The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 394

Roman Dmitry thought about Alexandre. *Why* was Alexandre so sure he would win? Every story about Alexandre said the same thing: he was arrogant and believed he could not lose. But Chronos was acting strangely. They said Roman Dmitry alone wasn’t a threat, yet they were doing everything they could to stop him. It didn’t make sense.

What was the source of their confidence?

Roman Dmitry wanted to confirm it.

He wanted to see how they would respond when he pushed to the end, and whether Alexandre really had the power to stop him.

Mother Elf had said Chronos believed in a dark, evil place. Roman Dmitry wondered if this fight would show if that place was real.

“Attack… Ack!”

Blood exploded from the knight’s neck as he was about to give the order.

Everything was quiet and tense. Then, suddenly, chaos broke out.

In the slaughter that shattered the tense atmosphere, the Chronos Empire army rushed in, their faces twisted with anger.

“Kill him!”

“Attack!”

It was a familiar sight.

Seeing so many rushing to kill one person, Roman Dmitry calmly swung his sword.

‘First Form of the Mid-Level Heavenly Demon Sword Art.’

A wave of blue aura ripped through the air, howling like a storm.

Those who rushed in, raising their auras, were torn to pieces by the blades of wind. The sight made people face reality.

This was Roman Dmitry.

This was the man who had defeated an army of 300,000 alone and turned the tide in the war with Umberto.

By the time they realized something was wrong, Roman Dmitry had already plunged into the crowd.

Thud.

Splurt.

It was a massacre.

Those who surrounded him all fell, scattering blood. Roman Dmitry roughly pushed through the space, slaughtering all those who stood in his way.

There were no exceptions.

The ordinary soldiers who attacked at the same time had their heads fly off, and the aura swordsmen who exploded their auras had their bodies split apart along with their swords.

Rumble!

He stomped on the ground and swung his sword. The space was torn apart by the aura’s storm, just like the first attack.

It was a bewildering sight.

It was completely different from typical siege warfare. Roman Dmitry jumped onto the walls and started fighting everyone there. It was a massacre. Baron Denikin was shocked and couldn’t give orders.

Only then did he realize.

Marquis Memphis knew from the beginning that Baron Denikin couldn’t hold out for a week.

The fact that someone who knew Roman Dmitry better than anyone else didn’t send reinforcements made the intention clear.

This place was abandoned.

It was only meant to buy time, even if it was just a minute or a second, until the Chronos reinforcements arrived.

“STOP HIM! Someone, *please*, stop him!”

But there was no other way.

He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Since disobedience would lead to death anyway, he had no choice but to hope that Roman Dmitry, surrounded by numerous soldiers, would fall to a blind sword.

In the meantime, Umberto’s troops poured over the walls.

The normal response was to order the archers to attack.

Some archers, knowing Baron Denikin’s mind, nocked arrows on their bows, but their necks were cut off before they could even fire.

Flash!

Rumble!

On the walls, Roman Dmitry blocked the normal response.

Everyone’s attention was focused on punishing that one person, and at this rate, it was only a matter of time before the walls collapsed.

It was then.

“Contact the higher-ups. If you don’t come to stop me…”

Slish.

Rumble!

He cut the iron chains connected to the gate.

The huge gate fell onto the moat, and the sight of Umberto’s soldiers running beyond it was visible.

“Chronos will face an irreversible situation.”

News of the battle traveled quickly, even to the capital city of Chronos.

The capital of Chronos was a city of white stone and tall towers, far away from the muddy battlefields. People walked in the sunny streets, not knowing the danger that was coming.

At that time, in Marquis Memphis’ office.

Scritch scritch!

Marquis Memphis was handling the Emperor’s work.

Alexandre had stepped back for some reason, so all the major and minor affairs of the Chronos Empire were decided by Marquis Memphis.

He stepped into the realm of truth by promoting this war.

He knew that the Chronos Emperor was associated with an unknown force, but the moment he met Alexandre, he felt a shiver all over his body.

Only then did he realize who his true master was.

From then on, he handled things according to Alexandre’s guidance, so as not to deviate from that category.

The subordinate who entered spoke in a cautious voice.

“…The front-line defense base has been captured. Baron Denikin is presumed to have died on the spot, and Roman Dmitry has set fire to the place and is immediately moving towards his next destination.”

Marquis Memphis stopped writing.

Looking at the subordinate, he showed a cold reaction.

“You couldn’t even hold out for a day?”

“No, sir.”

“You foolish fellow. You said you would hold out for a week, but you were just full of hot air. Roman Dmitry’s intention to set fire to the front-line defense base is clear. It’s a warning that if we don’t come to stop him, he will turn Chronos’ territory into an irreparable state as soon as he occupies it.”

It was absurd.

In the history of Chronos, there was no such belligerent opponent.

Roman Dmitry was pushing in as if he had no tomorrow, and if they couldn’t stop him, the main force of Chronos would be shaken.

Marquis Memphis might have been worried if he hadn’t confirmed the realm of truth.

But he knew Chronos’ secret plans. Because of this, he felt sure and excited about what was coming.

However, he didn’t like it.

The sight of Roman Dmitry threatening Chronos kept touching Marquis Memphis’ nerves.

“This is *our* problem to fix. Let’s see how tough Roman Dmitry really is.”

He laughed.

No separate order was necessary.

He had already sent troops to deal with Roman Dmitry, and they would be difficult for even Roman Dmitry to handle.

Alexandre was certain, and Marquis Memphis also showed a strong belief in Chronos.

It was already the third battle.

Umberto’s strategy was the same every time. After Roman Dmitry swept through, the troops entered.

“Don’t leave a single one alive!”

“We don’t need prisoners. Kill them all!”

It was a complete victory.

Roman Dmitry plunged the inside into chaos and even opened the gates, so the Chronos Empire could not take advantage of the defense.

From now on, Chronos had no choice but to feel the heat.

Now that three fortresses had fallen, Roman Dmitry could reach out anywhere and make a mess of Chronos.

Crack.

Calderon Drake entered the castle and looked around at the devastated surroundings.

The castle’s remains were trampled underfoot.

Calderon Drake watched Roman Dmitry and thought, ‘So, this is his power.’

He had argued against Roman Dmitry’s plan. Charging into the enemy fortress alone to open the gates seemed reckless, even foolish.

It wasn’t about trust. With Umberto’s army, they were strong enough to win. Calderon didn’t understand why Roman Dmitry would take such a risk alone.

But then, Roman Dmitry explained his reasoning.

Roman Dmitry said, ‘Umberto’s army has one hundred thousand soldiers. We may fight many battles in Chronos’ land. If we lose too many soldiers now, Chronos will not take us seriously. We need to keep Umberto’s army strong. My role is to make Chronos pay attention to us, to make them know we are a real threat.’

Calderon was amazed.

Roman Dmitry understood the situation so well. He was so sure he could do something so unusual. Calderon thought he was like someone not from this world. If Roman Dmitry had failed, Calderon would have been very disappointed. But he had succeeded. He had destroyed three fortresses quickly, just as he said.

Umberto’s soldiers now followed Roman Dmitry completely. They looked at him with such admiration, it was almost like worship. Calderon knew they would do anything Roman Dmitry asked, even something dangerous.

Calderon thought, ‘Maybe there is hope for the world after all.’ Chronos was showing his true, greedy intentions. Having Roman Dmitry on their side felt like a gift from the gods.

Calderon understood what needed to be done next.

Calderon was about to order his men to burn the fortress again, as was their usual tactic. But Roman Dmitry stopped him, his voice calm.

“Please repair the fortress and prepare for defense.”

“May I know the reason?”

Roman Dmitry replied, ‘Reinforcements from Chronos are close. I have information. We don’t need to fight them in the open fields. Let’s fix the fortress, rest, and then plan our next move.’

Calderon asked, surprised, ‘Where did you get this information?’

Calderon was truly impressed. In the chaos of war, Roman Dmitry knew about enemy reinforcements? It was unbelievable. His respect for Roman Dmitry grew even more.

Everything had changed.

Calderon Drake followed the orders.

And the next morning, they saw them.

The next morning dawned cold and grey.

On the fortress walls, the air was thick with tension. You could almost touch it. Umberto’s soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder, watching as the Chronos army lined up in the distance, just out of reach of their arrows.

Then, a single figure emerged from the Chronos ranks. He walked slowly, deliberately, and the heavy black armor hid his face completely.

And yet, despite the helmet and the distance, a ripple of shock went through the soldiers on the wall. They knew who it was.

The armor itself was unmistakable. Shaped like a dragon’s scales, it was said to be a gift from the Chronos Emperor himself, given to only one warrior in the entire empire.

“…No way.”

“It’s Castro.”

“Why has Castro appeared here?”

Whispers spread like wildfire along the fortress walls. ‘No way… Castro?’ ‘Is that really him?’ Faces paled, eyes widened in disbelief.

It wasn’t just that Castro was Chronos’s best swordsman. He was the Emperor’s personal guardian, sworn to protect the imperial family. He was never supposed to leave the palace, not for any reason.

His presence here, on this distant battlefield, was impossible to believe. Something huge must be happening.

This unexpected arrival of Castro made one thing clear: Chronos was absolutely serious. They weren’t just sending reinforcements; they were sending their ultimate weapon. Chronos wanted Roman Dmitry dead, no matter what.

The only sound was the slow, heavy CLANG of Castro’s armored boots on the dry ground. Each step echoed the suffocating tension in the air.

The tension was so thick, it felt like a physical weight pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe.

“I am Castro of Chronos.”

His voice was deep and rough, like rocks grinding together.

From the darkness of his helmet, two red eyes glowed, and a wave of fear washed over the soldiers on the wall.

“Roman Dmitry. I request a Great Warrior duel with you.”

Castro’s words hung in the air: ‘Roman Dmitry. I request a Great Warrior duel with you.’ A collective gasp went up from the fortress walls.

For those who knew Roman Dmitry’s reputation…

For years, a silent rule had spread across battlefields: ‘Never agree to a Great Warrior duel with Roman Dmitry.’ These duels were a tradition, a way to settle conflicts between powerful warriors one-on-one. But against Roman Dmitry, they were suicide.

Many had learned this lesson the hard way, with their lives. Anyone who had faced Roman Dmitry in a duel had been utterly defeated. So, soldiers simply refused to duel him anymore.

And it was understandable.

Roman Dmitry was too strong. Even large armies struggled to beat him. Facing him alone in a duel was like choosing to die.

So, the shock on the fortress walls was immense. No one could believe Castro would actually challenge Roman Dmitry to a duel.

It was then.

Then, before anyone could fully react,

Roman Dmitry moved. He leaped from the fortress wall, landing lightly on the ground below.

Roman Dmitry looked at Castro, his face calm. ‘I accept your duel.’

Swish.

The sound of Roman Dmitry’s sword leaving its sheath was like a sharp intake of breath. The air crackled with anticipation.

Castro drew his own sword, the polished steel gleaming menacingly in the sunlight as he pointed it at Roman Dmitry.

“Roman Dmitry. I have always longed for this moment, hearing news of you from the battlefield. People are saying that you have already surpassed me. Ares defeated Valhalla’s number one, Sezar, and Roman Dmitry has destroyed armies almost single-handedly. They say I am no match for you.”

Rumble!

A low RUMBLE echoed from Castro, and the air around him seemed to shimmer and distort.

It felt like the black armor was drinking in all the light, and a powerful energy, like a storm about to break, pulsed from him.

Castro continued, his voice growing louder. ‘It’s ridiculous! I became the best swordsman years ago. Even when you were just a boy learning to hold a sword, I was already at the top, unmatched. People think I’ve been doing nothing in the palace all this time. They don’t see the endless training, the sweat and effort I put in, day after day, hidden from the world. They think I haven’t improved just because they haven’t seen it!’

But no one knew the truth of Castro’s life in the imperial palace. The Chronos Emperor had no enemies, no one foolish enough to challenge him. So, Castro, the Emperor’s protector, seemed to have no purpose.

But Castro was a warrior. He needed to fight, to test his skills. Without battles, without challenges, he felt like a caged beast.

So, day after day, Castro trained relentlessly. He imagined enemies, threats to the Emperor, anything to fuel his practice. He swung his sword from sunrise to sunset, sweat pouring from him like rain in a storm.

People thought they knew Castro. They saw him as the Emperor’s silent guardian, powerful but unchanging.

But they were wrong. In his quiet, repetitive life, Castro had grown stronger, sharper, more dangerous. He had simply never had the chance to show it.

He just never had the chance to draw his sword, but a long time ago, when Sezar faced Castro, he said that he felt like he was facing an insurmountable wall.

Castro was ranked number one in Chronos, and Sezar was number one in Valhalla. In the continental rankings, they were only one step apart. But those who had seen them fight said the difference was enormous, like comparing earth to heaven.

Rumble!

A wave of power rolled off Castro.

This was not just power; it was something else, something darker, something almost… unnatural. It felt like a force that could tear the world apart.

“Roman Dmitry. By executing you, I will prove to people once again that this Castro is the best swordsman on the continent.”

This aura, this raw power radiating from Castro, was unlike anything anyone had ever witnessed. It was legendary. It was said that only those who reached the mythical ‘seventh star’ of power could unleash such force.