Chapter 423

423.

Luke’s pupils quickly followed the trajectory of Aina’s sword as she drew it.

Clang-!

Luke desperately deflected the sword aiming for his neck.

‘Fast.’

First-year class representative.

Aina’s sword was faster and sharper than Luke had imagined.

That wasn’t all.

Clang!

The swords crossed, emitting a sharp metallic sound.

‘That’s not all.’

The speed of the golden flash embroidering the air was getting faster.

The sword, honed solely to cut down the opponent, made Luke’s heart chill.

Clang! Clang! Clank! Ring-!

It wasn’t just fast and sharp.

As the sword strikes continued, the weight behind Aina’s sword grew heavier.

And that weight turned into a crushing destructive power.

BOOM-!

“Guh!”

Aina’s sword sent Luke’s sword flying.

Taking advantage of Luke’s temporary vulnerability, Aina plunged into his arms.

Luke called upon his aura to correct the trajectory of the sword that had been sent flying and swung it at Aina.

Rip-!

A silver flash appeared and Aina avoided Luke’s sword strike with an aura step.

Luke’s sword narrowly missed.

In that instant, Aina’s center of gravity faltered.

‘A chance to counterattack!’

So far, Luke had only been able to defend against Aina’s incredible speed, but now he had his first opportunity to take the initiative.

At the moment he narrowed the distance, Luke’s eyes met Aina’s.

Her usual calm and sometimes even tranquil gaze made Luke feel a shiver run down his spine.

Luke quickly put some distance between himself and Aina.

“What is it?”

“Aren’t you going to counterattack?”

The first-year students muttered in confusion as Luke gave up the hard-earned attack initiative.

“That’s a shame!”

Iliana cried out, gripping her hair.

Chelsea looked at Iliana disdainfully.

“What? What?”

Lea, who couldn’t grasp the situation, asked anxiously.

“At the moment before, if Luke had attacked, the match would have been over.”

Eiran kindly explained the situation to Lea.

Luke wiped the cold sweat running down his jaw.

‘I broke her stance, but my attack timing was perfectly read.’

Knight-to-knight melee combat is a battle of distances.

No matter how many flashy techniques or powerful attacks are used, they become useless the moment the attack range is understood by the opponent.

Of course, calculating the opponent’s distance is by no means easy.

Since the fighting distance constantly changes according to attack patterns throughout the battle.

But Aina had accurately calculated that distance during the short exchange with Luke.

Even if her stance was broken, an attack would have been dodged.

‘If I had attacked, I would have been the one struck.’

The narrow escape was a trap to pull him deeper.

Luke took a deep breath and re-gripped his sword.

As Luke positioned himself, Aina aimed her sword at him.

As Aina took a step forward, she vanished.

In a hurry, Luke swung his sword to the right.

BOOM-!

Though Luke barely deflected the attack, filled with incredible force, he was pushed back, tumbling on the ground.

“Guh!”

Luke hastily stood up and steadied his stance.

In that time, Aina swung her sword, having advanced close to Luke.

‘I can’t match her head-on.’

Luke’s palms were numb, and his wrists tingled.

If this level of shock continued, he would self-destruct in a moment.

He had to somehow deflect the attack and minimize the shock.

Clang-!

Once again, as the swords clashed, Luke was sent flying.

‘I can’t reduce the impact!’

What made Aina the first-year representative during the first semester of the first year was the overwhelming speed and power in her sword.

But Aina’s true strength wasn’t that.

It was her swordsmanship.

Worthy granddaughter of the Sword Saint, Aina’s swordsmanship, honed since childhood, was overwhelming.

No matter how Luke tried to deflect her attacks, Aina’s techniques blocked him.

Strength, speed, and skill.

Aina was a knight who possessed everything perfectly.

‘What should I do?’

Luke gritted his teeth.

If he stayed like this, he was going to be defeated.

He looked at Aina approaching at an incredible speed with his eyes wide open.

‘If I either wait for her or retreat, I’ll just be struck by Aina’s sword.’

Luke lowered his stance.

‘Then.’

Flash-!

Luke pushed off the ground and charged at Aina.

Aina’s eyes widened instantly.

As the silver flash became Luke, rushing toward Aina, he swung his sword first.

GONG-!

‘If I attack first…’

“Ugh?”

At the moment the swords clashed, Luke flew backward and crashed to the ground.

Among those first-years who called themselves part of the Aina faction, laughter erupted.

“Brute force, huh? What did you think would happen just by charging in first?”

“What a disgrace!”

“Looks like his hidden strength is showing because he luckily made it to the semifinals.”

Those who claimed to follow Aina and called her the top student among first years didn’t understand Luke’s sudden rise from being the bottom of the class.

But contrary to their reactions, Aina’s eyes that met Luke’s were slightly trembling.

Luke was smiling.

‘What is…’

BANG! BOOM!

The sword imbued with golden aura lunged at Luke.

Luke’s silver aura countered Aina’s.

‘Getting faster.’

Aina’s eyes wavered as she watched Luke begin to respond to her attacks.

‘Even now, you’re getting stronger.’

Aina gritted her teeth.

For Aina, this semester’s final exam was the worst.

She had faced Juen in the first match.

What she thought would be an easy victory turned into a close win, one she didn’t even feel confident saying she actually won.

This feeling would haunt her continuously – she couldn’t earn Leo Flove’s acknowledgment this way.

During the final exams, her doubts grew deeper.

Thoughts that Juen, Habidden, and Shasha, all of whom she considered inferior, might have surpassed her and be far ahead plagued her.

During this turmoil, Aina realized why she had avoided and ignored Luke since the day they enrolled.

‘I was afraid of Luke Eldar.’

The day Leo Flove didn’t acknowledge her but recognized Luke, she had seen the giant potential within him.

She had an immediate intuition that he would catch up to her sooner or later.

And now, Luke was standing beside her.

At this fact, Aina felt an indescribable emotion.

Other than revenge, there was a new feeling welling up in her heart.

‘I don’t want to lose.’

She didn’t understand why this feeling emerged.

But Aina didn’t want to lose to Luke right now.

Roar-!

A flash of golden light shone in Aina’s eyes.

Whoosh-!

The golden aura surging from Aina’s body rose like a pillar into the sky.

The aura gathered at the tip of her sword.

-Ohhh! This is incredible!

Runba, who was providing commentary, shouted with excitement.

Mel, who was commentating alongside him, murmured.

-It’s the Sword Saint’s blade.

A great hero of an era, a righteous and noble knight who symbolized justice by wielding the sword for the right purpose.

“Justice.”

Aina countered Luke with the maximum attack she could muster.

‘Just stop chasing me!’

Gritting her teeth, she swung her sword with a cry in her mind.

Looking at the golden blade flying toward him, Luke felt a chill run down his spine.

‘Amazing.’

Lumeran was filled with extraordinary people.

People so remarkable that chasing them endlessly was never enough.

‘Can I even chase after people like them?’

His heart raced.

His mind trembled.

‘Could I ever stand on the same stage as them by chasing them?’

He didn’t know.

But there was one thing he had learned during his time as Leo’s mentee.

‘Endlessly despair and hit walls. Infinitely falter and bow your head.’

A silver flash surged from Luke’s body.

‘If you don’t give up, surpass those limits, and raise your head again, there’ll be a better version of yourself!’

Mana surged, and magic power roared.

Luke channeled his unique magic.

‘Ascend!’

For just a moment.

The magic that thrust him beyond his limits and propelled him into the realm he yearned to reach.

Luke roared.

“Ha-aaa-a-a-a!”

In a flash, he successfully stood where Aina stood.

The silver sword strike bisected the golden blade.

Rumble-!

The ground around Luke was devastated as he countered Aina’s attack.

Dust heavily rose.

In the midst of that, Luke gritted his teeth.

“Huh?!”

His arm screamed in agony for wielding a power that was beyond him.

‘Not yet! I can still do more!’

But he endured the pain.

‘If this is Aina as I know her, she won’t fall here. She’s bound to make one last attempt!’

Just as Luke braced for Aina’s next attack.

Through the dust, he saw Aina lowering her sword.

“You seem to have won, Luke Eldar.”

Instantly, Luke’s expression became blank.

“Your last strike was my all-out attack. Since it was deflected, I’ve lost.”

Aina’s voice, weak and fading, made Luke’s eyes tremble.

“Why… why are you giving up?”

“What?”

“You can still fight some more, right?”

Luke’s expression showed confusion.

“I said it already, I’ve reached my limit.”

“You still have the strength to swing your sword. So why claim it’s your limit?”

Luke frowned.

Seeing that expression, Aina spoke with a self-mocking voice.

“After all, the result is obvious. There’s no value in struggling against someone like me.”

Her words, filled with despair and broken spirit, had Luke respond.

“What do you mean ‘someone like me’?”

Luke gritted his teeth.

Leo wanted Luke to become the class representative.

Would becoming the class representative in this way hold any meaning?

‘No.’

Luke clenched his fists.

“You’re incredible, Aina. That’s why Juen strives her hardest to challenge you.”

“I’m not as incredible as you think.”

Even saying that, Aina managed a self-mocking smile.

“And I’ve already reached the limit. So you’ve won…”

“Then transcend your limit! What do you think of those who clenched their teeth and chased after you as a goal?”

Aina flinched at Luke’s passionate outburst.

“Incredible people are the ones I want to chase after! It’s because you’re incredible that I want to win! If you say that, what becomes of my past days where I strived with you as the goal? If you’re going to give up this easily, compensate me for my suffering first before you do!”

Seeing Aina reproaching herself, Luke went crazy and shouted.

While looking at such Luke, Aina turned pale and asked,

“Ho, how can you compensate…”

“There’s no way to compensate!”

‘S-scary.’

Upon seeing Luke’s wild glare due to a surge of resentment against the hardship of previous days caused by Aina, she involuntarily stepped back.

The dust cleared.

Watching such Aina, Luke said:

“If you want to run, at least give your best against me first.”

Luke readjusted his sword grip.

Seeing that Luke, Aina glanced at her own sword.

‘Grandfather, have you ever wanted to run?’

‘Many times.’

Kalyan, the Sword Saint, laughingly patted his great-granddaughter’s head.

‘But you always overcame them, right? Because you’re the Sword Saint.’

‘Nope. I ran away many times.’

Kalyan ruthlessly shattered his great-granddaughter’s innocence and chuckled like a snake.

Shocked, Aina looked up at Kalyan.

‘But…’

Kalyan smiled faintly.

‘I didn’t just run. After doing everything I could, after challenging my limits multiple times, I ran when it was still impossible.’

Catching his great-granddaughter’s hand, Kalyan said.

‘Aina. You can run after doing your best. Then you can challenge again.’

Remembering old times, Aina gripped her sword.

‘Grandfather.’

*

‘The atmosphere has changed.’

Leo, who had been watching the two’s duel, his eyes lit up.

‘A little… the eyes became more like a Hero Candidate’s. Good.’

Smirking as he saw Aina, Leo’s expression vanished momentarily before returning.

Leo stood up.

“Where are you going?”

Celia looked at him curiously.

Smiling at Celia, Leo said,

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

With that, he left the audience seats.

He felt a familiar presence not far away.

Leo’s red eyes flashed.

A power too weak to be noticed.

But Leo clearly remembered the owner of this power.

‘Demon King.’