■ Cheating Itself □
‘…Damn it.’
A duel with Four Heavenly Kings Nick Iron that somehow came to be.
I stepped out, provoked by the fact that a mage was dismissing magic in front of me, but upon reflection, I began to suspect this might have all been part of a plan.
As if to say, “Someone like you doesn’t suit our lady.”
Anyway, since a man who draws his sword must at least cut down some grass, I followed Nick Iron and came out to the yard in front of the house.
His entire body made of chrome gave the impression of considerable weight, as the ground visibly sank with every step Nick Iron took.
It seemed that physical attacks would likely fail to even scratch his sturdy frame.
In that case, there was no choice but to use magic.
“Strangely overconfident, huh?”
Something felt unsettling.
Nick Iron stopped at the center of the yard, turned his head, and asked,
“From what I can see, you seem fairly well-trained. Where did you learn?”
“I studied under my Master for about ten years starting at the age of fifteen.”
“Ten years? For all that, your body doesn’t look particularly hardened.”
“It’s just that lately I haven’t had much time for maintenance. I’ve been away from exercise for quite a while.”
“Do you not know that excuses are a sin? Human?”
Nick Iron said this while pointing a finger at me.
“I’ll correct that rotten mindset of yours.”
Of course, it went exactly that way.
His words were so similar to my Master’s that I almost felt a sense of déjà vu.
I cautiously stepped back, keeping an eye on Nick Iron standing before me.
It was impossible to take on someone with a chrome-covered body barehanded, so I had no choice but to draw my weapon.
The orichalcum knuckles gleamed coldly under the moonlight.
“Hmm, knuckles, eh? Not exactly a weapon befitting a mage.”
“Just because one is a mage doesn’t mean they’re obligated to carry a staff, right?”
We circled each other around the yard, probing one another.
Frankly, going head-on would have been close to reckless.
Not only was there a huge difference in build, but using wind magic as I usually do wouldn’t likely deliver effective strikes.
‘So should I try ether magic or lightning magic?’
The man named Nick Iron standing before me was like a mountain.
His presence alone was imposing.
He was probably a heavy hitter.
If I attacked recklessly and got countered, there was a high probability I wouldn’t survive with bones intact.
‘Let’s start with a test.’
Under normal circumstances, I’d wait for the opponent to attack first, but this time, I decided to move first.
Patsutsuts!
Seal Formula Armament – Electric Dew of Dawn
This type of armed magic was different from the Wind Blade Bone Breaker I usually used.
While Wind Blade Bone Breaker transforms the entire body into a blade-like attack, this enhanced speed and reaction time by manipulating bioelectricity, categorizing it as a speedster-type enhancement magic.
Blue sparks rose from my toes.
Electric currents flowing through my whole body emitted a strange fluorescent glow.
The only downside to this magic was that it attracted bugs when used at night.
Bang!!
Kicking off from the ground, my body stretched unnaturally due to the extreme speed, leaving residual images behind.
Speed equals weight.
I delivered a kick to Nick Iron’s abdomen at a speed approaching 200 km/h, but my foot hurt more than anything else.
“Ugh!”
Before he could react, I spun around and delivered a swift roundhouse kick.
My lightning-wrapped shin struck Nick Iron’s head directly, yet his body didn’t budge an inch.
“It’s itchy.”
He hadn’t failed to defend; he’d simply chosen not to.
Realizing that my attacks hadn’t caused any impact, I quickly retreated.
I was now certain: the being in front of me wasn’t human but rather a golem made of metal.
Physical attacks wouldn’t work.
So, I’d have to rely on my weapon.
I firmly gripped the excellent conversation tool Mk.2 I held in both hands.
Orichalcum follows adamantium as the hardest known metal, so even if chrome is tough, it couldn’t compare to orichalcum.
Despite the lingering pain in my legs, I pushed off the ground again and slammed my fists into Nick Iron’s steel body.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With each blow, the resounding metallic sound echoed as dents formed in his chrome body.
But showing no signs of pain, Nick Iron’s expression remained eerily calm.
Just as unease began to creep up on me again, Nick Iron, who had silently endured my attacks, spoke.
“Are you done?”
That moment arrived.
It was when he finally moved after standing still and taking hits.
By the time I noticed, his massive fist was already flying toward my face.
Trying to dodge by pulling my head back, his right arm suddenly extended as if he had anticipated my move.
Caught off guard by the unexpected transformation, I hastily blocked the attack with both arms.
Boom!
Even with just one hit, the overwhelming force sent my body flying backward.
True to expectations, he was an incredibly hard hitter.
I had never seen anyone outside of my Master punch so powerfully that it produced a sonic boom.
Using my tingling arms, which were surely bruised, I barely managed to get back up.
Meanwhile, the dented chrome body of Nick Iron had somehow returned to its original state.
I had initially compared him to a golem.
But now, his body seemed more akin to a metal slime.
He could instantly transform his chrome body into any weapon of his choosing, showcasing impressive defense.
“Ugh, he let me hit him on purpose.”
What I thought was merely testing his limits turned out to be a costly mistake due to my lack of understanding his abilities.
“This time, I’ll go first.”
Retreating slightly while failing to hide my distorted expression, Nick Iron, sensing the advantage shifting to his side, suddenly went on the offensive.
His pose, emphasizing bulging muscles like a bodybuilder, was indeed intimidating, but he effortlessly assumed it as if breathing naturally and announced his technique.
“Double Biceps!”
His pumped-up biceps gleamed with the silver sheen characteristic of chrome plating.
After flexing his lats expansively and striking a posing stance, he charged toward me without hesitation.
Despite the grand preparatory moves, it was nothing more than a common lariat.
I immediately sidestepped to evade his attack.
The lariat that whizzed past my nose shattered the large rock behind me with a single strike.
“Crazy!”
Who cuts through rocks like slicing tofu?
Feeling chills run down my spine, I hurriedly escaped his range.
Then, brushing off dust from his body and turning his head coolly, Nick Iron taunted,
“Is dodging like a rat all you’re capable of? A real man should come out here and fight honorably.”
Though far removed from honorable combat himself, given that he belonged to the Demon King’s Army, such hypocrisy wasn’t new to me, so I chose to ignore it with a smile.
Instead, I changed my method of attack.
Extending electrical discharges from both hands like whips, I swung them directly at him.
Zzzzzip!
The electric whip encircling his thick neck emitted powerful shocks.
A voltage so potent that ordinary living beings couldn’t endure it.
However, his expression remained eerily calm.
It was unclear whether his body couldn’t feel pain or if he was forcibly enduring it to avoid looking weak, something indistinguishable by sight alone.
When he suddenly grabbed the electric discharge with his right hand, I couldn’t help but think something was wrong.
“That’s useless.”
The ominous feeling I sensed from his initial overconfidence was spot on.
He undoubtedly possessed strong magical resistance.
It was clear that regular attacks wouldn’t stop his charge.
“Hmph!”
As Nick Iron pulled forcefully, my posture collapsed, leaving me helpless as I was dragged towards him.
Attempting to cancel the magic and cast another spell, it was already too late—my body was within his reach.
Nick Iron muttered,
“Side Chest.”
His enormous forearm and anterior deltoid muscles flexed, asserting their dominance.
Seeing the fist that had reached perilously close to my face, I couldn’t help but think,
‘This is cheating.’
Already possessing formidable physical resistance, does he need to have even stronger magical resistance?
If he were in a game, he’d definitely be labeled as a broken character.
And here I am fighting against that right now.
Thanks to my unnecessarily heightened reflexes, I could see Nick Iron’s massive fist coming towards me in slow motion, but seeing and dodging are two different things.
BOOM!!
Experiencing a strange sense of déjà vu in this situation, I braced myself with my forehead fortified by maximum mana instead of my already battered arms to block his punch.
