Chapter 378: Magic (2)

Did you know?

Demons wield magic. And they had already tacitly grown used to that fact.

And it wasn’t very different for dragons.

Even those dragons friendly to humanity felt great pride in their own magic.

Though they didn’t show it, they firmly believed demons were superior beings to heroes.

If that was the case with dragons, what about the rest of the demons? Demons were actually more arrogant than people thought.

It’s true they’d been defeated twice by humanity, but that was simply bad luck.

The defeat in the first war was because of that monster named Balor Joaquin.

And the second was the fault of an even greater monster — Kang Geom-Ma.

Besides, Valerion knew those two were intimately connected on a physical level.

The reason the demons lost wasn’t inferiority — it was because the world favored those linked to the body.

…But it seemed that opinion had to be withdrawn.

The dragons, watching Kang Geom-Ma’s combat style, were starting to feel firsthand how wrong they’d been.

Kang Geom-Ma was teaching them. This is how magic is used.

That if you use “just magic,” the limitations become evident.

Use everything.

Crackle…!

Kang Geom-Ma moves. No — he teleports.

In the instant electricity covers the sashimi knives, his figure vanishes and reappears in a totally unexpected place.

Leon summoned his courage. But he couldn’t counterattack.

He barely managed to stay on the defensive.

The electricity, which had become almost divine, flowed. Kang Geom-Ma had moved.

And his movements grew ever faster.

Boom!

Suddenly, Kang Geom-Ma’s sword went to stab him in the back. Leon, under superhuman pressure, caught that instant.

He squeezed out all his strength.

The blade passed by his torso, grazing his twisted waist.

He avoided a fatal blow.

But Kang Geom-Ma’s sashimi knife never missed. If he unsheathed it, it was to sever at least an arm.

And this time was no exception.

“¡Kgh…!”

Leon groaned.

The blood pouring from his side soaked him to the knees.

Valerion could barely follow it with his eyes. He suddenly glanced at the spectators.

Only Metatron’s eyes shared the same trembling as his.

“Your son is incredible.”

Valerion said it in a calm voice. Out of context, it might’ve sounded condescending.

“…Yes. He’s fighting with everything he’s got.”

Luckily, Metatron took it the right way. And it was no wonder.

Is there anyone in this world who can withstand more than ten exchanges against Kang Geom-Ma?

Maybe only those present here.

And that’s knowing Kang Geom-Ma’s power. The last time he showed his full might was during the Parsy tragedy.

They had only seen that moment in a video.

And they understood.

‘Kang Geom-Ma is a being different from us.’

Saying he’s in another league is not enough. Kang Geom-Ma had a completely different nature from theirs.

“Sorry to say it like this, but I think your son Leon can push himself like this thanks to…”

Metatron nodded.

“That’s right.”

It’s because of the Blessing of the Miracle.

『Please, protect the world from the Demon King.』

Compatibility.

The hero and the Demon King don’t have good compatibility.

After all, isn’t that the case in every story? That Demon King who almost destroys humanity is defeated by the sword of a mere human.

A cliché story and ending.

Though it’s criticized for being predictable, people take for granted that good must triumph over evil.

And naturally, they consider the hero as good and the Demon King as evil.

Why? Because the hero is human. Even the gacha game “Miracle Blessing M” focuses broadly on the life of the hero Leon von Reinhardt.

That gave him a natural edge over the Demon King.

Leon, with an abyssal difference in level, was able to withstand more than ten exchanges thanks to that “compatibility.”

But little by little, the gap began to show. Kang Geom-Ma’s overwhelming slashes ignored compatibility.

Or rather, they shattered it.

“This time…!”

Leon didn’t even have the strength to finish the sentence.

Fwoooosh!

A blast of wind exploded in the enclosed room. Leon, with a strangled cry, unleashed his aura.

The floating sashimi knives scattered. He was trying to completely disorganize the electric grid.

To the eye, it looked like it worked. The cage of lightning that had surrounded him was gone.

‘But Kang Geom-Ma is not someone who ends it there.’

Leon focused strength in his right shoulder. From the open wound, blood gushed like a water gun.

Splash.

Dozens of sashimi knives were drenched in blood. A scene that was almost nauseating at first glance.

“…Oh.”

But instead of groans, the spectators let out gasps. Leon’s decision was quick, and in that moment, the best possible.

“In that case…”

“The lightning won’t be able to bounce off the blades anymore.”

The plan had worked. The density of the makeshift electrical net decreased.

Kang Geom-Ma, with no other choice, appeared in midair.

He grabbed one of the sashimi knives and lunged with his body. Leon, as if he’d been waiting, countered with a kick.

BOOM!

A shockwave laced with lightning. Kang Geom-Ma pressing with everything,
and Leon resisting with everything.

However, their swords didn’t touch. It looked like they grazed each other, but on closer look, there was a tiny gap the size of a fingernail between the two blades.

“Hah…”

“He’s starting to understand Kang Geom-Ma’s abilities.”

Even without understanding all the effects of the Blessing of the Sword God, Leon had already learned from experience that those sashimi knives could cut anything.

“And yet he still faces it with pure will.”

More than fighting spirit…

“He’s using compatibility.”

Valerion murmured. He turned his eyes, torn from the fierce battle, to Metatron.

“To stay calm in front of Kang Geom-Ma… for that alone, there may be no other human who could face him.”

“That’s not true.”

Not even a twitch. Metatron was completely serious.

“He’s simply been lucky. And there are humans more capable than Leon.”

“Really?”

Valerion didn’t care much for humanity. At most, he knew Leon, who had spent a decade in the Demon World.

Metatron explained calmly.

“There’s someone called the Sword Master.”

“I’ve heard of him… but he’s old now, isn’t he?”

“In terms of physical ability, sure — he’s probably aged quite a bit compared to his prime. He’s human, after all. But according to Leon, he hasn’t missed a single day of training.”

Metatron turned his gaze back to the fight as he continued calmly.

“Precisely because he doesn’t settle, he evolves. That’s how humans are.”

“That’s a rather generous assessment.”

“Not at all. It’s an objective one.”

“I have another question. You said ‘people,’ plural, didn’t you? You were referring to the rest of the Seven Stars, right?”

Metatron shook his head.

“They’re exceptional too, but they couldn’t exchange blows with Kang Geom-Ma. They’re not as competitive as the Sword Master.”

“That makes me even more curious. What kind of people does the leader of the angels hold in such high regard?”

“Haha, they’re probably closer than you think.”

“…”

When Valerion tilted his head, Metatron turned his gaze to the side. There stood two women.

“Those two… are Kang Geom-Ma’s wives.”

“I sense in them immense potential. I know it’s inappropriate to say this while my son fights so desperately, but it seems they’ll easily surpass Leon’s growth limit.”

“Is that even possible for a human?”

“Dragon Lord.”

Valerion was reprimanded firmly.

“Humans are more infinite than you imagine. They are beings that even those false gods couldn’t predict.”

“…”

“Look at this very moment.”

Metatron turned forward again.

The distance between the Daiso Sashimi and Leon’s foot was shrinking. His resistance was beginning to weaken. The balance of power, which had once seemed even, was starting to tip.

Leon had broken his fingers. He was pressing the blade with the shoulder of his amputated arm, resisting desperately. It was a heartbreaking image.

The conclusion was near. Yet Leon kept fighting with all his might. The atmosphere felt like he’d won on points.

Though he wasn’t satisfied. Leon let out a final burst of energy. A fierce aura like a lion’s roar swept through the area. Hair flew, and Choi Seol-Ah had to grab her top that nearly slipped off.

“You were too ambitious.”

Said Kang Geom-Ma. Leon’s eyes clouded with surprise. In that space, the eyes began to open slowly.

Dozens of knives surrounded him, gleaming with clean edges. Some with traces of blood. All exposed.

Clack. Kang Geom-Ma’s figure stretched into a double image and disappeared right in front of him. Leon turned his eyes back.

There was darkness.

Kang Geom-Ma swung his sword. The knives clashed. The foot was sliced off in a single stroke. Then, a diagonal wound carved itself into Leon’s body.

The severed torso flew and crashed into a wall. All of this happened in less than a second. It wasn’t an event—it was a phenomenon.

[The duel in subspace has ended.]

The violet light began to dissipate. Even the echo of the fierce battle was fading away.

Leon’s lower body, rolling on the ground, turned into fragments of data.

The lower half was replaced by data that clustered together and regenerated.

Kang Geom-Ma shook his sword. The ground was clean. After that instinctive gesture, he approached Leon.

“The performance of subspace is marvelous.”

“…”

Tap.

Leon pulled himself up using Kang Geom-Ma’s forearm. Without even fully sitting, he brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder and sheathed Balmung.

Kang Geom-Ma smiled faintly.

“Today you withstood three more strikes than last time.”

“I got lucky.”

“Luck is a skill too.”

“If you put it that way, I can’t argue.”

Leon shrugged with a smile.

“…What do you think?”

Metatron finally spoke. There was an excited expression on his face. Valerion felt something similar.

Both of them vaguely knew the true identities of Kang Geom-Ma and Leon — the Demon King and the Hero.

And to see them compete with respect and exchange words of encouragement. Evil is not always wicked.

What is human is not always just.

Good and evil are merely different colors. The scale doesn’t tilt to either side.

Even so, the demons — the losers — and the dragons — their leaders — felt an overwhelming emotion.

Harmony.

The union of demon and human moved them deeply. As if coordinated, the dragons shuddered in unison.

Their dragon hearts, which had suppressed their rhythm for centuries, began to beat once more.

Thump-thump.

Here, in the human world, those hearts were pulsing. All of them brought a hand to their chest.

A current of air slipped between their fingers. Mana.

The dragon’s heart was an endless mana furnace. Their mana was of incomparable purity.

And now—

It flowed. Into Kang Geom-Ma.

There, an EX-rank sashimi lay dormant.

In this world, weapons grow stronger the rarer their materials.

It was the first time Valerion had ever seen a dragon’s heart beat on its own in all his centuries of life.

Kang Geom-Ma’s sashimi was strengthening in real time. At the same time, within the subspace, a new mana network formed.

This time, the flow of light and mana wasn’t as aggressive as before.

It was gentle.

“How curious.”

The Dragon Lord’s eyes welled up.

The air swirled softly around Kang Geom-Ma and Leon.

Only they remained clearly visible. It was as if the entire world were watching them.

Valerion, nose reddened, spoke one last word.

“Mystery.”

A word that had come to mean technique.

“Yes, I think ‘mysterious’ is the best way to describe it.”

The language from which that mystery was born.