Ch.379EP.79 – The Man’s Growth is Remarkable (4)

…suddenly, the air around them became as heavy as iron.

Crack!

‘What a monster…’

For the first time, a drop of cold sweat formed on Ihan’s brow.

The air around him pressed down, causing his feet to sink into the soil with a squelch.

As if his consistently relaxed smile had never existed, Caesar erased his smile and adopted a serious expression.

Just that alone made the atmospheric pressure unbearably heavy.

The air itself began to grow heavier according to his mood.

This was what happened when the man known as the Mercenary King revealed his “true self.”

But the question was…

‘Why is he suddenly acting like this?’

He wasn’t asking the questions he should be asking, instead asking strange things and then suddenly becoming serious for no reason.

Ihan even suspected the man might be going through menopause with these mood swings.

[Whiiine…]

The yellow dog was pathetically whimpering and lying flat under the heavy pressure, and Ihan, both intimidated and impressed that mere presence could exert such force, pulled his feet from the soil and regained his posture.

He needed to stay alert before, but now he needed to be even more vigilant.

“You may use both hands. Of course, I’ll still only use one.”

“……”

“That’s not a taunt. It’s simply the truth.”

“…Let me think about it first.”

“Haha, that’s fine too. Then now.”

Whoosh!

“—I’ll come.”

Caesar approached with incredibly light steps.

His movements were still smooth, but clearly more than before…

Slash!

“!!”

“As expected, you react.”

…they were incredibly sharp.

Though Ihan narrowly avoided the fist, his cheek stung where it had grazed him.

If his reaction had been even slightly slower, his face would have been completely torn.

But avoiding it was no cause for relief.

Whoosh! Whip! Whooosh!

Attacks came without pause.

Each strike carried both weight and sharpness, like heavy axes being fired at him.

Slash! Slash!

His clothes were cut where he was hit, and his skin reddened as if burned.

“Impressive. You’re enduring all my strikes without using Diamond technique or mental energy? What a remarkable body.”

It didn’t sound like a compliment.

At all.

‘It sounds more like he’s found a good punching bag, damn it.’

Unintentionally becoming a sandbag, Ihan tried to respond and counterattack.

But.

Thwack-.

“!!?”

“Move more nimbly. What use is such sluggishness?”

His punch dissolved pathetically before he could properly throw it, and the situation where his attacks weren’t permitted continued.

He was being toyed with.

Like a child named Ihan performing antics while an adult named Caesar laughed indulgently.

It wasn’t a funny situation, but this was the difference in skill.

Someone who had worked hundreds of times harder than him.

Someone who had experienced thousands of times more real combat.

He seemed more complete than any warrior Ihan had ever faced.

…Including Aura users.

And as if to prove this feeling wasn’t false…

“Let me increase the speed a bit.”

“!!”

Whoooosh!

Suddenly, a cutting wind enveloped Ihan.

Slash! Slashslash!

This wasn’t a metaphorical expression—a wind made of actual blades had descended upon him.

It felt like razor blades were slicing his arms, shoulders, forehead, cheeks, sides, and stomach. Ihan barely endured while protecting his eyes and heart.

And afterward.

Boom-.

“Hmm, it seems the second round is my victory as well.”

“Haa, haaa. Haa…”

“Try harder. I told you to use both hands. Young people are so inflexible.”

The second round had ended.

Or rather, he had barely survived it.

“Damn it…”

“Hehe, I wonder how long you’ll last.”

“I’ll definitely land at least one hit on you.”

“I look forward to that.”

…However, even after 10 rounds, Ihan never managed to counterattack.

* * *

Crash!

“…Owww.”

Orthos reflexively turned away.

What the!

Boom!

…The scene was too cruel and pitiful.

This wasn’t an execution, so why was he being beaten so mercilessly?

The knight was being thoroughly toyed with by the human called the Mercenary King.

Unable to properly respond, he was just repeatedly getting beaten.

There seemed to be no means of recovery, and all he could do was endure.

“Srrr…”

“Whiiine…”

Is he losing?

Orthos’s second head and snake tail made sad expressions.

Though he was an unpleasant human, it wasn’t pleasant to see the human he had accepted as his master in such a state.

Orthos seriously considered whether he should intervene in the fight.

“Hmm, the knight is certainly being pushed back.”

“…Woof.”

“You’re saying he’s not just being pushed back but getting beaten up? No, that’s not right. The knight is fighting well. So let’s cheer for him.”

“Woof… WOOF!?”

While somewhat agreeing but wanting to object out of defiance—’Why should I cheer for that damn human?’—Orthos was suddenly startled.

Not only by the maid who had approached without him noticing.

“Wo, woof?”

He was experiencing a second shock, thinking ‘How can a mere human understand what I’m saying?’

The maid, with her characteristic eye-smile, said:

“I just understand, don’t I?”

“???”

How, exactly?

“Hmm? Just because?”

“!!”

“Ah, I’m not reading your mind. It’s just obvious.”

“……”

“Hehe, Mr. Dog seems to resemble the knight a bit. Perhaps pets do resemble their owners?”

“…Woof.”

Don’t insult me, Orthos bristled as if he’d heard something deeply offensive, but he didn’t attack the maid.

…Somehow, it felt like he shouldn’t.

“Hohoho.”

The maid gently stroked Orthos’s back as if finding him cute, and though Orthos felt his guard lowering at her warm, pleasant touch, he turned his head away primly to hide his feelings.

The maid simply smiled at how cute Orthos was and turned her gaze forward.

To watch him as he continued giving his all.

“Knight, you can do it.”

She whispered encouragement, showing strong trust and faith in the knight.

* * *

Drip, drip…

“……”

“Sigh, not only is your body sturdy, but your stamina is also impressive. Usually, people would collapse from exhaustion by now.”

“……”

“Not even arguing back anymore? How boring.”

“Hmph, how could getting beaten up be fun?”

“Finally a response! I thought you’d lost consciousness while standing, haha!”

“…Stop talking nonsense and raise your fists.”

“You still want to continue? How persistent.”

“You’re the persistent one.”

It was natural for Ihan to say this.

25 rounds.

He had been beaten down 25 times in this meaningless fight, yet Caesar hadn’t asked a single meaningful question.

Rather:

– Try harder.

– Aren’t you thinking of giving up yet?

– Accepting defeat is also an important virtue for a warrior, hehe.

He repeatedly tried to dissuade Ihan with what seemed like pity, making Ihan feel like he would develop a stress-induced illness.

…But the loser has no right to speak.

Even with a mouth, he had no right to object.

One might argue that he wasn’t a loser since he hadn’t collapsed yet.

‘But if I can’t land a single hit after 25 rounds, what am I but a loser?’

In reality, if his opponent had wanted to, he could have defeated him anytime…

“No, that’s not right.”

“?”

“Like you, I also fought using only pure skill without any martial techniques or other means. In that sense, I truly threw my punches intending to knock you down. But you never fell. So you haven’t been defeated yet, and I haven’t won either. …Of course, looking at the content of the match, I’m clearly dominating.”

“…Damn it. Who told you to read my thoughts?”

“Your expressions are easy to read. Haven’t you heard this from acquaintances? That your thoughts are clearly visible on your face?”

“……”

“You’ve heard it a lot, I see.”

“…I should learn acting or something.”

Ihan took his stance with a grumpy remark.

“Are you going to continue?”

“Of course. It’s not about the question anymore—now it’s about my pride. I have to land at least one hit.”

“How persistent. Even with such an extreme difference in skill.”

Though Caesar spoke as if tired of it, he still looked pleased.

Because few people would engage with him for this long anymore.

“When fighting me, most people either despair or give up, one of the two.”

“……”

“I hope you don’t end up like that.”

Boom!

By now, they could accurately rest for exactly one minute and spar for exactly three minutes without needing the hourglass or Orthos’s signal.

Two men whose internal clocks were more accurate than hourglasses took their stances again, and Caesar made a decision.

‘I should end this soon.’

It was enjoyable, but continuing further would be meaningless.

It was just toying with him, with nothing to gain for either of them.

Also.

Swish.

‘That is the courtesy due to a warrior.’

He couldn’t let a fine warrior be broken any further.

Bang!

Caesar’s body surged forward as his fist extended.

Whoooosh!

He scattered fist strikes like cutting winds as before, but this time his decisive blow carried power meant to pierce through his opponent, appearing almost like a spear that would impale the other’s chest.

-A spear thrust hidden among blade strikes.

Even if one could endure the blade strikes, this spear thrust would be impossible to withstand.

‘It’s been fun for a while.’

Whaaaash!

As a sign of respect for his opponent, Caesar delivered a strike worthy of him.

-Thwack.

“—So that’s how it’s done.”

“……”

“Damn, this is why I couldn’t escape being a sandbag.”

“You…”

“I couldn’t win because ‘I was thinking and then moving.'”

“……”

“Phew, now we can finally have a proper sparring match.”

He spoke with a grumpy tone while sighing, and Caesar blinked as he looked at the opponent who had lightly parried his spear-like strike.

Wondering if it was an illusion.

So…

Slash!

He threw another strike, but soon.

Thwack.

…His fist was blocked again.

“…It wasn’t a coincidence.”

“I told you, I understand now.”

“Ha… Ahaha!”

Caesar laughed, saying he didn’t know how many times he had laughed today.

This damn guy!

‘Baltar, you rotten bastard. Did you have fun with such an interesting guy all by yourself?’

Caesar cursed his rival and bad friend.

What a terrible person.

But Caesar decided to be happy about the present rather than curse his former comrade.

After all:

“—Welcome. You’ve taken one step closer to ‘the world of superhumans.'”

It was a moment to congratulate his junior who had truly begun to transcend humanity.