A boy raised by a demon king and a dragon king seems to be peerless in his school life.

Volume 9 Chapter 49 Swordsman Chrome

The swordsmanship of Chrome was distinctive.

Just when you expected freeform sword techniques that didn’t adhere to a specific style, he would unleash precise and elegant sword strokes reminiscent of a skilled swordsman from a well-defined school.

It was a sensation as if Ruisha was simultaneously facing two swordsmen, and he found it quite challenging to get accustomed to.

…However, that was before activating the Demon Dragon Mode.

Having acquired power beyond human capabilities, he adeptly countered Chrome’s versatile sword techniques.

“There!”

Cutting through the air, a swift sword flash was aimed at Ruisha’s neck.

Ruisha narrowly evaded the attack by pulling back at the last moment, then delivered a punch to Chrome’s exposed abdomen.

“—Ka, ha!”

Groaning, Chrome staggered backward.

Ruisha, now awakened, possessed physical abilities rivaling that of the Dragon tribe. Naturally, it was something beyond what an ordinary human could endure. However, his opponent was a King’s Mark Awakened, with a physique distinct from that of a typical human.

“…Impressive. It’s the first time someone has read my swordsmanship to this extent. It’s those eyes of yours, I suppose.”

“…”

Ruisha fell silent.

What Chrome had said was true. In his Demon Dragon Mode, Ruisha had activated both his Magic Eye and Dragon Eye simultaneously.

In his current field of vision, he could see the flow of magic and the flow of Qi.

Magic and Qi comprised most of this world… Being able to see that meant he could see the flow of everything in this world, and it was no exaggeration.

As a result, the power residing in his eyes was the ability to foresee the future.

Ruisha named this power ‘Mirai Gan’—’Future Eye.’

Although this power appeared versatile, it certainly didn’t come without its drawbacks.

Seeing things too clearly meant a great burden on the brain. Despite the horns on his head having a heat dissipation function, they couldn’t entirely shoulder the burden on his brain.

…And the burden that the Demon Dragon Mode itself placed on Ruisha’s body was significant.

Just a few minutes. While maintaining an appearance of calm, Ruisha was hastening the battle.

“Dark Quadruple Spears, Dark Quadlands!”

Four menacing spears in a jet-black form attacked Chrome.

He dodged two and deflected one. The remaining one, he caught by gripping the hilt with the hand not holding the sword.

A grinding sound filled the air as the spear came to a halt. Its tip was a few centimeters from Chrome’s chest.

“It’s exhilarating, isn’t it? This thrill. It makes you feel alive.”

Licking his upper lip with his tongue, Chrome, with a genuinely joyous demeanor, advanced toward Ruisha.

“Can you withstand this!?”

Channeling the magic and energy dormant in his body into the sword, a torrent of black enveloped the blade, and an energy resembling a small storm converged on the sword.

The technique was named ‘Black Storm.’ A lethal move with the power to obliterate a small town.

Chrome unhesitatingly directed it towards Ruisha.

The black storm ripped the space where Ruisha was, pulling everything in its path. After the raging tempest had passed, a vividly carved space remained, with a single black sphere present.

“Hmm?”

Chrome was puzzled by the sudden appearance of the mysterious sphere. Gradually, the sphere began to shrink, and from within it, Ruisha emerged.

“Phew, that was close.”

Once the black sphere had completely diminished, it transformed into Ruisha’s cloak.

Seeing this, Chrome chuckled in amusement. “Oh, I see. So, that cloak can be used for defense as well, not just for turning into wings. Depending on how you use it, it seems like it could even be used for offense.”

“I designed this cloak, the Demon King’s mantle, to adapt to all situations. It won’t break from just a little attack.”

“I see… Well then, let’s test how much it can withstand!”

Once again, he infused power into his sword, and Chrome swung it.

Ruisha firmly intercepted his strike with the Dragon King Sword. Initially pushed back, but in his Demon Dragon Mode, Ruisha’s muscular strength was on par with Chrome’s.

Putting strength into his arm, he deflected Chrome’s sword.

“Hiyah!”

“Oof!”

Chrome hadn’t anticipated being overpowered, and for the first time, he showed signs of panic.

Not letting this opportunity slip by, Ruisha swung his sword vigorously. Though it didn’t directly hit, the shockwave hit Chrome and sent him flying.

“…Haha, that was close.”

Chrome narrowly avoided a direct hit.

However, as a consequence, his clothes were severely torn.

His black military uniform was torn vertically, revealing glimpses of Chrome’s skin… Ruisha looked surprised.

“Eh…!?”

Seeing Ruisha’s bewildered expression, Chrome checked his own appearance.

Then, upon seeing his exposed body, he scratched his head apologetically.

“Ah… I guess I got caught.”

Chrome reached into his torn clothes and pulled out a piece of torn white cloth from the earlier strike.

Its true identity was a ‘sarashi,’ a cloth used by women to conceal their chests.

“I’m sorry for revealing something unsightly.”

“Chrome-san, you’re… a woman?”

Clearly visible beneath the sarashi was the cleavage of a woman.

She had concealed the fact that she was a woman by tightly binding her rather large chest with the sarashi.

“In that case, this is no longer needed.”

She removed her military cap and discarded it.

From beneath it emerged long, glossy black hair. It went unnoticed because she had worn the cap so low, but she was a very beautiful woman.

“I’m sorry for deceiving you.”

Illuminated by the moonlight, she was incredibly beautiful, to the point that Ruisha found himself entranced.

Ruisha slapped his own cheeks to forcefully snap back to reality.

“Is it okay if I ask for the reason?”

“It’s not a big reason, really. When I wanted to fight a man seriously, being a woman was a hindrance. Just knowing I was a woman led too many men to hold back or show ulterior motives. So, I abandoned being a woman.”

“I see… that’s how it was.”

“So, now that you know I’m a woman… what will you do? Can you still hold the sword knowing that? Can you truly strike me?”

Ruisha closed his eyes, pondering carefully, and then slowly opened them to answer the question.

“Of course. Your gender doesn’t change the fact of your strength. Besides, I know three women stronger than myself, so I can’t afford to be complacent or hold back.”

Upon hearing Ruisha assert this, Chrome was initially wide-eyed with surprise, but then a gentle smile spread across his face.

“You really are… amazing. I can proudly say that I was born and trained for a day like today. Thank you, Ruisha. I love you. Allow me to struck you down for my sake.”

“…That’s quite a perilous declaration of love. I’m sorry, but I have determined individuals in my heart, so I’ll have to decline your forceful proposition.”

“You’re a real player. Let me turn your head around.”

◇

Volume 9 Chapter 50 Twin Heavens

The battle between Ruisha and Chrome was fierce.

In terms of raw physical ability, Ruisha in Demon Dragon Mode had the upper hand, but Chrome compensated for that difference with her practical experience.

“There!”

Chrome’s sharp thrust pierced Ruisha’s left shoulder.

Wincing in pain, Ruisha retaliated by delivering a powerful punch to Chrome’s left cheek without flinching.

Bachin! With an incredible collision sound, Chrome was sent flying, but her feet never left the ground.

“Heh, isn’t that cruel, Ruisha-kun… hitting a woman’s face like that.”

“…Your face is asking for it.”

“Oh my, I thought I was hiding it well. Seems like I couldn’t hide it, too caught up in the fun.”

Saying so, Chrome feigned a playful expression.

“Now then, I’d love for this enjoyable time to last forever… but it seems both of us are nearing our limits.”

Both of them, who had clashed at full power, were badly wounded.

Their entire bodies were covered in bruises, subcutaneous bleeding, and fractures, to the point where the pain might cause them to lose consciousness at any moment.

They forcibly connected the broken bones with their energy and tried to alleviate the pain with magic, but there were limits to that as well. If they took one more significant attack, they might become unable to stand.

“Ruisha, the battle with you was incredibly enjoyable and stimulating. Even now, I am quite satisfied… but I still want to defeat you.”

“…I feel the same way. I want to defeat you too.”

Upon hearing those words, Chrome’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected to hear something like that.

“Surprising, to think you felt that way.”

“My strength has grown to protect the ones I care about, that hasn’t changed. …However, it’s also true that I take pride in the power I’ve acquired for myself. No matter what else I might lose in, I don’t want to lose in strength alone. I want to win. I want to prove my strength by defeating you, the strongest swordsman!”

“It seems we both feel the same way. Come, I can handle your full strength. Don’t hold back, give it your all!”

In response to Chrome’s words, Ruisha dashed forward.

The Dragon King’s Sword was not gripped in his hand. It seemed he intended to settle this bare-handed.

“Dragon Star Fist, Meteor Shower!”

Fists imbued with the power of the dragon rained down like a constant meteor shower.

The power of each strike was tremendous… but with such indiscriminate use, precision naturally diminished. Chrome managed to evade all of them without taking a single hit.

“Unorthodox Swordsmanship, Black Hoof!”

A downward strike from above.

Chrome wasn’t using any special techniques, nor was any special power infused. However, the genuine strike of someone who had mastered the path of the sword could, in itself, become a unique technique.

“Demon King’s Mantle, Cocoon Defense Mode!”

Ruisha created a spherical shelter with the mantle to block the strike.

However, with little magic left, he couldn’t fully block it, and the mantle shattered into pieces, sending Ruisha flying from the impact.

With each step, his bones creaked, and his vision wavered from the pain. But Ruisha didn’t stop walking.

He wanted to win. Against this person.

With that determination in his heart, he pressed forward.

“Not yet… not yet!”

He reinforced his battered fist with Qi and struck at Chrome’s side.

Ribs snapped, the impact reaching deep into Chrome’s organs. She fought back the reflux of stomach acid with determination, retaliating by pounding her fist into Ruisha’s chest.

“Ugh…!”

The taste of blood filled his mouth. Even a slight loss of focus threatened to make him lose consciousness, but Ruisha never took his eyes off Chrome.

“Gaahhh!!”

He clenched both fists again and charged.

Chrome felt a slight disappointment in the recklessness of this act. It was as if he was asking to be struck down.

However, losing so much blood could dull cognitive function. Chrome concluded this and, as Ruisha came charging at her, swung her sword… only to be parried.

“Guardian Style, ‘Flowing Willow’…!”

“Turning soft at this moment!?”

In the final phase, using sheer force was a bluff. It was all to create this fleeting opening.

(My body is already at its limit, I have to decide it here!)

Ruisha parried the attack and closed in on Chrome, whose posture was disrupted.

Naturally, Chrome tried to avoid it, but her legs wouldn’t move smoothly. The accumulated damage had sealed her movements.

“I’ll put all… my strength… into this…!”

Gathering magic in the left hand and qi in the right to his limits.

There was no holding back. Every bit of remaining magic and qi in his body. Ruisha meticulously condensed all of them, squeezing them out like wringing a cloth, and released them.

“Demon Dragon Technique, ‘Twin Heavenly Extreme Palms’!”

The two forces struck Chrome’s body, becoming a tremendous force colliding within her body, resulting in a powerful explosion.

Having taken that blow, Chrome looked into Ruisha’s eyes and quietly praised him with a smile.

“…Congratulations, that was something.”

With a voice mixed with refreshingness and a hint of regret, she said so, and she slowly collapsed.