Chapter 266
Pliton was at the level of entering 9-Star, possessing a power comparable to a Demon King.
‘In fact, he is the absolute being who reigns as the Demon King of this Eastern Magus Nation.’
The place where the Four Kings’ Castle was situated was the Eastern Magus Nation, and like the other magus nations, it had a Demon King dispatched by the Demon Emperor.
It was the 6th-ranked ‘Demon King of Silver Snow’, but as she was in poor health, she had been in seclusion for a long time, and so the Eastern Magus Nation was ruled by Pliton, the Lord of the Four Kings’ Castle.
An immortal who had conquered death as a lich and regained life.
[You say they have formed a Dark Alliance?]
A calm voice.
But those who heard it had to feel a ghastliness, as if death itself was touching them.
The elders of the Four Kings’ Castle swallowed hard and answered.
[That is correct, my Lord.]
Pliton slowly nodded his head.
It felt as if a lifeless corpse was moving, and it seemed as if death was thickly settling in the surroundings.
[Prepare for war.]
Everyone in the meeting hall widened their eyes.
[But the preparations are not yet?]
[It matters not.]
[!!]
Pliton smiled.
It was a smile like that of the grim reaper.
[Rather, we have dragged this on for far too long. So very boringly.]
The elders took a sharp breath.
But no one objected.
‘Our power is sufficient.’
That was right. The reason the Four Kings’ Castle had been lying in wait until now was only to achieve perfection, not because they lacked power.
On the contrary, if they were to simply stand by and watch, it would be as if they were waiting for their enemy to grow.
[It is time to begin the festival.]
And so.
The clock of war began to tick faster than in Christian’s previous life.
***
The high-ranking magi of the Dark Demonic House who were to participate in the flagbearer duel with the Destruction Demonic House were as follows:
Marquis Shupen.
Count Khazar.
His aunt, Merian.
Count Berkel of the Black Lion Knights.
And Count Hynkel, the head of the Five Captains.
All five of them had achieved astonishing results thanks to Chris’s personalized guidance.
Marquis Shupen was a complete low 8-Star.
Count Khazar and Merian had reached mid 7-Star.
Count Berkel and Count Hynkel had reached low 7-Star.
They were unbelievable achievements, to the point where it was difficult to say that the Dark Demonic House lacked highest-ranking magi anymore.
But despite having obtained such great achievements, none of them were yet confident of victory.
That was how formidable the power of the Destruction Demonic House was.
All five of them, without exception, would have to face opponents stronger than themselves in the duel.
“It’s alright. We can win. We just have to use a good strategy.”
“…Do you have a stratagem?”
Marquis Shupen wore a puzzled expression.
“Your role and mine are important. Lend me your ear for a moment….”
Marquis Shupen’s eyes widened after hearing Chris’s whisper.
“Are you being serious? Is such a thing possible?”
“Of course.”
“What… you’re mad.”
Marquis Shupen swallowed a curse.
That was how absurd Chris’s plan had sounded.
“Did you know?”
But Chris just smirked and said.
“You all weren’t the only ones who got stronger. The same goes for me.”
“!!”
In the time that was left, Chris had conducted a special hell training.
“Why in the world are we doing this kind of training?”
“It is all for victory.”
“But why are the training methods so crappy…? Don’t tell me you’re deliberately trying to mess with us?”
The training was so bizarre and arduous that it made them think such thoughts.
In any case, time flew by, and the day of the long-awaited duel arrived.
“Let us depart.”
The promised duel location was a neutral area between the territories of the Destruction and Dark Demonic Houses.
They passed through a warp gate connected near their destination.
Finally, they arrived at the duel site, but.
“Why is there no one?”
The place was deserted and desolate.
They stood there and waited, but even when the appointed time came, no one appeared.
“Don’t tell me?”
“Yes, it seems they are being deliberately late. To make us feel insulted.”
Marquis Shupen, Count Khazar, and all the others’ faces flushed bright red.
No matter how outmatched they were, it was an unacceptable discourtesy between two houses.
‘Well, it’s not a bad thing for them to act so childishly like this.’
After waiting for a long while, a presence could be heard from the distance.
Bwoooooo!
The high-pitched sound of a horn ringing out.
The magnificent banner of Destruction.
The aura of the magi, as if it would pierce the heavens.
It was the appearance of the Destruction Demonic House.
Furthermore, members of other houses who were to attend as spectators were accompanying them.
The atmosphere was as if everyone had come to watch how the Destruction Demonic House would trample the Dark Demonic House.
Finally, the procession of the Destruction Demonic House arrived before the Dark Demonic House, and the patriarch, Grand Duke Vessian, glanced over the Dark Demonic House’s side.
“Hm?”
Was he surprised by the unexpectedly great achievements of the Dark Demonic House’s magi?
Though a flicker of interest showed in his eyes.
“It seems you’ve struggled a bit, but you’re still just rats.”
“!!”
“And stupid rats who don’t even know their place, at that.”
The faces of the members of the Dark Demonic House hardened.
But no one could easily open their mouths.
Their opponent was the Demonic Lord, Grand Duke Vessian.
He was a highest-ranking magus of high 8-Star, one of the strongest in the Magus Empire who could match his strength with Nordian.
It was the moment the Destruction Demonic House, as well as the members of the other houses who had come as spectators, were about to sneer at the sight of the Dark Demonic House.
“Then I suppose that means the Destruction Demonic House will be trampled by rats today.”
“!!”
“Because sometimes, there are big cats that are even more pathetic than rats.”
It was Christian.
Everyone took a sharp breath.
‘That reckless fool?’
‘Is he mad?’
But Christian did not stop.
“I had heard so much about the Destruction Demonic House that I, too, had my expectations.”
He lifted his chin and looked over the members of the Destruction Demonic House. Just as Grand Duke Vessian had done.
And then, with his trademark inufferable expression, he opened his mouth.
“You don’t seem to live up to the expectations.”
“!!”
At the successive rash remarks, the faces of the members of the Destruction Demonic House hardened to a chill.
A dangerous aura, as if the flames characteristic of the Destruction Demonic House would erupt, flared threateningly.
“It seems you truly wish to die. You, who are like vermin that would have collapsed and fallen long ago if not for Patriarch Nordian.”
“I don’t think that’s something to be said by a man who spent his entire life being wary of Patriarch Nordian.”
“!!”
As if a nerve had been struck, Grand Duke Vessian’s face contorted.
“As it happens, the Patriarch told us this. That for the likes of the Destruction Demonic House, he wouldn’t be needed, and that we alone should be enough to make you kneel.”
“…You bastard. Do not expect to leave this place with your body intact.”
The air held its breath at Grand Duke Vessian’s fury.
If it weren’t for the fact that a duel between the houses was about to take place, he would have immediately turned Christian into a handful of blood.
Christian, having judged that he had provoked him enough, brought up the main topic.
“By the way, there is something else I am worried about.”
“…What?”
“I am worried that the Destruction Demonic House will not concede to the terms after you have been defeated.”
At that absurd story, the members of the Destruction Demonic House wore dumbfounded expressions.
“Will you not promise here, in front of everyone? That upon your defeat, you will offer your loyalty to our Dark Demonic House as promised.”
“Hahaha!!”
Grand Duke Vessian burst into laughter.
It was a laugh filled with a ghastly fury.
“Fine. Do not worry. Instead, you had better be prepared to pay the price for running your mouth so carelessly. Schwar!”
A man with sharp features stepped forward.
It was Grand Duke Schwar of the Destruction Demonic House.
He was in his early to mid-40s, and an already perfected energy flowed from him.
“So you’re Christian. Today, I will teach you how high the sky is. I will put you in a state where you can never run your mouth so carelessly again.”
Fwaaaaaak!
A crimson energy bloomed.
It was an intense energy, not lacking for his reputation as one of the Five Stars.
But Christian just made an indifferent expression and made another rash remark.
“Are you going to take me on by yourself?”
“…What?”
“Didn’t I tell you? You alone won’t be enough to handle me, so it’s fine to team up with someone else. You wouldn’t want to regret it after getting beaten to a pulp, would you?”
“Hah.”
Schwar let out a scoff.
“I’ll have to cut out your tongue to shut that nonsense up….”
It was the moment he had spoken that far.
Schwar’s face hardened.
He had felt a sense of unease.
It was the moment the onlookers were making puzzled faces.
Fwaat!
Blood splattered from his hand.
“Kraaagh?!”
“!!”
Everyone’s eyes widened, unable to grasp the situation.
The shock did not end there.
Again, fwaat, blood splattered.
It was his shoulder.
A location where he could have received a fatal wound if Schwar, having sensed the danger, had not hastily twisted his body.
Only then did the people notice that Christian had his sword drawn.
“You bastard! What kind of cheap trick is this?!”
Fwaat!
Crimson magical energy enveloped Schwar’s body.
It was a solid shield.
All the spectators assumed that Schwar had simply been flustered by an unexpected surprise attack and that no further strange incidents would occur.
However.
Again, fwaat!
Blood splattered.
“!!”
The onlookers who were watching jumped to their feet.
Only then did they properly realize what Christian had accomplished.
This was not a strange incident achieved through a surprise attack that caught him off guard.
Christian’s last attack had ‘ignored’ Schwar’s shield and inflicted damage.
An impossible feat.
In other words, it was a wondrous feat that transcended principles.
It was the moment it was first revealed that Christian had reached the 7-Star Dominant Class.
***
“Impossible!”
“7-Star? That can’t be?!”
Everyone reacted with disbelief.
Christian was not yet twenty, not even the adult standard of eighteen.
And yet he was 7-Star?
Among the Five Stars, who were called the greatest geniuses of the next generation of successors, not a single one had reached 7-Star in their teens.
Even reaching 6-Star in one’s teens was an achievement for which it was hard to find a precedent.
“No matter how much of a genius he is, it’s absolutely impossible.”
“There must be some kind of trick, right?”
Everyone forced themselves to think that way.
However.
Fwaat! Pssh!
The strange incidents did not end.
Every time the tip of Chris’s sword moved, blood continued to splatter from Schwar’s body.
“What?!”
Schwar, with a pale complexion, tried to defend himself, but it was useless.
Whatever defensive means he used, Chris inflicted a wound as if he were ignoring the laws of physics.
The people could no longer deny that Christian’s attacks were ‘wondrous feats’.
Moreover, there was another, even more astonishing point.
“Is he toying with Grand Duke Schwar?”
Wounds were continuously appearing on Schwar in similar spots.
In other words, it meant that even though he could inflict a fatal wound at any moment, he was deliberately only inflicting light injuries.
“You bastard!!”
Schwar, enraged, tried to unleash destruction magic, but at that moment, another unbelievable incident occurred.
Fwaat!
Suddenly, the manifestation of his magic was cut off, and his magical energy backfired.
“Keogh?!”
He coughed up blood and stumbled back, and the battle fell into a brief lull.
Chris had deliberately given Schwar a chance to compose himself.
“Are you okay? You’re not crying, are you?”
“!!”
“Didn’t I tell you it would be too much for you alone? How about asking for help now? You’ve always been good at hiding behind others’ skirts, right?”