With Haste active, I was able to keep up with his speed, and the pair of us sparred, battling back and forth, our swords creating loud clangs that filled the burning village. Smoke billowed above our heads and assaulted my nose. The heat was pretty intense as well. As for Bernard, he seemed completely unperturbed by it. I was sweating like crazy.

After that first exchange, I hadn’t managed to land another attack on him. Thankfully, he hadn’t managed to land any attacks on me either, but that didn’t make me feel any more confident. We were fighting on the same level, and although he was concentrating, I noticed he wasn’t using any special skills. Meanwhile, I was burning through just about everything that I had to break even.

Furthermore, the town was completely on fire, and I hadn’t seen any of his soldiers or guards except for the sounds of metal clanging and shouting in the distance. I had no clue how many soldiers were in on this raid, but it would only take one to throw off the balance and put me on the run. I could make Portals now, but they took too long to do in combat. I also couldn’t flee until I gathered Garnet, who had yet to return from the Blacksmith.

I was most concerned that she had already been captured by some of Bernard’s goons. If they took her as well, I didn’t know how I would react. I considered using some of my more devastating True Hero abilities, but most of those put me into a state almost dead, and I couldn’t afford to be almost dead with absolutely no fallback.

“You’ve grown much in the last month,” Bernard said almost appreciatively. “However, it’s not enough.”

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“I still got time to beat you,” I growled as I worked my way to my feet after being knocked back by a particularly powerful hit.

“It’s true… that if you continue to grow at this rate, you may become difficult.” Bernard nodded. “Thus, it’s best to kill you now.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow mockingly. “You’d rather kill a worthy opponent to get stronger yourself?”

“I’ve… reached the limit that I can obtain.” Bernard shook his head. “In the end, I had to make a trade for this strength I have. It is only a temporary thing. Once, I had hoped it’d be enough to secure my place as a noble so that I could live comfortably and form a family in peace. However, after meeting Carmine… such a powerful woman, I will never have to fear for my family. The pair of us can live our lives together, as soon as she sees that I can offer her the love you cannot.”

“I love her!” I shouted, lunging at him.

My sudden outburst caught both of us by surprise. I was shocked because as I shouted the words, I was realizing they were true. At some point, Carmine had nudged her way into my heart just as solidly as Lydia, Miki, Terra, Carmine, and Shao. I’d never been able to see her as just a bodyguard or even as a friend. I didn’t want any other man to have her, and I wanted to be the one to be with her.

Bernard quickly got over his surprise, lifting his sword and meeting my attack head-on. At first, I thought I was going to push him back, but his sword suddenly glowed and a skill activated. His blow was suddenly ten times more powerful, and I found myself flying backward. I slammed into the wall of a burning hut. Luckily, that wall was composed of brick and wasn’t on fire yet. I could still feel hot coals behind my back, causing me to shove off it and land on my hands and knees.

Bernard had already flashed forward and was standing over my head, his sword at the ready to strike down. I shot a look up at him, and he gave a small grin.

“Once you’re gone, everything will go my way.” He lifted the sword and brought it down on my head.