I’m the Madman of This Family

Chapter 283. How to Protect What’s Precious (7)

Ain (Nothing).

The fusion of Aura and Mana is like the essence of absurdity. It’s not just about offsetting the weaknesses of Aura and Mana. The density of energy itself is overwhelming.

Five Grandmasters facing Keter. They all wield Sword Aura. And Sword Aura refers to a mass of Aura compressed to its limit.

Sword Aura can tear steel like paper, and Sword Aura can tear through city walls and gates. Five of these immensely powerful Sword Auras.

Three swords, two spears.

Though not their ultimate techniques, they unleashed their most confident skills.

Sword Handwriting – March of the Bees.

Thousand Seals Unbound – Seven Star Sword.

Wind God Style – Pinwheel.

Moonlight Spear Technique – Crescent Moon.

Moonlight Spear Technique – New Moon.

Against their full-powered techniques, Keter didn’t even nock an arrow. There was no need.

From the moment he possessed Ain, Keter no longer needed a bow. He simply released the power in his hands.

The two arrows he held moved as if alive, even without being thrown, and shot forward like lightning.

Against five opponents, one might think at least five arrows would be needed, but that wasn’t necessary. The two arrows crossed like snakes, piercing the thigh of the leader of the Bee Division.

His technique, ‘March of the Bees,’ couldn’t even graze the arrows. The arrows moved as if alive, accelerating without any deceleration, sharply changing direction.

‘Zero-Deceleration Trajectory Alteration’

The true power of Keter’s Celestial Infinity Technique manifests here.

Next, an arrow pierces the shoulder of the Typhoon Knight Division Commander, Tesla. It’s as if there’s no process, only the result. The trajectory of the arrow itself is invisible.

‘Chain Super-Acceleration’

Keter’s arrows can increase their speed multiple times even after being shot.

Two Grandmasters fell instantly. Seeing this, Jordic and the Black Panther Knight Division Commander tried to intercept the arrows with their spears—but the spears couldn’t even graze the arrows. The arrows suddenly turned into particles of light, scattered, and then reformed, piercing through the abdomens of Jordic and the Black Panther Knight Division Commander.

‘Inertia Reconstruction’

All of this happened in just one second. Four Grandmasters fell.

The last remaining, Rajis, sensed defeat and pushed beyond his limits.

Originally, the Seven Star Sword wasn’t a ‘shooting’ technique. But he transformed it into a shooting technique and unleashed what he thought was an ultimate technique that couldn’t be used consecutively.

Thousand Seals Unbound, Blunt Sword.

Originally, the Blunt Sword required some preparation time. But his Blunt Sword was cast instantly.

In the face of death, people grow. Rajis surpassed his limits twice.

But it wasn’t enough. Two instances of growth weren’t enough to surpass Keter.

The two arrows Keter shot weren’t just arrows. They were explosive arrows, Milky Way.

Whoooosh!

For a moment, gravity formed in the surrounding space. Everything in the area was pulled toward the Milky Way.

Rajis realized it then. These arrows had the power to blow away an entire forest.

It wasn’t a power that humans could block or handle.

Death. Rajis felt unconditional death, but Keter had clearly said.

He wouldn’t kill, but he would win.

KABOOOOOM!

The Milky Way exploded massively. But the aftermath didn’t swallow the forest.

Combined Force.

Instead of spreading the explosion’s power, it was concentrated into one. The condensed explosion distorted even space. The Sword Aura that could tear through city walls scattered like mist.

The ultimate technique, Blunt Sword, which had pushed beyond limits, barely maintained its form, but it lasted only about 0.1 seconds.

WHOOOOOSH!

The combined force Milky Way passed by Rajis and shot into the sky.

Rajis, without realizing it, turned to look up at the sky. The arrow had already soared high and disappeared.

But Rajis saw it clearly.

“A hole has been torn in the sky.”

It wasn’t a metaphor. A hole had truly been torn in the sky. A black Aura shimmered in the torn sky.

Though it was quickly filled, Rajis thought it might be the ‘universe’ he had seen in books.

‘The lie was that he could kill us.’

Rajis let out a bitter laugh.

‘Not just us, but he could have killed all of Baydant.’

It wasn’t just about the power of the technique.

It was about mindset.

Keter was a man who, to achieve his goals, would willingly kill thousands, tens of thousands, and still enjoy a meat dish that same day.

Rajis lowered his head and looked at his hands. They were empty. He had dropped his sword.

“I’ve lost. But at least—”

Rajis, cleanly admitting defeat, placed his hand on his neck.

“I won’t beg for my life.”

As he was about to slit his throat, Keter grabbed his wrist.

“If you die, I’ll kill you.”

“……?!”

It was a nonsensical statement, but for some reason, Rajis felt that Keter really could do that and let out a bitter laugh.

*

“Kids these days, they lack grit, grit! Don’t you think so, Jordic?”

Keter, sitting on something, spoke, and the answer came from below.

“I, I don’t know what you mean.”

Shudder.

Keter, using Jordic’s back as a chair, wiggled his hips.

“Am I heavy? Heavy? Do I look heavy to you, old man?”

Gargant, the Bee Division Commander, who was also lying face down, shook his head.

“Light as a feather, I’d say, no, I mean it.”

“Are you mocking me now?”

Keter moved to sit on Gargant’s back. As soon as Keter sat down, Gargant’s breath hitched.

When Jordic trembled, he thought it was an act. Despite his injuries, hadn’t Keter healed them all?

Keter’s weight couldn’t be more than 70 kilograms. For transcendent beings, that’s a weight they could lift with a pinky.

But as soon as Keter sat on his back, it felt like an Ogre had sat on him.

His arms and legs supporting his back felt like they’d break. The only reason his posture didn’t collapse was pride, not muscle.

“Old man. Your face is red, but I’m light, right?”

“…….”

Gargant couldn’t speak, his breath cut off. He was barely holding on.

When Keter stood up, Gargant gasped for air like a man brought back from the dead.

Keter looked around at the five lying face down.

“If anyone’s pride is hurt and they want to die, I’ll kill them cleanly and painlessly. Stand up.”

None of the five Grandmasters stood. They all silently maintained their positions.

“You need pride to live, you know.”

Rummage, rummage.

Keter began searching their pockets. Though the fight had left little intact, his hands dug deep without hesitation.

“Nothing much.”

It wasn’t completely empty. Communication devices, Elixirs, bandages—Keter naturally took them. Like a thief.

“What do you plan to do with us?”

Rajis asked, unable to bear the blow to his pride, but Keter answered kindly.

“I plan to play with you here for 2 or 3 days, then go back.”

“……?”

“Then the world will say, ‘Keter fought five Grandmasters for three days and nights, ending in a draw.’”

“If you want to hide your power… wouldn’t it be better to kill us all to silence us?”

At Rajis’s practical advice, the four Grandmasters glared fiercely. Why provoke with unnecessary words?

But Keter shook his head.

“Hide my power? I’ve never hidden it. It’s just annoying when you guys misunderstand and make things complicated. Understand?”

“…….”

“Simply put, you’re not real Grandmasters. Just because you can use Sword Aura, does that make you Grandmasters? In the Lilian Kingdom, you’re praised as Grandmasters, but in the Empire, you’re barely mid-tier Masters. Only Rajis here is close to a Grandmaster, the other four… sigh.”

But Keter knew. No matter how much he explained, the world wouldn’t believe it.

What they wanted was something sensational, not objective truth.

The rumor ‘Keter defeated five Masters and one Grandmaster!’ was less exciting than ‘Keter killed six Grandmasters!’ So, the latter became the truth.

The truth was, these weren’t qualified Grandmasters.

“I can’t let my pride be inflated for no reason. I’m impressive, but six real Grandmasters would be too much.”

“Too much…?”

Jordic looked up with a ‘you’ve got to be kidding’ expression. Keter waved his hand as if asking the obvious.

“Killing six is possible, but subduing them isn’t. Hmm, I’m humble. I admit things like this cleanly.”

Of course, this was assuming Grandmasters without Ain, but since few knew about Ain, there was no need to mention it.

“But Prince Keter. What exactly is that power you’re using?”

Only Rajis among the five had noticed Keter used Ain, not Aura or Mana.

“Want to know?”

“I do.”

“Hmm… no.”

Keter, who had shared his plans before, now refused. Rajis, forgetting his position, urgently asked.

“Why can’t you tell me?”

“You’re not on my side.”

“……!”

“If you’re a man of justice, then to you, I’m the villain. We can never join hands. But I could tell these guys.”

Plop.

Keter sat on Jordic’s back. Jordic, trembling, finally spoke.

“You’d tell me? The secret to your power?”

“Stop. That power is like a world in a mirror for you. Right in front of you, but you can never have it. What I respect about you is your purity. Purity of purpose. You had the strongest killing intent toward me.”

“…….”

“What exactly do you want?”

Rajis couldn’t understand Keter’s heart.

Keter was young and strong. If he wanted, he could become the Lord’s successor.

But his actions were driven by instinct. If it’s fun, he’ll do it. Though he seems merciless to enemies, he spares those he doesn’t need to kill.

Rajis wasn’t the only one curious about Keter’s intentions. They all were. And it was right to hide such feelings. What good would it do to reveal them?

But Keter spoke. With a look that said, ‘What’s the big secret?’

“Well, obviously—”

Swish.

Keter didn’t finish, turning his head. The five’s gazes followed.

“……!”

There, a bloodied man carrying someone on his shoulder stood.

---