Chapter 228: The Strongest Shield and the Strongest Spear (4)

Divine Ironblood Physique seemed invincible. There were no blind spots in its defense, and its recovery was so fast that the idea of grinding it down over time was meaningless. It was, literally, a flawless defensive art. However...

There is no such perfect technique in the world.

Keter did not do pointless things. The reason why he kept attacking Hyperion despite knowing he wasn’t powerful enough was that he was analyzing Divine Ironblood Physique. Even provoking Hyperion and targeting vulnerable spots like the groin were all deliberate moves.

That’s the only way he won’t notice I’m studying his defense.

Hyperion might seem arrogant and foolish, but that was only his personality. In martial skill, he was one of the world’s greatest prodigies. To trick someone like him, one couldn’t approach it like a con; one had to mix a small lie into a sea of truth. From that, Keter could infer the principle and weakness of Divine Ironblood Physique.

It’s like plunging molten glass into cold water to shock-cool it.

Glass was brittle, but if molten glass was cooled into a tadpole-like shape, the head became monstrously hard[1]. However, this miracle only applied to the head; the tail shattered under slight pressure. Divine Ironblood Physique also had a “tail”—a weakness that, once poked, would undo the entire defense.

Of course, Hyperion wouldn’t show it openly. It wasn’t visible to the naked eye, and that was why Keter had attacked Hyperion all over. And the spot Keter discovered—the single place where Hyperion, who had taken every blow without flinching, had shown restraint—was...

“Here!”

Keter stabbed Hyperion’s heel with Tusk, a spot impossible to strike while standing upright. That was why Keter had deliberately shattered the ground to force a jump, and Hyperion had walked right into the trap.

Clang!!!

A different sound than before rang out. The Divine Ironblood Physique, which had stood firm against every attack, shattered in an instant.

Crunch!!

At the same time, Keter’s torso began to contort. He had taken the Sudden Thunderpalm From The Blue and sacrificed himself to break Divine Ironblood Physique’s layers. If neither side yielded now, Keter would burst, and Hyperion would lose his left ankle. It would be natural for Keter—the one facing death—to retreat, but...

“What a lunatic.”

Keter showed no intention of backing off. Hyperion could tell that Keter, even if he was going to die, was going to take his ankle with him.

No. If I lose my ankle, I lose Divine Ironblood Physique.

One might think the feet were less important for a warrior who used fist techniques, but that was wrong. Feet were as crucial as one’s fists. In Divine Ironblood Physique, the ankle acted as the “tail,” and it was indispensable.

“Damn it!”

Hyperion didn’t want to kill Keter at the cost of losing Divine Ironblood Physique. Keter wasn’t his mortal enemy, and killing him would bring no real benefit.

Thud!

With a spin, Hyperion ripped away his palm from Keter’s chest and deflected the incoming Tusk aimed at his ankle.

If I’d been any slower, it would have been cut clean off.

The Divine Ironblood Physique hardened one to near-orichalcum toughness, but Tusk’s force could tear through orichalcum with ease, so it must never be taken head-on.

“You found Ironblood’s weakness? You’re extraordina...”

Crash!

Hyperion suddenly dodged mid-sentence as Keter charged with Tusks in both hands.

He’s still fighting after taking Sudden Thunderpalm From The Blue?!

Although Hyperion had pulled away, he had left a deep palm mark on Keter’s shoulder. It was surprising his shoulder hadn’t been ripped away, but the force of the attack should have torn his insides.

How can he still move?

The secret was in Keter’s artifact: the Oath of Death. Whoever wore the earrings shared the damage equally. He had secretly put one on Decameron beforehand, so that was why, even struck squarely, he didn’t burst into pieces.

Hyperion, ignorant of this trick, grew frustrated but did not stop attacking.

Sudden Thunderfist From The Blue!

A fist that could split mountains flew at the charging Keter, but...

Whoosh! Squelch!

“...!”

Keter, who came straight for Hyperion like a madman, suddenly reached out, slipped ahead of the Thundefist, and drove Tusk into Hyperion’s arm. The Divine Ironblood Physique that had stood resolute was gone. Keter acted as if he had anticipated it.

“Even so, you’re not unscathed!” Hyperion yelled.

Even if Keter had the advantage right now, he most likely had accumulated damage from the shockwaves. He was already soaked in blood, even trickling down from his mouth. Yet Keter seemed like he didn’t care, as he kept unleashing a torrent of attacks. Hyperion, by contrast, talked more and moved bigger.

“Divine Ironblood Physique takes five minutes to restore. You think you can kill me in five minutes?”

Boom! Kaboom!

From range, Hyperion tried to strike Keter with Sudden Thunderfist From The Blue, while Keter drove Tusks up close. Their roles seemed reversed.

Whoosh!

Keter didn’t merely hold the Tusks; when the opportunity arose, he threw them, trying to impale Hyperion. Hyperion answered with Sudden Thunderpalm From The Blue, but Keter’s arrows bent in flight. The palm only hit the ground, and the Tusk lodged in Hyperion’s thigh.

“Heh, that’s actually not too bad.”

But the Tusk’s power had diminished. Hyperion tensed up his thigh muscle and made the arrow disappear.

Kaboom boom boom boom!

Keter followed up with Milky Way. This drove back Hyperion, who was using his hands like shields. Hidden in the smoke, Hyperion smirked.

“A predictable trick.”

Boom!

Hyperion unleashed Sudden Thunderpalm From The Blue straight ahead again. The Tusks that had flown from the smoke were shot down.

“The front was a decoy, and...”

Turning, Hyperion put both his palms out. A Sudden Thunderpalm From The Blue that was four times larger than before devastated tens of meters, enough to clear the smoke clean. Then Hyperion looked up.

“...And you’ll come from above!”

But there was only open sky.

“Eh?!”

By the time he realized his imagination had run wild, it was too late. Far off, Keter had an arrow nocked on Amaranth and was gathering his strength. He loaded the full-power Milky Way he had shown in Liqueur and smiled slyly.

“I use it because it still works when it’s predictable.”

Twang!

Hyperion had been struck by Milky Way dozens of times, but instinct told him this incoming barrage carried a different order of force.

Thirty seconds until Divine Ironblood Physique is fully restored.

If he could stop this, Keter had no chance. Ein, another level of power, surged around his fists.

Keter, no matter how hard you try to crack Divine Ironblood Technique, without Ein you will never beat me.

Ein burst explosively from Hyperion’s drawn-back shoulder.

Sudden Thunderpalm From the Blue: Island Breaker.

A fist named for destroying whole islands clashed with the Milky Way.

Hum...

There was no great sound, as the area around them had, for an instant, become a zone of silence. But then, from the point of impact, a tremendous explosion erupted and ripped outward in all directions.

Ruuuummmbbbleee!!!

The Demon Capital’s barrier shuddered, and avalanches started in nearby mountains. Even villages tens of thousands of meters off felt the tremor. The impact left a pit so deep that the ground disappeared. Then...

A hand burst up from the ruined pit: Hyperion’s huge hand. Keter rose from the opposite side. Both were within the blast range and lay battered. Yet Hyperion was smiling.

“Divine Ironblood Physique just restored. That last strike still aches, but you seem at your limit.”

Brushing through his hair, Hyperion looked relaxed.

Keter licked the blood from his lips and said, “Yes. I’m at my limit. All my bones are broken, organs damaged, aura and mana drained.”

“I’ll give you credit for pushing me to my limit. It was for a brief moment, but it was chilling.” Hyperion pointed at the ground and continued, “Kneel. I’ll take you as my subordinate. You deserve it.”

“Pfft.”

Keter spat a broken tooth and a clot of blood, slinging Amaranth over his shoulder.

“Why talk like it’s over?”

Hyperion looked incredulous.

“Don’t be cocky. You can’t beat me. Sure, Divine Ironblood Physique’s weakness is the heel, but do you think I’ll expose my heel twice? And you can’t match my Ein with aura or mana. So give up.”

“Heh heh... Kek kek...”

“What’s so funny?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“You know, when someone tells me it’s impossible and to give up, I’m exactly the type who finds strength I didn’t have.”

Keter stretched his neck. They had only spoken for a brief moment, but his bleeding had stopped.

“Round two—let’s go.”

“...Fine. You’ll have some uses without a limb or two.”

Both engrossed in the heat of the battle, neither realized that their battle was stirring the Demon Capital’s barrier.

* * *

A new building had gone up in Sefira: an outdoor party pavilion. It had been thrown together quickly, but it didn’t feel that way; it was elegant, neat, and refined.

Someone stood on the main mansion’s terrace looking down at it. It was Hissop, the deputy patriarch of Sefira, and Anis, Sefira’s second eldest.

“The party’s only a week away, then.”

“Yes.”

Hissop let out a small sigh and then asked quietly, “And Keter...?”

Anis shook his head, and Hissop sighed again.

“Thanks to Mage Denison and Orion, we more or less know where Keter is, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what he’s up to.”

“Keter’s not someone you can understand with common sense.”

“I know that, but the nobles who’ve arrived early keep asking where he is. We’ve been making excuses so far, but if Keter doesn’t show up to the party... I’m afraid of what might happen.”

“Did Keter say he’d attend the party?”

“Hmm...”

Hissop couldn’t quite recall if he’d explicitly asked Keter that. He had been busy, and he had just assumed that Keter would, of course, attend. At that moment, the person most responsible for the party entered.

“Keter definitely said he would attend the party.”

“Lord Veiga.”

“Have you been well, Lord Hissop?”

The handsome young man who lightly bowed to Hissop was Veiga, the person who had personally overseen the party’s decorations and instructed everyone on etiquette from start to finish. He appeared already dressed as if for the party. He was stylish and tasteful without being overdone. Elegance and poise radiated from him.

“Looks like Keter still hasn’t arrived.”

“...Seems not.”

Since it was a fact better left unhidden, Hissop admitted it without protest.

“You don’t know where Keter is or when he’ll arrive either, it seems...” Veiga said in a tone that implied Hissop’s incompetence.

When Anis shot Veiga a glare, he shook his head.

“Don’t look at me like that. I say this only for Sefira’s sake. As you know, Keter is the star of this party, isn’t he? If Keter doesn’t attend... what will happen?”

“It won’t be a good look.”

“You’re optimistic. Sefira will be ostracized from high society forever. You know what that implies, right?”

“Veiga, mind your manners. He is the deputy patriarch.”

Unable to stand Veiga’s tone, Anis stepped forward and warned him.

Veiga surveyed Anis up and down and chuckled.

“That’s the kind of talk the powerful give to the weak. Anis, I don’t think you have the standing to lecture me like that.”

“....”

Their gazes locked in the air. Hissop interceded.

“Lord Veiga, if Keter can’t attend, what should we do?”

“Hmm. If he can’t attend, you should announce it now, my lord. Saying he’ll come and then not showing is an insult, but saying from the start he won’t attend creates mystique and leaves everyone intrigued. Of course, with the princess participating today, we can’t just sweep it under the rug... but it’s better to state it clearly.”

“Hmm...”

As Hissop hesitated, Veiga gave his advice as if it were the obvious choice.

“Declare that he won’t attend. As I said, if he says he’ll come and then doesn’t, it’s over. But if he’s announced as absent and then appears, it becomes a special event. If you don’t know when Keter will arrive, that’s the best option. There’s nothing else to do.”

Anis didn’t like Veiga personally, but he agreed with the reasoning and nodded. However...

“No. Keter will attend.”

“Lord Hissop, you’re inviting disaster. Had Lord Besil been here, he would have decided to announce Keter’s nonattendance...”

“Lord Veiga, I appreciate your tireless work for Sefira, but don’t overstep,” Hissop warned calmly rather than angrily.

“...”

Veiga narrowed his eyes and fell silent.

“If Keter said he would attend, then he will attend. I trust Keter.”

“You’re staking the family’s fate on one man... very well. We won’t change the schedule then.”

After that, Veiga left immediately. His insolence irked Anis so much that he vowed to challenge him to a duel once the party ended.

* * *

Five days had passed since Keter and Hyperion began fighting. They fought day and night, without eating or sleeping.

The Snake Canyon could no longer even be called by its old name because they had collapsed or broken the countless ravines.

Both Keter and Hyperion had long since exceeded their limits. These two no longer moved by strength but by sheer will. They had landed dozens of fatal blows on each other. Wounds that would have killed an ordinary person, or even a Master-class warrior, were dealt and received again and again. And yet they still moved, by monstrous stamina and regeneration.

“Die... Already!”

Hyperion panted. The confident expression was long gone, and he thrust his fist forward with a pleading look.

Thud! Squelch!

Keter’s Tusk pierced Hyperion’s lung. At the same moment, Hyperion’s punch drove through Keter’s heart. No matter how monstrous one’s regeneration, a broken heart meant death. Hyperion was certain he had won.

Unwittingly, he let out the forbidden words, “Di-did I finish him?”

1. bascially Prince Rupert’s Drop ☜