The Indomitable Martial King

[ Chapter 157 ]

Drip, drip, drip.

Blood droplets fell to the floor one by one. Repenhardt stared at his chest with a shocked expression. His pectoral muscle, as strong as steel, was torn open and bleeding. The wound was quite deep, nearly splitting his thick chest muscle in half.

Teslon clicked his tongue.

“Tch, you’re quick on the uptake.”

Repenhardt sighed in relief as he staunched the bleeding with his aura. It was fortunate that he had noticed the look in Teslon’s eyes and pulled his body back at the last moment. Otherwise, the blade might have pierced his heart.

That blade, imbued with that ominous yellow aura!

“Aura… is it?”

Repenhardt looked at Teslon’s sword in disbelief, staring at the swirling yellow aura that enveloped the blade. It was a rather familiar form of aura.

“Spiral Guard? No, since it’s wrapped around the blade, it should be called Spiral Blade?”

“I can’t use Spiral Guard with this body. It’s a technique that maximizes penetration power by adapting the method.”

Repenhardt understood how Teslon had been able to match his movements, despite Repenhardt being an aura user. Teslon had been using his aura solely to enhance his physical strength without manifesting it until now.

“Did my body have the talent to manifest aura?”

Teslon nonchalantly responded to Repenhardt’s puzzled expression.

“Did I have the talent to use magic for you to cast spells?”

He spoke slowly, still pointing his sword.

“I couldn’t follow Gym Unbreakable’s teachings with this body.”

Indeed, the aura Teslon displayed was distinctly different from Repenhardt’s. Although it was in the yellow spectrum, it lacked the brilliance of gold and was merely a dull color. It was definitely not Gym Unbreakable’s aura.

“But I am the Fist King Teslon!”

Teslon, who had reigned as one of the strongest martial artists on the continent alongside the Sword Saint Cyrus, had also reached the highest level of aura mastery. Through his past life’s insights, he had modified Gym Unbreakable’s aura to suit his current body.

“Did you think I couldn’t do what you, a demon king, can do?”

“I underestimated you, Teslon.”

Repenhardt nodded with a wry smile.

To be honest, I didn’t think it was possible. So I hadn’t worried much until now. However, someone who has reached the pinnacle in a field carries that weight.

“You shared the title of the continent’s strongest with Sword Saint Cyrus. I should have expected this much.”

“It’s painful to know that one of those strongest sided with you.”

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Teslon gave a wry smile and glanced to the side. In the distance, he saw Russ fiercely fighting against Eusus. Although his appearance was much younger and different from the one in his memories, Teslon could still see the friend with whom he had once competed in martial arts.

He had heard about it before, but seeing it with his own eyes made him grimace anew.

‘I never imagined that Cyrus would be driven out by Eusus.’

Teslon’s initial contact with Eusus had been with Russ in mind. Since Russ of the current era had no power or influence, Teslon’s plan was to naturally bring him over as an ally after befriending Eusus. However, with Repenhardt’s intervention, the future Teslon knew had twisted, and the Cyrus of the current era ended up siding with the Demon King.

“Cyrus seems to be getting along quite well with people in this life, doesn’t he? It looks like he even made friends.”

At the unintentional question, Repenhardt looked puzzled.

“You speak as if he didn’t have any friends before. Well, Russ is indeed quite shy, but still….”

“He didn’t. I might have been his only friend.”

Reflecting on his past life, Teslon wore a wistful expression.

Sword Saint Cyrus had no friends. While his cold personality was part of the issue, it was mainly because no one wanted to befriend him.

Most people viewed Cyrus, the extraordinary swordsman, with nothing but awe.

Aura Users capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Cyrus actually avoided him.

It was due to his overwhelming talent. Cyrus could effortlessly extract the essence of others’ techniques just by observing them. Among Aura Users, he was the last person anyone wanted as a friend.

But Teslon was different. In truth, Gym Unbreakable’s techniques weren’t very complicated. Any decent Aura User could easily replicate them. After all, it wasn’t a sophisticated martial school, and even difficult techniques wouldn’t be understood if taught.

But imitating them meant death.

Both the Spiral Guard and the Energy Strike were fundamentally techniques based on physical strength. If another Aura User tried to use their aura in that manner, their forearms would be destroyed before they could even unleash the Energy Strike.

In other words, Gym Unbreakable had no worries about his techniques being stolen! The same applied to his physical training methods. If someone coveted them, they were welcome to take them. If they could make their bodies as strong as steel using those methods, Gym Unbreakable would even bow deeply and take them as a master.

Sadly, such an extraordinary genius never existed in the continent’s history. Not even Sword Saint Cyrus.

“Sword Saint Cyrus had quite a melancholic life.”

There was no one around to share friendship with, and the only person he was acquainted with was the simple, crude, and violent Fist King Teslon.

It felt somewhat pitiful. As Repenhardt chuckled, Teslon, facing him, laughed and murmured.

“However, we’re not exactly in a situation where we can just keep chatting, are we?”

“Indeed… Philena is looking at us as if wondering if we’re long-lost friends from home.”

Teslon and Repenhardt exchanged wry smiles as they looked at each other.

Clearly, they were destined to be irreconcilable enemies. However, in this era, the only one who truly understood them, the one who shared memories of a future that no longer existed, was the opponent standing before them.

“We are exiles of time, defying the flow, coming from the same place called the future. So calling us hometown friends might not be entirely wrong.”

Repenhardt laughed and took his stance. Teslon also smiled and raised his sword.

“Though we are definitely not going to live out our days laughing together!”

“Indeed!”

Cold killing intent flowed over their smiles. Teslon spoke in a low voice.

“I have honed my strength through relentless effort to defeat you, Demon King Repenhardt. And now, I will claim my reward!”

Repenhardt quietly responded.

“It’s impressive that you managed to get this far with your body. But did you really think that would be enough to defeat me?”

No matter how much Teslon had grown his strength to the point of awakening his aura, he did not believe that he could harm Repenhardt’s current body. Aura Users could roughly gauge each other’s skill. In terms of physical prowess and the amount of aura, Repenhardt was in an absolute position of superiority. Even now, he had only been caught off guard. Considering a proper fight against an Aura User, the odds still leaned heavily in Repenhardt’s favor.

“Magic can’t harm me.”

Boom!

Golden aura erupted from Repenhardt’s entire body. Displaying an immense amount of aura, he smiled coldly.

“Even as a martial artist, you can’t match me. You must already feel this gap. How do you intend to defeat me?”

Teslon smirked in response.

“It’s true that magic won’t suffice.”

He suddenly discarded his sword. Repenhardt momentarily looked puzzled. Was Teslon planning to fight barehanded? Despite possessing the soul of the Fist King, did he think he could face someone with the Fist King’s ‘body’?

Then Teslon spread his arms wide and grinned.

“But a martial artist’s fight isn’t solely about the amount of aura!”

In an instant, Teslon charged straight at Repenhardt like an arrow.

“Now, I’ll prove it!”

☆ ☆ ☆

Philena watched Eusus with growing anxiety.

‘It seems Sir Eusus is being overpowered…’

Using the full power of the Eldrad Magic Armor, Eusus continued to cast spells in a dazzling display of combat. Yet, despite the spectacular magical explosions, Eusus was the one being pushed back.

“D-damn it! Awaken, Eldran!”

“Do you think I haven’t seen that trick a few times, brother?”

A golden flash surged forward. Russ easily dodged the attack with cold eyes and countered. His blade aura extended like a spear, striking Eusus’s shoulder. With each hit, cracks appeared on the Eldrad Magic Armor, causing Eusus to wince in pain.

“Argh!”

Russ had spent years watching Eusus with jealous eyes, studying his fighting style and magic intimately. He knew exactly how Eusus fought and what spells he used.

Conversely, Eusus had never seen Russ after he had awakened his aura. The information gap between them was immense.

“You honorless scum who knows nothing of honor!”

“Does a man who knows honor stab his brother in the gut?”

“You are no brother of mine!”

So, if they weren’t brothers, it was acceptable to stab them? Russ stared in disbelief, his eyes blazing.

“Fine, well said! I no longer consider you my brother, Eusus!”

Both fighters’ eyes were bloodshot with intense rage as they exchanged blows. Philena clicked her tongue. Compared to Russ, who dodged every attack effortlessly, Eusus had been getting hit repeatedly. Although the Eldrad Magic Armor was incredibly powerful and prevented any fatal injuries, it was clear that Eusus’s stamina and concentration were steadily waning.

Christine and Siris’s battle didn’t seem favorable either.

“My friend, Sarana! I call upon you in the name of friendship!”

Calling upon the wind spirit Sarana, Siris was darting through the air, overwhelming Seiya’s Holy Knight, Christine. Despite wielding her holy sword with all her might, Christine’s attacks were becoming fewer compared to Siris’s.

“How dare you, a mere slave, engage in such monstrous acts!”

Christine fought with her feet firmly on the ground, while Siris utilized three-dimensional movement, creating a vast difference in their range of motion. Furthermore, Siris was no longer just a simple swordsman, having mastered spirit magic.

By embedding the water spirit Nymphia in her bloodstream, she increased her agility, and by infusing her sword with the lower wind spirit Sylph, she enhanced its destructive power. She also supported her strength with the earth spirit’s power. In this state, she was nearly on par with most Aura Users.

Without the blessing breathing technique—actually, a cursed breathing technique—Christine would have fallen long ago.

Christine, pushed back repeatedly, trembled with anger.

“How dare a slave be so fierce! Are you also aiming for Sillan?”

To spout such nonsense in this situation, Siris was flabbergasted.

“Uh, no…”

With so many already harboring grudges against Repenhardt, would it be easier to just say she was targeting him? As Siris pondered this, Christine’s face suddenly turned red.

“Ah, our Sillan really is popular, isn’t he?”

Blushing in the middle of a fight, Christine’s mental state was truly puzzling. Shaking her head, Siris resolved to focus solely on fighting, regardless of what nonsense Christine spewed.

“My sworn ally, Ignatius! Fight for me!”

A giant flame titan appeared in the air and charged at Christine. In despair, Christine cried out.

“Seiya! Bless your servant!”

Christine encased herself in a protective spell against flames and swung her sword desperately. Seeing this, Philena fidgeted anxiously. She wanted to support them with magic right away, but…

“That won’t be happening, young mage.”

The pretty young priest kept her in check each time. Despite his youth, his battle experience was evident as he thwarted her every attempt with perfect timing, driving her to frustration. Grinding her teeth, Philena glanced over at Teslon.

‘Someone needs to defeat their opponent soon to end this stalemate…’

As she shifted her gaze towards Teslon and Repenhardt, Philena’s eyes widened, and her face turned red.

‘Oh my! What are those two doing?’