The Villian Who Broke The Story

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Kael VS Hulk (Part 2)

The instant Kael drew first blood, a thin crimson line appeared across Hulk’s shoulder.

The wound was shallow.

Hardly enough to be called an injury.

Yet...

The entire stadium suddenly became silent.

Hulk slowly lowered his gaze toward the cut on his shoulder.

For several long seconds, he simply stared at it without saying a word.

Then...

His shoulders began to tremble.

Not from pain.

But from anger.

"You..."

His voice came out unnaturally calm.

"...You cut me."

He slowly lifted his head to look directly at Kael.

His pupils had narrowed into tiny dots, and veins bulged across his forehead.

"You cut me..."

"Hulk the Dwarf..."

"...with a pathetic blade."

His grip around the enormous mallet tightened until the handle groaned beneath his strength.

"And you’re tall to begin with..."

"How dare you!"

"I will definitely kill you!"

The last sentence echoed throughout the stadium like thunder.

A violent pressure burst from Hulk’s body.

Ancient runes and intricate engravings carved into his mallet suddenly lit up one after another, glowing with a deep crimson light.

The weapon began vibrating violently.

Even the surrounding mana reacted to it.

Kael’s smile slowly faded.

"...An enchanted weapon."

He immediately understood what he had overlooked.

"No..."

"Not just the weapon."

"The dwarf himself."

His expression became serious.

Deep within his memories of the game, information about the Dwarven Kingdom surfaced.

"There exists a special breed of combat dwarves..."

"Although they mainly come from the Royal Dwarven Bloodline..."

"They possess almost no mana within their bodies."

"Instead..."

"They possess a unique racial attribute..."

[Mana Resistance].

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

Unlike ordinary races that relied on mana reinforcement...

Combat dwarves strengthened their bodies through sheer physical evolution.

Mana-based attacks naturally became less effective against them.

Their overwhelming physiques compensated for what they lacked in magical talent.

"Only members of the royal bloodline..."

"Or extremely rare exceptions..."

"Can awaken Mana Resistance."

"Aside from them..."

"Only dragons are complete monsters capable of possessing both immense mana and extraordinary Mana Resistance simultaneously."

Kael looked back toward Hulk.

The dwarf’s aura had become noticeably heavier.

The runes covering his weapon continued glowing brighter.

"...I messed up."

He finally admitted it to himself.

"This isn’t someone I can defeat by treating him like an ordinary knight."

Across the battlefield...

Hulk slowly rolled his shoulders before resting the mallet against them.

"You finally look serious."

His grin looked more frightening than joyful.

"I was beginning to think you were looking down on me."

Kael sighed.

"I’d rather stay alive."

"That sounds like a better option."

The spectators watched nervously.

"He changed..."

One student whispered.

"The dwarf..."

"His presence feels completely different."

Another nodded.

"It feels like he’s holding a mountain."

High above the arena, Garrick crossed his arms.

"Looks like the brat finally realized what kind of opponent he’s facing."

The Sword Saint nodded.

"Combat dwarves aren’t feared because of technique."

"They’re feared because they’re nearly impossible to overwhelm through conventional means."

Back inside the arena...

The referee instinctively retreated another few steps.

He had officiated countless tournaments over the years.

Yet even he didn’t want to stand too close to Hulk whenever the dwarf looked this angry.

Kael slowly adjusted his grip on his sword.

The small chip along the edge caught his attention.

"...Already damaged."

He smiled bitterly.

"Looks like you weren’t joking." Kael said referring to the sword

Hulk snorted.

"It’s pathetic that you think the same blade you picked from that shop that day..."

"...would be enough to take me down."

Without waiting for Kael’s reply—

He disappeared.

BOOM!

The arena floor exploded beneath his feet.

"So fast—"

Kael barely finished thinking before Hulk appeared directly above him.

The dwarf’s massive frame blocked out the sunlight.

His glowing mallet descended like a collapsing mountain.

Kael immediately enhanced his sword with Darkness Mana before raising it overhead.

CLANG!!

The collision shook the entire arena.

A deafening shockwave spread outward, forcing several spectators in the front rows to shield their faces.

The reinforced arena floor beneath Kael shattered instantly.

Stone cracked in every direction.

Chunks of rock erupted into the air.

Although Kael successfully blocked the strike...

His knees buckled.

The overwhelming force travelled through his arms, shoulders and spine.

His feet sank several inches into the broken platform.

"Ridiculous..."

"How can someone this small produce this much strength?"

Hulk’s grin widened.

"Still standing?"

"Good."

"That means I can hit you harder."

Kael’s instincts screamed.

He immediately activated Vanishing Step, disappearing just before Hulk’s second swing demolished the crater he had been standing inside.

Reappearing several dozen meters away, Kael steadied his breathing.

His arms felt numb.

His palms tingled from absorbing the impact.

For the first time since entering the tournament...

He realized something.

This wasn’t merely a battle of skill.

This was a battle of survival.

Kael flexed his fingers around the hilt of his sword, trying to shake away the numbness creeping through both arms.

"Just blocking one strike almost made me lose my grip..."

"If this keeps up, my sword will break before I do."

Across the arena, Hulk rested his glowing mallet on his shoulder and grinned.

"Running already?"

"I thought you tall people liked looking down on everyone."

Kael let out a helpless sigh.

"You’re really hung up on height, aren’t you?"

Hulk’s eye twitched.

"Of course I am!"

"You tall bastards think you’re better than everyone else!"

He pointed the head of his mallet toward Kael.

"Get over here and let me flatten you!"

Instead of charging recklessly, Kael began circling the arena, carefully observing Hulk’s movements.

"His speed is unbelievable for someone carrying a weapon that heavy."

"His attacks don’t rely on complicated techniques..."

"They’re just overwhelmingly fast and powerful."

"If I try to overpower him head-on, I’ll lose."

Without warning, Hulk disappeared.

The stone beneath his feet exploded from the force of his acceleration.

Kael’s pupils contracted.

"Again?!"

He immediately activated Vanishing Step.

The instant he disappeared—

BOOOOM!!

Hulk’s mallet struck the ground where Kael had been standing.

The entire arena trembled violently.

Massive cracks spread across the battlefield as broken chunks of stone were launched high into the air.

Dust swallowed half the arena.

Students in the front rows instinctively shielded themselves.

"What terrifying destructive power!"

"He’s destroying the arena with every swing!"

Kael emerged from the dust cloud and immediately rushed forward.

If he continued defending forever, defeat was inevitable.

His sword flashed three times.

Each strike aimed precisely at Hulk’s wrists and shoulders.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Hulk rotated his mallet with surprising dexterity, deflecting every attack.

Before Kael could retreat—

Hulk swung the shaft of the weapon instead of its head.

The unexpected strike slammed into Kael’s side.

BANG!

Kael was thrown several meters away.

He flipped twice before regaining his footing.

A sharp pain spread across his ribs.

"...Damn."

Even though it wasn’t a direct hit from the mallet itself...

The impact still hurt far more than he expected.

Hulk laughed loudly.

"That’s all you’ve got?"

"You cut me earlier!"

"I expected something better!"

Kael wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"...Well..."

"I’ll answer that after you answer something for me."

Hulk frowned.

"What?"

Kael looked at the dwarf’s magnificent beard.

Then back at Hulk’s face.

A mischievous smile slowly appeared.

"Tell me your actual age."

"Because with that beard..."

"You can’t convince me you’re a first-year."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even the spectators froze.

Then...

Hulk’s face twisted through several different emotions at once.

Confusion.

Shock.

Disbelief.

Pure rage.

His body began trembling.

"So..."

"...you’re insulting my birthright?"

He pointed accusingly at Kael.

"This beard..."

"I’ve had it since the moment I was born!"

His voice echoed throughout the stadium.

"And now you’re insulting my mother!"

"No!"

"You tall bastard!"

"You’re insulting my entire family..."

"...just because you’re tall!"

The spectators erupted into laughter.

Even Cairo struggled to suppress his grin.

"I can’t..."

"...I seriously can’t understand how Kael keeps provoking everyone."

The Student Council President sighed.

"At this point..."

"I’m starting to think he enjoys it or the dwarf is just looking for a reason to beat up Kael."

Back on the battlefield—

Hulk vanished once again.

This time...

He was even faster.

Kael barely caught a glimpse of the glowing mallet before it was already beside his head.

"Too fast!"

There wasn’t enough time to dodge.

There wasn’t enough time to counter.

His only option...

Was to block.

Kael instinctively raised his sword.

BOOOOOOM!!

The collision produced a deafening explosion.

For a brief moment...

Kael saw nothing.

The world turned completely white.

It felt as though a miniature supernova had detonated directly in front of him.

The stars themselves seemed to descend from the heavens.

His ears rang violently.

His vision blurred.

He could vaguely hear distant shouting from the audience.

But none of it felt real.

His body was launched backward like a ragdoll.

Only brutal training under Stella prevented him from losing consciousness.

"Move..."

"Move!"

Deep within his mana core, Kael forced his mana to circulate throughout his body.

His blurry vision gradually became clearer.

His legs steadied.

His breathing normalized.

He looked up...

Just in time to see Hulk charging toward him for the finishing blow.

Kael’s crimson eyes sharpened.

"...Not yet."

He slowly raised his sword once more.

Hulk closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

His glowing mallet descended once again with enough force to split the arena apart.

Kael’s eyes locked onto the incoming weapon.

The deafening ringing inside his ears gradually faded as his breathing became steady.

Deep within his mana core, mana surged through every pathway in his body.

Time seemed to slow.

Kael stepped forward instead of backward.

His blade met the descending mallet.

CLANG!

Rather than trying to overpower Hulk’s monstrous strength, Kael twisted his wrists at the precise moment of impact.

The enormous force was redirected away from his body.

Hulk’s second strike followed almost immediately.

Kael pivoted on one foot, guiding the attack downward.

BOOOOM!!

The mallet smashed into the arena floor instead, carving out another enormous crater.

Dust exploded into the air.

Kael landed lightly several meters away.

His vision was still slightly blurred.

His ears continued ringing.

Even so...

He forced his trembling legs to remain steady.

He blinked several times before lifting his gaze toward the dwarf.

"I can’t let this continue."

"If I drag this fight out any longer, he’ll destroy both me and my sword."

Without another word...

Kael slowly lowered his stance.

His breathing became calm.

The noisy stadium faded from his senses.

The shattered arena...

The spectators...

Even Hulk himself...

Everything disappeared.

Only a single target remained before him.

A brilliant light seemed to bloom within his mind.

Hulk frowned.

"...What’s with that look?"

Kael’s fingers tightened around the hilt.

Mana flowed through his body in one perfect stream.

Then—

He vanished.

A streak of silver light flashed across the battlefield.

"First Form..."

His voice was calm.

"Celestial Star Technique..."

"The Sword Saint’s style! He’s using it again."

Someone exclaimed.

Kael appeared directly before Hulk.

His blade moved so quickly it seemed to disappear.

"Guiding Light."

A dazzling arc of light sliced cleanly through the arena.

For a single heartbeat...

Everything became silent.

Kael appeared several meters behind Hulk.

He slowly exhaled.

Then tried sheathe what remained of his sword.

A loud crack echoed below him.

He looked down.

Watching his blade shatter into countless fragments.

The broken pieces scattered across the arena floor.

Kael stared silently at the ruined weapon.

"It couldn’t withstand it..."

"Not after taking Hulk’s attacks."

Before he could think any further—

A dry laugh echoed behind him.

"...Heh."

"...Hehehe..."

The laughter wasn’t joyful.

It wasn’t the laughter of someone amused.

It was empty.

Cold.

Filled with anger.

Goosebumps spread across Kael’s body.

Slowly...

He turned around.

Hulk was still standing.

A long slash stretched across his chest.

Blood dripped steadily onto the broken arena.

Yet the dwarf wore an exaggerated grin that looked more terrifying than the wound itself.

His eyes burned with fury.

Kael’s expression froze.

Ever since learning the First Form of the Celestial Star Technique, that attack had ended nearly every battle against powerful opponents.

It was only natural.

The Celestial Star Style stood an entire tier above every other sword techniques.

Against first-year students...

It was supposed to be overwhelming.

Yet...

Hulk had survived.

The dwarf slowly looked down at the wound on his chest before raising his head again.

"Hehehe..."

"So..."

"You finally used something interesting."

He rolled one shoulder as though the slash were nothing more than an inconvenience.

"I almost felt that one."

The spectators sat in stunned silence.

"He... survived?"

"Impossible..."

"That was the same technique Kael used to defeat Felix!"

Even Cairo’s smile disappeared.

"...That monster."

The Student Council President narrowed her eyes.

"No..."

"It isn’t that the technique was weak."

"Hulk simply endured it."

High above the arena, Garrick burst into loud laughter.

"HAHAHAHA!"

"Now this is a fight!"

The Sword Saint remained silent for several moments before speaking.

"...A remarkable technique."

"But his sword reached its limit."

Across the arena...

Kael looked at the broken remains of his sword.

Then back at Hulk, whose grin had only grown wider.

For the first time since entering the tournament...

Kael realized he was facing an opponent who had endured everything he had thrown at him.

And Hulk...

Looked ready for even more.