Ch.100In the End, I Was Caught. (4)

A massive fist smashed through rocks as it advanced.

The fierce attack seemed impossible for a man who had lived nearly a century, with a build reminiscent of the ancient giants long vanished into history. This overwhelming presence approached Kiel, intimidating just by his mere appearance.

‘…What a damned old man.’

Kiel knew it. The strongest warrior on the continent was right before him—Ashe Balthar.

Unless he could fully recover his skills from his past life, this was impossible for him now.

The King of Martial Arts cackled and shouted.

“You! Stop dodging around and fight like a proper knight!”

“I just… regained consciousness!”

The King of Martial Arts didn’t even pretend to listen to Kiel’s protest.

“Then I’ll wake you up properly!”

The King of Martial Arts swung his aura-wrapped hand toward Kiel.

Kiel raised his greatsword sideways to deflect the attack.

Just as he was about to retreat—

“And you call yourself a man?!”

The muscles in the King of Martial Arts’ lower body explosively contracted as he stomped the ground.

KWAAANG!

The earth split with just one stomp.

Kiel instinctively realized that the legend of the King of Martial Arts flattening mountain ranges with his bare fists was no exaggeration.

With this much power, a landslide should have occurred long ago, yet for some reason, the vibrations quickly stabilized.

‘…The shamans?’

At the edge of Kiel’s vision, he could see shamans exerting themselves. They were bleeding profusely while containing the King of Martial Arts’ rampage.

Facing the intensely fierce air, Kiel concentrated and drew forth his aura.

Tss-tss-tss.

The world, previously completely colored by the King of Martial Arts’ presence, was now slightly tinged with Kiel’s color. The pressure crushing his body lessened, and his breathing gradually stabilized.

‘…This time I won’t be arrogant.’

Perhaps he had unknowingly become intoxicated with his reputation as the continent’s greatest swordsman.

While Kiel was organizing his thoughts, the King of Martial Arts approached with large strides.

The only emotions visible on his face were ecstasy and the fighting spirit unique to warriors obsessed with battle.

…How on earth did Olivia build a friendship with this madman who had nothing but combat in his brain?

Kiel gripped his greatsword tighter.

PAHK!

Kiel continued to retreat while looking for an opportunity.

He realized after just one clash—a frontal battle was impossible.

He needed to endure somehow and strike decisively when an opening appeared.

For that, he had to temporarily swallow his pride.

The King of Martial Arts grinned, baring his teeth.

He saw right through Kiel’s thoughts.

‘…That’s what he thinks I’m thinking.’

Kiel was a seasoned warrior. He knew well how to defeat someone stronger than himself. But the King of Martial Arts’ martial prowess was beyond Kiel’s reach from the start.

The King of Martial Arts moved even faster. In an instant, he sliced through the air and unleashed countless punches toward Kiel. Kiel reacted quickly, but he couldn’t block the wind pressure from the punches.

-Pit!

Blood flowed from his cheek where the wind pressure had touched.

Even if Kiel tried not to give an opening, the King of Martial Arts had the ability to forcibly create one.

“Kuk…!”

“Did you think I would show an opening?!”

Kiel desperately retreated while swinging his greatsword. When the King of Martial Arts didn’t budge despite his fierce resistance, Kiel swallowed the blood rising in his throat and drew forth his aura.

An aura of incomparable density to anything before dyed Kiel’s greatsword in an ink-like color.

“…Huuuh.”

Kiel exhaled deeply, then inhaled again.

‘No holding back.’

A cold glint circled in Kiel’s eyes. The ink-colored aura was twice as fierce as what he had shown Olivia half a year ago.

Spatial Sword Style 1: Sky Slash.

When he swung his greatsword horizontally, space itself was cut with a sound of tearing air, engulfing the King of Martial Arts.

“Hahaha!”

The King of Martial Arts didn’t dodge. Not because of some outdated notion that a warrior shouldn’t show his back, but because dodging would be less fun.

If one side prepares a decisive strike, the other responds with an equally decisive blow.

Greater strength against strength.

Greater violence against violence.

That was the King of Martial Arts’ way.

Saaaak.

Space distorted. The scream of space was incomparably quieter than that of the earth, but several times more eerie.

The King of Martial Arts burst into laughter with admiration.

‘He’s grown stronger already!’

Was it because he wasn’t holding back, or was he recovering his skills from his past life? Or perhaps he was growing in real-time.

It didn’t really matter either way.

A joyful bloody battle. That alone was enough to satisfy him.

The King of Martial Arts stared at his tightly clenched fist.

There were many types of warriors in the world, but there was only one reason he became a martial artist.

Because no weapon was stronger than his body.

Nonsense? Ashe Balthar proved his words by destroying nature itself. He crushed the continent’s most treacherous Atilla Mountains just to prove it.

If anyone else spoke of martial prowess, it would be arrogance and bluster. But the King of Martial Arts himself could confidently say otherwise.

“Consider it an honor.”

The King of Martial Arts spoke in a low voice.

“Until now, only one person has witnessed this fist technique.”

That witness happened to be a mage, not a warrior, but he didn’t bother to add that detail.

WHOOOONG!

The King of Martial Arts’ fist advanced, leaving countless afterimages. One became dozens, and those dozens split into dozens more.

There were so many afterimages that they almost seemed like fog.

DUDUDUDU!

When the sword strike that had been cutting through the sky met the mist created by the King of Martial Arts, it hesitated and could advance no further.

The sword strike slowly retreated, then suddenly shot back in the opposite direction.

Rebound Fist.

The sword strike rushed back to cut its own master. In the next moment, Kiel felt an impact as if he were being shattered.

TUKWAAANG!

His body was swept away by the immense mass. He tried to block it somehow, but couldn’t withstand the wave-like fist technique.

How could such destructive power be generated with just a single punch?

When he regained consciousness, he was deeply buried in the ground, just like before.

The King of Martial Arts grabbed Kiel’s collar and lifted him up, frowning at his tattered appearance.

“You managed to endure, I see.”

In that critical moment, if he hadn’t blocked the final punch, his internal organs would have ruptured.

“…Damn… you…”

Kiel glared at the King of Martial Arts while coughing blood.

‘I was foolish.’

He thought he had some understanding with the King of Martial Arts. That’s why he abandoned negotiations and headed to Mikabel. But it was a grave miscalculation.

The King of Martial Arts was far more battle-crazed than he had thought.

He had wanted to tell him that Olivia knew nothing, but now he was about to die before he could.

‘…’

Suddenly, he thought of Olivia.

If he ever met Olivia again, he wanted to apologize.

For saying harsh words when he knew nothing, for truly trying to kill her, for wounding her body…

He had planned to meet her again after shedding all his hatred toward her.

But now there was no way.

More than losing his life, he felt regret that he couldn’t properly apologize to Olivia.

Through his blood-soaked vision, he took in the final scene.

The face of the King of Martial Arts, disappointed that the fight ended so easily, the half-split sky, and…

Beyond the horizon, the faintly visible North.

Kiel gazed distantly at the snowy mountains of the North.

‘…Olivia.’

Would there be one more chance?

“That was somewhat entertaining, Kiel. I would have liked to watch your growth, but…”

This is my mercy. The King of Martial Arts swallowed his next words.

It was because of the lightning that had struck Icail a few days ago.

Kiel hadn’t seen it because he was unconscious, but the King of Martial Arts had seen it clearly.

Just in case, he had watched Icail for days, but Esthie’s waves never appeared.

Rather than dying once more at the hands of a magician, it would be better to die by the hands of a fellow warrior like himself.

KUGUGUGU…

The fist approached right before his face.

As Kiel’s black hair wildly fluttered in the wind at that moment.

JJEOJEOJEOJEOJEOK!

A coldness he had longed for endlessly enveloped the world.

*****

[Using ancient magic, ‘Absolute Zero’.]

As if blocked by something, the King of Martial Arts’ fist advanced no further. His head slowly turned back.

“Let Kiel go, Ashe Balthar.”

The King of Martial Arts exuded a terrifying aura. In his hand was the tattered Kiel. Fortunately, he seemed to still be alive.

‘I rushed here just in case.’

There was no need to persuade Esthie.

The moment they sensed powerful energies clashing in the Atilla Mountains, they had rushed over without even discussing who would go first.

Olivia was more surprised by Esthie’s seemingly urgent reaction.

Kiel barely opened his lips and spoke.

“Oli…via.”

He seemed moved.

That made sense, as Kiel believed he had a terrible first meeting with Olivia.

He had fled the North, unable to control his hatred…

‘He remembers my name.’

Despite everything, he remembered her name.

Olivia turned her gaze away from Kiel. The King of Martial Arts’ aura felt ominous.

‘No, he’s not looking at me.’

Olivia narrowed her eyes.

The King of Martial Arts wasn’t looking at Olivia. He was looking at Esthie, who stood behind her.

“…How are you still alive?”