Chapter 562: Knight Selection – Final Match

In a safe academy with excellent teachers and well-equipped facilities—an environment so privileged that noble boys and girls who have been nurtured for over three years without giving up, without faltering, and without dying—should not be weak.

However, that is precisely why they cannot be overwhelming strong, according to Kai Est Galbraith’s theory, or perhaps it should be called experience-based knowledge.

Students who excel academically can handle both magic and combat skills to a considerable degree. They anticipate various situations, imagine all kinds of opponents, and even master tactics, giving them a level of skill that sets them apart from upstart commoner knights. Yet, that alone is insufficient. With such a level, they are completely outmatched when faced with someone who has true divine talent and has survived real battles.

This year’s knight selection. The Spada Imperial Academy, which was disappointingly eliminated in the first round last year, has no seeding rights. Starting from the first round, and today, on the 11th of the New Sun month, reaching the finals. Since the result is as expected, there is no particular excitement. This year’s academy has both himself and Safi, who are Rank 5 adventurers and have even experienced real wars.

Kai’s opponent in the first round was a magic swordsman. However, not as strong as Nel. In the second round, the opponent was a female student wielding a spear, a true knight. Naturally, she was not stronger than Sariel. The third round was against a sword fighter who boasted of strength, wielding a great sword. Comparisons to Kurono are impossible.

Weak. Every single one of them. No match for him; those sheltered noble children are simply no opponents.

Although Safi reprimands him for getting too cocky, Kai ensures that his opponent gives their all. Even with the certainty of silencing them with a single strike, he draws out as many skills as possible from his opponent. While there is a small hope that there might be some challenge, Kai believes it is a matter of courtesy in a match. Since there is no exchange of lives, both parties should exhaust all their power.

“Kai, you understand, right?”

“Yeah, this time, I’ll go all out from the start.”

In the final match, the opponent is Avalon Imperial Academy, last year’s champion, who has won all five matches in each round.

The vanguard was quickly revealed to be Celis Ann Arclight, the student council president of the Imperial Academy, a magic swordsman on par with Nel. The vanguard of Spada was a swordsman of much lower skill compared to Kai. There was no choice but to concede defeat.

As if riding on their momentum, the Imperial Academy also won the fight with their second vanguard. Now, it is a do-or-die situation for our academy.

However, it was the middle guard, Spada’s proud genius necromancer Safi Maya Hydra, who stopped the enemy’s momentum here. Despite the obvious difference in strength, Safi performed a cruel act of thoroughly tormenting the opponent before delivering the final blow, securing a victory that would serve as a signal for Spada’s counterattack.

In the subsequent vice-commander match, Spada showed their resolve by clinging tenaciously and securing a narrow victory. The outcome of the match was left to the final commander battle.

“Win.”

“No need to tell me.”

“It’s not for Spada, and certainly not for you. I’m just dying to see Nel’s tear-streaked, anguished face.”

“You really have terrible tastes.”

After exchanging such a rather serious banter, Kai walked toward the arena where the spectators eagerly awaited the start of the match, with his weapon on his back.

The weapon Kai uses is, of course, his beloved simple Spada-style double-edged greatsword—though, it is actually a lookalike imitation.

In a match where life is not at stake, it is still essential to fight with as much effort as possible. This effort includes using a weapon of excellent performance.

However, using a real weapon would naturally increase the risk of death. In fact, fighting with a real sword makes it much harder to stop just short of the opponent.

Hence, the development of this Phantom Device Virtual Arms.

In essence, it creates imitation weapons that look exactly like the real thing. The shape, weight, and, most importantly, the magical enchantments imbued in them. The developer even boasts of being able to replicate curses… In any case, it creates a perfect replica. However, it lacks any offensive power.

The feel is almost indistinguishable from the real thing. But, since the weapon itself has no physical substance, it merely passes through the opponent’s body when striking with the blade. That alone is sufficient for the judges to determine the outcome of the match.

By the way, real armor is permitted as long as it does not have offensive capabilities.

Thus, Kai ascended to the arena carrying his false beloved sword.

“… Hehe, I never thought we’d actually end up fighting.”

Amidst the thunderous applause from more than fifty thousand spectators filling the colossal coliseum, Kai distinctly heard Nel’s calm voice.

In the arena with a pristine, white tiled floor that showed no trace of the previous fierce battles, the representatives of both schools faced each other.

“I never imagined I’d fight Nel one-on-one either.”

Upon reflection, Kai’s thoughts briefly drifted to Nel, the overprotective older brother who was likely not silent about this.

King Millard of the Miriald Kingdom was invited to the final match today as part of Avalon’s traditional event. Whether Nel was present in the VIP room was unknown from here. Given Nel’s lazy nature, it was almost certain he wasn’t there.

“But I’m going to give it my all!”

“Thank you. Let’s make it a good match without regrets.”

Following the referee’s signal, the knights exchanged a bow before the duel, then took their respective positions.

Facing each other were Spada’s genius swordsman and Avalon’s princess. Kai, standing on the side without a roof, was illuminated by the blazing sunlight, reflecting the imposing stance of a proud swordsman. Meanwhile, Nel, on the side with the roof, was cast in a faint shadow, exuding an intimidating presence like a terrifying monster lurking in the darkness.

An atmosphere of intense tension pervaded the arena at this moment.

“… Begin!”

Finally, the referee in white priestly garments declared the start of the match.

“Whoa!?”

In an instant, Nel’s figure vanished—no, Kai’s superhuman dynamic vision barely caught the movement.

Nel closed the initial distance of nearly ten meters in the blink of an eye. With both wings spread, she approached as if gliding across the ground. Not just moving straight, but zigzagging just out of the edge of human vision.

The terrifying skill of Air Walker. No, this movement is not just the normal version but a hybrid of Nel’s unique wings integrated into both her actions and magical theory, making it almost original.

An average person would likely lose sight of Nel, shifting their gaze left and right. However, for a swordsman, it’s not impossible to catch her.

Even so, the moment Kai nearly lost sight of Nel was because, in addition to her incredible speed, she was also using sophisticated concealment magic. To Kai, Nel’s figure appeared unusually blurred. Despite her striking appearance with flowing black ponytails and a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit, her presence seemed almost to blend into the background of the coliseum.

(Is she using some sort of illusion magic on her wings!?)

By the time Kai reached this intuitive conclusion, Nel was already within striking distance.

Kai instinctively drew his sword and launched a powerful slash.

“… Whoa!”

The clang of metal was surprisingly light, and Kai’s attack was easily deflected.

Blocking the attack was Nel’s silver gauntlet encasing her right hand, characterized by the crimson gem set into the back of the hand.

The blade, which was supposed to be an illusion, was repelled because the same Phantom Device Virtual Arms created this weapon. When two Phantom Device Virtual Arms are used, they can interact with each other, blocking, deflecting, or clashing in a manner almost identical to real weapons.

Thus, what was remarkable was how easily Nel deflected Kai’s strike. Perhaps the true astonishment lies in her ability to both defend and launch a sharp counterattack simultaneously.

“Isshiki – Tetsushi”

Nel’s left hand aimed a palm strike at Kai’s abdomen. It was clad in the same white gauntlet as her right hand, but the gem on the back was a vivid blue.

The color and sharpness gave it the force of a real blade. But Kai knew well the true power of “Isshiki – Tetsushi”, the primary attack technique of the ancient martial art used by Nel.

Kai was in a slightly precarious stance after his sword was deflected, but he executed a full-force backstep to evade the fearsome blow.

“… Ah, that was close!”

Upon landing, Kai, relieved that he hadn’t been left with a gaping wound in his abdomen, couldn’t help but shout out in surprise.

In the coliseum, not a single person mocked Kai’s reaction. It was the first time anyone had successfully withstood Nel’s initial strike since the tournament began.

“Just as expected of you, Kai.”

Nel, not pressing her attack, spoke with a graceful posture.

“Hehe, I’ve seen that ‘thrust’ from Nel before—ugh!?”

Suddenly, blood gushed from Kai’s mouth. He coughed violently two or three times, spitting out bloody vomit.

“Did… did I get grazed? Damn, this is some serious power, Nel.”

“I’m sorry. My attack isn’t channeled through the Phantom Device Virtual Arms, so the damage isn’t mitigated.”

Kai knew this. In a safe match utilizing the Phantom Device Virtual Arms, the only exception was attacks made using one’s own body, such as martial arts or hand-to-hand combat.

It’s your own body that’s used. Limbs cannot be replaced with illusions.

However, using martial arts isn’t prohibited. Barehanded combat is much safer compared to weapons or offensive magic. Minor injuries would be quickly treated by the excellent medical staff.

Nevertheless, Nel’s hands were currently formidable weapons capable of easily leading someone to death.

Those who had previously faced Nel’s initial attack, “Isshiki – Tetsushi”, had all ended up vomiting large amounts of blood, being blasted away, and crashing into the arena’s white walls.

Her brutality was so extreme that it made one wonder if martial arts might be banned starting next year.

“But, I’m sure you’ll be fine, Kai.”

The princess’s royal smile sent a shiver down Kai’s spine.

However, this shivering was not from fear. No, this was the trembling of a warrior ready for battle.

“Damn right! This is the best, Nel! Now, with you at your peak, we can fight with all our might!”

Spitting out the last of his blood, Kai firmly readied his great sword. The trembling in his body had already ceased.

Instead, a faint bluish-white aura began to emanate from his honed swordsman’s physique.

“Hehe, I think I understand why my brother gets along so well with you, Kai.”

Nel, in contrast, maintained a serene and graceful stance, her ancient martial arts form resembling a dance.

“Here we go—”

The knight selection finals were reaching their climax.

“—Whoa! That was close!!”

After another intense exchange with Nel, Kai once again distanced himself.

He had already imbued his body with the blessing of Immortal Warrior Svardias, maximizing his physical capabilities to their peak. Swinging the ultra-heavy great sword effortlessly, his storm-like series of strikes cut down enemies with the Galbraith style of swordsmanship. However, it seemed this style was highly incompatible with Nel’s ancient martial arts.

Perhaps, he had to admit the disparity in strength between himself and Nel.

“Finally, I can see the pattern in your blade work. Impressive. I used to think that great swords were just about brute force… but it’s truly a refined swordsmanship.”

This chilling sensation down his spine was something Kai had felt many times since the match began.

Despite struggling against Nel’s impregnable defense that left no room for critical hits from the start, he still hadn’t completely grasped her tactics.

And more than anything, while Galbraith’s swordsmanship appeared to rely solely on superhuman physical abilities, Nel was quickly uncovering the underlying techniques of the style during their battle.

He recalled the first time he fought Nel; it had felt similar.

It was no wonder they were siblings. Their exceptional combat sense seemed to be perfectly inherited from the Elrod bloodline.

“Heh, that’s quite the feat…”

Sweat-soaked and heated, Kai contrasted sharply with Nel, who maintained a cool demeanor as if the match hadn’t even begun. Her true strength remained an enigma.

Kai was familiar with the techniques of ancient martial arts from his time with Nel. From the initial move, Isshiki Tetsushi, to defensive and throwing techniques like Ichi no Kata Nagashi, and then to the second set of techniques, Nishiki Uwate and Ni no Kata Kaeshi, he had already witnessed them in the match. Given Nel’s current display, she might even have mastered the rare third set of techniques, which Nel rarely used.

Though Kai had never seen another practitioner of ancient martial arts besides Nel, Nel’s skill clearly placed her in the realm of a master, regardless of whether the art was widely practiced.

What put Kai at such a disadvantage was not only her mastery but also the capabilities of the white gauntlets she wore on her hands. Despite having seen them for the first time, thanks to Saphir’s research during the tournament, Kai knew the name and secrets of Nel’s gauntlets.

They were called Celestial Dragon Palms: Blue Sky and Crimson Night. A national treasure of Avalon passed down through the Elrod royal family.

Legend had it that these gauntlets were crafted from materials taken from a fearsome white dragon that once attacked Avalon. The gauntlets’ shining silver armor was made from a special metal alloy of divine orichalcum and white dragon scales. The red and blue gemstones embedded on the gauntlets were said to be replicas of the white dragon’s odd-colored eyes.

These gauntlets bestowed exceptional abilities upon their already formidable armor.

‘Reflect’ and ‘Drain’ were almost like cheating…

Kai had experienced the gauntlets’ powers firsthand. The right-hand gauntlet, Crimson Night, possessed the Reflect ability, which repelled attacks. The left-hand gauntlet, Blue Sky, harbored the Drain ability.

The reason Nel could effortlessly deflect Kai’s initial strike was due to the reflection capability of Crimson Night. With Nel’s skill and the gauntlets’ performance, it was no surprise that she could handle Kai’s storm-like series of attacks with ease.

Reflect was exactly as its name suggested: it deflected all forms of force. Whether it was physical impacts like punches and slashes or magical effects such as intense flames and holy light, it could repel them all.

Drain absorbed all forms of force, contrary to Reflect, which repelled them. Originally designed to siphon magical energy, the Blue Sky gauntlet’s Drain ability astonishingly absorbed even physical impacts.

When Kai’s signature technique, Great Impact Break, was absorbed, he felt a rush of anxiety.

(But it’s not invincible. There must be limits to its abilities.)

If Reflect and Drain could truly handle any amount of force, Nel would undoubtedly be the strongest being in the world. But such an ability is impossible. Neither magic nor dragon power can grant such an all-encompassing, limitless ability.

Both Reflect and Drain have their respective capacity limits. Attacks exceeding this limit will break through the defenses.

(But it’s not something that can be broken through just by sheer power…)

At least, with his current abilities, Kai lacked the brute strength to force his way through. Even with his full power and divine protection, it was evident that Nel’s gauntlets and, more importantly, her exceptional skill in ancient martial arts would fend him off.

(To win, I’ll have to take a gamble.)

It wasn’t a particularly favorable one.

However, to overcome Nel’s formidable talent and prowess, he needed to take a risk, something he had painfully realized in past battles.

He had no hesitation. To defeat a strong opponent, he had to gamble. Betting his life on the line. Only by winning that gamble could he obtain greater strength.

There was no reason not to challenge her. It was what he desired.

Kai resolved this would be his final effort and prepared his sword. Although he was unlikely to die, he braced himself for a period of recovery in the temple after the match.

“Alright, here we go—wait, Nel?”

His advance halted.

It wasn’t that Nel had taken the initiative. Quite the opposite. She was exposing an unexpected vulnerability, seeming almost out of place for the middle of a match.

“She’s not looking at me. She’s completely turned away, exposing her back with those beautiful white wings completely unguarded.”

“What’s going on?”

Kai couldn’t imagine that Nel had suddenly decided to use some kind of trick. It was more likely that Nel had sensed something significant enough to make her abandon the fight with Kai.

“I… I sense a very large force.”

“What? What the hell is that—?!”

Kai realized the “large force” Nel had mentioned a moment too late.

It was the presence of magical energy. Although it was quite far away, it exuded an overwhelming pressure that made his body tremble.

“W-What is this…?”

“It’s dangerous! Everyone, please evacuate! This is extremely hazardous—”

The instant Nel shouted, Kai saw a streak of light shining from the distant mountain range far away.