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238. Owner and Slave. Slave and Owner.
“Kuhat! Marquis Millions. Very glad to see you. As fond as meeting for the first time in a while.”
“Demon… You little!”
Millions was at the estate of a count, in the lobby.
Receiving the message that Barub accepted the summons, he received him with a frown.
Millions and Barub. There was only a distance of 5m between them.
It seemed as though an intense fight would occur at any moment, accompanied by a vicious exchange of words.
With his back against a pillar and leaning back, Millions stared down Barub with disappointment, betrayal, and killing intent in his eyes.
Barub responded to Millions’ stare with mocking laughter and spoke.
“Many things have changed in such a short amount of time. Isn’t that so? Enough to flip Larkenta on its head.”
“Demon. I saw you as a colleague and not as a slave. You dare respond to my favor with this? To betray me and sully my name!”
“Demon… That’s right. That’s the name that you have given me. The name for the king of the festival and a slave whose life is decided by your words solely. The name you’ve given me so that I’d be your loyal dog!”
“…”
“It’s true that Demon is your slave and colleague. However, I am Demon no longer. I have obtained enough power to regain my true name. A name for someone who isn’t your colleague or your slave, but someone equal in strength.”
“Arrogant fool! How dare you bare your teeth against your master. Seems you have a death wish?”
“Kuhat! My name is Barub. The name of your enemy, not your slave. And it is the name of the one who will cruelly butcher you. Remember it well. Even as you die.”
“I did worry a bit that something like this would eventually happen. You did try to hide it, but I could see ambition far more passionate than any I have seen. However, you are foolish to think that you could overcome me no matter how much you struggle. And since you refuse to realize that, you will meet your death.”
“Millions. It seems you still do not understand the situation. I am disappointed.”
“You dare challenge me, a marquis, after defeating a few counts and stealing their artifacts? You imbecile.”
“Ah. Are you talking about these?”
Barub looked towards the golden armor and lightning sword equipped while speaking.
This was a behaviour frivolous to the point of being nonsensical for Millions to see.
After all, just a few hours ago the dog he had been raising had suddenly changed its attitude and started to attack its master in an attempt to bite him.
Even if Barub’s appearance had become clean and a new weapon adorned them, that did not change anything.
For Millions, it was laughably ridiculous how Barub was overestimating their own strength.
“Such an amusing item. It’s something amazing created by the ingenuity and creativity of humans.”
“You continue with arrogance as if you’re a god. Right now, you’ve barely become stronger than a count.”
“A god… it’s true that it won’t be long before it becomes a reality.”
“Seems you’ve lost your mind. I shall teach you well the consequences of barking at your owner without fear! Demon!”
“Seems this will be a fight for me to take back my name, Barub.”
“However, it seems that I have overestimated you.”
“Hm?”
“Seeing as you have come on your own without realizing your place, I have now realized that you have far less potential than I had originally thought.”
“Millions. Have you considered that it’s the other way around…”
“That won’t happen.”
Millions stopped leaning on the pillar and straightened up.
After that, he took off the cape on his shoulder and tossed it on the floor.
And with that, his form that had been hidden by his cape came into view.
Instead of casualwear, he had changed into armor meant for battle.
The silver armor looked plain without anything unique about it.
The appearance of the armor looked like something you could easily find in the markets, even the ones outside Larkenta’s castle.
That wasn’t the only odd thing out.
Millions did not have any weapons in his hands.
There was a possibility that he could create weapons using his powers, but he didn’t do that either.
As Millions moved, so did Barub prepare for battle.
There was a smile on Barub’s face, but he could not afford to relax.
This was the man who made Barub taste defeat for the first time.
Even though they had never bowed to anyone before, Millions had overwhelmed them with ease.
The trauma from being defeated by such overwhelming power wouldn’t be forgotten so easily.
And it wasn’t as if Barub had seen Millions fight with everything he has yet.
Fighting with someone without knowing how strong they are.
There wasn’t a fight more difficult than that.
Barub had obtained the power of a marquis by taking advantage of Min-Cheol, but there was a power gap even amongst the nobles.
This meant that even if the title of marquis was the same, not everyone had the same amount of power.
While probably a lot stronger than a count, considering 100 as the average amount of power a marquis has, some could hold 110 and others could hold 90.
No matter how many counts that Barub took down, if Millions had 110 while Keltar had 90, then they would not be able to avoid the fight becoming exceedingly difficult.
Without any weapons and fists clenched tightly, Millions shouted at Barub.
“Now! Come. I shall teach you proper manners!”
“Kuhat. With this, I should be getting a step closer to his strength. How entertaining.”
“If you’re going to stand there idly, then I shall come for you!”
Even considering the fact that the distance between them wasn’t that far, Millions’ attack came at Barub with speed and ferocity that was difficult to believe.
A fist aimed at Barub’s head charged in a blink of an eye.
For Barub however, who had obtained the power of a marquis, that attack didn’t feel that fast.
By tilting their head slightly, they had avoided Millions’ attack with ease.
And just like that, Millions’ fist struck thin air.
Despite the balance of his body had been completely lost, Millions paid no heed and prepared for the next attack.
While Barub was surprised by Millions’ strength, they could also not avoid being surprised by the power they held.
Even though they had obtained this power in an instant, Barub never had thought that the power of a marquis would be this strong.
With that, Barub was relieved that they didn’t fight against someone that monstrously strong on the first day of arriving in Hell.
If Barub had put up a pointless struggle earlier, then the bet with Min-Cheol would’ve ended easily in a pathetic fashion.
It was obvious that Barub would’ve not been able to touch a hair on Millions’ body with their old strength.
It happened as Barub believed that they could finally be on equal footing with Millions.
“Hm?”
“…”
Red blood dripped from Barub’s cheek.
There were many small cuts on their face, as if Barub had walked through a thorny underbrush.
Barub couldn’t help but question what had happened.
They had definitely avoided Millions’ attack without much difficulty.
However, there were wounds as if the blow had glanced Barub.
Wiping the blood on their cheek without much effort, Barub glared at Millions.
“There’s no way you’d know.”
“Is it an illusion?”
“An illusion? Didn’t use anything of the sort.”
“I’m sure I have avoided your attack. However… A sickly feeling remains.”
“By the time you understand what’s going on, you won’t be part of the living. Oraa!”
Millions, who had been simply throwing punches so far, suddenly spun his body to execute a horizontal jab.
The change in attack style was too fast to react to, and the attack struck dead on.
Barub had instinctively blocked the attack using the lightning sword and their forearm, but a massive shockwave followed.
The lightning sword Barub had obtained from the count disintegrated before it could be used even once.
It was so thoroughly destroyed that it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the sword had been ground to dust.
It wasn’t as if the sword had clashed against another sword, or the sword had made contact with armor.
Without even any gauntlets equipped, the sword had been shattered by Millions’ bare fist.
The damage didn’t stop at the sword.
It wasn’t just the sword that had blocked Millions’ fist.
The golden armor that encased Barub’s forearm also broke apart with ease.
It even penetrated the defensive capabilities of the grey light that Barub used to enhance their body.
The sound of Barub’s pained grunt followed by the sound of shattering bones rang throughout the lobby.
“Urgh!”
However, that didn’t last long.
It was hard to believe, but instead of groans, the sound of laughter came from Barub’s mouth.
“Kuhat! Kuhahahaha! You have an insane amount of strength, Millions.”
“Seems you have enough leisure still to be in awe.”
“It’s quite the fierce attack. Extremely powerful! It only makes things more exciting!”
“The only thing that will come out of your mouth next will be a long sigh. You won’t even be able to beg for your life. I won’t even leave you enough strength to do so. Just a sigh. The last breath you’ll draw in your life.”
“I look forward to it. Kuhahat!”
Barub kicked Millions, who was running like crazy towards Barub, in order to make space between them.
While flying through the air, Barub healed their crippled forearm in that short amount of time.
Same as the rest of them, Barub’s healing capabilities had increased to the point where it could not longer be compared to their previous self.
The situation was that if the healing didn’t work out as they had planned, Barub would’ve had to cut off their flailing tattered forearm in order to continue fighting.
However, Barub’s arm returned to its original form with great speed, as if a spell had been cast.
Twisting their wrist back into place and confirming that the arm had healed, Barub was all smiles.
It was the look of someone who had found enough amusement to last a lifetime.
This wasn’t a boring fight like all the butchering they had done with slaves and counts.
It was as if Barub had found the enjoyment that they had lost.
With that, Barub tossed the gauntlet still remaining on their other hand off.
Following that, Barub further increased the power of the enhancement to their body.
What Barub wanted was simple.
A fight based on pure strength.
A fight that did not rely on the help of swords or metal, but a clash of fists.
Seeing that, Millions found it laughable and smiled.
He had noticed Barub’s intentions.
“Aren’t you putting up a pointless struggle?”
“This is the fight I wanted. A simple, uncomplicated fight of raw power.”
“If that is what you desire, then I shall oblige. Go ahead and try getting your real name back.”
“Oraaaa!”