Episode 17: Warning (3)
“Are you Demian Haxen?”
Garrick asked, his voice calm but his eyes glinting with a dangerous light.
Demian didn’t bother to respond. He didn’t even spare Garrick a glance.
“Hey, Victor.”
Victor, who was sprawled on the ground, lifted his head slightly. He looked like he was on the verge of passing out.
“You okay?”
In response to Demian’s question, Victor silently gave a thumbs-up. Demian couldn’t help but chuckle at the gesture. What a character.
“You three, ever hear people say you’re lucky?”
The knights exchanged confused glances at the unexpected question.
“If Victor’s body weren’t as tough as it is, he’d be dead from the beating you gave him. And if that were the case, I’d have killed all three of you myself…”
Demian’s gaze was steady as he spoke to the knights.
“Fortunately for you, Victor’s alive, so I won’t kill you.”
Lavender and Olphis let out incredulous laughs at his words. Garrick, however, remained silent, though his expression was one of clear displeasure.
“So, the one who dared to tarnish the marquisate’s name is just a madman, huh?”
Garrick seemed to have heard enough. He turned to Lavender and Olphis with a command.
“Break his legs and drag him to me. Maybe then he’ll come to his senses.”
“Understood.”
“Even if he used underhanded tactics to take down the young master, don’t underestimate him.”
Despite Garrick’s warning, the two knights showed no sign of caution towards Demian. Watching them, Demian’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Perfect timing.”
He had been itching to test the power he’d accumulated through his martial arts technique. And now, here were opponents practically begging to be taken down.
“What did he just say?”
“Looks like he’s lost his mind from fear.”
While the two knights exchanged words, Demian began to draw upon his power. Objectively speaking, the amount of energy Demian had gathered wasn’t much. If the knights’ power was a hundred, Demian’s was barely a three. Even with the rapid accumulation of energy through his technique, a mere three to four hours of practice had yielded only this much.
But the effectiveness of a tool depends on the user.
“Look at his eyes. He really thinks he can take us on.”
“Seems like we need to teach him a lesson.”
Demian Haxen recalled the image of the legendary Brigandine. A man who had risen to the rank of one of the five great saints of the order with nothing but his fists. His martial prowess was unmatched.
Demian had defeated Brigandine in battle and mastered his techniques and skills. But he didn’t need to use Brigandine’s full prowess now. Just the techniques would suffice.
“Huh?”
“What?”
Demian moved. He pushed off the ground, releasing his energy. The three-meter gap closed in an instant. The two knights couldn’t even react to his speed. It wasn’t until Demian was right in front of them that they realized something was wrong.
“You little—!”
In his panic, Lavender swung a fist instead of his sword. Demian easily deflected it with the back of his hand and simultaneously punched Lavender’s chest plate. At that moment, energy surged through his body, explosive power radiating outward. His fist accelerated, slamming into the center of the chest plate. The armor shattered, and Lavender’s ribs crumpled beneath the force. Blood spewed from Lavender’s mouth like a fountain.
“L-Lavender!”
Olphis shouted in alarm, swinging his sword. But before he could strike, Demian grabbed Olphis’s wrist.
“You bastard!”
Olphis tried to shake off Demian’s grip, but Demian twisted his wrist and kicked his ankle. Olphis’s body lifted off the ground, experiencing the disorienting sensation of sky and earth flipping.
”…What?”
In his moment of confusion, Olphis’s head slammed into the ground. His brain rattled, and the pain in his neck made him scream.
“Ugh…!”
Demian stomped on Olphis’s face with force, shattering his jaw with the enhanced strength from his energy.
”…”
Garrick watched the scene in stunned silence. As the one responsible for this mission, he had a duty to protect Lavender and Olphis. But he couldn’t intervene. There was no opportunity. Both knights had been taken down in a single blow each.
“This… this can’t be…”
Even a single knight was considered a formidable force in battle. But to take down two so quickly?
“So, Lord Erwin didn’t lose because of some underhanded trick…!”
When Garrick first heard that Erwin Lionbloom had been defeated, he was furious. He was certain the Haxen family had used some deceitful method. But now he understood. Erwin Lionbloom hadn’t been bested by trickery. Demian was simply stronger.
“But I still can’t comprehend it! How can a scoundrel like you possess such skill?”
“Being stronger than that brat isn’t such a big deal.”
He acknowledged Erwin Lionbloom’s talent, but the world was vast, and talent like his wasn’t as rare as one might think.
”…I see.”
Suddenly, Garrick’s expression changed. He spoke with a look of realization.
“You’re not… Demian Haxen, are you?”
Now it was Demian’s turn to be taken aback.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“Don’t play dumb! Who wouldn’t see through this trap laid by those who fear the rise of the Lionbloom marquisate?”
Garrick pointed accusingly, his voice rising.
“You’re not the ‘real’ Demian Haxen! You’re a stand-in brought in to tarnish the Lionbloom name by defeating Lord Erwin!”
Garrick’s face was now twisted with growing anger.
“These vile, insignificant creatures dare to target the Lionbloom marquisate? You think I’ll just stand by and watch?”
They say when you’re too shocked, you lose the ability to speak. That was exactly how Demian felt.
“Think whatever you want.”
He had no intention of clearing up the misunderstanding. Whether Garrick understood or not didn’t change the fact that Demian needed to deal with him.
“You! As long as Garrick Howard is here, you won’t succeed! I’ll stop your vile schemes right here!”
Garrick grabbed the massive sword strapped to his back. It was a zweihander, a two-handed sword as large as a grown man. Already a giant, Garrick wielding such a weapon was an intimidating sight.
“I’ll defeat you here and show the world how strong the Lionbloom marquisate truly is!”
“Go ahead.”
“After I take you down, I’ll hold the Haxen family accountable! I’ll burn their lands to the ground for their involvement!”
Demian’s body tensed at those words. The look of annoyance vanished, replaced by a chilling glare directed at Garrick.
“Did you just threaten my family?”
To Demian, his family was a sacred treasure, something to protect at all costs.
“You’re dead.”
Demian gripped the hilt of his sword.
Garrick was the first to charge. It wasn’t a calculated move to gain the advantage. It was pure rage, a desire to punish those who had insulted the marquisate.
“Glory to the Lionbloom marquisate!”
Garrick’s momentum was terrifying, like a herd of charging bulls. Demian observed him calmly.
‘As expected of a full-fledged knight.’
To become a full knight, one must master the use of aura. It requires more than just honing one’s skills. One must reach the pinnacle of their technique.
‘Once you reach the pinnacle, a new world opens up. It’s incomparable to a mere knight-in-training.’
A full knight surpassed a knight-in-training in physical abilities and understanding of energy.
‘The All-Seeing Eye won’t cut it.’
The “All-Seeing Eye,” a swordmaster’s skill, allowed one to perceive the flow of any attack. By seeing the flow, one could alter its trajectory. But the stronger the attack, the greater the burden on the user. With Demian’s current energy, deflecting a full knight’s attack even once would be difficult.
‘I’ll just use something else.’
Demian wasn’t worried. The All-Seeing Eye was impressive, but he had mastered many other skills.
“I’ll kill you with one strike!”
Garrick swung his massive sword down, a strike like a bolt of lightning aimed at Demian’s head. The blade glowed with a clear aura, a testament to Garrick’s skill.
Demian didn’t dodge. Instead, he swung his own sword to meet the incoming blow. Garrick’s lips curled into a smirk. Unlike his own, Demian’s aura was faint, indicating a lack of energy and skill.
“Foolish boy! You dare face me head-on?”
Such a weak aura would be crushed instantly. Garrick put more strength into his arms.
The clash of swords rang out, sharp and resonant, as the blades rebounded off each other.
”…Hmm?”
The smirk vanished from Garik’s face, replaced by surprise. This was not the outcome he had anticipated.
“Your aura is stronger than it looks!”
Garik swung his zweihander again, wielding the massive sword as if it were a mere twig.
Damian met the attack head-on, parrying each strike with precision.
“Let’s see how long you can keep this up!”
In Garik’s estimation, Damian Haxen’s resistance was only temporary. The quality of their weapons, the difference in stamina, the intensity of their magic, and the level of their aura—by all accounts, Damian’s longsword should have shattered by now.
“Hmm?”
Yet, contrary to Garik’s expectations, Damian’s sword remained intact, and he hadn’t retreated a single step.
“After a few exchanges, I can gauge your level.”
Damian even had the audacity to speak in the midst of battle.
“You’re quite skilled for a low-class, but not enough to be a threat.”
Garik’s face twisted with rage. Being dismissed by someone he considered beneath him was infuriating.
“You dare to underestimate me, a knight of the House of Lionbloom?”
Garik summoned more magic, channeling it into his muscles.
“If you were trying to provoke me, you’ve succeeded!”
His attacks grew faster, a blur of motion that seemed like a storm.
In the midst of this whirlwind, Damian casually remarked, “I’m not too thrilled about being looked down on by a so-called low-class myself.”
Damian’s hand moved swiftly, and suddenly, something grazed Garik’s cheek. A burning sensation spread across his face, followed by the taste of blood in his mouth.
“What…?”
Garik staggered back, touching his cheek to find a deep cut, blood flowing freely.
”…”
He stared at Damian in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
“Do you feel the difference in our levels now?” Damian said, resting his sword on his shoulder.
Garik’s eyes were drawn to Damian’s blade, now stained with his blood.
“Get your stance right, or you’ll die.”
In an instant, Damian vanished. Garik barely had time to react before Damian reappeared right in front of him.
“I told you to get your stance right.”
Damian’s sword came down, and Garik instinctively raised his zweihander to block. The impact was so powerful it nearly knocked the sword from his grip.
“Ugh?”
There was no time to be surprised. Another attack followed immediately.
Garik swung his sword desperately, but Damian’s blade met his in mid-air, sending Garik stumbling back.
“This is impossible!”
Despite his superior weapon and physique, he was being overpowered. It made no sense.
“What trickery is this?”
Damian replied calmly, “It’s a matter of skill.”
Magic becomes more efficient the more precisely it is controlled. While Garik had more raw magic power, Damian’s control was on a divine level. The difference in their abilities was purely due to skill.
“Don’t spout nonsense!”
Garik roared, swinging his zweihander with all his might, intent on cutting Damian down in one blow.
Damian deflected the attack effortlessly, slicing through Garik’s breastplate and into the flesh beneath.
“Argh!”
The sharp pain forced Garik to retreat, but Damian gave him no respite. His relentless strikes left Garik with no room to breathe, each swing of the sword carving new wounds into his body.
“You…!”
Garik swung his sword with all his might, but it was futile. He couldn’t even track Damian’s movements, let alone block them.
“Agh!”
Unable to withstand the onslaught, Garik tried to flee, but Damian was relentless, matching his every step.
Garik’s injuries multiplied.
“Hah… Hah!”
Finally, Garik collapsed to his knees, the blood loss leaving him dizzy and weak.
He looked up at Damian with trembling eyes. Damian stood as he had at the start, unscathed and not even breaking a sweat.
“You… you…”
Faced with the incomprehensible, Garik felt a deep, primal fear. He couldn’t fathom the extent of Damian’s power, like being adrift in an endless ocean, unable to grasp its vastness or depth.
“You… you… you must not be allowed to live…!”
Yet, in his ignorance, Garik found a spark of courage. Not knowing the full extent of Damian’s power gave him the will to fight back.
“One day… you’ll be a great calamity for the House of Lionbloom!”
Garik’s demeanor shifted. Though his spirit had waned, an indescribable foreboding emanated from him.
Damian sensed the change immediately.
“You’re going to use your secret technique?”
A secret technique was a deadly skill designed to ensure an enemy’s death. Even a basic one was dangerous, but when combined with aura, it became even more so. Some techniques could split mountains or evaporate lakes.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Lion’s Might Sword technique.”
The knights of Lionbloom practiced the Lion’s Might Sword, a style focused on powerful strikes. Its ultimate move was a one-hit kill.
Garik wasn’t just flaunting his magic; he was preparing an attack to kill Damian.
“For the future of the House of Lionbloom, I will stop you!”
Garik charged forward, his aura exploding as he kicked off the ground. His entire body accelerated, and he thrust his sword with all his might.
It wasn’t just a simple thrust; it was an attack imbued with all his magic. The force was so great it tore through the air, creating a gale that pressed down on Damian.
“So noisy.”
Before the zweihander could reach him, Damian’s sword moved. He thrust his blade toward Garik, their sword tips aimed at each other.
Garik was certain of his victory. Unlike Damian’s ordinary thrust, his attack was charged with all his magic. The outcome seemed clear.
“For Lionbloom!”
Garik shouted, and the two sword tips collided. The aura Garik had gathered scattered in all directions.
“What?”
The zweihander shattered, its fragments flying everywhere. Garik stared in disbelief at the hilt in his hand.
“I warned you.”
Garik looked up at Damian, who had raised his sword high.
“If you don’t get your stance right, you’ll die.”
Damian brought his sword down, severing Garik’s shoulder.