The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 388

Kevin pushed his way through the thick bushes, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He looked around, his eyes wide. This place… he shouldn’t be here.

Someone named Chronos thought Kevin would still be far away in Valhalla. But Kevin arrived here, in front of Ares, much earlier than anyone expected.

Branches snapped and leaves rustled as Kevin pushed through the bushes. He stepped into a small clearing and walked towards Ares.

Kevin looked terrible. His hair was like a bird’s nest, sticking out in all directions. Dark circles under his eyes showed he hadn’t slept in days. Just by looking at him, you could see he was completely worn out.

Kevin and his friends must have traveled very hard to reach Dmitry. When they heard about the Chronos Empire’s army, they quickly split up and hid in the bushes.

His arms hung down, heavy and tired. But his right hand held tightly to his sword.

Kevin spoke quietly, his eyes dark and tired. “When I heard you betrayed us,” he said, his voice low, “I just couldn’t believe it. You fought for Dmitry, you killed those Valhalla fighters for us! And now… you’re working for the Chronos Empire? It made no sense. We all felt like that. At first, I thought I just didn’t want to believe it because you were my friend, someone I trusted in battle. But then, I started to feel something else… something bad.”

The day they heard the news, everyone was angry. Chris was furious. He ordered them to march quickly, day and night, towards the Frankish border. Because of this, they arrived sooner than planned. It was supposed to be a three-day trip, which was already very long. But they used a warp gate and arrived in the mountains by morning on the third day.

They were so relieved to see Dmitry was still safe. But their relief quickly turned to burning anger at Ares. He had betrayed them all, betrayed Dmitry.

Kevin continued, “When I thought about it later, I realized why I couldn’t believe it. It was *you*, Ares. Everyone in Dmitry knew you were strong. You were one of the strongest. We knew how dangerous it would be if you turned against us. Even *I* am not sure I could beat you in a fight. You could really hurt Dmitry. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you before. It’s just… I couldn’t believe you would betray us.”

He was talking to Ares, but he was also thinking out loud about what had happened.

Kevin took a step closer to Ares. His eyes were wild and bright, like he wasn’t thinking clearly.

“On the way here,” Kevin said, “I prayed and prayed. I begged the gods to keep Dmitry safe. Please, don’t let Dmitry fall to the Chronos Empire, I prayed. And they heard me! Dmitry is safe. And they even gave me the last thing I wished for.”

Suddenly, Kevin stopped walking. He was very close to Ares now. They were so close, they could attack each other with their swords in a heartbeat.

Kevin smiled, a cold, hard smile. His messy hair seemed to show how desperate he was.

“My last wish,” Kevin said, his voice hard, “was to find you first, Ares. Now that I have, I will make you pay for what you’ve done. I will avenge the people of Dmitry who died because of you!”

Kevin was done talking. There was nothing left to say. Suddenly, with a burst of speed, Kevin and Ares charged at each other. The sound of their feet pounding on the ground echoed through the clearing.

A flash of silver light blinded Kevin for a moment. He twisted his body just in time to avoid Ares’s sword, then swung his own sword towards Ares’s chest, fast and hard. *Clang!* Sparks flew as their swords met. Ares’s face was like ice, showing no emotion at all.

“You fool!” Ares yelled. “If you wanted to defeat me, you shouldn’t have come here by yourself!”

*Wham!* The force of Ares’s blow sent Kevin flying backwards. A red energy seemed to explode around Ares, like a hot wind, pushing the bushes around them. Ares didn’t stop. He attacked again and again, his energy hitting Kevin like waves, making Kevin gasp for breath with each blow.

Kevin had become much stronger, very quickly. But he still wasn’t as strong as Chris. And he couldn’t fight directly against Ares’s powerful energy.

The sound of their swords hitting each other, *tap tap tap*, filled the air. Kevin blocked Ares’s attacks, then suddenly moved in close, right in Ares’s face. He could smell Ares’s sweat, feel his hot breath. *Clang! Clang clang clang clang!* Their swords crashed together again and again, a wild dance of steel.

Kevin tilted his head back, and some of his hair was cut off. He tried to attack back right away, but Ares didn’t move back at all. Instead, Ares attacked with even more power.

Even when Kevin blocked the attack and tried to hit a weak spot, he couldn’t find one. Ares’s energy burned fiercely, tearing through Kevin’s own energy.

Crack!

Ares’s power was too much. He was better than Kevin. He had also gotten much better by training with Roman Dmitry. Besides being stronger, his swordsmanship was also better than Kevin’s.

Ares had been called the best fighter in Valhalla. Since meeting Roman Dmitry, all his training and experience had come together.

He was truly strong, with skills that had even beaten Chris. Ares was crushing Kevin, not giving him any chance to fight back.

Flash.

Blood flew. It was only a small cut on Kevin’s leg, but it was the start of things getting worse.

Rumble!

Tap tap tap.

Ares’s attacks started to hit Kevin more often. Kevin couldn’t dodge them by just barely getting out of the way anymore. Ares didn’t let Kevin attack even once, like he was training a wild dog.

Ares was clearly better. He had a strong defense that stopped any unusual attacks. The feeling of the fight started to change.

Kevin’s wildness was being controlled. Ares blocked all of Kevin’s attacks, so Kevin had to try to survive Ares’s fast counterattacks.

Wham!

Wham wham wham wham!

Rumble!

Ares’s energy exploded. He used the Asura Swordsmanship he had learned from Roman Dmitry to block Kevin from escaping.

Like Ares said, Kevin had made a mistake. If he really wanted to beat Ares, he shouldn’t have come to Dmitry alone. He should have brought friends to help him.

Of course, Kevin was strong. Even Ares, who was known as a genius, wasn’t as strong as Kevin was at his age. But this was a fight. It was a cruel place where your life could change because of your weaknesses in the moment, no matter how great you might become in the future.

Clang-

Kevin’s arm was knocked away. Ares had Kevin trapped and gave a cruel smile.

“It’s over.”

Flash.

Ares raised his sword to block Kevin’s attack. But the energy around Kevin’s sword was torn apart. At the same time, Ares’s sword cut through Kevin’s chest, and blood sprayed everywhere.

The fight with Ares…

Ares knew, and Kevin knew, how it would end.

Kevin had fought Chris twice to become Dmitry’s second-in-command.

The first time, Roman Dmitry had helped him, but he still lost badly. He challenged Chris again to win the sword that Roman Dmitry had given, but he still couldn’t beat Chris.

Chris was strong. Kevin got stronger too, but people still said that Chris was better.

And Ares had beaten Chris. On the battlefield, things aren’t always so simple, but everyone agreed that Ares, who had beaten Chris, was stronger than Kevin.

So Ares was worried about surprises. He thought Kevin might have brought friends, but Kevin was really alone. It was strange.

There was no reason to wait. Ares used the sword that was already through Kevin’s chest to end the fight.

Pop.

Rustle.

Kevin stepped back. His eyes looked even darker and colder, and blood poured from the wound in his chest where his skin was torn.

It was over. Ares had once thought of Kevin as a friend, but they wanted different things. Ares wasn’t going to show him any kindness or let him live.

But…

“You’re definitely strong.”

Kevin grinned. His eyes looked crazy. He lowered himself like a wild animal, watching Ares, not even caring about his wound.

“When I said I was going to chase you alone, people were scared and tried to stop me. They said, ‘Even if you find Ares, how can you beat him alone? He’s so strong that even Chris couldn’t beat him.'”

Kevin’s chest wound pulsed. The blood that had been pouring out slowed down, then stopped. The torn skin seemed to be pulling itself back together, closing up right before Ares’s eyes. It was unbelievable. He was healing himself, healing from a deadly wound as if it were nothing.

“I know they’re right,” Kevin continued. “I fought Chris twice, and I lost both times. But you know what? Those fights were just practice. We weren’t really trying to hurt each other. I don’t think I’ll lose to Chris, even in a real fight.”

Grab.

Kevin gripped his sword tightly. The feeling in the air changed. Ares, who had been walking towards Kevin, stopped. It felt dangerous.

Kevin said.

Ares laughed, confident. “I assure you, facing me on the battlefield will be a different story.”

Suddenly,

Thwack.

Rumble!

Kevin charged at Ares once more.

He was fast.

Ares stayed calm. Kevin was suddenly right in front of him, attacking. Ares met his attack.

“Straight on.”

Kevin’s pattern.

He knew it well.

Ares blocked Kevin’s attack in one swift motion, then struck at a slight opening he spotted.

Thwack.

Blood splattered from his arm.

Yet, Kevin showed no particular reaction.

He didn’t groan in pain, nor did he falter and step back.

As he immediately launched a follow-up attack, Ares’s eyes darted quickly, anticipating the next move.

“Right.”

Whoosh.

Rumble!

He twisted away from the attack.

As Kevin rushed past, Ares slashed at his back. Kevin tried to hit back from below, but Ares was stronger and pushed Kevin’s attack down.

An immense impact occurred.

Immediately after the intense shockwave subsided, he noticed Kevin targeting his lower body and swiftly slashed at his arms and legs.

Splurt.

Blood sprayed everywhere.

It landed squarely.

He expected Kevin to waver this time, but the madness in Kevin’s eyes remained unwavering.

“Has he forgotten the pain in his madness?”

It was certain.

Kevin often showed a maddened state on the battlefield, during which he forgot the pain and became relentlessly aggressive.

His movements were like those of a wild beast, surpassing the limits of a human.

Even as he broke free from his structured form and relentlessly attacked, Ares was not swept away by the enemy’s momentum.

Not caring for one’s body does not close the overwhelming gap. Losing reason was, rather, an opportunity for Ares.

Rumble!

Kevin charged.

In a fleeting moment.

Ares’s eyes changed.

“This is the end.”

Flash.

He slashed his arm.

This time, it was deep.

Ares was a step ahead, and with the sensation of being cut deeply, he was certain that something was wrong with his body, regardless of the pain.

Forgetting the pain is merely self-suggestion.

Just because there is no pain from the wounds on the body does not mean they are not there, so if he was cut this deeply, Kevin would inevitably be stopped.

However.

Whack.

Rumble!

“……!”

His eyes widened.

It was truly a hair’s breadth.

As if it were nothing, Kevin attempted a counterattack, swinging his sword upward, and Ares, dodging the attack, immediately slashed at his thigh.

But this time too, Kevin’s counterattack targeted a vital spot.

Clearly, he had deeply cut his arm and thigh, yet his movements did not slow down in the slightest.

Then.

Ares saw it.

Kevin’s arm and thigh.

The wounds on Kevin’s arm smoked and twisted, closing up as Ares watched in horror. The wounds, intertwined and emitting a pungent smoke, defied common sense.

The stage of erosion.

He was completely consumed by madness.

Kevin’s mind moved as the madness dictated, and he didn’t care at all about the wounds on his body.

With each attack, his body was wounded. Blood splattered, and skin tore.

Kevin was drenched in blood, but he did not slow down his charge towards Ares.

And finally.

Thwack.

His arm was cut.

Flash.

He shallowly cut Ares’s arm.

Ares’s face contorted in pain, slashed at Kevin’s side, and in a situation where his insides seemed about to spill out from the deep cut, Kevin instead stabbed at Ares’s heart.

The attack did not go through.

But with a daring attack akin to an attack that could hurt them both, Ares hastily dodged, causing his mana flow to become tangled.

This was.

An absurd confrontation.

The sight of the blood-soaked specter relentlessly pursuing him cracked Ares’s composure, which had been as solid as an iron fortress.

“If time is wasted like this, nothing can be done.”

Ares’s plan.

The problem wouldn’t end with Kevin.

He had to deal with him and assassinate King Dimitri, so Ares could no longer afford to waste time here.

Clang.

Rumble!

He raised his aura.

He acknowledged Kevin’s skill.

He had shown a strength that pushed him to his limits at such a young age, but he didn’t think the outcome of this match would change.

Kevin’s unpredictability causes bewilderment to those unfamiliar with it.

But to Ares, who was once his comrade, Kevin’s movements revealed clear weaknesses.

Swish.

Kevin charged in.

A bold and surprise attack.

The moment he met his eyes, filled with madness, Ares’s lips twisted.

“I acknowledge you.”

He anticipated it.

That Kevin would boldly charge in.

He swung his sword accordingly.

If he were to cut off his head, no matter how monstrous his regenerative abilities, he would never be able to withstand it.

But at that moment.

Heh heh.

Kevin smiled.

His eyes, once filled with madness, returned to their original state as he stared directly at Ares. Kevin’s eyes changed. It was like he was in control again. This was the Demonic Return Art.

Kevin, having stepped into a new realm, took a step back, unlike before.

Whack.

Rumble!

The attack missed.

Their gazes intertwined in the air.

The moment Ares gritted his teeth and tried to attack immediately.

Kevin unleashed his full power.

Kevin unleashed the Heavenly Demon Sword Art.

Aura surged.

Ares, who had shown a clear advantage in strength, was swept away by Kevin’s attack this time.

Wham!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Clang, Rumble!

“Kraaah!”

A scream echoed.

Ares miraculously managed to defend against the attack, but the Heavenly Demon’s sword art tore apart Ares’s aura and shredded his body.

He was different from Kevin.

Because he did not possess Kevin’s abnormal regenerative abilities, his blood-soaked hair fluttered as he knelt on the spot.

“Ugh, ugh.”

He vomited blood.

It was an unbelievable situation.

While deciding to betray, he had never imagined being defeated by Kevin, let alone Roman Dimitri.

Above his head.

Kevin’s voice was heard.

“I told you, a fight where lives are on the line is a different story.”

Snatch.

He grabbed his hair.

Ares’s head was pulled up powerlessly. When he raised his head to look at Kevin, he saw Kevin, who was also covered in blood like himself.

It was amazing that he was still standing in such a state.

Ares wanted to attack Kevin with his trembling hands, but his body was no longer under his control.

It was then.

Trickle.

Kevin poured a potion on Ares’s face.

And then.

“Don’t die so easily. You are my gift to soothe the souls of the Dimitri people who died in this war, and for the lord who will surely return.”

The potion forcibly entering through his esophagus.

Ares trembled.

This was.

A miserable end he had not anticipated.