Category: The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 480: Ah, I Must Be Mistaken, This Guy Is Useless

The news of Shien’s victory over Aldia didn’t spread widely.

Although many people witnessed the duel, they tacitly chose to keep it a secret.

Because they knew that if this matter spread, it would definitely cause a huge commotion worldwide.

The strongest knight of the human race actually lost to the princess’s fiancé, the recently prominent new Earl. This news was too shocking and might cause unwanted unrest.

Therefore, those experts tacitly chose to keep it a secret, and Ancil, on behalf of the royal family, also expressed his opinion that it was best not to spread this news casually.

This wasn’t to protect Aldia’s reputation, but to prevent unnecessary turmoil.

After all, there were many who were in awe of Aldia’s prestige, and many legendary experts wanted to challenge him and claim the title of the strongest human. If they learned that Aldia had lost to a young noble of only twenty, regardless of whether they believed it or not, they would definitely take some action.

Even the Old Demon Faction might target him because of this.

Therefore, Ancil decided to keep this matter a secret.

At least, not while Shien was in the spotlight.

Thus, apart from a limited number of experts, no one else knew that Shien had defeated Aldia and become the true number one human.

As for the dazzling light that appeared above the noble district, affecting the entire capital and blinding everyone, the palace explained that it was caused by the court builders using newly developed magic to rebuild a remote area of the noble district, and there were some problems with the magic.

The citizens then realized,

“So it was just an accident during the reconstruction.”

“Fortunately, it wasn’t another disaster.”

“I don’t want to see that terrifying meteor shower again.”

“Who does?”

The citizens were relieved and started chatting and gossiping.

Shien didn’t care either.

Whether the news of his victory over Aldia spread or not didn’t affect him much.

After all, he had Airi and Lilith backing him, and everyone knew that the Divine Race and the Demon Race were supporting and protecting him. Shien didn’t believe anyone would dare to come after him.

As long as it wasn’t trouble, it wasn’t something he needed to worry about.

Now, Shien had tested his strength and was quite satisfied with his current level.

“Although I’ve used up all my skill points, the seven Heaven’s Decree skills, fused from so many skills, haven’t disappointed me.”

Shien now only wanted to know if, with his current strength, he could rival transcendent beings.

For this, Shien specifically went to consult Airi again.

He knew that Airi must have been watching his duel with Aldia.

Therefore, Shien felt that Airi should be able to give him an answer.

However…

“How would I know?”

When Shien went to consult Airi, she answered directly.

“I don’t know if that was your full strength, or how powerful your Holy Sword truly is. How could I know if you can reach our level at your full power?”

Hearing this, Shien also responded frankly, telling Airi about all his abilities, except for his two Unique Skills and his blessing.

Including the seven Heaven’s Decree skills, the two magic skills, and the power of the fully unsealed Holy Sword, he revealed everything to Airi.

This was perhaps the most open Shien had been since coming to this world.

He would never have done this before, but Airi was now one of his own. He had witnessed her protection and support, so Shien basically had complete trust in this girl.

Under such circumstances, Shien was naturally willing to reveal his secrets to her.

Who would have thought that after learning about the effects of his seven Heaven’s Decree skills and the full power of the Holy Sword, especially the tenfold amplification of [Samsara of Heaven’s Decree] and the various effects of the Holy Sword, Airi would remain silent for a long time.

“…You pervert.”

After a long while, Airi finally gave Shien this unacceptable evaluation.

According to her, she had never seen a regular skill that could directly amplify the user’s strength tenfold like [Samsara of Heaven’s Decree].

This level of effect was comparable to a Unique Skill, bridging the gap between levels and skills, allowing the weak to defeat the strong.

Perhaps it was because of this that this skill had suddenly transformed into a special skill.

It could no longer be considered a regular skill and could even be treated as a combat-type Unique Skill.

In other words, Shien now had three Unique Skills, incredibly broken.

As for the power of the Holy Sword, that left Airi speechless for a long time.

She said,

“When you break through to the level limit and reach Mitra’s level, that Hero will probably be nothing in your eyes.”

Airi looked at Shien as if he was a freak.

Shien was naturally unhappy and threatened to use her pillow as a cushion if she continued to provoke him. Only then did she behave herself.

After some thought, Airi gave her evaluation.

“Based on the means you described, I can only make a preliminary estimate that you should be able to reach our level now, but whether you can reach the level of a Demon Lord is still unclear.”

Even among those at the transcendent level, there were differences in strength.

Currently, the transcendent level could be divided into three tiers.

The lowest tier was the level of the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Nature. Although they had reached transcendence, they were still inferior to Demon Lords.

Demon Lords belonged to the middle tier. Among the Six Demon Lords, except for Sara at night, who slightly surpassed this level, the other five were all at this level, a step above the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Nature. Lilith, the strongest evil god, and Artemis, the Goddess of Justice, were also at this level.

The highest tier was naturally Lildas, the Goddess of Fate.

This unreliable goddess was still ridiculously strong. Even two Demon Lords working together might not be able to defeat her, so her standing alone at this level was normal. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be considered the closest existence to omnipotence.

And Shien?

In terms of realm, he was definitely inferior.

But this guy had cheat abilities, forcefully pushing his strength up. He was currently above the level cap of one hundred and could reach the transcendent level, but how far he could reach was still uncertain.

Airi believed that with Shien’s current abilities, if he went all out, he shouldn’t be much weaker than the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Nature.

“It’s hard to say if your opponent is a Demon Lord. After all, you have the Holy Sword, even though it, like you, hasn’t transcended yet, and its power is limited, but your Holy Sword is too broken, it can still restrain Demon Lords.”

Airi said that the Holy Sword had a great advantage against the Demon Race. Even if Shien’s strength was inferior to a Demon Lord, with the Holy Sword’s power, he might still be able to defeat them.

Hadn’t Mitra, the Hero, also defeated the Demon King with just transcendent-level strength?

Even though he had the assistance of the Supreme God, the Holy Sword was the true cause of the Demon King’s death.

With the Holy Sword’s restraint on the Demon Race, Shien might not be much weaker than a Demon Lord.

“However, against the Goddess of Justice and the Goddess of Evil of the Divine Race, you might not be able to win.”

Airi’s tone was quite harsh.

But Shien’s expression was strange.

“Actually, I have the blessing of Omniis, the Supreme God, and can ignore the Divine Race’s powers. I probably don’t need to be too worried about those two either.”

Shien really wanted to say this.

But the consequence of saying this would definitely be Airi looking at him like he was a super pervert, so Shien moved his lips, then chose to remain silent.

After this conversation, Shien came to a conclusion.

“If I go all out, I should have reached the transcendent level, comparable to the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Nature.”

“And with the Holy Sword’s power, even against a Demon Lord, I might have a chance of winning.”

“The same goes for the goddesses of the Divine Race. With the blessing’s protection, I also have a chance of winning.”

Since that was the case, with Shien’s current abilities, there was only one being he couldn’t defeat.

“What… what do you want? Coming here to find me so suddenly? Are you planning to bully me again like before?”

When Shien unconsciously arrived at the temple and found his target, this goddess not only didn’t welcome him, but looked at him with vigilance, even assuming a fighting stance.

“…”

Shien looked at the wary and nervous goddess, silent for a long time, then turned around and left without a word.

“Stop right there!”

Lildas exploded.

“What do you mean!? What’s with that disappointed look, that expression and gaze as if saying ‘Ah, I must be mistaken, this guy is useless’!? What do you mean by that……!?”

Lildas’s eyes teared up as she chased after Shien, her small fists pounding on his back, as if she had been greatly insulted.

Shien ignored the goddess’s punches, turned his head, glanced at her, and finally couldn’t help but sigh.

“Sigh—!”

Shien sighed deeply.

“You…! You…!”

Lildas felt a heavy blow, tears welling up in her eyes as she continued to pound on Shien’s back, crying.

Anima, at the side, looked bewildered.

“What… what’s going on?”

Anima was completely dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened.

Today, the royal capital was still lively.

Chapter 479: “Victory”

Sound seemed to disappear.

Light was replaced by a blinding white.

At this moment, everyone in the royal capital was blinded by the radiance from the sky, unable to see anything but white.

Some screamed.

Some wailed.

Some gasped.

Some panicked.

No one knew what had happened.

Even the experts who had gone to the noble district were now filled with panic, blinded by the white light, either closing their eyes and crouching down, or raising their hands to shield their faces, no longer caring about anything else.

Those who could clearly see what was happening within the radiance were probably less than five in the entire capital.

Some were watching from the top of the temple, some were gazing from the Buztout mansion, some were observing while merged with nature, and some were watching in secret.

In their eyes, they clearly saw it.

They saw the figure, transformed into a stream of light, meeting the descending pillar of light above the battlefield plaza, and at the moment of impact, slashing out with the Holy Sword, which had also turned into a beam of light.

It was an extremely fast slash.

It was a flash that transcended space.

This unbelievably stunning slash, like a mayfly shaking a tree, struck the descending crimson pillar of light and, as if cutting through fragile paper, severed it.

Yes.

Severed it.

The crimson magic blade was cleanly cut, transforming into a storm of magic power that swept outwards.

That storm of magic power was incredibly powerful. If it were allowed to spread, it might instantly level the entire noble district again.

However, facing this terrifying storm, the figure, transformed into a stream of light, slashed out again, severing the storm of magic power.

The magic power dissipated.

The storm subsided.

Everything was nipped in the bud, without any aftereffects.

Perhaps this was why the sound had disappeared.

At least, seeing that ultimate slash, all those who could see clearly within the radiance had the same thought.

That was, even sound had been cut down by that person.

Cut down by the young noble who was destined to become the talk of the town, the Kingdom, and even the human world after today.

…

Gradually, the radiance dimmed.

After an unknown amount of time, everyone’s vision returned.

“What… what was that just now?”

“How would I know?”

“It seemed to come from the noble district, right?”

“The noble district again?”

“What’s going on recently? Why are there so many terrifying events happening in the capital?”

On the streets, the citizens discussed amongst themselves, still shaken, clearly frightened by this sudden phenomenon.

“Is… is it over?”

“What… what happened?”

“Oh god…”

And in the noble district, the experts opened their eyes uncertainly and looked towards the plaza again.

There, the earth-shattering clash had ended.

And the outcome was clear.

“Ha… ha… ha… ha…”

Aldia seemed to have exhausted all his magic power, kneeling on one knee, his raised greatsword lowered, the crimson magic power on it gone, as he gasped for breath.

But Aldia didn’t lower his gaze, staring intently ahead, his eyes trembling.

Before him, a figure had appeared at some point.

In his hand, the sealed Holy Sword was slightly raised, pointed at Aldia’s throat.

“As expected of you, Commander.”

A familiar voice slowly rang out.

“That sword strike just now was quite powerful. No wonder it’s called the Sword of Absolute Annihilation, and you were even confident it could split the sea. I originally thought it was just an exaggeration, but now it seems there’s a possibility.”

Shien chuckled.

“Unfortunately, I blocked it.”

These words silenced the entire plaza once again.

And this silence was more oppressive and heavy than any before.

Everyone looked at this scene in disbelief, at Aldia kneeling on one knee before Shien, Shien’s sword pointed at his throat.

What this scene meant was clear to everyone.

It was simple.

Aldia had lost.

That was all.

“Impossible…”

Someone murmured these words.

But these words echoed the thoughts of almost everyone present.

It couldn’t be helped.

No one wanted to believe that Aldia could actually lose.

If the one who defeated Aldia was a legendary expert of the Demon Race, or a War God of the Divine Race, they could still accept it.

Even if it was a renowned master of the human race, or a legendary knight from another country like Rockto, it wouldn’t be so difficult for those present to accept.

But the fact was, the one who defeated Aldia wasn’t a legendary expert of any race, nor a world-renowned master, but a young noble, barely twenty years old, who had only entered the public eye less than half a year ago.

How could they easily accept such a fact?

Even Ancil had a complicated expression, and Lia, held by Charl, stood there dumbfounded, unable to react for a long time.

“That boy…”

“Actually defeated Aldia?”

“…”

Jacinta, Rockto, Yuler, Harvis, and the others were also shocked, unable to describe their feelings.

Aldia was also silent.

Looking at Shien, standing before him completely unharmed, not even breathing heavily, a faint smile on his face, his sword pointed at his throat, Aldia was speechless.

Shien wasn’t in a hurry, just looking at Aldia with a smirk.

After a long while, a hoarse voice finally came from Aldia.

“What enlightenment did you gain in the inner sanctum?”

Aldia forced out these words.

Aldia hadn’t expected to lose in the end.

He didn’t know how Shien had gained such strength.

Was it truly the enlightenment he gained in the inner sanctum?

If so…

“Have you… already reached that realm?”

Aldia asked in a deep voice.

Shien raised an eyebrow.

He understood what Aldia meant.

The so-called “realm” he mentioned was probably the transcendence above the level cap of one hundred, the realm of the Three Goddesses and the Six Demon Lords.

Shien’s performance had actually made him suspect that Shien had used the enlightenment from the inner sanctum to break through to the transcendent level.

To this, Shien could only answer,

“I haven’t.” Shien said frankly, “Regardless of my true strength, if we’re talking about level and realm, I’m still far from that level.”

After all, Shien was only level seventy-seven, still some distance away from the legendary level of ninety, let alone the level cap of one hundred, and the transcendent level beyond the limits of life.

“To reach that realm, I also need to work hard.”

Shien said.

“…I understand.”

Aldia, whether he believed it or not, nodded after a moment of silence, his face impassive.

And then…

“I admit defeat.”

Aldia’s declaration echoed throughout the plaza, reaching everyone’s ears and hearts.

At this moment, even those who didn’t want to believe it had to admit one thing.

Aldia had indeed lost.

And this also meant that from today onwards, the title of the strongest human had to change hands.

The young man standing unharmed before the kneeling Aldia was now the true number one human.

With this certainty, and with this news, many experts retreated silently, shocked and speechless.

“This is a blessing for the human race.”

Yuler, after accepting this, left with the priests, seemingly relieved.

“Aldia…”

Rockto looked at Aldia with a complicated gaze, then left with Harvis, who seemed relieved.

“Master…”

“Master…”

Jace and Liece came to Jacinta with hesitant expressions.

“…I think I understand now.” Jacinta composed himself, then took a deep look at Shien and muttered to himself, “I understand why Master values this human so much.”

After saying that, Jacinta left with the twin demons.

The experts left one after another, leaving only Ancil and Lia, along with Charl, who came to Aldia’s side.

Charl helped Aldia up, her gaze on Shien.

Lia’s expression was complicated.

Ancil patted Aldia’s shoulder, then looked at Shien, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say. In the end, he just smiled wryly and closed his mouth.

The royal family also left together.

Shien shrugged, not saying anything special either.

But in the end, he heard these words.

“My daughter is in your hands now…”

Leaving these words behind, Ancil left with the royal family.

Shien turned his head in surprise, looking at Ancil’s somewhat desolate back, speechless.

Soon, the gate of the Buztout mansion opened.

Led by Vivian, the girls finally rushed out and surrounded Shien.

In the sky, Yulin roared excitedly.

And on a distant building, Lucy silently watched this scene, then after a long while, she sighed softly.

“He has become stronger than me.”

Lucy said with a mix of emotions.

This was a rare occurrence.

This princess had never thought that one day, she would be surpassed by someone of the same age.

Surpassing others, reaching a realm beyond their imagination, had always been her specialty.

Today, she also experienced the feeling of being surpassed.

“It seems I can’t wait any longer either.”

An unprecedented unwillingness and competitiveness arose in Lucy’s heart.

Her crimson eyes, like wine, instantly turned into a brilliant gold.

Chapter 478: A Dazzling Light that Steals the Vision

The fierce battle with Aldia had given Shien a good understanding of his current strength.

Now, Shien could confidently say that he wasn’t afraid of this current strongest human.

Half a month ago, although Shien was confident he could rival Aldia without unsealing the Holy Sword, that would require him to use all his means.

Half a month ago, without using [Limit Evolution] and his two magic skills, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to fight Aldia so fiercely with a level below sixty.

But now, half a month later, with the fused Heaven’s Decree skills and his level at seventy-seven, Shien could gain the upper hand against Aldia.

This was still with Shien not using his trump card, [Samsara of Heaven’s Decree], which could increase his strength tenfold, not using magic, and deliberately taking all of Aldia’s attacks head-on to test his own strength.

Otherwise, Shien only needed to continuously use [Outer Perception of Heaven’s Decree] to teleport. Even if Aldia’s [Volt] was powerful, could all his attacks hit their target when he couldn’t even track Shien’s movements?

Impossible.

If it weren’t for testing the defensive power of [Inner Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree] and the perception ability of [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree], Shien wouldn’t have let himself be used as a punching bag.

He could have easily teleported away with [Outer Perception of Heaven’s Decree], then used [Inner Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] to conceal himself, and launched a surprise attack when Aldia couldn’t detect him. Wouldn’t that be enough to defeat Aldia?

Not to mention that Shien hadn’t even used magic yet. The power of his magic, amplified by [Inner Perception of Heaven’s Decree], was unimaginable.

However, if he did that, this newly rebuilt noble district would be devastated again.

The main purpose of this battle was to test his current strength, not simply to determine victory or defeat.

Therefore, Shien didn’t use all his means, but deliberately engaged in close combat, rivaling Aldia head-on.

As a result, even with such restraint, Shien still injured Aldia after a fierce battle.

This made Shien realize that he no longer needed to be wary of anyone below the transcendent level.

Because Aldia, considered invincible below the transcendent level, was already showing signs of defeat, even with Shien still holding back.

Then, if he used all his means, how strong would he be?

Shien didn’t know.

But Shien could guarantee that if he faced the pre-fusion Lilith again, he wouldn’t need to fight so desperately just to weaken her power and create an opportunity. He now possessed the power to fight her head-on, even defeat her!

What did this prove?

It proved that Shien had somewhat reached the transcendent level!

As for whether he could truly rival transcendent beings, Shien wasn’t sure yet.

But at least, against the powerful opponent before him, he definitely wouldn’t lose.

“Clang!”

A brilliant light, like a dazzling stream, flowed on Shien’s Holy Sword.

At this moment, Shien used the power of [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree], increasing the performance of his weapon several times over.

Under such circumstances, the sealed Holy Sword in Shien’s hand faintly emanated the power of its unsealed state, radiating a brilliant light.

“What is that?”

Seeing this, many people were stunned.

Especially Ancil, Lia, and the others, who had a feeling.

“This light… seems familiar.”

Ancil and Lia were surprised.

Shien, ignoring them, continuously poured his magic power into the Holy Sword, making the light even more dazzling.

Under the power of [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree], as Shien poured in more magic power, the Holy Sword’s performance continued to increase, eventually reaching the tenfold limit.

The Seal Rings on the Holy Sword’s hilt vibrated, as if they were about to come off.

Shien knew that this was because the Holy Sword’s latent power was being stimulated by his [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree].

Before, Shien had unsealed the Holy Sword and tried to enhance its power with his incomplete [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree].

Shien’s Holy Sword was already terrifyingly powerful. If its power could be increased tenfold, it would be truly devastating.

Unfortunately, Shien failed at that time.

The fully unsealed Holy Sword’s performance had already reached its limit, and it was impossible to enhance its power further with external forces.

Shien had even asked Airi for her opinion on this matter.

At that time, Airi told Shien,

“The Holy Sword is a power born from the concept of ‘Hero.’ It can be said to be the Hero’s other half, the Hero’s companion.”

“It is one with the Hero.”

“And before the Hero transcends, breaks through the limits of life, and breaks free from the shackles of levels and skills, the Holy Sword’s power will also have a limit.”

“If the Hero can transcend and break through, reaching our level, no longer limited by the concept of levels and skills, then the Holy Sword will also break through its own limits, no longer providing a fixed level increase or skill level boost, but becoming pure power, enhancing your own strength.”

“This form of existence is actually the closest to the level of the Demon King and the Supreme God. We still rely on Unique Skills, but only the Hero’s Holy Sword can infinitely approach that level, possessing only pure power.”

“At that time, the Holy Sword will truly unleash its power, maximizing the Hero’s strength, and vanquishing all demons, even the Demon King fearing its might.”

“Now, you haven’t transcended yet, not even reached the limits of life, so the Holy Sword’s power naturally can’t surpass its own limits and be enhanced by your skill beyond its limits.”

That was the case.

Therefore, Shien’s [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree] couldn’t enhance the fully unsealed Holy Sword, because its power had already reached its limit in that state.

Shien could at most use [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree] to increase the Holy Sword’s attack power, making it sharper and more threatening, but he couldn’t enhance its fundamental power.

However, in its sealed state, the Holy Sword’s power hadn’t reached its limit and could be enhanced by [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree], awakening its sealed power.

This way, the Holy Sword wouldn’t be exposed, but it could still grant Shien greater power, allowing him to unleash more of its might in public.

Coupled with the armor penetration, magic penetration, and destructive effects of [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree], once Shien used its power, its might would definitely surpass the [Magic Sword] skill, which had already been integrated into [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree], and be more restrained.

Therefore, without any roaring wind or trembling aura, Shien simply raised the Holy Sword, as if turning it into a beam of light.

The aura wasn’t imposing, even somewhat pleasing to the eye, but for some reason, it made everyone present feel a tremor in their hearts.

Especially Aldia, who felt a terrifying pressure bearing down on him, making it difficult for him to breathe.

He didn’t know what Shien had done.

He originally thought that Shien would use [Magic Sword] to clash with him head-on, and he was confident he could sever Shien’s [Magic Sword].

Aldia had used this move to sever both Shien and Lucy’s [Magic Sword] attacks before.

Even though Shien had become stronger than before, and his magic power had also increased, Aldia at that time had only overlapped [Magic Sword] twice, unlike now, where he had overlapped it ten times, reaching the limit.

Aldia naturally wasn’t afraid of Shien’s [Magic Sword].

But now, Aldia realized he had been too naive.

Shien had completely transformed. The [Magic Sword] from that time was no longer his only powerful means.

“Raaaaaargh…!”

Aldia couldn’t help but roar, as if trying to dispel the pressure and faint fear in his heart.

Then, Aldia slashed down with his Sword of Absolute Annihilation, the incredibly dense, crimson [Magic Sword] descending like a pillar of light, towards Shien.

Instantly, the wind howled, and clouds churned.

The massive crimson [Magic Sword] cleaved through the atmosphere, as if splitting the heavens and earth, creating a gust of wind and a sonic boom.

A violent wind swept through the plaza, like a category twelve typhoon.

The expressions of the experts hidden in the shadows changed drastically. In the end, they couldn’t help but use their various means, some raising protective barriers, some activating skills, some even turning and fleeing, like they were facing a ferocious beast, looking pathetic.

“Your Highness!”

Charl even hugged Lia and, with Lia’s exclamation, jumped away from the area.

“Master!”

Jace and Liece protected Jacinta with panicked expressions, but Jacinta didn’t even notice.

He was still staring intently at the scene.

The same went for Ancil, Yuler, Rockto, and Harvis.

In the Buztout mansion, Vivian, Lumia, and Melika also held their breath.

Airi’s gaze sharpened, and she, along with Lilith and Lasha, watched the descending pillar of light.

“Roar!”

Yulin roared and soared into the sky.

Everyone was stirred by the power of this sword strike.

Only Shien, like a hero defying the heavens, looked up at the crimson pillar of light descending towards him, facing the gust of wind, not with fear, but with a smile.

And he smiled happily.

“Come on!”

With this declaration, Shien leaped forward, transforming into a stream of light.

The stream of light soared upwards, as if trying to pierce through the heavens and earth, through space itself, reaching for the clouds.

The crimson pillar of light descended.

The brilliant stream of light ascended.

Everyone in the capital noticed this scene, their hearts filled with panic and terror.

Finally, the stream of light and the pillar of light collided.

“—”

A blinding light instantly filled the world, stealing everyone’s vision.

Chapter 477: The Sword of Absolute Annihilation

“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang…!”

Muffled sounds echoed in the air above the plaza in front of the Buztout mansion, shockwaves erupting continuously.

Shien was being pummeled like a ball by invisible attacks, completely reduced to Aldia’s punching bag.

Aldia focused on his punches, the blows transcending the limitations of space, striking Shien from all directions.

Shien couldn’t avoid these invisible and unpredictable attacks, seemingly having completely lost the ability to resist.

This scene made many believe that Aldia’s victory was inevitable.

Girls like Lia, Lumia, and Melika even showed worried expressions, as if they wanted to rush out and stop the fight.

Even Ancil had the same thought.

After all, that was his future son-in-law. He couldn’t just let Aldia beat him to death, right?

Only Airi, watching the scene in the plaza, smirked as if she had noticed something.

“It seems he’s getting used to it.”

Airi suddenly said.

Nadue, merged with nature, was also watching the battle, and at a certain moment, she raised an eyebrow.

Even Aldia, who was continuously punching, felt something strange.

For some reason, he felt like his attacks had missed a few times.

“Is it an illusion?”

Aldia couldn’t help but think this.

After all, his attacks using [Volt] were known as the “Spear of Unerring Accuracy.” They shouldn’t miss.

Therefore, Aldia’s subconscious initially dismissed it as an illusion.

However, Aldia was a level ninety-eight legendary expert, very close to the level cap of one hundred. He couldn’t be mistaken about his own senses.

Therefore, as time passed, Aldia’s expression gradually changed.

“No, this isn’t an illusion…!”

Aldia clearly felt that his attacks were missing more and more frequently.

What did this mean?

It meant that his attacks, known as the “Spear of Unerring Accuracy,” were being dodged.

“…!”

Aldia abruptly turned around and finally looked at Shien.

He saw that Shien, whom he had been using as a punching bag, was not only unharmed, but had also closed his eyes at some point.

Yes.

Shien had closed his eyes.

At this moment, Shien amplified his senses and the perception ability of [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] to their limits, extending them to his surroundings.

Shien perceived the entire environment, as if he could overlook the world, clearly seeing everything.

The flow of the wind.

The tremors of the earth.

The commotion of the people.

And even the movements of the atmosphere were all within Shien’s perception.

“I see…”

Shien muttered.

He “saw” those invisible attacks, the punches coming at him from all directions, clearly grasping their positions, directions, and speed.

Shien even felt like he “saw” a mysterious figure.

That figure seemed to be merged with nature, one with the world, making Shien only vaguely sense “her” presence.

“What is that?”

For a moment, Shien was stunned, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the invisible punches flying towards him.

Countless invisible attacks came from all directions.

Shien began to move.

At first, they were just small movements.

Twisting his waist.

Stretching his legs.

Turning around.

Moving his head.

With these small movements, Shien moved his body in mid-air.

And it was these small movements that allowed Shien to gradually dodge the incoming attacks.

At first, it was just one.

Then, the number of dodged attacks gradually increased.

Later, Shien’s movements became larger, his body shifting more significantly, allowing him to dodge more and more attacks, the number of hits he took decreasing.

This wasn’t only noticed by Aldia, but also by the experts hidden in the shadows.

“He… he dodged Aldia’s attacks?”

Ancil noticed this and was shocked.

The others’ expressions also changed, surprised.

Aldia’s expression turned incredibly serious.

“He actually dodged them?”

The Knight Commander was also shocked.

The Spear of Unerring Accuracy was broken today by a young rising star.

Aldia’s expression changed, then his eyes hardened. Not only did he not stop attacking, but he even increased his attack frequency, the speed and number of his punches increasing significantly.

“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang…!”

The invisible attacks coming at Shien from all directions became incredibly dense and swift, striking him and creating a series of muffled sounds.

Shien, who had just started dodging Aldia’s [Volt] attacks, was once again reduced to a punching bag, bombarded by even more punches.

But Shien ignored this and kept his eyes closed, calm and composed, extending his senses and the perception of [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree], continuing to observe the invisible attacks from all directions, grasping their directions and positions, and once again trying to dodge with small movements.

Soon, Shien got used to Aldia’s attack speed, his movements becoming larger, dodging more and more attacks.

Aldia gritted his teeth, seemingly trying to increase his attack speed and frequency again.

However, Shien had already completely adapted to his attacks.

Therefore…

“Now!”

Shien suddenly opened his eyes, his body moving at an astonishing speed, leaving afterimages.

The incoming invisible attacks were all dodged by Shien.

“What…!?”

Aldia’s heart skipped a beat.

And Shien, seizing this opportunity, used the teleportation of [Outer Perception of Heaven’s Decree] and appeared before Aldia.

Aldia finally reacted, instinctively slashing out, using [Volt] to adjust the position of his attack towards Shien.

But Shien’s Holy Sword had also descended.

“Swish!”

The sound of the slash echoed.

The sealed Holy Sword grazed Aldia’s chest, its tip drawing a trace of blood.

Aldia’s chest was cut open by Shien’s Holy Sword, blood splattering.

The wound wasn’t big.

Aldia’s attack, using [Volt], successfully hit Shien’s incoming Holy Sword.

But Shien could already “see” Aldia’s attack, so before his attack was blocked, he abruptly twisted the Holy Sword, grazing Aldia with the tip.

The stinging pain from his chest triggered Aldia’s instinctive counterattack. He retreated rapidly, slashing out with his broadsword almost reflexively.

This slash, adjusted by [Volt], didn’t come from before Shien, but appeared behind him, striking him fiercely.

However, Shien’s [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] once again successfully captured Aldia’s attack.

“Swish!”

Without hesitation, Shien decisively used the teleportation of [Outer Perception of Heaven’s Decree] and retreated rapidly.

Shien and Aldia separated and retreated simultaneously, creating a large distance between them.

When their feet landed again, they were nearly a hundred meters apart.

The fierce battle came to a temporary halt.

Silence descended upon the area.

Everyone looked at Shien and Aldia, stunned at first, then their eyes widened in shock.

“Drip…”

Blood began to seep from Aldia’s chest, dripping onto the ground and staining it red.

This scene shocked many.

“Aldia… is injured…?”

Ancil’s eyes widened.

“Commander… is injured…?”

Charl trembled.

“Injured…”

“Injured…!”

“Aldia is injured…!”

Everyone present was shocked.

Including Rockto.

Including Jacinta.

Including Harvis.

Including Yuler.

Naturally, also including Vivian, Lumia, and Melika.

It couldn’t be helped.

“He actually injured the Kingdom’s Shield of Mitra…?”

Nadue was surprised.

“Not bad.”

Airi also raised an eyebrow in approval.

Lilith, who had been watching the battle, beamed.

Lasha, standing beside Lilith, her eyes flickered slightly.

The strongest of the human race had been injured by Shien in this battle.

This was a remarkable feat.

An undeniable feat.

Because ever since Aldia reached the legendary level, he had never been injured.

His level and strength had already surpassed most people in this world, second only to the Three Goddesses and the Six Demon Lords. Even other legendary-level experts could hardly injure him.

Coupled with his Unique Skill, [Volt], which allowed Aldia to block attacks from any direction with just a flick of his finger, earning him the title of “Shield of Absolute Defense,” he hadn’t been injured in ten years.

Even Lucy, even with the Holy Sword unleashed, couldn’t injure Aldia.

It could be said that in this world, besides those transcendent beings like the Three Goddesses and the Six Demon Lords, there was almost no one who could injure Aldia.

Until today, when Shien achieved this feat.

And he himself remained unharmed.

“Phew…”

Shien exhaled, looking at Aldia, a smile finally appearing on his face.

Aldia, on the other hand, feeling the stinging pain in his chest, looking at the dripping blood, fell silent.

The atmosphere became more oppressive and heavy than ever before.

“It seems I’ve won, Commander Aldia.”

Shien declared.

To this…

“No, you haven’t won yet.”

Aldia said calmly.

That’s right.

Shien hadn’t won yet.

“You’ve broken my Spear of Unerring Accuracy, and my Shield of Absolute Defense, but you haven’t experienced my final move yet—the Sword of Absolute Annihilation.”

Aldia said calmly.

“Only if you can withstand this move will I admit defeat.”

As Aldia said this, his magic power began to swell.

“The Sword of Absolute Annihilation?”

Shien frowned, then relaxed his expression.

Although Shien hadn’t heard of the three legends surrounding Aldia’s Unique Skill, the Spear of Unerring Accuracy, the Shield of Absolute Defense, and the Sword of Absolute Annihilation, it didn’t affect what he had to do.

That was, to defeat Aldia.

“Then let’s see it, Commander Aldia.”

Shien accepted the challenge head-on.

Aldia didn’t waste any words.

“Hum!”

As the air trembled, magic power surged from Aldia’s body, flowing into his broadsword.

Aldia raised the broadsword high, gathering magic power on it continuously.

The atmosphere became turbulent.

The earth trembled.

On Aldia’s sword, a red magic blade quickly formed and expanded.

“[Magic Sword]?”

Seeing this, Shien immediately knew what kind of attack Aldia was about to unleash.

However, Shien quickly noticed something was wrong.

“Hum—!”

As the air trembled even more violently, a second magic blade appeared on Aldia’s sword.

A second later, a third magic blade appeared.

Then a fourth… a fifth… a sixth…

Until the tenth magic blade appeared, all the [Magic Sword] blades on Aldia’s broadsword overlapped, transforming into an incredibly dense and crimson [Magic Sword].

“This is…?”

Shien was surprised.

Aldia raised the crimson [Magic Sword] high and said calmly,

“My [Volt] can not only change the direction and position of my attacks, but also overlap them, combining them to become even stronger.”

“There’s no limit to the number of overlaps, but each overlap creates a burden. It’s fine for ordinary attacks, but for a technique like [Magic Sword], even I can only overlap it ten times at most.”

“But this tenfold [Magic Sword] makes its power more than ten times stronger than before.”

“Once, a Hero’s [Magic Sword] split the sea in two.”

“Although I haven’t tried it, I believe this attack can achieve the same effect.”

This was the Sword of Absolute Annihilation.

The overlapped [Magic Sword] attack was Aldia’s trump card, his true strongest attack.

“Only if you can withstand this attack will I admit defeat.”

“How about it?”

“Are you ready?”

Aldia looked at Shien with burning eyes.

Shien’s eyes flickered, and he didn’t speak, but an infinite fighting spirit burned within them.

Was he ready?

Of course!

After all…

“My sword isn’t easy to take either.”

Shien tightened his grip on the Holy Sword, pouring magic power into it.

“Clang!”

The sealed Holy Sword began to radiate a brilliant light.