Chapter 267
It was a sarcastic remark aimed at Schwar, who, as a Grand Duke, had often relied on the strength of other magi rather than bravely stepping forward himself.
Schwar ground his teeth, but he could not move as easily as he had at first.
He watched Christian, full of wariness.
It was the same for all the others watching the duel.
‘That’s no ordinary miracle.’
‘It seems to be a sword technique-type. What on earth kind of miracle is it?’
Miracles also have different classes.
The deeper the thought and enlightenment one obtains, the more powerful the miracle one acquires.
In that respect, the miracle Christian was now displaying was incomparable to any other they had ever seen.
Meanwhile, Chris smirked and nodded at their thoughts.
‘Of course. Because among sword technique-types, it can be called the most ultimate miracle.’
Among the miracles obtained by knights or martial artists, those specialized in offense are usually divided as follows.
Miracles that enhance the method of attack. Specifically, miracles that can grant speed or irregularities that transcend physical laws; these are the simplest and lowest class.
Next are miracles that enhance the destructive power of the attack itself. These are harder to obtain and more fatal.
Going one step further from there, one can wield miracles that ‘ignore’ the opponent’s defense, transcending the laws.
The miracle that Count Khazar had obtained, ‘Annihilation,’ was that kind of miracle.
Then what about the miracle Chris obtained at 7-Star with his Holy Radiance?
‘‘One Point.’ It is a miracle that allows me to cut my intended target, transcending the laws.’
To be precise, he could cut where his will was directed.
It was a story that others would deny as impossible if they heard it. But it was true.
‘Because it was based on the Mind Sword that Evan used in the past after reaching 9-Star.’
Of course, it was incomparable to the actual Mind Sword.
It was merely able to exhibit an effect similar to the Mind Sword, but that alone was incomparably fatal.
‘And it’s especially lethal to a hothouse flower like that one.’
Chris’s miracle, ‘One Point,’ was not invincible. There were several ways to counter it.
First, a high-ranking magus who could handle the laws more skillfully than him could nullify the miracle, and there was also a method of detecting the subtle incongruity as the miracle was being activated and reacting in that instant.
‘Failing that, one could just defend their vital spots somehow, ignore the minor damage, and push forward with an offensive.’
But Schwar was not properly doing any of them.
This was because, as the Grand Duke of a great house, he lacked the experience of actually crossing the line between life and death.
‘And it’s also a miracle that is optimized for fighting against the Destruction Demonic House.’
Just then, Schwar tried to unleash his destruction dark magic again.
But again, right before it could manifest, the magic was nullified.
Chris had cut down the core of the magic with his ‘One Point’ miracle.
It was a feat made possible because Chris possessed the insight to see through the structure of a magic formula and discern the location of its core.
In particular, due to the nature of its formula, destruction dark magic always had a core, so it was inevitably vulnerable to this kind of attack from Chris.
“I told you to just give up. Ah, you’re not crying, are you? Your eyes are bloodshot. I don’t want to see an old man’s tears, so could you hold them back?”
“Shut up!!!”
Schwar lost his reason and shouted.
Fwoosh!
He withdrew his shield and concentrated his demonic energy on his vital spots.
Since unfolding a shield couldn’t block the miracle, he intended to at least defend his fatal vital spots.
At the same time, he manifested a ferocious energy.
Crackle. Crackle!!
With a horrifying sound, his vision began to distort as if a heat haze were rising.
It was Schwar’s miracle magic, Destruction.
A horrific magic that, true to its name, transcended the laws to destroy the opponent.
‘He came up with a decent countermeasure in his own way.’
It was obvious he would be defeated if the fight dragged on, so he was trying to settle it in one blow.
But there was something Schwar hadn’t calculated.
“You’re an idiot, aren’t you?”
“!!”
Schwar’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
Christian’s voice had come from behind him.
‘When?’
At the same time, the image of Christian that had been in front of him disappeared like scattering mist.
He had bewitched his vision with illusion magic and secretly moved behind him!
“Did you forget that I’m from the Dark Demonic House? My specialty isn’t just the sword.”
Normally, he wouldn’t have been fooled by such an illusion, but his mind had been so focused on Chris’s attacks that he had made a basic mistake.
Schwar hurriedly tried to respond, but it was too late.
THWACK!
Chris’s fist landed on Schwar’s face.
As he had dismantled his shield to prepare for ‘One Point,’ he was completely helpless against it.
“Keok!!”
He belatedly tried to react by raising his shield, but it was useless.
Once a dark magician was allowed to get in close, one’s fate was no different from that of a mouse in a cat’s paws.
Thwack! Thwack!!
Everyone in the arena turned pale at the brutal pummeling.
Not just a simple defeat, but for the Grand Duke of the great Destruction Demonic House to be in such a miserable state.
Finally, thud! Schwar collapsed to the floor.
Not stopping there, Chris raised his foot and took a stance to stomp on Schwar’s neck.
At this rate, Schwar’s neck would be broken, and he would be crippled.
The instant fear filled Schwar’s eyes, there was finally someone who could not bear it and stepped in.
“Stop it!!”
Crackle!
A black lightning bolt shot up beside Chris as a warning.
A thunderbolt with no prior sign.
It was a ‘miracle’ that transcended physical laws.
He turned his gaze and saw a woman glaring at Christian with eyes full of fury.
It was the Vice-Patriarch of the Destruction Demonic House, Yesika of the Black Thunder.
Although she maintained a youthful appearance with her powerful demonic energy, she was over seventy years old.
When she, a high-ranking magus at the level of mid 8-Star, stepped forward, the arena fell silent.
‘As expected, she’s coming out. Vice-Patriarch Yesika was always famous for doting on her nephew, Schwar.’
Chris nodded inwardly.
In truth, Chris had deliberately tormented Schwar, hoping she would intervene.
In other words, a part of the plan.
“We’re in the middle of a sacred duel, what are you telling me to stop?”
“…The match has already been decided.”
Schwar, his face a bloody mess, quickly refuted.
“Aunt! I haven’t lost yet!”
“Shut your mouth! How much more will you tarnish the honor of our house before you’re satisfied?! Withdraw at once!”
Schwar clenched his fists tightly. But soon, he lowered his head in shame and disappeared.
Everyone from the Destruction Demonic House looked at Christian with fury.
Vice-Patriarch Yesika, in particular, who had stepped forward for Schwar, snarled with a look in her eyes as if she wanted to tear Christian to pieces right then and there.
“You’re quite something. But that’s as far as you go. Your Dark Demonic House will eventually kneel miserably before us.”
“Is that so? It’s not very scary hearing that from the losing side.”
“What?”
Chris picked his ear, then spoke with an incomparably insolent attitude.
“Are you perhaps all talk? Shouldn’t you be called the Demonic House of Teeth instead of the Demonic House of Destruction?”
“You bastard!!”
It was when everyone from the Destruction Demonic House, without exception, was enraged.
Chris pointed at Vice-Patriarch Yesika and spouted some crazy nonsense.
“If you’re so confident, why don’t you show me your skills?”
“…What?”
“You already interfered in the duel earlier, so you’re not going to say no now, are you?”
The arena fell silent. Everyone looked at Christian as if they were looking at a madman.
‘I knew he was a madman, but this guy is completely insane, isn’t he?’
‘Does he really want to kill himself?’
The members of the Dark Demonic House had a similar reaction.
‘Your Grace, why are you making such an unreasonable move again?’
‘We have to stop him now.’
Some of them.
Count Khazar and Marquis Shupen knew Christian’s plan, but they felt just as anxious.
‘This crazy son of mine. Is he really going to execute that insane plan just like this?’
But Christian did not stop.
“Because it’s too bland to end the duel like this. Why don’t you show me the harsh lesson of the Destruction Demonic House yourself.”
“Ahahaha!!”
Yesika burst into a high-pitched laugh.
“Since you’ve put it that way, fine. I will be back in a moment, Patriarch.”
Grand Duke Vessian frowned, then nodded.
“Do not kill him. It is beneath the Vice-Patriarch’s station to take his life personally.”
He added one more thing.
“Instead, it will be necessary to give him a proper lesson. Teach him a sufficient lesson so that he can never act so arrogantly again.”
It meant that instead of taking his life, she was to cripple him.
Yesika nodded.
Flash.
With an afterimage like a striking thunderbolt, Yesika’s form appeared on the dais.
“Brat. If you kneel before everyone even now and apologize for your arrogance, I will forgive you.”
“As expected of the Vice-Patriarch of the Demonic House of Teeth. You talk a lot.”
“Ha.”
Yesika let out a hollow laugh at Chris, who was getting on her nerves until the very end.
“Just once. If you can withstand my destruction magic safely, I will consider it your victory.”
It was a voice confident that he would not be able to properly withstand even a single one of her attacks.
But.
“That doesn’t seem right.”
“What?”
“Shouldn’t we exchange one blow each? After you attack once, and I attack once, we shall decide the victor.”
Yesika let out a dumbfounded laugh.
“Fine. We’ll do as you say.”
A light began to flash in her eyes. It was the light of a black thunderbolt.
“However, that’s only if you can withstand my attack.”
Fwoooosh!
The surrounding scenery changed.
The area grew dark, as if filled with storm clouds. A feeling like being submerged in a sea of darkness.
The air grew heavy, and sparks began to crackle here and there in the empty space.
It was Yesika’s Dominion, the ‘Black Sea of the Thunder Dragon’.
A Dominion that maximized the power of her specialty, lightning-type destruction dark magic.
“I won’t kill you. Instead, you will become unable to hear or see for eternity, unable to even twitch a finger, and you will regret today’s mistake.”
Yesika’s specialty had long been to burn away all the nerves in her opponent’s body with lightning.
The enemies she had defeated would often end up with their bodies completely ruined, able to do nothing but breathe.
“If you kneel and apologize even now….”
“Stop repeating yourself and let me ask you one thing.”
“What?”
“Is Lady Presia doing well? I heard she is a niece you cherish.”
“!!”
She was the mother of the third young master, Mysak, who had been defeated by Chris before. She had tried to harm Chris, but instead lost Mysak and left for her family home, the Destruction Demonic House.
Afterward, she had been living like a madwoman with a grudge against Chris, and he had mentioned it as if to mock her.
“She got punished for living so wickedly. Isn’t the family education of the Destruction Demonic House at fault? Please tell her to live a little more kindly from now on.”
“You bastard!!”
The extremely enraged Yesika drew upon her power.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!!
A wave of electricity began to rage from within her Dominion.
The faces of the members of the Dark Demonic House who were watching turned white.
“No!! You have to stop him!!”
It was the moment Count Khazar, seeing his son in peril, lost his reason and was about to jump in.
Marquis Shupen grabbed his shoulder.
“Wait a moment.”
“But that’s impossible, even for Christian…!!”
“Look at the Grand Duke’s eyes.”
There was no fear in Christian’s eyes. On the contrary, they were filled only with a powerful will.
As if to say he could do it.