[ Chapter 22 ]


    From a distance, Todd and Sin were also dealing with the Grelbeast with a newfound coldness.


    “O Phnence, bestow upon this ursed being your sacred mace!”


    Behind Sin, a pink hammer formed and struck the Grelbeast. Naturally, the goat-headed demon shattered the hammer of holy light with mes covering its body. It was something the Tagrel could do, so it was no surprise the Grelbeast could as well.


    Sin grimaced and summoned his divine power once more.


    “O Phnence! Grant me the strength to heavily smite this ursed being with your holy mace!”


    Once again, a bizarre prayer flowed, and dozens of light forms, including hammers and maces of various types, rose around Sin. It looked like enough to set up a cksmith shop.


    Thud, thud, thud!


    Dozens of maces left trails of pink light as they repeatedly struck the demon all over its body. Since there were more than one or two, the Grelbeast couldn’t block them all. Bound by chains, the demon couldn’t avoid the attacks and took them all directly.


    “Arrrgh!”


    Whether from pain or anger, the Grelbeast’s body trembled violently. But Sin, undaunted, continued his holy assaults. Since the opponent couldn’t move, it was safe to unleash divine spells without worry.


    Todd was not idle either.


    “Laqua di Altun Baras, breath of the north wind, swirl in my hand! Blizzard Storm!”


    He continuously cast ice magic to protect the knights from the Grelbeast’s mes. Typically, mages attack while clerics defend, but this demon’s resistance to magic meant ordinary spells didn’t work on it. However, divine spells, while weakened, still affected it, leading to a reversal of their roles.


    Todd, an experienced mage, didn’t focus solely on defense.


    “Sephiro di Crotel, earth, stretch forth your hand to reim what originated from you! Iron Steel!”


    It was the same spell that had disarmed the Beiter. The Grelbeast flinched, but the demon wasn’t weak enough for the increased weight to be unbearable. Once again, it swung its sword, spewing ck mist in all directions.


    “Arrgh!”


    “Damn, it failed again?”


    Even as he expressed disappointment, Todd calmly prepared another disarmament spell.


    “If I keep looking for an opening, it’ll eventually work.”


    The ultimate goal was the Grelbeast’s magic sword, Altion. If they could just retrieve that, there would be no need to continue the confrontation. Todd’s judgment was indeed cold and pragmatic. Now that safety was assured, Todd truly demonstrated the demeanor of a mage.


    Despite the surprising overall good atmosphere, everyone was diligently beating on the bound demon. It felt like witnessing a local custom of the Eastern Continent known as “rolling up in a straw mat.” It seemed that, if they continued like this, they might not defeat the demon but could at least retrieve the demonic sword.


    “Have I underestimated them?”


    Just as Repenhardt was about to rx, the chains binding the Grelbeast began to emit light. Simultaneously, the entire chamber trembled.


    “Uh?”


    “What’s that?”


    As everyone was bewildered, the chains of light that had bound the Grelbeast detached from the walls and wrapped around the demon’s limbs. An ominous light enveloped the Grelbeast’s entire body. A voice, difficult to understand, echoed from above the chamber.


    -Hepin Raltar Philoda. Ren Tu Baid Phase Talon.


    While the others were puzzled, Repenhardt immediately understood. Thenguage was Destin, an ancientnguage from the Silver Age, and its meaning was…


    “The current defense system is overwhelmed. Transitioning to Phase 2.”


    His expression turned desperate.


    “Damn it!”


    The Grelbeast raised its arms high,


    And burst into maniacalughter.


    “Kahaha!”


    Chains of light still bound its limbs, but they were no longer connected to the walls. Although notpletely freed, at this moment, the demon had gained some freedom of movement. Moreover, all the wounds that had been so diligently inflicted on the Grelbeast had disappeared. The transition to Phase 2 of the ruins hadpletely healed its injuries.


    “Kraltar!”


    With a chilling voice, the Grelbeast flung its arms to the side. The bound magical power flowed freely in all directions. It was no longer restrained!


    Everyone froze in ce. Even the bravest knights, and the cold Todd and Sin, turned into statues at that moment.


    “Ah…”


    Sir Edward stared at the transforming demon with horror. His mind felt empty. The demon was free. There were no chains left to restrain this fearsome monster!


    Only one thought emerged.


    They had to run.


    They must escape!


    “Your Highness!”


    Just as Sir Edward was about to shout to Stefan, he felt his heart sink. His precious lord was now charging towards the dreadful demon.


    “Die, demon!”


    With a desperate cry, Stefanunched himself towards the Grelbeast, who mockingly swung its me-imbued staff down. Stefan agilely dodged the attack, his focus as sharp as a finely honed de.


    ‘I can dodge attacks like this!’


    But the Grelbeast was no longer restrained. Following Stefan’s evasion, the demon swiftly kicked out at him.


    The kick, filled with the demon’s full force, was surprisingly well-executed for a demon, striking Stefan in midair with a powerful mid-kick.


    “Argh!”


    “No!”


    Sir Edward screamed in despair as he saw his lord spewing blood and flying through the air. Stefannded with a wretched cry, all notions of knightly pride shattered by the excruciating pain of his bones crushing.


    “Aaahhhhhh!”


    Yet, the fact that Stefan could still scream suggested he hadn’t been killed instantly. Edward rushed to support him, his young lord enduring the agony without losing consciousness.


    “Uh, Sir Edward…”


    “Thank goodness, Your Highness!”


    Passing a teary-eyed Sir Edward, the loyal ve, Relsia, charged recklessly at the Grelbeast but was soon struck down by the demon’s tail. Her slender body twisted grotesquely as she coughed up blood.


    “Kreeeeeeee!”


    That wasn’t the end. Before Relsia even hit the ground, the Grelbeast opened its mouth, releasing a foul sulfurous breath and spitting sinister mes towards Todd and Sin.


    The event unfolded too quickly for Sin to react. His eyes widened momentarily as hellfire flickered across his golden irises.


    “sh!”


    A burst of golden light intercepted the mes. Repenhardt, now enveloped in an aura, had stepped in front of him, splitting the mes that soon dissipated. Sin eximed with joy.


    “Repen!”


    “Sorry, I was a bit startled myself and reactedte.”


    Apologizing with a rueful voice, Repenhardt deflected the demon’s mes with a Spiral Guard.


    The mes subsided. The Grelbeast, recognizing a worthy opponent, focused its attention on Repenhardt, sensing that this formidable figure was unlike any he had faced so far.


    ‘Hmm…’


    Repenhardt looked up at the Grelbeast with a serious expression. He couldn’t help but wonder about his own strength. Could the martial prowess contained within him be enough to handle this demon?


    The wizard, wary of unwinnable gambles, nevertheless felt the thrill of confronting a formidable opponent. It was an unfamiliar sensation, unlike anything he’d experienced in his past life.


    ‘Damn, I’ve really be a warrior. My master would be pleased.’


    A brief lull followed as each tried to read the other’s movements, shifting slightly to the left and right. Then, suddenly, Repenhardtunched himself forward.


    “When in doubt, the first strike is the best course of action,” he remembered his master’s teaching and approached the Grelbeast. In the frail academies they taught to wait and counterattack, but for someone who could take a hit like Gym Unbreakable, a preemptive strike was always the best approach.


    As Repenhardt charged, the demon opened its mouth, and a ze from hell poured forth. With his arms, he cleaved through the mes, swiftly moved to his opponent’s side, and delivered a low kick loaded with a restraint, striking the demon’s thigh with a golden aura.


    “Ugh?”


    The Grelbeast’s expression changed. The light blow had an impact far from ordinary. How could this small human possess such power?


    Seizing the moment of the Grelbeast’s stagger, Repenhardt kicked off the ground.


    “Taaat!”


    He flew,nding a kick directly into the demon’s sr plexus followed by a knee to the jaw, tilting the Grelbeast’s head back with a powerful jumping knee strike.


    “Ugh!”


    The Grelbeast, groaning, swung its sword in desperation. The dark magic sword Altion emitted a ck aura as it flew. The ck de brushed past Repenhardt’s chest as he recoiled from the attack.


    “Ugh!”


    Repenhardt felt as if ws had scraped across his chest and grimaced. He stepped back, looking down at his chest, which was slightly swollen as if scratched by nails.


    “Huh? I got scratched?”


    It seemed that not even a steel sword could deflect a magic sword imbued with a demon’s magic. While an ordinary person might marvel at surviving such an encounter, Repenhardt, ustomed to the resilience of Gym Unbreakable, was more shocked by the scratch on his ‘tough body.’


    “You bastard!”


    Enraged, Repenhardt threw a punch and his golden aura sted like a cannon, hitting the Grelbeast squarely in the chest. The demon staggered, losing bnce from the energy strike. Seizing the opportunity, Repenhardt charged again.


    “Taaat!”


    Suspended in midair, Repenhardt delivered a series of kicks imbued with aura. The Grelbeast, defending itself with its arms raised, was repeatedly pushed back. Unable to use its arms for defense and needing to maintain its bnce, it couldn’t lift its legs off the ground.


    “The best defense is a good offense,” it is said. With his relentless kicks, Repenhardt even managed to block the Grelbeast’s attacks.


    However, he had forgotten that this demon possessed a tail.


    “Karata!”


    With a monstrous howl, a crimson tail whipped like ash, striking Repenhardt’s nk hard.


    Thud!


    With the sound of impact, he was hurled like an arrow shot into a wall, embedding himself into it. His body, as durable as steel, smashed through the stone wall, causing the entire chamber to quake and dust to rise everywhere.


    Sin eximed in surprise.


    “Mr. Repen!”


    The force to send a man flying and embed him into a wall was astonishing! Sin looked towards the dust-rising stone wall with eyes full of worry. Then, he gasped in shock.


    “Ah, I’m fine.”


    Wrapped in a golden aura, Repenhardt casually walked out. It was so incredible that Sin couldn’t help but exim in astonishment.


    “Good heavens…”


    Sin was astounded. A human made of flesh and blood had smashed through a wall and emerged unscathed? Not just any wall, but one from the Silver Age ruins, which had withstood thousands of years of weathering and could barely be scratched even with a heavy hammer!


    ‘Is this the power of an aura wielder?’


    Repenhardt, touching his neck, hardened his expression.


    ‘I’ve made a mistake.’


    Despite being hurled so dramatically, he was almost unharmed. Six years of training had not been in vain. The reason Repenhardt was thrown so easily was because Gerard was the only opponent he had ever fought.


    ‘Always getting hit by the master’s attacks has made me subconsciously dodge them.’


    Using his body to fly back and reduce the impact was a fine defensive technique.


    If the opponent’s attacks were on Gerard’s level, then it was right to defend in that manner.


    However, sometimes it’s necessary to withstand an attack. If he had just withstood that attack, he might have found an opportunity to counter.


    Just because he could spar with the strongest didn’t make him the strongest. Experience truly cannot be underestimated. Repenhardt, with a newfound realization, carefully circled the Grelbeast.


    He thought it was a perfect opportunity.


    ‘It’s time to calmly sort out the techniques I’ve learned.’


    The opponent was suitable, and it even felt like an opportunity granted by the heavens. Repenhardt clenched his fists, burning with fighting spirit.