Rise of the Rejected Deity from Chaos-Chapter 77 - 76: The Duel [1]

Hayne lay on the ground, his eyes widening in horror. Fear and worry gripped his senses as he beheld the raw power of the demon. A single punch had obliterated the thick cavern wall—what then of Seiya, who had taken the blow?

The demon’s face bore a broad, musing grin as he attacked, but it soon faltered. His expression turned stern, the smile fading as he took a few steps back. Slowly, he clenched and unclenched the hand that had struck Seiya, his gaze fixed ahead, waiting for the dust and debris to settle.

A flicker of shock and confusion tightened the demon’s face as he watched Seiya’s shadowy figure emerge amidst the swirling dust. Though the air remained thick with lingering particles, one thing was certain—Seiya was still standing.

As the dust finally cleared, rubble tumbled into place behind Seiya. He stood firm, unmoved, his right hand gripping his left arm as he rolled his wrist in a slow, massaging motion. Not a scratch marked him. There was no sign that he had just endured a blow capable of shattering the cavern walls. He stood rigid, indifferent.

Hayne exhaled a shallow breath of relief, his chest easing at the sight of Seiya unscathed—untouched by an attack that had torn the very cavern apart.

Lifting his head, Seiya turned his gaze toward the demon, who remained frozen in shock. "I asked you to wait, didn’t I?" His voice was cold, his irritation evident even behind the blindfold.

The demon stood motionless, his mind racing, trying to comprehend how his attack had failed to so much as leave a mark. He was less concerned with the fight itself than with the impossibility of what had just occurred.

A nervous grin slowly stretched across his lips. "How did you do that?"

Seiya did not answer. He simply stood, expression unreadable. If the demon had only listened, if he had waited, he wouldn’t now be drowning in his own confusion. And besides, Seiya had no intention of explaining himself simply because he was asked.

The demon, however, remained rooted in place, his eyes locked onto Seiya, unwilling to move until he received an answer.

Seiya disliked dragging things out. He had no obligation—no emotional attachment to Hayne, no reason to stay and fight. He could walk away without a second thought. Yet, something about the demon intrigued him. This duel—he wanted to see it through to the end.

"You can’t harm me without my permission," Seiya blurted flatly.

The demon’s grin twitched, his expression darkening. He thought Seiya was mocking him. But Seiya remained still, his words hanging in the air like an immutable truth.

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Slowly, the demon’s amusement faded. He started to consider Seiya’s words, weighing their meaning.

From where he lay, Hayne’s face twisted in shock. Even he hadn’t known Seiya possessed such an ability. If it were anyone else, he might have assumed they were joking—but this was Seiya. And Seiya did not tell jokes.

"That’s a rather cheeky way of phrasing things," the demon remarked, his face loosening slightly. He went silent, waiting for Seiya to catch the intent of his remark so he elaborates more but Seiya was oblivious to whatever he was getting at.

"Make it clear," the demon spelled out to Seiya, his patience running thin.

{Haha, he must think you’re like every other human out there,} Ibyu’s voice echoed in Seiya’s mind, cackling softly.

"You. Cannot. Harm. Me. Without. My. Per-mis-sion." Seiya enunciated each word mechanically, like a machine executing a command.

Hayne let out a soft chuckle—though it was quickly followed by a painful, wet cough. Seiya’s stern, humorless delivery lightened the heavy tension in the cavern slightly. But Hayne remained acutely aware—they were still in the presence of a demon.

The demon exhaled sharply, his expression shifting to one of pure exasperation.

{Please, haha, I can’t—haha!} Ibyu wheezed with laughter.

{Sei, explain to him in better terms please. That attack of his must’ve been one that had done a lot of wreckage, yet it didn’t even leave a single scratch on you despite obliterating a cavern wall. He must be shaken.} Ibyu chuckled, barely containing its amusement.

Seiya sighed, long and deep.

"Attacks from others have no effect on me," he said at last, his voice steady, devoid of arrogance. "Unless I allow them to."

Hayne’s brow furrowed in confusion. He turned the words over in his mind, struggling to make sense of it. If Seiya truly possessed such an ability, then why had past battles left him wounded? Not just minor injuries, but deep, gaping wounds. Even now, Seiya bore two broad scars across his chest and abdomen. If his body was impervious, why had he ever suffered at all?

What Hayne didn’t realize was that Seiya had always chosen to make himself vulnerable before a fight. As formidable as his ability seemed, he viewed it as nothing more than a cheap trick—one that stripped a battle of its meaning. To him, it was an unfair advantage, and for that reason, he willingly relinquishes it before every fight.

"Are you saying…" The demon’s voice was slow, laced with simmering rage. "That no attack of mine can touch you unless you permit it?"

"Precisely," Seiya replied curtly.

"Impertinent!" the demon sneered, stepping back until he put a fair distance between them.

With his head tilted slightly upward, he cast a scornful gaze upon Seiya. "Let’s see you maintain that arrogance when I rip you out of your delusions."

Extending his hand toward Seiya, a dark blue orb materialized, hovering just in front of his palm. It shimmered, swirling with dense, potent energy.

"Die."

The moment the word left his lips, the orb shot forward, tearing through the air with terrifying speed. It struck Seiya’s chest with devastating force and exploded on impact.

A deafening shockwave tore through the cavern, sending dust and debris spiraling in all directions. Hayne held his breath, waiting anxiously for the dust to clear, his heart pounding despite Seiya’s earlier claim.

The demon, too, waited, eyes locked on the cloud of dust, eager to see the damage he had inflicted.

But when the dust finally settled, Seiya stood exactly where he had been, unscathed. Only his clothes were torn, but his body—untouched.

The demon’s eyes widened, black and shining with disbelief.

Hayne, on the other hand, exhaled a pure breath of relief.

For a long moment, the demon stood frozen, letting the weight of realization settle over him. Then, at last, he spoke.

"Alright. I believe you."

A quiet chuckle stirred from Ibyu within Seiya’s mind.

{Haha… now he understands,} Ibyu murmured in amusement.

"If all attacks are useless against you, then how are we supposed to have a duel?" The demon’s tone had lost its edge of arrogance, now replaced with something more measured—calculating.

"I doubt there’s any point in fighting you with an ability as overpowered as yours."

Seiya took a slow step forward, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable. "Is that so?" His tone was light, indifferent.

The demon raised a brow, scrutinizing his indifference. "Surely, this ability is one that makes you literally untouchable—beyond reach. I doubt even the heavens or the earth hold another like you."

Seiya halted mid-step. Then, with an almost dismissive air, "so much praise," he murmured. "For such a stupid ability."

The demon frowned. "Stupid?"

"What use is an ability that denies you pain?" Seiya asked, his voice steady. "What thrill is there in battle if both parties aren’t procuring damages? To me, such an ability is stupid."

The demon could only stare, caught between intrigue and disbelief. Never had he encountered someone like Seiya.

"That is why," Seiya continued, lowering into a stance, "I never bother using it."

And with that, he lunged.

In an instant, he was in front of the demon, his fist drawn back, pressure building in his strike.

The demon’s eyes widened briefly—impressed at Seiya’s speed. Seiya’s punch came hurtling toward him, carrying immense force.

But before the punch could land, the demon reacted, leaping back and landing gracefully atop a rock ledge.

"Amazing," he mused, delight slipping into his tone.

"But—"

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared before Seiya, closing the space between them in an instant. He loomed tall like a towering wall, his gaze piercing as his fingers stretched wide—claws lengthening into dagger-like talons, poised to strike. "You’re a hundred years too young to land a hit on me."

His claws slashed downward but Seiya dipped low, twisting aside his body out of reach.

The demon’s claws sliced through empty air, missing Seiya by mere inches. Not wasting a mere second, Seiya planted a hand to the ground for balance, his body coiling like a spring before his leg shot upward—instantly bringing down a powerful axe kick on the demon.

The strike landed with crushing force—directly on the ridge of the demon’s shoulder. A shockwave rippled through the cavern from the force of the blow.

But the demon did not budge.

Seiya’s foot remained pressed against the ridge of the demon’s shoulder, the weight of the strike sinking in—but the demon stood firm, utterly unfazed.

Hayne, watching from the ground, was stunned. As was Seiya. This was the first time in so long that one of his attacks failed to leave an impact.

Though Seiya was shocked by this, his expression didn’t tell much—not that it could be seen beneath the blindfold if it told any.

Seiya’s pulse, however, thrummed with something else entirely—not doubt, not frustration, but exhilaration.

He knew he was about to have his best fight ever.