The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 272

That day, Kevin wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep.

“In the upcoming war, the Kingdom Alliance needs you, Roman Dmitry, and your teamwork. So, leave this place to me. I’ll defeat Hannibal and catch up soon.”

Chris relived Count Nicholas’s words, that moment replaying in his mind.

Knowing that Count Nicholas’s sacrifice would be meaningless if he hesitated, Chris gritted his teeth and chose to flee.

At the time, he believed it was the only way.

Hannibal’s aura was destructive. After only a few exchanges, Chris knew that Hannibal was an unbeatable monster.

It was a complete defeat.

Leaving the collapsing Western Front behind, Chris couldn’t bear to look back, using strategy as an excuse.

And then, a few days ago, he heard news about Count Nicholas from the people.

“According to those who saw Count Nicholas’s last moments, he didn’t last long and was killed by Hannibal,” they said. “He was a true swordsman. If Count Nicholas hadn’t stopped the Chronos Empire, we might not have escaped from the Western Front and would have been annihilated.”

It was devastating news.

The person who delivered the message tried to ease Chris’s guilt by saying that Count Nicholas was everyone’s benefactor, but Chris stared blankly at the sky, overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness. A heavy weight pressed on his chest, making it hard to breathe. His hands felt weak, like he couldn’t even lift his sword.

He had faced many dangerous situations with Roman Dmitry.

He had become much stronger, but surprisingly, the stronger he became, the more he felt small and limited, like someone who has only seen a tiny part of the world.

The world was vast.

To stay by Roman Dmitry’s side, he couldn’t keep justifying his defeats simply because the world was vast.

Barbosa. Hannibal. Those strongmen. If he couldn’t do anything against such monsters, the same thing that happened to Count Nicholas would happen again.

Would it be right to survive through someone else’s sacrifice again? Even if he survived like that, could he be considered a necessary presence for Roman Dmitry?

He gritted his teeth.

Chris’s goal was too high to be crushed by self-loathing.

Roman Dmitry. He wanted to surpass him. If he fell into self-loathing like this, he felt like he would never be able to say that he would surpass Roman Dmitry again.

Chuck.

The sound of metal on leather echoed as Chris gripped his sword hilt. The cold steel felt familiar and grounding in his hand. From that moment, nothing else mattered. Swordsmanship consumed him. Faster. Stronger. Those words became his only thoughts.

If only I had been stronger then, he thought, the memory of Count Nicholas a sharp pain in his chest. If I could have fought beside him, maybe… maybe we could have stopped Hannibal together. His mind raced, a whirlwind of techniques. Roman Dmitry’s Flash, a blur of impossible speed. Jonathan Knight Commander’s Secret Technique, powerful and precise. He practiced them again and again, each swing a desperate attempt to break through his limits, to reach a new level of skill. Sweat dripped from his brow, his muscles burned, but he didn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop.

Always, Chris watched Roman Dmitry from afar.

Day after day, as time passed, he wanted to receive direct guidance, but he couldn’t because of Roman Dmitry’s words to develop on his own. The memories of that time came back to him one by one: how Roman Dmitry wielded his sword, and why he wielded it that way. From the way Roman Dmitry accepted mana to even his minor habits, the accumulated years remained intact in his head.

His thoughts raced.

Because he was so serious and focused, he started to understand things he hadn’t noticed before.

‘The Lord’s method does not focus on the explosive power of aura. By accepting mana as it is and only preserving the essence, the aura manifested in a completely different form. It is a method that is very different from the way this world teaches. Someone might call that method heretical, but I knew from being by the Lord’s side that I couldn’t definitively say that the answer defined by the world was actually the correct answer.’

The answer. There is only the existence that first defined the answer. He made a vessel in the way of the continent, sprouted seeds in the way of Roman Dmitry, and created his own way by mixing the two.

It’s not right to say that Roman Dmitry’s way is always the best way. Since he was already an existence that had accepted the way of the continent, he needed a way to perfectly express the strengths of both.

The sun set. The sun rose. In the endless flow of time, Chris fell into a trance alone.

And then, it happened. A warmth spread through Chris, starting from his heart and flowing outwards. It felt like his body was being remade, like a flower blooming in fast motion.

It was early in the morning. Pooky and Vulcan went to the training ground with drowsy faces.

“What’s going on… Huh?”

“Ch, Chris. His face seems to be glowing.”

Their eyes widened. They were called out at Chris’s request, and they reacted with embarrassment to his appearance, which was very different from their memories. Chris was known for his striking good looks, often called Dmitry’s most handsome warrior. His face seemed to shine, like polished jade in the morning light. His jade-like skin and flowing blonde hair made it seem like Chris’s appearance had been upgraded several levels.

However, Chris didn’t hear any compliments about his appearance.

“From now on, I will attempt to attack you. If you block the attack, I will give you my salary for one year.”

“Are you serious?”

“No changing your mind later.”

Their eyes changed. They had received considerable rewards for following Roman Dmitry, but Pooky and Vulcan, who were born war mercenaries, would do anything for money. That’s why they sincerely followed Roman Dmitry, because he was a person who not only forced loyalty but also provided definite compensation for their hard work.

Chris’s words were a mistake. They knew that his swordsmanship was as fast as lightning, but they were not easy opponents either. Both drew their swords.

In the tense atmosphere, Chris said, “Exactly 10 seconds later, I will cut Vulcan’s top from the front, and then cut Pooky’s hair.”

“…What are you doing now?”

It was an absurd situation. He clearly told them to block the attack as part of the training, but Chris also told them how he would attack and the timing. They felt ignored. They were not confident that they could beat Chris even if they fought him a hundred times, but blocking a single attack was a completely different matter. There was no chance of defeat. Their slightly flushed faces revealed from their expressions that their pride was hurt.

1 second. 2 seconds. They swallowed hard. Counting the time in their heads, they gathered mana when they reached 9 seconds.

A sudden flash of light! Then, a puff of smoke! A strong wind rushed through the air.

Chris moved so fast, he barely knew what happened. Suddenly, pieces of Volkan’s shirt and Pooky’s hair flew into the air. Chris didn’t want to hurt them badly, so their skin was not cut.

Chris put his sword away.

In the past few days, he had discovered a new power.

Through intense pain and muscle tearing, Chris had gained a power he never had before.

It wasn’t Roman Dmitry’s martial arts, or Jonathan, the Knight Commander’s secret technique. It was his own unique power.

Chris had become a pioneer.

It was a peaceful day. The soldiers of the Cronos Empire were relaxing when a scout’s report suddenly threw them into chaos.

“Roman Dmitry is leading his army here!” the scout announced.

The enemy was advancing, and a meeting was quickly called.

The scout’s report seemed unbelievable to them.

“Roman Dmitry must be crazy!” one soldier exclaimed. “A frontal assault against 300,000 troops!”

“Don’t decide too quickly,” one leader said. “Roman Dmitry is smart in battle, we saw that in the south. He must have a plan for coming here. Maybe he doesn’t want a big war. We should stay here and wait. If we chase him without thinking, anything could happen.”

The situation was so strange that disagreements began to arise.

As the leaders argued, Duke Bamford slammed his fist on the table, his face red with anger.

“Lower your voices, all of you!”

The leaders fell silent, sensing Duke Bamford’s intense anger.

Duke Bamford said angrily, “I don’t care what Roman Dmitry wants! The problem is he dares to start a war with us, the Cronos Empire! Does he really think his small kingdom can beat us? This is about our honor now. If we don’t crush Roman Dmitry’s pride, everyone will laugh at us, even if we win the war.”

He couldn’t accept that a commander with 300,000 troops would simply defend a castle.

If Roman Dmitry wanted to make him angry, he had succeeded.

A trap? Duke Bamford wasn’t worried. He believed he could crush any plan with his overwhelming force.

“Order the soldiers of the Cronos Empire,” he commanded. “We will personally defeat Roman Dmitry.”

“Understood!”

Duke Bamford’s words started the war.

The time for complex strategies was over. Now, victory would be decided by strength.

The armies gathered on the plain.

The difference in numbers was huge.

The Cronos Empire’s army looked like a constantly surging tidal wave, while Roman Dmitry’s army seemed small in comparison.

Roman Dmitry’s army was also big. The troops who had retreated from the Western Front had joined them, but the Cronos Empire’s forces were simply too many.

The soldiers formed ranks, and a tense atmosphere filled the air. Then, Roman Dmitry walked towards the enemy army.

Step by step, Roman Dmitry walked towards the enemy army. He took one step, then another, slowly getting closer. Finally, he stopped and raised his voice so everyone could hear.

“I am Roman Dmitry of the Dmitry Principality,” he announced. “I request a Great Warrior Battle with the Cronos Empire.”

The words “Great Warrior Battle” caused a stir among the soldiers.

Some were confused, some were surprised, and some were furious. But most of them were angry.

Hannibal, the second-highest ranked warrior in Cronos, was present.

Roman Dmitry knew this.

Hannibal’s face twisted in anger when he heard Roman Dmitry’s request.

“I will go and deal with him,” Hannibal said.

“No, I forbid it,” Duke Bamford replied.

The opponent’s intention was clear. Roman Dmitry wanted to eliminate Cronos Empire’s strong warriors to gain an advantage.

The Cronos Empire acknowledged Hannibal’s skill.

Even though it was Roman Dmitry, there was no guarantee he could defeat Hannibal. Duke Bamford had to be prepared for anything.

Who would win if Barbarossa and Hannibal fought?

Hannibal would definitely win, but he couldn’t defeat Roman Dmitry with just seven attacks.

Even the Cronos Empire now admitted this fact.

Roman Dmitry was not someone who knew nothing of the world. He was a strong fighter that everyone on the continent should know about.

So, there was no reason to accept the challenge.

The Cronos Empire’s power should be proven by results, not by a Great Warrior Battle.

“Roman Dmitry, do you really want to compete with strength?” Duke Bamford thought.

He still couldn’t believe it.

It seemed absurd to Duke Bamford that Roman Dmitry would propose a Great Warrior Battle against the Cronos Empire, which had 300,000 troops, Hannibal, and Sheffir.

If that was all Roman Dmitry wanted, there would be no surprises.

Because Duke Bamford had carefully studied Roman Dmitry, he didn’t allow the fight between Roman Dmitry and Hannibal.

Then, Roman Dmitry spoke again.

“If you are afraid of a match against me, I will change the proposal,” he said. “I will send out two warriors to replace me. How about you also send out two warriors? If you refuse even this, then the Great Warrior Battle will be canceled.”

This made Duke Bamford even angrier.