'Heh heh, what a windfall.'
Doug, a Cavalier of the Vardia Empire's Western Knights.
He had gone out on patrol and spotted enemies.
He and his comrades had arrived here yesterday on orders to support the stalled siege of the fortress.
Excited at the chance to finally taste blood after so long, but what do you know.
When they got there, the field command wasn't focusing on the fortress at all—they were digging through abandoned villages.
'They found traces related to the Sword Saint's tomb around here?'
Five hundred years ago, Sword Saint Rolan defeated the Demon King with one of the Divine Weapons, the Holy Sword Angelica.
But at some point, the Sword Saint vanished without a trace, and the holy sword disappeared with him.
Eventually, rumors spread that the holy sword was in the Sword Saint's tomb.
'And that's how word got out that the tomb is in this godforsaken wasteland.'
The two nations were fighting over territorial rights because of it.
But the field command, clueless about the exact location, was just flailing around uselessly, coming up empty every time.
'If there's anything, the odds are it's in the fortress.'
That was why they were planning a full assault on the fortress soon.
Led by the strongest of them all: the Cavaliers.
The tenacious mercenaries wouldn't stand a chance against a Cavalier—they'd be swept away.
But yesterday, out of nowhere, the mercenaries sent an envoy declaring their intent to retreat.
The command grilled the envoy before executing him.
They figured it was a ploy to buy time.
'More like they didn't want us knowing they're after the Sword Saint's relic.'
In any case, the command decided to launch the assault before the Valua Kingdom's army arrived—a week from now.
Who would've thought the mercenaries would try a night raid first?
"Coming all the way here? You've got some guts."
Doug spun the double-headed axe in his hand like a pencil.
The intruders numbered around thirty.
By the book, he should shout for reinforcements...
'But where's the fun in that?'
Obviously mercenaries.
No matter how strong a mercenary, they couldn't match a knight—and he was a Cavalier equipped with sturdy magic armor to boot.
Sharing prey he could handle alone with others? It wouldn't even be satisfying.
But one of the mercenaries stepped up, claiming he could take him solo.
"Karyl, you aren't seriously thinking of fighting, are you?"
Ralph asked with an anxious look as Karyl drew his sword.
A single enemy.
But a Cavalier, called a battlefield tank.
Ralph had once witnessed a Cavalier in action.
Even as allies, the sight of him mowing down dozens in an instant had given him chills...
"I'll buy you time. Light the fuses and run."
"What? Fuck, are you insane?!"
Ralph jumped up.
Even charging together, it was doubtful they'd land a hit.
And this guy wanted to stay and fight alone!
"You know how strong a Cavalier is! Even your father eventually fell to one..."
"That's exactly why I'm stepping up."
Karyl bit his lip hard.
If it were just an Aura Expert, they might have had a shot.
Overwhelm him together, exploit an opening.
But this was a Cavalier in magic armor.
The armor amplified defense and aura—victory was next to impossible.
Running away scared wasn't an option either. Turn your back, and you'd be slaughtered unilaterally.
"Trust me. I'll drag it out and bail at the right moment."
"...Then I'm staying too."
"Nah. Easier alone. You know that."
Ralph didn't want to abandon his friend and run.
But truthfully, staying would just get in the way with his skills.
Karyl, on the other hand?
The guy was a sword prodigy back home.
Heck, he'd even beaten an aura-using knight recently. Sure, a newbie who'd just manifested aura, but still.
"Quit wasting time and go!"
Ralph sighed under Karyl's fierce glare.
"Fine... You better live."
"Yeah, man. Haven't even gotten married yet. No plans to die."
Ralph snorted at the joke and nodded to the comrades.
The mercenaries got the message, lit the fuses, and bolted.
"Where do you think you're going..."
Karyl blocked Doug's path as he went to chase the fleeing mercenaries.
Clang! Skreeee!
Karyl blocked the double-headed axe but slid back.
The force dug deep footprints into the ground, but he gritted his teeth and held.
'Fuck, a Cavalier really is on another level.'
Just blocking one strike left both arms numb.
Sweat poured down his forehead, heart hammering against his eardrums.
Not all knights are created equal.
Those who can manifest aura outside the body are called Experts.
And among those Aura Experts, the elite with top skills and unwavering loyalty don the magic armor.
In other words, Cavaliers were the strongest of the Aura Experts.
'Oh? This punk dares!'
Doug's face twisted.
He'd overheard Karyl and Ralph's talk earlier.
But for one little rat to actually block his strike!
'I'll split his head in one go.'
Then chase down those runners.
Whoosh!
The axe powered by Doug's strength came down on Karyl's crown.
A fearsome, chilling blow.
Karyl rolled aside, eyes wide.
Boom!
The axe gouged a deep scar into the earth.
Missing the first strike, Doug unleashed the second and third in rapid succession.
Boom! Boom!
Each flashing axe barely grazed Karyl, felling nearby trees or smashing fences.
Doug couldn't help but be impressed.
"Pretty nimble for a rat."
"A cornered rat bites even a cat. Underestimate me, and you'll lose your nose."
"Puhaha! Dodging this and getting cocky! Think I don't see through your scheme?"
Doug spun the axe like a windmill and swung toward the warehouse.
A fierce blade wind arose, snipping the fuses burning toward the powder kegs.
"Planning to dodge around like a rat until the powder blows, right?"
"..."
"Not bad for a merc, but you're nowhere near my league!"
Doug casually gripped the axe tighter.
With focus, energy from his dantian flowed through his body, into his arms and the axe.
Whiiiine!
Ghastly blue aura bloomed on the blade.
The moment Karyl sensed the aura's menace and tensed,
Doug closed the gap in a flash and brought the axe down.
"Die, you rat!"
The aura-clad axe sliced through the air.
Aura can only be blocked by aura.
Too late to dodge—he'd be cleaved sword and all.
Doug was certain... but
Screeeeech!
In that instant, Karyl's sword bent like a snake, and the impossible happened.
A grinding sound like metal on metal rang out as the axe blade slid along Karyl's sword.
And that wasn't the end.
Off-balance from the slide, Doug staggered, and Karyl's blade tip struck like a viper at his eye.
'What? No!'
Doug's widening pupil filled with the cold edge.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Snikt!
The sensation of cutting flesh transmitted through the blade tip.
'Did it work?'
A single move: deflect the enemy's attack before countering.
Truth be told, he'd volunteered as bait because he trusted this trump card.
"Dad, if I can't use aura, how do I beat an Expert or Cavalier?"
Karyl, labeled aura impotent and moping, got only a laugh from his father.
At first, he thought it was just teasing.
But no.
"Karyl. We may not have wings, but we've got sturdy legs, right?"
Ostriches can't fly, but they run faster than anyone.
His grandfather, believing you could fight Experts with wits and swordsmanship sans aura, invented new techniques.
One of the family secrets.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Rolling Snake
Deflects enemy attacks, creating openings
'It even works on a Cavalier.'
Past life, no chance to test on one—couldn't be sure.
But it worked.
'What if it failed?'
Just die, that's all.
"Kuh, you little rat..."
"Eyes still good? Was gonna pin an arrow there originally."
"Originally? What bullshit are you spouting!"
Doug had jerked his head away at the last second, missing the eyeball.
But Karyl didn't despair—he needled Doug to shake him up.
"Not bullshit. You'll go down in history as the one-eyed fool blinded by an aura impotent."
Past life: arrow.
This life: sword.
"Hmph, lucky hit and you're cocky!"
Doug gnashed his teeth, readjusted his grip, and charged.
Karyl dodged what he could, Rolling Snaked the rest.
Clangak! Clak!
Doug's follow-ups slid off Karyl's snaking blade too.
He was prepared this time—no counter allowed.
"Tch, learned some freak trick somewhere, but you won't last long."
Doug was a Cavalier.
He wasn't just eating Rolling Snake endlessly.
Clang! Thump!
Karyl's counter after deflecting slid to a halt before Doug's eyes. Blocked by the magic armor on his forearm.
Simultaneously, Doug's kick slammed into Karyl's gut.
He flew back ten meters, crashing through a fence and tumbling hard.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Cough! Cough!"
"Kekeke, how's that taste, rat? Feeling the skill gap now?"
'Damn it, why can't I use aura like that scum...!'
Karyl seethed.
If he could use aura, that counter would've pierced the armored arm.
Hell, he'd have ended it before.
"Not... over yet."
Doug frowned as Karyl staggered to his feet.
"Thought your guts burst for sure."
"Pulled back right before impact to soften it."
"Heh, entertaining. Don't give up—keep thrashing."
Whoosh!
As Doug charged, Karyl recalled old memories again.
"Dad, what if Rolling Snake doesn't work?"
"Then use the second secret: Endure Storm."
"Endure Storm?"
"Yeah—like a reed enduring a gale. Weather the enemy's onslaught."
Swish!
"Huh? What the—?"
Doug blurted in confusion despite himself.
Karyl's sword moved oddly, altering the axe's trajectory.
Adding his force to the enemy's, subtly twisting the attack path to endure.
The essence of Endure Storm.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Endure Storm
Endures and redirects enemy assaults
"What the hell is this now!"
Doug attacked again with a baffled expression.
But constant misses left him incredulous.
'What kind of freak is this?'
He'd faced plenty of foes before.
Elite enemy mercs, Aura Experts, even fellow Cavaliers.
Stronger ones, weaker ones.
But no one sans aura had frustrated him this much.
'This vermin's swordsmanship and battle sense are top-tier!'
Doug's rage boiled over.
Thanks to Sword Saint Rolan establishing knightly code, swords were seen as the way of knights.
Most knights wielded them.
But Doug was the exception.
Even as a top-tier Cavalier, he was clumsy with swords.
'I tried. But it just doesn't fit.'
Like wearing ill-sized clothes—wielding a sword felt awkward.
He'd heard plenty of backtalk and mockery in the order.
Unknightly knight.
And now some no-name merc, aura-less rat, was showing swordplay worth admiring!
'Gotta kill him! Leave him alive, and sword-worshipping idiots will strut even more!'
Doug decided to go all out.
Forgotten were the escaped mercs to hunt or alerting allies to the raid.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
He drew aura from his whole body till his face flushed red.
The aura darkened, and suddenly the axe began to vibrate.
'Bastard's seriously pissed now.'
Karyl swallowed dryly.
Deflecting or redirecting that overwhelming power would get him obliterated.
But his extreme agitation was another opportunity.
And thanks to regression, Karyl knew one fact Doug didn't.
'Yeah. Betting it all on that for the final showdown!'
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