CHAPTER 163
DOMINATING THE BATTLE ROUNDS (1)
He was talking in his usual casual tone as if he were speaking to his grandfather, rather than addressing the dean of Knights. The rush of victory and walking over Norwin’s agitated face seemed to have momentarily made him forget the context. However, a swift smack on the back of his head from Walter served as a reminder that he wasn't alone. Hans quickly corrected his tone and answered while fidgeting with the pendant.
“A little elf gave me a generous gift.”
Walter's reaction was one of genuine surprise. He exclaimed, "That trinket!" He was well aware of the pendant's origins; it was more than just jewellery. His intelligence had also uncovered its secret – a wind gem securely encased within. Yet, no one seemed capable of detecting its true nature. "It's an artefact... but you can't use an artefact inside the judgment dome." He pointed upward, indicating the very factor that had made Hans bold in front of Norwin.
"Who says it's an artefact? Stupid Clando... I mean, its previous owners didn't know shi... I mean, they were unaware of the method to use it."
A relic of the past that no one knew how to use was intriguing for everyone listening, especially for Walter who liked collecting odd things. “Do you wanna sell it?” Walter proposed.
"No way, you're asking for my limbs here," Hans quickly denied, shaking his head. But Walter was no novice when it came to getting what he wanted. He persisted, "How about 5000 credits?"
“5000…means 500,000 gold… No, get your shit together, you idiot. You can fly with this thing.” Hans's distracted face turned focused, and he firmly rejected the offer. While Walter was undoubtedly disappointed, he didn't want to spend the entire break bargaining. Instead, he asked the question that had piqued everyone's curiosity, "Just what was the thing hunting proctors—“
“That! I really have no clue about it. It was not supposed to go down that way.” Hans was confused himself. Crying seed ran on instinct before, but now it showed signs of intelligence and even moved. His once invincible weapon just turned into a double-edged sword that also saw him as prey. He shivered at the mere thought of it, but Walter asked another question, the most important one, “Are there any witnesses? I know you just threw shit on Norwin’s face publicly. I’m asking if there is someone left problematic —”
“I'm not that sloppy. No one will remember when there’s no one to remember, right Professor?”
“Oh, I raised you well,” Walter said chuckling, but Rudolf had his own opinions. He knew Norwin wouldn’t take this lying. Hans’s stunt might have cornered the Alliance head and made him untouchable for the time being. Since his little boy’s life was now the reputation of the world’s first-rank knight. However, it also marked him as the clear enemy in Norwin’s eyes. Rudolf finally spoke, his words coming from his heart, “Remember kid, always thinking yourself as invincible is a disease. Many far stronger than you perished thinking the same.”
“I know g… Dean. I was asked to pass the things I can’t handle to elders. It's not just a matter between me and that trashy first rank. I dragged two giants - Concordia and Alliance in the cute prank he pulled me in. I also know I can’t be as passive as before.” Hans looked at the high seat, at the grumpy Hero King, muttering, “He must be feeling so restless now.”
Meanwhile, Chris was in turmoil, thinking, “Do, I have to use it against Hans.” He looked at his friend, laughing and depicting all the things he had done during two days. “Yes, I’ll put my everything on the line to fight you, my friend.” He concluded, “That’s the most honourable thing I can do as a knight. So you better bring your A-game or you’ll lose—Zzzing..” The signal for the second round, the first match sounded and Chris jumped into the arena without looking back. His name announcing loudly, “Chris of Concordia vs Obi of Mage Tower.”
Chris gazed at his opponent, a slender figure with a coy smile. "Why is my first opponent a girl?" He glanced at the audience, where his father watched from afar. "Finally, he's out of that prison-like home. I want to show him that he can rely on me," he muttered. "Father, just wait a bit. I'll prove myself here, so instead of being remembered as a traitor, you'll be remembered as my father. And for this, I must break the promise I made to you." He turned to his opponent. A mage versus a knight often resulted in the knight's victory, but Hans was a prime example that it wasn't always true. "I need to overwhelm her—"
“Hey, Chris.” Hans interrupted, shouting from the back, so he turned. “Remember, gender equality. You better bury her or else —” Chris raised his hand, hinting he understood, “Yes, I got my answer. She is a mage before a girl.” Raising his sword, extended forward, resting on his left wrist with the point threatening the opponent. The starting stance of imperial swordsmanship.
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While her opponent started channelling her mana, “So, does your wound still ache? Captain used a nasty pain enhancer drug —”
“I thought,” pointing at his back, Chris interrupted, “Hans was the only blabbermouth in fighting. I guess all mages are the same.” Bending his knee a bit, he lowered his body, ready to launch himself forward, his purple aura engulfing him like wildfire. As there was distance between them, the girl Obi started with quick casting.
~Fireballer~
“Dud..dud..dud” fireballs rained like a Gatling going off, rapidly shooting at Chris. It was quick and filled with precision. Chris was only managing to avoid it by hair’s breadth, and the more he moved, the more accurate it started to become.
“Run like a horned rabbit. Eventually, I will corner you.” Obi taunted, “Our mage tower is far ahead of others, integrating tracking formulas in our spells.”
“If I can’t avoid it, I’ll have to take it head-on.” Chris stopped evading, his aura reaching to full grade 30. He deployed the aura shield, a technique of shrouding himself in toughened aura sheets. One after another a layered barrier formed around his body and took the pulsing fireballs directly. The force of the impact was not something he could cancel, and it started to show as he began to be pushed back. Moving several feet away from his initial position.
However, every spell has constraints for how long it can be maintained and Fireballer came to its limit too. With a horizontal slash, he cut off the smoke, blowing it away and got ready, taking his initial stance again. “I’m coming, get ready.”
Skill - Surge
Transforming his stored aura into its original form, lightening, which coursed in his body giving him a god-like reflex for a short time and aided with the trickiest swordsmanship. He reminded others of Rudolf, a terror for any mage.
“Where is he?” Hans jumped from his seat, his ManaVision trying to locate Chris but the only thing he could catch a glimpse of was lightning moving at super speed, “This is troublesome.” He thought focusing on Chris’s movements in the arena. “So he can do this!”
Meanwhile, Chris shouted at Obi, declaring, “You are not my target. Get Lost!”
He was well-versed in tackling mages, his training since birth had given him many experiences. “She wants me in close combat.” He looked at the obvious openings asking him to just close the distance. It was a commonly accepted convention that in close-range combat, a knight typically held a significant advantage, but seeing Hans handling things. Chris already had forgone that prejudice. He lunged close, superimposing over Surge skill, and he added another.
Skill - Crescent Moon strike
As he shouted the name, many turned their attention from the boy to a grumpy old man grinding his teeth. It was Rudolf’s self-created skill, a concentrated charged lightning arc, a horizontal strike travelling ahead of the body, destroying any obstacle before the knight. It was a magnificent copy of the Warlord’s skill, and the creator himself wasn’t the only one surprised.
The attack basically destroyed every spell Obi was casting to stop Chris’s charge. It was fast and like other mages, she also lacked mobility. The very reason why it was said a knight always wins in close combat with a mage.
“So he copied Dean’s skill.” Cherrina the group’s healer asked, so Walter responded, “He is good but not that good. It's probably his father’s doing. Do you think anyone could become the left commander of Golden Griffins? That man can deduce skills just by seeing it once.” Walter pointed by the finger, “Look Crescent moon is not over yet.”
Hans had never seen his grandfather use any of his skills before and he never got into any serious fight with Chris so his aura skills were still a mystery for him. So, paying attention to every detail he focused on the arena.
Destroying the spells like an unstoppable landslide, the crescent moon passed through Obi, jolting her with its electrifying force, leaving her wounded with a slashing pain that drew blood. But as Walter had said this was not the end of Crescent moon strike, it was a skill of Rudolf Edenberg the ninth rank holder of the world; the slashing energy, having pierced through the mage, halted a few meters behind her before swiftly returning to Chris's sword. Once more, it pierced through her, dealing a physical blow to her back. Despite anticipating the impending strike, she remained immobilised due to the lingering effects of an earlier assault.
She had a deep slash from front and as well as from back on top of that she couldn't access her muscles or mana, Chris moved towards her, glancing back at Hans who seemed to be lipsing —“Do it. Do it”
He sighed and turned back to stunned Obi who couldn’t even speak. “You were saying something about my wounds, aching,” he asked, stating, “don’t hate me much, I’m just returning your favour.”
With a loud war cry, he stabbed right at the place where he was stabbed, avoiding any vital organs but inflicting the same pain that he felt. After pulling the sword from her back he threw the mage, making an arch of trail of blood in the air. “She is done.” He declared, marching back to his team. This marked Concordia’s junior team’s second ruthless victory. It was evident to all that these two were out for blood.
The one who was cheering like crazy was none other than Hans. Jumping in excitement, he welcomed the victor by bear hugging him, almost choking him.“You are a bad influence, Hans. I was a good boy. A really good boy.” Chris mumbled, he was a calm-natured person and followed the codes of a knight, wowed to uphold them, so when he pierced the helpless Obi everyone who knew him well was surprised but the Audience was like Hans. They came here to see the blood, and what is better than the Mage tower or the Association’s blood which looked down on them. So they eagerly waited for the third person from Concordia, the pretty girl from the trio.
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