Light, a longsword, resolute eyes, a fearsome Battle Intent, and unparalleled combat skills.
He was half-human, half-horse, with outstanding achievements and a lifetime of military service, yet he gained nothing but an empty reputation.
He was Mar—no, he was the Church Hunter, Ludwig.
On a summer night, a gentle north wind swept across the manor's grassland, making it exceptionally cool.
Above the grass, small flying insects were particularly visible in the light emanating from the distant mansion.
On the grassland, two figures of similar height but one sturdy and the other slender stood.
The sturdy Old Knight wore a light, thin armor, drew the gleaming silver rune longsword from his waist, and held a standard shield in one hand, full of Battle Intent.
Although far inferior to the heavy armor used on the battlefield, knightly duels didn't require worrying about sneak attacks or stray bullets; everything was focused on agility—for any opponent, wearing armor and carrying a shield was a sign of due respect.
On the other side, the young hunter in a black trench coat held a Church Stone Hammer, but he removed the heavy hammerhead and dropped it to the ground, drawing out the nimble Church Silver Sword within.
Fighting an opponent of this Rank, even if it wasn't a life-or-death battle, Goki wouldn't use slow, heavy blunt weapons.
The superhumans of Terra had no mercy like Hidetaka Miyazaki; as long as their skills were proficient, whether it was Shining or Skadi, their attacks could be continuous and seamless, giving no opening for a stagger—it was like asking an Old Hunter who couldn't parry to fight the Waterborne Rin next door, truly a difficult task.
And now, Goki could only ensure his absolute flexibility, especially when facing—such an enemy.
"I am ready, Mars Ling Guang, sir. I am eager to see just how strong the'Strongest of Kazimierz' truly is."
Goki was equally full of Battle Intent, smiling as he looked at the Kuranta elder before him, his sword-wielding hand trembling slightly—he hadn't been this excited in a long time.
Goki saw no distortion of the First Speaker in this old man, no ferocity of the God of Burning Wind, nor the madness of the Celestial Envoy; there was only calmness and serenity.
This robust old man exuded no imposing aura at all at this moment, appearing even more restrained than Shining usually was—even if, in front of Shining, he might only be a young man.
But in Goki's mind, this seemingly kind and benevolent old man constantly emitted danger signals—this old man was extremely dangerous.
Although not life-threatening, in all his time on Terra, apart from the one time the God of Burning Wind, that brute, aimed at him, very few attacks had made Goki feel a threat to his life.
But here, Goki truly believed that if it were a life-or-death battle, he would definitely have to bring out all his hidden trump cards.
It was such an old man who reminded Goki of an old friend—or, more accurately, an old opponent.
Long ago, when he was still in Yharnam, Goki had encountered that Old Hunter who could be called the strongest—and had been killed by him countless times.
This Old Hunter's seniority might not be comparable to Gehrman's, but as the first Church Hunter who followed the Church, believed in Laurence, and fought for the peace of Yharnam after Gehrman and the Healing Church went their separate ways, he undoubtedly deserved the title of strongest.
As an upright and pure hunter, he never had overly complex thoughts; his distinction between good and evil was incredibly simple. To save Yharnam, he killed countless beast-transformed humans, even beast-transformed hunters.
He continued to hunt like this until he, too, was cursed by a Great One and merged with his beloved horse, transforming into a mad beast.
But when Goki knocked him into his second phase, he still regained his clear sanity, abandoned the beast's madness, and, as a proud human, engaged Goki in a duel between hunters—cutting Goki until he didn't even recognize his mother.
Yharnam had too much ugliness, and Ludwig's uprightness made him shine like the sun. In Kazimierz, the Nearl Family's existence was similar.
Both were upright, and both were associated with horses. Although their strengths were different and their endings varied, both were equally worthy of respect.
"Heh, good, satisfying. It's been a long time since I've stretched these old bones... But I'm not the strongest. New talents emerge with each generation. In another ten years, Margaret will surpass me!"
Marse's golden eyes were slightly cloudy; time had been merciless to the war hero, but he still raised his sword and shield, watching Goki cautiously.
From their brief clash earlier, Marse could confirm that this young man's strength was far inferior to his own; it could be said he was still far behind.
But for some reason, this war hero who guarded Kazimierz instinctively felt that the man before him, who called himself Goki... was quite unusual.
On this young man in the black trench coat, there was a maturity and depth that didn't match his youthful appearance—if he were a Sarkaz, it would be understandable, but Aegirians were not long-lived beings.
And somehow, the Old Knight felt that facing this "hunter," whose strength and speed were far below his own, ignited a Battle Intent in him that hadn't stirred in nearly ten years since the end of the last Uka War and his subsequent retirement.
"And you say your purpose is to hunt gods? Interesting, interesting. It seems you know a lot—but I, this old man, also know quite a bit!"
A faint golden glow began to emanate from his body, and the Old Knight wasted no more words, suddenly crouching down.
Boom!
With a heavy impact, the grassland beneath his feet instantly cracked, and he transformed into a streak of light, shooting towards Goki, easily Breaking the sound barrier.
[These super Terrans are shameless, aren't they? Everyone's a supersonic fighter jet.]
Watching the light that surged towards him with a roar, Goki's mind reacted quickly, but his body, with its low skill Rank, was half a beat too slow. Relying on instinct, he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the sword's edge that slashed towards him.
Among the powerful individuals Goki knew, Skadi, who could intermittently burst into supersonic speed with brute force, couldn't perform high-speed movements on soft, fragile ground. The only one who truly achieved constant supersonic speed was Second Captain Gladiia.
[Haha, kind hunter, it seems you've forgotten how unbelievably strong you were when you fought the Moon Presence. That Great One was like a child before you.]
In his mind, the Nona Doll was exceptionally calm. From her perspective, all of Goki's current actions were merely a relaxed journey to regain his strength.
Once Goki regained all his strength... that would be a bit boring.
Boom—
The golden streak of light swept in, a powerful charge, yet it didn't even damage the lawn along its path.
"Hey, a warrior whose mind is faster than his body is quite rare. Is your thought process quicker than your physical actions?"
Putting down his shield, the Old Knight keenly noticed that Goki had just caught his movement, but his actions were extremely uncoordinated.
And then, he patted his shoulder, extinguishing a small flame there that had been blocked by the light.
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"Oh, right, remember not to set the lawn on fire. The Nearl Family can't afford new turf, I transplanted this from the wild."
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