Rise Of Demon King 76 Volume 5: Chapter 2: Yesterday...

Korkau and Orin were silently watching the sparring that was going on in front of them.

"Young Master sure is something" Korkau gulped.

"No kidding"

Orin had to agree with that statement.

At that very moment, Ren was sparring with not one, but two Demon Lords, at the same time.

Of course, since it was sparring, they were not trying to kill him, but being able to keep up with Demon Lords in terms of fighting skills was no easy feat.

No matter how many attacks Master Korgan or Sento Draco used against Ren, he managed to dodge them right on time.

If any of the punches or kicks from a Demon Lord lands upon one's body, it would cause ma.s.sive damage even when the said Demon Lord is holding back.

Korkau and Orin could personally attest to that fact.

"I challenged Lord Sento nearly every day since joining the Tengu clan, but I can barely keep up with him. Every sparring practice ends with him wiping the floor with me…Yet, how can he do what I can't with such ease?"

Sento Draco's training, while effective, was brutally harsh.

When the Tengu clan partic.i.p.ants, along with an entire village's worth of Oni, came back to the Karatengu territory, Korkau went to greet his sister.

But due to Sento's training, Korkau ended up pa.s.sing out right in front of them, making his sister panic.

Korkau rubbed his belly.

He could still feel the impact from Sento's casual punch on his abdomen.

A single hit from Sento, even when he is holding back, was a rather traumatic experience for Korkau.

"This is boss we are talking about, Korkau"

"I understand, but still…Not even my Mantle of Ice is enough to withstand the impact from Lord Sento's punches, and he is simply avoiding them like they are nothing"

"Didn't Lord Sento explain the principle of Absorption to you as well? Boss is doing just that"

Due to both of them asking Sento Draco to train them to get stronger Orin and Korkau ended up getting a lot of lectures and sparring from that Demon Lord.

But the Absorption was no easy skill to master.

Ideally, one learned it after reaching the level of a Demon Lord, but if one who is not of Demon Lord level manages to learn it, then he will acquire strength comparable to a Demon Lord. Though learning this skill is far more risky for non-Demon Lord level demons.

Demon Lords have extremely fine-tuned control over their mana; meaning their force of will required for mana control was exceptionally strong.

Such was one of the key principles behind the skill of Absorption; one must have an unbendable will that one can project upon the mana within one's surroundings, taking control of the all the mana within the atmosphere and soaking it into one's own body to use.

However, it was extremely difficult skill to learn, much less to master.

Demons are generally used to controlling their own mana, not the mana of others, much less of their surroundings, which was why this skill was extremely difficult for demons that have relied on their own mana for all their lives.

"He did explain, and do I get how it works for the most part, but actually using that skill is another matter altogether!"

Another principle of Absorption could be understood with a.n.a.logy of flask and water.

Flask represented the mana pool, or the maximum mana that one could hold inside the body.

If the flask is already full, then it will be rather difficult to absorb additional mana without ending up rupturing the flask or spilling the water.

For Demon Lords, their mana pool was extremely large, allowing them to fit in the absorbed mana in addition to their own.

But while it was possible for non-Demon Lord level demons to learn absorption, balancing the mana within their mana pool without losing control is extremely difficult.

"But at least you are making progress"

"I can maintain the Absorption only for a half a minute before I either collapse from the strain or Lord Sento beats it out of me because I lost control over the absorbed mana…"

So far, Korkau's progress in learning the skill of Absorption was rather miniscule.

"….I just don't understand. How can he absorb mana and maintain it within his body for so long? Is his mana pool that much greater than mine to begin with?"

What Korkau did not know was the fact that Ren had an average sized mana pool, but unlike a normal demon, his body did not produce mana that he could use for magic, making his mana pool always nearly empty.

Ren only had a single mana point in his body, unlike others who had seven on average. His single mana point kept him alive, but not much else.

He had a mana pool, but it was always empty because his body did not produce any mana for him to use.

In a sense, he was an empty cup that could be filled at any time.

That was the real reason why the skill of Absorption came so naturally to him, his mana pool had a lot of room to spare for the absorbed mana, and since he could already control mana of others, the two skills of Absorption and Control complimented each other extremely well.

Strangest part was the fact that he turned what would usually be a mana disability to his greatest strength.

Ren gallantly sparring with two Demon Lords sure was an inspiring sight for the ones watching….

"I am just glad we are under his wings and have someone like him to lead us forward"

Orin smiled proudly. He wanted to obtain the strength to stand alongside his leader, and for that, getting beaten up by Lord Sento on nearly constant basis was a low price to pay.

"I suppose you are right. But seeing a demon be able to do something that I can't is…."

Korkau took a deep breath.

"As expected of the leader of Tengu clan…He may have been the one who caused my downfall, but seeing him in action, I realize, I never stood a chance from the start…"

"We can always get stronger, for boss's sake, just to relieve some burden off his shoulders"

"Yeah, I guess we can" Korkau replied.

He may have once hated Ren Karatengu, but deep down, Korkau had to admit, he admired him.

That man was the one demon that deserved his unquestionable loyalty and respect, going against him is same as fighting a force of nature, there was simply no way to win.

At least that was what Korkau believed, not realizing that both he and Orin were far stronger than Ren, at least when Ren was not using Absorption.

* * *

'What was I thinking?! Why did I agree to this?!'

Ren dodged another barrage of attacks from Master Korgan and Sento Draco.

They kept coming at him non-stop, in order to train him how to fight.

He was forced to constantly use Absorption, taking in the mana and using it to enhance his physical strength in order to keep up with two Demon Lords.

If he was in his normal state, he would have been splattered in an instant, but with the skill of Absorption, his reactions and timing were significantly enhanced.

But, facing off against two Demon Lords was very difficult and scary.

Ren knew that a single misstep would result in him getting clobbered.

Sento proceeded to throw a punch, followed by a tail sweep, which Ren managed to dodge and jump over respectively.

Just one drop kick from Sento made a crater sized indent upon the ground.

'I don't want to be hit by that…' Ren gulped. Seeing the strength of a Demon Lord before his very eyes was terrifying.

This may be a sparring match, but Ren was currently fighting for his life.

To make the matters worse, he was up against two opponents, forcing him to juggle in between them, dodging each one's respective attacks.

As Korgan's left hand came down in a chop, Ren managed to block it with his own hand.

The impact made Ren's feet dig a few inches into the soil, but Ren stood his ground.

'Even with the absorption, blocking a direct hit hurts like h.e.l.l….'

Not having the time to rub the sore spot on his hand where Master Korgan's chop landed; Ren proceeded to duck from yet another tail sweep from Sento.

The cycle of Ren barely managing to dodge the attacks of two Demon Lords continued for another half an hour, before Master Korgan spoke up.

"You have mastered the Absorption well, my grandson. But using it only to dodge and defend is not enough…."

He proceeded to speed forward and deliver a punch in Ren's direction, while standing about five meters away from Ren.

Master Korgan must have used magic, because he sent a mighty gust of wind that crashed into Ren, sending him flipping in the air, before he somehow managed to land on his feet.

"Your enemies will not hesitate to strike you down; so you must be prepared to strike back!"

Ren blocked Master Korgan's punch and then a kick, but it ended up being tad bit too strong, making Ren lose his balance and roll on the ground.

At that moment, Sento came jumped up to land feet first on Ren's body.

Rolling out of the way, Ren barely managed to save himself from meeting the same fate as the ground, which now looked like a deep crater.

"I guess it is time for me to get a little serious…" Sento extended his wings and arms, and then he proceeded to spin in place, his pace getting faster and faster as his wings and arms contracted.

Now his body resembled a swirling blizzard.

With a single jump, spinning Sento proceeded to launch himself in Ren's direction.

As Ren managed to dodge it, he noticed that the wind from Sento's attack ended up scratching him, tearing up his clothing.

Sento's attack did not stop there.

The spinning red blizzard kept attacking Ren as he kept desperately dodging it.

'It's no use. Unless he retaliates with a force of his own, my attack will not cease'

As Ren proceeded to run for his life from Sento's spinning maneuver, Master Korgan proceeded to attack him as well.

Due to using the Absorption, Ren's instincts were far sharper than usual, allowing him to detect danger that was coming his way.

His body, due to the effect of Absorption, right now was as tough as that of a Demon Lord, which was why he managed to do a feat he could never have pulled off otherwise.

As Master Korgan chop came towards his head from behind, Ren proceeded to catch Master Korgan's arm, and proceeded to instinctively flip him over with all the force he could muster, sending Master Korgan cras.h.i.+ng into the spinning Sento.

With Sento Draco's blizzard attack dispelled, both Demon Lords now stood off the ground, facing Ren, who by now already used up all his stamina.

"Again!" Sento Draco and Master Korgan proceeded to continue with Ren's training.

* * *

As Ren lay on the ground, defeated, tired, and out of breath, Master Korgan declared.

"That will be all for today"

"Agreed"

Sento nodded.

Ren managed to spar with two of them for an entire hour before collapsing.

Master Korgan approached the exhausted Ren.

"You did rather well my grandson. You managed to dodge and avoid most of our attacks, and those you did not manage to avoid you, you defended yourself rather well against. Though, you spent the entire sparring session without attacking us even once, and that is rather concerning"

Ren had the urge to say. 'It's not like I didn't try to land a hit, it just was impossible against you two. I could barely keep myself alive under your attacks for goodness sake!'

"At the very least, Young Master definitely has Demon Lord level dodging and blocking skills"

"That is true, though Ren needs to become more aggressive as a fighter, relying only on defensive tactics will only get him so far"

'Don't these two realize that I gave it my all in order to land a hit on them? Even with Absorption, these two are monsters….'

"But, you truly have progressed well, my grandson" Korgan proceeded to rejuvenate Ren, tapping him on his forehead, giving Ren some of his mana.

After receiving Korgan's mana, Ren managed to sit up. He was covered in dirt and bruises.

"You truly have come far since the day you just learned Absorption"

Ren thought on the inside.

'If Master Korgan was not my grandfather, I would never have accepted doing such intense training. I was basically running for my life all this time. What was I thinking? I mean, me, sparring with two Demon Lords….It's too insane to even think about. Even if they were holding back on their full strength, I could barely stay alive. I can't believe I am still in one piece, I wouldn't have believed I would survive if I hadn't already done it!'

As Ren took deep breath, he heard Sento's voice.

"Your concubine should arrive tomorrow, Young Master" Sento addressed Ren.

"Riiight. Thank you, Sento…"

'Sento!!! Why did you do this to me? You hitched me up with someone I don't even know! How could you?!!!'

Ren couldn't help but wail on the inside.

"Sento, is it really a good idea?" Ren managed to ask.

"Draco clan is of an ancient line of demons descended from the first Demon King, Arin Draco herself. Having your bloodline unite with the bloodline of the First Demon King is an excellent path to follow. Young Master, forgive me for doing this ahead of time, but surely, you must have already planned this since you declared that you would pick a single flower of each kind, and so, even if it is ahead of schedule, please accept this"

"Aaah…aaah…right. Of course, all part of the plan…." Ren felt a sense of dread pa.s.s through his spine.

'These two as well?! They think I already planned everything this far ahead?! Are they insane?!'

"I also agree with Sento, my grandson. Making the leader of Draco clan your concubine is a huge step towards achieving your goals. Worry not; we will make sure everything goes according to your plans."

'Again with 'my plans'? These two really think I am planning to become the big shot? Oh come on, somebody realize this is a big misunderstanding! Please, I beg you….'

"Right. I am really grateful for that, grandfather"

'Grateful my a.s.s! Now I have play along with their delusions or I will disappoint them so badly that they will make me leave the clan! I don't want to leave the Tengu clan! I have nowhere else I can call home!'

'Play along, Ren. Or it will be another village you are exiled from all over again….'

"Of course, my grandson. No matter what kind of goal you have, big or small, I shall help you, no matter what it is."

'a.s.suming that I even have goals….'

Ren could never bring himself to tell his grandfather the truth, for he did not want to disappoint the only family member he had left.

Ren knew full well how sad Master Korgan was before, so he was afraid that his disappointment with Ren might make him relapse into despair.

What Ren did not know however was the fact that Master Korgan's happiness came from the fact that Ren, his grandson was still alive, not because of Ren's 'ambitions'.

Korgan was happy that he still had a fledgling to guide.

Helping Ren achieve his dreams, Master Korgan believed, was his duty as Ren's grandfather.

* * *

After Ren changed into a new set of clothing, Master Korgan began his lecture.

"As you already are aware, mana can be shared with someone else, but there is also another truth to it. It can also be taken by touch."

As Ren kept listening, Master Korgan continued.

"You use control over the mana inside someone else's body and then absorb it into yourself. It is easiest to accomplish after making a physical contact with someone. Depending on the strength of will of your opponent, it might not be so easy. But this skill is far easier to use than absorbing mana form your surroundings. So, it would be for the best for you to use this technique when you have your allies nearby, from whom you can borrow mana to use. And unlike using Absorption, it takes far less concentration and stress on the body; overall, looting someone's mana is easier than making yourself control all the mana around you. Though this skill does have a disadvantage of needing allies nearby…."

Ren could only nod; he was too tired from today's training.

* * *

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Akjan opened the door of her room and went outside at night.

There she saw the figure of the hornless demon walking with his eyes closed.

'Is that….Ren? What is he doing?'

He was walking and snoring at the same time.

'Sleep walking?'

With a gesture of a hand he proceeded to create a portal of darkness.

'Darkness magic? He still has the mana I lent him?'

Ren now proceeded to step through the portal.

Alarmed, Akjan proceeded to make a portal for herself and stepped into it, making sure to follow Ren.

Because Ren still had Akjan's mana inside his body, she could track him down as long as he was nearby, and if he was too far, she could still sense his relative direction.

Akjan now ended up landing on soft sand near a body of water.

They were still inside the Karatengu territory, Ren just ended up teleporting himself near a pond surrounded by sand.

He apparently took off all of his clothing, and was currently sleeping on the sand, buck naked.

'Oh Ren….'

Akjan proceeded to take cover Ren with her coat and proceeded to lift him up; he was still sleeping as he lay on her arms.

No matter where he ended up sleep walking, Akjan would always find him and take him back to his room, without Ren even realizing it.

Akjan knew for a fact that Ren frequently sleep walks, and the only reason he wakes up in his room is because Akjan tracks him down every single time it happens.

With sleeping Ren in her arms, Akjan proceeded to teleport them back to Karatengu mansion, inside Ren's room.

Tucking Ren into his bed, Akjan smiled.

"Even in your sleep, your smile makes my heart beat faster…"

Her slender fingers affectionately touched his face.

"And knowing that you are happy is all that matters"

Akjan sadly smiled.

"No matter what you decide, the only demon I shall follow is you, Ren. Because….I …love you…"

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

Staying inside his room, her eyes slowly closed, and before she knew it, Akjan fell asleep next to Ren.

* * *

"Master Ren, your fiancée has arrived!" Sento Draco's voice boomed through the room, making Ren instantly wake up.

'So loud…can't I sleep longer….But….at the very least, I should say h.e.l.lo…'

Ren stood up, not realizing his state of unclothe, fell off the bed, stood up, and headed towards the door. Then, with a wide smile on his face, he said.

"Greetings!"

What followed next was a gasp from many demons outside his room.

'Ok…Not the reaction I expected….'