Chapter 121
The time proposed by Jepar was one minute. Nahun thought that was not long at all.
Jepar was an extreme martial arts Demon King. Although he held a high rank of 15, the size of his faction was notably small. This was due to always being at the forefront alongside Barbatos and Lezargie whenever the Celestial War broke out.
Nevertheless, maintaining such a rank was due to the Demon King’s extraordinary strength.
Excluding Belzebut, Agreas, Amon, Barbatos, and others known as the pinnacle of martial power in the current Demon World, it would not be wrong to consider Jepar one of the strongest Demon Kings alongside Lezargie.
Both were close to Barbatos and belonged to the Equites faction, which was another similarity. However, there was a slight difference when comparing the two.
Lezargie was skillful, while Jepar excelled in strength. This meant that in combat against someone utilizing the same skills, Lezargie would hold the upper hand, while Jepar would dominate against those who relied on power.
Seere, too, was harmoniously talented in both areas, but when recalling the previous methods that had approached him, his style leaned slightly more towards strength.
In terms of compatibility, Jepar was not at an advantage there. Seere outmatched him in that aspect.
Nevertheless, Seere requested not one minute but five. A time five times longer. Nahun, who was next to him, couldn’t help but be flustered, but Seere’s gaze was so serious that he couldn’t say anything.
‘All I can do is…’
It was simply to trust her.
Seere observed Jepar’s limping foot. It appeared to be the easiest target for him…
‘…a trap.’
It was a deliberate bluff. While it was true that Jepar was a cripple, his limping left foot was not a weakness for him.
On the contrary, it was a trap to draw the opponent in. As Seere discerned this and refrained from rushing in, Jepar spoke with interest.
“Your sharpness is commendable.”
And it was Jepar who moved first. His movements were astonishingly fast, considering he was a cripple. In an instant, Jepar disappeared and reappeared behind Seere.
Bam!!!
Seere’s sword blocked Jepar’s blow. It was a clean and unembellished defense, and seeing that, Jepar smiled leisurely.
“You have a fine sword.”
“It was given to me by my teacher.”
“Oh? I am quite curious about where you obtained it.”
However, there was a remarkable difference: while Seere blocked with a sword, Jepar was unarmed. He simply struck the sword with his fist, and the fact that his punches did not nick the blade was astounding from the perspective of the opponent.
‘This is the pinnacle of martial arts…’
Seere narrowed his eyes. It was a stark realization that he was still lacking. If even Jepar had such a gap, he could do nothing against Nahun.
“Ugh…!”
Seere pushed Jepar back with newfound strength. Jepar’s eyes widened slightly, and he was pushed back as intended.
To be pushed back in strength. Even Lezargie from the same Equites faction couldn’t push him back. Jepar admitted sincerely with admiration.
“The strength of Seir is indeed flowing through you!”
It was only for a moment that Jepar was pushed back. He quickly jumped forward, closing the distance to Seere in an instant with his fists clenched.
“Now, taste this.”
Boom! Bang! Boom! Bash! Boom──!!!
What followed was a flurry of punches. Jepar’s fists began to pound Seere mercilessly.
Each blow was powerful enough to shake Seere’s sword, and even Nahun, watching from the sidelines, could see she was struggling.
‘No mercy whatsoever.’
However, Nahun did not think of intervening. After all, Jepar did not intend to kill Seere. The aura of death was felt, but that was merely because he was fully serious.
‘This will actually help.’
Seere, who had already grown strong enough, had few ways to become stronger. One of them was fighting against such strong opponents, and now Jepar was assisting in that.
Nahun muttered to himself.
“Don’t think about the aftermath and just give it your all.”
Boom──!!!
The final punch in the flurry struck, sending Seere tumbling backward.
Gone was the composure from Seere’s expression. Although it was surprising that she had blocked almost all of the previous barrage, she still allowed herself to be hit once or twice.
“Tch.”
As Seere spat out a mix of saliva and blood, Jepar expressed his astonishment honestly.
“Your endurance is remarkable. Truly reminiscent of the Demon King.”
Jepar’s fists had undoubtedly struck with force. Nonetheless, Seere had only been pushed back and did not fall.
Jepar checked the time.
“How many minutes remain, Nahun?”
“Three minutes.”
“Did I just use over a minute with that?”
Jepar checked the time and was impressed. It meant she had withstood his onslaught for over a minute. In a normal test, she would have already passed and finished.
“You are certainly not skilled enough to remain at rank 50.”
Seere glared fiercely at Jepar, who was limping forward. This time, Seere took the initiative.
“Is this where you come first!”
Boom─────!!!
Seere swung her sword down sharply, narrowing her brow slightly. Jepar was blocking her sword with one hand.
“That’s heavy. Excellent strength.”
No matter how strong Jepar was, blocking her sword with bare hands made Seere scoff.
“…I thought you were invulnerable.”
“In reality, I come quite close to that. My body is tougher than that gargoyle.”
As Jepar held Seere’s sword with one hand, his other extended to throw a punch. Since Seere had her sword caught, she also reached out with her hand.
Boom!!!
“Few can match me in physical strength.”
Seere’s hand successfully blocked Jepar’s fist. Looking at the size of his forearm, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jepar’s fist crushed Seere’s hand, but the blood of Devata did not seem to wane.
Seere sighed with relief.
“…I had a feeling as much. It’s the second time I’ve experienced such strength.”
“Second?”
Jepar asked with curiosity, but Seere didn’t have the luxury of answering. She deflected Jepar’s fist and stepped back, searching for another opportunity.
Jepar pondered Seere’s statement for a moment. The second time experiencing strength like his? Although it sounded casual, it was certainly a point of concern.
“!”
And Seere did not miss Jepar’s moment of distraction. A powerful blow struck Jepar’s side, and while his sturdy body did not get cut, it created a strong shock that reverberated inside.
“Have you lost your focus?”
“…I apologize. I was momentarily lost in thought.”
Jepar threw a strong punch. The speed was so fast it was unreadable, causing Seere to be unable to evade.
Boom!!
“Ugh!”
Struck hard on the arm, Seere was pushed back and examined the condition of her left arm. Just one decent hit left her feeling discomfort from the impact.
“Focus.”
As Jepar’s gaze changed, Seere instinctively swallowed hard in nervousness. It was her first time facing a fierce adversary who showed such murderous intent. Nahun had never exhibited killing intent towards her during their sparring.
Even facing the Hero of the Spear and his army, she did not feel such tension. Seere gripped her sword tightly with both hands, preparing for the attack, and as expected, Jepar moved first.
Zing────!
Although it was just a punch colliding with the sword, a tremendous sound resonated as if two swords had clashed. Jepar began to unleash heavy attacks relentlessly.
Boom! Bang! Boom!!!
Faster and heavier than the earlier barrage, Seere was merely focused on defense.
Naturally. If one disregarded his faction and focused solely on Jepar’s abilities, he ranked among the top ten Demon Kings.
It was commendable enough to endure against such a Demon King. Seere used her superhuman senses to predict where Jepar’s fists would strike, and despite the fierce onslaught, her defense did not crumble.
She began to feel out a pattern amidst Jepar’s relentless offensive.
And at that moment.
“Your skills are impressive. However, I have something to teach you.”
“…?”
“A prediction based on patterns is easily disrupted by simple variables.”
Jepar, who had his left hand thrown out, suddenly spun around, lifting his limping left leg to swing at Seere’s temple.
Seere, who would have never imagined he would use his leg, didn’t see that attack coming.
Boom───!!!
Seere narrowed her brows. Just as she judged she could not respond, she braced herself, but oddly, she felt no impact.
Standing between Seere and Jepar was a man, having blocked Jepar’s kick with a single arm.
“Teacher….”
It was Nahun.
#
As Nahun blocked Jepar’s kick, he squinted slightly and said.
“This is where it ends, Your Excellency Jepar.”
“…Has the time run out?”
“Yes. It finished exactly five seconds ago. As this is a test, you must strictly adhere to the timing.”
“Quite right.”
Jepar gracefully lowered his leg. And with narrowed eyes, he gazed at Nahun.
‘At that moment….’
Just as Jepar was about to strike Seere’s temple, Nahun, who had been standing behind him, stepped in between them.
‘Even if he is my older brother, could I have reacted?’
Even Barbatos might not have been able to stop them at that moment. The speed was beyond explanation. It could not have been assumed to be mage-assisted, as there would have been insufficient chant time.
‘What is his true identity?’
Those thoughts crossed his mind first. Seere’s earlier comment about how it was her second time experiencing such power was now instantly understood.
Gazing at Nahun for a moment, Jepar then let out a small chuckle. The feeling he had at that moment was delight. It was only natural for him to be intrigued.
A Demon King of such a young age who could engage in a duel with him, and even the royal master who taught her was someone whose abilities he could not measure.
‘They’re amusing individuals.’
He couldn’t help but ponder how it might have felt to realize this sooner.
“The blood of Devata flows splendidly.”
“The test….”
“Indeed.”
Jepar, limping, headed back to his throne.
“You pass, descendant of the Demon King. I, Demon King Jepar, shall lend you my strength with honor.”
Seere’s expression brightened in an instant. Watching that expression, Jepar swallowed a smile. It seemed he could see a childlike side to that strong, young Demon King.
Nahun bowed his head to Jepar.
“I sincerely thank you, Your Excellency Jepar.”
“Not at all. And you must have one more thing to ask of me.”
Jepar, well aware of Nahun’s intentions in approaching him, found no need to deny his words.
“Yes.”
“I will invite Lezargie and my brother to create a gathering.”
“I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“There’s no need to go overboard with the formalities. This is my courtesy to the strong.”
Nahun thought he had hit the jackpot. He intended to approach Jepar for a recommendation, but now he was directly arranging a gathering. This made discussion much more convenient.
“However, there is a condition.”
“What do you mean by condition?”
“I expect you to stay in my castle for a while.”
“Yes?”
Nahun was taken aback. Seere next to him felt the same way. Seeing the two of them, Jepar reassured them there was no need to be tense.
“The time frame is until the gathering is set up. I wish for you to stay at the castle and entertain me until then.”
Nahun and Seere understood Jepar’s words. He was asking them to be sparring partners until the gathering was arranged.
Apparently, Jepar had found quite some enjoyment in the previous fight. Nahun, of course, also believed that Seere’s proposal was entirely beneficial.
‘This is an opportunity for Seere to grow.’
‘She’ll be able to catch up to the teacher a little more.’
Although they each had slightly different intentions, the conclusion they shared was clear that Seere’s skills would undoubtedly improve. Seere readily responded.
“I’ll do that!”
“Very well. Then I look forward to you in the future.”
Certainly, Jepar was interested in Seere, but he was even more intrigued by Nahun. The competitive spirit of wanting to face him once was still bubbling inside him.
However, Jepar did not act hastily.
‘There’s plenty of time.’
He could take his time to savor the moment.
Jepar was grateful for the great joy that had come to him after a long time.
