Chapter 153
Ernst stood atop one of the dozens of golden towers in the Imperial Capital, gazing downward.
His senses, transcending human limits, easily captured a distant location within his sight. However, shortly after, a barrier unfolded, blocking the surrounding gazes.
Ernst calmly closed and then reopened his eyes.
A red circle, resembling a cage, was drawn on the whites of his glowing golden eyes.
“That child is being foolish.”
Ernst muttered under his breath as he looked toward where Speira stood.
Speira had been born with talent that could confidently claim she might succeed Ernst, but even so, she wasn’t Ray’s match.
Ernst was curious about how much Ray would intervene, yet Ray kept a young girl at the forefront instead.
“Hmm…”
Could she be a disciple directly taught by Ray?
The girl appeared to be around Ray’s age, but considering Ray’s talent, it wasn’t surprising if he had personally trained someone her age.
If this girl truly was chosen by Ray, her talent couldn’t possibly be ordinary.
“Let’s see what happens.”
Ernst faintly smiled at the corner of his lips.
*
“It’s the battle for fourth place.”
“…”
Johanna stared intensely at Ray.
Battle for fourth place.
Johanna mulled over the strange discomfort those unfamiliar words brought.
She seriously wondered if this kid was referring to ‘that kind of meaning’ when talking about fourth place.
“…”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
Johanna swung her fist at Ray’s side.
Punch!
“Oof!”
Ray immediately assumed a defensive stance, showing no signs of panic. It was as if he had anticipated Johanna’s reaction.
As her suspicion grew stronger, Johanna’s punches became more forceful.
What started as mere “punch-punch” sounds soon turned into loud “thud-thud” impacts.
Ray, taken aback by the sudden change, muttered something about laying down metaphorical iron plates on his face.
Johanna ignored Ray’s words, thinking speaking would only make her look worse, and continued throwing all her strength into her punches.
Watching this, Speira shook her head slightly and extended her hand.
Shay, the guardian knight, drew from his waist a massive sword resembling a claymore and handed it to Speira.
Speira gripped the greatsword, which was as tall as herself, with both hands, letting it hang by her side.
“Joining in on the fun is getting tiring.”
Speira began walking toward Ray.
Initially wobbling due to the weight of the greatsword, Speira soon straightened her back and accelerated forward.
Tzzz!
Mana surged through the blade of the greatsword, erupting into a brilliant blue flame in an instant.
Without hesitation, Speira swung the greatsword, aiming to cut through both Ray and Johanna simultaneously.
Ka-gak!!!
“…Oh my.”
Speira feigned surprise as Johanna’s sword, drawn from its scabbard, blocked her greatsword right there.
Speira looked at Johanna with interest.
Though she had swung with restrained power, the greatsword carried Sword Aura. That meant Johanna’s sword also possessed Sword Aura to block the attack.
Speira took five steps back, as if giving Johanna time to prepare.
Johanna glared at Ray with irritation before pointing her sword at Speira.
Outwardly, she seemed calm, but inside, she was seething.
“…”
Ray’s joke had left her feeling terrible. Or was it even a joke?
If Ray had spoken earnestly, what was his intention behind such words?
Was it a warning that if she failed to defeat this girl, she’d lose her value to him?
Or, conversely, was it encouragement—a promise that if she triumphed, she’d be prioritized over the Empire’s beloved great-granddaughter?
Whatever it was, Johanna found it hard to take it lightly.
Krrk!
Johanna tightly gripped the hilt of her sword.
Rather than dwell on unsolvable questions, she wanted to vent her rising frustration first.
And conveniently, there was an appropriate opponent right in front of her: the small girl wielding a greatsword that didn’t suit her at all.
Johanna approached Speira quickly.
Chaaak!!
As soon as Johanna got close, Speira swung her greatsword widely.
Having already estimated the weapon’s range, Johanna easily evaded the strike and moved inward.
Considering the time needed to retrieve the swung greatsword, Johanna believed she could land two slashes before Speira recovered.
However, Speira’s greatsword changed direction far quicker than Johanna expected.
“?!’
BOOM!
Johanna narrowly avoided the greatsword.
Chunks of dirt flew everywhere as the greatsword struck the ground. In that moment, Speira bent down and rapidly accelerated.
With the sudden burst of speed, Speira’s swing caught Johanna off guard, delaying her defense slightly.
Zzziiing!!!
“Ugh…!!”
Johanna skidded across the ground, stopping just in time.
Ray observed from afar, muttering quietly.
“The Empire’s Swordmaster has every reason to treasure her.”
The combination of the diminutive 16-year-old girl and the enormous greatsword was certainly grotesque.
At first glance, one might wonder if she could even wield the sword properly, but Speira handled it effortlessly, pressuring Johanna.
‘That much brute strength coming from such a small body is impressive.’
It implied not only exceptional muscle performance but also an incredibly high efficiency in enhancing strength using mana.
Of course, sheer strength alone wouldn’t suffice to handle a greatsword like Speira did.
To control posture and balance while wielding such a massive weapon required an absurdly advanced physical sense, including impeccable balance.
Ka-ga-gak!!
The real clash began.
Johanna attempted to exploit weaknesses as she faced off against Speira, swinging her sword, but it was futile.
Speira effectively used the greatsword’s mana-enhanced crossguard to cover any gaps.
Failed counterattacks forced Johanna to retreat step by step.
It was clear that Johanna was at a disadvantage.
‘The gap lies in the fundamentals.’
Speira had access to and learned from some of the most advanced swordsmanship techniques in the Empire whenever she pleased.
While a mediocre genius might have wandered aimlessly and lost their way, Speira successfully internalized and refined countless sword arts, forging her own path.
Not to mention, the amount of mana stored within her body was astronomical.
Ray sighed.
Everything Speira had—training, education, resources—all were things Ray hadn’t been able to provide to Johanna.
Compared to the cutting-edge education and renowned swordsmanship instructors who raised Speira, Johanna’s training must have felt outdated and rudimentary.
While Speira consumed numerous medicinal herbs to enhance her mana reserves and core, Johanna had nothing but her bare hands.
The environmental gap between Speira and Johanna was vast.
For that reason, Ray felt a pang of guilt toward Johanna.
“Still…”
Even if it didn’t match Speira’s support,
Ray had done his best to help Johanna flourish with her talents.
He had taken the hand of a child who might have otherwise frozen to death on the streets and brought her this far.
“You can do it.”
Although lacking compared to Speira, Johanna had already experienced the highest level of swordsmanship in the Empire.
She endured grueling and nauseating training sessions, driving animal entrails into the ground.
Most importantly, Johanna was two years older than Speira.
This was an advantage almost as significant as the environmental gap between them.
“So show me your true potential already, Johanna.”
Even if their standout strengths differed, if their overall talent levels were similar, Johanna could undoubtedly win.
Ray called out loudly, pouring his heart into the words.
“Johanna, if you lose here, you’ll be demoted!”
“…”
Johanna’s expression crumpled as she continued to be pushed back.
Ka-kak!
Unable to fully absorb the shock, Johanna rolled across the ground again, gritting her teeth.
“Damn it…”
Johanna felt embarrassed losing a strength contest to someone two years younger.
Attempting to overpower Speira head-on despite the odds was clearly a mistake from the start.
“Huff…”
Johanna steadied her breathing, having been pushed near the boundary of Diorica’s barrier.
She had practiced countless times how to deal with opponents superior in strength.
It annoyed her to use these tactics against someone two years younger, but stubbornness couldn’t lead to failure.
Johanna’s momentum shifted once again.
Tap-tap
After lightly stomping the ground twice, Johanna dashed past Speira in a slight sidestep.
Chaaak!
At the moment the greatsword swung.
Johanna pressed her sword against the greatsword, using it as a pivot to launch herself behind Speira in an instant.
Speira immediately stepped sideways with her rear foot, bending her waist to swing the greatsword backward.
But Johanna was one step faster, rolling into Speira’s blind spot.
When Speira felt a chilling intent rise from below her waist, she pulled the crossguard close to her body.
Crack!!
The crossguard twisted and deflected Johanna’s thrust.
As soon as her attack was blocked, Johanna stomped the ground again.
Lightly and freely, Johanna continuously maneuvered her feet, circling around and probing for openings to deliver precise strikes.
Speira tightened her focus, swinging the greatsword repeatedly.
Ka-ga-ga-ga-gak!!
Despite the complexity of the fight increasing, Speira’s defense remained solid, and the destructive power of her swings was formidable.
However, compared to straightforward strength contests, this style of combat demanded constant adjustments in footing and twisting of the entire body to keep up with Johanna’s movements.
Handling the heavy greatsword made such dynamic motions quite burdensome for Speira.
Eventually, a definite opening appeared in Speira’s defense.
The erratic movements of Johanna circling around suddenly became orderly.
Chaaak!!
Johanna’s sword slid past Speira’s greatsword and lunged forward.
Recognizing Johanna’s penetrating strike akin to a snake, Speira disregarded it and thrust her greatsword toward Johanna.
Speira firmly believed both would tear flesh from each other in this exchange.
Chaaak!
Speira stepped back after swinging her sword, inspecting Johanna as blood trickled from a slash below her collarbone.
Johanna was unscathed.
Johanna had successfully evaded Speira’s counterattack by the thinnest margin.
Realizing the unilateral damage dealt, Speira’s expression changed for the first time.
“This is interesting.”
A bright smile appeared on Speira’s face.
*
Duels among Expert Knights were something one could witness anytime in the Imperial Capital.
However, upon realizing the ages of the duelists were merely sixteen and eighteen, anyone would be astonished.
Diorica, who had paid little attention until now, was stunned when the unknown girl began exchanging blows evenly with Speira.
She had thought only someone acknowledged by Ernst, like Ray, could achieve such a feat, but her expectations were completely off.
Diorica glanced at Ray standing far away, but Ray was solely focused on the two girls.
Chaaak!
Finally, blood splattered.
Jenkins, watching the battle for fourth place, flinched.
While injuries to Speira or Johanna in this duel weren’t overly concerning, the complete exposure of Johanna’s skills was deeply unsettling.
“Is this alright?”
In response to Jenkins’ loaded question, Ray nodded.
“Yes, well… Johanna has nothing to fear.”
Destiny (2)
