The Sword Emperor Transmigrates

Chapter 149

“Don’t let Pollux land a punch! Those cast-iron fists are a divine gift! They’re basically an authority in themselves!” Isaac shouted, ensuring that even Leonard, still some distance away, could hear him.

As he laid eyes on those fists, Isaac immediately realized what they were up against. His eyebrows twitched as he recalled the information on Pollux.

I can't believe Castor had the power to summon Pollux. I must report this when we get back!

With decades of experience and keen insight, Isaac carefully moved his sword. Pollux was a Void Deity renowned for his unparalleled combat abilities, far superior to his brother Castor. While his divinity wasn’t particularly high, his self-trained martial prowess was extraordinary.

With fists capable of shattering anything, Pollux was a monster close to the Demigod Tier.

―You lot don’t seem like the ones who defeated my brother.

Pollux looked at the three White Dragon knights—Hugo being out of the picture—with a cold, calculating gaze, and then shifted his stance. He extended his left hand forward at shoulder height and brought his right hand to his chin, shifting his weight back and forth on his legs, which were aligned diagonally.

It was pankration, an ancient martial art.

―Let’s take care of the distractions first.

Pollux bared his fangs like a predator. Then, he moved so swiftly that his massive frame, over two meters tall, vanished like a mirage. His physical abilities were exceptional, but his footwork was on an almost mystical level.

Without leaving a trace, Pollux reappeared right in front of Grady, poised to deliver a devastating punch to take out both him and Hugo. But Grady, already in a thrusting stance, activated his unique trait and struck first.

Flash Blade

―Oh?

Pollux seemed intrigued by the thrust, which manifested the unique trait of Penetration. In what seemed like a suicidal move, the Void Deity countered the thrust that could pierce through anything with a perfectly balanced punch.

Grady, confident in his superiority, clashed with the iron fist, but the blade shattered almost instantly.

“Aaagh!” n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Grady was sent flying, spitting blood as he tumbled to the ground, unable to withstand the impact. Pollux looked down at his own fist instead of chasing after Grady.

―You managed to scratch me? I commend you, human.

Intrigued by the scratch left by Grady’s unique trait, Pollux proceeded to look around for his next opponent. However, Janed charged at him before he even turned his head, fully aware she had no way of defending against those cast-iron fists.

I have to strike first!

Janet didn’t have Hugo’s size and strength, nor the one-hit kill potential of Grady’s unique trait. Her Inertia Control merely made her swordplay more intricate. Even Leonard found her erratic strikes challenging. In fact, even someone at the Demigod Tier would find it troublesome to deal with her.

Janet’s dual blades spun like a top, splitting into dozens of phantom blades that rained down akin to a storm.

Song Blade

Sonata of Steel

Just before the storm of sword energy struck, Pollux fearlessly extended both hands. His cast-iron fists tore through the whirlwind of sword strikes, seizing the blades with precision. Despite gripping the sharp edges, Pollus didn’t bleed or even suffer a scratch.

“What!?”

Janet’s eyes widened in shock as she tried to let go of her swords, but Pollux was faster.

Bang!

Grabbing the swords with both hands, Pollux headbutted Janet, knocking her unconscious. Her nose was definitely broken, and she likely suffered a concussion, but she was still alive.

Pollux turned around after effortlessly subduing two White Dragon knights, but he was greeted with Isaac’s heart sword.

Daydream Blade

Isaac’s mind moved faster than lightning, faster than a flash of light. In an instant, the fog of blades materialized around Pollux, targeting five vital points: neck, groin, spine, crown, and heart.

Except for the cast-iron fists, Isaac’s Aura Blade inflicted significant wounds all over Pollux’s body, golden blood pouring out. Such extensive blood loss from the heart and spine signaled injuries that would have killed any normal being.

―That stings a bit. It’s been a while since I’ve been wounded like this.

Pollux, barely even blinking at the damage he had just sustained, charged at Isaac, who had assumed the Void Deity was just acting tough. To Isaac’s surprise, Pollux moved as though he weren’t wounded or bleeding at all.

The devastating fist collided with the flurry of sword strikes, sending shockwaves through the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Unlike the fallen knights, Isaac, who had already grasped the clues to reaching the Demigod Tier, managed to withstand several punches from Pollux.

However, it was clear who had the upper hand. Isaac’s swordsmanship was nearing perfection, but Pollux’s martial arts had long surpassed it. Even a slight difference became an insurmountable wall in this elevated state.

Isaac’s Aura Blade flickered dimly with each clash against Pollux’s iron fists, eventually shattering after about twenty seconds. At the same time, Isaac spat a mouthful of blood, his internal organs battered from the brutal exchange.

“Blurrghh!”

Sensing his end, Isaac clenched his fists, which seemed pitiful against Pollux’s fists. Nevertheless, Isaac was determined to fight until his last breath. As the captain, he had a duty to die before his subordinates.

However, the ending he had braced for did not come.

―Hmm...

Having destroyed Isaac’s sword, Pollux turned his back on him and looked at Leonard, who had silently approached from behind. Pollux had planned to kill or incapacitate all four before Leonard got close, but he had underestimated their resilience.

The Void Deity scratched his head and addressed Leonard.

―Your comrades are impressive, human. I aimed to kill everyone except the woman.

Leonard asked, “Why spare her?”

―Isn’t it obvious? She was to be my war trophy!

Pollux laughed along with his bold declaration.

A regeneration ability based on immortality? That’s troublesome.

The wounds inflicted by Isaac were already healing.

Unlike his brother Castor, Pollux was born with the gift of immortality, making attacks like Isaac’s heart sword incapable of inflicting fatal damage. He could move freely despite having sustained damage to his spine and heart, proving his body defied mortal limits.

Even Leonard would find it challenging to match him without the Southern God Style.

―It seems I was summoned because of you. O’ human who vanquished my brother, state your name!

Leonard could have refused, but seeing the depth of Pollux’s martial prowess, he decided to answer.

“My name is Leonard.”

― I am Pollux, the God of Pankration. Then, shall we begin?

“Indeed, we shall.”

As soon as Leonard raised his sword, Pollux stepped forward, his figure vanishing without a trace, leaving no afterimage. He moved akin to a phantom, blending illusion with reality.

Leonard, familiar with the principle behind such footwork, smiled and moved to intercept him. Though Pollux’s movements were considered an advanced martial art in murim, it still fell short compared to techniques like Heavenly Demon’s Dominating Steps or Wave Subtle Steps.

―You should know that catching up to me means nothing!

Leonard managed to predict Pollux’s moves, but the Void Deity merely laughed at him in response. Then, he unleashed a barrage of punches, a technique similar to Overturning Fists[1], with each strike straight and powerful enough to destroy even an Aura Blade.

“Indeed.”

Leonard crossed his two swords to meet the onslaught. His stance resembled Janet’s, but his martial arts were several times more intricate.

Five Elements Style, Two Swords Style

Azure Dragon Sixteenth Form: Wind, Waves, Thunder & Lightning

Burning with blue augmented energy, Leonard’s blades formed a precise net to intercept Pollux’s punches, which came like a raging thunderstorm. However, instead of blocking them directly, Leonard steered the punches off course by striking at Pollux’s hands.

Pollux ended up missing Leonard, his punches unleashing an explosion in the air a few meters away, causing Leonard’s hair to flutter in the aftershock.

It went just as expected. Unlike Grady, who had confronted Pollux head-on, or Janet, who had allowed herself to be overpowered, Leonard had chosen a different strategy.

I would be able to last longer than Isaac with the Five Elements Augmented Qi, but that’s about it. I can’t do anything to Pollux’s cast-iron fists without utilizing my unique traits.

Seeing the results of Grady’s Penetration trait, Leonard understood that Pollux’s cast-iron fists were both powerful and durable. Targeting them directly was unlikely to be effective.

Leonard observed Pollux closely as he continued diverting his attacks. Despite understanding Pollux’s footwork perfectly, he couldn’t find any openings due to Pollux’s advanced fist art, which placed him at a disadvantage the longer the fight went on.

...No.

Just as Leonard thought he was running out of options, he noticed with his Dragon Eyes that Pollux’ presence was beginning to fade. Perhaps his time in the material world was limited due to having been summoned by Castor, and engaging in combat with Leonard was hastening the end of that time.

Realizing this, Leonard saw no need to rush.

Five Elements Style

Black Tortoise Ninth Form: Great Moon Anti-Yin Mirror

Leonard managed to deflect an unavoidable attack and took a step back to recompose himself. Like Isaac, Leonard was close to Pollux in terms of skill, and all he needed to do was stall for time. With this strategy, he would manage to not get overwhelmed.

Blade and fist kept clashing, shockwaves rippling through the air.

Kaboom—!

Although Leonard’s physical strength was inferior to Hugo’s, he was ultimately more powerful due to his Dragon Heart, which continuously replenished his internal energy.

The power inherent in the Five Elements Augmented Qi neutralized the destructive power of the cast-iron fists, maintaining a stalemate. Without it, Leonard’s sword would have shattered within seconds.

The Five Elements Style

Vermillion Bird Twelve Form: Scorching Flame Edge

The sword strike, arriving just before the cast-iron fists extended, stopped them in their tracks. Leonard, growing accustomed to fighting Pollux, found it increasingly easy to maintain the stalling strategy.

―Hmm.

Seeing Leonard withstand his cast-iron fists, Pollux began to show signs of frustration. Time was running out for him. He had hoped to force Leonard into a decisive clash and end it quickly, but now he found himself in a position where he had to reveal his trump card first.

Although he had been summoned imperfectly, Pollux hadn’t thought he would be pushed to this extent by a mere mortal. He bitterly acknowledged his predicament as he spoke to Leonard.

―Well done, Leonard. Pushing me this far... I commend your skills and judgment.

With that, Pollux aligned his fists in a new stance, one Leonard had never seen before. Realizing it was time to use his conceptual martial arts, Leonard poured his focus into his Mindscape. A single misstep would lead to his demise under those cast-iron fists.

―Here I come.

Announcing it in a deep voice, Pollux charged at Leonard.

Boom—!!

As a fist fighter, Pollux’s ultimate strike maximized both weight and technique. The Void Deity surpassed the speed of sound, appearing right before Leonard.

It was unavoidable, inescapable, and unblockable. With no choice but to counter directly, Leonard raised his sword, preparing to unleash the Northern God Style.

Rumble...!

However, the sky suddenly darkened with heavy clouds, signaling an impending lightning strike. Witnessing this, the contents of the Subjugation Order flashed through Leonard’s mind, and the realization hit him.

The report mentioned that Castor once summoned Zeus’ lightning. Pollux was summoned here in Castor’s place. What if Castor’s privilege has been transferred to him...?!

Leonard’s suspicion was confirmed when he locked eyes with Pollux. The smirk on Pollux’s face made it clear—he intended to use both Zeus’ lightning and his ultimate strike to deliver an unavoidable death blow.

At this juncture, Leonard’s only option was to counter.

Canceling the Northern God Style, Leonard prepared to face the double threat, one from above and one from ahead.

Here it comes.

With his accelerated perception, Leonard saw Zeus’ lightning bolt take shape in the sky.

The spear-shaped bolt descended on him, and at the same time, Pollux dashed forward and swung both of his fists, empowered by his entire weight and momentum, aiming to pulverize Leonard.

Even Demian would have been forced to fight seriously in this situation. Leonard, facing the simultaneous attacks of a Demigod Tier being from two different directions, had only one course of action.

Eastern God Style

Authority Nullification Technique

Rightful Return

Demian had once told him that a god’s authority could distort the world’s laws at will, but Leonard’s unique ability could counter that. Trusting his advice, Leonard committed to a desperate gamble.

Invoking the image of a blue dragon, he targeted both the descending lightning bolt and the incoming fists. An upward slash intercepted Zeus’ lightning bolt, cleaving it and releasing the roar of a dragon.

1. Imagine Luffy’s Gomu-Gomu no Gatling Gun. ☜