novelraw Chapter 204 : Chapter 204
Chapter 204 : Chapter 204
Chapter 204: Subjugation Battle (4)
A sudden request for a spar, thrown out from the first meeting.
The tone was icy. Most people might have frowned, thinking he was picking a fight.
‘Maybe that’s exactly it.’
But Gael, while thinking this, gave a faint smile and nodded readily.
He asked the vice-commander of the White Knight Order.
“Is there a place where we can spar right now?”
“There are plenty of places. Are you starting right away?”
“If he’s fine with it, I’m ready.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind either. Let’s go.”
Shouting boldly, Gael followed Count Durand Verhagen’s guidance to the training ground.
Heitz followed right behind him, and a beat later, the Mercenary King and Acanthus members trailed after. The last to remain in the meeting hall were Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder.
“Haha… fiery bunch. A spar out of nowhere?”
“It’s called a spar, but the atmosphere feels almost like a duel… Do you know anything about their relationship, Duke Muel? Any grudges or….”
“Nothing. But they don’t seem to know each other. For someone of Heitz’s caliber to be involved with a kid in his early twenties… hmm, that was rude of me.”
“Indeed, that was rude, haha. He’s a Sword Master, after all.”
Rough Schroeder chided, and Duke Muel nodded readily, admitting his slip of the tongue.
Indeed. No matter how young Gael was, he was undeniably a Sword Master. To reach such a level at such an age meant he had put in far greater effort than they had.
‘And his talent… probably far surpasses mine.’
‘I’m curious. Just how skilled is he?’
Curiosity filled the faces of the two absolute powerhouses.
They were initially taken aback by the sudden spar, but they were swordsmen too. They loved watching others fight as much as fighting themselves, especially when it was at a master level, which they welcomed even more.
With these thoughts, they arrived at the training ground. Heitz and Gael, who had arrived first and were warming up, were glaring at each other as if ready to clash swords at any moment, their presence formidable.
Rumble.
Rumble-!
A vivid blue aura rose from their bodies, visible to the naked eye, and their blades were soon enveloped in a chilling light. Both wielded Blue Swords. But those gathered thought Heitz’s sword seemed lonelier, more precarious, yet far sharper.
“Well then….”
“Shall we begin?”
That was the signal.
Dash-!
Heitz shot forward in an instant, swinging his sword fiercely. His razor-sharp strikes sliced through the air, targeting Gael’s vital points. He didn’t care that his opponent was younger or less experienced. His terrifying attacks fell as if aiming to behead an archenemy.
Boom!
Gael didn’t take issue with his opponent’s attitude.
Others might not know, but he was from Godok village. Trained to believe etiquette was something to uphold only in death, he found this approach cleaner. He lightly blocked the attack, pushed back with force, stepped back three paces, and prepared to counter.
But he couldn’t.
Zzt-!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
“……!”
Heitz relentlessly attacked, circling Gael.
His movements were unbelievably fast. The cold air in his steps reduced friction to near zero, propelling him with tremendous acceleration. As his relentless strikes came at a ferocious pace, Gael’s expression hardened, and groans escaped the onlookers. Some even wondered if they should stop the spar.
But it was a needless worry.
Gael was certainly taken aback, but it was because his opponent’s speed exceeded expectations, not because his own skills were lacking.
Bracing his lower body, he moved slightly slower than Heitz but with heavier, bolder strokes.
He swung.
And swung.
And kept swinging.
At some point, it felt to the onlookers as if a blue fortress had risen around Gael.
Boom!
Kaboom!
Clang! Clang! Clang-!
The sound of swords clashing shifted from clear to dull. Instead of meeting Heitz’s strikes head-on, Gael deflected and parried them. Seeing this, Duke Muel let out an exclamation.
“His eyes are incredible. To parry every one of those fast attacks….”
“Exactly. He should be rattled, but he’s not fazed at all. He’s on the defensive, but it doesn’t feel like he’s being pushed back.”
“Heitz must be the one surprised.”
“Hmm.”
Rough Schroeder nodded.
Though not as young as Gael, he was a forty-something Sword Master, considered the top genius in the southern continent. His sword, fueled by his intense hatred for the Red Magician, was chilling and sharp enough to overwhelm onlookers and disorient opponents.
Yet, Gael, barely in his early twenties, was perfectly countering it, leaving Rough Schroeder no choice but to marvel.
Clang-!
Dash.
Realizing his relentless attacks weren’t working, Heitz stepped back once.
His breathing was steady. Not a drop of sweat.
Those watching were astonished by his apparent ease, but Gael was the same.
Only then did they realize.
This dazzling, terrifying exchange was merely a warm-up for them.
Then, Heitz murmured softly.
“Not bad.”
“You too.”
“As cocky as your talent.”
“You too.”
“Fine, no need for words during a spar. Shall we make it more interesting?”
“Come at me.”
Gael responded boldly, and Heitz smirked at his reply.
A chilling smile.
Some onlookers felt a shiver of fear, including Konjinyu, the leader of Acanthus.
He panicked.
He had repeatedly warned against causing trouble before coming to the meeting hall, yet it felt like something was about to erupt!
But he couldn’t stop it.
He wasn’t bold enough to interrupt a spar personally permitted by the vice-commander of the White Knight Order. Nor did he have the skill to stop a fight between two masters.
In the end, all he could do was quietly watch the clash.
‘Please, let nothing happen. Our real enemy is the Red Magician!’
Muttering to himself, Konjinyu broke out in a cold sweat, focusing on the fight.
As soon as his thoughts ended, Heitz shot forward again.
Boom-!
“……!”
But this charge felt different from before.
Gael’s eyes widened as he glared at Heitz.
If the previous attacks were calculated with the expectation that Gael would block them, this one carried a resolute intent, as if staking everything on a single strike.
It felt not like a sword thrust but a full-body tackle.
‘Why?’
Why go to such lengths? The thought consumed him, but even in that moment, Gael’s body moved swiftly for the optimal response.
Evade?
Not right.
Defend?
That wasn’t right either. It would likely cause more damage than evading. Heitz’s charge carried such immense power and killing intent that even Gael’s ironclad defense couldn’t fully block it.
‘Then the answer is clear.’
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
And an attack for an attack.
Nodding, Gael slightly lowered his stance.
He drew up his full Aura.
Rumble-!
It wasn’t to brace for defense.
Like a beast tensing its muscles before a leap, it was preparation to charge forward against the opponent’s attack.
Kill before being killed.
Kill without being killed.
No, even if killed, kill!
He didn’t know why it had come to this, but Gael was not the type to back down in such a situation.
“Phew.”
He timed his move, breathing steadily.
Thanks to the countless spars with Harang over the past year, his honed mentality kept him steady even now.
Clang-!
It guided him to the perfect moment, the optimal timing.
Confidence.
The belief he could shatter his opponent’s icicle-like attack head-on!
It became reality. As he smashed through the opponent’s thrust, Gael’s form shot forward like a gale.
Boom-!
A long, deep sword mark scarred the training ground, as if a frost dragon had clawed through it.
At its end, Gael panted heavily.
But.
“……I lost.”
“Yes, you lost.”
Shockingly, Heitz was the victor.
The body Gael had shattered with all his might was merely an afterimage created by Heitz’s blue Aura.
As the fragmented body turned into Aura, scratching at Gael’s entire form, and as Heitz placed his sword at Gael’s neck from behind… Gael had no choice but to admit defeat.
Phew, he sighed.
“I’m still far lacking.”
“If you know that, strive harder. With your current skill, you can’t take down the Red Magician.”
“……I have no words. I’ll take it to heart.”
Thus, the spar, reminiscent of a life-or-death duel, ended safely.
Konjinyu and others let out sighs of relief, while absolute powerhouses like Duke Muel looked at the two Sword Masters with intrigued eyes.
‘Heitz is higher-level than expected. But….’
‘This young man named Gael is truly beyond expectations. How can someone his age wield such swordsmanship? Does that even make sense?’
Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder recalled their own twenties.
Their faces burned.
Thinking back to their youthful days, when they were excited just to reach Graduate level and went out drinking, they wanted to hide in a mouse hole.
Of course, that was the past, so they let it go.
In the present, Gael’s joining was like gaining an army. To face a notorious Black Magician like the Red Magician, high-quality forces were essential, so the two couldn’t help but smile.
‘It still feels a bit risky… but it’s doable.’
‘It’s not quite enough, but it’s not insufficient either!’
Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder thought of the subjugation team’s lineup.
Five Sword Masters.
About twice that number in forces comparable to top-tier Graduates, and the White Knight Order’s forces supporting them were, without question, the best on the continent.
The Acanthus monstrosities, though unsettling, would be helpful too. With this, they felt they could perform well even in the Red Magician’s stronghold.
But then.
Heitz spoke of an unexpected figure.
“Gael.”
“Why call me?”
“Is Harang not joining this subjugation?”
Harang?
Who’s that?
Duke Muel, frowning with that expression, belatedly realized something and joined their conversation.
“Are you… talking about the young man who won the Seton Swordsmanship Tournament?”