## Chapter 229 – Training (3)
As always, the 5th District was peaceful. Alexa cautiously approached Clara, who was spending a pleasant time caring for animals alongside the people.
“Your Majesty, we have a problem.”
Clara, who was feeding a cow, stopped at Alexa’s words.
“A problem?”
“Yes, the Demon King of the 6th District suddenly came and is causing a ruckus… Shall I handle it?”
It wasn’t a boast to show her loyalty. It was a calm tone, genuinely believing she could handle the problem herself. However, sending her children into dangerous situations didn’t suit Clara’s personality.
“Hmm… Is there some issue? I’ll go for now.”
Alexa, seeing Clara preparing to leave, said in a flustered voice.
“Wait a moment. You’re not going alone, are you? He’s a dangerous individual who might do anything. After all, he killed the previous Demon King to take his place…”
“That’s why I’m going.”
She passed the task she was doing to Alexa and headed to the location she was told.
Before Spade managed it, the mountain range was a living hell. A scene of survival of the fittest, with countless demonic beasts entangled in battle. Orka stood aloof at the center of it all.
Clara approached Orka and asked in a friendly tone.
“Aren’t you the new Demon King who just ascended the throne? Do you have some business with me?”
Orka slowly turned her head and grinned at Clara. Beyond her red eyes, a fighting spirit was burning.
“Business? I have plenty. I heard you’re the strongest around here? Let’s fight.”
Clara laughed and waved her hand.
“I’m the strongest? There are many stronger people than me. I’m just a housewife who wants to live peacefully. Instead, why don’t we….”
“Enough. You’re not worth listening to anymore.”
Orka cut off Clara’s words and instantly closed the distance. Flames were rising from where she kicked off the ground.
At the same time, Orka’s figure disappeared from sight. She lowered her body and quickly thrust her fist upward, accurately striking Clara’s chin.
A blow using her entire body, and the feeling of it landing was excellent. Even if it wasn’t enough to knock her down immediately, it would have caused considerable damage, or so Orka thought. In her many battles, she had never seen anyone who was unscathed after being hit by this punch.
However, there were countless strong people in the world that she didn’t know about.
Clara hadn’t put her full strength into guarding against the next attack, but she looked at Orka without a single drop of blood on her.
“W-What are you doing all of a sudden?”
Orka, who had attacked first, wore a bewildered expression at her nonchalant appearance. But her face soon twisted with delight.
“So, the rumors weren’t just boasting, huh? A blessed body that can’t be penetrated by any attack… Perfect for an opponent!”
Orka kicked Clara’s stomach hard to create distance, then regained her stance. Clara, who had met all sorts of strong people, recognized the stance even though it was her first time seeing it.
Once, in an era when everyone had forgotten the name of martial arts on this land, it started with Arwen. The movements she devised were overly flamboyant and only used in festivals, lacking practicality and lethality, so they were abandoned. Every move was a deadly technique aimed at the opponent’s vitals to end their life, but those already accustomed to the convenience of magic and special abilities didn’t even think about learning it. They didn’t feel the need to struggle and move their bodies to fight.
I heard there was no one to carry on Arwen’s legacy after her death?
As if not allowing further thought, Orka’s body, rushing toward her, swayed greatly from side to side.
In an instant, her body tilted sharply to the left, staggering.
Not missing the gap, Clara reached out her hand. If she just applied force, Orka’s body would be slammed to the ground, giving her a chance to subdue her again.
However, Clara’s hand brushed over Orka’s shoulder. Orka’s body, floating in the air, spun around once and then struck Clara’s temple with her heel, where her balance was broken.
Even if she possessed a body of steel, she couldn’t help but stagger if attacked in a vital spot unexpectedly. Moreover, the opponent was not just some random nobody but the Demon King of a district.
“So… I can’t just let it go, huh?”
Orka was not intimidated by Clara’s changed atmosphere; rather, she burned with even more fighting spirit. It was rare to meet such an opponent.
An extreme amount of feints flew in from the exaggerated movements.
Multiple false moves were laid out for a single successful strike, but she wouldn’t be fooled twice.
Clara watched Orka’s movements until the end, then grabbed the tip of her hand as it flew toward her neck.
Clara, having grabbed Orka’s hand, bent her wrist and forced Orka to kneel. Even in a completely subdued situation, Orka didn’t lose her fighting spirit. Rather, she was furious that her past glory, where she had never been pushed back by strength, had been tarnished, and she strained her neck.
“Losing in strength? Me?!”
Clara, whose initial kind tone had disappeared, said coldly.
“I need to fix your habits.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Clara’s knee accurately struck Orka’s chin.
Thwack!
In the pain of feeling like her chin would be torn off, Orka flailed her hand wildly as if in desperation.
However, she couldn’t recognize that her recklessness had exposed her weakness because she couldn’t make rational judgments due to her anger.
Crack!
Following the sound of tearing through the air, Orka’s body twisted greatly to the side with an unpleasant sound of skin tearing and bones breaking.
“Ugh!?”
Orka, whose body floated into the air from Clara’s kick and then fell powerlessly to the ground, spat out blood and wore a painful expression.
She couldn’t even remember when she had been beaten so one-sidedly.
“You already had one chance to deal with you. My mercy ends here. Won’t you go back to your district while your body is still intact?”
Orka, gasping for breath, scratched the ground so hard that blood drew from her fingernails and stood up.
“Don’t give me that look like you’ve already won….”
The flames rising from her body were enveloping her entire body as if trying to protect her. It was obvious that if left alone, the fire would spread throughout the mountain.
Clara clicked her tongue once and opened her mouth as if warning her.
“If you cross the line any further… I’ll have no choice but to hurt you too.”
Orka shouted with a delighted expression as if she had been waiting for those words.
“That’s great! A fight where we kill each other! I’m at my peak right now! Now, show me everything you’ve got!”
Finishing her words, she leaped high and spun her body around, using the momentum to slam her foot down on Clara’s head.
She barely blocked the attack by raising her left hand, but it was definitely on a different level from the Orka she had faced before. Moreover, her momentum seemed to be getting stronger as time passed, like the flames themselves.
A feeling like a firestorm that would devour everything if left unchecked.
“I have to end this quickly….”
“What are you muttering to yourself!”
The moment Orka rushed at Clara again, the outcome of the battle was decided by just two attacks.
Abdomen and head.
When her body bent forward from the intense pain in her stomach, Clara clasped her hands together and struck the back of her head as if swinging a hammer.
With a massive shockwave that shook the mountain, Orka’s body was planted into the ground.
Judging by the fact that only her legs were trembling while her head was buried in the ground, she wasn’t dead, but she wouldn’t be able to move for a while.
Clara couldn’t even remember when she had moved so vigorously. She wiped the sweat flowing on her forehead and stared at Orka, then, as if she had made up her mind, took her out and hoisted her over her shoulder.
●
“Ugh….”
Clara quietly approached Orka, who was groaning.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
Orka, after confirming that she was naked under the blanket, let out a sneer.
“What, is this your taste?”
Clara didn’t even respond to such a joke and threw a piece of clothing at her.
“Your clothes were smelly and dirty, so I washed them. Wear my clothes for now.”
Clara’s clothes were too big for Orka, but the loser couldn’t complain. Orka obediently put on her clothes and got up. She approached Clara, who was preparing a meal, from behind and cautiously asked.
“Is it okay to show your back like that? What if I try to attack you again?”
She smiled nonchalantly as if it were nothing.
“Then you’ll get scolded again. Now, stop with the useless talk and let’s eat together.”
Orka sat at the table without complaint and began to eat the meal she had prepared. Orka looked out the window and asked.
“It’s bright outside. How many hours have I been unconscious?”
“Hours? What are you talking about? You were unconscious for two weeks.”
“What?!”
Even Orka, who lived a dissolute life, knew how crazy it was to leave her district empty for two weeks. Moreover, she had only recently ascended to the position of Demon King and didn’t have any trusted aides to leave the district to with peace of mind.
Orka didn’t even finish her meal and hurriedly gathered her clothes, which were scattered outside, and left. Before leaving, she warned Clara, who had personally come out to see her off.
“Next time, it won’t end like this, so be prepared.”
Of course, Clara’s expression didn’t change at her threat, and she waved her hand casually and replied.
“Okay, be careful on your way.”
This was the first time Orka, who had visited many strong people and challenged them to fights, had experienced such a humiliating defeat. And Clara herself didn’t know that the experience had made her even stronger.
