Return of The Martial King

Chapter 229

“Wung, wung, wung, wung!”

A series of aura ripples erupted from Teslon’s right arm. Five waves of aura formed rings, swirling continuously around the metallic forearm. With power of this magnitude, he had no choice but to counter it with his strongest technique!

“Calamity Horn…”

The two aura users glared at each other, drawing upon their strength. Silver and red-orange auras billowed like heat haze over their shoulders, intertwining in midair and distorting the field of vision.

Ready and steady, Teslon clicked his tongue.

“What a pity. If you were in your prime, this could have been a worthy duel.”

“Hah! Pretending to be a warrior now after resorting to magic? How shameless.”

Scoffing, Iniya bent her knees further. The moment they both prepared to unleash their final blows against each other—

“Taaaat!”

A booming cry echoed from the top of the fortress wall. At the same time, a golden pillar of light pierced through the air, splitting the atmosphere and thundering with a resonating sound as it exploded between the two combatants.

Boom!

The blast scattered dust and smoke in all directions. Stepping back, Teslon turned his head toward the fortress wall.

“This is… a Chain Strike Cannon?”

Even Gym Unbreakable, which primarily specialized in close combat, had a few long-range techniques. Among them were the Chain Strike Blast, which fired condensed aura in bullet form; the Chain Strike Wave, which spread out as a shockwave; and the Chain Strike Cannon, which focused all the energy into a single point, firing it like a cannon.

As for Calamity Horn, although technically a melee strike, its absurd destructive power often extended its range unintentionally.

The fact that this technique had struck here… meant only one thing.

“He’s here… Demon King Repenhardt!”

A cry of exhilaration burst forth from Teslon’s lips.

*         *         *

The moment the cannon fired, Repenhardt leapt down from the fortress wall. His face was filled with urgency as he descended.

‘Damn it, I can’t believe Iniya was pushed this far!’

Upon seeing Repenhardt, Iniya seemed to lose all her remaining strength, her body collapsing. Repenhardt hurried over and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Are you alright, Iniya?”

With a bashful smile, Iniya nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine, Repenhardt-nim…”

Her previously pale face now bore a rosy blush as she cheered inwardly.

‘Aww! He came to help me first!’

Repenhardt let out a sigh of relief as he helped her sit comfortably. Glancing at the fallen Siris, Iniya smirked slyly—but only in a way that Repenhardt couldn’t see.

‘I win, hohoho!’

Siris watched the entire spectacle with a blank expression.

"……."

Up until a moment ago, Iniya had exuded the awe-inspiring presence of a truly great swordmaster whom Siris couldn’t help but admire. Yet, as soon as Repenhardt appeared, she transformed into a cunning vixen. The stark contrast was so extreme that Siris felt regretful about being moved by her earlier display.

‘Wow, terrifying.’

Repenhardt then turned to Siris and called out.

“Siris? Are you alright?”

“Yes, well….”

Her expression seemed odd—pouting, perhaps? Repenhardt tilted his head in confusion.

 ‘Is she hurt badly? But it doesn’t seem to be that.’

After ensuring Iniya was safely moved to the back, Repenhardt assessed the situation.

The giant metallic golem, pushed back by the Chain Strike Cannon, stood tall without so much as a scratch. Nearby, lying on the ground, was a body that immediately caught his attention.

“Kadamyte?”

Repenhardt couldn’t believe his eyes. The formidable dwarven warrior, the greatest aura user of the Grand Forge, lay lifeless.

There was no question about the cause of death. The deep indentation in Kadamyte’s chest matched perfectly with the size of the golem’s massive fist.

Iniya shook her head and spoke in a somber voice.

“That thing killed Kadamyte….”

Groaning softly, Repenhardt turned his gaze toward the metallic giant.

‘Kadamyte, a powerful aura user, was defeated by a mere metal golem?’

He couldn’t fathom where such a monster had come from. The golem then directed its attention toward Repenhardt, its deep voice resonating ominously.

“Heh heh heh, we meet again, Repenhardt!”

Repenhardt’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Wait, the golem can talk?”

At that moment, the metallic giant angrily lifted the visor of its helmet.

“It’s me!”

From beneath the visor emerged a face all too familiar to Repenhardt. It was the same face he had seen every time he looked in a mirror during his past life. Repenhardt stood there, dumbfounded.

“Teslon?”

Repenhardt’s gaze traveled up and down Teslon’s figure in utter disbelief.

While it was undoubtedly Teslon’s face, his height was unsettlingly different. Even taller than Repenhardt, who stood over two meters, Teslon’s head now towered a full head above his own. On top of that, the bizarre metallic structure encasing Teslon’s entire body—it wasn’t armor or even a traditional golem. What on earth was it?

Stammering, Repenhardt managed to speak.

“What… what’s with that ridiculous look?”

Clenching his fist, Teslon replied smugly.

“It’s the power I’ll use to defeat you.”

Repenhardt clicked his tongue unconsciously, a sense of the situation dawning on him.

“Did you also get yourself some strange artifact, like that guy Stefan?”

“Tch! This isn’t just some artifact! It’s the Adamandril Suit, a culmination of ancient and unparalleled power!”

“…So, you’re saying you got yourself some fancy gear.”

While he hadn’t purchased it outright, he’d indeed "acquired" it. Teslon let out a frustrated groan but remained silent. Repenhardt shook his head in disbelief.

“If our master saw you like this, he’d be wailing in his grave.”

“Huh? The old man isn’t dead yet, though.”

“Ah, my mistake. That just slipped out.”

Repenhardt had been silently pondering the advanced age of their master, wondering daily if the old man was nearing his end. His subconscious musings had accidentally slipped into his words. Feeling embarrassed, he fell silent again.

Nonetheless, Teslon’s transformed appearance left him exasperated.

“You’ve certainly outdone yourself with that ridiculous look, Teslon.”

In Gym Unbreakable, enhancing the body with tools to compensate for its weaknesses was seen as a disgraceful act of cowardice. Not only had Teslon used tools, but he had practically turned his entire body into one. If Gerard were to witness this, he might have fainted in sheer disbelief.

Teslon’s face reddened slightly. Deep down, he felt a bit ashamed himself. However, he quickly composed himself.

“It’s all for the future of humanity! For that, I can endure a little shame.”

He raised his hand, securing his visor once more. Only his glowing eyes gleamed through the smooth metallic face as he struck a combat stance.

“Now, Demon King, I’ll end this nightmare!”

Repenhardt threw off his robe, revealing his thick, chiseled muscles under the pale moonlight. Gesturing behind him, he commanded firmly.

“I’ll take care of this one! Lead our people and escape through the Zeppelin!”

The non-human warriors sprang into action. They quickly tended to Kadamyte’s body, supported Siris, and rallied the slaves, guiding them away from Repenhardt and Teslon, toward the castle gates.

However, Iniya refused to follow the order. Instead, she dragged her injured body closer to Repenhardt’s side, standing resolutely beside him.

Frowning, Repenhardt turned to her.

“You should retreat too, Iniya.”

Iniya shook her head.

“That metal monstrosity isn’t the only threat here.”

She was referring to the mage, Philena Raigrim, standing atop the fortress wall. Repenhardt followed her gaze and looked up.

Sure enough, although Philena’s face wasn’t visible, the potent flow of magic emanating from the wall was undeniable.  

“I see... I’m sorry, but I must ask this of you.”

If that mage unleashed spells on the fleeing slaves, it would cause catastrophic damage. Someone had to stay behind to keep the mage in check.

With Kadamyte dead and Siris incapacitated, there was no choice but to entrust this task to Iniya, despite her injuries.

Repenhardt’s face reflected his concern, but Iniya forced a smile. She lifted her remaining arm, pretending to flex her biceps.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m sturdier than I look.”

She left him with a smile and turned away. As she brushed past Repenhardt, she leaned in to whisper.

“Be careful. That armor is a problem, but the real issue is his magic. It’s on par with a high-ranking mage.”

Had it not been for that magic, she wouldn’t have been so thoroughly overwhelmed.

Repenhardt gave a firm nod.

“I understand well. I’ll handle it.”

With a push off the ground, Iniya launched herself upward. Her movements were far slower than usual, but she was still an aura user. Bounding up the fortress wall as if walking on flat ground, she quickly ascended toward her target.

Philena, who stood atop the wall, reacted in alarm, her voice ringing out through a message spell.

“What should I do, Teslon? Those guys are escaping, and the elf aura user is coming right at me!”

After a brief pause, Teslon responded decisively.

“Deal with the aura user. Taking down a strong opponent is better than scattering your efforts on rabble. She’s formidable, but her injuries are severe. You should be able to handle her.”

“Alright, got it.”

Iniya disappeared into the shadows of the wall, leaving only Teslon and Repenhardt behind in the open field.

Repenhardt widened his stance, planting his feet firmly on the ground as he raised his fists. Teslon mirrored his movements, their poses reflecting each other like two figures in a mirror. The tension crackled between them as they spoke.

“You’ve gone too far, Teslon! I’ll avenge Kadamyte’s vengeful spirit with your defeat!”

“I am no longer the Teslon of old, Repenhardt! Let me show you the true power of Gym Unbreakable!”

Both giants pushed off the ground simultaneously, launching themselves into the air.

Their battle cries echoed as they clashed, reverberating through the night sky over Zeppelin like thunder.

“Taaaat!”

*         *         *

The steel-clad body roared, enveloped in surging aura, ripping through the air as a streak of light that cleaved the void.

“Taaaat!”

With a shout, Teslon unleashed a punch. A flawless, precise straight jab, all his power condensed into a single point, aimed directly at Repenhardt's face.

“This much is nothing!”

Repenhardt swung his arm, deflecting the punch. At the same time, he extended his left leg in a mid-kick. Teslon quickly raised his knee to block his side. A clash of flesh tempered like steel and a metallic body that surpassed steel ensued.

Thud!

Teslon deflected the mid-kick and retaliated, swinging his arms alternately in hooks that targeted Repenhardt’s temples. Repenhardt raised his left arm to block and simultaneously countered with a right fist. His golden aura-infused punch struck out at Teslon’s solar plexus.

Teslon's eyes gleamed. It was a perfect strike—angle, posture, and timing, all impeccable.

As expected of his body. Even after falling into the hands of a mage, it still delivered this level of power!

“Not bad, Demon King!”

Teslon twisted his body, dodging the punch at the last second. Repenhardt immediately followed up with a backhand strike, aiming to press the attack. Teslon, in turn, swung his arm in retaliation.

Boom!

With a resounding crash, their arms collided mid-air. The impact reverberated through their forearms, sending a numbing sensation coursing through them.

Repenhardt grimaced. He could feel the shock down to his very bones.

On the other hand, Teslon, who had endured the same impact, showed no sign of discomfort. Instead, he was grinning with exhilaration.

“Hahaha! This is it! This is the feeling!”

Brushing off the locked arms, Teslon launched a kick.

“Gastrizen!”

He timed it perfectly, striking in the moment Repenhardt’s posture wavered. There was no room to evade or deflect. Repenhardt’s instincts flared in panic. Yet, even as his mind raced, his body, tempered through countless grueling trials, moved reflexively.

When escape or defense is impossible, Gym Unbreakable teaches a simple principle:

“If you’re going to get hit, hit them back! That way, it’s less frustrating!”

“Gastrizen!”

Repenhardt countered with a forward kick of his own. Both fighters landed their strikes simultaneously, their feet embedding into each other’s solar plexuses with pinpoint accuracy.

Behind them, golden and red-orange aura ripples burst out in tandem. Repenhardt groaned as he was sent flying backward.

“Ugh!”

Still, the counter-kick had significantly mitigated the force of the attack. Even if one couldn’t avoid a blow, returning an attack was enough to stop the opponent’s momentum.

At first glance, the teachings of Gym Unbreakable might seem simplistic and brutish. However, on closer inspection, they were grounded in sound reasoning. If it were nothing but thoughtless barbarism, how could the successors of its lineage have continually monopolized the title of Fist King for generations?