The heat exploded.
The flames that erupted from Edwin Hector's hand surged forth like the breath of a dragon, spreading in all directions.
Hwaruk.
Hwarururuk! The heat was so intense that it could melt skin upon contact.
Roman changed direction.
Despite his speed, he suddenly halted, avoiding the heat and aiming for Edwin Hector's side.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Hwak! Edwin Hector's eyes glowed blue.
Memorize.
The magic inscribed in his circle was instantly activated.
"Entangle."
Pak! Papapapak! The ground erupted.
Seeds buried in the soil sprouted at an unbelievable speed, transforming into tree trunks as thick as a human body, wrapping around Roman.
It was like a giant anaconda.
The living tree trunks moved with a powerful force that could crush a human body in an instant.
One by one, they posed a threatening attack.
Roman summoned his mana and swiftly cut down the tree trunks that were about to engulf him.
Just then, a powerful shockwave hit him from the side.
Kwang! Kwarurururung!
"How dare you touch the prince!"
It was a man he had never seen before.
A middle-aged man.
Wearing a robe to hide his face, he charged at Roman with a magnificent mustache.
An explosive aura emanated from the man's sword.
It was on a different level than the aura Jackson used.
The intense aura distorted the surrounding atmosphere, representing the strongest power Roman had ever experienced in this world.
A 5-star swordsman.
The man's name was Butler.
He was the head of the royal knight order, ranked second in the Hector Kingdom.
He had appeared.
The Hector Kingdom had truly put forth all their strength for this operation.
"You can no longer escape!"
Kwang! Kwakwakwang!
Butler's aura explosively pushed Roman back.
The forest shook.
The strong and rapid series of attacks made it seem as if Roman's head could fly off at any moment.
And then.
"Wind Blade."
Sasasasak! Edwin Hector did not miss the opportunity.
The wind swirling in his hand transformed into blades, blocking Butler's attack and creating an opening to strike.
This was an attack that could not be defended against even if one saw it coming.
Edwin Hector believed that this time, his attack had succeeded.
Papak.
A hair's breadth away.
Roman instinctively leaped.
Avoiding the wind blades, he immediately raised his head to respond to Butler's charge.
Kwang-! His head shook.
Edwin Hector.
He had set a perfect trap.
By disguising the lack of guards due to Jackson's departure, he had positioned Butler nearby.
No matter how much Roman Dmitri flew and crawled, he could not withstand the combined assault of a 4-circle magician and a 5-star swordsman.
This was a trap beyond common sense.
Just as Roman Dmitri had suffered until now, Edwin Hector attempted an unconventional counterattack.
They thought.
This time, they could truly cut off Roman Dmitri's breath.
His head spun.
The relentless attacks from his opponent stirred a foul energy within him.
"Thuk."
He spat out blood.
Before him, Butler charged like a wild beast, but Roman did not lose focus for even a moment.
'As expected, they were fully prepared.'
Just before the attack, Roman Dmitri sensed the mana swirling in Edwin Hector's heart and the presence of a being pretending to be an ordinary soldier.
He realized that Edwin Hector had anticipated his attack and set a trap.
Yet, he followed the opponent's intentions.
Knowing it was a trap, he revealed himself and attacked Edwin Hector.
Why had he made such a reckless choice? He wanted to find out.
Throughout his life as Roman Dmitri, he had never truly experienced a crisis.
Blood Fang.
Barco.
This guerrilla operation was a trivial matter in his life.
To test himself, Roman stood on the line of death, deliberately putting himself in danger.
Kwang! He blocked the attack.
The aura of a 5-star swordsman was powerful enough to shake his brain.
Although Roman Dmitri's body had grown stronger through transformation, he was still not at a level where he could easily withstand a 5-star aura.
Moreover, Butler's swordsmanship was very orthodox and systematic.
He attacked fiercely, showing Roman how swordsmanship should be used, not allowing him a moment's rest.
Kaang! Kakakakakang! Sparks flew.
As the auras clashed, a strong shockwave swept through the surroundings.
In that moment, Roman felt a chill.
Once again, he sensed that the intangible attack of mana was not over yet.
Sasasasak- Wind Blade.
The blades of wind brushed past.
Blood splattered on Roman's face, and Butler had already closed in, swinging his sword.
In a life-and-death situation, he was out of breath.
With the continuous attacks, Roman's stamina was reaching its limit, but he looked directly into Butler's eyes.
'Heavenly Demon Sword Technique, Three-Phase Style.'
The mana in his dantian surged.
A powerful explosion.
Like a volcano erupting, mana burst forth in all directions, manifesting as an aura that enveloped Butler.
"………!"
Kwakwakwang! It was an immense force.
With a single strike that tore through the air, Butler hurriedly raised his sword and summoned all his strength to unleash his aura.
Even so, he could not emerge completely unscathed from the attack.
Blood flowed from Butler's nose, and he was thrown back, rolling on the ground.
That was all.
He received a considerable shock, but Butler did not fall.
"……Where on earth did this monster come from?"
His voice trembled.
The combined assault of a 4-circle magician and a 5-star swordsman.
Even if the opponent was a 5-star swordsman equal to him, he should have fallen.
Yet, the dynamics of the battle were different from what he had imagined.
Roman's fierce counterattack shattered the picture he had drawn in his mind.
Moreover. 'Roman Dmitri is only in his mid-twenties.'
He felt a chill.
He had reached the level of a 5-star swordsman at over 50 years of age, yet his opponent was already showing enough power to mix swords with him.
Perhaps that was why Butler felt fortunate.
Meeting Roman Dmitri now was a golden opportunity to eliminate a potential threat to the Hector Kingdom in the future.
Still, he was not on the same level as Butler.
And then.
A glance.
The presence of Edwin Hector.
When Butler turned his gaze, Edwin Hector raised his mana with a stern expression.
"This is truly the end. Break, Hold."
Double casting.
The energy of mana enveloped Roman.
Break.
A spell that shatters objects with strong pressure.
Hold.
A spell that suppresses the opponent and immobilizes them.
The two spells had a clear purpose.
To break Roman's sword and attack him while he was defenseless and unable to move.
If he did not possess a magic immunity artifact, the moment Roman revealed a fleeting gap would lead directly to his death.
'There is no sign of a magic artifact on Roman Dmitri.
Therefore, this attack cannot be blocked.'
It was a certainty.
However.
An unbelievable scene unfolded before his eyes.
Hwak! Butler's attack.
He dodged it.
Roman's sword was unharmed, and it seemed that the effect of Hold was nonexistent, as Roman's movements were completely free.
In a flash! He counterattacked.
Blood splattered on Butler's face.
It was an unexpected counterattack, and he could not respond quickly.
They did not know.
Roman's secret.
The moment Edwin Hector used magic, Roman instantly understood what his opponent was thinking.
'He is trying to suppress me with the power of magic.'
The power of Hold.
He felt the force penetrating his body, suppressing his muscles.
Although it was the first time he experienced such power, Roman had studied magic during his time in Dmitri.
Intangible power.
The realm of gods that creates something from nothing using mana.
In the martial world, magic did not exist.
However, he was aware of a similar yet different realm known as sorcery.
For the past six months, Roman had prepared for war.
He began his research with the thought that he might encounter a magician there and achieved some results.
'Magic and sorcery are different, yet their essence is not.
If they try to penetrate my body with mana to restrict me, I can use the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to eliminate that power immediately.'
It was not as simple as it sounded.
The mana that had penetrated his body would cling to him like a virus, refusing to let go.
However, Roman's peak mana manipulation ability resolved all those issues.
It was something only the Heavenly Demon Baek Jung-hyeok could achieve.
Without exerting special effort, the mana surging in Roman's dantian evaporated the power of Hold.
And.
There was no need to worry about Break.
Roman's sword, a newly forged blade named Flame Fire, was not a sword that could be shattered by magic.
The magic was dispelled.
He had not prepared for the fact that his opponent was a magician.
In preparation for war, Roman had accounted for all variables.
An unexpected situation.
Edwin Hector and Butler were taken aback.
And in that gap.
Roman did not miss his chance.
Papak!
"……!"
In an instant, Roman Dmitri pierced through the space.
This time, even Butler could not react.
In shock, he widened his eyes, trying to follow, but Roman's sword had already severed Edwin Hector's neck.
Sogak! It was perfect.
According to his expectations, Edwin Hector's head should have flown off.
However, the power of magic did not allow such a situation.
"Blink."
With a single flash, Edwin Hector's figure vanished.
He appeared some distance away from Roman, looking pale as if he had overexerted himself with magic.
"You bastard!"
Butler exploded.
The prince of Hector had nearly died.
He unleashed mana with a force far beyond before, charging at Roman with the intent to kill.
And then.
Piiiiiik- The sound of horns echoed from all directions.
The troops chasing Roman had arrived.
Led by Jackson, the troops burst in, and Roman realized he had to make a decision.
'I will die if I delay any longer.'
In the distance, he saw Edwin Hector.
Roman looked at him and spoke in a fierce voice.
"Remember. Don't let yourself be caught by me. If we meet again, you won't live as you did today."
With those words, Roman stomped the ground.
Even Butler could not catch up to him.
As he activated his lightness skill, he quickly distanced himself, and the moment he reached the space shrouded in darkness, he vanished without a trace.
It was the martial art of the Dark King.
Desperately trying to illuminate the darkness to find Roman, they realized that if Roman could be found so easily, the soldiers of the Hector Kingdom would not have died throughout the night.
Everyone stopped.
In the darkness.
They did not dare to follow him there.
In the wake of the storm, people thought. 'This is Hector's defeat.'
It was a reality that was impossible to accept.
Especially for Edwin Hector, who had lived a life everyone acknowledged, he could hardly take his eyes off the darkness where Roman had vanished.