The Real Monster 57 Establishing a Village VII

"Can you try to eliminate all of the small fries in one burst of energy? Or if you can't then you can just act like you are doing it and I'll take care of them at the same instant that you do so."

Clay asked out of necessity. He found it a waste of time to fight this battle that would end up with the real power houses in the end anyway. So he asked Jacquellin, his fiancé, the Empress of the Demon race.

[I can probably act it, but as these are all cream off the top, disabling them would take too much energy and that would be detrimental to the goal of fighting you, not unless I can recover my strength completely, instantly with some methods.] Jacquellin said in introspection. Clay knew that she was probing Clay for a method to completely recover in an instant if available at all. And knowing her move, he said, "Hm? I do have a method, so do what you have to do." He didn't need to hide something like that to someone he'll be taking as hostage later anyway, Clay thought.

Jacquellin as a result thought to herself in shock, [Really? He really has a method to completely recover strength in an instant?]

Leaving the rest to Jacquellin, Clay stood his ground in a stance to protect her from all sides. He was initially just standing and balling his fists inside his pants' pockets while dodging and dancing around the arena, but now, he was taking a stance to show that he intends to be serious, even if a little bit.

Jacquellin started to charge up and curled herself up into almost a ball and started leaking her enormous reserve of mana. Those who were more sensitive to the flow of mana started to guard their selves up while those that were not even minding it because they were focused on their individual fights kept on fighting a harsh battle.

Some individuals tried to attack her and Clay did what he set himself to do, defend her. So he did. He started to flick his thumbs towards the direction of the attackers and hit them with a compressed wind ball that was launched by a super powerful finger.

Clay flicked and flicked until only one or two were trying to attack her and then no one else came after her when they saw the lined up bodies of those that wished to disturb her. When she finished her charging after a few minutes, [I'm ready. I can unleash a mana burst that would take out those that are weaker than me fundamentally. Shall I proceed?] She asked and to which, Clay answered promptly, "Go ahead."

HUM~

Clay felt a surge of mana from beside him as Jacquellin released the compressed mana in her and utilized it skillfully to form a dome that rushed outwardly with her as the center bringing with it the force of a dragon's punch.

[What is this?!]

[This is that demon's doing! She's probably trying to eliminate those that are close to her!]

[Idiot! She's trying to expend that much energy on a vain attempt to reduce our numbers; does she think she's great enough for that? Our dragon race's people are not wimps!]

Sneers and criticism rained down on her as she initially released her technique. Then soon after, the arena turned silent because those that tried to criticize her all shut up when they were rendered unconscious or were knocked back strongly from the physical force of having been in contact with the outwardly expanding dome she released.

Her technique was both of the physical and magical attribute. Those that were overwhelmed by the overpowering mana burst lost their consciousness and those that were magically inclined were hard pressed to defend themselves from the physical attribute of her technique. Trying to defend against a meteor entering the atmosphere would even for a dragon, quite a hard thing to do, much less people not even as strong as Jacquellin.

[No!]

[Ah!]

[Dammit! What is this!]

Screams and sounds of complaints echoed all over the arena as Jacquellin's attack rushed to them and the result was great enough that only a few people were left standing after it dissipated. Clay was included to the people who were assaulted by her technique, but only he was able to withstand mana and physical attacks as well as being the only one to actually be the closest to her when she unleashed her technique making him the only person that's supposed to have received the most damage.

"That was good. Is this a consummate technique of yours?" Asked Clay as he dusted his shoulders and looking at Jacquellin sideways.

[Yes. This is a technique developed for when we are surrounded. The only ones who know this technique are the leaders of the Demon kind. I'm more surprised that you're unharmed from that. It really was not a fluke when you killed our overpowered hero wasn't it?] Jacquellin expressly told Clay.

"Hm. Now that that's over with, shall I give you something for your hard work?" Saying this simultaneously as he threw a pill to Jacquellin, surprised her greatly. The pill was his creation, it was derived from the mana recovery potions that the guys back home developed. He made a pill out of it and improved it greatly thus, becoming an instant-effect pill.

"Pop that into your mouth and feel your energy going back to peak. While you do that I'm going to face the rest of the people who're still standing. The dragonkin in particular have good defenses and so intrigued me, the elves are beautiful but I saw how they brutally beat up people, while the beastman lion-haired guy is actually so vicious and strong when facing enemies. Although I still like him because his strikes aim to be very brutal yet those he beat up are still alive. You should take this time to watch me. See if you still want to have that bout later." Clay said and even suggested to Jacquellin. She felt warm all of the sudden and kept her head lowered the entire time that she was following him with her eyes.

[Foolish human! You think you can face us all and emerge victorious? You used that woman to your advantage to face us stronger opponents? I'm sure you only survived because she excluded you in the targets. Come let me show you the error of your ways!] A dragonkin warrior said condescendingly towards Clay. He remained silent and just sent a perfunctory look while looking towards the really strong contenders instead.

Seeing this attitude, the dragonkin was furious and attacked with his strongest attack, he gathered mana in his hands in a way and slowly its composition changed to fire affinity when as he chanted a spell. This attack was very impractical and gained no importance or threat to Clay so he still ignored it; however to the rest of the combatants, this attack was something to watch out for.

Jacquellin had finished recovering by the time she noticed the fluctuation of fire affinity mana in the air and homed in on the source. She saw that the dragonkin warrior was preparing to attack Clay, yet what she did was contrary to what allies should do. Instead of trying to help Clay, she made her own preparations to actually attack Clay as well. The motivation behind her action would stem from the desire to test out Clay's resilience against attacks that are of the level that multiple energies are combined on, making the attack that results, into a giant ball of destruction.

[Hah!] The dragonkin warrior finished his preparations and launched his deadly attack. The force behind it was backed by the techniques that he has accumulated through the years of pursuing power and superiority in the dragon race.

[Take this of mine!] He grunted and then punched out with the fist where he gathered all that energy from. The resulting attack became as if a giant fist was flying towards Clay blind side.

Swoosh!

Then again, another fluctuation of mana appeared abruptly and disappeared almost at the same time it appeared. It was Jacquellin's technique; an attack that buffs other's skills and attacks by two fold when used properly. She expended quite a bit of her mana from just unleashing that buff, but the result is something she was looking forward to and so she risked having less energy for their personal match later.

[Look at that! Drey is using his strongest attack against that puny human! Isn't it just overkill?]

[Never mind that dude, look at that woman! She did something and that fire fist grew double in size. Who is that woman? She's been the highlight of the battle so far already!]

[That stupid human would probably die and be incinerated because of this attack on him, how the fight will turn out from now I wonder.] Excited screams and conversations turned up in volume and frequency when the attack appeared and Clay who was the target of the attack, still slowly walking over to the stronger contenders and ignoring the left overs.

"Let's get show on the road then!" After declaring so, Clay stepped his game up a notch and immediately disappeared from view. The attack that was coming to him was to the audience's view coming back with greater velocity towards the dragonkin warrior who released the attack. It was in fact Clay that punched the fire fist back with enough force to not dissipate it and reflect it instead. Then he moved towards other combatants who were alert and in a bit of shock as to how that happened; a human gaining enough strength to actually reflect that kind of attack even as it was already doubled in force and power.

[I never thought the day would come when I can actually witness a human as powerful as this one. I just might have some fun in this battleroyale that we hosted.] The Dragon King stepped into his room's window to actually look closely at Clay's movement and how he did what he just did. [From what he just showed, it seems he still isn't even using his full strength. This might just be a challenging opponent for me. Watch out for this human.] He commanded, then turned around and sat back on his beautifully ornamented chair.

[Yes your Majesty.] The servant behind the chair acknowledged.

In the arena, Clay was already close to the stronger bunches and stood in front of the lion-haired beastman. He spoke to him and said, "You are strong, I would like to see to what extent. Fight me as if your life depended on it, okay?" Clay said so in a very polite manner as if asking for a favor while saying something like fighting with your life. The normal reaction would have been to snap back at him and furiously bombard him with insults and whatever names one could think of, however, the lion-haired beastman stood there and nodded as if he understood what Clay was trying to accomplish.

He took a stance and stood at the ready. Clay was waiting for him to launch an attack but found that it was him who's supposed to attack. So he took action and punched out. This punch of his brought with it the force of a ten thousand strong galloping cavalry full of momentum even when its initial movement did not let him wind up.

With this force threatening to drown him out, the beastman took a few steps back and defended against the shockwaves he was sure would come even without direct contact. And what he predicted came to be.

Swoosh!

The wind howled when the punching motion ended and the force that was brought with it and the momentous wind behind that punch gained substance and became a wall that pushed the lion-haired beastman backwards a few more steps than the initial ones he took.

"Good, at least you know to discern between attacking and dodging. Come; let me taste your martial prowess!" Clay taunted the lion-haired beastman. To which, the target gritted his teeth and swallowed a big gulp of saliva before launching himself against the floor to lunge at Clay.

He arrived in the blink of an eye, a meter away from Clay. Seeing this, Clay moved as well and released a punch towards his own abdomen.

PAK!

Suddenly a fist was hit by the punch that Clay released. It was actually the lion-haired beastman that used an afterimage to try to fool Clay into lowering his guard for just an instant but even that was not effective.

"HAHAHA! That's good. GOOD!" Clay seemed to be enjoying himself with the fight, even though he is not using all his strength. The fact that this lion-head beastman was not merely a brute who relies on strength is a thing he is grateful about.

Chapter end