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Chapter 13
Rumble! Bang—!!
Thunder rang like a bell, and lightning signaled the start.
It was as if the heavens themselves were urging the two to fight. Rian and Gerard, at that signal, simultaneously pushed off the ground and charged forward.
Clang!!
Their momentum collided like crashing waves.
Raindrops fell, yet they shattered and scattered as if unable to slow them down.
The force within their speed, the murderous intent in their actions, drew straight lines aimed at destroying each other.
The daggers they each wielded became beams of light, aiming straight for the other’s heart.
“…Is that all?”
Gerard was genuinely surprised.
The tip of the flying blade not only pierced iron armor like paper but seemed to carry the certainty of piercing his heart as well.
It was clear that Rian’s skill had improved since he had pierced his enemy’s heart with a single strike on the plains.
Kaang—!!
Gerard redirected his sword to strike Rian’s.
Partly because Rian’s longsword was about two spans longer than Gerard’s shortsword.
‘As expected, it’s not easy.’
Though temporarily enhanced, Rian regretted that he couldn’t finish Gerard in a single strike.
He had read Gerard’s movements, which had previously been impossible to catch, and the surge of his enhanced strength made his entire body respond more sharply.
He was certain that his sword tip could strike Gerard’s heart—but ultimately, it missed.
‘Still, I managed to make him retreat first.’
Rian retrieved his sword, which had been blocked, and aimed a vertical slash at Gerard.
Kakak!!
This time, it was blocked by the armor wrapped around Gerard’s arm. Simultaneously, Gerard pressed forward, adding his body weight.
He was pushing the attack back with his shield.
Tadat—.
The force forced Rian back three steps.
On the last step, Gerard swung his arm widely, attempting to press his sword down.
Tahut—!
Rian stepped back sharply while recovering his sword.
Gerard, sweeping his arm back, attempted a horizontal slash with his sword.
Kaang!
Rian barely blocked the blade aimed at his neck, but the initiative shifted to Gerard.
Kakang! Kakang!
Gerard, unwilling to lose the offensive, began attacking like a raging storm.
He advanced as Rian retreated, and varied his strikes and thrusts to keep him from defending effectively.
‘Damn it…’
Rian could only defend against Gerard’s attacks at his current level.
Even then, he occasionally allowed attacks through, resulting in slashed arms and pierced shoulders and sides.
“Didn’t you say you’d gift me death?”
Gerard’s taunt stung, like spitting on his face.
“Of course. Absolutely. Definitely!”
Rian responded with a taunt while fending off Gerard’s relentless assaults.
Kakang! Kakang!!
He could defend against the flurry—but he couldn’t finish the fight. His temporary enhancement would soon fade.
Thus, Rian’s plan was to endure some injuries and attempt a reckless counterattack to turn the tide.
Whoom!! Pook!!
It was far from easy.
He tried a middle-level slash downward, but Gerard sidestepped and stabbed his side.
The stab wasn’t deep—otherwise, he would have received a wound in his own side—but it was enough to interrupt his attack, and Gerard quickly pulled back for the next strike.
‘Is he trying to wear me down?’
Small wounds healed slowly, their pain weighing him down. Had Gerard noticed?
Perhaps Gerard knew that only near-death injuries triggered Rian’s explosive regeneration. But there was no way Gerard could have known that.
It was as if he was toying with his prey, letting it slowly weaken.
‘Or maybe he’s waiting for a big strike.’
Rian wasn’t willing to maintain this deadlock.
Whoom! Charak!
Hooong! Pook! Puh!
He kept pressing forward to match Gerard’s lightning-fast evasions.
Even when slashed, stabbed, or kicked to the ground,
Cherk—.
He rose and lifted his sword again.
“Haah! Haah!”
Rian, soaked and battered, faced Gerard.
“Haah… haah…”
Gerard, also drenched, met his gaze.
Their eyes and breaths intersected—a brief, silent respite in the ongoing battle. Only two breaths long, but enough.
Clang—!
As if reaching a conclusion during that brief rest, they charged again without hesitation.
‘This ends now.’
‘This ends now.’
The determination in their hearts matched. The only difference lay in the trajectory of their swords.
Gerard’s sword stayed low; Rian’s was high.
Their blades swept toward their targets, leaving afterimages.
Perhaps the blades would meet—but they didn’t. Though their objectives seemed aligned, their intentions differed, and the swords passed without collision.
Charak—!!
Only one sound of impact erupted.
The other blade failed to achieve its goal, letting out a scream.
“Kyaaah!!”
Rian’s strike aimed at Gerard’s neck lost direction and power, falling weakly to the ground.
‘As expected.’
From the start, Gerard had targeted Rian’s arm. He considered the neck, but the raised arm for a diagonal slash interfered.
Clear the obstacle first. Then the neck. That was his judgment, and he momentarily ignored Rian’s tip.
Plop—.
Rian’s arm was severed, and he allowed himself to collapse into Gerard’s grasp.
Cutting the neck of a fallen opponent would have been trivial.
Shuuk—.
Gerard immediately aimed his blade at Rian’s nape—but then:
Poof—!!
His side throbbed.
A cold blade ripped through flesh and pierced his internal organs. Rian pushed with all his strength, knocking Gerard back.
Crash!
Gerard couldn’t hide his surprise.
‘He’s doing this while offering his arm?!’
No sane person would act so recklessly, prioritizing gain over loss. Yet this madman stood there, spilling blood everywhere.
Gerard finally realized:
‘He’s not human… Why was I fighting him as if he were?’
Fshhh—!!
Rian threw the claw-shaped dagger from his left hand and clutched his bleeding right arm.
“How’s that for a gift? A little disappointing, maybe.”
Even in that state, he provoked Gerard.
‘As expected.’
His gamble worked.
Despite his temporary enhancement, he couldn’t catch Gerard, who moved a half-beat faster.
Rian’s movements matched Dominic’s, but Gerard anticipated and countered faster—surpassing Dominic.
‘The skill gap is clear.’
Defeat was foreseeable. Gerard’s talent was extraordinary, making his growth seem continuous.
Should he just die? No—there was still a chance.
If he could trick Gerard, with his quick reactions, he could reverse the situation.
He noticed the dagger at Gerard’s belt.
Though he had three throwing knives at his waist, drawing them could be detected—or he might be killed before using them.
So he sacrificed his arm to lure Gerard’s guard down, then used Gerard’s own dagger to strike his side.
As expected:
Plop—. Drop drop—.
Blood mixed with rainwater, forming a puddle near Gerard’s side. Rian’s own surroundings were even more soaked in blood.
‘Does it matter?’
Not at all. The pain of losing an arm was fleeting; he was too focused on grabbing the dagger and slicing Gerard’s side. Pain was irrelevant.
He even felt as if his lost arm were still attached.
“Hmm?”
Rian tilted his head, noticing Gerard’s astonished expression.
Squirm… squirm…
Blood from his severed arm writhed like it was searching for something.
‘Ah.’
Rian realized one of his immortality abilities.
His gaze fell on the fallen arm, and the blood streaming from the cut twisted like roots.
Step—.
He moved a few steps to reconnect the severed arm with the blood tendrils.
‘It can be reattached.’
The tendrils intertwined, pulling the separated parts together, muscles and bone fibers alike.
As if returning to their original place, the severed parts fused.
Squeeze—.
His grip tightened, and he felt the texture of the longsword in his hand again.
“Uwaaah!!!”
At that moment, Gerard charged with a roar.
Tadat!
Every step he took caused blood to gush. The pain seemed immense, but Gerard ignored it.
He appeared determined not to allow Rian’s arm to reattach fully. Like a ghoul, intent on finishing him off completely.
‘I will kill him!’
The opponent was no human. Even if he were, there would be no mercy. Being nonhuman, death could not be delayed.
Why had Gerard become a lowly person?
Because monsters had crushed his peaceful village. His parents were devoured alive.
No matter how much he fought, the creatures still ate their flesh. Only after decapitating his parents—turned ghouls—did he understand.
‘I will kill him!’
At thirteen, Gerard beheaded dozens of ghouls, including his parents, and many villagers.
His talent gained him the trust of Marquis Bueno Argen, becoming his shadow.
Was this what Gerard had desired?
No. He wanted to become a knight who would drive monsters from the continent, not serve power or corrupt empires.
“Ghoul!!!!”
Gerard’s eyes blazed as he slashed toward Rian’s neck.
Kaaang!!!
Rian barely blocked with his sword—but then:
Fasss—.
A blue aura surged through Gerard’s body.
‘Aura?!’
Gerard’s aura infused his sword, shattering Rian’s longsword.
