Chapter 19: The One Who Rules the Kin of Twilight 23
Perhaps surprised by my power, the Kin of Twilight stopped charging at me recklessly.
Some of them were avoiding me, running in wide arcs towards the Imperial Army from the left and right. However, as far as I could see, many of those seemed to have low morale. It should be fine to leave them to the adventurers.
Well then, if they’re taking a wait-and-see approach, now’s my chance. I spread my arms wide and raised my voice.
“Kin of Twilight, listen up!! I desire a one-on-one duel with your king, Rendurm!! Rendurm, fight me!! If you’re not a coward, that is!!”
The fact that I naturally blurted out provocative words might be because my Excitement Skill was surfacing a little. It’s like my blood is boiling; I certainly feel more exhilarated than usual.
Upon hearing my words, the Kin of Twilight trembled all at once. I thought they were intimidated by my power, but that wasn’t it.
From behind the Kin of Twilight, a tremendous fighting spirit, like a shockwave, burst forth. I remember experiencing this once before. It was the fighting spirit that the Kin of Twilight release to select their opponents, something called Soul Force. The surrounding Kin of Twilight were trembling from being hit by this Soul Force.
“Gugugu, you dare bark so much. In your place as a weakling who can only be crushed by us.”
The ranks of the Kin of Twilight, who were keeping their distance, split to the left and right. Standing at the end of the path that was formed was a silhouette that was close to human.
Rendurm, the king of the Kin of Twilight. The existence whose name I had heard for so long had finally appeared before my eyes.
“Those aren’t the words of someone who’s been hiding in the back.”
“Indeed, you seem somewhat strong. It might be amusing to see how long you can keep up that nonsense.”
The king of the Kin of Twilight slowly approached me.
He was slightly taller than me. As a human, he would be considered large, but among the Kin of Twilight, he was rather small.
His limbs were well-proportioned, and his entire body was covered in muscles like steel, but overall, he gave a rather slender impression.
Other than his slightly reddish skin, he looked very much like a human. His head had a streamlined helmet-like shape from his forehead upwards, which seemed to be a substitute for hair. His features were those of a young man, and if it weren’t for the cold and arrogant glint in his eyes, he could be called handsome.
His upper body was bare, and he wore several accessories, such as gold necklaces. He wore what looked like high-quality black trousers and equally high-quality leather boots on his lower body.
Both of his hands were completely bare. Was this his way of showing his confidence by looking down on me?
In any case, the presence he exuded, the aura of a strongman, was overwhelming. An average adventurer would have been unable to move from the earlier Soul Force, and even a high-ranking one might lose their will to fight just by seeing this Kin of Twilight in front of them. That’s how much intimidation was radiating from his entire body.
“I am Soushi Okuno. You are Rendurm?”
“Why do you know my name?”
“I heard it from Geshura.”
At my words… or rather, at the name “Geshura,” Soul Force burst forth from Rendurm’s entire body once again.
“Gugugu. I see, so the reason I felt our movements were being hindered was because Geshura was lending her power to a human. To think Argi was defeated.”
“I was the one who defeated Argi. Geshura is lending her power to me.”
“…Hoh. So, Geshura is nearby?”
“Yes. Though she said she doesn’t intend to get along with you.”
“Gugugu, what a ridiculous woman. But if that’s the case, then if I crush you, Geshura will no longer be able to escape from me. Not a bad deal.”
“You’re quite positive. So, will you accept the duel?”
“Did Geshura tell you that I wouldn’t refuse if challenged? Foolish human. That woman doesn’t know my true power. To be taken in by her sweet talk is the height of foolishness.”
“I’ve only done some warm-up exercises myself. We both don’t know each other’s true power.”
“A pebble on the roadside dares to speak such nonsense repeatedly. I will accept your duel. I will crush you, mouth and all.”
“That’s helpful.”
The last words weren’t meant to be anything in particular, but it seems they came off as provocative.
Rendurm twisted his handsome face into an ugly expression, somewhere between a laugh and anger.
“You lot, stay back! I will now engage in a one-on-one duel with this human!”
Following their king’s command, the Kin of Twilight moved away. Behind me, the battle between the Twilight Hounds and some of the Kin of Twilight was still ongoing, but the majority of the Kin of Twilight seemed to be watching the duel.
In the middle of the grassland, Rendurm and I faced each other, about 10 meters apart.
He was still unarmed. There was no sign of anyone bringing him a weapon.
“Aren’t you going to use a weapon?”
“Gugugu, this entire body is a weapon. I am fundamentally different from the weak.”
“I won’t hesitate to use mine.”
“Of course. Even then, you’re far from being equal.”
As I readied That Which Equalizes All Things and the Immovable Fortress Wall, Rendurm lowered his center of gravity slightly.
“Then, at this moment, I declare the start of the battle!”
Rendurm’s words were the same as the ones I heard when I fought Zaikal before. It must be the formal declaration when the Kin of Twilight have a duel.
As soon as he finished speaking, Rendurm’s body disappeared for a moment. When I noticed, he was right in front of me, his face looking down at me, about to throw a punch.
“Guuh!?”
I barely managed to block it with the Immovable Fortress Wall. A striking sound that resembled metal hitting metal, like an earth tremor. The impact, unlike anything I had ever experienced, slid my body back about 10 meters.
“To withstand that, you’re not all talk, it seems.”
With a smile plastered on his face, Rendurm pressed on. His movement speed was about the same as Larni’s or Mariane’s Flash Step Skill.
Rendurm’s fist slammed into the Immovable Fortress Wall again. A striking sound that shook the earth. However, this time I braced myself. Even so, I was pushed back five meters.
Rendurm was about to move on to his next attack. In response, I swung That Which Equalizes All Things.
“Guuh!”
Even Rendurm managed to avoid the direct hit of the mace head. However, he took the full brunt of the Crushing Wave that was released from it at point-blank range, and his slender body was blown away almost horizontally.
I started running after Rendurm. I had made contact, but it didn’t feel like a fatal blow. When he was blown away, Rendurm had crossed his arms in a defensive posture.
“I see! You’re not someone my underlings can handle!”
Rendurm, who should have been slammed into the ground, bounced up like a spring and landed on the ground while doing a somersault. He hadn’t taken that much damage after all.
Before I could get him within the range of my mace, Rendurm raised his hand like a knife. Some kind of force was generated from the trajectory of his hand, flying towards me as if gouging the ground. It looked as if an invisible blade was standing vertically on the ground and sliding towards me. When I blocked it with the Immovable Fortress Wall, a sound and impact like blocking a sword strike ran through me, and my feet were momentarily stopped.
“My Severing Realm Blade can’t even scratch it. That shield is a nuisance.”
While saying that with annoyance, Rendurm released a series of invisible blades, the Severing Realm Blade.
I moved forward while blocking them. Since he has the Swift Run Skill, I wouldn’t be able to land a hit if he moved around at high speed. However, if this Severing Realm Blade is his greatest long-range attack, then it’s not a threat to me.
After blocking a few of them, Rendurm’s body disappeared again. He appeared to my left with a high-speed movement that made it seem like he had vanished. From there, he unleashed a kick as if ignoring inertia. He also seems to possess a power similar to the Honshin skill.
I also used my Honshin skill to its fullest and slammed the Immovable Fortress Wall in a counterattack. The kick and the shield collided, and with a tremendous sound and impact, Rendurm and I were blown away from each other.
“You have good reactions!”
Rendurm, who instantly regained his posture, approached like a gale and repeatedly inflicted heavy blows, flashing his hands and feet. With each blow, our bodies were repelled, and then we clashed again.
Fists and shields, feet and maces, each clash sent heavy metallic sounds reverberating through the air, shockwaves gouging the earth. There were no tricks, just a head-on collision of power against power.
A fist approached, I parried with my mace, a foot blade aimed for my neck, I received it with my shield and returned with my mace, a thrust at the same time as I dodged, I twisted my body to avoid it, a kick for a follow-up, I intercepted with my mace, both of us blown back to reset.
“To fight this well despite being a human! If you submit to me, I’ll make use of you!”
“I refuse.”
Rendurm unleashed the Severing Realm Blade. I received it with the Immovable Fortress Wall, and Rendurm was already in front of me. A kick? No, a fist, either way. A counter with my mace. It was dodged. He circled to the left again. I brushed him away with my shield in a backhand motion…
That’s when Rendurm made a strange move. He feigned a thrust and placed his hand on the edge of the Immovable Fortress Wall. He then pushed the Immovable Fortress Wall, in the direction I was applying force, smoothly… It wasn’t a repulsion, but a movement that seemed to boost my own power. I couldn’t react to this unexpected move, and for a moment, my body was thrown off balance.