The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 273

Roman Dmitry’s voice cut through the tense silence. “Chris, Kevin,” he said clearly. “Step forward.”

Why he called them? People looked confused. If this was about what Roman Dmitry just said, Chris and Kevin seemed like strange choices.

But Chris and Kevin walked forward right away, without stopping.

“From now on,” Roman Dmitry announced, “you are Dmitry’s great warriors.” He looked at them closely. “If you don’t feel sure you can win, you can step back now.”

“Thank you for letting us fight for Dmitry,” Chris said.

“We will win, for sure,” Kevin added.

After they spoke, Roman Dmitry looked at Duke Bamford, as if saying, “What will you do now?” Duke Bamford’s face became like ice. He was so angry he could barely speak, but he forced himself to stay calm.

Roman Dmitry’s idea of a warrior battle made some sense. If Roman Dmitry was really the monster who beat Barbosa, he might want to change things by having a warrior fight against the Chronos Empire.

But Chris and Kevin? They were different. Duke Bamford had learned about them while looking into Roman Dmitry. They had improved a lot, it was true. From when they first started – it seemed like ages ago – they had become much stronger.

But even now, they weren’t strong compared to the best fighters on the continent. This meant they were not important enough to be fighting here against the Chronos Empire.

The idea that these young boys were stepping up as great warriors was an insult to Chronos. His anger was burning inside him.

He didn’t want to do what Roman Dmitry wanted. But if he refused now, people would ask questions after the war.

Why would Duke Bamford, with all his powerful swordsmen, refuse to fight Chris and Kevin? It looked like a perfect chance to win.

To back down from fighting people who weren’t even Roman Dmitry, and weren’t even famous in Chronos, was too much for his pride. It was a clear insult.

Duke Bamford spoke, his voice cold. “Roman Dmitry,” he said, “Do you know why we call Chronos an Empire? It’s not just because the Emperor rules this land. It’s because this land has so many talented people. Fighters who are called ‘great’ in other kingdoms are just normal here. That’s why it’s an Empire.”

*Hannibal?* He thought. *No need for him.* There were many strong fighters here, not just Hannibal.

“You refused to fight me yourself,” Duke Bamford continued, “so you probably made this silly offer knowing I wouldn’t use Hannibal. Fine. I accept your warrior battle. Even without Hannibal, I will show you that these young kids – nobody knew their names ten years ago, or even five years ago – are nothing compared to even the weakest soldiers of Chronos.”

A small smile touched Roman Dmitry’s lips. He nodded to Chris. Chris stepped forward, his face showing no fear.

Seeing this, Duke Bamford roared, “Diego! Go and cut off his head!”

The man’s name was Diego. He was ranked 6th in Chronos, and 12th across the whole continent. He was one of the Continental Twelve Swords, something he was very proud of.

Even though some people thought he was one of the weaker members, like Barbosa, he was still a 6-star swordsman. Most fighters could only dream of being as strong.

Like Duke Bamford said, Chronos had many talented people. Even if Hannibal wasn’t sent, there were other 6-star swordsmen who could take his place.

“I am Diego,” he announced, stepping forward. He looked at Chris and sighed, like he was bored already. Hannibal had told him about Chris.

Chris had run away from a battle, leaving Count Nicholas behind, just to save himself. *That’s who this guy is,* Diego thought. He had gotten stronger quickly for his age, and maybe he could be great one day. But right now, he was no match for Diego.

Diego spoke, his voice mocking. “People say Dmitry’s fighters are very loyal. Seeing you here, I guess it’s true. A nobody like you, trying to be a great warrior against Chronos. I don’t know if Roman Dmitry will even remember your name for long, but history will remember how foolish and pointless this is.”

“Are you going to fight with words, or a sword?” Chris replied sharply.

Diego laughed. Orders or not, he wasn’t going to make Chris’s death quick and easy.

“Yes,” Diego grinned, “Let’s see how much longer you can talk.”

No signal was needed. They both knew it was time to fight. Diego unleashed his power, his aura bursting out, and charged forward like a wild animal.

Suddenly, *spatter!* Blood flew in front of his eyes. It was close. He felt power explode from Chris, like a sudden burst of magic. He turned his head fast, and a sharp pain shot through him. Goosebumps ran all over his skin.

*This kid is only a 4-star fighter,* he thought, *but that attack was so fast, I almost didn’t see it.* But Diego still believed he would win. That attack must have been everything Chris had. If that didn’t work, Chris was finished.

But now, Diego was truly focused. *Rumble!* He couldn’t afford to be careless, not even for a second.

*Clang! Rumble!* Diego’s 6-star aura exploded. It felt like a wave of power that could crush everything. Chris focused all his senses to see Diego’s attack. *Fast. And strong.* Chris had learned to use a 4-star aura recently, but he knew he couldn’t just block that force directly.

But Roman Dmitry had taught Kevin that aura wasn’t everything. Power bursts don’t last forever. People call it 6-star power when it’s at its strongest, but even a small change can make a difference.

*Tap. Tap tap.* Chris took a step back. He moved just a little, changing the timing, finding a spot where Diego’s aura wasn’t perfectly even for a moment.

The aura around Diego’s sword wasn’t steady. Some parts were burning hot, maybe 150% of 6-star power, but other parts were weaker, maybe half as strong. It was a tiny difference. But Chris had learned from Roman Dmitry to see these small changes that most fighters would miss.

*Wham! Rumble!* Their auras crashed together. Chris was pushed back by the force, but even blocking the attack at all made Diego’s eyes widen in shock. Chris had blocked a 6-star attack with only a 4-star aura! It was impossible, by normal rules. Diego attacked even harder, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.

*Wham! Wham! Wham!* They clashed again and again. The exploding aura filled the air, leaving no space. But the more Diego attacked…

Diego’s face turned red with anger. Chris was still standing. Diego thought Chris should have fallen a long time ago. This made Diego even angrier. Everyone thought Diego would win easily. People wanted to see Diego completely destroy Chris. With each second Chris stayed standing, Diego’s face showed the crowd’s disappointment.

The problem was… Diego could not finish the fight quickly. Even though Diego was pushing Chris back, Chris’s sudden attacks made Diego feel cold fear.

*Flash.* Diego thought, “He is fast!” Chris saw every small chance to attack with sharp eyes. For Chris, the last few days had been a time of big change. As his body grew stronger, his mind also became clearer. He thought about the things he had faced before. He had not understood Roman Dmitry’s actions and words before. He just thought he was no match for Roman Dmitry, who beat him easily even without using aura power. But now, Chris understood differently.

After all… aura power is just making swordsmanship stronger. Most people on this land believed that aura power decided who wins or loses. But Roman Dmitry always said swordsmanship itself was most important. He taught Chris very fast sword moves. Instead of just beating someone with aura, Roman Dmitry showed Chris how to understand swordsmanship and win by practicing together.

Chris remembered his fight with Hannibal. He had lost because he gave up in his mind. He thought he could not win because Hannibal’s aura was too strong. If Roman Dmitry had been fighting Hannibal… even if Roman Dmitry’s aura was weaker, would he have just accepted defeat? No! Roman Dmitry would have found a way to win with his swordsmanship. Before, when Roman Dmitry became famous in Dmitry, he was not as strong as he is now. But he always beat enemies that seemed impossible to defeat. Chris wanted to be like that. He did not want to just follow what everyone else thought was possible. He wanted to break through limits, like Roman Dmitry.

*Whack! Rumble!* Aura power crashed around them. Even with all the chaos, Chris watched Diego closely, waiting for a tiny opening. *Flash.* Chris attacked! Diego’s face showed he was confused. For the first time in the fight, Diego pulled back his sword to defend instead of attack. Suddenly, Roman Dmitry’s words came to Chris’s mind.

“Chris, people used to say you were the greatest talent in Dmitry. But now you have made something new yourself. People were wrong about you before.”

From the first time Roman Dmitry saw Chris… Roman Dmitry knew Chris was talented. “There is no one on the Salamander Continent more talented than you,” Roman Dmitry had said. These words felt special. Maybe Roman Dmitry was not even counting himself, but even after fighting strong people like Barbosa, he said Chris was the most talented. That is why Roman Dmitry chose Chris for the big warrior battle against the Chronos Empire. Roman Dmitry’s strong belief in him gave Chris endless trust in himself.

*Wham! Rumble!* Chris blocked Diego’s attack. The fight was a blur of movement, but Chris waited for the right moment. His aura power was building up inside him, like boiling water. It wanted to burst out, but Chris held it back tightly. He remembered the Lightning Flash technique. It was about making aura power explode in a short burst. He also thought of Knight Commander Jonathan’s secret move, which used aura to become incredibly fast. Chris combined these ideas. He focused his aura, making a strong, fast path from inside his body to his sword. This was his new power. He took a deep breath. Diego lost his cool and charged in wildly. *Flash! Rumble!* Chris’s aura exploded! The aura rushed to his sword in a blink of an eye, faster than anyone could see. It was a flash of light, speed beyond human limits. Diego’s eyes went wide as sudden, sharp pain hit him.

* * *

Diego could not see it. He could not react. Just as he thought about doing something, a flash of light happened, and Diego felt terrible pain. “…Keuh?!” Blood flew out. His chest was cut. Diego was shocked. He tried to block another attack, but Chris did not give him a chance. Chris kept attacking. He cut Diego’s legs to make him lose balance. When Diego raised his sword, his face twisted in pain, Chris kicked him in the chest. Diego fell back. *Thud!* Diego had not been careless. He had tried his best and planned to hurt Chris badly. But… Chris was just too fast. The flash of speed was like nothing Diego had ever seen. No one he knew fought like that. Diego could not give up now. The great warrior battle had started. Saying “Chris was stronger than I thought” would not work for the Chronos Emperor. Diego’s life was in danger in this fight.

Diego stood up, but Chris attacked again right away. Just one mistake. Diego had lost his chance. Diego was strong, and Chris knew he might not win every time if they fought many times. But Diego did not know about Chris’s new power. That was why he lost. Chris had found a new way to fight, and he became so strong that even a small mistake could cost Diego the fight. *Shwick.* An arm was cut off and flew away. Diego fell to his knees. He tried to attack with his other arm. He would not give up. He would rather die than surrender. It was the only way to protect his family. But then, his other arm was also cut off. He fell face down to the floor. It was finished. If Chris stopped now, people would know he had won. At that moment, Chris looked at Hannibal in the crowd. Hannibal and everyone else were shocked. And then… *Crack!* Chris, showing everyone, finished the fight by killing Diego.