at each other. The crimson and golden streaks they left behind split the sky in two.
Kwaaaaaang!
With a thunderous roar, the two streaks of light clashed midair like colliding meteors.
* * *
The White King’s Castle was in complete chaos.
It had long been common knowledge that battles between Aura Users caused massive collateral damage. And as the strongest Aura Users on the continent, Gerard and Banatel’s duel was causing devastation on an unprecedented scale. The ground trembled without pause, violent storms raged, the earth cracked, and lightning struck down from the heavens.
Inside the White King’s Castle, which seemed on the verge of collapse at any moment, Azrael ran frantically, directing people amidst the chaos.
“Antares Knight Order! Protect the non-combatants and maintain order! First Battalion, reinforce the castle walls! Second Battalion, keep carrying water! We need to put out the fires on the rooftops!”
If these were just ordinary knights and soldiers, they would have fallen into complete panic, no matter how well Azrael gave orders.
Surprisingly, the knights and soldiers of Antares' White King’s Castle responded in an orderly manner, following Azrael’s commands without hesitation.
In truth, those stationed at White King’s Castle were quite accustomed to the "Aura Users’ collateral damage."
At any given time, White King’s Castle housed three Aura Users: Repenhardt, Russ, and Tassid. Moreover, Iniya, though officially the chieftain of the Stiria Tribe, spent more time loitering around White King’s Castle than anywhere else. On top of that, Dwarven and Orc Aura Users frequently visited the castle as well.
Whenever they gathered, they would inevitably spar. These days, Tilla nagged them so much that they moved their training sessions to a reclaimed field nearby, but in the past, they had openly blasted their auras all over the castle grounds.
All of them were Aura Users confident in their own strength. At first, they would start their spars cautiously, as if conducting a proper training session, but once they got excited, nothing else mattered. They would go all out, having the time of their lives, while turning White King’s Castle into a battlefield.
Especially Russ and Tassid, for whom sparring was practically part of their daily routine. They fought whenever they had the chance, contributing significantly to the castle’s structural damage. No wonder Azrael’s first suspicion whenever the castle shook was always those two.
Even Repenhardt, the ruler of Antares, did not care much about the castle being damaged. After all, he himself had contributed to its destruction more than once. And besides, it wasn’t as if he had built it with his own money, so he had little attachment to it.
Moreover, White King’s Castle was going to be demolished anyway once the new capital, Aranan Grad, was completed.
Originally, White King’s Castle was nothing more than a countryside noble’s estate, expanded for convenience. Its former owner, Viscount Gelfine, had built it near the mines to better manage his Dwarven slaves. Since Dwarves had constructed it, the castle was certainly spacious and sturdy, but it was by no means a proper fortress.
Currently, Antares Duchy’s territory encompassed not only the lands within the Kingdom of Crovence bestowed by Yubel II, but also the entire Gloten Mountain Range and the majority of Fetland. Given its geographical position as a key junction connecting the Crovence Kingdom territories, the Gloten Mountain Range, and Fetland, it was essential to construct a powerful fortress in its place.
That was why even Karl, though he frowned at the reckless destruction, never seriously tried to stop them. There was no point in discouraging the Aura Users, instead, they would just patch up the damaged buildings temporarily and move on. After all, the entire structure was going to be torn down soon enough.
For various reasons, those stationed at White King’s Castle were highly accustomed to battles between Aura Users. They were so used to it that they had memorized their own evacuation procedures.
The soldiers and knights had even established a set of rules, half-jokingly, but also quite seriously, on how to deal with the “Aura Collateral Damage(?)” when it came flying their way.
Evacuation Procedures for Civilians During Aura User Battles
1. If an aura shockwave is incoming, lie flat on the ground with your mouth open. Keeping your stomach pressed to the ground can cause internal organ damage from the vibrations, and keeping your mouth shut increases the risk of lung injuries.
2. Avoid seeking shelter near pointed spires or large trees. You could be crushed by falling debris.
3. Stay away from wall-mounted furniture, cabinets, and wardrobes. Instead, find a spot next to a building with many pillars and wait for the duel to end.
4. If the entire building becomes unsafe, evacuate quickly to an open area and follow your superior’s commands in an orderly manner.
…There was an undeniable feeling that these rules had been borrowed and slightly altered from somewhere, but regardless, they were undeniably effective.
Whenever the Aura Users of the Duchy engaged in their duels, the civilians of White King’s Castle instinctively took cover. Getting caught up in their allies’ training and breaking a bone or two was not even considered noteworthy. And now, that experience was saving their lives.
Azrael scanned his surroundings and quickly asked,
“Have all the children and women been evacuated?”
One of the soldiers, drenched in sweat, answered.
“Yes, Commander!”
“Then next, we need to move the attendants and administrators”
Azrael suddenly cut himself off, whipping his head around to stare into the sky. Amidst the smoke-filled heavens, a crimson glow seeped through the dust, followed by a deafening roar as a massive hole was blown open in the smoke.
Azrael bellowed,
“It’s coming again! Brace yourselves!”
It seemed that the two monsters battling in the heavens had “dropped” something once more. A massive lump of deep crimson aura was plummeting toward White King’s Castle.
“Oh, hell!”
“Damn it all!”
Even as they shouted in alarm, everyone moved swiftly without panic.
They instinctively analyzed the trajectory of the falling aura, then ducked behind pillars or flattened themselves against the walls of buildings. Moments later, a massive explosion erupted, but no one was harmed. It was proof that their evacuation drills had paid off.
Amidst the raging winds, Azrael swept back his hair and shouted.
“Damage report?!”
“Two injured, no fatalities so far!”
Hearing the swift report from a soldier, he let out a bitter smile. Even amidst this level of disaster, White King’s Castle had yet to suffer a single casualty.
‘Should I call this a miracle… or a testament to humanity’s adaptability?’
Azrael straightened himself and bellowed once more.
“Third Battalion! Escort the attendants and administrators through the back route, now! Move it!”
Behind White King’s Castle, on the rear mountain where the women and children had already escaped.
Tilla was leading Flora, along with other humans, elves, and dwarven women. Resting a massive battle-axe on her shoulder, she shouted to spur them on.
“Move it! There’s no time to hesitate!”
The women hurried forward, their faces filled with terror.
“Huk… huff… sniff…”
“I’m scared…”
“Lord Russ and Lord Tassid never took things this far…”
No matter how accustomed they were to evacuation drills, it was impossible to remain calm in the face of an actual disaster. Fear gripped them, and many were on the verge of tears.
Tilla shouted again.
“Hurry! This place isn’t safe either!”
She anxiously glanced back at White King’s Castle and the scorched fields beyond.
The battle between the Sword Star of this era and the Fist Emperor was shaking even the rear mountain of White King’s Castle. Above them, dozens of golden suns blazed in the sky.
“Chain Strike Blast!”
Gerard’s Chain Strike Blast was on a completely different level compared to Repenhardt’s. As he leapt into the air and unleashed his attack, its sheer size was akin to a rising sun.
Surrounded by the storm of incoming Chain Strike Blasts, Banatel scoffed.
“Hah! What a crude technique, Gerard!”
“And you think you’re in a position to call me crude, Banatel?”
Trading insults, Banatel swung his massive Blade Aura in rapid succession. The incoming Chain Strike Blasts were all deflected, scattering in every direction. Banatel could easily shrug it off, but the deflected attacks turned into meteor-like projectiles, crashing into the land with devastating force.
Deafening explosions erupted across the battlefield, pillars of fire and debris shooting skyward.
One of them, unfortunately, struck the rear mountain of White King’s Castle.
With a violent explosion, a storm of force erupted, sending massive shards of rock hurtling toward the women.
“Kyaaaah!”
Tilla stepped in front of the screaming woman, raising her arms against the incoming rock shards. She summoned the power of Earth Resonance.
“This much is nothing!”
Though she had half-retired after getting together with Karl, she was still the only warrior of the Steelhammer Tribe’s bloodline. She had never neglected her daily training, so handling a few rocks was nothing!
Kwoong!
Her axe shattered the boulder in a single strike, sending fragments flying in all directions. Just as she was catching her breath…
“Something else is falling!”
One of the women screamed in terror.
Whiiiiiik!
With the sound of something tearing through the air, a golden meteor plummeted toward the rear mountain. Gerard had just been sent flying after taking a massive hit from Banatel, who had deflected the Chain Strike Blast back at him.
“It’s that monster old man!”
The meteor crashed into the rear mountain.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang!
Even though it was a person who had fallen, trees were snapped in succession, the mountainside was torn apart, and a long trail of destruction was left in its wake. At the direct impact site, a crater more than ten meters wide had been gouged into the ground.
The women stared at the scene in horror. Someone muttered.
“D-Do you think he’s dead…?”
At that moment, Gerard, who had been buried at the center of the crater, suddenly shot up like a spring-loaded doll.
“That bastard, this is nothing!”
Without even brushing off the dirt, Gerard slammed his foot into the ground once more.
Leaving behind a long golden streak, he tore through the air. In a single bound, he cleared the rear mountain, soared over White King’s Castle, and charged straight at Banatel.
“Banaaaateeeeeel!”
Tilla and the women stood frozen, blankly watching the monstrous old man disappear into the distance.
Then, one of them quickly spoke.
“We need to run. Now.”
Everyone agreed.
Despite their exhaustion from fear and tension, watching that scene had given them newfound energy. As one, they started running.
“Let’s get out of this hell!”