The third prince stopped the sword that he was about to thrust.
'It's dangerous…'
There was no real reason behind it. It was just instinct. He trusted the chill running down his spine upon witnessing Martha's clear black eyes and quickly withdrew.
Whaam!
As soon as he stepped back, Martha's sword struck like lightning. The arena floor shattered like a biscuit being smashed by a fist. It was powerful enough to crush his shoulder if he had tried defending head-on.
"Huff…"
The third prince exhaled roughly as he raised his head. The red color had returned to Martha's eyes once again.
'What's going on? I'm sure she is using Berserk though.'
The Berserk skill of the Saian Canyon's warrior could amplify the physical abilities and aura by 1.5 to 2 times for a short time at the cost of their sanity, leading them to only attack the enemy in front of them. Even though it was certainly a powerful technique, the drawback was also huge.
Although she should've been following her instinct, Martha was clearly maintaining her sanity.
'How is she even…?'
He believed that he could have an easy win because Martha decided to use Berserk, yet the situation became dire instead.
Baam!
Martha stomped the ground and charged at him. She closed the distance in an instant. Her speed had already transcended human limits.
Clang!
The third prince deflected Martha's strike from above by twisting his longsword.
'It's so heavy.'
Even though he managed to deflect it, he felt like his bones were crushed. The strike was powerful enough to be called the ultimate final blow, but her attacks weren't over yet.
Whoosh!
Martha bounced her sword back from below like a rubber band to strike upwards. Her movement was more similar to a beast.
'I can't deflect this one.'
She changed the direction way too quickly, leaving him no other choice than to block it head-on. He clenched his teeth in order to withstand the strike and unleashed his aura.
Rumble!
The impact reverberating all around his body made it feel like he had been hit by a hammer instead of a sword. He felt dizzy.
'Still, that should be the last one.'
Because he managed to defend from the front, Martha's sword had stopped moving—which meant it was his turn to attack.
Whoosh!
He raised his center of gravity and thrust his sword. The strike directed at Martha's left shoulder was frighteningly sharp.
"Argh!"
Martha raised her sword vertically in order to fend off the blow directed at her shoulder.
'I got her.'
The attack on her shoulder was a feint. He distracted her with that fake attack and mustered all of his strength on the aura blade to attack the right side of her chest. Martha was bound to be deceived by it because she was in the Berserk state.
'I wo—Ah!'
When he was certain about his victory, Martha's sword turned in a semi-circle to violently parry the aura blade.
"Huh…"
The third prince's eyes widened. The black color had returned to Martha's eyes. Her acute senses were sparkling in her gaze.
'Was it not a coincidence?'
He couldn't believe she managed to maintain her sanity while using Berserk to improve her abilities more than twice. Since he'd never heard nor seen anything like that, she almost looked like a monster to him.
"Haa…"
Martha's eyes turned red once again and her aura expanded.
'Is everyone like this in Zieghart?'
Raon was already so far up into the sky that he couldn't even reach him anymore, and even though he believed Martha was at a similar level to him, she managed to perfectly make another tribe's technique her own.
It felt like Zieghart was full of monsters.
'I still need to endure.'
The loss of sanity wasn't the only drawback from the Berserk. Since it increased the output, it also exhausted stamina and aura more than twice as fast. He should've been able to find a way to win as long as he kept enduring her attacks.
'I can't lose here, no matter what! We are at Owen Castle right now.'
More than half of the spectators were Owen citizens. An unsightly loss while they were watching wasn't an option for him.
"Haa…"
The third prince lowered his posture and fixed his grip. His sharp eyes were glowing with determination.
'Even if I have to use that technique…'
* * *
Martha bit her tongue to the point that she started to bleed.
'2.5 times really isn't easy.'
She had gotten used to maintaining her sanity while amplifying her physical abilities and aura by 1.5 times through Berserk, but 2.5 times was still difficult.
It felt like a savage beast was piercing into her head. Her instincts were going to take over the moment she got slightly careless.
'This is so hard.'
She honestly never thought she was going to use Berserk at 2.5 times. Even the warriors from the Saian Canyon only increased the output to 2 times at most.
That crazy bastard was the one who destroyed the idea that 2 times was the limit.
'Raon Zieghart.'
That madman told her that there was no way 2 times was the limit of Berserk's abilities and used her as a lab rat, which allowed her to reach 2.5 times with Berserk.
'He even enlightened me.'
She was originally unable to maintain her sanity while using Berserk at 2.5 times, but the previous enlightenment allowed her to retain a small amount of her sanity.
'That's why I need to win this match. For the sake of that idiot, at least.'
She couldn't allow herself to lose that match for Raon's sake since he spent his own precious time helping her grow.
Thud!
Martha kicked the ground as hard as she could. Her vision narrowed, and the third prince got closer.
Even though her sanity was hanging by a thin thread, she managed to maintain it and unleashed the Golden Lotus Sword's special technique, Golden Light Art.
"Kuh!"
The third prince used footwork and swung his sword in a curve. It was done in preparation to deflect her strike.
'I need to gain the upper hand.'
He focused and managed to twist Golden Light Art's trajectory. The strike that was falling upon him in a straight line shifted diagonally and smacked the third prince's opening.
Whack!
Despite the crisis, the third prince managed to create another variation on his sword to reduce the impact to the minimum.
"Huff!"
Martha clenched the hilt of her sword and unleashed another technique from the Golden Lotus Sword. Her stamina, aura, and willpower had all reached their limits. It was necessary to finish the fight while she could still stand thanks to her unyielding spirit.
"Kuh…"
Fortunately, the third prince's condition wasn't normal either. He couldn't even move his legs anymore and he was only using his upper body to swing his sword.
Whaam!
Deadly sparks scattered from the clash between the aura blades to cover the entire arena.
The third prince still managed to shoot his aura blade into the Golden Lotus Sword's opening to reduce the impact. It was a frightening amount of tenacity.
"Hmm…"
The third prince looked calm on the outside, but he couldn't hide his faltering legs and arms.
'This is the last attack…'
Martha inhaled deeply and mustered all of her remaining Titan's aura. She unleashed the White Misty Stream without leaving a single drop of aura in her energy center.
Whaam!
Although the precision and balance of her technique had been reduced, the power had increased thanks to Berserk's effect and the attack fell straight down towards the third prince's shoulder like lightning.
Creak!
Blue flame burst from the third prince's eyes at that moment. Martha's hair stood on end upon seeing his eyes.
Thud!
The third prince stomped the ground with his faltering legs and thrust his sword. The blue current condensed around the tip of his sword and the powerful energy bursting out as a result was far more powerful than an aura blade.
'Was he waiting for this moment?!'
The third prince must've been waiting for the right moment to counterattack despite the huge amount of damage he'd received. The frightening sharpness emanating from his sword was on a different level from before.
'I'm still seeing the end of it!'
A paltry trick was meaningless at that point. The only thing left to do was to clash against him with all her mind and body.
Rumble!
The extremely powerful strike from Martha clashed against the third prince's agglomeration of sharpness.
Although their swordsmanship wasn't as complete as a Master's, their spirits didn't lose to them.
Claang!
Their swords shattered like glass, unable to withstand their power.
Creak!
The blade shards surrounded by aura blades were scattered in all directions. It was a time of crisis where aimless blades were scattered all over the place, and their reactions differed.
"Ugh!"
The third prince stepped back in surprise, and Martha charged into the blades.
Thud!
Even though the auras dwelling on the blades were tearing her cheeks, the skin around her eyes, and her ears, she stepped forward instead of stopping.
That single step.
That unyielding step despite the danger of the situation decided the winner of the match.
Smack!
Martha's fist, holding the hilt of her sword, violently smacked the third prince's temple.
"Kuah!"
The third prince couldn't endure the impact and was sent flying from the arena, slamming into the ground.
"Haaa…"
Martha fell on her knees in the arena with trembling limbs.
'I-I'm dying…'
She couldn't even move a single finger from the exhaustion. A tremendous amount of pain was assaulting her from head to toe, but she still felt happy for some reason.
She couldn't fight against the exhaustion and pain anymore and lay flat on the ground. She could see the clear sky above her.
'Is this the scenery that he always sees?'
Raon had always refused to withdraw in any situation and took another step forward.
The fact that she'd been watching his back was the reason she charged into the blade shards.
'He ended up helping me once again.'
Martha weakened her grip while smiling from the bottom of her heart for once.
"This is nice."
The King of Essence has never seen that smile on Beef Girl's face.
Wrath was smiling at Martha, who was grinning on the ground.
'Indeed.'
Raon chuckled while watching Martha's trembling hands.
'She must feel refreshed.'
It was a feeling that could only be understood by those who had experienced it before. Since she overcame her disadvantage by clashing with everything she had, there was no way she wouldn't be feeling great about it.
"G-Greer De Owen, out-of-bounds!"
The master of ceremonies raised his hand with a trembling chin.
"The winner has been decided after a bloody match! The winner of the Six Kings tournament's Expert division is Martha Zieghart!"
"Woaaah!"
The spectators exploded into the cheers that they'd been holding back upon hearing that declaration.
"Martha! Martha! Martha!"
"Martha! I always believed in you!"
"I never expected that my hands would be sweating from watching a match between Experts!"
"How come such a swordsman is still nameless?! What's wrong with Zieghart?!"
"Your Highness the third prince has also done great! I'm moved to tears!"
The spectators applauded for both Martha and the third prince, who had such a close match.
"But she's a little…"
"Yes, sh-she's scary."
"She ran straight into the blades. Is she really human…?"
"Look at those cuts all over her face. It's not something that a human being can do."
However, a significant number of spectators were trembling after watching how she ran straight into the blades to punch the third prince.
"R-Rakshasa…"
"Rakshasa? Miss Rakshasha? That's perfect for her. It also sounds good."
"The way she has her hair down literally looks like the Rakshasa!"
"That's a great nickname. Miss Rakshasa Martha!"
"Miss Rakshasa! Miss Rakshasa! Miss Rakshasa!"
They finally decided on Martha's nickname. Even though she wanted to have a cool name, she was being called by a scary and creepy name—Miss Rakshasa.
'She did look rather scary.'
Even Raon himself would hesitate before running straight into shattered aura blades to punch an opponent.
It was understandable that the spectators were afraid of her because she'd charged in there without even minding her face.
"Oh no."
Raon looked aside upon hearing a carefree voice like a mischievous child.
Chamber was examining Martha's face and furrowed her brow.
"I don't normally do anything unnecessary, but I dislike the idea of leaving a scar on a gem."
She gently stroked Martha's face and the scars on her face started to shine. It seemed to be a spell with a maximized regenerative ability.
"You should be perfectly fine now once you apply ointment on it."
"Th-thank you."
"You should entertain me again next time, both of you."
Chamber smiled while patting Martha's head. She turned around and winked at Raon before returning to the platform.
"Hmm…"
Raon narrowed his eyes while watching Chamber's back.
'How unexpected.'
The relationship between Balkar and Zieghart was the worst, and Balkar's transcender Chamber was known for her self-centered nature. That was why Raon didn't expect her to go out of her way to treat her.
"Haa."
Martha sighed deeply and left the arena. She still didn't seem to care about her face as she frowned.
"Why are those guys saying Miss Rakshasa over and over? They are so noisy."
"It's because you are Miss Rakshasa."
"Haa?"
"It's you."
Raon pointed his finger at Martha, just like when he explained it to Burren.
"They said that the way charged in like a madman with your hair hanging loose was frightening."
He smiled while even adding the explanation that the spectators never said aloud.
"What the fuck?!"
Martha stomped the ground and went towards the spectators.
"Why am I Miss Rakshasa?! Give me a cool or cute name instead of a shitty one like that!"
"Ooh! She's literally the Rakshasa!"
"I've never seen anyone with such a perfect nickname!"
"If you don't like Miss Rakshasa, how about the Sword of Rakshasa?"
"That's even better!"
"Sword of Rakshasa! Sword of Rakshasa! Sword of Rakshasa!"
The spectators started shouting 'Sword of Rakshasa' even louder as Martha got angry at them.
It couldn't be changed anymore. Her nickname was decided, and it was the Sword of Rakshasa.
"You fuckers, do you have a death wish?"
Martha barged toward the spectator seats in her injured state.
"Martha!"
"Haaa!"
"Team leader!"
The Light Wind members, including Burren, had to stop her before she finally calmed down.
"Aah!"
Raon turned his head upon hearing the exclamation. The third prince who got slammed on the ground was blushing while watching Martha's back.
"She's beautiful…"
Raon closed his eyes and shook his head.
'Seriously, not a single normal person here…'
* * *
After a short break to repair the arena that Martha and the third prince had destroyed, the master of ceremonies came out once again.
"Thank you for waiting! We are now starting the grand finale of the Six Kings tournament, the Master division final!"
"Woaaah!"
The master of ceremonies raised his fist and an ear-splitting roar burst from the spectators.
"Raon! Raon! Raon!"
"I believe in you! Frostfire Sword of Valor!"
"Raon! You are going to make history!"
"Blade of Shattering Wave! You are the only one left! Please protect the honor of the Twelve Stars of the Continent!"
The spectators violently waved their hands while shouting the name of the one they were rooting for. Even though a lot more people used to support the Blade of Shattering Wave, Cadis Robert, the voices calling Raon's name became even louder.
'Let's get started.'
Raon stood up from his chair while listening to the endless cheers. When he was about to enter the arena, Garona appeared and stood in his way.
"Brother."
"I already told you, I'm not your brother."
"I thought I was going to be the one fighting Cadis in the finals."
Garona ignored Raon and continued what he wanted to say.
"Cadis is strong, to a point where even I couldn't guarantee my victory against him. Just like a river becoming an ocean, his swordsmanship becomes increasingly dangerous over time. You should be careful."
"Alright."
Raon nodded.
'I'm perfectly aware of it.'
He knew better than anyone how fearsome and annoying Robert's swordsmanship was.
"You look as confident as when you were fighting against me."
Garona patted his shoulder with his large hand.
"I'll be watching from right next to you and look forward to my brother standing at the peak."
"I already said I'm not your brother…"
"You can do it!"
"I'm not your brothe—"
"I believe in you!"
"Please!"
He didn't even listen until the end, just like the last time, and went away after saying whatever he had on his mind.
He talks so damn much despite his large body.
Wrath clicked his tongue while watching Garona as if he were pathetic.
Ever since ancient times, being taciturn has always been a virtue. Countless people brought harm to themselves by running their mouths. There's even a saying in Devildom: 'Silence is golden'…
'I see…'
The fact that the ever-talking demon king was saying such a thing was ridiculous.
'Seriously, no one is normal around me.'
Raon sighed before walking towards the arena. Martha was waiting for him in front of the stairs.
"I've done it."
She snorted with bandages covering all around her face and body. That short sentence had many meanings behind it.
"It's your turn now."
"Alright."
Raon smiled faintly and walked past her. There was no need for words. He just needed to show her with his actions inside the arena.
Cadis Robert was already in the arena. Cold anger welled up inside Raon upon seeing his face, which looked extremely similar to Derus'.
"I did mention in the banquet hall that I wanted to witness the Frostfire Sword of Valor's martial art, but I didn't expect it to actually happen."
Cadis smiled gently and greeted him with his eyes.
'He's sneering at me.'
When he said he didn't expect it to happen, he must've meant that he believed a weakling like Raon wouldn't be able to reach the finals.
"I was lucky to encounter powerful people as opponents in every single round, which allowed me to get stronger as I reached the finals."
Raon smiled smoothly and nodded. He sounded humble, but he was actually telling Cadis that he just managed to reach the finals thanks to easy matchups.
"Hmm…"
Cadis slightly furrowed his brow. He must've noticed the meaning behind it.
"Regardless of the outcome of this match, you will become one of the Twelve Stars of the Continent. Congratulations, swordsman Raon."
"I have no intention of becoming one of them."
Raon shook his head firmly.
"What? What do you mean…?"
Cadis' eyes widened, unsure of what he meant.
"I heard that the Twelve Stars of the Continent are the star candidates who will be the transcenders of the next generation. It's definitely a great name, but I'm not planning to stop there."
Even though the Twelve Stars of the Continent was a glorious name that everyone looked up to, it wasn't where he was planning to register.
'Because I need to reach even higher.'
Since he wanted to stand in the same position as the current transcender instead of being the next generation's transcender, he had no intention of joining the Twelve Stars of the Continent.
"How should I say it? You sound a bit arrogant."
Cadis bit his lip slightly and narrowed his eyes. His face was full of irritation, like a puffed-up pufferfish.
"I can't lose to you after what you said, definitely not."
He drew his sword and a huge amount of power burst from him endlessly like a clean wave on the ocean.
"Since the spectators asked for it…"
Raon unsheathed Heavenly Drive. Lightning sparked in his red eyes in contrast to the silver blade.
"I'm going to make history today."