The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 138

A powerful presence filled the arena as Roman Dmitry’s six representatives stepped forward. Each carried their own weight of reputation.

Chris, known as ‘The Flash of Cairo’ for his lightning-fast sword movements, was already famous as Dmitry’s genius swordsman even before the war. Beside him stood Kevin, ‘The Fiend,’ his eyes burning with an intense focus that made people uneasy. Together, Chris and Kevin had been crucial in the war against Barco’s great warriors. Many in the crowd had seen their incredible power firsthand and knew it was best to avoid facing them in combat if possible.

Volkan and Pooky overwhelmed people with their imposing presence.

The fact that they were war mercenaries implied considerable experience, and their physique, a head taller than most, made onlookers tremble with fear.

Although their reputation was lower than the previous two, those who faced them in person couldn’t help but avert their gaze.

In contrast to them were McBurney and Henderson.

Compared to the others, McBurney and Henderson seemed unimportant.

McBurney might have been a great warrior once, but now his flapping sleeve proved he was missing an arm. A one-armed swordsman needed no further explanation.

Whatever McBurney’s story, common sense suggested that a one-armed man would be an easier opponent.

And Henderson…

He was, without a doubt, considered the weakest.

The judgment stemmed from a rumor.

“Henderson representing Roman Dmitry? Surely not Laurence’s Henderson? Unbelievable! As far as I know, Henderson is just a common farmer who’s never even swung a sword properly. I’ve heard rumors that he’s been training hard since joining Roman Dmitry, but how can a born farmer compete in a swordsmanship tournament?”

Henderson was from a peasant background, a farmer to be exact.

People’s eyes turned to Henderson.

Even with great improvement, he was starting far behind the others.

Kevin, like Henderson, didn’t come from a grand background, but his impact in the war against the great warriors was so strong that no one doubted his abilities.

Henderson was different from Kevin.

Many people who knew him from his days as a farmer said he was nothing but a coward.

People remembered his first test, where he was so scared of a bow that he almost lost control of himself.

That image was the Henderson people knew, so they insisted he was the weakest of all.

Perhaps that’s why, on the day of the tournament, the people included in Henderson’s group clenched their fists.

“Yes!”

“That’s it!”

“Luck is on my side!”

They were all certain they were in the weakest group and the winner here would be them.

That thought was shared by a knight assigned as Henderson’s first-round opponent.

“Round one of Group 5, Henderson and Taylor, come forward.”

Henderson and Taylor stepped forward, drawing all eyes.

Just by watching them walk onto the stage, people naturally predicted Taylor’s victory.

‘An aura swordsman from the start.’

‘It’s over.’

‘Henderson can’t possibly beat Taylor.’

Taylor was a wandering swordsman from Laurence. Having once lived in Laurence, he immediately recognized Henderson’s face.

“Long time no see, Henderson,” Taylor said with a smile.

“…Mr. Taylor?”

“The last time we met, I was helping with the farm work during the busy season. Back then, you wouldn’t even look at a sword, and now you’re standing before me as a swordsman. Life is truly unpredictable. Even after wandering the world and experiencing countless things, human life always brings new surprises.”

Taylor smiled, remembering their past connection. Knowing Henderson was a good person, Taylor spoke in a low voice so others couldn’t hear.

“Henderson, I’ll give you a chance to forfeit the match out of respect for our connection. As you know, I’ve reached the realm of a 2-star aura swordsman through special enlightenment. That means you’re no match for me. I plan to prove myself and gain fame through this tournament. This tournament is my chance to finally be recognized for my skills. To do that, I need to show a decisive impact in every match, and if you insist on fighting me, I can’t hold back. We’re not strangers, so there’s no reason for either of us to bleed in a pointless fight, right?”

It wasn’t a hasty judgment.

One year ago and today, there was a limit to time. No matter how quickly he had improved, Taylor knew Henderson couldn’t even reach his heels.

Everyone in this place looked down on Henderson. Henderson was the weakest in the dog-eat-dog world, and everyone wanted to devour him and climb higher.

“I understand what you’re saying.”

Henderson picked up his sword, his hand trembling slightly, a ghost of the fear he knew so well still lingering.

Henderson, dropping his amiable smile, looked at Taylor.

“You remember the old Henderson. That farmer who was scared of his own shadow? That’s not me anymore. So, please, do your best. If you show me even a hint of mercy, I won’t miss the chance to defeat you.”

Sharp eyes showed he was different from before.

Taylor, looking surprised, reluctantly drew his sword.

“I hope you don’t regret this.”

At that moment, the referee signaled the start of the match.

“Begin!”

A battle between a commoner and an aura swordsman was about to begin.

People had a picture in their minds. They thought the aura swordsman would push him back unilaterally, but the actual situation was completely different from what they expected.

Henderson quickly kicked off the ground and immediately attacked Taylor, who still seemed to be probing.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Swords clashed. The sunlight glinted off their swords as they clashed in the dusty arena. The air was thick with anticipation, and the murmur of the crowd was like a wave.

Taylor looked surprised by the unexpectedly strong force, and Henderson followed up with a series of attacks after his initial strike.

Like perfectly meshing gears, Henderson’s linked attacks were seamless. No matter how the opponent blocked, he immediately targeted vulnerable spots, and Taylor gasped at the storm of attacks.

‘What is this?!’

It was unexpected. Henderson’s swordsmanship had a perfect system.

They thought he would only be able to imitate clumsily because he was from a farming background, but Henderson’s linked attacks had no openings.

‘The me from a year ago is different from the me now.’

After passing Roman’s soldier exam, Henderson spent every day in hellish training.

Many of those who passed Roman’s test were skilled, and from the start, their skills were so high that comparing them to Henderson was embarrassing. He was especially amazed by Kevin’s abilities.

It was amazing to watch the boy. He was much smaller than his opponent, but he was attacking with so much power.

Suddenly, he understood what was happening.

Henderson knew he was not as naturally talented as some people. He knew that just wanting to win was not enough.

‘Chris told me something important. I want to be someone my lord can be proud of. I don’t have much talent. Some people can use aura easily, but it was hard for me even to feel mana at first. I was always slower than everyone else. That’s just me. But I am getting better.’

He was like a tortoise – slow, but always moving forward. He was slowly finding the right way. All his hard work was starting to show.

Taylor might remember how he fought a year ago. But now, his sword skills were much stronger, made from hard work and pain.

*Tap.* *Clang!* Henderson attacked harder. He used the Asura Sword Technique. This sword style had 108 different moves, so Taylor could not escape any of them.

At first, people were confused. But as the fight went on, they became amazed. It was clear now that Henderson’s sword skills were not just luck. They were very strong.

People watching from far away were also shocked. They couldn’t believe it. They thought Henderson was much weaker than this. They had all judged him wrong.

*Whoosh!* Taylor attacked back. But Henderson didn’t move back. He blocked the attack as if he knew it was coming. *Flap.* The wind moved around them. If Taylor’s attack had hit, it would have hurt badly. But Henderson kept looking straight at Taylor, his eyes steady.

‘I won’t lose now.’ He remembered his training. He had fought against Kevin, Chris, and even Roman Dimitri! He had faced opponents much stronger than Taylor. Because of this, Henderson was reacting faster than anyone expected.

Even people who followed Roman knew Henderson didn’t have natural talent. But he had worked so hard, never giving up. That’s why he was one of the best six fighters in the tournament.

*Tap.* Henderson saw a chance to attack. Quickly, he moved into that space. He pretended to attack one way to trick Taylor, then attacked from a direction Taylor couldn’t block.

‘This is it.’ Taylor knew he couldn’t block it. His balance broke. His face twisted in fear. He bit his teeth hard. “Damn it!”

*Clang.* *Rumble!* Suddenly, aura appeared around Taylor. It was unbelievable! Taylor used a power that was much stronger than normal.

* * *

Taylor had decided in a flash. He jumped back, using mana in his legs to move quickly. His face went red with anger and shame.

‘I didn’t want to use mana!’ Henderson was just a normal person. Someone who had never even felt mana before. Taylor wanted to beat Henderson with just swords, but when they fought, he knew he couldn’t. He had to use mana. He couldn’t lose.

He had just escaped danger by using aura. Now, he put aura into his sword and ran towards Henderson. *Whoosh.* *Rumble!* “Sorry, but I have to finish this now!” Taylor’s aura was level 1. Everyone thought the fight was over. No one could block aura, even if Henderson was much better now. But then… *Rumble!* Aura also appeared around Henderson’s sword! It wasn’t strong aura. It was weak. But Henderson, who was just a normal person, was now using aura too!

This was impossible! Just by looking at Taylor’s shocked face, you could see how amazing Henderson’s progress was. But the people watching didn’t know the full story. They didn’t know that Henderson hadn’t improved as quickly as some others. Many people were learning to use mana with the Asura Mind Method, especially those who already knew a little mana like Vulcan and Pooky. They were all starting to use aura. But Henderson’s aura was still weak.

Henderson knew his aura was weak. So, he cleverly blocked Taylor’s aura attack and pushed it away. *Whack!* Taylor’s sword was knocked out of his hands. He was now open to attack. Suddenly, Henderson remembered what Chris had told him the day before the tournament. No one had expected this fight to change so quickly.

“Henderson,” Chris had said, “When you first came to me, you were ready to give up. You were weak. You were the kind of person who would quit before even trying hard. If you had given up then, your life would have stayed the same. Not just as a fighter. Whatever problems you faced, you would always lose. But in the last month, you’ve been winning as much as the top six fighters. You don’t have amazing talent like some others. You struggled every time. But while others gave up when it was hard, you always wanted to win just one more time. This fight is because of that.” Chris smiled kindly at Henderson. “You deserve to fight for our lord. I know it.”

Now, Henderson believed in himself. He still didn’t think he was special. But he knew he would win. He remembered all the hard work he had done. He was just a normal person, but he had changed slowly, step by step. He had seen and learned things that others couldn’t even imagine. No matter what Taylor did – attack, dodge, or block – Henderson was ready. He had seen it all before. Taylor lifted his sword to block, but Henderson moved fast and slammed his body into Taylor, making him lose his balance. Then, *thunk.* Henderson put his sword against Taylor’s neck. It was over. Taylor’s face went white. He knew he had lost. “…I lost.” Round 1 of Group 5. The result surprised everyone. Henderson had won! The people who had been laughing and talking stopped. They were all silent, shocked by what they had just seen.