The Indomitable Martial King

[ Chapter 40 ]

The deep-rooted injustice in humanity! The firm belief that everything non-human is inferior!

Even when they see beings who walk on two legs, think, speak, laugh, cry, rejoice, and grieve just like humans, they do not even consider that these beings might have emotions and rationality!

“What makes humans superior to elves, that they enslave them!”

At that moment, Lantas was flabbergasted. Although he himself had not lived a life considering morality or duty, such absurd thinking was new to him. Humans were deemed the most intelligent of creatures, thus justifying the enslavement of other races. This was a righteous principle set by the god Seiya.

“Then, are you saying those born as slaves are meant to be something else?”

Repenhardt’s momentum intensified at Lantas’s foolish retort.

“How could the descendants of the noble fairies be born to be slaves!”

A relentless assault ensued. Despite being taken aback, Lantas coolly counterattacked, leaving marks of red on Repenhardt’s skin with the dance of his blade, yet none were fatal. Even in his excitement, Repenhardt’s body, honed through rigorous training, instinctively adopted the best form of attack and defense.

Repenhardt, bursting with indignation, continued.

“Have you never considered that if elves ruled the world, humans could be the slaves?”

Humans cheered when the orcs were enslaved by the rulers. Because they were not orcs.

Humans cheered when the dwarves were enslaved by the rulers. Because they were not dwarves.

Humans cheered when the elves were enslaved by the rulers. Because they were not elves.

And now, with the slave system deeply entrenched in the continent, even humans who are weak and powerless have begun to live difficult lives as serfs. This was the serfdom system.

A misguided paradigm, once implemented, inevitably comes back to haunt its originators, yet foolish humans fail to recognize this.

“By allowing others to be enslaved, you’re ultimately allowing yourself to be enslaved!”

Repenhardt’s anger was no longer directed at Lantas. It was a fury towards his powerless self and the irrational world filled with injustice. Yet, Lantas still failed to understand. Glancing at Siris, he retorted with a baffled expression.

“Are you saying that elves are equal to humans? Are you out of your mind?”

Repenhardt finally erupted.

“Siris is not a slave!”

Spinning in midair, he stomped the ground again, channeling his outraged will into his fist, transforming it into a force of destruction.

Lantas’s expression became desperate. The opponent’s movements were improving by the moment. He couldn’t understand it. It was commonly believed that losing one’s senses in rage only made one stronger in tales of adventure, while in reality, it usually just exposed more weaknesses. Yet, Repenhardt seemed sharper in his movements when slightly crazed!

“What, what is this!”

However, there was something Lantas didn’t know: Repenhardt was actually more composed now than ever. Until now, he had been merely using the martial arts he had learned, driven by the emotions of Teslon’s brute physical body. But at this moment, he was Repenhardt, the demon king of a previous life, a sorcerer enraged.

No matter how enraged, a sorcerer does not lose his senses. Having regained his true self as a sorcerer, he was able to calmly analyze his opponent’s movements, separate from his anger.

He continuously pressed the opponent with jabs and straights, aiming for the lower body to control the steps and then restricting movement with a punch filled with aura overhead. He was gradually becoming familiar with Lantas’s swordsmanship. Although the opponent was an aura wielder, he had neglected proper training for years in favor of indulgence. In every aspect, he was inferior to this body, honed to its peak!

Like a spider draining the prey caught in its web, Repenhardt kept pressuring Lantas. His eyes blazed with rage.

The one he loved and cherished more than his own life was being called a slave. Unacceptable. He could never accept such a world.

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“Damn it!”

Cursing, Lantas swung his sword in a difficult flurry, delivering three consecutive slashes. Repenhardt dodged by spinning and counterattacked with an elbow strike, sharp enough to slice through rock. Lantas stumbled backward, tripping over his feet.

At that moment, Repenhardt delivered a middle kick. It was a strike meant to break the opponent’s guard and inflict damage. The moment Lantas raised his arm to block, he felt his body go numb.

‘Ah, no!’

A look of despair flashed in his eyes.

“Taah!”

With a powerful yell, Repenhardt’s fist plunged into Lantas’s solar plexus. The single blow shattered his spine and pain spread throughout his body.

“Grah!”

Spitting blood, Lantas was hurled against the wall of a building, causing bricks to shatter and scatter across the floor. A long sword fell with a clang among the debris.

Walking towards the fallen Lantas, Repenhardt murmured.

“I will change it…”

He would change it, no matter what.

So that no one could ever call Siris a slave…

So that no one could even conceive of the existence of slavery…

For her, he would change this world!

* * *

Siris watched the battle unfolding before her with a dazed expression.

The power of an Aura user, something she had only heard about in stories, truly exceeded all imagination. Until now, she could hardly believe that a body made of flesh and blood could unleash such formidable force. Although she had heard unbelievable tales of Aura users in Elvenheim, she had always thought humans were prone to exaggeration.

But the scene before her eyes made her wonder if those stories had been too modest in their descriptions.

“This is the realm of someone who has reached the pinnacle of martial arts!”

Siris trembled with emotion. Despite her hatred for humans, as a martial artist herself, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. Then, the shout of her hulking owner reached her ears.

“Siris is not a slave!”

At that moment, Siris thought to herself, “He must be truly mad.”

An elf, not a slave? The absurdity of his role-play was exceptional. It seemed that even an awakened Aura could not change a pervert. After all, wasn’t Lantas, who had also awakened his Aura, a vile pedophile?

At that instant, Siris discarded all her admiration. The magnificent battle before her eyes was nothing more than a lesser pervert and a greater pervert fighting each other fiercely.

“Yet…”

Despite herself, she couldn’t stop a certain warmth in her heart, and her eyes began to well up with tears. There was sincerity in the booming voice of her large owner. Even if it was just a pervert’s role-play, that human genuinely believed Siris was not a slave.

-We were the descendants of the great fairies.

“Why would the descendants of the great fairies be born to be slaves!”

The mad, hulking owner was now echoing the words of the elders of her tribe.

* * *

“Ugh…”

Buried under a pile of bricks, Lantas groaned. The attack would have killed anyone else instantly, but a faint Aura was still keeping him alive. However, it was clear that without immediate healing from a priest, he wouldn’t last much longer.

He looked up at Repenhardt.

“Please, spare me.”

Repenhardt was incredulous. Did this man actually believe he would be spared after all the crimes he had committed?

“Why would I spare a pervert who preys on children?”

Then, with a serious expression, Lantas declared.

“I swear on my sword, I will dedicate the rest of my life to good deeds. I will spend my life reflecting on my sins!”

Lantas was bleeding, yet he wore an expression brimming with sincerity. Repenhardt looked down at him with an indifferent face.

“Judging by your expression alone, you really seem to be repenting…”

“Yes, that’s right!”

His wrinkled face was full of remorse. Based solely on his current expression, he indeed appeared to be reflecting on his actions. However, Repenhardt scoffed at this display. Suddenly, he changed the subject.

“I really hate the Seiya Order. Especially that thing they call confession; I truly dislike it.”

Even as he was dying, Lantas wore a puzzled expression.

“So, you do all sorts of things, then go to the temple, secretly speak up, and that’s it, you’re absolved? If you’re truly repentant, you should go to the police and turn yourself in, why head to a Seiya temple?”

“Of course, I’ll turn myself in as well!”

“Well, I’m not particularly fond of murder anyway…”

His tone somewhat suggested he might spare Lantas’s life. Anxiously, Lantas exclaimed,

“There’s no need to dirty your hands by killing someone like me!”

At that, Repenhardt threw a cold sneer.

“But I’m already covered in quite a bit of blood, aren’t I?”

While it was true Repenhardt didn’t take pleasure in murder, in his past life, the number of people he killed had surpassed four digits, nearing five. It wasn’t for nothing he was called a Demon King. Unlike swordsmen, a truly powerful magician could wipe out thousands of lives in an instant with widespread spells.

“Alright, I’ll believe you truly repented.”

Suddenly, Repenhardt nodded generously. Lantas’s face brightened. That’s when it happened.

“Since you’ve truly repented, you must feel it’s only right to die, right? Hm? Don’t you want to beg to be killed to pay for your sins? Hm? You said you reflected, didn’t you?”

“That, that’s not!”

It was too chilling to be mere sarcasm; Lantas was panic-stricken and stuttered just when—

Thud!

A golden aura struck his head. Without even a scream, the part that was Lantas’s head turned into a bloody mess and disappeared.

Repenhardt withdrew his hand and coldly admonished,

“Don’t overuse the word ‘repentance’. It’s not a word for someone like you to use.”

Thus, Lantas died like a street dog. Despite being an aura user and once a knight famous in the Teikan Kingdom, his end was too miserable.

“People should live humanely.”

Muttering to himself, Repenhardt suddenly sported a bitter smile. It wasn’t quite a comment a former Demon King should make.

After shattering Lantas, Repenhardt immediately approached Sillan and Siris.

He inspected Siris’s entire body, asking with concern,

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

By then, Siris had already been fully healed by Sillan’s healing magic. Turning to look at Sillan, Repenhardt marveled at his own foresight.

‘Ah! Bringing this top-notch healer was indeed a wise decision!’ he thought, patting Sillan on the head in approval. Annoyed by being treated like a child, Sillan irritably pulled away. It was then that Siris hesitated before softly speaking up.

“Are… are you alright, Lord Repenhardt?”

His earlier shout had unmistakably stirred something within her, prompting her to speak out. Repenhardt’s eyes welled up with emotion.

“Siris!”

He trembled with deep feeling.

‘Ah! Siris spoke to me! Her voice is still cold, but that she spoke at all is something, isn’t it? Is this what it feels like when a skittish cat finally eats from your hand?’

His expression became oddly poignant. Siris, taken aback, quickly put some distance between them.

‘This man is definitely strange…’

Her expression hardened once again. Yet, Repenhardt was not disheartened, having expected her to not open up so soon.

Siris turned to look at a corner of the clearing, where the remnants of her shattered scimitar lay. She felt a twinge of regret.

‘It might have been a gift from a pervert, but it was a piece I quite liked…’

Sensing her mood, Repenhardt quickly reassured her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you something much better.”

It was surprising how he could read her so well, causing Siris to stiffen her expression even more. Nonetheless, there was no reason to object if he was offering to replace it.

“Yes, Lord Repenhardt.”

Just then, Sillan spoke up with a sharp tone.

“Lord Repenhardt, those guys are getting away.”

The Romad group, sneaking away behind the well, froze in their tracks. With a relaxed voice, Repenhardt responded,

“Yes, I know.”

He turned to look at Romad with a grin.

“Come here.”

The petrified group of Romad demonstrated remarkable flexibility, turning their upper bodies while keeping their lower halves facing backward. Repenhardt chuckled lightly.

“Running away?”

The menacing men trembled as if struck by a blast of wind. He continued,

“Go ahead. I’ll show you something good.”