The Indomitable Martial King

“Air Blast!”

“Explosion!”

The magic knights of Zeppelin chanted their incantations, drawing power from their enchanted swords. A frost-covered blade hurtled toward Malroid’s side.

“What’s with these guys? Wielding swords while casting magic?”

Grumbling, Malroid swung his greatsword horizontally. The crimson Blade Aura effortlessly scattered the incoming frost. Though Prison Blade was a formidable ice spell, it was no match against Aura-infused strikes.

Just as Malroid attempted to cleave through the weapon itself, a powerful wind blast struck his left side. It was Air Blast, coupled with the explosion spell, Explosion, unleashed by other Zeppelin Knights.

The sudden shockwave disrupted Malroid’s charging momentum. Seizing the opening, the frost-blade wielder cast another spell.

“Lymphos Shield!”

Even Blade Aura lost much of its force when its striking point was thrown off balance. The crimson Aura wavered and was blocked by the magical shield. Meanwhile, the enemy retreated, and two more Zeppelin Knights advanced aggressively.

“Strength Boost!”

“Grease! Hold! Slow!”

In an instant, strength-enhancing magic surged through the left-side knight as he lunged with his sword. Malroid scowled and tilted his greatsword to block the thrust. Metal clashed with metal as enchanted sword met greatsword.

*Clang!*

Given Malroid’s skill as an Aura User, he could have defended and counterattacked simultaneously. But the well-timed friction control and restraining spells disrupted his timing.

“Damn it…!”

Abandoning the counter, Malroid channeled his Aura. Crimson energy surged like a vortex, shattering the restraining spells instantly. Such spells were of relatively low circle magic; merely circulating Aura through his body was enough to nullify them.

Meanwhile, the five Zeppelin Knights had already returned to a stable formation, preparing their next assault. Even after their spells were broken, they showed no sign of panic, attacking as if expecting such resistance.

“Blizzard!”

“Aero Bomb!”

A blizzard and compressed air explosion rained down from above. Dodging the relentless assault, Malroid’s brow furrowed.

‘If they’d used fire or lightning-based attacks, I could’ve trusted my Aura’s defense and charged straight at them… Tsk.’

Fire, lightning, and even light-based magic were the most common destructive spells after all.

The Zeppelin Knights engaged Malroid exclusively with ice and wind-based magic.

Ice magic lacked the instant destructive power of fire spells but excelled in restricting an opponent’s movements over time. Wind-based explosive magic, even if its destructive force could be endured, disrupted balance through sheer wind pressure, making immediate counterattacks impossible.

After exchanging several blows, Malroid quickly grasped their strategy. Stepping nimbly to evade the relentless magical onslaught, he frowned.

“These guys… they’ve perfected techniques for fighting Aura Users.”

Malroid recalled Karl mentioning that four Zeppelin Knights could take down a single Aura User. Back then, he dismissed it as a simple acknowledgment of the knights’ status, considering them just slightly below Aura Users in combat prowess.

‘I thought I could handle them by picking them off one by one…’

But reality proved otherwise.

Individually, none of them could compare to him. In a one-on-one fight, he was confident he could take them down in less than a minute if he went all out.

However, the five Zeppelin Knights coordinated seamlessly, functioning like a single magical swordsman. This was far beyond mere combined attacks; their teamwork was precise, like the interlocking gears of a well-crafted machine.

In theory, knights should feel ashamed of ganging up on a single opponent. Most knightly orders from other nations only trained for group battles against other units, never considering many-versus-one combat a proper exercise.

But the knights of Chatan were different. Their sense of honor was something they memorized once during their knighting ceremony and promptly forgot. They cared more about paychecks and bribes than knightly virtues.

Though corrupt to the core, this disregard for empty formalities allowed them to focus solely on victory, without qualms about using underhanded tactics.

At the pinnacle of Chatan’s knights stood the Zeppelin Knights. To them, ambushes, surprise attacks, and even backstabbing were all fair game if it led to victory. Naturally, they had no qualms about overwhelming a single opponent with superior numbers.

“Ice Fog!”

“Air Wave!”

“Sonic Vibration!”

The Zeppelin Knights continued their assault on Malroid. They launched spells one after another, switching positions the moment one of them seemed in danger. Occasionally, they even resorted to hidden darts and throwing knives, leaving no room for Malroid to let his guard down.

“Hmm…”

Beads of sweat formed on Malroid’s forehead as he exchanged blows with the Zeppelin Knights. Between attacks, he stole a glance at the surrounding battlefield.

‘Is Sir Russ still fighting that man?’

A short distance away, golden and blue flashes clashed repeatedly in one corner of the plaza.

* * *

“Gigantic Blade!”

Roaring fiercely, Russ thrust his sword forward. His tightly compressed blue Aura transformed into a lance of light, striking Eusus squarely in the chest.

*Boom!*

With an explosive sound, Eusus was blasted backward over ten meters.

But he did not fall. While airborne, Eusus adjusted his posture effortlessly, somersaulting to a flawless landing.

Russ scowled. He had delivered a direct hit with *Gigantic Blade*, yet Eusus’s face behind his helmet showed no sign of pain or even discomfort.

It wasn’t a bluff. He was genuinely unscathed.

“Hahaha! Is that all you’ve got, Russ?”

Laughing heartily, Eusus swung his enchanted sword, *Eldran*, through the air.

The blade shimmered as radiant golden runes surfaced along its length. Magical energy flowed over the inscriptions, activating a complex spell matrix in an instant. With a powerful swing, Eusus shouted his activation phrase:

“Roar! *Eldran!*”

A golden flash ripped across the plaza, hurtling toward Russ. Bricks shattered and debris scattered wherever the beam grazed. The destructive force was immense, but Russ evaded it with a nimble sidestep.

Though the flash was incredibly fast, dodging it wasn’t beyond Russ’s current abilities.

“Hmph! How long do you think you can keep running?”

With a contemptuous snort, Eusus continued slashing at the air. *Eldran*’s golden arcs lashed out like whips, relentlessly pursuing Russ and carving claw marks of destruction throughout the plaza. Buildings split in half, and massive stone fragments crashed onto the ground with thunderous booms.

Amid the rampant devastation, Russ surged forward, feet pounding against the shattered ground.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

In just three steps, he closed the distance to Eusus. Like a hawk in flight, Russ darted across the plaza, his sword drawn back for a precise strike.

“Haahh!”

With a fierce battle cry, Russ unleashed a flurry of piercing strikes. His luminous blue Aura shot out like a hawk’s talons, aiming precisely at Eusus’s entire body.

“*Seven Stars!*”

The tip of Russ’s sword, radiating with blue Aura, struck Eusus’s golden armor in several precise points. Blue Aura crystallized across the armor, shimmering faintly. Moments later, the linked Aura triggered an explosive detonation across the entire armor.

It was the same technique Russ had learned from Stalla — the one he had used to obliterate Eusus’s enchanted armor, *Eldrad*, in their previous encounter.

*Boom!*

A deafening blast erupted, sending shockwaves that tore up the ground. Thick clouds of dust surged into the air, forming an impenetrable curtain between Russ and Eusus.

Russ narrowed his eyes, staring through the smoky veil. This attack had worked easily before. But this time…

“As expected… it didn’t work.”

The dust gradually dispersed, revealing Eusus standing unharmed, his gleaming golden armor unscathed. There wasn’t a single trace of *Seven Stars*’s destructive power.

Only a faint crack marred a small section of the armor, but the golden suit still enveloped Eusus’s entire body with unyielding strength.

Russ didn’t seem disappointed. He hadn’t expected *Seven Stars* to succeed—this wasn’t the first time he’d unleashed the technique during this battle.

He had already fired *Gigantic Blade* and *Seven Stars* at Eusus multiple times. Yet, the enchanted armor deflected every blow, absorbing all incoming force. No matter how supreme *Eldrad* was as an artifact, such absolute defense seemed impossible.

The reason was clear.

The armor Eusus wore now wasn’t the usual *Eldrad*, but a new, reinforced version—twice as thick and far more formidable.

“It’s useless, Russ! Someone like you could never penetrate this magnificent ancient armor!”

Eusus smirked coldly, his face twisted in triumph.

Russ clicked his tongue in irritation.

‘Where did he get such an artifact?’

When Eusus first drew his sword, Russ hadn’t even considered him a real threat.

Back during their last encounter, Eusus’s skills were leagues below his. As a magic swordsman, Eusus was already at his peak, leaving no room for further growth.

Russ, on the other hand, had grown far stronger since then. Even factoring in *Eldrad*’s known capabilities, there should have been no conceivable way for him to lose.

Drawing closer, Russ sneered at Eusus.

“Has your hatred for me blinded you so much that you’ve lost sight of reality, Eusus? You should’ve realized last time that your skills aren’t enough to match mine.”

Surprisingly, Eusus calmly acknowledged the truth.

“You’re right about that.”

“…Hmm?”

Russ frowned in confusion. If Eusus knew he was outmatched, why was he still fighting?

‘Is he trying to commit suicide?’

But that didn’t fit—Eusus seemed far too confident for someone resigned to defeat. Suspicious, Russ scrutinized Eusus’s enchanted armor, *Eldrad*, carefully.

Nothing seemed different. It was the same *Eldrad* he had encountered countless times before.

In a low voice, Eusus spoke again.

“I admit my defeat back then. You possess a power far beyond what you deserve—there’s no denying that.”

Suddenly, he plunged *Eldran*, his enchanted sword, deep into the ground.

“But I’m not the same man I was back then!”

Eusus roared fiercely:

“Come forth! Ancient power of greatness! Envelop me with unwavering light!”

A dazzling radiance surged from *Eldran*, engulfing Eusus entirely and illuminating the darkened sky.

‘What’s he up to now?’

Russ instinctively raised his guard, wary of the unknown. Charging in recklessly would be foolish without understanding what was happening.

Moments later, Russ found himself staring blankly, utterly dumbfounded by what he saw.

“…What the… is that?”

Eusus was still standing there, his golden armor gleaming brilliantly.

But its size had doubled.

While his helmet remained relatively unchanged, the gauntlets, pauldrons, greaves, and chest plate had thickened immensely. His entire physique now appeared nearly twice its original size.

Simply put—Eusus had become absurdly bulky!

Struggling to process what he was seeing, Russ stammered:

“…What’s with that ridiculous look, Eusus…?”

Eusus had always been a striking, perfectly proportioned figure—a regal knight exuding an air of divine majesty when clad in *Eldrad*.

But now, things were different.

His armor was grotesquely thick while his height remained the same, making his limbs look stumpy and his torso comically massive. He resembled an overweight provincial noble stuffed into ill-fitting ceremonial armor.

Standing triumphantly, Eusus declared with pride:

“This is the new power I’ve obtained! To defeat you, I’ve acquired the ancient artifact bestowed by the Great Sage—*Eldril Gigantus!*”