The Seven Demon's Tamer

Chapter 26: Crusher vs The Black Devil

And finally, the last match we have on our schedule for today will be against our champion and his opponent, Black Devil.

The announcer's voice boomed through the arena; the dramatic elongation of the challenger's name caused an uproar of cheers from the audience, with excitement in their eyes. Some leaned forward in their seats, while others stood to get a better view. This is the last fight for Crusher, and the fight that is going to determine if they would win their bets or lose.

Normally, they were always tense while Crusher fought; in fact, they were always at ease, expecting a guaranteed victory, but the fights that had been going on so far proved otherwise. Crusher nearly lost against Green Bloody, particularly at the beginning of their fight. They could only hope no one would give him a hard time anymore.o do with just a single hand. Crusher is a red mark, the strongest mark among humans, excluding Ryder of course.

"What the hell!" Crusher's eyes shot wide open, as beads of sweat dripped down his face due to nervousness for the first time since he became a summoner. "He stopped my attack!"

Quickly leaping backwards, he distanced himself from Black Devil, reassessing his opponent with his eyes. Gone was the prideful and nonchalant attitude; he was taking things seriously for once, just after his first attack.

"If I may ask, are you a red-marked summoner?" Crusher's curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to ask.

This was his last battle, so he wasn't in a hurry. In fact, the more he delayed, the more he could analyse his opponent.

Ryder suddenly tilted his head and raised it upwards, enough for the red, glowing pupil of his left eye to be visible through the dark shadow of his cloak. His reply to Crusher's question was just a single taunt.

"Nervous?"

Crusher's face darkened, the curiosity replaced by something harder, colder. No one mocked him and walked away unscathed—certainly not in front of a full arena of witnesses who respected him.

"Iron golem," Crusher called out, agitated by Ryder's reply.

His iron golem, which had been inside his mark, suddenly flashed into reality.

"Do not hold back," he spoke coldly toward his familiar. "Because I won't."

Upon hearing the command of his master, the iron golem gave its reply with a single nod.

Unlike most brown-marked and some orange-marked beasts, red-marked beasts aren't ordered solely by the emotion of their summoners, but they can also understand oral commands—they possess high intelligence.

The iron golem and Crusher both flashed around Black Devil—the iron golem was in front of Ryder, while Crusher was behind. The attack was perfectly synchronized to hit Ryder at the exact same time.

Wasting no time, they both swung their fists simultaneously at Black Devil.

"Smart move, I'll have to admit. Black Devil side-stepped. But that won't help you against me."

The speed at which Black Devil moved was too fast for both Crusher and his familiar to react. In a blur of motion that was too fast for the viewers' perception, their fists continued and collided with one another.

A powerful ripple was sent through the air, billowing Ryder's cloak, but he quickly held it in place to avoid revealing his face until the wind dispersed.

Grabbing the towering Crusher by the neck, Black Devil raised him up and slammed him to the ground, breaking the platform's surface.

Upon seeing this, the iron golem roared into the air and blasted forward with his fist extended behind his back, ready to deliver a full-power punch.

Ryder didn't even flinch or take his eyes off Crusher; he simply stood patiently, staring at Crusher, who had his back against the ground.

The iron golem was just a few meters away from him when it readied its fist, especially its fingers.

Raising his hands upward, he waited for the perfect time, and that time came soon enough. With the same casualness one might display when shooing away an insect, he raised his hand upward, waited for the perfect time, and that time came soon enough.

When his iron golem got to him, he flicked his finger at the golem's forehead.

Wham.

The impact of Ryder's simple finger flick against the iron golem's forehead sent it blasting off the platform toward the crowd.

Everyone in the way quickly fled from the predicted area of collision of the iron golem.

As its hard body crashed, it destroyed a layer of the floor.

"What the..." he began, pushing himself up on one elbow, his other hand pressed against his ribs where the slam had likely cracked at least one.

Of everyone present, Crusher was the only person who couldn't believe his eyes. He knew the strength of his iron golem better than anyone. He had faced the mightiest beasts and summoners that the arena tournaments had to offer.

He had watched it shatter big chunks of rock, bend steel bars, and withstand direct hits from explosive elements. And yet this Black Devil had knocked it away with nothing more than a flick of his finger.

What... What are you?

Ryder stared at Crusher, his head tilted slightly to one side in puzzlement.

"I'm a human, of course," he replied with confusion in his voice. "What else could I be?"

Getting up from the ground slowly, Crusher's body trembled momentarily. You know what I mean—how are you so strong?

What is your familiar's rank?

"Oh, oh, now I understand," Ryder spoke, nodding as if Crusher had just clarified a minor misunderstanding. "I already told you before that I won't disclose it, didn't I?"

Raising his hands upward, Crusher clapped once, and his familiar was summoned behind him in a flash, teleporting from the wreckage it had caused in the audience area back to Crusher, its master's side.

"At least, give me the privilege to know your beast rank before I permit it to use its affinity."